26 Best Italian Restaurants in Santa Barbara

“This is quite possibly, not only the best restaurant in Santa Barbara, but possibly anywhere. The food, the artwork, the drinks, service, the management, the host, the bus boys.... Everything about this place is perfection. The manager Sam, makes sure everything is on point! A well run establishment that I can't say enough good things about. Ask for Jay the server, he's top notch.“

“I had a delightful experience at Saint Bibiana cafe in Santa Barbara today with my husband.After a refreshing walk, we decided to stop for lunch and were pleasantly surprised.The cafe exudes a cozy atmosphere, and the pizza with mushrooms and lemon was exceptionally tasty.The staff were friendly and provided prompt service, adding to the overall positive vibe of the place. We left feeling satisfied and content, wishing nothing but prosperity for this charming establishment.I highly recommend paying a visit to Saint Bibiana cafe for a memorable dining experience. “

“Very good Neapolitan pizza. The crust is less chewy than most pizzas of this style, and the char is aggressive, so it reminds me of a New Haven style pizza.The restaurant can get very loud and make conversation very difficult.The staff is helpful, but so busy, that it can be difficult to get their attention.“

“The customer service is why I will be eating here regularly. My drink was never empty and if it got close they were on it. My food was great just needed a dash of salt. I really liked that they seem to know their customers and care about what's going on in their lives. They even insisted I take a Togo cup. Good people and good vibes.“

“As we approached the restaurant, we were not sure where the seating was. Though with enough seats outside, our group wanted to sit inside as the day was becoming colder. The seats inside were as plentiful as outside, but more tightly packed. After the server took our order, we waited for a moderate amount of time for the dishes--a little longer than we would hope for given the short line--but definitely worth the wait. A server laid out all three of our (unplanned identically ordered) Santa Barbara Spicy Shrimp Pastas, each of which had a small slice of toased bread and sausage on top of the very liberal amounts of sauce. The quality of the food served felt very... intentional. The plates, in addition to the sizes of them, gave off the quality that we were just served a homecooked meal. With a decent amount of pasta given to us, we were very content with how much our ~$16 (per person) bill got us in terms of pasta. The sauce had a very umami flavor that slightly overpowered the traditional pasta sauce, but still reminded me of a home-cooked pasta. The bread was wonderfully toasted, and gave a refreshing change of texture with the soft pasta with its fresh crunch, allowing us to eat the remainder of the sauce. Finally, the pasta itself was soft and absorbed the sauce well. When we were finished we were extremely satisfied with our meal--both its quality and value. I would 100% recommend this restaurant and its Santa Barbara Spicy Shrimp Pasta. It has quality food for a really reasonable price.“

“All dishes we ordered were very good (salad, white bean soup special, duck ravioli, veal scallopini, and pasta carbonara). Panna cotta dessert was outstanding. A few minor improvement suggestions - 1) the carbonara and scallopini were not served fully warm enough 2) Carbonara was a bit too salty.“

“Such a beautiful spot by the beach. The indoor seating is still very nice, but the outdoor view is beautiful, especially on a nice, warm day. The food is very good, I've been here for both Brunch and dinner. You can't go wrong with any of the items. Only reason I give them 4 stars, is I wish their plates had a bit more flavor. Service is always quick and helpful.“

“This very unassuming restaurant on Upper State Street is so authentic Italian, in my opinion. It almost has a grandma’s dining room feel to it, and the food is finger-licking good. Also, the desert list is a mile long and wonderful. They have Italian gelato and some other goods. Love it! ? ??“

“Food was great, portion is not as big as other people made it sound. If you eat small portions it is sharable a dish, but if you eat more then the portion is generous for one person. We ordered the sampler and food was delicious!! Great service they are quick to serve you. You order and pay ahead. Clean, great “

“Got seated outside during busy time. No music played outside and only one lamp for 4 parallel tables, so cold. They seemed busy and stressed when I arrived. Excellent food. Server was friendly but did not understand my questions when I asked about wine list, wine that did come out took quite some time and was wrong.I walked or else I probably would've gone to another less busy spot. Would be great experience during off peak hours and indoors.“

“While visiting the area, my kid noticed the logo from a TikTok she had seen. We decided to give it a try and both the food and the customer service were excellent. The owner has a great vibe, and he has excellent staff supporting him. We tried a Pepperoni pizza and it was quite delicious right out of the brick over. It had a great undercarriage, not too burnt. Perfectly crips. The area was quiet, we were there around Noon on a Saturday.“

“My girlfriend and I enjoyed the meal that we had at Trattoria Vittoris overall. We were seated shortly after we arrived (with reservations). We ordered the special salad to share, plus I ordered the ravioli and she ordered the spaghetti bolognese, plus a couple glasses of wine each. The total cost came to about $100. Not bad. The special salad was weird/odd, all of the ingredients made sense (arugula, shaved fennel, almonds and feta), except chunks of watermelon which we both agreed belong in a summer salad.“

“Pizza is my thing; I love trying new local pizza spots whenever we travel. And don't get me wrong, I rarely find a pizza I don't love - but it's rare to find one that truly blows me away. Lucky Penny was just that; an unassuming spot in the funk zone that I had no doubt would be good, but was floored that it might be one of the best pies I've ever had. We can't wait to return!Vegetarian options: In addition to many veggie-forward pizza options, the salads and roasted cauliflower are also delicious!Parking: Street Parking in the Funk Zone is difficult, but luckily the city parking structure near Hotel Californian is just around the corner.Kid-friendliness: Pizza. Who doesn't love pizza?!“

“It is sad too know, the first time I dined at Via Vai, would be my only time, as they will be closing in the next couple of months. And since I do not live here, it would be my only time to experience their wonderful cuisine. The Puttanesca is excellent, and looking at the Chicken Parmesan, which my friends enjoyed, was excellent. The salads were great, the wine selection was perfect, and dessert was outstanding.“

“This is the best restaurant in Santa Barbara! I had the best experience with service, food and the overall experience! They are very familiar with gluten free options! I highly recommend it and will be back! ???. Eva was so welcoming and lovely. Omar was an outstanding waiter and very attentive!“

“What a great find for happy hour. Great for just the two of us but also fabulous for a group of any size. Back area outside is huge, secluded and friends or family friendly. Plenty of outdoor seating with heating tables or lamps. Very comfortable and inviting. This ambiance comes with a varied happy hour menu and friendly staff. We had a table of seven and everything we ordered was tasty. Recommend the meatball sliders, delicious and filling. Highly recommend this area for a relaxing happy hour and I made a note that we will have to come back for lunch or dinner sometime.“

“I love a pizza place with a range of size options! It worked really well for our family of 4 to get three pizzas, in 8", 10", and 12" - nobody had to compromise their desired topping combos! We had plenty for dinner for two adults and two teens, with a few slices leftover for lunch. Another way to customize is with crust thickness - we got two with regular crust and one thin crust. I got the veggie Hawaiian, which was packed with toppings. So easy to call and order, was at the peak dinnertime and the order was ready in about 45 minutes. Get a side of the homemade ranch; you won't be sorry! Eat in also available at a handful of tables and a nice little bookshelf to pass the time. Conveniently located in the Mesa next to Blenders in the Grass, a short walk from Vons and Lazy Acres if you need to combine your errands.“

“We ordered a #19 large Sicilian pizza. It was absolutely delicious ?! Thin crust, a lot of cheese, sausage, onions, and basil. We ordered a ceasar salad, which was crispy and delicious. With lots of ceassr dressing and Parmigiano cheese on the side. Julie and the other employees made sure that everything was packaged ? perfectly ?. Wow, it was our first visit, and we were impressed. $33.00 plus tip!“

“A new year day 1, so we started off at a place we hadn't been to before. Cafe Lido is located poolside at Mar Monte Hotel on the Santa Barbara waterfront, within walking distance of the Santa Barbara Zoo, and this time of year has a wonderful sunset view until they close at 5. Even better, the friendly bar serves great Cosmopolitans. There are tables poolside as well as at the bar and indoors.We enjoyed our cocktails poolside along with a perfect grilled cheese on thick sourdough, homemade thick tomato soup, and French fries. A great start to the new year!“

“The food was absolutely delicious. I ordered to go because my husband wasn't feeling well. The entire meal from beginning to end was fresh, clean and tasty. They certainly use fine ingredients which is so hard to find. We do not eat anything from a package or eat any bad oils so this find for us, is a big win. Upon arrival I was greeted by a very kind owner. We will be sure to dine in while here in Montecito.“

“Service was tops, our waiter was a pro! Food was good. The anticlimax was the $4.13 credit card service charge. Why shove this in the customer’s face after a $125 dinner (2 ppl)? Not unlike a “poison-pill” after an otherwise pleasant experience. Funny how something as trivial ($ wise speaking) as this makes this an indelible distasteful memory of this restaurant…. Why not just distribute this cost percentage-wise into the menu prices?“

“Held a surprise birthday party for my Mom over the weekend with 25 of her closest friends and family. The management was communicative and provided a perfect set up and wait staff to take really good care of us throughout the evening. Everyone enjoyed the Italian appetizers, wine and entrees, which were plentiful! It was a wonderful night she will remember for years to come!“

“I’ve been to the Da Michele in Napoli. This place is by far the closest one can find in America to the real thing. Thank you to the wonderful owner who brought it home for us. We enjoy it a few times a month. The server from Montenegro is our favorite!“

“Nice interior design and food was good even my expectations were higher for an Italian restaurant but the service wasn’t satisfying. They were short handed and waitresses had attitude and not friendly. Almost everything we asked they’ve said is not possible and overall I think running an Italian restaurant with 100% non-Italian employees is not possible!“

“Great dinners at Roy Sat night. Everything on the menu sounded good. The house made warm bread absolutely delicious. Just wish they had a little live dinner music. That would have been perfect. Also, they don't offer Bombay Sapphire gin for some reason. But Hendricks was ok. We will definitely be back!!“

“The food was excellent. The only negative part was the service by Rosemary. Perhaps since it was Christmas and their buffet at 7pm. She basically just came to take plates, checked on us twice but NEVER asked if we wanted more drinks or filled our Perrier. We also wanted more wine but she always came when only one of us was at the table and left quickly. It was disappointment since we love their wine selection. The service was by far the worst at a RC I’ve ever had. Definitely disappointing dinner experience. Food, Valet and the driver were excellent.My boyfriend felt bad for the server and said she’s older and probably tired. I disagreed since RC has high standards and they should be followed no matter age, They need to retrain her or move her so she is not to deal with people since she cannot provide the service quality all guest should expect.“