27 Best Italian Restaurants in Santa Barbara

“Great food and ambiance, we had a great time. You can tell everything was made with great care and precision. Cheers to the Chef and the staff for a great dinner! Can’t wait to return!“

“Delicious meal however the waitress forgot to order a dish. Once she realized this she told us you just have to share the first while waiting for the 2nd to arrive... and for your information a real limoncello is served iced and not at room temperature.“

“Took our youngest for her 16th and the staff was exceptional, the atmosphere was wonderful, and the food was delicious! Thank you!“

“Sat outside and had a wonderful meal! Great service and fantastic food. Had the branzino on top of the most finely whipped mashed potatoes with asparagus. Unbelievably good! Others had the scallops, the veal, and pumpkin ravioli. A+ ! Drinks were great too!“

“Petrini's has the best pizza EVER!!“

“We shared 3 items-the summer peach flatbread, and 2 salads. All delicious!! And the lemon torte was excellent!“

“Great service, great food. And it’s in Santa Barbara!“

“It was incredible! Wait staff is great and it had an incredible ambience! The food was delicious!!!“

“Imagine this: As the sun begins to set, casting a gentle warmth over downtown Santa Barbara, you find yourself seated outside with your date, the soft evening glow surrounding you both. You take a creamy bite of the Cajun shrimp pasta from California Pasta, savoring the moment. Then, catching your date’s gaze, you lean in and ask for a kiss (they say yes)

Kid-friendliness: Kid friendly cause im a kid and i had a great experience“

“Excellent restaurant, cozy atmosphere, quality ingredients“

“It's always good as spected.. very good overall if I'am not wrong I saw the owner talking very disrespectful towards 2 of his employees Wich is not the right way to discuss if something was wrong.. isn't easy to work as a cook. Favorite plate chicken piccata.“

“Great place great vibe! We stopped for a quick drink coming back again next in Santa Barbara“

“I recently had the pleasure of celebrating a special lunch at this incredible restaurant, and it exceeded all expectations. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with a warm and attentive welcome, setting the tone for a memorable experience. The intimate setting made for a perfect, relaxing atmosphere, and the stunning waterfront views were simply breathtaking. The upscale lunch menu offered a variety of delectable options, each dish more flavorful and artfully presented than the last. What truly made the experience exceptional was the peaceful ambiance—the low noise level allowed for easy conversation without any distractions. It was the perfect balance of elegance and tranquility. Whether you're looking for a romantic meal or a refined gathering with close friends, this restaurant is an absolute gem. Highly recommended!“

“When I moved to SB I thought I was in a pizza desert! Couldn't find a good one. But then found St. Bibiana's. The rave reviews you see here are correct. It's the real deal if you are a pizza maven. Parking is a little hard around here but tough it out, it's worth the hassle.“

“Was so good. We loved having dinner under the olive trees. Can’t wait to go back.“

“Today's lunch was truly memorable for our family at Cali-Forno Pizzeria. We were fortunate enough to encounter Alberto Diaz, @betodiaz60 the YouTuber who has won us over with his engaging videos. It was truly a pleasure to meet him in person. He truly is committed to providing exceptional service and exceeding customer expectations with his remarkable energy and scrumptious pizza. Cali-Forno Pizzeria.“

“PRO: This pizza is legitimate. And I’ve had many a pie. Most people rate this place lower due to the price. Which isn’t bad, unless you’re expecting Domino’s or Little Squeezer’s. We ordered the calzone with anchovies. It was delicious. Also a beer ON TAP. The music was superb, playing classic Sinatra style. Any pizza place should have tap beer, hence the atmosphere rating. The only negative is that they might need to do a bit of remodeling on the ceiling to accommodate the weather and tear. However, this is minute. Eat their pie and enjoy. They also have a GIANT pie if you choose.
And the bathroom was clean?
CONS: They could have included more variety of veggies in the calzone (included was olive, mushroom, red onion, and tomato).“

“We enjoyed fresh seafood we were cravin for. A friend recommended this place as it is near the hotel were staying at in Downtown SB. We're very pleased with great food and excellent service.“

“Very nice atmosphere. They are waiting for their liquor license so when the bar gets up and running, I think it’ll be more crowded and it is a great bar. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very open, clean and pretty inside. The food I had was really good. I ordered a thin crust, pizza pepperoni and sausage and the crust is really good. My favorite was the meatballs with the Parmesan cheese bread loaf they served with it. I thought the marinara sauce was excellent and the meatballs were really tasty. I also loved the Mediterranean salad. It Had a great Dressing and was loaded with a lot of good vegetables. My husband also really liked the Caesar salad.“

“I love the Crocodile Restaurant!! I found this place last year when I was asked to perform for a birthday there. I knew it would be the right atmosphere for my vocal entertainment. I'm there every THURSDAY & FRIDAY night! (5:30-7:30) I sing mostly romantic songs but change it up for the kids to enjoy the fun of live music. I love taking requests to make the evening what the guests want it to be. The extensive food menu as well as the variety on the song menu make this restaurant a really cool place.“

“Rude employees. Asked for a table outside because we had our baby asleep on the stroller and wanted to have space for him, they wanted to put us inside and told us take that or nothing. Couldn’t believe it, but plenty of other places out there with nice and well trained staff!“

“This is the best pizza place I've ever been to. The pizza's dough tastes so fresh and has a bunch of flavor. I love the flat sheets of thin Parmesan on top because it has great flavor. Definitely would recommend going here if you love wood fired pizza!!!

Kid-friendliness: There is a nice area with picnic benches and grass which is great for eating. There is also a fence around most of it which is good for keeping your kids surrounded. Great for kids! We also like to bring our dog here!“

“We ordered the cheese pizza with extra cheese and garlic for my son's birthday and it was a big hit!“

“Yummy!! A must place to visit in Ventura!!“

“Tried calling today to ask if they were still doing subs, and the worker hung up the phone on me!! I thought maybe the call dropped, so I called him back. After asking again, he rudely interrupted me to tell me “we are Mesa pizza company”. I tried explaining I just wanted to know if the subs are still available and then he yelled “NO” and hung up the phone again!! I tried calling back a third time and he once more hung up once he recognized my voice. It wasn’t until I called back and spoke in Spanish that he actually took the time to respond to me rather than just hanging up the phone. Extremely rude of him, especially considering I was not rude in the slightest, simply inquiring about something that used to be on the menu. I used to love coming here and getting food, but that complete and utter disregard for customer service has really ruined my memory of this place. I’ll be taking my money elsewhere.

UPDATE: The owner was super kind and accommodating, and apologized personally. The worker may not have been kind, but the owner was exceptional in apologizing and granting me the service I remember.“

“A wonderful place to meet friends for a delightful bite to eat“

“Great food, drinks, and desserts.“