Beautiful restaurant, bit of a wait SOOO worth it, if you’re indecisive and in the area I’ve made ur decision j go here !!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rosa Dekan
Very good pasta really nice sause we had one dish where the chef came out and poured the sause it was really nice and made it feel super fancy our server ( girl with blackish hair) and the boy seeting us were very nice did a really good job! Food amazing service amazing and the vibe overall super good and chill! It is a first come first serve so you will have to probably wait a bit but it is worth it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Oscar Mazzola
Oh my goodness. What a find! Sally at Six Taste brought me here today, and I was blown away. You are rubbing elbows with Michelin excellence here and a mellow, private setting on a side street in Santa Monica. If you have a craving for pasta, you won't do better than this restaurant. Thank you chef and team. I will see you again soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
egg ¡
went with some friends, one of them has a very severe gluten allery - as in, going-into-anaphylaxis type of severe. friend called ahead of time to ask if they have gluten-free options, as well as to specify whether they would cook the food separately to avoid cross-contamination. also specified the same details when ordering our food. when our pasta arrived, friend took 2 bites of their dish before starting to feel their throat swell up, and had to use their emergency inhaler twice. we suspect that there was some cross-contamination involved (perhaps the cookware wasn't sanitized properly?) even though we were assured that my friend's food would be cooked separately from other dishes. had high expectations for this place after tasting the food, but i feel like if an establishment so readily offers allergen-free options and claims there will not be any cross-contamination, they must hold themselves to a higher standard. if my friend wasn't careful and ate more, we'd be on our way to the hospital right now.
Page Cups
Lovely owner and staff; feels like a family restaurant. Incredible homemade pasta made by a chef who really cares. The long lines are well-deserved and well worth the wait. And extremely reasonable prices
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Reetu Nagra
Great prices, ambiance and food! Can't complain!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Calamarata Al Pomodoro Stracciatella E Origano Napoli, Lasagne, Foccacia
Mirelle Maia
One of our favorite local gems. Feels like you’re in Italy! Authentic and unique. Truly obsessed with Colapasta.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chris Fill
I stopped in this place today while waiting for my wife to have her nails done. I had nice glass of Pinot Nero a delicious bowl of their sweet for soup ( Zuppa di Granoturco) paired with a Farmer's Salad with Italian Dressing and ridiculously amazing Focaccia Bread on their patio. Soo soo delicious, the staff were super on point with service. I had an overall great experience!! Will definitely be back, thank you for a great experience Colapasta!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Paula Diana
The food was just ok, the plates were served at the wrong time. We had to ask for the bread several times and it arrived with the pasta (when we didn’t need it). We had first course plates still on our table, dirty when we had the next ones. The whole experience was not good.
AWARD WINNING RESTAURANT ! My wife and I pencilled in a return dinner visit here after our sensational first visit late last year. NOT A SIMPLE THING ! Not living anywhere near Santa Monica we had to plan ahead. ITALIAN VACATION ! What could be better than a fabulous Italian dinner in Southern California the day before we commenced our 2 week Italian vacation. GOOD IDEA ! Our plan was to fly out of LAX so we stayed overnight at our fav place...The Ambrose Hotel. A limo driver brought us and all our luggage from San Clemente to the hotel at around 3pm on Tuesday, March 18th. After freshening up and enjoying an ice cold Santa Monica Brew Works IPA it was time to head out to dinner. LUCKY US ! The Ambrose Hotel provides a Tesla house car with driver to take us to dinner and bring us back. NO RESERVATIONS ! We were dropped off a few minutes before 5pm...opening time and waited outside like everyone else for the doors to open. It is not a large restaurant and being highly regarded for its delectable hand made pasta....fills up fast after opening. We took our table at the same spot as our first visit....within view of Stefano the owner / chef hand crafting his famous pasta. And he looked quite pleased to see us again. A server named Ivette soon dropped by to take our dinner order. FIRST UP ! I asked Ivette about the bottled craft beer on offer. I settled on an Italian Baladin Nazionale Blonde Ale - 6.5% abv which turned out to be fine. For appetizers my wife chose the Zuppa di Granoturco ( sweet corn soup ) while I went for the same as on our first visit....Bresaola Arugula e Burrata ( thinly -sliced aged beef, arugula and burrata ). Within the blink of an eye the place was packed out and there was a line outside. PASTA ! We ordered 1 x Gramigna Bolognese / Emilia ( gramigna pasta with traditional beef ragu ) and 1 x Squid Ink Babette / Veneto ( squid ink bavette with fresh crab in a lightly spiced tomato sauce ). MEANTIME ! My wife totally enjoyed her delightful Sweet Corn Soup and my Bresaola Arugula e Burrata tasted fabulous ! Another server named Luisa ( Stefano's daughter ) brought out our pasta dishes. Everything tasted very good. DESSERT ! I asked Luisa for 2 Cortados and a Licorice Buddino for me. As we were leaving I had a nice chat with Stefano the owner / chef. ANOTHER EXCELLENT DINING EXPERIENCE !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Moringa Agnolotti Piemonte, Puddings, Licorice Pudding, Brown Butter Ravioli, Calamarata Al Pomodoro Stracciatella E Origano Napoli, Tiramisu, Gramigna Bolognese Emilia, Fresh Pasta, Casunziei Dolomiti, Salad, Casarecce Al Pesto, Squid Ink Bavette Veneto, Corn Soup, Malloreddus Alla Campidanese, Insalata Del Contadino Con Condimento Tradizionale, Calamarata Al Pomodoro, Lasagna Classica Emiliana Al Ragu, Pumpkin Soup, Scarpetta, Foccacia, Truffle Pasta, Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
Andrea
Loved this place! Not only is the atmosphere great, the service is amazing and the recommendations from our wonderful waitress were also really good. The pasta here is out of this world. The foccacia is a must try! I would recommend the lasagna and the tiramisu. Also, great wines to choose from. Can't go wrong with this spot. Definitely lived up to our expectations.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jonathan Haderlein
Been coming here for four years. Still just as good as the first time. Love the pasta - the chefs always get the texture just right. And the sauce work is very traditional in the best way. Nothing is ever too much. Just balance and deliciousness.
Service is great. Love getting an espresso and some tiramisu after the pasta course.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bryan Erickson
Let me start by saying I came in with high expectations, not just because Colapasta boasts a Michelin-starred chef, but because the reviews would have you believe this is the gold standard of Italian dining on the Westside. Unfortunately, the experience fell short and not just by a little.
The atmosphere was the first off note. While I appreciate a creative space, the heavy use of lush, tropical plants gave it more of a Caribbean bungalow vibe than anything remotely reminiscent of Italy. It felt more curated for Instagram stories than an authentic dining experience. The aesthetic just didn’t match the cuisine, which set a confused tone from the start.
Now, the food. The pasta was clearly handmade and cooked well, that part I won’t knock. But the portion was surprisingly small given the price, and the flavor didn’t justify the “farm-to-table” fanfare. The ingredients tasted clean and fresh, sure, but lacking in depth, more like a culinary student flexing sourcing over flavor. For a place with this kind of reputation, it’s not unreasonable to expect your main course to wow you. Mine didn’t.
The tiramisu, oddly enough, was the highlight. Rich, balanced, and legitimately excellent. But a great dessert doesn’t save a mediocre meal, especially when the main event underdelivers.
Ultimately, Colapasta feels more like a shrine to the idea of thoughtful food than a place that actually delivers on it. It’s the kind of spot that wins over liberal arts majors who think “less is more” just because it comes with edible flowers. But for those of us who’ve had real Italian food, Sicilian grandma food, red sauce East Coast classics, or even just bold, rustic dishes that don’t apologize for flavor, this felt like style over substance.
If you’re looking for a place to be impressed by plating and ambiance, it might be for you. If you’re looking for a great Italian meal, this just doesn’t clear the bar.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Eunia L
Amazing experience!! They accomodated our large party of 14 close to closing and were so sweet throughout the entire night. The food was delicious and the best lasagna I've ever had. We had even brought in a cake for our friend's birthday and they let us do that + gave us plates, so nice!
Outstanding lasagna.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Beautiful restaurant, bit of a wait SOOO worth it, if you’re indecisive and in the area I’ve made ur decision j go here !!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very good pasta really nice sause we had one dish where the chef came out and poured the sause it was really nice and made it feel super fancy our server ( girl with blackish hair) and the boy seeting us were very nice did a really good job! Food amazing service amazing and the vibe overall super good and chill! It is a first come first serve so you will have to probably wait a bit but it is worth it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Oh my goodness. What a find! Sally at Six Taste brought me here today, and I was blown away. You are rubbing elbows with Michelin excellence here and a mellow, private setting on a side street in Santa Monica. If you have a craving for pasta, you won't do better than this restaurant. Thank you chef and team. I will see you again soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
went with some friends, one of them has a very severe gluten allery - as in, going-into-anaphylaxis type of severe. friend called ahead of time to ask if they have gluten-free options, as well as to specify whether they would cook the food separately to avoid cross-contamination. also specified the same details when ordering our food. when our pasta arrived, friend took 2 bites of their dish before starting to feel their throat swell up, and had to use their emergency inhaler twice. we suspect that there was some cross-contamination involved (perhaps the cookware wasn't sanitized properly?) even though we were assured that my friend's food would be cooked separately from other dishes. had high expectations for this place after tasting the food, but i feel like if an establishment so readily offers allergen-free options and claims there will not be any cross-contamination, they must hold themselves to a higher standard. if my friend wasn't careful and ate more, we'd be on our way to the hospital right now.
Lovely owner and staff; feels like a family restaurant. Incredible homemade pasta made by a chef who really cares. The long lines are well-deserved and well worth the wait. And extremely reasonable prices
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great prices, ambiance and food! Can't complain!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Calamarata Al Pomodoro Stracciatella E Origano Napoli, Lasagne, Foccacia
One of our favorite local gems. Feels like you’re in Italy! Authentic and unique. Truly obsessed with Colapasta.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I stopped in this place today while waiting for my wife to have her nails done. I had nice glass of Pinot Nero a delicious bowl of their sweet for soup ( Zuppa di Granoturco) paired with a Farmer's Salad with Italian Dressing and ridiculously amazing Focaccia Bread on their patio. Soo soo delicious, the staff were super on point with service. I had an overall great experience!! Will definitely be back, thank you for a great experience Colapasta!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was just ok, the plates were served at the wrong time. We had to ask for the bread several times and it arrived with the pasta (when we didn’t need it). We had first course plates still on our table, dirty when we had the next ones. The whole experience was not good.
Food: 3
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
AWARD WINNING RESTAURANT ! My wife and I pencilled in a return dinner visit here after our sensational first visit late last year. NOT A SIMPLE THING ! Not living anywhere near Santa Monica we had to plan ahead. ITALIAN VACATION ! What could be better than a fabulous Italian dinner in Southern California the day before we commenced our 2 week Italian vacation. GOOD IDEA ! Our plan was to fly out of LAX so we stayed overnight at our fav place...The Ambrose Hotel. A limo driver brought us and all our luggage from San Clemente to the hotel at around 3pm on Tuesday, March 18th. After freshening up and enjoying an ice cold Santa Monica Brew Works IPA it was time to head out to dinner. LUCKY US ! The Ambrose Hotel provides a Tesla house car with driver to take us to dinner and bring us back. NO RESERVATIONS ! We were dropped off a few minutes before 5pm...opening time and waited outside like everyone else for the doors to open. It is not a large restaurant and being highly regarded for its delectable hand made pasta....fills up fast after opening. We took our table at the same spot as our first visit....within view of Stefano the owner / chef hand crafting his famous pasta. And he looked quite pleased to see us again. A server named Ivette soon dropped by to take our dinner order. FIRST UP ! I asked Ivette about the bottled craft beer on offer. I settled on an Italian Baladin Nazionale Blonde Ale - 6.5% abv which turned out to be fine. For appetizers my wife chose the Zuppa di Granoturco ( sweet corn soup ) while I went for the same as on our first visit....Bresaola Arugula e Burrata ( thinly -sliced aged beef, arugula and burrata ). Within the blink of an eye the place was packed out and there was a line outside. PASTA ! We ordered 1 x Gramigna Bolognese / Emilia ( gramigna pasta with traditional beef ragu ) and 1 x Squid Ink Babette / Veneto ( squid ink bavette with fresh crab in a lightly spiced tomato sauce ). MEANTIME ! My wife totally enjoyed her delightful Sweet Corn Soup and my Bresaola Arugula e Burrata tasted fabulous ! Another server named Luisa ( Stefano's daughter ) brought out our pasta dishes. Everything tasted very good. DESSERT ! I asked Luisa for 2 Cortados and a Licorice Buddino for me. As we were leaving I had a nice chat with Stefano the owner / chef. ANOTHER EXCELLENT DINING EXPERIENCE !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Moringa Agnolotti Piemonte, Puddings, Licorice Pudding, Brown Butter Ravioli, Calamarata Al Pomodoro Stracciatella E Origano Napoli, Tiramisu, Gramigna Bolognese Emilia, Fresh Pasta, Casunziei Dolomiti, Salad, Casarecce Al Pesto, Squid Ink Bavette Veneto, Corn Soup, Malloreddus Alla Campidanese, Insalata Del Contadino Con Condimento Tradizionale, Calamarata Al Pomodoro, Lasagna Classica Emiliana Al Ragu, Pumpkin Soup, Scarpetta, Foccacia, Truffle Pasta, Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
Loved this place! Not only is the atmosphere great, the service is amazing and the recommendations from our wonderful waitress were also really good. The pasta here is out of this world. The foccacia is a must try! I would recommend the lasagna and the tiramisu. Also, great wines to choose from. Can't go wrong with this spot. Definitely lived up to our expectations.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Been coming here for four years. Still just as good as the first time. Love the pasta - the chefs always get the texture just right. And the sauce work is very traditional in the best way. Nothing is ever too much. Just balance and deliciousness.
Service is great. Love getting an espresso and some tiramisu after the pasta course.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Let me start by saying I came in with high expectations, not just because Colapasta boasts a Michelin-starred chef, but because the reviews would have you believe this is the gold standard of Italian dining on the Westside. Unfortunately, the experience fell short and not just by a little.
The atmosphere was the first off note. While I appreciate a creative space, the heavy use of lush, tropical plants gave it more of a Caribbean bungalow vibe than anything remotely reminiscent of Italy. It felt more curated for Instagram stories than an authentic dining experience. The aesthetic just didn’t match the cuisine, which set a confused tone from the start.
Now, the food. The pasta was clearly handmade and cooked well, that part I won’t knock. But the portion was surprisingly small given the price, and the flavor didn’t justify the “farm-to-table” fanfare. The ingredients tasted clean and fresh, sure, but lacking in depth, more like a culinary student flexing sourcing over flavor. For a place with this kind of reputation, it’s not unreasonable to expect your main course to wow you. Mine didn’t.
The tiramisu, oddly enough, was the highlight. Rich, balanced, and legitimately excellent. But a great dessert doesn’t save a mediocre meal, especially when the main event underdelivers.
Ultimately, Colapasta feels more like a shrine to the idea of thoughtful food than a place that actually delivers on it. It’s the kind of spot that wins over liberal arts majors who think “less is more” just because it comes with edible flowers. But for those of us who’ve had real Italian food, Sicilian grandma food, red sauce East Coast classics, or even just bold, rustic dishes that don’t apologize for flavor, this felt like style over substance.
If you’re looking for a place to be impressed by plating and ambiance, it might be for you. If you’re looking for a great Italian meal, this just doesn’t clear the bar.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Amazing experience!! They accomodated our large party of 14 close to closing and were so sweet throughout the entire night. The food was delicious and the best lasagna I've ever had.
We had even brought in a cake for our friend's birthday and they let us do that + gave us plates, so nice!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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