33 Best Italian Restaurants in Santa Monica

“Beyond expectations! Best meal & service in at least 10 years. I’ll be back!“

“My family and I capped off a great vacation with a dinner here on a whim.
1st) We didn’t make a reservation and the host made it happen to get a party of 6 seated in no time at all
2nd) They were extremely accommodating of 3 kids in a party of 6 which many restaurants are not
3rd) Food was absolutely outstanding from start to finish. From the bread, to the pasta, to the prosciutto to the pizza, and even the mocktail. 5 stars all the way
4th) The service was tremendous and especially when our oldest son, who’s on the spectrum, lost something and the server held onto it for him, which absolutely made his day.

From a restaurant owner in New Jersey, we all left filled, happy & was the perfect ending to our vacation.“

“This is a review by an Italian at an Italian restaurant in Santa Monica. The restaurant is in the heart of the city, a stone's throw from the shopping streets. The welcome is kind and the place has warm lights and a very well-attended environment. The cuisine is excellent. The pasta is as good as in Italy. Well done! Italian flavors on the Pacific coast“

“Solidly mediocre - steak is fine and salad/sides are fine, service was neither offensive nor excellent, interior is sexy but not amazing

BUT one reason I would return is for the banana bread pudding, and I might actually return just to get it. That was the best banana bread pudding I’ve ever had in my life jfc“

“Soo Amazing!!! Still my favorite Italian restaurant in LA. Been dining here for nearly 20 yrs and have only ever had incredible experiences! The food and service are outstanding and the ambience is just as amazing! You truly feel like you're in a romantic restaurant in Italy. Thank you! GS“

“My wife and I went to the Grove in Los Angeles last night and we had dinner at "Sogno Toscana," an it was outstanding. It was perfect in every way; great food, great drinks, outstanding and friendly staff, beautiful location, etc. I love Italian food but I can't think of one Italian restaurant that I like, until "Sogno Toscano." The food was outstanding, and there was so much more we saw go by that we can't wait to go back and try. And the drinks were outstanding. I love martini's and they served the best martini I've ever had. Giacomo was our server and took great care of us. He's from Italy and "Sogno Toscana" brought him to America when they opened their New York restaurant, and now he's in LA for this new restaurant. Although very busy, the entire staff were very fun to be around, and most of them are Italian which is also great.“

“If you want to go to a bar with perfect seating, great airflow, excellent drinks, flawless service l, a fantastic DJ, a parking lot, a nyc vibe, no one rushes you and you can even reserve a table for drinks…go to the Chestnut Club. My favorite new bar. 14th & Santa Monica Blvd @TheChestnutClub same owners as scopa and black market liquor!“

“Good fare at a fair price...“

“Always a great experience and meal at Orto, strongly recommended!“

“I'm a huge fan of cheese, and was looking for an opportunity to try some new ones. They had a very bold Parmesan that wasn't overly salty. The 10 year aged cheddar melted in my mouth. The coconut Gouda from Holland was a surprise hit with the table. But my personal favorite was the french triple cream. I'm going to have to see if I can find some when I fly home.“

“Sooo yummy and good service!“

“Very good food and the owner very good person“

“10/10 Recommend. When I’m in the area, I always gravitate to this spot. I love everything on the menu.“

“One of the best food experiences I’ve had in LA! The staff was amazing and so on top of it. Shoutout to the main chef hector for delivering some of the best pizza and churro dessert I’ve had in awhile. I mentioned how my favorite style was Detroit and he was able to whip up something that tasted like home. Oh and the ranch….TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. Also big shoutout to our waiter Jaden, he had great recommendations and made the whole experience wonderful. If I ever come back to this side of town, I’m making this a stop on the itinerary“

“Incredibly fabulous food. Very professional wait staff. Can't thank Roberta and Elena enough. Thanks so much.“

“Loved this place from the food to the service to the atmospheric it was great! I definitely recommend it.“

“Amazing staff. Gigi, Tom, Kian. What positive energy and professional service. Food is delicious. Perfect West Side afternoon.“

“Such yummy food and chill atmosphere. The only problem is the close at 8pm when it’s still light outside?!? I’ve seen them turn away several customers many many times. I think it was a covid thing originally so hopefully they go back to more normal hours. At least stay open until 9pm please 🙏🏻!“

“The cold platter was fantastic! Love the atmosphere. Love the decor. Great experience!“

“OMGEEEEE!!! A friend of mine and I JUST went to Pico Prime Pizza and they are AWESOME!! The pizza was great and worth all is the hype!! I got bbq chicken and pepperoni slices, and they both were DELICIOUS!! There were AWESOME vegan options for my friend!!

Also, DeMarcus (he may even be a manager/asst manager) was a welcome treat! from the minute we walked in the door, he was kind, friendly, knowledgeable, and gave WONDERFUL service and advice!! He also did it with a big smile!!“

“Uovo dishes up everything a person could want in a restaurant: *Fresh, delicious food (and at a reasonable price) *Incredibly friendly and attentive staff -- professionalism is clearly this business's pride and joy *Extremely quick meal preparation (according to my recent experience) *A welcoming, customer-first atmosphere that doesn't feel obligatory or fake; these guys genuinely care about your complete dining experience! I don't usually write restaurant reviews, but this place wowed me in every way, and I want them to know it's appreciated... and potential customers to know that Uovo is a *must* for hungry Wilshire Boulevard wanderers!“

“old school~ great food~ great host~ a treasure~“

“Sweet workers, fast service despite being so busy! Food was delicious, My pesto gnocchi was great, my friends had the chicken parm, other gnocchi dish and carbonara and loved it. We came in on a saturday night and had no wait! Thanks again ☺️“

“It is so great to have this wonderful little restaurant back in business! Alex and Hector put on a great return show for us last night. Food, as always, was delicious. Service attentive and professional. And a very-happy-to-have-you-back vibe permeated the restaurant. Totally recommendable!!!“

“great venue. great customer service, excellent appetizers.“

“It was fun! And pretty environment. Food was delicious“

“Great afternoon lunch with delicious food and wonderful service“

“Great customer service, very good espresso, tasty fresh pastries.“

“the service is phenomenal lovely atmosphere, very clean, cleanliness is the next thing to Godliness. the staff is friendly, the waitresses are really nice just all around lovely place the view is off the chain thank you penthouse for a lovely breakfast and God bless yours truly Michael and Jeannie.“

“This rundown will ensure you enjoy the greatness of Capo. Start with the Filet Tartare accompanied by the grilled Ceaser. Move on to a split pasta plate of the Ragu and Corn Ravioli with truffles. Finish up with the Veal Scallopini while knocking back the last few sips of the incredible Grenache. Yes. I recommend Capo.“

“A friend and I visited Il Forno Trattoria last Saturday. After we left, my friend realised she had lost her grandmother's ring, of great sentimental value. We telephoned the restaurant even though it had already closed for the night, and the team immediately invited us back to search. When we arrived, the staff were cleaning up but had already started to look for the ring and helped us look through the restrooms and, kitchen. At least three or four employees actively helped, including providing gloves and helping us go through the trash to ensure it was lost in a restroom trash can. It was clear that everyone was genuinely concerned and willing to do whatever they could. Although the ring was not found, their professionalism, empathy, and willingness to stay late and actively help without question have left a lasting impression. I mustn’t forget the meal itself had been excellent: well‑prepared dishes, attentive yet unobtrusive service, and a well‑chosen wine list. Taken together with the staff’s extraordinary support, the experience showed Il Forno Trattoria at its best. It is the epitome of excellent service. Whether you are looking for quality Italian cuisine or a restaurant where the team truly cares about its guests, I cannot recommend Il Forno Trattoria highly enough.“

“Really tasty Italian place! I love their sauce. So many good chicken dishes, and the Arancini appetizer (lightly fried rice balls with mozzarella, ground beef in tomato sauce) are ridiculously good! And the Spumoni Bamba (Neapolitan ice cream dessert ball wrapped in chocolate!) Sorry I’m drooling now! And 1/2 price Mondays!!! Say what!!??? (I shouldn’t have told you!) Really good food!“

“My friend and I came here for dinner. There is seating outdoors with heaters but we chose to sit inside.

We shared the Warm Spinach Salad with jumbo shrimp. The shrimp was cooked perfectly!! This salad was delicious!

We also shared the Mushroom Ravioli in the mushroom sauce. This too, was out of this world tasty!

For dessert, we shared the Apple Tart with a dollup of whip cream. This was a slice of heaven

Service was good.
I will definitely return to Rosti Tuscan Kitchen again.

Join the Rosti rewards program to get a discount after acheiving certain points.

Parking lot in the back, but when we arrived it was full, so we parked on the side street.“