36 Best Italian Restaurants in Santa Monica

“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.“

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

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

“Guys, I would love to gatekeep this place, but the public deserves to know. This is literally the best food I have ever had in my life. I usually just go to restaurants depending on the actual taste and quality of the food and don't really care about the service, but omg the staff here are actually INCREDIBLE.“

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

“Sooo yummy and good service!“

“Good fare at a fair price...“

“We had a nice, cozy dinner here and really enjoyed the atmosphere. We ordered our pasta without cheese, but it was accidentally served with cheese. The staff handled the mistake very professionally and apologized immediately. They quickly brought us the correct order, and the service throughout the evening was friendly and attentive. Mistakes can happen, but the way they resolved the situation was excellent.“

“I would give via Venetto five stars based on their delicious food alone, but unfortunately it took forever to get served. I realize it was a Saturday night and they were busy, but it took quite a bit longer than it should have. The food is top-notch- and I'm super picky especially about Italian food. “

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

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

“Best Pasta in Los Angeles!🤤😋🍝🍷“

“My wife and I had a lovely dinner here last night. For this being our local neighborhood Italian restaurant, we absolutely don't come here frequently enough. Their appetizer are wonderful. Try the calamari w/ worchester sauce. The salads are perfectly dressed. They have a solid pasta menu. Too many good options to name. And their meat and fish selections will cover most palates. Also need to mention the very cozy nice ambience inside. By cozy I mean warm and home-like. It is not tight seating. It just has an feeling you are in an intimate dining room. Very pleasing atmosphere. Buon appetito!“

“I moved back to LA after 20 years, and although Bruno has moved on, it still feels like he’s in the kitchen. His lovely soul and legendary recipes live on, deliciously!!
Everything is a delight, including the addition of the outside tables, with a Santa Monica Pier view.
Limited parking in the back, but there is public parking at the mall/pier.
As Paxton always said, “Chicken Parmesan, it’s On its On~ah”!“

“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.“

“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.“

“Food, service and ambience were excellent, we love it !“

“We had a wonderful lunch at Cosetta and highly recommend it. The restaurant has a very attractive, modern, bright, and airy and comfortable atmosphere. The outdoor patio looked beautiful as well, but it was simply too hot for us to dine outside.

I ordered the Chopped Salad, loaded with crunchy chickpeas, garbanzo beans, pepperoncini, salami, and other fresh ingredients. It was absolutely delicious and generously portioned—I enjoyed it so much that I happily took half home for lunch the next day. Our friend ordered the Margherita Pizza with fresh mozzarella, basil, and a terrific crust, adding anchovies, which he loved. My husband chose the tuna sandwich and was especially impressed by the unique, house-baked bread, which made an already excellent sandwich even more memorable.

The staff was friendly, welcoming, and professional throughout our visit, answering all of our questions. Cosetta strikes us as the perfect spot for a business lunch, given its convenient location in a business park, or for a relaxed meal with family and friends. We also appreciated the validated parking, which was easy and convenient—a real bonus that's becoming increasingly rare at Los Angeles restaurants.

We're already looking forward to returning to sample more of the menu, especially at dinner. Cosetta exceeded our expectations, and we highly recommend it.“

“Super good, walk up, small patio full intalian menu, curb pull up/beach walk to quick eats. Very nice find. Exactly what I was looking for. I will stop by anytime I'm here. Next door there's a coffee spot that I will try next time passing by.“

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

“Had heard great things from colleagues, so I decided to stop in and see what the hype was about. While I was looking over the menu, the lady working at the time greeted me and even offered samples of a few spreads on bread, which was a nice touch since some of the ingredients were unfamiliar to me.

I ended up ordering a weekly special with prosciutto, arugula, artichoke cream, and stracchino, and added nduja after trying it and liking the flavor. The sandwich was delicious and packed with ingredients.

It’s definitely on the pricier side for a sandwich, but the portion is huge. Honestly, it’s enough to share, or do what I did eat half for lunch and save the rest for dinner.“

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

“Great afternoon lunch with delicious food and wonderful service“

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

“What a great variety of pizzas and salads. Tha pastas are exceptionally good. Great device and place to go with freinds. lots of parking to boot. Ive been here multiple times and plan on carrying on:) Will definitely them for catering very soon.“

“It was bustling when we got there! A large line near the deli cases. You grab a ticket number and wait for them to call out your number and then you can order.
The guy at the counter was super nice. We got the godmother sandwich and grabbed some drinks, chips and pasta salad from the cold case.

The bread was so good. Chewy outside, fluffy inside. The peppers were really yummy too. I’m so sad we don’t have anything like this where I live 😭

There’s tables outside so you can eat out there. It’s not far from the Santa Monica metro station.“

“😍😍 😍pretty Tasty Pizza😍😍😍“

“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.“

“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 hidden back patio is one of my favorite places in LA!

The food is delicious, I love their salads and pizza but come for their sandwiches every time. This time I got their meatball and my boyfriend had a slice of pepperoni pizza.

Stop by Jyna Issac’s on your way out for some fresh bread and pastry.“

“This place was great. We really enjoyed the food, service and the entertainment. The piano player was a great touch. Went on a weekend with a reservation and got right in. You have to check in with the host stand right by the valet and they'll tell you to ring the bell by the side door down a few stairs. We had the Pappardelle Bolognaise and a wedge salad, both were amazing. The valet is really convenient but super expensive, even for LA. We'd stop back in some day for sure!“

“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 🙏🏻!“

“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!“

“Their famous Chicken Mattone was not edible. It was beyond dry, and I even talked to the waitress about that before ordering it--she said she would make sure it wasn't dry. However, they handled it well--took it off the bill and comped two glasses of wine. The pizza was good, but the pasta and meatballs were a bit bland. Stick with the salads and sandwiches.“

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

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