42 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!“

“The food was particularly good and even though there aren’t a lot of options, everything was well prepared and tasty. Apparently the chef makes all the pasta in house and there was nice variety and unusual selections. I will go back.“

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

“Lovely place for great pizza & great service. From the outside, you wouldn’t expect it to be a really chill, relaxing vibe type of place with open kitchen and great place of local neighborhood organic ingredients joint. Very organic kid’s drawing pics hanging throughout the place, it doesn’t look out of place but more of family & neighborhood feeling kind of place. It’s an all day place with breakfast, lunch and dinner. Got here between breakfast & lunch and both menu looks fantastic. Want to order them all but settled for pizzas and salad & of course lemonchello spitz. Great pizza dough and the ingredients are fresh and you can see and taste it that it makes with love for sure. Salad was good abit blanched for me but was focusing on the pizza so…very well make and well cook in the wood fired oven. The pastries look delish and smell fantastic. Service was attentive and friendly, no rush but chill vibe type of service. Prices wise, for 2 pizzas, a cocktail, and a salad and with tip…$150. Parking can be a hassle but if you are willing to walk a little, free neighborhood street parking or if you can find parking within 200feets, then it will be paid street parking or paid garage parking nearby. Still thinking of their pizzas, yum!“

“Good fare at a fair price...“

“Sooo yummy and good service!“

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

“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.“

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

“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”!“

“1st, I'm Italian. This has a strong bearing on my review. We had the homemade lasagna. It was the best lasagna I've ever had, next to my sainted Italian mother's. The food is authentically Italian. Also has the arugula salad...superb. We are not from the area. This restaurant was recommended by the innkeeper at the place we stayed. If we're in Santa Monica again, we'll come back for another authentic Italian meal!“

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

“Best Pasta in Los Angeles!🤤😋🍝🍷“

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

“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.“

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

“I’d been wanting to try this place for awhile, after seeing so many others rate it online and on social media. The hype was worth it.

What looks like an intimidating ordering situations was actually really easy. I think I was expecting a NYC style service counter where you get yelled at if you don’t know exactly what you want, but the staff was so nice and helpful.

My wife and I split the whole turkey sub with mild peppers and American cheese, no pickles. The bread was great—a little on the crusty side, but otherwise very flavorful. All of the veggies and meat were very fresh, and the experience was cool over all. You grab a ticket at the counter, wait for them to call your number, then you order and step back while they make yours and a handful of others at the same time. I grabbed some chips and drinks while I waited, which only took 5 minutes or so, then paid at the front (cash or debit only) and enjoyed our lunch at one of the outdoor tables.

I’ll definitely be back to try the meatball sub, which I eyed somebody else eating and immediately wanted a taste. I’ll probably grab a turkey sub, too, while I’m at it.“

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

“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.“

“Need to give a shout-out to this spot! I was heading back to my car after a beach day and happened upon Vittorio's. It was getting late and I didn't feel like cooking when I got home, so this was a nice surprise. The service was wonderful, the people who worked there were friendly, and the overall vibe was peaceful and refreshing to bask in for a moment. The chicken parm sandwich was excellent and I was happy that they didn't skimp on the cheese. I definitely recommend!“

“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.“

“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!“

“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.“

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

“Great afternoon lunch with delicious food and wonderful service“

“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.“

“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.“

“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 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.“

“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 🙏🏻!“

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

“😍😍 😍pretty Tasty Pizza😍😍😍“

“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!“

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

“This place is right across from smc and it's a great spot to get lunch, a quick meal, or just hangout. Staff is really nice, Jay is so goated, genuinely cares about you the customer and makes sure you enjoy your experience and food. Food is so good, pizza slices remind me of the NY pizza, one slice is enough to fill you up but they also have a lot of other great options. Overall this place is peak.“

“An exceptional Italian fine dining experience in the heart of Beverly Hills! From the elegant ambiance to the impeccable service, everything was truly wonderful. The food was absolutely delicious, beautifully presented, and full of authentic Italian flavors. Each dish was prepared with care, and the attention to detail was outstanding. The staff was attentive, professional, and welcoming, making the entire evening feel special. A perfect place for a romantic dinner, special celebration, or anyone looking to enjoy an elevated Italian dining experience. I highly recommend this restaurant and can’t wait to return!“

“If you’re anywhere near Santa Monica and craving AMAZING pizza, this place is an absolute must. From the moment you walk in, the staff makes you feel so welcome, the vibes are always warm, friendly, and cozy. It’s the kind of pizza parlor that instantly feels like your go-to spot.

My personal favorites are the Spicy Bear and the Bianco pizzas… both are insanely delicious and packed with flavor. And don’t even get me started on the spicy BBQ wings, the PERFECT balance of sweet and spicy. I literally crave them all the time.

A huge shoutout to Ruben, who always goes above and beyond to make customers feel welcomed. His energy, personality, and friendliness truly make the experience even better every single time.

Great food, great people, great atmosphere. Honestly, nothing but amazing things to say about this place. One of my favorite spots to hit for my lunch break with my coworkers and definitely a hidden gem.“

“I went in today for some food but I thought the food court was empty but I heard someone say hi welcome so it caught my interest and look it was pizza I love pizza. The young gentleman Gabriel was so enthusiastic and funny made my time enjoyable while I was there. Most definitely coming back for a slice again“

“Alex gives the best service at Palma!“

“Yummy pizza. Always look for a slice of sicilian. All pies very good.“

“A true taste of Italy for us. Two items really stand out for me. The most fantastic, home made gelato. And the coffee-undeniably Italian Coffee Roasted and Imported Directly from Rome Italy. We loved it so much we bought the 2.2 lb bag and make a cup of coffee with these coffee beans every day.“