Really delicious spot, so glad it's reopened! Tried the chicken parm and short rib ravioli and they were both delicious! And the bathroom is clean and fine. read more

Their outdoor seating is great. Indoor is good but can feel a bit stuffy. The food is great and so is the service.

Went to this Santa Barbara Institution for a friend's birthday and first and foremost, the food was fantastic. Fresh food, large portions, incredibly tasty, and you could tell it was handmade with love. You could pay double elsewhere in town and not get the same level of quality. If I was giving it a rating on the food alone, it'd be five stars no question. Everyone enjoyed their meal. I also will say the alcohol is more reasonably priced than you'll find in SB. I got a cocktail that typically starts at $12 elsewhere and it was only $8! Wine also came with a heavy pour. Definitely a good place to start your night if you're heading to State Street next. However, I'm going to echo a lot of reviews here when I say that the service is where it falls a bit flat. While friendly, it was definitely not very attentive and missed out on what surely would have been at least another two rounds of drinks had they come to the table. Tried to do a drink order with the person who delivered the food, since we hadn't seen our server, and the message was not relayed as I was almost done with my meal before I waved over the server to see where my drink was. We also may have considered dessert, but by the time we saw the server again we were ready to go. The place didn't look especially busy, but perhaps they were understaffed and this person was in the weeds. I don't want to give many details since anyone can have an off night and by no means do I want to get this person in trouble. We definitely enjoyed our food enough for me to give this place another try. Here's hoping next time I can add back those two stars :) read more

It was great everyone was so nice and the food was exquisite!! Definitely recommend going here!!!

We were in town for a conference with our kids. Most of the restaurants around were very trendy and pricey. I searched on yelp for kid friendly place, Arnoldi's came up. We were so happy with our dinner. The food was very good, felt like home cooked Italian food. They were kid friendly with coloring menu and kids menu. The wine selection was also very good. The place was packed for a Thursday night. Would definitely come back if we are in town again. I hope they add risotto to the menu. read more

Everything was wonderful. We were here for a wedding reception. The food was outstanding. It's a wonderful place and our experience was first class. Can't go wrong eating here. read more

The food didn't necessarily wow us, but we are happy we went. It has such a cute outdoor atmosphere. It somehow felt veyr homey and cozy, but also somewhat upscale. We appreciated our waiter walking us through the menu and letting us know what could be mixed and matched. They brought out complimentary bread, oils, and butter, which was perfect. Food came out fast even though they were pretty busy. They had a lot of workers (at least 20?) who were sitting around by the kitchen just chatting, which seemed odd for how busy they were, but our service didn't falter as a result. The pasta was fine, but not sure it was any better than something someone could make out home. That said, the atmosphere, the drinks, and the service made us happy with our experience. read more

Good day. It was my best friends 30th birthday tonight, and the whole night we stressed about his surprise party at 7. When we talked to the hostess over the phone, we were worried. We came in with 7 for a reservation, we ended up with 10 on a busy night. Avalon and Adrian were very professional. It was an important night. We could not be more thankful. The servers, the kitchen, the host stand and the bartender. Everything came into perfect persepective. I was so bummed that Stone left early, as he was one of the best servers I have had, and I work at the Cold Spring Tavern. Avalon was awesome, Adrian was nice and unbelievably professional. Thanks for an awesome night. Love this place now. Was my first time. Orfanel and Juan were very nice to all of us. VERY cool. Thanks for everything. Staff is awesome and food was great. It was an awesome birthday and I appreciate everyone! RUBIN was great too. Thanks for everything. From one profesional to another, thank you very much. Have a great one. read more

Arnoldi’s Cafe - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

the food was pretty amazing and delicious! very authentic. my server was very nice and charming and gave us a lot of recommendations. I will have to say there was a specific man working who was giving my friends and I unpleasant looks. As soon as we walked him we were greeted nicely with host and she walked us to our table. This man stops us mid walking and asked us if we had a reservation. Throughout our dinner he kept eyeing us and giving us dirty looks. Made my friends and I feel not welcomed. we asked our server who that guy was and said he was a host! A host job is make sure your costumers feel welcomed at the door! we did not feel welcomed at all. His name is Glauco Pergolizzi. Do better and stop making your guest feel uncomfortable read more

My partner and I used to love coming here, but were really disappointing coming back for the first time since ownership changed. The quality of the food was way worse than before. Our entrees were absolutely covered in sauce that tasted metallic like it was from a can and not a jar, and like spaghetti-o's sauce, honestly. My meatballs weren't fully cooked either. Service was odd. I couldn't find spaghetti and meatballs on the menu? I asked our server almost joking if they had spaghetti and meatballs and he had to look over the menu himself for a minute and couldn't find it. This is an Italian restaurant... We also didn't get our food until 8:45 for a 7:45 reservation. I understand it was a Saturday night but taking an hour to get fo feels like poor management. The price and quality of the food was definitely not worth the wait. We had finished our wine by the time we got our food. Bummer because my partner and I were celebrating our engagement just hours prior. Sad to see our favorite Italian restaurant in town become this read more

We were part of a party of ten people tonight, which can be challenging for some restaurants, but the service here was excellent! No waiting or having to remind servers about anything. The food itself was wonderful! We ordered a variety of dishes: penne arrabiata, eggplant parmesan, chicken piccata, spaghetti carbonara, spaghetti bolognese, etc. According to everyone, it was all delicious! We were seated outside and got to watch a bocci ball game. We were celebrating birthdays and the staff told us to take our time, we didn't feel rushed at all, as some places make you feel. It was a great evening! We'll definitely be back soon. read more

the cutest italian restaurant in sb. my absolute favorite gnocchi ever. got the bruschetta as well, wasn't anything special i actually preferred the bread you can ask for over it. best servers! read more

We had dinner last night. The aracini was wonderful as was the chicken piccata. Recommend the limoncello martini. Service was fast and efficient. No complaints at all! read more

Had a great experience at Arnoldi's hosting an alumni event! Awesome team, awesome communication, and amazing service. Highly recommend for group events and dinners! read more

We went to Arnoldi's for my sister and her husband's birthdays. The staff was very friendly and accommodating for our party of 8 and mostly everyone enjoyed their food. I was really excited to order the lasagna bolognese, and saw that a woman at another table ordered it as well and it looked a bit burnt. When my order came, it was large, but also burnt and rock hard on the top. I ate around it, but wasn't very impressed, especially for the price (~$20). My mom ordered the steak, which she said was chewy and didn't have much taste, but said the spinach tasted great. We still enjoyed our time and were thankful they had outside seating available for our reservation. read more

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Thrilled to see Arnoldi's back open for business. Food might be even more delicious than before. Tuscan Chicken and Chicken Parmigiana were highlights for us. Don't miss the tiramisu for dessert. Staff was new but very upfront about working out the opening weekend hiccups. They did a great job! Will definitely be back soon. read more

I've had great experiences every time, dine in or take out. I love the tri color gnocchi because I can never decide between the sauces and their gnocchi is delicious! I have yet to branch out much on the menu because I'm all about the classic spaghetti and meatballs or tri gnocchi. Yum. read more

Arnoldi’s Cafe - Brushetta to start! - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Mother's Day dinner with family, nice outdoor table, socially distant. Wait staff very understaffed that night (the wait staff did apologize a few times), it took 15 minutes to get menus, we did get complimentary bread with olive oil/balsamic vinegar, and it was a total of 30 minutes till our drinks arrived. Ordered Bruschetta appetizer and although served as a large portion, tomatoes were missing the basil and overall flavor, tomatoes were extremely soggy.. :( Will not order that again. Wines had a good pour. Dinner did arrive about an hour after being seated and then great things happened, all selections were extremely good, Penne with salmon had a delicious sauce, I scraped the bowl with bread to get it all. The spaghetti with white clam sauce also tasty, the Caesar salad with added grilled salmon was very good. Too full to order dessert, although next time will definitely try the tiramisu. Even with a couple of glitches, we will definitely return to try other Italian specialties here, 5 stars! read more

Arnoldi’s Cafe - Penne - Salmon - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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food was very mediocre. was not impressed with anything i had. went on valentines so maybe they were overwhelmed but it did not seem very busy. got seated at a high top with an extremely wobbly table. cute but bordering run down looking. not impressed read more

Ordered delivery of spaghetti and meatballs. We're so disappointed. Not what it used to be and expensive. Another old time sb restaurant not what it used to be. read more

Ruben absolutely killed it! He seems to always know what special touches to add. And the staff are always amazing and never seem to disappoint read more

I grew up in Santa Barbara, and more importantly, I grew up coming to Arnoldi's. My family has had major events here, we love playing bocce with the kids, and it's a tradition that my son and I come and sit in a booth. Our server this evening was wonderful, his name is Adrian. He was attentive, pleasant, asked the kitchen questions when I had them, and was very patient. However, I've noticed that menu prices have gone up (understandably) but the quality has gone down. The calamari, which has always been our favorite and a staple of Arnoldi's (that I've recommended to friends time and time again), has changed. The vendor is different, the flavor is gone, and the texture is awful. I was reluctant to order the Ahi, which we typically do, but was told that the seafood vendor changed. I ordered the ravioli, and my son and I shared that dish, when we would typically order the Ahi as well and share both. Thank goodness the recipe for the ravioli is the same (homemade and truly incredible)! I think we all understand the current market and prices, so finding less expensive alternatives is a practical business decision, but it's disappointing to expect one thing, pay $19 for calamari, and not be able to enjoy. Thank you Adrian and Arnoldi's, but bring back the old seafood vendor! read more

Arnoldi’s Cafe - Calamari no bueno - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We love to go to locally owned restaurants. Arnoldis used to be a great Italiian Restaurant. Having gone about 5 times since the sale years ago, I am disappointed to give this cool place a negative review. The food is simply not good as it used to be. The flavor is flat. The clam Spaghetti is full of sand. The pasta sauces, except the basic red sauce, are unimpressive. The good is great jazz music and an old school vibe. But the food ... well.. not good. read more

Held a surprise birthday party for my Mom over the weekend with 25 of her closest friends and family. The management was communicative and provided a perfect set up and wait staff to take really good care of us throughout the evening. Everyone enjoyed the Italian appetizers, wine and entrees, which were plentiful! It was a wonderful night she will remember for years to come! read more

My wife and I had the unfortunate experience of attempting to dine here last night. The ambiance is converted diner. The service is non-existent. Even Europeans would be left wandering, "where's the wait staff?" Little did we know, that was a blessing. Once we received our "food," we immediately regretted it. The lasagna was inedible. The gnocchi tasted canned. The pesto was reminiscent of a vat cured batch from Fresno. The wine had turned. And even the bread was epically bad. To top it off, wait staff tried to add another glass of wine to the bill! We weren't even able to choke down the first glass having only drank it to wash the food taste away. In short, it's bad. Really. Bad. read more

Arnoldi’s Cafe - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Loved this place! That outside area was so adorable with the lights!! The food was to die for, and the service was so so good. Tried both the Gnocci and the salmon penne and both were delicious. Highly recommend coming here with a group of friends or a cute date!! read more

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Definitely not the best Italian food I have ever had, but not the worst. Came here for dinner and it was packed. The service was excellent considering how busy it was. The ambiance was loud and smelled heavily of smoke, but it definitely was an experience! The only issues I had were with the food. I came here with a group of 4 and we ordered the spinach rotolo, spaghetti and meatballs, penne arrabbiata, and the spaghetti al frutti dl mare. The spaghetti and meatballs were delicious and so was the arrabbiata. However, the other two dishes were not that good. The rotolo came out lukewarm and tasted like nothing. The cheese and spinach that they were stuffed with had no flavor and was just stringy and gross. My boyfriend found pieces of sand in his mussels that were in the seafood pasta. These two problems with the dishes definitely made our experience not as good as we wanted to. I would skip these two dishes if you have the option to. read more

Noisy and crowded on a Friday night. Glad they're busy, but the mediocre food food did not off set the loud noise! I will not return. read more

This old building and its quaint interior make for a cozy evening. The food is wonderful I had a chicken Marsala dish with the Arnoldi's salad. The mushroom sauce was so tasty I took it to go and had my leftovers the next day. It is the oldest Italian in SB and worth going. There are three small booths in the front. I recommend reservations on the weekends. read more

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5 years later and I need to give them a bump up! Outside patio in the back was wonderful. Cool night, lights strung all over, set tables, fireplace. It was nice! We ordered pizza (not on the menu but they make it). Margarita pizza..thin crust. This is a delicious pizza. And bigger than you think. We shared. Also split a small nice of fettuccine Alfredo. Others had arribiata (yum) and eggplant parmesan. Huge portions. Bread is still cold. Butter still in wrapped foil. Maybe I am mellowing but this was a great venue, good food, old school. Staff is divided between super surly and super friendly. Try it. Its traditional Santa Barbara! read more

Wow! Really excellent dishes at our table. Penne arrabbiata, chicken piccata, and chicken parm were all excellent. Large portions and service was great! read more

This is a delightful establishment off the beaten track. At the risk of being ostracized by my fellow locals I have to share that the long time local gem serves some of the best Italian cuisine available is served here. The consensus among my very discerning friend is they serve the best lasagna available, period and the service is peerless. The ambience is old school Italian and there's even a Bocce Ball court in the patio. Definitely 5 stars. read more

Always delicious and fun. Not much has changed under newer ownership - which is a positive thing. Has a great reputation in town, and deep roots! Our server last night was great- patient and kind with large chaotic party. Decor and setup outside is lovely and warm. read more

We just had our wedding reception here and I can't say good enough things about our experience. Sara (owner) was so responsive and kind for almost a year of us planning. She made me feel at ease which is so appreciated during wedding planning. The food was amazing, all our guests thought so too. The overall ambiance was great and the staff was very attentive and friendly. Price was competitive and well worth every penny. Thanks Arnoldis and Sara for making our wedding night unforgettable!!! read more

Fabulous food. Excellent service. Valet parking is worth it as parking is not easy. Portions are plentiful. I'll definitely return.

previously came to this establishment and it was amazing but this time around it wasnt. we put in our order fairly quickly, but it took over an our and a half for our food to arrive and even then, we were told that one of the dishes we ordered wasn't available (this was an hour into waiting). with this we expected any sort of item comped, but no. don't go here if you want a dinner under 2 hours read more

They're back and... better! Did not think it was possible to improve upon my favorite old school Italian restaurant, but we came in for an early Sunday dinner and they knocked it out of the park. They got my kid's butter noodles out immediately. My Chicken Parmesan was perfection. Everyone I was with really enjoyed their food and we shared a great bottle of wine. The wait staff was upfront about working out some kinks as they had just reopened, but our experience was top notch. Will be back and so so glad to have this special place back. read more

I've been to Arnoldi's quite a few times, either for Happy Hour, brunch or dinner. We've gone with large parties and small parties. Arnoldi's is always a winner and has great service! The food is fantastic, the cocktails are generous and the ambience it perfect for Santa Barbara. No wonder they're a long time Santa Barbara legend! This most recent visit was for a catered company party. Even though it was a very chilly February night, the heat lamps and fire pit kept us all warm all night long. It was nice to spend the evening on the large patio and we also enjoyed some bocce ball! When we arrived, the bar was set up and open and shortly after the caprese and antipasto appetizers were brought out. Promptly at 7, our buffet dinner was ready to go. It moved quickly and the portions were generous! We enjoyed Caesar salad, lasagna, chicken picatta and steak. For dessert, we were treated to delicious panna cotta and tiramisu al limone (my favorite!). As always, Arnoldi's didn't let me down!! read more

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ROTOLO DI RICOTTA E SPINACI Housemade pasta filled with ricotta and spinach in a spinach sauce. Insane. read more

Our son & new daughter in law chose this restaurant for their rehearsal dinner last Friday night. We HIGHLY recommend this wonderful historical Italian place for service, food quality, atmosphere and pleasure! In my opinion this is the Best Italian food in California! read more

Arnoldi’s Cafe - The Bitzer's & Whittaker's Wedding Rehearsal Dinner at Arnoldi's in SB - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California