After our visit to the Santa Monica Stairs, I wanted to stop at a park so Gavin can run amuck before lunch. Little did I know he wanted to get lunch before the park. My plans to get poke was ruined. I did not want to leave my parking spot so we ventured along that block and a local directed us to Bruno's. My friend, Lew also reviewed this place. I trust him so i was quite optimistic when I stopped to look at their menu. I didn't want anything heavy (pasta) and in reality, it was Gavin that was hungry so I ordered a small sausage pizza. For the price, taste, quality, and speed - it can't be beat. Super friendly and family-oriented restaurant/staff. The ladies made us feel very welcomed and comfortable. The lady was surprised a small pizza was all I ordered and to be frank, I was surprised myself but I couldn't eat unhealthy for days in a row. I did not like how I was feeling. Anyway. About 10 minutes later, the pizza arrived. A small has 4 slices. It is the perfect size to share w/ 2 people (2 slices each). The crust was thin but held its form. The sauce, the cheese, and sausage was evenly distributed. It was such a simple yet great tasting pizza. Sometimes it's the simplistic things!!! Thanks to the local dude that told us to go here. read more

Bruno's - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Creamy and authentic taste. You can tell the cooks have roots from their motherland! The pasta itself has a unique taste and the Alfredo sauce had a creamy texture. Seriously only tried it once but I definitely recommend it to other trying to get Italian food along Santa Monica Beach. read more

Bruno's - Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Went here for lunch on Christmas and had such a delicious meal. You know how sometimes a place just nails it with food that is just good? I don't even know how to explain it. The pizza crust was fab, the fettuccini alfredo was some of the best I've ever had--perfectly cooked pasta, and great creamy sauce, but not in a way that was too much. I noticed that I was using my fork to scrape off the rest of the sauce from the plate to eat every last bit, haha. While we came here because they were a place happened to be open on Christmas, we'll definitely be back. Thank you Bruno's! read more

soooo delicious!!! our server/ service/ food was al WONDERFUL! i can't believe i have never gone here before..... i'm sooooo full! thank you bruno's staff!!!!! keep up the great work read more

The best Italian restaurant! Family atmosphere and extremely kind and friendly owners. read more

The best eggplant parmigiana I have ever had! The sauce is unique and the atmosphere is very east coast laid back classic Italian eatery. Def going to become one of my new hangout spots in Santa Monica post work. You can enjoy a glass of wine on the back patio and soak in the ocean with no crowds! Dine in or take-out you can't go wrong with Bruno's :) read more

Great family Italian restaurant. Homestyle flavor. Best family style Italian restaurant on the Westside. read more

My friend and I were going to the Santa Monica Pier, and we were craving Italian and this place happened to be nearby. There are parking meters around the restaurant on the street, and you can walk to the Pier from the restaurant though it is a bit of a walk. The service was really friendly and nice. The lady who helped us smiled and was very kind and attentive to our needs. We had the Gnocchi Alfredo Pesto and Veal Parmigiana with Spaghetti. While my friend really liked the food here, I felt it was a bit too carby for me. The Gnocchi was too doughy for my taste, and there really wasn't much else to the dish besides the gnocchi and the pesto. The Veal Parmigiana was better, but it was still very overloaded with just the spaghetti and marinara sauce flavor. I personally probably won't be back unless my friend drags me here again, but I think this might be more of a personal taste issue as my friend seemed to love it here. read more

Bruno's - Gnocchi Alfredo (pesto) - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Been coming here for over 10 years consistently pleased. Was a little hesitant cause they have new ownership. But was very happy that not much has changed. Food was great, ambiance is perfectly chill. Not too busy but busy enough you know it's gotta be good. Portion size was perfect for splitting. Even though Bruno was missed it's nice to know his legacy is being carried on. Wish I had thought to take a pic of the food before it was gone read more

Authentic Italian at its finest! Seriously an amazing dinner and ambiance. A great family place. read more

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Orgasmic food experience! salad, pizza, pasta, seafood, lasagna! And I absolutely love their gelato!!!! I felt dejavu whilst devouring it! Service is excellent too! Ambiance is relaxing with classic background music . Worth the visit!! read more

Was in Santa Monica for the weekend & decided on this Gem that's right by the beach. I had pizza, super fresh Ingredients & delish. Other orders At the table was salads, chicken Alfredo & spaghetti. All of us kids included loved our meals. I had Pinot Grigio that nice cold & amazing. read more

Awesome Mom and Pops type restaurant! Had Cheese Ravioli, Pep Pizza, and Rigatoni. All great and service exceptional! Marion was great!

Authentic Italian near the Santa Monica Pier. We loved it and the prices are reasonable. The warm home made bread with the anti-pasta was amazing! read more

Bruno's - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I wasn't too impressed by this place. The best part was the pizza and the service. The rest of the food was average and below average. We tried the veal Parmesan, shrimp scampi, and another chicken dish, pasta and bread, all below average, price is reasonable read more

Best homemade pizza sauce ever! Everything is made fresh. I want to go back and try the pasta. The service was great; friendly. Restaurant a little old and it shows. Clean and well kept. read more

This place is a hidden gem. We almost missed it as it is a small restaurant and it doesn't have any showy outside features. The simplicity of this place is what makes it great. The food and service is stupendous! Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. The garlic bread was made just right and the fettuccine alfredo was maybe the best I have had. The chicken parmigiana that my boyfriend had was amazing as well. We were pretty full after our meal, so we had some cannoli to go. I swear, the best cannoli I had ever had! Highly recommend this place. The price are very affordable, service is great, and best of all Bruno is there! I want to eat here every time I come back to Santa Monica now! read more

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A tiny local spot just a short walk away from the Loews Hotel on Ocean Ave where you feel like you are part of the family. We all enjoyed their homemade pizza and strong, garlicky Cesar salad. Bruno himself who hails from Naples is your waiter and provides warm efficient service. He told us he's been there for something like 30 years so he must be doing something right. The ambiance isn't anything special, simple tables with red checkered table cloths and a few sturdy booths. Unlike most restaurants, wine was an incredible steal with most bottles of good quality Italian wine at or below $20. Definitely someplace to seek out, especially if you can walk there from your hotel as we did one evening. read more

Bruno's - Table setting at Bruno's - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

"Mushroom & Pepperoni Pizza": (cook extra 3min please (:-) +10 "Chicken Vesuvio (sautéed w/garlic, herbs, gravy & artichoke hearts): +10 "Chicken Piccata (sautéed w/butter, lemon & capers): +10 "Chicken Marsala" (sautéed in marsala sauce w/mushrooms): +10 "Chicken Cacciatore (tomato sauce, onion, mushrooms & green peppers): +10 "Lasagna, w/meat & cheese" +9 "Fettuccine Alfredo" w/Chicken: +9 "Linguini in White Clam Sauce": +10 "Antipasto Salad" (salad dressing +10): +9 "Caesar Salad": +10 "Homemade Bread & Butter": +8 I have been going to Bruno's for over 25yrs now, and am never disappointed, can't wait to try other dishes on the menu, all the ones I've rated are by far my best options. Give Bruno's a try. Just saw a sign on the front door and reads, currently only serving Dinner until further notice due to staff shortage 03/15/22. read more

Delicious food and good service! We are visiting for NorCal. If you're here in Santa 'Monica stop by. They have been in business for 40 years! read more

My husband and mine the most favorite pizza place in Santa Monica! Bruno is the best. We really enjoy each time we are here. Pepperoni is perfect, minestrone soup is simple and just perfect, and I love their bread which comes with each soup. Thank you for being so nice and delicious! read more

Got here around 6 on NYE. There are about five booths and three large tables that can be for big groups or split for smaller groups. We were seated pretty quickly so that was appreciated. We checked the reviews prior to being seated so we knew we wanted the spaghetti with meat sauce and lasagna. When the waitress came, I asked if I could get both rigatoni and spaghetti and she said yes! So not only can you get both types of sauce you can get both types of noodles too. SPAGHETTI AND RIGATONI WITH MEAT SAUCE: First off, portions are huge! They don't play around here. I preferred the rigatoni to the spaghetti and wished that there was more meat sauce on both plates. You can tell the sauce was made in house but other than that I couldn't taste anything spectacular about it. All in all, it is a cute mom and pop place. Most of the people who are there seemed to be regulars or referred by friends of the owners. I'm sure it gives a feeling of nostalgia for those from Italy. I might return again but only to try their pizzas. read more

Great pizza . The rest is a no go..... who puts spaghetti pasta in their minestrone soup? Common. $90 for 3 people (2 adults,1 child). Ugh what a waste. Gave it a 2 stars since the pizza was pretty darn good. read more

Bruno's - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Waitress was unpleasant from the start. I don't know what I did wrong ‍. When I asked for my check, she walked by with no reaction and when I asked again she said "I heard you the first time." Food wasn't bad. read more

Nothing but good food and great service. Traditional Italian fare in an atmosphere with red and white checkered tablecloths, great bread and salad, incredible chicken dishes and terrific pasta. I will not eat veal because I have a heart and care about living things. read more

Surprisingly good for a restaurant right at the beach! Wasn't the best Italian I've ever had but didn't expect that at less than $20 a plate. The tomato sauce was delicious, the Caesar salad was nice and oily, the bread was fluffy and delicious. Sounds like a nice family owned establishment the kind I love to support read more

Please do not go to this restaurant, their food was too bland to be that expensive. If you want to eat Italian food just make some at home, I promise that will taste 10x better than what they're serving at this restaurant. Very disappointed. If I could I would give this no rating. read more

I haven't even received my food yet and I already have a very negative experience with their customer service. Our waitress is extremely rude. She just walked to our table without introducing herself or saying hello. She simply asked "are you ready to order" then came back two minutes later and asked "do you guys know what you want now" and when we said not yet she got mad. If I could rate 0 stars I would. Very unprofessional. Update y'all. We just finished our food. I had the chicken Parmesan it was huge. Not the best but it was good enough to eat the majority. Rigatoni with meat sauce was bland. Chicken carbonara was like ragu sauce. Also the cannoli is disrespectful to REAL cannoli. The cream cheese filling tasted like blended ice w light cream. And the chocolate sauce was too watery. Do not recommend but if you don't believe me try it for yourself read more

Bruno's - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Honestly the best Italian food I've had so far! Very nice people, authentic taste, and very high quality. It was a spontaneous place to stop and eat and it couldn't have been better. If you're a visitor or a local who hasn't tried it yet, I definitely recommend! read more

Bruno's - AMAZING Garlic Bread - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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This place is amazing. The service is top notch and the food even better. Me and my wife are in town for our honeymoon. This is by far the best meal we have had this entire week. read more

Bruno's is family owned and operated. It is a very easy to miss place as the building is not outlandish and the decor/lighting is dark and traditional. From a food standpoint however; it fails at none. From the chicken marsala, to the spaghetti and meatballs, to the huge pizza slices, they sure don't disappoint! The table staff is very friendly and come back to check on you many times throughout your stay. Seating is ample and cozy and the decor is very simple and homey. This is exceedingly rare given the area. I cannot emphasize this enough. If you are looking to impress a date; come here. If you have a family; come here. If you are alone; come here! It is a place to relish in simple, comfortable tradition and enjoy Italian cuisine (yes, including wine) at it's essence, humble, and filling. Mama would be proud. read more

Bruno's - Homemade Chicken Marsala - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

We were so excited to try this place since it was walking distance from our hotel. This place is definitely a mom and pop type place, no frills. The server was friendly and very nice. She told me the portions were quite large and was nice enough to let me order 1/2 portions of the linguini and clams with white sauce and spaghetti carbonara $8 each instead of $16. Ordered a personal size pepperoni pizza for my son and a Sprite. Soda is by the can. Bread came nice and warm, just wish the butter was room temp instead of cold and hard. When our food came we were excited. My daughter started eating and she was saying it was okay. The linguini and clams didn't have much taste and had a kick of spice at the end. I tasted it and agreed it was lacking. My carbonara was overly rich. It was literally an Alfredo sauce with pancetta. Pancetta was good but the sauce was too much. So thick it turned clumpy fast. Disappointing, sauce needed to be thinner and it needed peas at least. My son said his pizza was good although he only ate 1 piece. Had such high hopes only to be thoroughly disappointed. Maybe we ordered the wrong thing but those were their top bets according to our waitress. read more

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Good find near Santa Monica pier. With it to walk a short distance and have much better food than on the pier. Just had cheese pizza and it was very good. Inside the restaurant was hot but they had outdoor seating out back. We just got our order to go and sat on a picnic bench with it. read more

Best kept Italian secret one block from sand and sun. Stumbled on this restaurant by chance. Owners treated everyone like family. Great food. Great location. Great service. read more

Bruno's is the kind of Italian restaurant that brings me back to my childhood. It is the real deal - authentic homemade Italian cuisine. The meatballs are a must. The staff are friendly and welcoming. Parking is a bit tight (back of building). It is near the Santa Monica Pier but not in the middle of the chaos. Inside is a tad small but they do also have outdoor seating. We didn't have to wait for a table. read more

Bruno's has been here what seems like forever - back when there were no fancy hotels next door or million dollar condos across the street. Somehow Bruno's survives the wrecking ball year after year. Maybe he owns the building? Old school red sauce joint that is cheap, casual, and fun. Stop by with a group after a day at the beach playing volleyball. Sit in "America's" section -- she has been here at least since 1998 when I first discovered this place. The accent and the attitude are authentic! Have only eaten the chicken parm sandwich and the pizza -- both will satisfy. read more

Been here a few times, this time hit different!! We ordered the chicken parmigiana and asked for the meat sauce for our side of pasta. Everything was delicious and very well seasoned from the chicken, pasta all the way down to the bread! Good portion for the price. Our waitress was awesome today! Couldn't ask for anything better! read more

Came in after the twilight concert nights , they were about a hr to close but still took customers , we had a party of 8. Ordered a large pizza with everything, they have limited toppings , but that's ok , also orders garlic bread and a antipasto salads . All good was good , good friendly service , it's a cool lil family owned pizza joint , cool spot in Santa Monica read more

Bruno's - Large pizza with everything, pepperoni, sausage, onions, belllpeppers , and mushrooms - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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It doesn't have anything it suppose to have.It doesn't have a lot of entertainment and the space inside is very small, almost too small.

I felt like I was paying for the location and not the food. The food was overpriced and not amazing by any means. The crust on the pizza literally gave the top of my mouth cuts because of its texture. The recipe wasn't bad, just very average tasting. I wouldn't recommend this over another pizza place. read more

Bruno's - Pepperoni pizza - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California