Our first time dining here, and it was a great experience! We were able to get a last-minute dinner reservation for a party of five to celebrate our dear friend's birthday. The staff was kind and welcoming, and we received excellent service from our servers. The food we ordered was delicious, and everyone enjoyed their meals. We were seated on the outdoor patio, which was especially nice with the beautiful weather. If I'm back in Montecito, I'll definitely want to dine here again! read more

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If you can eat somewhere else, you should. We eat dinner in Montecito at least once a week and we had never tried Ca Dario. We did last night and at least we now know where not to go. My wife ordered the carbonara pizza. The egg was more than over hard. I had the salmon pasta. Cheap penne swimming in a cream sauce. The overwhelming flavor of the night? Salt. Everything was salted heavily for flavor. Low quality food seasoned to be acceptable. If Walmart opened an Italian restaurant, this would be it. The table behind us checked out early and left without eating hardly anything because it was so bad. Ambience is also nothing great. Too bright. Minimal decor. It was very hot inside on our visit. Both tables on the sides of us were fanning themselves as well. EXTREMELY loud. Between the kitchen noise and general customer noise, you could not have a conversation. We even asked our server about it and he said that yes eventually you get used to it but it's always very loud. I will say that the bathroom was very clean AND well maintained. Those are not the same things. One solid star for the bathrooms. When I went to write this review, I thought I would take a look at the other reviews and see what other diners had to say. I noticed that the owner has a habit of commenting back on the reviews rudely without addressing any of the issues raised. He clearly can't recognize an opportunity to improve and lets his hubris dictate his actions. No reason to go back. Please save yourself and eat somewhere else. Many other wonderful eateries in Montecito that are deserving of your dollar. read more

Great restaurant Nice atmosphere And decor Great menu and food selection Prices are good Highly recommend the carpaccio and artichokes Risotto is outstanding Definitely recommend read more

Been coming to this restaurant for over 10-15 years the SANTA BARBARA one. This is my first time at the Montecito one. In the past, the salads were coming in a big beautiful bowl. I ordered the salad and my mother was so upset that didn't even look good and she didn't even wanna eat it. All that to say the Montecito location is way better. It's beautiful. They are not yet selling liquor. The north level is comfortable. I love the ravioli and I've been dreaming about it for the last three years before I moved back. A server was great. Paying $18 for a few pieces of lettuce didn't feel great and my mother was really disappointed because she likes to have a cocktail and when you're in the restaurant, you look at a whole full bar of alcohol and yet you can't order a drink. I'm sure they'll update things soon. But as as far as the salad, they need to change. read more

Ca’Dario - Montecito - A disappointing 18-20 dollar salad. - Italian Near Me - Montecito, California

Cute Italian restaurant on Coast Village. They have a great outside seating area on their patio & plenty of space inside as well. I would say it was a little loud inside so I had to speak up when talking to my family at the table, but otherwise pretty atmosphere and great service! We went for my birthday & I ordered the lobster & scallop risotto which was cooked perfectly & came out hot! My mom ordered their branzino & they removed the bones for her which was a great touch. The flavors were amazing & so was the side of spinach and potatoes. My dad ordered their white fish in red sauce & he enjoyed that as well. For desert we each ordered something different & they brought out these delicious puff pastries with cream filling & a cute candle for me! Overall, food was great, service was amazing & id definitely go back! Their whole menu looks awesome! read more

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Everything is stellar about this place! Service, food, drinks...sitting outside in Montecito. Beautiful experience.

Very cute Montecito restaurant Seriously great service! Great wine list. Our Cesar salad was delicious! They have wonder bread. The pizza was delicious with the flat crust that I love ! My friends pasta dish was delicious also. Our server made our meal incredible. This is a beloved restaurant with two locations one in Santa Barbara one in Montecito. I suggest you run to die in here. ! read more

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Terrible service for delivery & take out. Expect long delays in getting your food if you get it at all. Our order was delayed 90 minutes before we cancelled it. read more

We were a walk-in party of five last night and had such a delightful time here! Service was prompt and absolutely marvelous! Our server was Dubravka who is quite possibly the most hospitable person to ever exist! She made our evening superb! She had great recommendations, was well versed on the menu, and had personality for days! The food was also top notch! We all ordered something different, and every dish was incredible! High praise to the culinary team! Next time we're in the area, we will definitely be back! read more

One of our favorite local restaurants! The food is consistently excellent and the staff are incredibly friendly and accommodating.

Stopped here when visiting UCSB and loved the home style Italian comfort food. We had the broccolini, spaghetti and meatballs, soup, and cannoli. Got this meal to go, it was a little pricey ,but was everything I wanted in a cozy takeout meal- (and stayed hot until I got home) The staff was so lovely as well Would definitely recommend and go back here read more

Ca’Dario - Montecito - CANNOLI - Italian Near Me - Montecito, California

Went with our Family for the Thanksgiving 4-course prix fixe extravaganza. As we are regular guests at Ca'Dario with usually superb service and food, we were sorrowfully disappointed. First course salad was excellent, second course Lobster Risotto although delicious was a bit under cooked, third course Veal Scallopini at edges seemed crisp, dry and over done as, if it sat under a heat lamp to long, Fourth course Pumpkin Pie was underwhelming. Service was extremely slow and we endured long time periods in between courses. Not a single consistent server as many different staff members including we think the manager was serving. One server dropped a plate in clearing between serving courses, shattered on the table where some small pieces lodged in my wife's hand. Seemingly angry he(server) rushed to clear completely the table and reset glasses and silverware. Never apologized or asked if we were ok. Only our initial server was(as usual) smiling and friendly, all other multiple staff encountered, seemed annoyed and frustrated. To make matters worse we were seated at front near hostess station and where noisy, anxious customers waited.I get it, busy holiday special, but they should have planned and organized better. I wish our initial server that introduced herself was able to complete our experience as she and Marko have always been superb and kept us coming back with frequency. Sadly, as this is one of our typical "go to" Montecito spots, we will perhaps give other venues more opportunity. read more

Enjoyed the food . Had very pleasant service - etc . Great way to end a great day . read more

Review on the food alone at the Montecito location it was pretty bad, I ordered the Tartufati and the taste was off but it even looked like the cook didn't know how to slice a Mushroom. Even the bread wasn't good. The seating area is nice and service was okay. The people in this area look like they're from 17th century America if that makes any sense. read more

Had a great experience last Friday for my party of 5. Service was attentive and fast. Highly recommend the calabrese pizza and the ziti alla puttanesca. read more

Best dinner ever! Kind of a magical night. Came in without a reservation and ended up with a perfect outside table :) Plus the weather was perfect. I did a very poor job of photo documentation as I was just to into the actual experience of eating here. As I've traveled to the Montalcino area of Italy, I always take advantage of the wine from that region if it's an option. We really enjoyed the 2017 La Poderina Burnell Di Montalcino. For a starter, we shared the roasted whole artichoke with chopped tomato garlic aioli filling. OMG - so good! Perfectly cooked. For an entree, I ordered the seafood risotto off of their Special Menu. The stock used in the risotto had such a deep, seafood flavor. It literally reminded me how sometimes the sea air has a beautiful fragrance. The dessert menu was off the charts, but as usual, I had no room :( One of those rare, perfect evenings out at a restaurant. read more

Ca’Dario - Montecito - Italian Near Me - Montecito, California

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The best raviolis I've ever had! I was told it was their specialty. And made in house. I'll be dreaming about these for the rest of my life. The staff were friendly and very attentive. Nice patio seating looking out to the main strip. read more

the service was great, our server was amazing, and the Fettuccine Alfredo was out of this world! I would definitely come back again! The bruschetta was also some of the best I've ever had. read more

Ca’Dario - Montecito - Calabrese Pizza, Fettuccine Alfredo - Italian Near Me - Montecito, California

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Pretty mediocre at best. Cesar salad was blah. Sole was too heavy on not great lemon/caper sauce. Even the roasted potatoes and dipping oil for bread lacked flavor/salt. Did have bite of friend's pasta and that was a bit better, al dente and flavorful. Service was good and nice buzzy ambiance. read more

The bread here is absolutely delicious, and everything we ordered was fresh and flavorful. The service was friendly and attentive, and the overall atmosphere was warm and inviting. Highly recommend this spot for a nice meal in Montecito! read more

Ca’Dario - Montecito - Pasta - Italian Near Me - Montecito, California

Delicious dining experience and great ambiance. Service is also great, very nice staff! Food comes out a bit slow. read more

Ca’Dario - Montecito - deboned branzino. excellent - Italian Near Me - Montecito, California

Food was mediocre at best on Sunday. Took a long drive just to eat there, as we typically enjoy it. However, it was quite the disappointment this trip. This is twice in a row. So you know the saying; 3rd times the charm. in other words, we wont return if we get the same lack luster, unrefined, marginal meals again. Maybe someone needs to pay attention to the kitchen read more

Nice experience last night at Ca'Dario. Wanted to go there for a while and finally made the long drive to Montecito. A couple of quick thoughts while it's fresh in my mind... The hostess has a serious attitude issue, and I'm not the only reviewer who's mentioned it. I mean she is pretty as heck, which is likely how she got the job, but the hostess should be the sweetest and most charismatic person any restaurant ever hired, and this one is just filled with attitude and entitlement. Again, I'm not the first one who mentions it. Ok, on the other hand the busboy / servers assistant that we had is a freaking rock star! Maybe make him the host? What a guy. Alex was our server. He did a nice job. Pretty attentive. The food was excellent, with a couple quick notes. I ordered the "20oz grass fed veal loin." It's very rare to find veal out here in California so I was very excited. Of course, veal is typically not "grass fed." That's the whole idea. Veal is white to slightly pink. Once the calf is out grazing on grass it's pretty much just "beef" at that point. Sounds cruel, and I'm sorry, but that's what makes veal different (and expensive.) The piece I was brought wasn't loin, it was a "sort of veal" rib chop. Also fine, and I prefer a chop. The downside is that the piece they had still had the set of upper bones attached to the rib cap. That means that it was really hard to get to the prime section of the chop, and also means that probably 10 oz of my "20oz veal loin" was just bone. That's how they can sell 20 oz at that pride. Nonetheless it was delicious, with little pieces of fried sage for crunch. My wife had the chicken picture which was wonderful. Not a huge portion but plenty for her. One note for those with allergies. They have a broad selection of gluten free foods, pasta, pizza crust. For dessert, my gluten free wife ordered the chocolate mouse. It didn't say gluten free but almost always it is. Typically it's just a pretty typical Sysco flourless Choc mousse, but in this case she took one bite and realized it was on a sponge cake base. I wound up eating it an it was great but she was sad. Anyway, only tips I really have for the restaurant are to swap out the hostess. Everything else is well within tolerances for a fine Italian restaurant with nice ambiance. read more

There are no photos of the food, because everything was so delicious everyone jumped right in. We started with the white asparagus, wrapped in pancetta-and it was so good we ordered another one! If you are getting one thing there GET THAT!!! We also had pasta, the sole, roasted chicken, and squash blossoms-which were all delicious. This place has a fun indoor outdoor feel and is super cozy, and transports you to an ambiance that feels like it could be in Italy. The staff worked above and beyond to make sure we were accommodated and had everything we needed. This is one of the staples of coast village road! read more

I went here on a Monday night for dinner. It was delicious. I had two dishes. The 20oz ribeye and the fusilli pasta with sausage (a special at the time). I like this location because it has a little more space than the Victoria street location. It was a nice ambiance, especially if you're seated outside. The service is what really makes this place shine. They are so attentive, nice, and genuinely knowledgeable about the entire menu. They make recommendations and even go above and beyond to make special little modifications based on your preferred tastes. I can't express how phenomenal the staff was. I have no complaints about any part of this dining experience. A well deserved 5/5. read more

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Just ate at this great little restaurant. My wife and I opted to sit inside so we can be seated right away, otherwise they do have nice outdoor seating. We started with the Caprese and Caesar Salad appetizers, both of which were great and gave us hope the main courses would be equally if not better. Spoiler alert - the main courses did not disappoint. The Caprese tasted very fresh from the tomatoes to the mozzarella to the basil. For the main dishes we ordered the tortellini with diced ham (forgot the actual name) and the ravioli with brown butter sage sauce (also forgot the name). Both were such a treat and we couldn't be happier that we chose this place for our last dinner on vacation. We will definitely be back on the next trip. read more

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We were upset because receptionist was argumentative about our seating request my husband went to speak to the manager and at the end they tried to do damage control but left us with a bitter taste. Won't visit again No one wants to drive for 2 hours and be treated like that read more

Service was impeccable from start to end of our dinner. Thank you, we appreciate you making our vacation that extra special. Food wow...oh so delicious and on point. We've been to Italy and know what to expect. High expectations met and more with the attentive service. The only thing, our leftover was packed for us but no bread from our table was included wah Ambiance perfect! Classy!!! Need I say more. I don't enjoy reading a book. Get to the point is my thang. read more

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The food was solidly good, the service was great. We started with a pasta, cooked well and flavored well. Then we each had a fish course. The salmon was slightly overcooked, but still good. The Branzino was cooked perfectly. The dessert was amazing. Our waiter, Marco is clearly the best they have. He was very attentive to all the tables he covered and was very informative. The interior is casual, and could use a little facelift. The outdoor terrace is large and probably the most popular place to sit. Overall a great experience, thanks to Marco. read more

Ca’Dario - Montecito - The Spumoni tartufo - Italian Near Me - Montecito, California

Every time I'm in Santa Barbara it is a must to enjoy Dario's cooking. Thank you Ca'Dario for always killing it.

Delicious Italian, delivered by happy professional servers, with Montecito people watching? Outside seating? Gotta go 5.

I never knew Ca'Dario served breakfast! Came for Brunch on a Saturday and had the best time with friends. It was raining but there was plenty of warm covered seating outside on their heated patio. Mimosas are fresh and they have a few tasty breakfast items to chose from. I ordered the breakfast frittata. That was de-li-cious 100%. Came with asparagus, prosciutto, mushroom and cheese. Lunch items were also available. Service was super friendly and the cappuccinos were amazing! Would definitely go back to try dinner! read more

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Beautiful setting. Great food. Umbrellas, white tablecloths, outdoor heaters make for a special outdoor dining experience. They have indoor seating too. Some great plant based options. Love my fusilli with leaks, mushrooms and tomatoes. The Flavors were outstanding. But I was told that the pasta used egg it would be really great if you could make a fully vegan plant version please. Small side salad was also perfect. - great dressing done just right. My meat loving friends enjoyed their food too. Medium to large portions. Good wine list. No cocktails. Lovely service. My only hope is for some all plant based additions!!! The meat that my husband had was just OK by the looks of it. He asked for a medium it looked like it was medium rare. read more

Ca'Dario is always a great meal, with excellent service and a wonderful value. We always enjoy the ambiance..... read more

Ca’Dario - Montecito - Dessert - Italian Near Me - Montecito, California

I was so disappointed. Not only in the food, but also the lack of visual presentation of the food, Then the cocky, careless male help. What attitudes! I am Italian, and I was really disappointed. I go to a lot of Italian places. I will never eat here again. I had the pasta with creamy tomato sauce, bacon, and mushrooms. The bacon was teeny tiny chunks of what seemed like ham. There were no mushrooms to be seen or tasted. I said something to the waiter and he said it's all ground up. I said, I guess I'll have to imagine that I'm eating mushrooms. Even if they were ground up, there was virtually nothing detectable there. Wow, what a visual and taste disappointment. Just fling some pasta in a bowl, mix some sauce in with microscopic little pieces of some type of "bacon". Not even a bit of any sort of garnish. My boyfriend had the oysters and pasta, watery pasta, visually unattractive, and very little taste. His Arnold Palmer was terrible. They use some sort of carbonated lemon drink in it. The calamari/shrimp appetizer was good. Too many good Italian places in Santa Barbara. No reason to have to settle here. Thanks for the response Dario. I meant clams not oysters. read more

Food and service were fabulous. Book early for outside seating. We booked outside but they put us inside which was disappointing, we didn't complain as we were hungry and it was already 30 minutes past our reservation. read more

Beautiful restaurant, clean, open and well organized. This restaurant is in the same building as the former Giovanni's Pizza which was one of the best pizza restaurants in California. Our waitress was sensational and was a gal from Serbia. Food was delivered in a reasonable time and was fresh, no complaint. Their staff was attentive to us completely. Sad to say we will not return again as we did not enjoy the food at all. The meatball sandwich I ordered was shockingly small and had some kind of spice in it that I've never tasted in meatballs. They also were too firm. My family is from Italy and we are all cooks. My wife's pizza was so thin and the vegetables on it were cut too big making the pizza "wet". Also the desserts need to be done with a little more care. They look good but were not on par. We wish them much success and are really sorry we did not enjoy our stay, but there are many good reviews vs this one. Go and hopefully you will have a good meal there even though ours was not what we expected. Sorry Ca Dario. read more

Great classic Italian restaurant. Great atmosphere. Wait staff and front of house staff are very professional and efficient. The Bolognese was one of the best I've had in a while. Definitely worth trying... will return for sure. read more

The food is great. The service is great. I prefer to eat there, but I've taken out plenty of times and that's always been great too. Employees are friendly. The restaurants clean. I recommend this place. Give it a try. read more

Great Italian food in the heart of Montecito. We enjoyed sitting in the warm parklet on a cold rainy night. Ambience inside and out is impressive. The wine by the glass selection is extensive and our server Marko was terrific. My partner had the linguine and clams that was a huge portion and very enjoyable. I had the roasted half chicken that came with several sides and was moist and flavorful.. The salads were great and the zuccuchini blossoms a must. Everything was perfect and will return soon for sure. read more