I had the BEST Risotto of my life here, at Ca'Dario. Every bite was a piece of warm, flavorful heaven. Seriously.. I was so bummed that I agreed to share entrees because honestly, I wanted this dish all for myself! It was a seafood risotto, but the taste of the seafood was not strong at all- it was just right. A lot of restaurants fail at making the perfect risotto because the rice is slightly overcooked or undercooked, but the rice was perfect in texture and the flavor was amazing. 5 stars for the risotto. We also ordered the Linguine with Clams which tasted surprisingly unique from all the other seafood linguine dishes I have tried at other Italian restaurants. There wasn't too much flavor as I was expecting, but if you are a lover of clams and you seek an extra kick of spice, this entree might be perfect for you. The ambiance was very romantic, dark and beautiful. It makes a perfect place for a date or to have a quiet, relaxing dinner with friends or family. Although I did not order dessert (because I was so stuffed), their selections were pretty good and they also had a nice selection of dessert wines to go perfectly with your dessert. Overall, I had a pleasant experience here and I would recommend others to check this place out if you want some good Italian food in a lovely setting. read more

I always like to put my credentials out before yelping out a review. I am Italian and I grew up on Italian food. I've been to Italy several times and I've nearly eaten myself into obesity over there (just kidding, I'm not fat). First, don't come here if you're looking for a quiet, romantic evening, chatting over wine. It's not that kind of place. It's tiny. We were very tightly seated against another couple and we heard (and almost participated in) almost every word of their conversation. Nice atmosphere, cozy and all that, just way too cramped. Food. Here's what we ordered. **RAVIOLI W/SAGE & BROWN BUTTER** = Excellent. The chef was a genius to put one small dollop of red sauce in the middle of the plate, just for that very slight taste of tomato sauce. I loved the dish. **OSO BUCCO W/RISOTTO** = OK Read the other Yelp reviews and it definitely falls short of what people have said about this dish. I'm afraid they haven't had the real thing. The sauce was lacking depth of flavor and didn't taste slow-cooked at all. The risotto was way off, saffron flavor way too pronounced and texture of rice was wierd. I would not recommend this dish to anyone, especially if they're trying oso bucco for the first time. I make it at home and my wife and daughter both agreed mine was better. C'mon, they can do better that that! **PAPARDELLE w/ some sauce name that I can't remember** = Excellent. My daughter ordered this, and I wish I ordered it. Right on point. Order this and you'll be happy. **TIRAMISU** = Very good. I am a tiramisu hound. This one is good. Not the best I've had, but I would order it again. **CREME BRULEE** = Horrible This is the worst creme brulee I have ever had. It was almost inedible. It was served in a ridiculously shallow dessert dish, so when you try to "dig in", your spoon goes down about an eighth of a centimeter and you hit the bottom of the dish. I've never seen anything like it. And the "creme" of the brulee, was completely absent. Nothing rich and creamy at all! Just this watered down custard that almost seemed curdled. It was a HUGE disappointment. Based on the two good dishes we had, I would definitely go back to explore the menu. Service was a bit slow, but they were to capacity, so I have to give them some slack I guess. read more

My friends and I made a reservation here, and we ended up walking into the wrong part of the restaurant. The server said it happens a lot and then directed us to the other side of the restaurant, which was the more fancier end. This place reminded my friends of Olive Garden but a lot better. I guess some said hell no you can't compare it to Olive Garden because Olive Garden sucks lol First thing after we sat, we were served complimentary bread. The order took awhile to arrive, so I kept eating the bread. Needless to say, I was getting stuffed off the bread. I ordered two dishes: Lattughe Novelle (baby lettuces with tomatoes, garlic croutons, parmesan, vinaigrette) and Mozzarella E Pomodori (bufala mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, basil and oregano) both which were good. read more

Was told by a couple of friends to try this restaurant when we visited town. It did not disappoint. We made reservations and that is probably a good idea as the place is on the smaller side. We tried the rib eye steak and ravioli per other yelp review recommendations; they did not disappoint. The bolognese was a bit gluttony and gooey - I would not recommend this dish. I will say the Yelp listing said "romantic" and "not for kids" - I took my 5yr old. It was super loud and not romantic (in my opinion). Most people were there with friends or groups of family. They were nice to my child so I'm not sure I would discourage others with kids to stay away. read more

This is a hit or miss place. Found the resto on Yelp on our drive up to Solvang for the SB Wine Country Half Marathon. Reservation for a Friday evening wasn't too hard to make on the day of, but when we arrived, the place was jam packed! Good thing we called ahead. Since we arrived 15 minutes before our reservation, we stopped by the bar. The bartender ignored me for a good 15 minutes even though he was standing right in front of me polishing some glasses, but he came around when he offered me small tastings of wines that I was inquiring about. Food was so-so. The hubby's seafood risotto was not bad, but my pork chop had way too much sauce and was too overpowering. It was also too overcooked. Since the service was not bad, and it was a cute little place with relaxing ambience, I may return to try it out again. read more

This is a great little place ( tight sitting in the front) for a nice lunch. I happened to be in town on business and was recommended to have lunch here by my good italian friend. She knows, because she makes her own tomato sauce which takes two days to make, if you want it italian style. The meal started with the salad. Great taste, fresh and I love the parmesan cheese that came with it. For my lunch, i ordered the Fusilli All'Amartriciana - TASTE BUDS HOLD ON!!!! This was the best I have ever had... literally. You could tell that the sauce was home made. I tasted the onions, basil, oregano and the little spicy kick it had and the pasta was not overcooked. My friend had the ravioli and that was great too and the sauce had a much different taste too. I was in heaven savoring every bite. I sat there trying to figure out what was in the sauce. The waiters were nice and friendly, which made the experience delightful. I can't wait to go back up to work in that area again, I will be making time for a "legato" lunch/ read more

This place was recommended by our tour guide on our wine tasting trip. We asked for a good Italian place for dinner after wine tasting in Santa Ynez Valley. We called to see if we could get a reservation. We got a reservation for 8:30pm, but didn't really get seated until almost 9pm. There were lots of people waiting for reservations and not getting sat on time. We got a table in the back room. Other yelpers say it's a little quieter back there. We also weren't as crammed in as I thought we were going to be based on other reviews. It was typical Italian style seating to me. Our server was a little spacey and took a while to get our drink order. We got everything ordered, but our appetizer came before our wine. We mentioned it to her and she had forgotten the wine. She grabbed it right away and ended up comp'ing us a glass for the wait...that was nice. For dinner, I had the risotto special with lobster, scallops, and mussels. They hubby had the ravioli. We also shared a radish appetizer. The food was very good and came out nice and hot. I liked the place even though we had to wait for our reservation and our server forgot our wine. I've come to be more patient in Italian restaurants, because it's normal to be slow. We did get bread and water right away! read more

WORD OF ADVICE: ASK FOR A TABLE IN THE FRONT!!! Or else you risk being thrust into the gauntlet of packed tables Ca'Dario is calling their "romantic" room. It's so romantic that not only will you be able to lovingly converse with your date about how their day went, but you'll also be privy to everyone else's conversation too! A table for two quickly turns into a table of 6 since the restaurant feels it's necessary to jam as many tables into the room as possible. In all honesty, it's a complete mess! It is a travesty to be billed as one of the best Italian restaurants in town when you're going to treat the patrons like they're eating in a college cafeteria. Here's a suggestion, why bother pretending your patrons have a shred of privacy during dinner and just get rid of the tables - then bring in picnic tables and force everyone to eat family style. At least there will be no more illusions as to how much you care about them. When you have an experience like that (as many other's have, too) it's hard to enjoy the food. When you're bumping elbows with the patron next to you it just throws you off and the good-time vibe becomes dim. read more

Ate here for Valentine's day with my fiance. It was very busy due to the holiday, but fortunately we had reservations and were able to get a table very quickly. I ordered a glass of the featured white wine for the evening. I can't remember the name of it, but it was very, very tasty. I think it had german sounding name and it was bottled in Monterey. For dinner, I ordered the filet mignon and lobster tail and my fiance ordered the sea bass. Both dishes were very good and my filet mignon was cooked to perfection. Both of these were dinner specials for the evening. For dessert, I had the banana bread pudding (another special for the night) and it was ok. I've had better at other restaurants. It had big chunks of banana in it; so if you like this in your bread pudding, you would enjoy. Overall, I liked this restaurant and would return on a future visit. Next time we would like to order more traditional Italian fare. read more

This is a review ONLY for the their LUNCH time menu as I have never been there for Dinner. I have been to this restaurant for lunch on several occasions, both on my own and with collegues. The food has always been excellent and the service very good. Their lunch time menu is well priced and the taste is as authentic as you can get. read more

Hubby and I enjoyed dinner here last weekend - delicious! He had the brown butter ravioli (VERY GOOD), and I had the ricotta and radicchio filled crepes. Both were amazing - I think I liked his more, but again, both were good. We were seated quickly; it was 8:00 pm on a Thursday, but the small restaurant was still over half full. We were given bread and seasoned olive oil - I asked for butter, and I enjoyed the bread more! Hubby enjoyed two glasses of wine (I'm pregnant, no wine for me...), but we both appreciated the variety available. Oh!! Our server recommended the bruschetta - AMAZING!!! Get it, you won't regret it. We also enjoyed sorbet for dessert (lemon and mixed berry). It WAS a bit pricey, but we knew that going in, so we weren't surprised. Servers were friendly, all employees were willing to offer refills or take requests. A tiny bit cramped, but it's a small place! read more

The restaurant has a nice charm to it, and really does have that European feel insofar as the seating arrangements. Unfortunately, it's not in Europe and the proximity of the tables seemed to annoy the Santa Barbara upper crust diners next to us; it was sort of a "why do we have to eat so close to them and they can hear our conversation" sort of attitude. My wife and I felt sort of an apartheid vibe coming from some of the other diners as well (thankfully, there were some French tourists behind us that made up for Mr. and Mrs. Smug next door). The food ... my wife ordered the Mediterranean Sea Bass and it was spiced and grilled to perfection. VERY MOIST and delicious. The portion was just right. The price was within norms. I had the spaghettini and clams in white wine and pepper flakes (although it was a whole chili pepper prepared in the sauce ... but still very good). It was just like mama used to make. We washed it all down with a nice viognier ... good wine selection, however, it would be nice to have a few more in the $20-$28 range. All in all, a very good place to dine ... but not so much for a quiet date night. On a Saturday night it was packed and the decibels were rolling like thunder on a Nebraska summer's night. Definitely get reservations ... Mmmm ... maybe I'll try lunch there ... read more

There were literally three people in the restaurant when I went. But, somehow the service was still very slow. I ordered three items, and I was disappointed thrice! The carpaccio was engulfed in oil. Disgusting! Next time I visit Santa Barbara, this will NOT be on my list of places to eat. read more

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On recommendation by the hotel, called Ca Dario at about 8p to see if they could take two for dinner and they told us they could squeeze us in at 8:30. Coming in the restaraunt is quaint, family style with lots of energy (it isn't quiet). Grabbed a drink at the bar area (which is tiny) until we got seated. Tables are close by so if your looking for something a bit more quiet or formal, this isn't your place. If you want great Italian food served quickly and fresh, you'll have a ball. Great place to get a large table with a big group and have fun. We had the beef carpachio as an appetizer (with a horseraddish sauce that added some flavor), the Spaghetti with clams (awesome with the shells in it to pull out the fresh clams) and my wife had the lamb (I had a bite and it was REALLY good). Servers were prompt and friendly. Altough it was busy, food came out quickly (but didn't feel rushed). Would definately go back again. read more

I went here for lunch today with the family and had the romana salad, penne alla boscaiola and the rigatoni Al pomodoro with chicken. The salad was fresh and simple yet delicious, the penne was full of flavor and the rigatoni was very earthy. All fresh home made authentic ingredients which is very important for good quality Italian food. We will be back! read more

This review is both for the pizzeria and the restaurant. On our first night in SB, we went here to grab some pizza because they offered gluten-free options. We got the pizza with ham, mushrooms, and truffle oil. The stars is for their amazing gluten-free crust. When we took our first bite, we were puzzled if the pizza was really gluten-free because the crust was fluffy and tasty (as opposed to chewy and tasting like cardboard like most gluten-free pizzas). I was so very happy to finally be able to eat great tasting pizza like I used to (I wasn't always allergic to wheat). What we did not enjoy was our appetizer - the octopus was so very chewy that it was very difficult to eat. On our second night, we came back to the restaurant and ordered gluten-free pasta and another pizza. The pasta was amazing and also tasted like regular pasta. But the pizza wasn't as good this time around. The crust was not fluffy, but thin and crispy. Maybe perhaps it was because we ordered the marguerite pizza and it comes thin crust. I'd wish I'd known because I was so craving that fluffy gluten-free crust! read more

Came here the other night with my date and was not disappointed. I was pleased that we were seated right away considering that we dropped in around 7:30p on a Sunday night without a reservation. They provide you with a complimentary bread basket of cold, dry sourdough and some olive oil. This was perhaps my only complaint -- I mean come on, CPK has better bread than this! The mood is romantic and cozy. I like the fact that it is located a few blocks away from State St. My date ordered chicken in a terra cotta pot that was delicious and myself, the Ossobuco. It came served on a bed of saffron risotto that was tender and flavorful. The veal shank melted in your mouth and fell off the bone. The vegetable reduction it was served with complimented it nicely. For those complaining about the prices -- get over it. Dinner with a date, two glasses of wine and entrees will cost you close to $100 after tip. Going into a restaurant like this, I'd expect that price tag though. I informed the server that it was my dates birthday and they served us a complimentary tiramisu which was delicious. 4-stars: "Yay! I'm a fan." read more

Ca' Dario is really good and a go to when in SB whether it be a day trip or a quickie weekend. Love the bread, butter, olive oil, balsamic and shaved reggiano... The Asparagus appetizer is very good fresh and rich in flavor with a great balsamic broth. I love the Ravioli with sage, brown butter and egg pillowy, savory yet so good. The Pappardelle Bolognese with ragu is very good and a hearty pasta like grandma used to make only better. Quiet it will be our little secret. Osso Buco was rich, savory and melt in your mouth good as was the accompanying Saffron Risotto. Ca' Dario is warm and inviting serving very good Italian dishes with passion and purpose. Enjoy when in SB you will come away happy that you did. read more

Another stop on our food tour and definitely my favorite! We had the Veal Bolognese and i which was my absolute favorite! I have to return here for dinner/lunch when I am back. We also had the brown butter ravioli which was just as good! Service is amazing and even though we only did a tasting - it is enough to keep me wanting MUCH more :P read more

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mmmm... my mouth starts to water just thinking about the meals i've had at ca'dario! This is my go-to place in Santa Barbara when I want a delicious, rich, flavorful, fancy meal out on the town with great service. Plus the pasta dishes are to die for -- very similar to some meals we had when we were actually living in Italy the past two summers! Amaaaazing. And deserts don't disappoint either. Basically, come with an idea of how much you want to spend, because if you're anything like me, you can get a bit carried away... As some other yelpers have commented, the tables are quite close together, but this is just an opportunity to get to know your fellow diners, in my opinion! Last year, my fiancee and I had a delightful conversation with a nice couple from LA at the next table over... and we never would have met them had the tables been standard American distance apart! If you want a lot of privacy, I will say this is not the place to go... but if you're looking for delicious, decadent Italian food and a romantic, non-American setting... well, you've found the place! I just made our reservation for Valentine's day when we return to SB for one week (I sing with the opera there)... and I'll try to update and let you know how that goes! read more

This is my favorite Italian restaurant in SB. I always order the ravioli and spaghetti with clams. This place is always crowded on the weekends so remember to make a reservation beforehand! Also, I would like to suggest the restaurant to close the doors. I always get placed near the door and it gets really cold and windy at night. read more

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm try the papardelle with creamy tomato sauce, porcini mushrooms, and pancetta... the pasta was perfection and the sauce was among the best I've ever tasted! I highly recommend it! The other couple of dishes we had were pretty good but not as memorable... and the ambience was a bit on the louder/brighter side, but the staff were friendly and prompt. I would rate the papardelle alone at 5 stars plus!! But yeah, the experience as a whole was probably 4 stars, or maybe 4.5. Not bad at all! read more

So my friend and I went to this place for a nice get away and tried some good Italian food. I recently cam back from a trip from Italy so my taste buds still remember the good food I had there but here's what I found about Ca'Dario! Pros: Good seafood antipasti I really liked the seafood mussels and clam soup. A bit salty to my taste but very good flavor. I used to go to Brophy Brothers right at the pier in Santa Barbara but that place is always overcrowded and this soup at Ca'Dario tastes more fresh. I ordered Penne alla boscaiola. Good sauce. I like the pasta more al dente like real Italians do, but I guess most Americans like it more soft so this is somewhere in the middle. If you don't like too al dente, this is perfect for you. Gnocchi is really fresh and I liked it a lot. If you are a big gnocchi fan, you should try it out. I like it a bit harder but I could tell it was fresh and flavorful. The portions are not small so secondi isn't really necessary unless you would like to share with others. I'd like to come here during dinner time with more people and try different things next time. Cons: As I mentioned above, the pasta could be a bit more al dente, but that's totally up to everyone's preference so I'll leave that up to you. This is not cheap but not too expensive either. It's Santa Barbara so relative to other places, this is not a surprise. I didn't think that there were anything very special or unique though, so ended up going to the seafood market right by the pier and got some fresh white fish and uni (sea urchin) and made my own pasta with it, and that was yummy- you guys should try that too:) read more

Visiting Santa Barbara feeling Italian for dinner. Glad we found this place, from reservations to dessert, everything was lovely.

This is one of those restaurants I've been hearing about as a "must". My wife and I were majorly underwhelmed. Service was mediocre, the tables were at best 6-8 inches apart, can't tell you how many times I got bumped into when someone walked past which made for an unpleasant dining experience. That being said, the food was good, I had the spaghetti with crab (4 stars) and the missus had the lobster risotto (2.5 stars). All-in-all a nice experience but there are better Italian places in SB...check those out first. read more

Parking - Typically SB parking, very easy, 75 mins free all lots. Service - Servers were nice and attentive. I was craving for some pasta specifically Carbonara which was not on the menu, but they still made it for me. Seats - It was so hot and not sure why they didn't turn on the air conditioning. :( Food - The complimentary bread was pretty lame.. I can't decide between the carbonara or the screwy pasta with sweet onion and pancetta. So I ordered both. Both were delicious, al dente, amount of salt just right for my taste, full body taste, and good portion. Friend had a glass of wine, she said it was ok. I had ice tea, surprisingly tasty. I took away the one star because I couldn't enjoy my food as much as it was too hot and there was no air con. read more

Simply the best Italian in Santa Barbara - you have to go to Grappolo in Santa Ynez to do better -and then you don't have the lively very busy European, close tables atmosphere. You gotta be feeling the city, but get there, order a strong Martini and great Chianti and anything off the menu - the pasta is the best, try the sage ravioli!, all the sauces are creamy and luxurious and the fish is perfectly prepared. I love it at Ca'Dario! read more

Ca' Dario - Loud, European style dining on honest good food! - Wine Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Outstanding, ate outside. Calamari appetizer was amazing, very tender. Had the veal chop and the sea bass both very good.

There is something so homey and welcoming about this place. If you want a comforting bowl of pasta - and a cocktail - it can't be beat. Looking forward to indoor reopening. read more

If for some reason you find yourself in sunny Santa Barbara, and you are inexplicably drawn to a northern Italian menu, then you could most certainly do worse than Ca'Dario's. Why the back-handed compliment? Well, because even though Ca'Dario's acquits itself well, it simply can not compete with its big city brethren. If you're used to good Italian food from New York, San Francisco, or even LA, then Ca'Dario will disappoint. If you're used to good Italian food from your three years as an expat, living in Tuscany, then don't even bother to go. You'll just start weeping. If however you are not, then Ca'Dario will blow you away. It does all the basic dishes right. Good pasta, good lamb chops, decent wine list, and portions that won't leave you wanting for anything. Even the close quarters are 'European', allowing all diners to share the joy of eating out with friends (and soon-to-be new friends). All good. Food is to be celebrated and shared anyway. Ca'Dario is a very busy local place, so be sure to make ressies, especially on the weekend. read more

We've been here twice on trips to Santa Barbara. I think I'm in a trattoria in Italy when I'm here. We made a reservation on the phone - left a message and they called back, but it had disappeared when we arrived. Get a name of the person who calls you back.. Anyway, they were nice and found a table for us anyway, on a busy Friday nite. We had appetizers of grilled asparagus, Braccioala (thinly sliced dried beef with arugula) and caprese. All good - our mains were ravioli (inhaled by my daughter), my swordfish (very yummy) and duck - now why would you order duck at an Italian restaurant -- it was perfectly cooked, a LOT of duck. All in all, a very good meal, and it didn't break the bank -- 140 for four without wine. read more

My boyfriend and I were in Santa Barbara for the weekend and while in town we wanted to go out for a nice dinner. So I decided to check yelp. I found Ca' Dario and saw the great reviews. It was a Saturday night and we were worried that we would not be able to get a table. So we made reservations.Thank god we were fortunate enough to get a table because I would have not wanted to miss out on such a spectacular meal. We arrived around eight and we saw that the restaurant was jam packed and there were plenty of people waiting around for a table. Anyway, upon our arrival, we were seated basically immediately. It was a lovely night so we decided to sit outside.(Warning: if you sit outside you won't be able to order alcohol) For out appetizer we ordered the Bruschetta, which was amazingly fresh. My boyfriend absolutely loved it. For out entrees, I ordered the ribeye steak. Not only was it succulent, a huge cut,and juicy, it was also perfectly flavored. I enjoyed every single bite! My boyfriend ordered the ravioli in brown butter sauce. He loved it. We both enjoyed out meals tremenously and look forward to returning! Btw, not only was the food excellent but so was the service and they were busy that night also. Great place to for a nice date! read more

I love this Italian Restaurant, it is one of my favorites in Santa Barbara. I especially love the Branzini, the fresh sea bass, they stuff it with rosemary, garlic, beets and spinach, oh so yummy! You can remove the bones yourself or they will do it for you. The Sage-Butter Ravioli's are divine, there is nothing like it! Everything down to the appetizer's are excellent! The service is excellent as well even when the restaurant is full... read more

Don't get me wrong, the food was great- everyone enjoyed their dishes. We had the ravioli, bolognese, clam linguine, and lamb ragu. All of it was cooked to perfection and my friend who really enjoys Italian loved it. My issue with Ca'Dario was the service- I can't tell if the hostess/servers were just really busy or just kind of rude... but there were no smiling faces and everyone seemed to be stressed. We were not greeted with a smile and our hostess barely checked on us. It definitely put a damper on a fun night. read more

The restaurant was packed in the evening and the atmosphere was good. Dishes were ok, and the service was really slow. We've ordered pasta dishes, and had to return the risotto as it was way too salty. The other dishes were pretty good. read more

Ca' Dario - Wine Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Fun place. The Zite tagietelle was too spicy for me. The sever Kelly brought over a triamisu for the table and we thought it was free. Turns out she charged me. So much for a peace offering. Check the bill carefully. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara. Always excellent service and there are so many things on the menu I love that I think anything you order will be delicious! read more

One of our favorite spots in SB! Great atmosphere. Wonderful service. Delicious Italian food!!! And they play the best music for your listening pleasure (Sinatra, dean martin, perry como... that type of romantic music). We go there every time we visit. We went again a couple of days ago and it was just like we remember it. Great spot for a quiet and romantic date night. read more

Ordered takeout ribeye steak, bolognese pasta, salad, and everything was exceptional! Service 5 Stars. Dishes 5+ Stars!!! Love Ca' Dario!!!

I really love what Ca'Dario has done on CVR. My favorite dish is a starter of clams, muscles and shrimp in a most delicious sauce,