Top Tier!! Sometimes being the only cuisine in a small town will give you great business by default but this spot is nothing close. They actually create great dishes with unique and great flavors that stand out. We enjoyed the Puttanesca, Tortellini and Scampi Mediterraneo. All delicious, and Caprese salad was even incredible, with actual large heirloom tomato slices and the basil to match! Side of meatballs because how else do you really judge an Italian spot?! They passed, these we so moist and flavorful and not just beef! They were huge and smothers in an incredible red sauce that had the perfect sweetness that reminded me of Grandma. For the Win!! Can't wait to dine again! read more

Such a great spot for Italian food! We ordered the Caesar Salad, Nettie's Caprese, and Fettuccine Alfredo Con Gamberetti, and everything was delicious. The Caesar Salad had perfectly crunchy croutons, a flavorful dressing, and just the right amount of Parmesan. The burrata came with super fresh, tasty tomatoes and was a standout. The shrimp Alfredo was creamy, rich, and really satisfying. Service was attentive with regular check-ins, and the ambiance felt warm and welcoming; definitely a good place for kids or a casual meal any time of day. I'd recommend making a reservation ahead of time since it's on the smaller side and fills up quickly! read more

Sarafina's Italian Kitchen - Fettuccine Alfredo Con Gamberetti - Italian Near Me - Arnold, California

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I took my Fiancee here for his birthday dinner and it was great! Wait staff was super friendly and service was very fast. I also liked that they boxed our leftovers for us. I would recommend making a reservation because it's a very small restaurant. Pasta plates are around $24 each and it is very hefty servings, you will not go hungry. read more

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Wife and I took a day trip to Arnold and found this cozy romantic hideaway. It's small and cozy with great staff and amazing food. It's only open for three hours 5-8 pm and we enjoyed our visit. For us there's no other place to eat that's has great food and romantic setting in the entire town of ARNOLD. Recommend reservations because it gets full quickly. ENJOY read more

The food and service are good. My husband and I went there for a special occasion birthday. We brought a nice bottle of wine we had been saving and were looking forward to a nice dinner to celebrate the event. Our experience was totally and completely ruined by the colossal noise level in the restaurant. We literally could not hear ourselves to have a conversation. We ended up taking our expensive entrees home with us because we could not stand the din one more minute. The experience was a disaster and we left extremely disappointed. It has been 45 minutes since we left and my ears are still ringing. No exaggeration. Don't go here if you want a peaceful dining experience. 2.5 stars rounded up because the food was good. read more

We came to pass labor weekend in Arnold, after a long drive I was so hungry , we got here 30 mins before closing time (one of the very few places open) Customer service was great. Food was delicious! We definitely recommend this place. I recommend the calamari it's tastes so good and fresh. It's a great restaurant, ambience is very welcoming and definitely would love to go back soon ! For a dinner for 3 we paid around 180$ read more

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Great food and great service! We've been here twice and it's definitely the best option in town. Great wine selection and delicious dishes. read more

Sarafina's Italian Kitchen - Sand dabs special....so good. - Italian Near Me - Arnold, California

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Meh - got to be honest. Over the last few years, I've started to have second thoughts. Front-of-house operations are chaotic. Servers forgetting appetizers (for 2 in our party). The menu has lost much of its aspiration (although perhaps they need to simplify it to get people in and out, given how busy they remain), and the $9.96 credit card processing fee might have been the straw that broke this camel's back. I know they are plenty busy without my patronage...and there aren't that many options in town for a nice meal. However, I'm not sure what the value is. $4.50 for a Shirley Temple feels like a stretch, honestly. It's still going to be busy. It's just not great anymore. read more

Sarafina's Italian Kitchen - Receipt - Italian Near Me - Arnold, California

Service was terrible. Server didn't offer drinks, we had to ask her after she took our order. She wrote the drinks order on her pad. The diet coke came but the wines didn't. We had to flag her down after 10 min to ask for our drinks & she apologized. When she came back with the drinks, she brought red wine instead of white. She claimed she was busy training another worker. Our dinner came before we had a chance to enjoy our drinks. She never checked on us throughout our meal. Had to flag her down to get our bill. Food was good, but I won't be back . Service is important to me when I eat out. read more

The food was good, large portions for main courses. Appetizers were great and came out quickly. $18 dollar corkage fee. No full bar. Definitely plan to make a reservation, we stopped by after a lake day and put our name down for a reservation, if not it would've been a 2 hour wait. Inside was very busy (loud atmosphere) and the outdoor patio was perfect for the summer night weather. The staff was nice but definitely busy. They close at 9pm so make sure to put your dessert orders in early before they close the kitchen! It was my sisters birthday and they came out to sing for her and put a candle on the dessert we ordered which was 50% off read more

Sarafina's Italian Kitchen - Seafood Special - Italian Near Me - Arnold, California

Best restaurant in the entire area. Been coming here for years and have never had a meal less than great. Super homey vibes, everyone who works there is so nice. I've tried every pasta at least once (don't sleep on Sara's favorite). Their desserts are also delicious. I love coming here!! read more

Sarafina's Italian Kitchen - Penne Norma - Italian Near Me - Arnold, California

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Food was excellent a little pricey, but worth a visit. Parking was terrible, should improve on parking lot. read more

4.5/5: We had dinner 2 nights in a row here. Friday, 1st night was packed so we opted for to go since we were all hungry. Reservation and walk in/Bar area was all full. 2nd night we took the earliest reservation at 8pm. Saturday night wasn't as busy. I enjoyed my dinner from first night which was veal mushroom. Although the veal was a small peoce for me; it was tender as it should be and the sauce was fantastic! I used the sauce leftover from the veal for my mushed potatoes and killed it. 2nd night I got seafood risotto and it was too salty the entire bite. I should have asked the kitchen to fix it but after an entire day of snowboarding, I was ravenous. Crab cake was crispy and airy. I tried Sarah's favorite and that was good (fyi: if you don't want penne, ask to substitute). Tried a bite of their special that day and it's not a flavor I particularly enjoyed. But my bro loved the lobster sauce and the entire dish. This is probably the best spot of dinner around here. It's a cozy little place. Tip: call to make reservation especially if Friday night and weekends. read more

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Serafina's is the best dinner (yes they're only open for dinner) option in Arnold but that doesn't make it 5 star worthy. We worked-up an appetite during the day and were happy to walk in without reservations and have seats available at the bar/countertop. It was packed and the kitchen was clearly jamming in the back. The owner helped the couple next to me but didn't make one gesture towards us the whole seating. It was rude and awkward since there were only 4 seats at the countertop. Felt like she didn't want us there and was purposely avoiding eye contact. Good thing our server was polite. It was very intimate seating being so close in proximity, in a very small place. To start: *Caprese salad with a $5 up-charge for heirloom tomatoes was being sold as a special for the evening. I opted and was disappointed. Too bad the heirlooms were mealy. I don't ever send food back but I also didn't eat it. *Bruschetta was so-so...Nothing to rave about. I was happier with the warm bread that came out with balsamic vinegar and EVOO. Main entree: * Puttanesca Pasta had a wonderful, SPICY kick. The Kalamata olives with some anchovies salted and flavored the dish. Not the biggest portion for an entree so I suggest an appetizer if you're hungry. * Seafood pasta was another daily special. The noodles were cooked al dente and the broth was good. Generous portion with a seafood medley. Dessert: My favorite plate of the evening was the tiramisu. It was spot on, homemade and divine. *Lava cake reminded me of a denser form of chocolate flour cake. I don't recommend because it wasn't molten, just a warm chocolate dupe. **All the desserts cost the same but are not equals. Something to take note of- There's a sneaky "service" charge on the tab for roughly $5 (4.75) per bill, on top of taxes if you use a credit/debit card. read more

Dinner for 4. - Ambiance (5*) Ultra cozy. Very warm from the fireplace. Intimate quarters but in a cutesy kind of way. They really find a way to squeeze tables into every square foot in the place. - Service (4*) A little absentminded to be honest. But everyone is exceedingly friendly. - Bread (5*) Piping hot, maybe bordering too hot. But soft and dense. - Ribeye, $34.95, (4*) Perfectly medium rare. I did find this particular ribeye much fattier and sinewy than I'm used to. Clever preparation with the vegetable saute sitting directly on top. Made every bite really good. - Ice Cream, 10.95 (5*) 3 big scoops of vanilla ice cream. Great vanilla flavor- no clue if it's homemade or outsourced. Would love to know where it's from if outsourced. - Value (5*) Remarkably good value. Prime steak with two sides at $34.95 is pretty hard to beat. And then 3 giant scoops of ice cream for $10.95 is also hard to beat. At any old ice cream joint, 3 scoops would be much more than that. - Final Word Just based on the food, it is a solid 4*. But I've not given a restaurant a value score of 5* in so long. That plus the amazing ambiance makes this mountain spot a true gem. read more

Sarafina's Italian Kitchen - Italian Near Me - Arnold, California

Service was awesome. I was really thirsty and my cup was always filled. The bread was very soft and yummy. Ryan and I agree that Sarah's favorite was best out of the two. It was amazing and would recommend to anyone. The wait staff was friendly and it seemed like a family owned spot. read more

We stopped by after hiking Big Calaveras, and wow what a treat! The flavors and textures of the food are phenomenal. Ambiance is romantic but casual with a cozy outdoor patio surrounded by beautiful trees, and heat lamps. All the food is made in house and it shows. Definitely recommend. We got the lasagna with pork and beef (split) as well as the butternut squash soup, amazing. The service is also friendly; food comes out quickly and waters are re filled generously. Love this place. read more

Sarafina's Italian Kitchen - The lasagna special is AMAZING - Italian Near Me - Arnold, California

This place is amazing !! The service, the food, the fireplace, everything ! The calamari is delish . I had the mushroom ravioli special and It was to die for ! We ordered a nice local bottle of wine as well . So glad we remembered to get reservations in advance. This cute little place books up fast, because it's truly the best food in the mountains! Serafina and her crew are so sweet and friendly , I can't wait to go back soon :) read more

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At the outset no one was at the front desk and it took a while for someone to ask us if we needed a table. However once seated the service was friendly and attentive. They have a kids menu with a choice of pasta, sauce, and protein. I am told the kid's spaghetti with meatballs was delicious. The plate was polished off clean. I had a bite of the tortellini in the cream sauce and it was really good However my Scampi Mediterreano's garlic wine sauce was more broth than sauce. It tasted fine but the spaghetti had not much of anything clinging to it, as a sauce would have and providing a burst of flavour. Otherwise, the sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke, feta and olives held up well to make each spoonful a flavourful bite. The creme brulee was decent, the tiramisu was soft and delicate, but the lava cake was a miss. There was no "lava" in this cake. It merely had a warm soft core and not a trace of the liquid chocolate core that should have been oozing out on digging in with a spoon. The outdoor patio was charming and a great place to sit even on that cool evening. The heat lamps were effective, and the ambiance was warm and welcoming. read more

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Delicious! One of my friend's favorite restaurants in Arnold. She made reservations for all of us well in advance for our weekend trip. - Sarah's favorite ($22.95): This was my dish and I can see why it's Sarah's favorite. I loved the tomato cream sauce! Would definitely order again. 4/5 - Penne alla Norma ($20.95): I thought the eggplant was going to be deep fried with a batter, which sounded interesting. It wasn't, probably a quick flash fry? I much preferred Sarah's favorite overall. 3/5 - Pork tenderloin special ($31.95): I had a bite of my friend's dish and it was loaded with flavor. Savory, salty and sage-y. Unfortunately, she had requested the potatoes on the side because she is gluten free, but it came out together so she had to scrape the potatoes off the pork and the veggies. 4/5 Prices are reasonable with good sized portions. I was particularly impressed with the kids sized portions and prices and their add ons. Like how you can get half orders of anything on the main menu (if you're under 10yo). Friendly, fast service. Make sure to make your reservations in advance! We had rezzies at 515pm and there was not an empty seat in the restaurant! read more

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Visited here a couple times over a couple weeks. The ambiance is great. Cozy fire in the corner. Hot bread at the table. My group ordered a few different items. The spaghetti and meatballs looked amazing. Two different guys in the group ordered it on different nights, and both of them gave it high praise. I had the Pollo Al Parmigiano one night, and Vitello Al Limone. Both excellent. I was here while on a work trip, but this is the kind of place I'd bring my wife for a nice dinner. Great service. Great food. Well worth a visit. read more

Second time coming here for a solo birthday dinner while camping near by. The staff is fabulous! Everyone is so nice and excellent service! Food is outstanding! Wine selection is excellent! It's become a yearly tradition that I come here for my birthday. I'll be back next time I'm in town! Thank you to the incredible staff for made me feel special on my birthday! read more

Sarafina's Italian Kitchen - Chicken scallopini Marsala with no potato's extra veg. Soooo delicious!!! - Italian Near Me - Arnold, California

This transaction went so smooth. I live 140 miles away & dealing with an out of town vendor can be challenging. Communication was superb! I got my questions answered quickly & the service was everything she promised. read more

We come to this restaurant every time we visit friends in Arnold. The food is wonderful, however the inside is painfully small and so cramped! Our last visit will be our last because we were sat directly across from a group of men who were totally drunk...it was already very loud but these guys took it to another level screaming their conversation. We looked at them-like "really, calm down" but it never ended. Management should step in when guests are this loud. It was not an enjoyable evening and we will look elsewhere for our next dinner out! read more

Service: Stellar, all of the staff were so helpful and kind. Food: Oh my, I wish they would move to our city. The spaghetti and meatballs was fantastic. I hade the penne with fried eggplant. My favorite. The minestrone was also very good. Parking: I heard from our lodge staff that reservations are recommended and that parking is difficult during prime time. We had no issues as we were walk in as we just got to town. Will be back as the town is awesome and this is a must stop for us. , read more

Always amazing food. the owner and servers are always fantastic! could not ask for better service or food.

Everything went well incredible service. It was an overall great experience. We often go there for an enjoyable dinner.

GREAT ambience and SOOOOOPER friendly staff!!!! Kids REALLY enjoyed the locally made ice cream from their favorite ice cream shop in Murphys! Good to see local Calaveras businesses supporting other great local Calaveras products!!! RARE in the foothills!!! read more

Entrées mediocre Had veal scaloppini not sure if it was veal one piece in the dish. Calamari was good as well as salads and bread. read more

The food was tasty, really nice staff, very pretty patio seating, however I was unable to sleep at all last night due to intense stomach cramping & abdominal pain. Next thing you know, I'm puking my brains out. As did my brother. Do not order the lobster special. For both of our entrees it was 100$, just to puke it all out. I beg of you. Save yourself. read more

Really good gluten free pasta! Me and my husband went here around 6pm on a Saturday night. It was pretty busy but we were able to get a table without a reservation. The food was soo good. Our service was super nice and caring about my gluten allergy. The restaurant is nice for a romantic date night. Oh and lemon sorbet sooo good!!! read more

Updating my review in 2025: Sarafina's is STILL da-bomb! My go-to is Sara's Favorite (penne pasta+sausage+arugula in a tomato cream sauce topped with freshly shaved parmesan). The portions are generous, so I always know what I'm having for lunch the next day. Tonight I had one of their specials: Lobster Ravioli, paired with School Street Pinot Grigio (a local winery down in Murphy's). Delicious. The cream sauce had bits of lobster and spinach in it. As always the staff gives outstanding service. Just the right amount of touch. There is a reason the parking is ALWAYS filled! Get reservations or be prepared to wait. The wait is worth it. read more

It is some of the best Italian food you'll get in the mountains and I recommend the chicken Alfredo or the lamb ribs when they have them

Sarafina's is my favorite restaurant in Arnold. The food, service and warmth of the restaurant really makes the dining experience memorable. The fireplace is a nice touch. The restaurant is completely packed on the weekends, so having a reservation is a must. My family and I ordered the Spaghetti Puttanesca, Ravioli, Surf n Turf, Salmon and Banana Foster. My favorites were the Surf n Turf with Ribeye and Shrimp Scampi. Also, the Banana Foster dessert was next level. The ribeye was cooked to perfection with a smokiness from the charring that made the meat taste delicious. The butter garlic shrimp topping the beef melded the flavors together just right. Finishing off the dinner with the Banana Foster Dessert was a delight. Crepes with a light coconut rum topped with banana and whipped cream. Yum! I would highly recommend trying Sarafina's on your next trip to Arnold. read more

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We made reservations and got seated in the dining room. It felt like I was in a hallmark movie, the woodsy interior, fireplace, napkins that were red, and green. Loved the ambiance, just missing the main male character to show up at my table. It's definitely a busy restaurant on a busy hwy. Our waitress was pleasant and checked on us frequently. I recommend the crab cakes and calamari hands down. The lobster ravioli was good, but I definitely can't taste the lobster. Sarah's favorite wasn't my favorite just because the sauce is a bit too sweet and rich for me. read more

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Such an excellent place to enjoy dinner. It's a very nice little establishment. The food is excellent too.

This is the best Italian restaurant I have had since visiting San Francisco. Great food, wonderful environment and amazing service. The dessert with a very tasteful coffee ended my dinner wonderfully. This is a must stop and try when ever you are in Arnold. read more

Made a reservation at an Italian restaurant in Murphy's and they called to tell me that they were not going be open because of the new restaurant they just opened in Angels Camp. We drove up to Arnold to try Sarafina's WOW, so glad we made the drive. Delicious food great friendly service. I will definitely be headed back to Sarafina's! read more

Just excellent in every possible way! A little piece of Italy in the middle of the forest! read more

Food is decent, nice ambiance especially if you can sit outside during nice evening. Great place for a family dinner in the area. Usually pretty busy but we are always able to make reservation few days ahead. read more