Ugo is a spot I've been to before in Culver City years ago. They also have a café on the Third Street Promenade, but this visit was to their smaller, full restaurant location. My fiancée and I were looking for Italian food nearby, and the atmosphere immediately felt warm and welcoming. The service started before we even sat down. As we were looking over the menu outside, Rodrigo greeted us, walked us through a few options, and confidently assured us we'd enjoy the food. That first impression mattered. Once seated, he helped us with recommendations based on what we were in the mood for. My fiancée ordered the chicken piccata, and I had the chicken parmigiana. Both were excellent. The bread to start was fresh and delicious. I paired my meal with a Peroni, which just felt right at an Italian restaurant. We finished with coffee, which was a great way to wrap everything up. The overall vibe is cozy and low key, perfect for catching up with a friend, enjoying drinks, or going on a relaxed date night. Rodrigo provided outstanding service and made the experience even better. I would definitely recommend giving Ugo a try if you are in the area. read more

Ugo Trattoria - Peroni Beer - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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This is a good stop. Its a small store front with good service on a Friday during the week day. We had the oven baked bread and the caprese as a starter - both were fresh and tasty and honestly the highlight of the meal. For my entree, I had the tortellini limone. While I enjoyed dish generally, there wasn't a very legible lemon taste to it, tasted more like an alfredo. Two people at my table ordered the brown butter spinach ravioli. While the flavor was good, the sauce was very thin for some reason. Not too off putting but not what we were expecting. read more

Happened to stumble upon this place while walking around 3rd St after most stores closed for the night and I'm glad I did! The food was great! I got the Ravioli Aragosta, which had a nice light flavor. The Pizza Gondola was pretty good as well. Service is outstanding and Erick did a wonderful job handling the influx of customers after I arrived. Definitely visiting next time to try their other stuff! read more

Ugo Trattoria - Ravioli Aragosta - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

The food was delicious. The restaurant was super clean. Service was so professional. The pasta you can tell was homemade and fresh and everything was so flavorful. The only thing is they only had one server so it took a little while however, Rodrigo was amazing the restaurant that they had a lot of customers I would really recommend they make sure they have more waiters for Service however, the restaurant was delicious.. read more

We'd had a long morning exploring Los Angeles after only grabbing a quick breakfast, and by early afternoon the hunger really set in. Since we're visiting from St. Louis, MO, we were excited to find something memorable and local. As we wandered down 3rd Street, we stumbled upon Ugo Trattoria and decided to give it a try. The restaurant itself is quite small, essentially one narrow strip of indoor seating, but it immediately gives off that cozy, authentic Italian vibe. There's also outdoor seating, which adds to the charm, especially on a nice day. When we arrived on a Monday, the place wasn't full, but what really stood out was that there was only one person handling everything: taking orders, serving, and keeping the place running. Truly impressive to watch, and he managed it all with calm efficiency. Inside, there's a counter displaying a variety of wine options, which adds to the rustic Italian feel. As for the menu, the prices are definitely on the higher side, though to be fair, nothing in California feels inexpensive when you're coming from the Midwest. We decided to skip the Antipasti because of the cost and stick to main dishes. I ordered the gnocchi with four-cheese sauce, craving something comforting and creamy, while we also shared a pizza. Despite the one-man operation, the wait time for the food wasn't bad at all. When the dishes arrived, the portions were generous enough for one to two people, so sharing worked perfectly for us. The gnocchi was delicious, soft, rich, and coated in a wonderfully indulgent four-cheese sauce. The pizza was satisfying as well, and together the meal filled us up enough to continue exploring the area without feeling weighed down. Overall, it was a pleasant experience and a nice little stop during our day in LA. While it may be a while before we return, mostly because we want to try other places in the area, we left full, happy, and appreciative of the warm, simple charm of this spot. read more

Ugo Trattoria - Wine choices - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Overall a decent place for italian. The pastas were definitely better than the pizza we ordered. We did think the ravioli was a bit small. The Pasta seemed fresh and homemade. Pizza was thin and drenched in sauce making it very soggy and hard to eat. Not sure how authentic their house pizza really was. Flavors were great and pricing was on par with other restaurants. There was literally no one during the lunch hour so we were a little skeptical at first but happy we tried. Ambiance was warm, inviting, and clean. Service was fast and friendly. read more

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Nice little Italian place in the middle of the Third Street Promenade. It's clean and modern inside. There is a small patio too. It's located across from the Museum of Illusions. The service was fast and friendly. The server was good with water refills and checking in on us. We had a pitcher of White Sangria which was light and tastes good, yet not very strong. I had the Pappardelle Bolognese which was delicious. The pasta was homemade and fresh tasting. A good spot to check out if you're craving Italian on the promenade. read more

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We started with the calamari fritti and it was honestly so good--crispy, fresh, and the sauce was amazing. Portion size was perfect to share. The lasagna was great too, just the right size for one person and full of flavor. I had the Spaghetti Amalfi and the combo of shrimp and sauce was on point. The pizza was alright, kind of basic and cheesy. The tiramisu was a highlight--it comes in a chocolate cup you can actually eat, which made it really fun and different. The ambiance is casual and relaxed, calm overall with no loud noise or crowd, which made it super enjoyable. Only thing to keep in mind is that they close early, so don't go too late. Prices are regular--nothing too expensive, nothing super cheap either. Everything tasted fresh and well prepared. Eric, the only staff member working at the time, was amazing--fast, attentive, and genuinely helpful. You could tell he was doing his best and it really showed. I'd definitely go back. read more

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Great place for lunch....with a warm employee ready to help you After being treated bad in the close place 1212 Santa Monica we were attracted to the name and yellow decoration of this place ....and was a fantastic discovery. The waiter was nice enough to order my food with no salt added and was delicious....The polpette al sugo was fresh and moist, The minestrone soup is big for two and the Don Tomasino excellent. So happy to find this UGO. Affordable and delicious read more

Ugo Trattoria - WHAT A MINESTRONE !!! - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

My daughter and I were hanging out in SM and I was in the mood for Italian food. There were a couple places we found but Ugo seemed quaint and the food looked good( couple was outside eating). They have several tables inside and 4 tables outside. The waitress was really sweet and helped us decided! My daughter got pizza and I had pasta. I had the colorful pasta (sorry can't remember the name) but it was delish. The price points are average. I enjoyed my meal and my drink! Average price point! Def recommend this place! read more

Straightforward food including a solid chicken and pasta in a venue that, at least on a sunny spring day, is quite pleasant. Inside is pretty simple, literally a long rectangle, but it's decorated enough to be comfortable. 3.5 stars, but rounding up seems more appropriate than rounding down. read more

Ugo Trattoria - Chicken piccata. - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Cute little joint in downtown Santa Monica serving both pizza and pasta. The rigatoni with 4 cheeses was mixed in with a delicious zesty, citrusy sauce that complimented it so well, and the margarita was a classic. Delicious with a thin, airy crust. The interiors were small but well decorated. And we finished the meal off with a true Italian hot chocolate. The service, ambiance and food were all great, 10/10 recommend! read more

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Ambiance 10/10 Food 10/10 Service was great Would come back here my family and kids loved it here read more

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Well I requested the amalfy pasta with pink sauce! First the sauce was not pink and the look was different and the taste completely off to the plate I have always requested! The waiter later tells me a new chef started today and as I get my bill they charged me 4 dollars more than the menu they displayed at the door! Very dishonest service and still of course they expect a good tip! Seriously! Last time I will go there ! Very deceiving read more

Excellent spot for fresh, flavorful fish. Portions were generous and the prices were very reasonable, which made it a great value. Service was friendly and the vibe was relaxed. I'd definitely go again. read more

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The next time you're visiting Santa Monica you have to stop by this cute and unsuspecting little Italian restaurant! Tucked away at the end of the boulevard is where you will find Ugo Trattoria. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, although limited, depending on the weather and your preferences. The staff is exceptionally friendly and can offer suggestions should you need. They have several different pasta dishes, appetizers, deserts, drinks, and pizzas to choose from. We ordered the Bolognese and Pesto pastas, both were amazingly delicious! Then ended our night with a cup of coffee and a hot chocolate. I wish I had left a little more room for desert because the tiramisu looked amazing, but we will have to save that for another visit. If you are in the mood for a good quality pasta then definitely give Ugo a try, you will be glad you did! read more

Ugo Trattoria - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Thoroughly enjoyed our meal!! Our event ended around 630pm on a Saturday and we just happened to walk by Ugo Trattoria. To our surprise, there was only 1 party at the time! As the dinner went on, 4 more parties came in. We got the Branzino, Gnocchi with Pesto, the Spaghetti Amalfi, and Tiramisu. The gnocchi and spaghetti was so fresh and spaghetti was cooked deliciously al dente. The portion of chopped shrimp was pretty generous and cooked perfectly, not chewy at all. The Branzino was cooked well and was served with roasted potatoes and broccoli. I have to shout out our server who was very attentive, kind, and truthful! He apparently described the Branzino being bigger than what we actually got (we did not notice since no photos were posted) but when the check came, he told us that he comped the Tiramisu to make up for the size discrepancy. He did not have to as we would have never known, but I really, REALLY appreciate his honesty and can't thank him enough. The tiramisu was one of the best ones we've had. What makes theirs unique is there's a chocolate shell around the tiramisu. GENIUS! We will definitely be back, the food was so delicious, and thank you again to the server! read more

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Delicious latte and even better service by a wonderfully friendly staff!!! Great location in the middle of the mall and great gelato as well read more

This establishment being on the Santa Monica 3rd St Promenade should tell you something about the prices. If you don't mind paying a little more you are in for an absolute TREAT! Daniello (I hope I got your name correctly) was so polite and chatted with us for a bit about Rome & Savannah, GA. The food was fantastic. - Penne w/Pesto & Fettuccine Pescatore If you don't like crowds come here for lunch on a weekday but if busy is your thing the weekends will not disappoint, plus you're so close to the beach, so ambiance for sure. Not much else to say but I'd definitely come back. read more

Ugo Trattoria - This one is closer to Wilshire blvd & they have a spot on Santa Monica Blvd as well on the 3rd St Promenade. - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Classic chicken parm done right. The chicken was crispy on the outside, tender inside, and topped with a flavorful marinara and plenty of melted cheese. Comforting, hearty, and very satisfying. Great choice if you're craving traditional Italian comfort food. read more

I really enjoyed Ugo Trattoria, such a cute place on the promenade which good vibes, cute seats and interior. My friend and I came here for lunch at 12pm on a Sunday and there was no wait. The waitress was nice and the wait was as n I got the pizza gondola, which was fortunately a perfect one-person portion-- usually when I go to Italian restaurants I feel heavy or overly full afterward, but this portion was perfect and the food felt somewhat light! The cheese on the pizza was so creamy and to die for, the crust was chewy and delicious. Overall I really loved my order! My friend had the penne con pesto and she enjoyed it as well. I would love to come back to try spaghetti amalfi, ravioli, or gnocchi! Just one con was that an automatic tip of 20% was added-- saved me from calculations but just something to make note of. read more

Ugo Trattoria - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

The food here is spectacular, the Tortellini Limone is one of my favorite meals, as well as the Calamari. When I say the Calamari is good, I mean it is good!! The waiters are also super nice and helpful and the chef made the food really well and is quick with it. read more

I took a friend here today for our first time. I chose this place based on previous reviews. I have to say that we both agreed that this place knocked it out of the park! The food was absolutely spectacular. As good as any of the finest Italian restaurants that I have been to. We ordered parpadelle bolognese, fettuccine pescatera, a margharita pizza and gelato! We sat outside in order to people watch along the 3rd Street Promenade. So that made the ambience, along with the weather, just perfect! The service was exceptional! It was not rushed, nor was it slow. It was perfectly well timed! I highly recommend this place and sure hope they are successful with their future business. If I'm in the area in the future, I definitely will return! read more

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Good was excellent ! We ordered the chicken pesto sandwich and the prosciutto panini's. We also ordered a couple of gelato's. Cafe hazelnut & vanilla chocolate chip Service was prompt and polite. Ambiance was quaint. Very chic. read more

Ugo Trattoria - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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5 stars for Gustavo's friendliness, kindness and his genuine smile. Chocolate gelato was good, espresso machiato too. Thank you G. read more

Ugo Trattoria - Chocolate Ugo Gelato - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Food was fantastic! We ordered for 6 of us for a very late lunch. Sienna was our server! Zero complaints! Great food and great service! Will try to come back soon! read more

Let's start with why the loss of one star. It was the overall wait. We landed right in the middle of the afternoon rush and everything just took so much longer than it should have. But overall the food and service was great. We had brunch so we ate mostly off the brunch menu. The standout for me was their Italian omlette. The flavors in this with the grilled chicken make it the thing to come back to. We also had the lemon ricotta pancakes and French toast. Those were good as well but that omlette. The omlette came with potatoes, fruit and bread. Can't beat that for lunch. Overall it was a good experience but a two hour one due to the wait. Will come back again maybe during the week. read more

Ugo Trattoria - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Decided to randomly stop here to have a lunch with a friend after an intense hot yoga together but the food was way above our expectation. I'm not a big fan of either gnocchi or thin crust wood fired pizzas but they were so good. Gnocchi had a good texture and the pesto was very fragrant and fresh. The pizza crust was crispy and yummy with a hint of honey. The service was great and the prices were very reasonable with both dishes being under $20. read more

Ugo Trattoria - Gnocchi in Pesto - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Excellent gnocchi! Sabina was our host and was really friendly and helpful! I felt like family eating here. Highly recommend coming here. read more

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Great! My friends and I decided lasted minute to eat on Promenade and needed gluten-free options for one of our group (which they offer for pasta and other dishes). The interior was cute, and the outdoor seating was nice. There was only one waitress for the entire place, which made things a bit confusing--whether we should wait to be seated or just choose a spot ourselves. We were eventually told to sit wherever we liked. I had the pappardelle bolognese, which was good but didn't stand out. However, the tiramisu was delicious and left us craving more. read more

Ugo Trattoria - Pappardelle Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Food was good, for which I would normally give a 4, but the service was so frustrating. I can understand that they may have been understaffed, and there was only one cook and one waiter. However, my friend and I were seated before a family of 4, and it took the waitress 15 minutes before taking our order. In between seating us and taking our order, she closed off two other tables, took the order for the family who came after us and served another table as well. It felt somewhat targets because I tried to be polite to call for her attention so that we could order, but it felt like I was getting ignored... We ordered the Chicken Parmigiana and the Paccheri con Quattro Formaggi. The paccheri was great and the sauce was amazing. The chicken in the chicken parmigiana was juicy and had a great crispy outside. However, I wish the spaghetti had maybe some fresh parmesan grated on top or variety in the sauce flavor. It felt very one dimension in terms of the taste. read more

Ugo Trattoria - Paccheri/ Rigatoni Con Quattro Formaggi - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Amazing food !! It was really unexpected little Italian restaurant we loved it. Everything was great. Highly recommend this place.

We were walking the promenade and our kids saw the menu and wanted to stop in for dinner. It was a great meal with attentive service. read more

Ugo Trattoria - Penne with pesto, Margherita Pizza, Bolognese, Rigatoni Con Quattro Formaggi. - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Love this place! I believe they opened a couple months ago and I decided to check out their happy hour. Such amazing deals M-F 2:30-6:30pm! Pizza for only $11?! Count me in!! Decided to order: 1. Portobello fries - must get this one! So crunchy and goes so well with the sauce 2. Figo - pizza with dried fig, truffle honey, white cheeses; wasnt wowed by this one but the toppings were good! 3. Bread pasta bowl - pink sauce pasta with mushrooms; a bit ordinary as well but loved the presentation (and for the price it's so good too) Overall service was great even though there was only one waiter at the time and it got a bit busy! More on the casual side, so highly recommend you go here to check them out if you're walking around 3rd street. :) read more

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I've been thinking about posting a review after me and my family gave it a try. We went for dinner last Sunday night, It was a cold night and we sat outside because the view was really nice . The restaurant was almost empty when we got there, only one more table inside. We were a party of 5 and we ordered 5 dishes the food was really good the only problem is that we got 2 plates first and after about 5 minutes we got another one and after about 4 more minutes we got the last 2 plates. The ones who got the plates first were waiting almost 10 minutes for the rest of us to get the food in order to eat as a family. The portion of the chicken Parmesan was the smallest I've had, it was only one piece of chicken and a small portion of pasta i had to order another one later. I don't understand why the food came out that way if the restaurant was empty. 3 of us had to eat cold food. Like I said the taste was really good but when people go together to eat we expect to get all the food together and eat together. Just heads up if you eat there in a big group, expect the inconvenience of not getting all the food together. Don't wait for the rest or it will get cold read more

Super clean and calm ambiance. Mature and patient servers, and the food is AUTHENTIC! I did not order anything (not a ton of vegan options as is the usual for Italian food) but my husband did and he said the food was just as good as the food we ate in actual Italy. I could smell the freshness of the pesto! Authentic, flavorful and rich. Hidden gem! read more

Ugo Trattoria - Penne Con Pesto - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Delicious and moderately priced compared to everything on the promendade. Server was great! Supper attentive but not annoying. Food was delicious as well- that pesto! Yum! Just a heads up if you order soda it is by the can and they already add a 20% tip read more

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Great food and great ambience. The cappuccino was delicious! Ordered chicken pesto sandwiches and they were piping hot

Professional staff needed. I was going to buy ice cream. They wouldn't let me sample it. I left, didn't make purchase. Was bewildered, how rudly business malfunctions read more

I've eaten at this location several times. This visit I ordered the Ugo pizza & after the pistachio gelato & a STRONG Americano. Everything was great. The server's name was Casey. She was sweet & even though there were a lot of people in the resturant that afternoon she was on point. Thnaks! read more