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Arnoldi's Cafe, Santa Barbara, CA

Arnoldi's Cafe

4.8
4.8
783 Reviews
$31 to $50
Italian
600 Olive St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 14 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
Oldest Italian restaurant in Santa Barbara! We have two bocce courts on our patio with outdoor dining. Lots of pasta, appetizers, salads, chicken dishes and homemade desserts...Italian wine and local wine on our wine list...indoor or outdoor seating. We are a true local's secret and kid friendly. Open for dinner 7 days a week! We also host rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions, and large birthday parties.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Californian, reserved
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Sun 11:00 am–4:30 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Private party facilities
    We have a room that fits up to 45 people. People walk through to get outside, but it is often used for private birthday parties, holiday parties and rehearsal dinners.

    We also have a patio that fits up to 100 people and can be reserved privately with a food and beverage minimum

  • Neighborhood
    Santa Barbara
  • Cross street
    Cota Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wine

What 783 people are saying

Arnoldi's Cafe reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • California Central Coast

    Kid-friendly

  • California Central Coast

    Good for groups

  • California Central Coast

    Good for special occasions

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Ambiance

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Value

  • Santa Barbara

    Kid-friendly

  • Santa Barbara

    Good for groups

  • Santa Barbara

    Neighborhood gem

  • Santa Barbara

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Santa Barbara

    Romantic

  • Santa Barbara

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Arnoldi's Cafe offers an authentic Italian dining experience with a "cozy and great music" ambiance. The "service is second to none," while dishes like gnocchi and spaghetti carbonara are highlights. Diners appreciate the "friendly and attentive" staff and "generous portions." The outdoor seating with heaters adds to its charm.

783 Reviews
  1. Velma

    Central Coast4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food, service and setting are excellent. It’s been a small, family-owned restaurant for decades. The staff is friendly and accommodating and have worked there for years.

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  2. Victoria

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had an amazing time at Arnoldis last night. The food was great, the service was great, and the outside dining was beautiful.

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  3. Mandy

    San Francisco6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Made this reservation for a party of 6 today just by doing an Italian food search. Easy to make, didn’t have to add a card to do so. Love that. Loved all the reviews and pic of food. Such a cute authentic feel Italian restaurant. Lots of seating, even outdoors with heaters. The service was excellent, things came fast and refills came fast. Very nice server. All the food was 10/10.

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  4. John VIP

    Central Coast19 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It had been several years since we dined at Arnold’s, since we live in Goleta and have been enjoying Italian food at Ca’Dario’s in that area of town. But tonight was lovely — perfect pasta (gnocchi, fettuccine) and chicken, friendly service from all, and good ‘vibes’ throughout. Wine list is fine, and the availability of valet parking in the neighborhood is good to have.

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  5. Robert

    San Francisco48 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    nice selection of food, waiter very helpful in describing the dishes. Valet parking is available if you are unable to find nearby street parking We have been here several times, have always enjoyed the experience, and can't wait to go again in the near future.

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  6. Shadi

    Central Coast11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The backyard is a great place to eat, drink and relax.

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  7. Cynthia VIP

    Orange County2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    On a scale of 1-10, Arnoldi’s is a 10++. We made a last minute reservation for a party of 16, and they were very accommodating. Dinner felt like having a dinner with family at their home. So welcoming and friendly. Food: authentic and words cannot convey how delicious it was. They also give very generous portions. Ambiance: cozy and great music playing. Service: second to none! Sean, the bartender, and Guillermo, our server, were the absolute best! We wanted for nothing. They were friendly and very attentive to our requests. One important point is they do have a valet as parking can be tough. We highly recommend you dining here. Believe me, you will not regret it!

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  8. Jeff

    Central Coast10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Enjoyed the food a lot, service was great. Standouts include the spaghetti carbonara and gnocchi. One of our favorite places in Santa Barbara.

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    New Orleans1 review

    1.0

    Dined on March 11, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Love arnoldis but had a bad night. Poor service. Raviolis bland with lots of cream sauce

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  10. CaliforniaGirl

    Central Coast3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had the best time last night at Arnoldi’s! It’s been literally 50 years since I was here last! We arrived early- 5:30pm- and it was nice and quiet. By the time we left- 7:30- the restaurant was full and a bit noisy. The food was amazing and our waiter, Silavano, was so sweet and accommodating. We couldn’t have had a better experience.

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FAQs

Arnoldi's Cafe offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (805) 962-5394.

Arnoldi's Cafe is rated 4.8 stars by 783 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. California Central Coast
  4. Santa Barbara
  5. Santa Barbara

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 14 times today
Google Map for Arnoldi's Cafe

600 Olive St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Cota Street
  • Neighborhood
    Santa Barbara
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Sun 11:00 am–4:30 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Californian, reserved
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    We have a room that fits up to 45 people. People walk through to get outside, but it is often used for private birthday parties, holiday parties and rehearsal dinners.

    We also have a patio that fits up to 100 people and can be reserved privately with a food and beverage minimum

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