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Arnoldi's Cafe, Santa Barbara, CA

Arnoldi's Cafe

4.7 (787)
$31 to $50
Italian
600 Olive St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 9 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 787 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

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

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • California Central Coast

    Kid-friendly

  • California Central Coast

    Neighborhood gem

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Overall

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Service

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Ambiance

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Value

  • 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 a "fantastic old school Italian experience" with "authentic and delicious" food, including standout dishes like spaghetti carbonara and gnocchi. Guests enjoy the "cozy ambiance" and "friendly service," while the "nostalgic setting" adds charm. Valet parking is a convenient feature for this "family-owned" gem in Santa Barbara.

787 Reviews
  1. Ed

    Central Coast1 review

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
     Guillermo was our waiter last night. His service was superb. The staff assisting him at the table was top notch, We were there to celebrate our daughter’s birthday and the staff was there to celebrate with us thank you’re for hospitality.

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  2. Sarah VIP

    Central Coast3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Have heard about Arnoldi's as a local's favorite for years and it's silly that we'd never been. We loved every minute - especially the friendliness and responsiveness of the service, from the valet and host stand through the table service. We'll be back!

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  3. Alex

    New York City16 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on April 20, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food. The restaurant accepted my initial reservation then called to ask me to push it to an earlier time. Then we we arrived we had 30 minutes to order everything because the kitchen was closing.

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  4. Velma

    Central Coast4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 20, 2025

    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.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Kate

    Central Coast19 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Always a pleasure to dine here. Delicious food and great service

    Is this helpful?

  6. 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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  7. 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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  8. 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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  9. 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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  10. 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.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

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

Arnoldi's Cafe is rated 4.7 stars by 787 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 9 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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