During these turbulent times, we want to continue to serve our community. Arnoldi's is open 7 days a week at 5PM for dinner indoors, on our beautiful outdoor patio, takeout or curbside service. One of the oldest restaurants in Santa Barbara, Arnoldi's Cafe was founded by Giuseppe and Ilda Arnold in 1937, at 421 East Cota Street.
In 1940, Giuseppe (Joe) quarried local stone and built the present restaurant at 600 Olive Street. Since then, Arnoldi's, with the bocce ball courts in the garden, has been entertaining Santa Barbarans and visitors from all over the world. Arnoldi's has hosted orchestras and dancers since the 1940's.
In 1940, Giuseppe (Joe) quarried local stone and built the present restaurant at 600 Olive Street. Since then, Arnoldi's, with the bocce ball courts in the garden, has been entertaining Santa Barbarans and visitors from all over the world. Arnoldi's has hosted orchestras and dancers since the 1940's.
Services
During these turbulent times, we want to continue to serve our community. Arnoldi's is open 7 days a week at 5PM for dinner indoors, on our beautiful outdoor patio, takeout or curbside service. At Arnoldis Cafe we specialize in special, large or small, events! Birthday parties, anniversaries, reunions, rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions, luncheons or fun kids Birthday parties!
Reviews (24)
Tom Ruppanner
Jan 18, 2022
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Anabella L.
Jan 18, 2022
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This one star is for the eggplant parmigiana only. The service is great, 5 stars for that.
Other dishes we have tired are amazing: chicken parmigiana, ravioli and lasagna... All 5 stars.
However, I love my eggplant and let me tell you-I was not sure if it was eggplant or jerky. It was so hard and over fried that I couldn't eat more than a bite. I hate returning dishes, so I just drank tea and took the dish home to throw it away :(
Other dishes we have tired are amazing: chicken parmigiana, ravioli and lasagna... All 5 stars.
However, I love my eggplant and let me tell you-I was not sure if it was eggplant or jerky. It was so hard and over fried that I couldn't eat more than a bite. I hate returning dishes, so I just drank tea and took the dish home to throw it away :(
Jacqueline E.
Dec 19, 2021
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My sister and I came here on a weekend for our ojai, and santa barbara trip. I choose this place because of the reviews and the picture of the gnocchi tricolore... well i ordered that and my sister got the steak medium with hot garlic and spinach and potatoes.....we both fell in love. We are both picky on taste of our food and this place was an absolute treat!!!! Wonderful service. I even asked to buy pomodoro sauce and they gave me a full pint on the house no charge. If I ever come.back out here i will come here and eat again!!!
Thank you for the wonderful food. We will always remember this restraunt
Thank you for the wonderful food. We will always remember this restraunt
Blaise Dovarro
Nov 30, 2021
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Cheryl Webb
Nov 23, 2021
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Came here for dinner on a Saturday. Wait wasn't too bad because we signed up on the Yelp waitlist about 30 minutes before getting to the restaurant.
Got the kobe shabu udon. Broth was solid, noodles were good, and the meat was very tender.
Decent amount of seating inside, but expect a wait because it is quite busy.
Got the kobe shabu udon. Broth was solid, noodles were good, and the meat was very tender.
Decent amount of seating inside, but expect a wait because it is quite busy.
Robert F.
Nov 21, 2021
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Awful experience.
Ignored the reservation request. And then we waited more than twenty minutes for a server to appear. Mask three quarters down his face, and only over his mouth.
Got a half-hearted "oh, sorry" when we said we'd been sitting twenty minutes with servers ignoring us. Then lots of rudeness. Claimed to be the manager after telling us there was no manager.
Went to Ca'Dario instead and we're greeted with "good evening", and "welcome back". And great food and service.
Have been a customer at Arnoldi's for more than eighteen years
Ignored the reservation request. And then we waited more than twenty minutes for a server to appear. Mask three quarters down his face, and only over his mouth.
Got a half-hearted "oh, sorry" when we said we'd been sitting twenty minutes with servers ignoring us. Then lots of rudeness. Claimed to be the manager after telling us there was no manager.
Went to Ca'Dario instead and we're greeted with "good evening", and "welcome back". And great food and service.
Have been a customer at Arnoldi's for more than eighteen years
Ashley B.
Nov 16, 2021
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Went to this Santa Barbara Institution for a friend's birthday and first and foremost, the food was fantastic. Fresh food, large portions, incredibly tasty, and you could tell it was handmade with love. You could pay double elsewhere in town and not get the same level of quality. If I was giving it a rating on the food alone, it'd be five stars no question. Everyone enjoyed their meal.
I also will say the alcohol is more reasonably priced than you'll find in SB. I got a cocktail that typically starts at $12 elsewhere and it was only $8! Wine also came with a heavy pour. Definitely
I also will say the alcohol is more reasonably priced than you'll find in SB. I got a cocktail that typically starts at $12 elsewhere and it was only $8! Wine also came with a heavy pour. Definitely
Tammy M.
Nov 15, 2021
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Payge B.
Nov 02, 2021
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How do I even begin to say how amazing Arnoldi's made my wedding night. Serving and catering to 39 people is never easy but the team made us feel so welcome and gave us an experience I'll remember for the rest of my life. Sara the event manager was so down to earth, a joy to talk to, and made the whole planning process easy. The prices are reasonable, especially for Santa Barbara.
My guests are still raving about the food. And the family style we had at our tables was so fun, everyone loved being able to try each entree. They put a curtain up for privacy and it felt like we had the
My guests are still raving about the food. And the family style we had at our tables was so fun, everyone loved being able to try each entree. They put a curtain up for privacy and it felt like we had the
Nicole K.
Oct 18, 2021
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Tess C.
Oct 05, 2021
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Last weekend we threw a wedding rehearsal dinner party for 50 on the back patio and it was absolutely amazing!! We had dedicated bartenders and servers who spoiled us. Everyone was so impressed by the food which was delicious and so plentiful. The fried calamari appetizer was amazing and we got many full platers of it. The lasagna was a stand out, but actually everything was excellent! Pana Cota for desert knocked it out of the park. We hung out around the fire pit for hours and they didn't try and rush us out and kept serving the wine and beer. Our guests were all so impressed and commented
Libby Baez
Sep 27, 2021
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Joe Qman
Sep 26, 2021
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The food is ok but not great. The Prices are off the charts. I order a Caesar salad and added chicken. Well, the salad is average size, the chicken is grilled and Super Dry! The salad cost me $22, really! My wife order the Ravioli with meat sauce $25. We had a group of 10 and my wife's and my salad was 10 min later than the other 8 dinners. My wife did not get the meat sauce she ordered and it tasted like soup, it was a orange and the Ravioli were drowning in sauce. We spent $420.00 for 10 of us. It's a hit and miss but most a miss. I only go because my niece likes the place. Not recommended!
Erika V.
Sep 01, 2021
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We went to Arnoldi's for my sister and her husband's birthdays. The staff was very friendly and accommodating for our party of 8 and mostly everyone enjoyed their food. I was really excited to order the lasagna bolognese, and saw that a woman at another table ordered it as well and it looked a bit burnt. When my order came, it was large, but also burnt and rock hard on the top. I ate around it, but wasn't very impressed, especially for the price (~$20). My mom ordered the steak, which she said was chewy and didn't have much taste, but said the spinach tasted great. We still
Kenneth R.
Aug 14, 2021
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Very good food, at eminently reasonable prices. I'm adding this review only to commend our waiter (Dillon) who noticed that their system had added a gratuity (I had no problem with that - we were a large party and he told us that the tip had been added), but that the system added another 20% to the amount of the original gratuity. (Not the whole bill - we would have noticed that - but another 20% of the first 20% or, for the math-challenged, a total tip of 24%.)
So, why not 5 stars? Because I called to make a reservation (didn't want to use Open Table because the restaurant pays a fee
So, why not 5 stars? Because I called to make a reservation (didn't want to use Open Table because the restaurant pays a fee
W. D.
Aug 05, 2021
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My niece and I had spent a full day kayaking and were ready for some bomb pasta to treat ourselves with. We were in SB for an auntie/ niece weekend. SB is our halfway mark as I live in Monterey and she San Diego. Needless to say if you don't have a reservation somewhere when it's the middle of summer and a Saturday night, you are more than likely gonna be SOL for anything good. Our bad. We looked through Yelp at the Italian selections and saw Arnoldi's had mostly good reviews. And while beggars can't be choosers, we called them up and asked if they would be able to seat us.
Amanda L.
Jul 05, 2021
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A few months ago my parents were visiting and Arnoldi's is my moms favorite restaurant in town. This was a special occasion because it was my husband and I's first time out to a restaurant with our 4 month old. We had an amazing patio table and the nearby heater was perfect. The food was amazing as usual and the corkage fee still very reasonable. Our server Devon was hospitable and genuinely nice, really good guy. Anyway, this outing with baby in tow was a success and more great memories made at Arnoldo's. Thanks again.
John K.
May 11, 2021
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Mother's Day dinner with family, nice outdoor table, socially distant. Wait staff very understaffed that night (the wait staff did apologize a few times), it took 15 minutes to get menus, we did get complimentary bread with olive oil/balsamic vinegar, and it was a total of 30 minutes till our drinks arrived. Ordered Bruschetta appetizer and although served as a large portion, tomatoes were missing the basil and overall flavor, tomatoes were extremely soggy.. :( Will not order that again. Wines had a good pour.
Dinner did arrive about an hour after being seated and then great things
Dinner did arrive about an hour after being seated and then great things
Kristy O.
Apr 17, 2021
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Scott L.
Apr 07, 2021
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Randomly chose this spot for only night touring through Santa Barbara. Used to eating Little Italy in San Diego and Boston, and raised on my nonna's Sicilian cooking. Arnoldi's is up there with the best. Calamari fritti was fresh and light, meatballs were just right, sauces had just enough spice to give amazing flavor without being overbearing, and patio atmosphere with music selection was very relaxing. Staff was attentive and authentically Italian. Definable bookmarking for next trip back. I'll stop here whenever in the area.
Ericka Q.
Mar 29, 2021
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Made a reservation here for my friends 25th birthday. From the moment I called to make a reservation everyone was super helpful and friendly. We arrived early with an extra person and were seated quickly. Outside it was a little chilly so they brought out 2 heaters for us. Dinner portions were big and wow everything was delicious! this is one of the oldest Italian restaurants in Santa Barbara and I highly recommend giving them a try! I don't remember my servers name but he was on point! Super friendly and helpful and he even ended up bringing us a tiramisu coffee cake - his recommendation
Linzee R.
Oct 19, 2020
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My husband and I had dinner at Arnoldi's a couple of times and knew we wanted to have our wedding reception there and then Covid happened. We had already put a deposit down and were working with Arnoldi's event planner Sara, who was very helpful and accommodating during this time. We ended up having a small dinner with socially distanced tables the night we got married and it was perfect. Everything from the food and drinks to the beautiful setting of their outside patio area. The few guests that were there raved about how amazing it was.
The only suggestion I would have for the restaurant
The only suggestion I would have for the restaurant
Mark D.
Oct 03, 2020
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I'm a hard critic of mom N pop Italian restaurants only because I'm Italian, I'm a chef and I grew up in my families mom N pop Italian restaurants. All n all it is a good restaurant. The food is good, well prepared and when you order delivery they actually read what you requested. Not like most places who don't give a flying frankfurter because they know you won't send it back. Thank you. So if you are in the mood for good Italian food they will deliver, pun intended. The Capri salad, a bit costly but worth it although a few mor olives would have been appreciated. The veal
Abbey F.
Feb 07, 2020
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I've been to Arnoldi's quite a few times, either for Happy Hour, brunch or dinner. We've gone with large parties and small parties. Arnoldi's is always a winner and has great service! The food is fantastic, the cocktails are generous and the ambience it perfect for Santa Barbara. No wonder they're a long time Santa Barbara legend!
This most recent visit was for a catered company party. Even though it was a very chilly February night, the heat lamps and fire pit kept us all warm all night long. It was nice to spend the evening on the large patio and we also enjoyed some
This most recent visit was for a catered company party. Even though it was a very chilly February night, the heat lamps and fire pit kept us all warm all night long. It was nice to spend the evening on the large patio and we also enjoyed some
