Ca Dario Santa Barbara - Santa Barbara (CA)

5 /5 Alexander Cohen: Look, if you’re willing to look past the mediocre service and crowded atmosphere, the food here will knock your socks off. We’ve never had a bad meal. All of the pastas and starters are great. I think the ravioli with brown butter and sage are one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever eaten. The tagliatelle and pappadelle basciola are phenomenal as well. Secondi are all good too, but you’re really coming here for the pasta (or the osso bucco or chicken/veal parm specials). Cocktails are mid, just pass. Come on a weekday or early on a weekend.

3 /5 Jessica Hernandez: The food here was really good: fresh, flavorful, and definitely a highlight. I enjoyed everything I ordered, and you can tell the kitchen takes pride in the dishes. The reason for the 3 stars is more about the overall experience. The service was just okay: polite, but nothing that stood out, and it felt a bit slow at times. The restaurant itself has a very small indoor seating area, which makes it feel a little cramped, especially during busier hours.

5 /5 Krish Hernandez: Ca’ Dario in Santa Barbara never disappoints. The food, the atmosphere, and the service are always top-tier. The highlight of my visit was the amazing Lobster Risotto — rich, perfectly cooked, and packed with flavor. It’s easily one of the best dishes you can get in town. The staff is warm, attentive, and makes you feel taken care of from start to finish. Whether it’s a casual dinner or a special night out, this place delivers every single time. If you’re in Santa Barbara and craving authentic Italian with standout dishes, Ca’ Dario is absolutely worth the visit. Highly recommend!

3 /5 Jeanmarie: I was very disappointed with my experience. I dined solo and had reserved a table outside, but there were no heaters. I asked the hostess if a heater could be brought out, and she said she would let someone know. I waited in the cold for about 20 minutes, but no one came. I then asked to be seated inside. Once inside, it took another 20 minutes for anyone to approach my table. Eventually, I was offered water, at which point I ordered wine and dinner. The food arrived quickly and was nicely presented, with pleasant flavors overall. The tiramisu was just okay. I left feeling very disappointed, especially since I had been looking forward to a delicious meal. The restaurant itself was nice and cozy, which made the service issues even more frustrating.

1 /5 Johanna I.: On 11/22, I had the most unpleasant experience that I ever had in a restaurant in my life. We decided to make a reservation for this restaurant to celebrate my mother in laws birthday just like we did that last year. We got to the restaurant and despite it being empty (probably, they were attending a couple more tables), they had one prepared for us in a narrow corner between the restrooms and the waitresses booth. Ours was the only table in that room, and we couldnt really enjoy privacy and comfort. I asked for my kids meal (bolognese with angel hair pasta), and when it arrived at the table, I noticed a dry and overcooked pasta. My child didnt want it, so I asked the waiter to have more sauce for it because it looked dry. He came back with the same dish, more overcooked and topped with a creamy sauce. It was totally disappointing. We had tried this same plate in the past in this restaurant with my child, and it was a success. I ended up asking for some French fries for my kid, so I could make up her meal. We also didnt want retaliation from the staff for returning twice this pasta. After eating our meals with disappointment because some of them were undercooked, some overcooked and my branzino wasnt fresh, we were asked by the waiter how everything went. We were totally sincere and that led the blonde thin lady manager to come to our table to ask further about what we didnt like. That was the worst idea ever. Instead of receiving a receptive response, she started to raise her voice to us to the point of yelling at us and telling us that this is not the right restaurant for us. When I had the chance to speak about my kids meal, the waiter and this blond lady manager had the audacity to say that I had had communication issues when ordering my child’s food and, if I didnt want the bolognese with cream I should have asked first. The menu doesnt indicate the bolognese has dairy and, it is the waiters’ responsibility to remark on it in case of an allergy. I just wanted the same meal my kid had in this restaurant before, not this big deal and to get scolded by this blond lady manager. My child is not able to communicate her needs or wants, so I try to advocate and speak for her. Its disturbing that someone tells you that you, as a mom, are not able to communicate well what your child wants. In the end, we never got the French fries. They remembered them when I suggested to the blond lady manager that her advocacy for “her restaurant” (she claimed being the owner) should consider that her customers would be able to eat something at least. My child didnt eat anything that evening. They were going to cook the fries after we got scolded by the blond lady manager. I told her we were done and that we just wanted to leave. On 11/22 Saturday evening, we were disrespected by downtown Ca Darios staff. We will never come back here again, and because we are locals, I will make sure lots of people in the community know about this incident. Im also looking forward to talk to the actual owner of this restaurant, because our experience beyond being awful should be addressed in some way, so it wont be repeated again.