
Olio e Limone Ristorante
A family-run Italian gem serving authentic Sicilian cuisine with fresh, local ingredients in an inviting atmosphere.

Highlights
Must-see attractions
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Olio e Limone Ristorante

Highlights
Must-see attractions
A family-run Italian gem serving authentic Sicilian cuisine with fresh, local ingredients in an inviting atmosphere.
"This is the best restaurant in Santa Barbara! I had the best experience with service, food and the overall experience!"
Reservations Recommended
Consider booking in advance, especially during peak hours or for special occasions, to ensure a table.
Try Seasonal Specials
Explore their seasonal menu for fresh flavor combinations and dishes featuring locally grown ingredients.

Quick Facts
Cuisine
Italian
Price
$$$
Phone
(805) 899-2699
Address
11 W Victoria St Ste. 17, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
Website
olioelimone.com/Highlights
Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences

Authentic Sicilian Italian Cuisine
Experience genuine Italian flavors with a Sicilian touch, blending traditional techniques and fresh, local ingredients for a gourmet taste.

Personalized and Attentive Service
Diners rave about the exceptional service, noting attentive staff and unique touches like personalized menus, making every meal special.

Inviting Ambiance
Enjoy a beautiful dining experience, whether indoors with elegant decor or outdoors, perfect for a romantic evening or upscale family dinner.
Plans like a pro.
Thinks like you
Insider Tips
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit
Reservations Recommended
Consider booking in advance, especially during peak hours or for special occasions, to ensure a table.
Try Seasonal Specials
Explore their seasonal menu for fresh flavor combinations and dishes featuring locally grown ingredients.
Accommodating Dietary Needs
The restaurant is known for being familiar with and offering suitable options for dietary restrictions like gluten-free.
Excellent Wine Selection
Complement your meal with their impressive wine list, featuring both local and Italian selections.
Tips
from all over the internet
Reservations Recommended
Consider booking in advance, especially during peak hours or for special occasions, to ensure a table.
Try Seasonal Specials
Explore their seasonal menu for fresh flavor combinations and dishes featuring locally grown ingredients.
Accommodating Dietary Needs
The restaurant is known for being familiar with and offering suitable options for dietary restrictions like gluten-free.
Excellent Wine Selection
Complement your meal with their impressive wine list, featuring both local and Italian selections.
What Travellers Say
Reviews Summary
Olio e Limone Ristorante is lauded for its authentic Italian and Sicilian cuisine, with many praising the fresh ingredients and inventive dishes. The service is frequently highlighted as exceptional, featuring attentive staff and personalized touches. While the food and service generally receive high marks, a few diners found certain dishes to be mediocre or overpriced, and some noted occasional service issues during busy periods.
"This was a great find, Italian restaurant, so tasty and fancy with really reasonable prices.
They have patio as well. Good bread before the meal with olive oil. Our server John was wonderful, and Adan, our second server, was so attentive, and Eva, who we meet at the restaurant, helped and explained all 3 different locations."
Alvira K
"Great food and service. Wonderful start to our symphony evening. We both had vegetarian options and alcohol alternatives because it is lent, and we were just as happy as we would have been with wine and meat. Staff was a attentive without being sycophantic or doting, and the food left nothing to be desired. ( I would caution that the pumpkin tortellini which my wife ordered wat too sweet for my taste, but she was warned of this in advance and went for it ( and loved it). The bread was also delicious and very generous. They even brought us a second basket without having to be asked mid way through our meal, and we ended up taking that home for a great evening snack. Look forward to our next visit. I plan on ordering the prawn pasta, which I saw going to a number of other tables and was quite beautiful."
Charles Burggraf
"The service and atmosphere were excellent. No complaints about the servers or the place. However, the food was pretty mediocre and definitely not good enough for the price. Not even the free bread was good (it was too dry and hard to enjoy).
The first dish we had was a "special": tuna carpaccio (as you can see in the picture, the pieces of fish were microscopic and the avocado was brown).
I had the ravioli. They were too salty and lacked personality (no other flavor besides salt).
For dessert, we shared a cannoli that was filled with a chocolate chip (?) cream. It felt more like a cheap, childlike version of a dessert that needs no modification.
If you want to have good Italian food, go to Ca' Dario or Toma."
C Araujo
What People Like
What People Dislike
Frequently Asked Questions
Olio e Limone Ristorante specializes in authentic Italian cuisine with a distinct Sicilian influence, focusing on fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
Yes, the restaurant is known to be very familiar with gluten-free options and offers suitable choices for diners with dietary restrictions.
It is recommended to make reservations, especially if you plan to dine during peak hours or for special occasions, to ensure a table.
Popular dishes include pesto linguine, salmon specials, veal scaloppine, and various homemade pastas like duck ravioli.
Yes, Olio e Limone Ristorante offers both indoor and outdoor dining options, providing a beautiful ambiance for guests.
While it is a white tablecloth restaurant, they accommodate families with children, though some diners noted potential friction during peak times.
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Restaurants in Santa Barbara
Sophisticated Italian cuisine with an emphasis on Sicily is served at this restaurant near the Arlington. The veal scaloppine is popular, but surprises abound here, with unusual dishes such as the duck ravioli or the ribbon pasta with quail and sausage in a mushroom ragout.
Santa Barbara Restaurants and "Not to Miss" Places
I would check out the Wine Cask and Olie e Limone for Italian. There is also Intermezzo, adjacent to the Wine Cask which is a more casual restaurant where you can also wine taste.
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If you want something really great and elegant, check out the restaurant at the Four Seasons Biltmore in nearby Montecito.
Top 10 restaurants in Santa Barbara
The scene: Olio E Limone Ristorante is constantly receiving wonderful praise for its delectable Italian cuisine which succeeds in being both traditionally authentic and creatively inventive at the same time. Led by Italy-born husband and wife duo, this family-run restaurant blends fresh flavour combinations with locally grown ingredients and original Mediterranean cooking techniques to develop their gourmet seasonal menu. From beef carpaccio drizzled with the house signature dressing and Italian-style crab cakes to classic mushroom risotto with velvety mascarpone cheese and veal cutlets with fresh artichoke hearts, dining at Olio E Limone Ristorante really is the closest you’ll get to an evening out in Italy without leaving the US.
7 Unique Date Nights in Santa Barbara
Then, slow down the pace for a relaxing evening with dinner at Olio e Limone Ristorante, an intimate Italian restaurant tucked away in Victoria Court located just off State Street, serving up authentic Italian cuisine with a Sicilian approach and an impressive wine list of local and Italian selections. A romantic evening in The American Riviera® wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the historic Arlington Theatre, where you can catch a popular feature film any night of the week. A step inside the theater is like taking a step back in time—with red-tiled buildings flanking the theater, reminiscent of a cobblestone street in Spain, and the iconic red seats providing a sense of movie-going nostalgia.
The Best Restaurants In Santa Barbara
Olio is a Santa Barbara staple and you frankly can't go wrong with any of three connected and very delicious concepts: Olio Pizzeria, a panini bar called Olio Bottega, and the more full-scale restaurant Olio e Limone. Since they all share the same address, you can walk into each and choose whatever feels right for your situation. However, we will say that the squid ink calamari at Olio Pizzeria is probably the best calamari we've ever had.
Locations Santa Barbara, California, United States
Olio e Limone Ristorante, located in downtown Santa Barbara’s historic arts district, serves artisanal Italian cuisine. Meaning “oil and lemon” in Italian, their restaurant’s name reflects husband-wife team Alberto and Elaine Morello’s philosophy: rely on the integrity of the ingredients and quality of the preparation to provide Santa Barbara diners “simply sophisticated” Italian cuisine served in an inviting atmosphere with
Santa Barbara Italian Food Restaurants: 10Best Restaurant Reviews
This accomplished Italian restaurant receives constant kudos for its authentic yet inventive cuisine. Husband and wife team Alberto and Elaine Morello opened Olio e Limone Ristorante in 1999 with the goal of providing Santa Barbara with creative Italian fare in an inviting setting. Fresh flavor combinations featuring locally grown ingredients abound.
10 Best Italian Restaurants in Santa Barbara: A Guide for Food Lovers
Olio e Limone Ristorante brings a touch of Sicily to Santa Barbara with its refined yet warm atmosphere. This restaurant is known for its creative Italian dishes that blend fresh California produce with Italian flair. From house-made pastas to savory seafood dishes, Olio e Limone is perfect for a romantic evening or an upscale family dinner.
15 Best Restaurants in Santa Barbara [2025 Foodie Guide]
This authentic Italian restaurant brings the warmth of Italy to Santa Barbara. The owner’s passion for traditional Italian cuisine creates an intimate dining experience that transports you straight to the Mediterranean. What makes it special: Authentic Italian recipes passed down through generations
Restaurants in Santa Barbara
Olio e Limone Ristorante: Located in downtown Santa Barbara, Olio e Limone offers a refined dining experience with a focus on Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Their menu features a selection of pasta, seafood, and meat dishes prepared with fresh ingredients and traditional techniques.
Best Italian Restaurants near Santa Barbara CA
Olio e Limone is consistently praised for its inventive cuisine with an emphasis on Sicilian style dishes. Visible through a glass wall is the wine cellar, which includes a 250+ selection Wine Spectator Award of Excellence wine list.
Olio & Limone Santa Barbara's Best Italian Restaurant is
Olio & Limone as the name suggests, supports the best of flavors, fresh lemon and olive oil, and you ask, “how could something so simple adorn almost every dish served on the menu?
Where to eat and drink in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Opened in 1999 by husband-and-wife team Alberto and Elaine Morello, Olio e Limone Ristorante and Olio Crudo Bar feature authentic Sicilian eats with delicious wines to boot.
Must see/Must eats in/around Santa Barbara?
I also like Olio e Limone (first place I ever had burrata chese & it changed my life ), Cajun Kitchen does good breakfasts. Of course, the Hitching Post of Sideways fame.
Top Romantic Restaurants in Santa Barbara
Olio e Limone: I’ve found that Olio e Limone caters to an older crowd than Bouchon, though it’s on the same block as top-rated Bouchon.
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from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit