Arnoldi’s was an incredible, wholesome, whimsical, and especially amazing place to join our lives together. We planned a wedding for 92 guests all by ourselves an Arnoldi’s made the process easy, transparent, stress-free, and fun! They were immediately responsive from the very beginning of our inquiry. They were the only venue in SB that made us feel cared for and like we weren’t just another number to them. They love love and it shows. I sent millions upon millions of emailed questions to Sara (event coordinator/main point of contact) and she responded to each of them so fast and with allll of the information I needed. They set up our event for us and even with limited instructions they transformed the space into exactly what we wanted. You already feel like you’re in a different world when you’re there, but they made it feel like our own special world for the night. The food is incredible. The staff in unparalleled. The prices are perfect and so incredibly valuable for what they are giving. I wouldn’t have wanted my wedding and reception to be anywhere else. We’ll be back

We had our wedding at Arnoldis back area this November, and it was amazing. Sara from Arnoldi's was a pleasure to work with, and she helped make our big day easy and stress free. Arnoldi's was very flexible with our changing guest total, and the food was excellent. I highly recommend!!

My husband and I knew from the beginning that Arnoldis Cafe was the perfect place for our reception dinner. Sara and the staff were so helpful and made the event so easy to plan. We rented out the whole back patio and when we arrived after the ceremony it was perfect! The stringed cafe lights, music and all our friends and family all having a blast! Just what we wanted! My husband and I are foodies and this is the best Italian restaurant in Santa Barbara. They did an amazing job with everything!!!

Absolutely loved Arnoldi's! We used this cafe for our rehearsal dinner and were so pleased with our choice! They set up several long tables for us outside under the pergola such that we could feel a bit secluded from the rest of the guests. The lighting was romantic, the food delicious (my husband and I took home leftovers to put in our freezer and use later!), the service staff so pleasant. And we enjoyed having the bocce ball court as a fun activity that guests could partake in! We would highly recommend this cafe to anybody. We've already had a relative tell us that they returned several weeks later because the food was so delicious!

Arnoldi’s is an amazing restaurant and event venue! It was the ideal spot for our wedding rehearsal dinner and welcome reception. Booking the patio and bocce courts for a private event was incredibly easy, and we had a great experience working with Sara. She was extremely helpful, addressing all our questions and ensuring everything was taken care of smoothly.

Initially, we had some concerns when the restaurant briefly closed after we booked, following the passing of one of the long-time owners. However, Sara stepped up and has been running everything without a hitch.

Highlights:

Ambiance: The atmosphere and location are superb. The restaurant is nestled in a charming, classic Santa Barbara building, and the patio feels like an Italian backyard. The bocce courts add an extra element of fun!
Décor: The newly updated chairs and decorations are lovely and complement the space perfectly.
Food: The food is phenomenal—authentic Italian at its finest! From the bread and salads to the pasta and sauces, everything was delicious. My personal favorites were the chicken parm and Tuscan chicken. For the reception, we went with heavy appetizers and desserts, and both the cannoli and tiramisu were exceptional.
Drinks: Sara’s wine recommendations were a big hit, and for a fun touch, don’t miss out on a classic Hamm’s after enjoying a Negroni.
Lastly, the staff (especially Guillermo!) was fantastic—super attentive, helpful, and on top of everything the entire evening.

We can’t recommend Arnoldi’s enough! If you can’t host your event here, do yourself a favor and at least come for dinner. You won’t regret it!

I can’t say enough good things about my experience working with Sara and Arnoldi’s! I work in the wedding industry, and sought out Arnoldi’s because I knew how much money you can save by working with a venue with a reasonable venue fee, catering costs, and in house rentals. On top of their reasonable costs, they also were super responsive, helpful, flexible, and served my guests delicious food and drinks day of. Would recommend to anyone looking for a laid back venue in SB!

We had our daughter's wedding reception at Arnoldi's Cafe in Santa Barbara. The entire experience was positive! Booking was easy, communication was excellent and the actual reception was perfect! The staff was attentive and friendly, the food was delicious and the venue was festive (all for a reasonable price). Everyone had a wonderful time!

We had the wedding of our dreams at Arnoldi’s. Everything from the venue, to the food, and the staff were excellent. Our guests all raved about how good everything tasted. They happily accommodated those with special diet needs and were particularly attentive to both my husband and I, setting food aside for us as we socialized with our 100 guests. Their patio is romantic and simple, making it a versatile space for any wedding type, especially with flowers and decor provided by Ruben Pedregon who was a pleasure to work with and styled my “literary dreams” theme perfectly in the outdoor venue. Event planner Sara went above and beyond helping us plan our day, and was always courteous and professional through our many months of correspondence. Our wedding reception at Arnoldi’s was intimate, yet elegant and we will always be grateful for the amazing evening we had at this wonderful restaurant.

Great staff, delicious food wonderful owner. Everyone was on their best game and I appreciated it so much!

We hosted the rehearsal dinner for our Son at Arnoldi's Cafe. We had family visiting from NY and we were looking for a venue unique to Santa Barbara. Arnoldi's historical building and the 80 year tradition of serving great Italian food, was every thing we hoped and more. The event coordinator Sara was very helpful and the service the night of the event was exceptional. The food was delicious and the servings were plentiful. We booked the outdoor venue and following our dinner service, we stayed until after dusk drinking wine, laughing and playing Bocce Ball.

Thank you Arnoldi's Cafe for making this night for our Family a truly unforgettable evening!