Olio e Limone Ristorante, located in downtown Santa Barbara's historic arts district, serves artisanal Zagat-rated 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 European hospitality. Start with burrata salad or white Mediterranean anchovies, then tuck into a plate of house-made ravioli filled with roasted eggplant and goat cheese, topped with a fresh tomato and basil sauce and shaved ricotta salata. And be sure to take home a bottle of their own olio, an organic extra-virgin olive oil made from Sicilian olive varieties. Private dining in the Cucina Room for up to 40 guests. Bonus: their pizza bar, salumi bar, wine bar and full bar next door at Olio Pizzeria, with private dining for up to 32 guests.
"We recently visited Santa Barbara and reserved a table at Olio e Limone on a Sunday night. This quaint small downtown spot was surprisingly busy even well after nine at night on this particular Sunday. The menu is exceptional Italian with many choices that will please anyone and everyone. Our server had a beautiful Italian accent that made our evening even more special and made us feel that we were on one of our recent trips to Italy. Our entree's were superb. The nightly special dover sole was particularly outstanding. We also dined for lunch next door several days later at their pizzeria which was truely authentic and delicious as well. We will return to both places on our next trip to Santa Barbara."
Dined on 5/19/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, romantic, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"I went to Olio e Limone to celebrate a big occasion with my boyfriend, & while we really enjoyed the food & would recommend the restaurant solely based on that, it wasn't the best dining experience of my life & certainly not worth the bill.
I felt claustrophobic in this restaurant. I could hear every word of the conversations all around us. I was also sitting closer to the man at the table to my right than the man I had gone to dinner with. Talk about awkward!
We were also seated next to a very loud & drunk group of men who acted like they owned the entire restaurant. Sometimes you can't control your guests, but my ears were literally ringing after the left.
Our meals were delicious but the $100+ bill made this a one time thing."
Dined on 5/18/2013
Special Features: special occasion
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"This has become a restaurant favorite for my son who has food allergies. The wait staff has been incredibly attentive and aware for us, which we appreciate more than you know."
Dined on 5/17/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, notable wine list, special occasion, kid-friendly
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"We try to eat here 2 or 3 times a year which is about half the amount of times we visit SB. It has become one of our favorite Italian restaurants. The food never disappoints and the atmosphere Is excellent. The wine list is Amazing. Service is always attentative and professional. The Rib Eye is the best I've had!"
Dined on 04/27/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic
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"I've been visiting Olio e Limone for 13 years now and it is consistently delicious. My favorite entrees are: Spaghetti alla Bottarga di Trapani (I love the Sicilian Tuna Roe with garlic and chili flakes); Risotto al Nero di Sepia (also called the black risotto with squid ink, clams, scallops, and shrimp); or the lightly bread Swordfish with Sicilian caponata."
Dined on 04/20/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, special occasion
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"Excellent food. Service was okay but not as good as expected for such a high caliber place. And the atmosphere was nice but the tables are too small and placed very close to one another so it felt very crowded. However, overall, experience was still very nice since the food was so delicious."
Dined on 03/29/2013
2013
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"We have not eaten here in several years but decided to go with some out of town guests. I can not say enough good things about the restaurant. The food was delicious. We had a variety of dishes among the 4 of us and each entree was better than the next. The friends we were with eat gluten free. The waiter was exceptionally helpful in finding dishes that would be appropriate for them. The wait staff was wonderful. My glass of water was never empty. We will definitely go back there again."
Dined on 04/06/2013
2005
Special Features: neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"My husband and I went for our 34th anniversary, and Olio e Limone could not have been more perfect for us! The staff was friendly and attentive, the food over the top, and the restaurant atmosphere just what you would expect of an Italian trattoria!"
Dined on 04/06/2013
2010
Special Features: neighborhood gem
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"Great all the way around. The bread and their signature EV Olive Oil is fantastic. The Pasta is homemade and a real treat. I had the spinach ravioli stuffed with fresh sausage in a marinara sauce. I wanted to lick the plate. The pork medallions with Peppercorn sauce are tender and mild. All locally-sourced fresh ingredients. The wine list is certainly complete but disjointed in my opinion. We brought our own and paid the reasonable corkage. We will go back!!!"
Dined on 04/01/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic
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"We took our grandson for his birthday; we had a 6:15 PM resv & were offered any table in the Restaurant that we desired, which is always a treat on a Saturday night!!! The restaurant was completely filled by 7pm,the service was consistently good thru out the evening. Our meals were all cooked to perfection & the presentation was very nice. The waiter quietly brought a complimentary dessert (with a lit candle covered by a glass) & presented it to my grandson, explaining the origin of the dessert in Italy & wished him a Happy Birthday...could not have been done any nicer for a 16 year-old young man!
It was a very pleasurable dining experience for us all; we have always enjoyed OLI e LIMONE, this visit was very special!"
Dined on 03/30/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list
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"Food was tasty. The risotto and the ravioli were not very hot when served. They should have more fresh fish choices. Only one choice is poor. The olives are delicious that they serve before dinner. Nice touch."
Dined on 03/27/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"A delightful find and someplace we'll go to again when in Santa Barbara. Excellent service and the food was outstanding!! Very nice ambiance. There were three in our party. For the first course we ordered a white bean and tomato soup, tomatos w/buffalo mozzarella and a tuna tartare. All were delicious. The tomatos and mozzarella were nicely seasoned. For the main course, hand shaped pasta w/sausage, tomato & perorino cheese; homemade ravioli filled with roasted eggplant and goat cheese w/fresh tomato sauce w/basil & aged ricotta cheese; the third was a special for that evening, a veal chop w/broccolini & rosemary potatos. We all share bites and unanimously agreed that all entrees were outstanding!! We enjoyed a half bottle of pinot noir."
Dined on 03/26/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"The restaurant appeared as one of the top 5 romantic restaurants. That is what I was expecting. The photo was not a photo of the restaurant: probably because the restaurant itself was unimpressice. The lighting was bright: romantic? The tables were too close The noise level was very high Nothing romantic about it at all and my girlfriend was not happy The food was mediocre The sea bass was not very fresh, just borderline, but the vegetables with it were delicious I ordered the lamb lasagna special: terrible. Too many peas; that is all I tasted. But the freshly made pasta was delicious. I couldn't taste the lamb, even after desperately searching for it and isolating some pieces.
Service was so so Although they were atten"
Dined on 03/23/2013
2005
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"It was my wife's birthday and we were joined by our 20-month-old grandson, seven of us in all. Service and food were top-rate; wine (Babcock Pinot Noir) at $40 was fair and the wine was excellent. Complimentary desserts were a surprise and a treat. We've been going to Olio e Limone for over ten years and the restaurant has never let us down."
Dined on 03/07/2013
2013
Special Features: special occasion
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"Food and ambiance was outstanding, service was spotty considering the price. For example, waiter poured water in a glass that had wine in it. We had a group of 12, and waiter had know idea who was the host -- didn't even try to find out. He didn't even figure it out when I ordered the wine. As a result, he gave the bill to one of the guests."
Dined on 03/07/2013
2010
Special Features: good for groups, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"very good food, the staff is more accomodating than in previous years and positive atmosphere. it geta loud and tables are very close together though."
Dined on 02/27/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list
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"We were there for our anniversary dinner, and we were almost completely satisfied. Our waiter even arranged for us to have dinners with changes and additions to what was on the menu. One small disappointment: They were out of the Riesling wine we wanted. But an Italian sparkling wine made a nice substitute. My wife needs gluten free food, and the risotto dish we had (modified as mentioned) was excellent. An excellent creme brulee was also gluten free when it was time for dessert. Our second time here on another two-week visit to Santa Barbara. We are very likely to be back in the future."
Dined on 03/06/2013
2013
Special Features: special occasion
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"My wife and I spent our 41st wedding anniversary at Olio e Limone having a memorable dinner together. Thank you for being there for us. Tom & Valerie Doty"
Dined on 02/26/2013
2011
Special Features: notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"Had a nice dinner here in early February. The food was very good while the service was a bit stand-off'ish. Our waiter seemed bothered by us being there. We had selected a bottle of wine from the wine list that they didn't have, then another bottle that they didn't have. Our 3rd choice was nice. Our experience would have been nice if it weren't for the waiter and lack of stock on the wine list."
Dined on 02/20/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem
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"Our first time with business associates at this charming restaurant that was highly recommended. The food was incredible and the service was terrific. We would definitely go back.
The veal with artichokes was awesome - great flavor and nicely seasoned."
Dined on 02/18/2013
2007
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"2nd time in a couple of days at this charming restaurant. Unfortunately, we were seated in the back room which felt like a storage room turned extra dining space.
The food was incredible as our first experience, but I would not dine in the back room again.
Again, excellent veal and amazing gnocchi."
Dined on 02/23/2013
2007
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"We were on a girls' night out, and we had a fabulous evening with terrific Italian food. The duck ravioli was divine, and the osso bucco was well-worth undoing the belt by a notch or two! We enjoyed the elegant ambiance and appreciated the waiters' patience with us."
Dined on 02/23/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic
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"Do not order the veal chop. All other dishes have been good to very good. Stay with the pastas and you can't go wrong. Very good staff. Warm atmosphere and very good wines. A top pick for Santa Barbara."
Dined on 02/20/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, special occasion
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"This was our first time to Olio e Limone. The food was excellent, but the service a bit erratic. After sitting down (a Wednesday night - not very crowded), it took 20 minutes before someone took a drink order. they were out of the first wine we wanted, but they had the second choice. The food, once we ordered it was very good and came fairly quickly. We usually will share a salad, but we ordered two different ones since we wanted the anchovy salad and the special salad of the day. I'm glad we did, since the salads were on the small side and we would not have had enough if we had tried to share one. Pastas were excellent (duck ravioli - big portion, and the special pasta of the day - spinach roll). Prices are a bit high."
Dined on 02/20/2013
2005
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list
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"I found the food to be good at Olio e Limone but my complaint was that the tables are to close together, especially the banquette type tables along the wall. I was sitting closer to the person next to me whom I didn't know then I was to the person I was with. I felt like they could hear everything we said and they did and it made me self conscious and careful about what I said. At the level of prices here I would expect them to pay more attention to the comfort of the diner."
Dined on 02/17/2013
2005
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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"Two excellent appetizers were followed by two exceptional ravioli dishes. Flavors and textures were amazing, and I especially appreciated the light salting of all dishes. Will definitely be back"
Dined on 02/16/2013
2013
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"The food was good, not great for the selections we had. Prices were too high for the content of the orders. Service was a bit slow in refilling glasses and delivering food throughout the evening."
Dined on 02/15/2013
2008
Special Features: neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"Amazing dishes and excellent service. Wine list is incredible But a little tight in the seating department. If you like rubbing shoulders with staff and fellow patrons this is the spot."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2011
Special Features: notable wine list, romantic
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"We reserved a table for eight for a birthday celebration. We inquired about a cake, and were pleased to arrange that a tiramisu for eight would be prepared. When we arrived, our table was waiting, the staff was more than attentive, our food orders arrived promptly and our guests concurred that the food was delicious. Small touches, such as exchanging wine glasses when a new bottle of wine was opened, were much appreciated. The cake was presented just as requested, with candles aglow. The staff then removed the cake and sliced it into individual portions for service. Altogether, dining at Olio e Limone was a delightful experience."
Dined on 01/26/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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"Escellent attentative but not intrusive service. My braised beef short ribs were slightly over done but the flavour and tomato sauce was excellent. Lemon sorbet "desert" was incredible yet simple: A frozen hollow lemon filled with delicious sorbet. Somewhat expensive but nearly worth every penny."
Dined on 01/26/2013
2009
Special Features: special occasion
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