Caffé Delfini

Great food, right a cross the street from a very trendy and a bit over rated Italian restaurant. Wish more people gave this place a try. Great service and classic dishes with great wine selection!

Mixed feelings. The pasta was excellent but the steak and veal was just okay. The steak had too much Worcester sauce that you could not appreciate the neat flavor, though the meat was very tender. The veal was a little bit tough... how was that possible... it's veal. The server seems to be a little bit annoyed, we didn't know if he had a bad day or something else. Understanding that this is a gourmet, a little bit hig end restaurant, we expected more. We are not sure if it is really worth to come back.

Bless this place for being close to Ginger Rogers Beach and allowing us to dine here severely underdressed in our tank tops and swim shorts! Service was really friendly and welcoming and we were happy to dine here after a long day at the beach. It's a nice and cozy establishment that serves freshly made pastas with a hearty touch. My favorite pasta was the Squid Ink that had pieces of squid and shrimp. The Eggplant Appetizers was delish too!!

An intimate experience right off PCH this hidden gem serves the quintessential Italian experience. As soon as you walk in you realize this is far from the tourist trap you might expect from a restaurant so close to the pier but the dim lighting and soft chatter is the perfect ambiance for what’s to come. Their pastas and sauces are made from scratch, desserts are as authentic as the Italian spoken by the waiters and manager. Ask for a table in the back for a more intimate experience and come hungry because after your first bite you will be planning your next trip back. Street parking is a rarity so be prepared to valet!

A true hidden gem in the Rustic Canyon area of Santa Monica close to the Malibu border. Absolutely delicious homemade Italian food with a great menu selection inside a quaint house type of setting. Tonight we dined inside, but they have outdoor seating right on the street as well which allows you to actually see the Pacific Ocean. Parking can be tricky in this area but we were able to find street parking a few blocks away but they do offer valet if needed. The tables are very close together so a private or intimate conversation may be, and was for us, difficult at times, but still the food alone is worth a visit. Our server was very polite although the service speed was pretty slow in terms of drink refills, but our food did come out pretty quickly, even in the full house that they had this evening. I started off with the Bresaola, which is a personal favorite of mine, and I grew up eating. Usually, I order beef carpaccio in Italian restaurants so it was nice to see the change to Bresaola. It was delicious and I could’ve eaten two courses of it. For my entrée, I chose the Fettuccine Bolognese, because the fettuccine was homemade in-house, and I can honestly say the Bolognese sauce with it was absolutely fantastic. The portion size was perfect as well, not too big and not too small. Finally, I topped off the meal with a delicious cappuccino. Every bite and sip I had this evening was truly great and worth remembering. I would highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of Italian food or is looking for a delicious out of the way intimate dinner with friends or family. It also is a killer date spot. It’s definitely on my short list of repeat restaurants and I will be back very soon.

We arrived at 5:30pm, just at opening time, and had the place all to ourselves, which was cool because one of the owners of 34 years brought menus and chatted with us for a while. He recommended wines and brought my wife a sample Chardonnay, which she liked and ordered. I ordered a Sauvignon Blanc that was excellent as well. I ordered and enjoyed a sausage pasta combo and my wife enjoyed a veal sausage combo special. They offered to customize anything on the menu. Must go back again when in the area.

Excellent dinner and very kind and friendly service. The restaurant is cozy and welcoming and the menu has something for everyone. 5 of us dined on a Sunday night while visiting Santa Monica and throughly enjoyed our time at Caffé Delfini. Portions were perfectly sized and the food was delicious.

This may look unusual but my review is covering about 30 years of knowing and enjoying this fine establishment! I am wholeheartedly giving my perfect 10 for this lovely Italian restaurant! The quality and deliciousness of the food and the super personal and attentive service have remained at top level throughout the years! I highly recommend it for visitors from all over the world and the locals….. they already love it for years! Chao Alex! Plamen