Vito has always been our "special occasion" restaurant. Sadly, I haven't been back to Vito since pre-Covid, after the new owners took over as I have moved away from the Westside. We decided to celebrate my dad's 70th birthday there with a group of 22 people. They have opened up the patio in the back, a wonderful outdoor space that allowed for more mingling and made it more kid-friendly. We were allowed to stay as long as we wanted, and I was able to create a preset menu with the events manager Lia who was easy to communicate with and very helpful. I wanted to make sure that the evening was a memorable one, especially because we had many guests commute from far away to attend that evening. I love that Vito has maintained the service, integrity and quality that the original owners instilled in the restaurant. My dad's birthday was perfect: fantastic food, attentive waiters (thanks Thomas!), intimate, and above all, a night to remember. Vito will always be our special place. Thank you. read more

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Pesto pizza was so good! Servers were polite and friendly. Food was brought out in a timely manner too! read more

Saturday night at Vito Restaurant was pure perfection. Once again, they completely outdid themselves. From the moment we walked in, the romantic ambience set the tone for an unforgettable evening--warm, intimate, and beautifully inviting. The service was absolutely flawless: attentive, thoughtful, and genuinely welcoming. And the food... wow! I ordered the gnocchi Sorrentina and it was unbelievably scrumptious. Comforting yet indulgent, it was the kind of dish you think about long after the plate is gone. Vito consistently delivers an exceptional experience, and Saturday night was nothing short of magical. read more

This place has the best Italian food. Absolutely amazing staff and their hospitality cannot be matched. Truly one of the best Italian restaurants in Santa Monica. read more

Good lord. Second time here (first time I came for happy hour) and it was unforgettable. I will be forever grateful to my bestie for putting us on. Shared three entrees and a Caesar amongst 3 friends and we were stuffed. The bread rolls also were perfect. So cool how they make the salad in front of you! My favorite entree was the shrimp pasta. I love that the shrimp is chopped. Had it all with a glass of cab n I was feeling so good. read more

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vito is such a charming, authentic italian spot! so cozy and homey feeling. such great service and every dish is genuinely delicious. one of the best caesar salads i have ever had! the seafood linguini was also incredible and so was the filet mignon read more

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A really solid 4 stars. There's always room for improvement, but we order from here quite often and have never been disappointed. Today we got the Minestrone Soup, Spaghetti Della Casa, Fettuccine Alla Burrino, and Vitelli Alla Saltimbocca. First off, they always give you a piece of bread with every dish you order -- and that bread has stayed consistently fluffy and delicious for the two years we've been ordering. The Minestrone Soup is solid. We've ordered it many times, but I'm personally not a big fan -- it has a slightly weird sweet taste that I just can't get used to. The Fettuccine Alla Burrino is a classic for us. You can't go wrong with it -- the bacon is crispy, the peas are sweet, the sauce is amazing, and the pasta is always perfectly cooked. The Spaghetti Della Casa was a nice surprise since I hadn't tried it before. The pink sauce was creamy, rich, and full of flavor.The pasta was perfectly cooked too. My only issue was with the shrimp -- there were so many that it got a little tiring after a while. Finally, the Vitelli Alla Saltimbocca was excellent. The meat was tender and well-seasoned, and the sauce was absolutely gorgeous -- rich, flavorful, and it even reminded me a bit of a Thanksgiving turkey sauce. read more

I came to the restaurant/bar for happy hour with my company and my experience here was good. Around 12 of us sat at the bar even though we made a table reservation, but they were able to accommodate our last minute change. For drinks I ordered the prosecco and it was sweet and delicious. The bar tender took initiative to fill my glass each time I finished a serving which I appreciated. Before we ordered food from the menu, they served us complimentary bread which was warm, crispy, and fluffy. Great bread appetizers! For Happy Hour menu food we got: - Bruschetta - Not my favorite. The portions were small and the bread didn't seem fresh. They gave us a lot of tomato though. - Calamari Fritti - Standard crispy calamari. The marinara sauce was good. The 2nd round was better than the first one. The calamari in the first one didn't seem fresh. - Linguini Pesto Pasta - Good pesto pasta. Flavor and noodle texture were good, not mind blowing though. - Spaghetti Della Casa Pasta - Loved the noodle texture and they were pretty generous with the shrimp. Sauce was tasty but a bit watery. Not the best Italian food I've had, but the Happy Hour prices were great. It's from 4:30pm-6pm on weekdays. Overall, this is a solid choice to host a Happy Hour. read more

I have absolutely fallen in love with this gem of a place in Santa Monica. I am recently from New York and this really makes me feel like I'm in a classic old-school Italian restaurant in the theater District of Manhattan. The ambience, the lighting, the music, the dark bar, the tuxedos and waiters who have been there for 25 years, all add to the charm. The food is absolutely phenomenal, and I am quite particular. There is an entire veal section on the menu, which is very rare and so exciting. The bread with butter is addictive and I always over eat here. Every pasta is flavorful and well balanced. And there's so much garlic in everything but... don't worry it's not harsh. It is mild and golden brown and sweet and delicious! Well done Chef :)) I've been in Friday and Saturday nights only and The place is always bustling, with a lot of activity however I have never needed to wait for anything and the bartenders and waiters are extremely attentive despite being very busy. If I had to be extremely critical, the only disappointment so far was my old-fashioned, which was served with small ice cubes rather than one large one and a large straw. Again, that is being very picky. It was delicious and I absolutely cannot wait to return (but I'll have a Manhattan or martini next time because I'm a stickler about cube sizes in my old fashioned) read more

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Always so happy when I have lunch at Vito! Delicious food and amazing service as usual read more

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Best happy hour .... We come every week , any day ..... sometimes a couple days a week. Hahah Staff and owners are so nice and welcoming . Great dark , red booth vibe . Excellent martinis! Oh..... and food is delicious. Thanks . Bye . read more

Vito Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Living in Sherman Oaks, we don't get to enjoy Vito as often as we'd like. We were there the other night with our family, and although we've visited since the new owners took over, this time it truly felt like they've become the heart and soul of the restaurant. They are lovely--warm, welcoming, and incredibly accommodating--and the food, service, and ambiance remain outstanding. Honestly, I would much rather dine here than at many of the newer "austere" restaurants with their modern spins on classic dishes, harsh lighting, and sometimes snobbish attitudes. At Vito, if you call for a reservation and they're full, they'll go out of their way to try to accommodate you. read more

Food is just gross. Shameful to call this Italian. My husband or I couldn't really tolerate. The inside of the establishment smells like moldy damp. read more

We came here for the first time on Father's day. My Husband and daughter love Ceasar salad and Vito did not disappoint!! Everyone enjoyed their meal. I wanted dessert but had no room for anything else to eat. The service was extremely slow I hope it was because of Father's day. I will definitely go back and try other dishes and dessert. read more

I love their happy hour menu, but the bar (rightly) fills up quickly. My favorite is their house pasta with a great sauce and seafood. I like their caesar salad, but feel bad having the wait staff make it at the table. Solid set of pastas, great martinis read more

We frequent Vito's on a regular basis along with family and friends. The food and service has always been consistent. We typically order a Caesar salad and a pasta dish. Sadly, last night was a disappointment. The salad was missing flavor, lettuce was not crisp and we had to ask for fresh ground pepper. Our friends ordered chicken entrees that came with a few veggies and a scoop of mashed potatoes. Terrible. They were expecting the dish to have pasta. We asked our server to bring a side of pasta with lemon and olive oil and received a plate with tomato sauce. As well, both of their entrees were lukewarm. Our pasta came hot but the calamari was overcooked and tasteless. I love your restaurant and will come back. I hope you take this review as constructive feedback. read more

Oh my gosh, after years being away, we came here and still got our locals discount! It was as if we never left, Vito chicken is my favorite thing, and the Caesar Caesar salad salad as we all know rocks. Happy hour on the patio. read more

Best chef in area same people for years always walk in and get seated for maybe 15 years

Beware....!!!! Not the Vito's It Used to Be -- Big Disappointment Vito's has gone seriously downhill. What was once a fine-dining Italian restaurant is now an overpriced dive living off its old reputation. I never would've expected a fine-dining experience to include being seated in a cold, dilapidated parking lot that smelled like urine, hidden behind fake bushes. To make it worse, there was a harsh motion-activated light in the parking lot that kept turning on and blinding us while we were seated. We weren't given menus when we sat down, and once we finally got them, it felt like a race to order as fast as possible. We were expected to order everything at once--drinks, appetizers, and entrées--which was rushed and completely un-soothing. Our server, Thomas, was rude and impatient, with a short temper that felt totally out of place. He even pulled the menu away when I hadn't decided yet. The manager was dismissive and unprofessional, lacking any fine-dining polish. The food is very expensive but cheaply prepared with cheap ingredients--boxed pasta, canned-tasting sauces, nothing fresh. They clearly cheaped out while keeping prices high. Bathrooms were awful: only two tiny, outdated stalls and about a 15-minute wait. My elderly parents were cold the entire time due to malfunctioning heat lamps. Even the classic tableside Caesar salad is gone. Not the Vito's we remember. We won't be back. To Cynthia's reply Cynthia, I don't appreciate being spoken to as if what we experienced didn't happen. I'm not confused, and I'm not mistaken. Fresh pasta does not have a clear, translucent appearance. It has a cloudy, opaque texture. I've made fresh pasta myself. What was served to our table had the exact look and bite of boxed pasta. As for the sauce--if it's truly made fresh, where was the tomato? It tasted identical to something poured straight from a jar. Saying otherwise doesn't change what was served. As for Thomas--if he's "professional," then explain why he pulled the menu out from under my plate after I clearly said I wasn't ready to order. Explain why he announced a "policy" that appetizers must be ordered at the same time as entrées. That is not fine dining. Fine dining is about pacing, comfort, and hospitality--not rushing guests to meet a server's timeline. His behavior was rude, aggressive, and completely inappropriate. It was unacceptable. And let's be honest about the patio. You oversat the restaurant despite clearly not being able to handle the volume. We were placed in a smelly parking lot, hidden behind fake bushes, with a motion-activated light repeatedly turning on and blinding us while we sat at the table. Calling that "designed to feel separate" is insulting. It was uncomfortable, unprofessional, and embarrassing for a restaurant claiming fine-dining standards. This experience wasn't a one-off misunderstanding. It was a reflection of a business that has cut corners, lowered standards, and still charges top dollar. Please don't rewrite the experience after the fact. People deserve to know the truth. --Todd read more

I returned tonight for my second visit again just a great evening we had calamari, carpaccio, we had a real dish halfway. Everything was wonderful. The service was just bought on. Our server was always there and at the same time never there. It really made for special evening great bottle of wine, silver oak, which is my favorite. read more

I came here for a work lunch meeting and admittedly didn't have the highest of expectations. I was proved wrong as the pesto pasta dish I ordered was SO GOOD. (Not gummy like some places.) My one piece of feedback: butter in a dish versus pre-packaged wrapped pieces would be classier. But very good, will recommend and return! read more

What a gem of an Italian restaurant that has survived the rest of time, and provides some of the best pasta in the westside. Their spaghetti Della Casa is to die for. Every other restaurant throws the shrimp in their food either with the tail on or off, these guys do it properly ; it's chopped into slightly smaller pieces that enhance the flavor and texture. One of the best pink sauces in LA to go with it. Table side Caesar salad is the Way to go. I highly recommend this place. Their vitello dishes are eye wateringly good! The decor inside is amazing - it's devoid of the new generation of restaurantuers trying too hard to be different. It's classical and shows it's age in a great way. read more

Terrible management! While the food and service were good (though they haven't changed their menu in years, and still don't make fresh pasta), the maître d' left a lot to be desired. He was rude, yet called me rude after sitting my husband and me in a narrow, back room behind a party of 20 - with the air conditioner blowing on a cold January Saturday night. I miss the old owners. So long Vito's, the one I knew for many, many years! read more

I am a repeat customer. La Famiglia di Ristorante Vito aim to please and have consistently done so. The food, their attention to detail and the genuine warmth of their staff are reasons enough for me to return. My Pop was a chef in Brooklyn at his & my Uncle John's " Genovese House" Ristorante, in the Fifties. Vito's reminds of my Pop's & my Uncle John's wonderful cooking. I am spoiled. I wish la Famiglia Di Vito continued success. Bravo! Salvatore Viscuso read more

The food , service and ambience are flawless at Vito. This is the reason that this place has been thriving for nearly 50 years. Every dish is as great as the next one. You can't go wrong at this place. For any occasion. From a cozy bar experience to a huge celebration it all works at Vito ! read more

Cosy, family style, Italian dining at a reasonable price . Great menu with all the traditional Italian trattoria dishes read more

If you're looking for authentic, old-school Italian food that tastes like it came straight out of Nonna's kitchen, this is the place. From the moment we walked in, the warm, inviting atmosphere set the tone. Dim lighting, white tablecloths, music softly playing in the backgroun. It's the kind of timeless charm that's getting harder and harder to find these days. The star of the night? The legendary tableside Caesar salad. Prepared with flair right next to our table, it was a performance and a meal all in one. Perfectly crisp romaine, a rich, garlicky dressing made from scratch, anchovy, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and just the right crunch from house-made croutons. It's rare to find a Caesar like this anymore! read more

It's been a minute since we were here and our experience was even better than last time which was perfect. The house wines are wonderful and the experienced waiter had a huge station but he still was there for whatever we needed. We were dining with our 7 year old grandson this time and he was very excited from the start with his shirley temple. We loved the minnestrone soup on a cold rainy night and the moved on to the nightly specials that were incredible. The spaghetti with Veal meals was absolutely the best ever and the sanddabs in mustard sauce was delicate and tasty and all served with tons of sides. Even the bread and butter were spectacular and free when so many restaurants charge these days. The old fashioned desert cart is so much fun and all the deserts are perfect. Love the old world charm and dedication of the entire staff from the moment you enter. It can't get better than this! read more

Went there for the first time today for lunch and it was fantastic! I had the veal parm and my friend had the fettuccine and everything was perfect including the impeccable service on a very busy day. I'll definitely put this one on my lunch list. read more

Family dinner?Date night? Corporate function? this luxurious Italian restaurant offers many different options for a delicious culinary experience. very moody, sultry ambient, romantic, well mannered tuxedo, wearingwaiters and friendly vibe.. patrons are welcome. Any dress code seems! food served /generous portions, very consistent and definitely delicious! I love the Cesar. I love the ribeye. I love the salmon and I love the dessert cart.!! fantastic, friendly large separate bar area for happy hour!! they remember your name and remember your drink drinks! read more

Stepping into this place it reminds me of the old school Italian places I would go to growing up. White cloth tables and good vibes! The food, all insanely delicious! Deserts were over the top sweet! Ate the std meatball and spaghetti. Followed up with a cannoli. The place could be noisy but still it was close and a fun place. Service was great and Nicolas was superb with our table. read more

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This restaurant with bar is an institution. Great staff with fabulous menu. We go as often as possible. Very extensive wine list and menu.

We were in for my mother's birthday I don't usually leave a 3 star review- can see my history of reviews. We sat for a long time before getting menus. Finally the server came back and a long while later we were told the specials. We did have some special requests but they weren't that crazy and there was just a tinge of annoyance from the waiter the entire evening. The food was honestly mediocre. Caesar was overdressed. Mom wanted cracked pepper on salad and took a while to flag someone down. Linguine and clams had huge chunks of overpowering garlic but missing something. We were barely checked on. I wish I had gotten our busboys name bc he was the star of the evening. Friendly and sweet and attentive. Dessert time I had brought cupcakes for my mom and the waiter was more concerned with explaining the cake cutting fee (which I had no problem with) than making a nice presentation for my mom. I think we spent plenty of money and tipped generously on an average meal with semi rude service. Waiter left with our payment and didn't even bid us a good evening. My parents will be back but I won't. read more

Vito is absolutely the best Italian restaurant in Santa Monica and the west side. My wife and I had dinner there on Sunday night, she had the linguini and clams. They do not skimp on the clams or the garlic. The garlic is cut paper thin as in " Good fellas" ! Absolutely the best. read more

Great local place. Very good food, fun bar. The staff is super friendly.. like a classic New York Italian restaurant. I come in and out of town and this place is a stalwart when in LA. read more

Ate there on February 13. As always, great martinis, great food, and great service. The veal parm is on point. A little expensive, but well worth it. Ambience is like an old New York Italian restaurant. It's my favorite restaurant. read more

Love Vito's, been going here for years, love the food, love the service and love the Ambiance .

Love this hidden gem Been coming here for years The service is impeccable . And food is phenomenal. I highly recommend this place read more

My husband and I had an incredible time at Vito in Santa Monica. The ambiance was beautiful. It was very classy, romantic and chic. The service was also wonderful and we LOVED the food. The pasta is amazing and the cake we had for dessert was super tasty. I highly recommend this restaurant. it was great for our date night. As someone in the TV industry who visits lots of restaurants, I'm VERY selective about where I have dinner with family and friends. Vito was perfect for us for all the reasons I mentioned. Such a friendly atmosphere. My husband and I are definitely going back soon!! read more

Vito Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Absolutely loved this place! The food was authentic and so flavorful. The service was outstanding. Everyone is friendly, attentive, and welcoming. The ambiance was warm and inviting. I tell all my local friends to come here. One of those spots you can't wait to come back to. read more