Pane E Vino

Visiting Santa Barbara — family favorite. Service was excellent… very aware that we were «catching up» so stayed back until he saw we were ready to order. For antipasti we ordered the Mozzarella E Pomodori and Insalata Pane E Vino. Both were excellent choices. The entrees were the Linguine Con Vongole E Cozze (totally enjoyed), Filetto Di Salmone Alla Griglia (nicely cooked and enjoyed), and the third member of our party ordered the special — a chicken breast butterflied which was recommended over the roasted chicken as the waiter indicated it would be moist. That was a little disappointing. Not very moist! Our only disappointment.
When the restaurant started to fill up the noise level increased — expected but difficult to hear our converstaions.
I would most certainly go back and try other dishes.

Perfect little Italian kitchen in the Upper Village
Here for years, the unassuming and not pretentious Pane E Vino is quiet, cute offering delicious Italian fare with a patio to boot.
Reservations excepted but not needed on a weekday night.
*Ravioli al burro e salvia is light and buttery where the sage makes the plate
*Gnocchi but subbed the standard pesto sauce with the bolognese. These little fluffy pillows of love with melt in your mouth. Could be the best gnocchi in town. I highly suggest paring with meat sauce. Outstanding!
*Squid ink pasta with little scallops was on the dry side for me. Flavorful but felt like a tannic wine sucking all the moisture out of my face. Others at the table enjoined it more than me.
*Good sides wine list with nice offerings by the glass on up to much more than a casual date night.
Pane E Vino is a great choice to get away from the «big city» and enjoy a causal night with a special someone, friends and family.
Mangia! Mangia!

Went here last week with 5 other family members. Have been here before. Although the food was basically good, the service was terrible and that’s why only 2 stars. I don’t know the name of our waiter, he had a strong Italian accent, dark hair, average height. He acted very impatient from the get-​go, and just walked away when he didn’t feel we were fast enough in giving our order. He was not personable at all! He passed me and another family member our entrées from ACROSS the table so we had to reach up and get them rather than come around and place it in front of us as he should have. Classless! When dessert came, he literally tossed down our dessert spoons AGAIN from across the table and they landed in the middle of the table… not what a waiter should do in a decent restaurant with somewhat expensive prices! For dessert I had the panna cotta, which was wonderful, but it was a teeny tiny serving~should be more than double the size it was. Keep in mind that the interior is very small with just a few tables. We ate outside which is a nice patio with chairs that are more comfortable than the inside ones. Needless to say, the waiter didn’t get a 20% tip!

Prices are right, and I’d come back again when hungry for an inexpensive meal, but their chx and beef would not pass my wife’s chew test. Low quality meat, but flavorful.

Went over the New Year’s weekend for what I think is my 7^th time dining at this restaurant. My wife and I love everything about Pane e Vino (see my previous review about how we had our wedding rehearsal dinner here). The staff, the management, obviously the food, the simple elegance of it. There are some people who don’t like the aesthetic of the restaurant and think it’s old or dated — to those people, i would question whether they’ve dined at casual restaurants across Italy. This feels very authentic. The owner spends 6 weeks a year in Italy each summer visiting vineyards to pick out wines for the year.
On this most recent visit, we tried some different dishes. We started with the homemade gnocchi al pomodoro. Simple yet delicious with a touch of rosemary. My wife commented that the gnocchi tasted a bit overcooked compared to other restaurants and that she REALLY LIKED it prepared like this. For me, it was EXACTLY how my elderly Sicilain grandmother used to cook her gnocchi. It was perfect!
Next, we shared a veal marsala dish served with potatoes, carrots, and ruby swiss chard. Veal was a hearty portion. Excellent taste. Dish was plated nearly exactly as if I had ordered the dish in Roma.
For dessert, I had the fragole (strawberries) con zabaione. Even though it was not strawberry season, the dessert was still fantastic.
We also each had a glass of the cab franc wine of the day.

Service was ok
Food was ok
I was dissapointed. I ordered a pasta dish and the pasta was undercooked not al dente. So I paid $ 25 for undercooked crunchy pasta. hmmm maybe I should have said something, but I don’t ever trust sending food back to the cook.
Oh well. I don’t think I would ever go back.

Haven’t been here in years and was pleasantly surprised by the quick and friendly service, fairly reasonable prices (for Montecito that is) and excellent authentic Italian food. With the Italian banter, classic interior and charming patio area, you could easily imagine yourself in Italy. Now that we’re locals we’ll definitely be regulars.

We stopped by here during a few days in Santa Barbara. We got married in Montecito (at Butterfly Beach) 6 years ago so decided to revisit the area. Also, confession — this was on a list of GOOP recommendations (don’t judge. It worked out and we had a great dinner!)
We went for an early dinner in the middle of the week, so seating wasn’t a problem. We were seated immediately and were able to choose our seats. We sat out on the patio and were only one of a couple full tables when we sat down. (By the time we left, it had begun to fill up more.)
The staff and service were great. Food was excellent. I got a pasta dish and the fettucine was clearly handmade. But one thing that really stood out was the salad starter that we got — it was literally an entire head of butter lettuce with some cherry tomatoes & parmesan shaved over top. I know that sounds crazy to rave about a head of butter lettuce but really, it was DELICIOUS. The dressing was bright & light — the whole thing just tasted incredibly fresh and astoundingly good. The atmosphere was lovely, too — it’s in a strange location and right on a parking lot, but it’s tucked back and there’s enough foliage along the outside of the patio to feel like you’re nowhere near a parking lot.
One amusing thing — I was wearing a long, black summery dress that revealed how very many tattoos I have. (Also, I have a half sleeve on one arm. Ink, that is.) I also had two bright pink colored hair pierces clipped in. You can’t see my husband’s tattoos under his shirt, but he still didn’t look super conservative. This place has a little old school Republican vibe with the rest of it’s clientele. By no means was anyone rude to us but we definitely got a couple of looks. And we DEFINITELY stood out. (Think «Real Retired Housewives of Montecito».) LOL But like I said, just an observation that made it all the more fun of an experience, we weren’t made to feel uncomfortable or anything.

I give the food three stars and the service two stars. We are in Santa Barbara on vacation and was recommended to this place by a local friend. Came with a party of 4 and sat in the patio, which was lovely. Chairs are uncomfortable and tables a bit cramped, but it was a summer evening so the breeze was great. Our server was sort of rude when we declined to order an appetizer after giving him our entrée choices. (We were eating at 8 pm and had eaten lunch at 4:30… We just weren’t that hungry). The server brought our food and didn’t come back until our plates were totally cleared from the table. He then brought over desert menus and laid them in front of all of us even though we said we were ready for the check, very awkward. We paid cash so left directly after our check came. No one said good bye or thank you… Weird night, but reasonable Italian food.

We really enjoyed Pane E Vino. We sat outside on a very pleasant evening… had great, friendly, intelligent service and the food was excellent.
For starters, they serve an excellent olive oil with the bread… its Frantoi Cutrera from Sicily. Its their bulk oil but probably better than almost any restaurant you will ever eat at. And the reason why I mention this is because it shows that this restaurant gets it and cares about quality.
Starters were great… a Caprese salad with excellent ripe tomatoes and rich muzz. And the Minestrone was very rich and tasty also.
For entrees I had the halibut which was perfect, as were the potatoes and vegetables that came with. My wife had a spinach salad and she loved it. My girls shared the pasta with peas and 4 cheeses and it was excellent.
What I love about this restaurant is the service is down to earth with true professionals taking care of you. We will come again and this place was absolutely superior in every way to where we ate tonight… at Trattoria Mollie. And it was much less expensive.

Pros: the food was delicious! We ordered the bruschetta appetizer, the minestrone soup, and two pasta dishes. The portions were large and filling. Additionally the staff was very accommodating and cooked a last-​minute dish after the kitchen supposedly closed. Staff was awesome overall — very friendly and attended closely to us.
Cons: *Warning: I am a young adult who just graduated from college* However, I thought this restaurant was not fairly represented on Unilocal.Should definitely be represented as «$$$» instead of «$$». Not a cheap eat, and is not necessarily for the younger crowd. Lots of older folks — I’d say 40+ but if you’re looking to splurge on good Italian cuisine, this is the place.
Additionally, another con was the lack of diversity on the menu. Mostly pasta dishes.

A quaint restaurant in a beautiful city! All the items we ordered were great, but the veal/​prosciutto/​sage butter ravioli & beets and tomato salad were the top two! Our server was very nice and there weren’t any issues with waiting times, noise, etc! Looking forward to trying some of the main dishes!

This was a year ago. I came here for a special birthday and were very disappointed. The waiter was extremely rude. When we asked about gluten free options, he was patronizing. Our two lentil soups, which were tasty each came with a hidden bay leaf. Since I choked on one once and know, as a cook, to always remove it, I politely mentioned it to our waiter. He said we put one in each serving. Are you kidding me? The chicken was tasty as was the salmon, but the attitude really set the evening off wrong. Very snooty restaurant.

The meal was fairly mediocre.
Had eaten here before years ago and remember the food being better.
Ordered 3 pasta dishes and one salad of Gnocchi, penne w/​tuna, and penne w/​salmon.
Gnocci was bland and mushy, the other pastas were underwhelming.
This restaurant seems a little stuck in the past with it’s mid 90’s menu and preparations.
Also the service could have been better, waiter seemed indifferent.
Place is resting on its laurels of former glory.
Doubt I’ll return next time I visit the area.

My husband and I went here for a romantic weekend out of town, and I have to say this is some of the best Italian food I have had in some time. It’s cooked exactly the way you would have food in Italy, down to the starter bread. I had the pasta ai funghi (pasta with mushrooms and black truffles). The waiter accommodated my request to have regular homemade pasta instead of the whole wheat. What a delicious dish. Filled with mushroom flavor. My husband had the linguini and clams, once again perfection. Both dishes were simply prepared with garlic and olive oil, but that’s what made them so wonderful, they weren’t overdone and let the ingredients speak for themselves. We are out-​of-​towners, and it looked like this is a local favorite. When we go back to Montecito we will definitely return.

Very good Italian food, linguini with mussels and clams one of the best I’ve had. Lamb and veal chops excellent as well. They serve a very tasty olive oil with the very blah bread. The one area needing improvement is their attitude. Locals and those they know are treated VERY differently than walk-​ins. It was quite apparent to my table of 3, as well as a couple we spoke with outside. They might as well put a sign outside that says, Locals Only!

Very extensive menu, has ok patio seating, good fish and affogato. Bread not exciting. Do not order cappuccino, unless you just want warm milk with no flavor or foam. Worst cappuccino in a town with tons of fab cap places. The worst part of this place is the unfriendly staff and hostile owner attitude. Very unfriendly! :-(The fun of an Italilan place can be not only the food but warm and friendly attitude. You will NOT find this here.

I frequent this restaurant weekly. It is An absolute hidden treasure in the Upper Village of Montecito. Romantic patio dining. Sophisticated menu. Great place for lunch too. Sand Dabs are a must!
If you can get them to make the White Truffle Risotto, you will not be disappointed.

Very good traditional Northern Italian cuisine. Spaghetti calamari with a spicy marinara was tender and delicious. Petrale Sole and Veal Scallopini dishes served with lemon, butter & capers were perfectly prepared. The locally made gelato and fruit tarts provide a nice finish. Definitely one of our go to restaurants in the Santa Barbara area.

It seems like yesterday that all the new Italian restaurants popped up in Montecito, in the upper Village we had Via Vai, Piatti’s and Pane e Vino, around the same time we got Palazzio on Coast Village Road. T I tried them all and liked Palazzio’s prices but enjoyed Pane e Vino’s food the best. Their Italian fare was fresh and delicous. I recall how superior their sauces were! That was more than twenty years ago. Pane e Vino and Via Vai are two survivors.
It is hard to believe that I had all but forgotten about Pane E Vino! My twenty year absence was broken a couple of weeks ago! We had some wine, enjoyed DELICIOUS Italian food. We shared two salads amongst the four of us and each ordered an entrée. The salads were excellent. I liked the beet salad the best. My wife ordered the Pollo allo spiedo which is a rotisserie roasted chicken, excellent… my son had the Pork chop and I ordered the lasagna. I would recommend any of them in a heartbeat!
I am often asked what is the best Italian food in Santa Barbara and I think I have been conditioned to answer Ca Dario… but now I am rethinking this and will probabably suggest Pane e Vino in the future!