Orto Santa Monica

Francesco Di Dio

10 out of 5, I am sicilian, last day of business trip in LA, I found this outstanding italian restaurant, a real one, with amazing food, great service and lovely atmosphere. Andrea and his staff are doing great. If you want to eat true italian food in LA, this is a must!

Anabhra Singh

Lovely quaint Italian restaurant settled in the hustle bustle of Santa Monica. Must try the penna alla vodka and tiramisu. Highly recommend!

Ambrose H

Andre ( sp ?) took really good care of us. My partner has a dairy allergy, suggested to have the calamari made w/ just flour! (means the meals are made to order fresh! And made sure all the appy's & her meal was dairy free. Phenomenal attention to detail! So good, came back a 2nd time before leaving LA! The Tagliolini on the wheel (off menu special) was 5⭐ (added mushrooms to it)

Kate May

Lovely place! ✨ We had such a lovely experience at Orto in Santa Monica. The restaurant has a beautifully romantic ambience ~ soft lighting, intimate tables, and a cozy atmosphere that immediately makes you feel relaxed and welcome. One of the highlights of our evening was the truffle pasta 🍝 prepared in the wheel of cheese. Watching the owner, who is originally from Italy, create it right in front of us made the experience even more special. The dish itself was incredible ~ rich, creamy, and full of authentic flavor. Orto is truly a gem for anyone who enjoys delicious Italian cuisine with a personal touch. We can’t wait to come back!

Guillaume Bourcy

If Rome and Santa Monica had a love child, it would be called Orto — and it would be delicious. This place is a little slice of Italy with zero jet lag. The chef clearly trained in the ancient Roman art of making you rethink your life choices after the first bite of cacio e pepe. The owner is nice and will be helping you to make the right choice Everything feels authentic, from the handmade pasta to the fact that you’ll immediately regret not ordering the dish your neighbor got. Pro tip: come hungry, leave speaking Italian, and don’t trust anyone who says they’ll “just share a plate.

Rachel Posner

We had an absolutely INCREDIBLE** experience at Orto Santa Monica! Everything from the staff, to the recommendations, to the incredible wine & insane food (cheese wheel with truffle pasta was out of this world!) 🍝 along with the homemade pistachio basil gelato! We both have not had gelato this amazing since we were in Italy! We had such an amazing experience here and look forward to coming back again soon! THIS IS A MUST ❤️

Michael Jake

So glad we tried Orto, it was the best Italian meal since our last trip to Italy. We tried 3 salads, 3 pastas on the recommendation of our server the Salmon Main a few deserts…it was all fantastic. Highly recommended

patricia staub

We enjoyed very much our dinner at Orto. We felt welcomed as we entered the restaurant, the service was attentive, cordial and profesional, the dishes were all very tasty, traditional italian with a modern twist, delicate flavors made with fresh ingredients. The eggplant parmigiana was yummy, it reminded me of my nonna’s, the burrata with poached pears one of my favorites, the gnocchi al pesto very creamy, aromatic and at the same time delicate and light. A delicious tiramisu ended a very pleasant dinner. We will be happy to go back soon.

tylermccrary1865

We showed up at 8:30 on a Sunday. Last table for the night and clearly not so busy. They treated us like family dining in their own home. The owner greeted us and offered the specials of the day and made great recommendations. Best of being them being the gnocchi and prosciutto. Ended everything with the crème brûlée. This is great intimate atmosphere perfect for any day or night. 10/10

We were visiting LA and looking for a dinner near Santa Monica Pier. Orte was wonderful! The food, the ambiance, the service, it was all perfect. We were also on a somewhat tight timeline and they got us in and out without feeling rushed! Highly recommend!

Another wonderful meal at Orto. We don’t live in LA so we don’t get to enjoy wonderful service, food, and atmosphere at Orto on a regular basis. However, every time we come to Los Angeles, we make it a point to dine with Andrea and his team. Fantastic experience in every way…every time.

Charming Italian restaurant with amazing food and attentive service. My girlfriend and I had their homemade gnocchi special (creamy vodka sauce), probably the best gnocchi I’ve had (and I’ve had a lot of gnocchi), so fluffy and complimentary to the sauce — they also grated fresh parm! As a main we had the salmon, which was perfectly cooked with crispy skin (just the way we like it!) with farmers market vegetables (green beans and carrots). You could tell the ingredients were incredibly fresh. The salmon also came with a baked potato on the side which was awesome. Lastly the warm bread for the table was fantastic. For dessert we had their homemade tiramisu - that was delicious. Can’t say enough about the welcoming atmosphere and attentiveness. Great place for a low key date night or a relaxed family gathering, or if you just want some good quality Italian - highly recommend!

We stumbled upon this place when my high school Italian exchange student and I drove down to LA a few weeks after she arrived from Bologna and we were looking for a place for dinner. The food was delicious. So much so, that my student (who is not shy about expressing her opinion about che schifo she finds "Italian" food here in California) asked me if we can go back when we are in LA this week and I think she is looking more forward to having dinner at Orto on Friday than she is about Christmas. If an Italian teenager from Bologna says it is a great restaurant, then you can bet that it is a great place to eat.

The best kept secret in town… By far my favorite Italian restaurant/restaurant in Santa Monica. It’s a gem and anyone who’s looking for a great place to dine this is it!!! Should definitely try this amazing place out! It’s a 5+++…🩷🩷🩷

We were absolutely thrilled! This was by far the best Italian food we’ve ever had in the USA – everything was freshly prepared and full of flavor. The service was outstanding: our waiter was incredibly friendly and attentive, and the chef personally came by to check on us – simply wonderful! We will definitely come back the next time we are in Los Angeles. An absolute must-visit for anyone who loves authentic Italian cuisine! 🍝🍷

Amazing food. Amazing service. Beautiful, intimate setting. Lovely music. Delicious authentic Italian food and beer. Highly recommend

My boyfriend and I visited this gem for Valentine’s day with the expectation it would be crazy. Even though the restaurant was busy, the service and hospitality was amazing! We were greeted immediately even though the hostess had multiple guests. The food came out in a timely manner and the drinks + food was amazing! We both finished everything to the very crumb of the plate and if we weren’t so full, we would’ve ordered another plate of pasta to share. It felt very homey in the restaurant and we appreciated how attentive all servers, waiters & hostesses were. Overall, it was the best place to be at for Valentine’s day and we definitely will be going back.

CW

We stumbled upon this place when my high school Italian exchange student and I drove down to LA a few weeks after she arrived from Bologna and we were looking for a place for dinner. The food was delicious. So much so, that my student (who is not shy about expressing her opinion about che schifo she finds "Italian" food here in California) asked me if we can go back when we are in LA this week and I think she is looking more forward to having dinner at Orto on Friday than she is about Christmas. If an Italian teenager from Bologna says it is a great restaurant, then you can bet that it is a great place to eat.

Melissa Yanagi

We were visiting LA and looking for a dinner near Santa Monica Pier. Orte was wonderful! The food, the ambiance, the service, it was all perfect. We were also on a somewhat tight timeline and they got us in and out without feeling rushed! Highly recommend!

Jon Colvin

Spectacular meal at this quaint and cozy Northern Italian gem. The cheese wheel truffle pasta was amazing and the eggplant appetizer was insanely delicious. Home made gelato used in the affogato for desert was the icing on the cake.

Riz Chand

Another wonderful meal at Orto. We don’t live in LA so we don’t get to enjoy wonderful service, food, and atmosphere at Orto on a regular basis. However, every time we come to Los Angeles, we make it a point to dine with Andrea and his team. Fantastic experience in every way…every time.

Tyler Forte

Charming Italian restaurant with amazing food and attentive service. My girlfriend and I had their homemade gnocchi special (creamy vodka sauce), probably the best gnocchi I’ve had (and I’ve had a lot of gnocchi), so fluffy and complimentary to the sauce — they also grated fresh parm! As a main we had the salmon, which was perfectly cooked with crispy skin (just the way we like it!) with farmers market vegetables (green beans and carrots). You could tell the ingredients were incredibly fresh. The salmon also came with a baked potato on the side which was awesome. Lastly the warm bread for the table was fantastic. For dessert we had their homemade tiramisu - that was delicious. Can’t say enough about the welcoming atmosphere and attentiveness. Great place for a low key date night or a relaxed family gathering, or if you just want some good quality Italian - highly recommend!

Marco Thoma

We were absolutely thrilled! This was by far the best Italian food we’ve ever had in the USA – everything was freshly prepared and full of flavor. The service was outstanding: our waiter was incredibly friendly and attentive, and the chef personally came by to check on us – simply wonderful! We will definitely come back the next time we are in Los Angeles. An absolute must-visit for anyone who loves authentic Italian cuisine! 🍝🍷

Enjoyed Italian food at Orto Santa Mónica. The pasta and crème brûlée were good, the service was attentive, and the outdoor area was nice and charming. Perfect for date night!

The waiter was so kind to us even though we arrived later than usual to our reservation. Waiter was timely and considerate. Vibes were great.

Mayi Barov

Enjoyed Italian food at Orto Santa Mónica. The pasta and crème brûlée were good, the service was attentive, and the outdoor area was nice and charming. Perfect for date night!

Joanne

The waiter was so kind to us even though we arrived later than usual to our reservation. Waiter was timely and considerate. Vibes were great.

Pleasant ambiance. Cozy and semi-casual. Authentic Italian. Not too loud, great for talking / catching up. Food is solid— I would order the bolognese and pollo limone again.

We came here for Valentine’s Day and the food and drinks were delicious. The service was great and they took good care of us. My only complaint is that they were playing Taylor Swift back-to-back which didn’t quite match the romantic Italian ambiance we were hoping for. Aside from that, everything else was great.

Kelly Sidney

Pleasant ambiance. Cozy and semi-casual. Authentic Italian. Not too loud, great for talking / catching up. Food is solid— I would order the bolognese and pollo limone again.