Caffe’ Delfini

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.

I recently spent a few weeks in the neighborhood and enjoyed some fantastic food here – for antipasti – the delicious Bresaola, the Insalata di Carciofini, the Caesar Salad then onto the LINGUINE CLAMS e PORCINI in BIANCO     ,  
ZUPPA di PESCE in GUAZZETTO        
the salmon,
the current Tuesday special – H.M. TAGLIOLINI with CRAB MEAT and SNOW CRAB CLAW
and Wednesday’s is also delicious –   H.M. LUNETTE                                                                                            
                            al TARTUFO NERO e FUNGHI SELVATICI in CREMA    
I am a big fan of the sautéed spinach as a side –
and the Tirami-su for dessert –

It’s like being in Italy. Such good food, nice people, great atmosphere.
Go often and try it all!!

Amazing food, atmosphere, and service! There’s something for everyone – I personally love their assortment of soups and pastas!

This is a hidden gem that only our neighborhood knows about. They spend no money on advertising. The food is beyond amazing, as is the service. Quality all around
Now open for brunch at 9am on weekends, and happy hour from 5 to 6.
This restaurant is highly addictive and priced reasonably. For brunch, quiche and sandwiches are amazing, as well as pistachio filled croissants (!); for dinner, the calamari appetizer and the black squid ink pasta are amazing.
If you don’t go, you are really missing out. Try it once and you will love it forever !!

I love this neighborhood Italian restaurant. I’ve gathered my family here for graduations and birthdays but today I walked off the beach on my walk home and stopped for a lovely early Sunday dinner. My girlfriends enjoy meeting me for their Happy Hour  from 5-6pm. The service is great, the food is delicious, and the friendly family feel to this place is very special.

I highly recommend this lovely Italian restaurant steps from the beach!