Fritto Misto Italian Café

Always super tasty salads & go for the chicken piccata with pasta! Tiramisu is nice!!!

I used to hold this place in high regard but after a visit many years later i realized its just ok. Rich heavy cream sauces on your choice of meat cheese or pasta in any type of combination and a bit too salty. For some though this is pure perfection and I don’t knock that.

Really like this place, unpretentious, casual, café-​feel near the new transit terminal and away from the madness of the third street promenade. Went around 8pm and was told it would be a 45 minute to 1 hour wait. Got lucky and waited around 35 minutes. Host guy was kind enough to bring out some Cream Pillow Appetizers to us while we were waiting on the chairs outside. Good start even before we started!
4 of us seated in the main room at a large table. Started with the medium Caesar Salad that easily feeds four. We had the Mushroom Ravioli in a Marsala Cream Sauce (definitely get this!), Jumbo Ravioli in a Garlic Cream Sauce, Lobster Ravioli Special, and the Lamb in Marsala Sauce with Fettucine noodles. All the raviolis were great and finished the former three dishes while taking the latter home for a late night delight.
When you get to my age… you really look forward to that late night snack!

been here a few times now.
food is pretty good.
a little different than your traditional southern italian.
its more of a mex-​ital fusion on some of their signature dishes like atomic pasta etc.
service is very good here and it’s byob i believe.

This is my go to Italian place when my parents visit. We all really love the food here… good quality. They have daily specials as well as a salad/​soup salad/​pasta combo. They give you bread before the meal and it’s good. I usually get a custom made pasta dish. I love their spinach fettuccine pasta with olive oil/​garlic sauce, broccoli, sun dried tomatoes and artichokes. It’s not inexpensive but the portions are big and it’s very tasty. I’ve tried other things like their lasagna and their caesar salad which were good but I just like making my own pasta the most so I’ll continue to do that since I don’t get to come here as often as I’d like.
Staff is super nice (I think it’s a family?). I’ve come only during lunch time and there are always tables open. I do have to agree with another reviewer about the acoustics in the room making other table’s conversations pretty loud. I can’t imagine how loud it’d be with a full house… probably deafening. They have a little parking lot which doesn’t hold much and I’ve only had maybe a couple instances where street parking was an issue but usually it’s not a problem.

Went here for some late night eats to celebrate a friend’s birthday. The service was very nice and friendly. The Pesto Cream Pillows were so good. So were the other dishes my friends had, I tried a few bites but don’t remember what they were called. The portions are pretty big and not too expensive. Def a good spot for some pasta!

I’m not really a big fan of pasta and I don’t frequent Italian restaurants, but being able to bring our own wine was what convinced me. I ordered the Sweet Potato ravioli since it sounded different and interesting. I liked the sautéed mushrooms, but overall the dish was just too heavy. The sweet potato and heavy cream sauce just made it too overwhelming, there wasn’t anything acidic to cut the heaviness. The dish was good, but upon trying my friends Atomic pasta, I liked that one much better. The cheese fried pillows were heaven!
I think the overwhelming amount of options of pasta diminishes from the quality, I would prefer a few well executed choices rather than a build-​your-​own concept.

Ordered the spicy shrimp ravioli pasta & it was DELICIOUS! Everything was extremely authentic & the customer service was great! Definitely will be back! S/​O to our server Kevin!

Made my own pasta – cheese and spinach ravioli ($ 8) with basil cream ($ 3), seared chicken ($ 3), and wild mushroom ($ 2.75). It was super delicious, especially the basil cream! The portion was pretty big for me. Couldn’t even finish it.
I came here on a Sunday at 6:30 pm and waited 30 – 40 min.
Highly recommend this place!

Best Italian food in Santa Monica!!! We were only in LA for 10 days, but we loved this restaurant so much that we ate here three times! One of the times being Mother’s Day, and even though they were completely filled, they were able to squeeze in another reservation for us. The staff couldn’t be more helpful or kind. I’m still dreaming of their garlic shrimp pasta. Having grown up in Italy, I can tell you it’s just like going to Nonna’s house for dinner! You never leave hungry or without food to take home. The picture of the garlic shrimp pasta is what I had on my plate when I finished eating. HUGE portions! Yum!

First off my name is Brian. Truth be told, for all the places I’ve gone to eat, from local spots to places in Europe, I have never been treated with disrespect. I didn’t capture his name but he is a bald Caucasian as whole (get it :}.) working the night of 05/​21/​2016 who was coordinating the seating arrangements.
Today, we came for a belated birthday (⁰⁵⁄₁₇) dinner that my brother wanted to host for me. Guess what? This man ruined it for me. I’ve gone to the other location in Hermosa Beach. (Superb customer service) I’ve gone there many times with my wife and have recommended others to visit because location is great and just the over all atmosphere. Back to the Santa Monica location… THEY TAKE FOREVER!
When we walked in the guy gave us an estimated time between 45 minutes and 1 hour. My party and I hung out outside and at the 30 minute mark we checked back in. We checked back in to let him know we are still hanging around. The 45 minute mark came around and again, it’ll be 15 more minutes. I go back out and update the party. 1 hour passes and I asked for a update, the time was 8:33 and he said «it’ll be a few more minutes. I promised you 1 hour at 7:35.» Ok, so I walk out and I gave him 12 more minutes. I walk back in at 8:45 and that’s when I have had enough.
The exchange:
I told him «You promised me a estimated time between 45 minutes to an hour. I understand a estimated time is a „estimate“ but you still have to be punctual. It’s passed the 75 minutes mark and yet you still have no answer as to when you’re going to seat my party and I.»
The as-whole’s response: We are clearing out a spot so it’ll be another few moments. What else do you want me to do? We are busy.“
I reply with, «I understand you’re busy but you gave me a time so now you have to honor it.»
The as-whole’s response: «Well, if you were me what would you do?»
My response: «First, be punctual and get my name written down correctly! My name is Brian. You don’t listen. You can’t follow orders or direction. I work in a ER and even I can coordinate my patients with ease. You suck!»
So we left. I will never come to this place again. I’m not writing this review to get any special comps but the as-​whole needs to understand to be punctual. He needs to understand you can’t walk around thinking you’re always right because you work for the business.
Hope this review serves a purpose. Don’t hurt the owners by not going to either of their two locations. Take the extra drive and go to Hermosa. Forgive me for any grammar imperfections Bc I am pissed!

Forever!!! They take forever! Was quoted a 45 Minutes wait and ended up waiting over an hour and 30 minutes. Every time my party checked in on the wait, the manager would tell us it was a matter of minutes for us to be seated.
Long story short, we ended up leaving and going to Cheesecake Factory. We were seated in 10minutes and the food was just as good.

For a big portion Italian pasta overload, I think this is the place. Not that pricey, which is a nice thing in Santa Monica. I had the Atomic Pasta for $ 18, which had a surprising amount of heat on it by the time I reached the end of the plate. House bread comes with butter, but you can ask for the oil/​vinaigrette as well.
It’s about a 5 – 7 minute walk from Third Street, so I parked there, had dinner here, and went back. Service was friendly, but on the slower side since they looked understaffed. My only small complaint is probably that they didn’t have fresh parm, but I’ll live.

I still really love this place. They have excellent fresh pastas and great food for good prices. My only qualm with the place is that it is kinda small and the acoustics in there make it seem very loud. Every time I have been there, I feel like I am shouting just to be heard over the roar. They have an amazing flourless chocolate cake and lemon bar… yum!
This last time I was there, I had the Meditteranean pasta which is vegetarian and soooo yummy. There was pesto, sun dried tomatoes and artichokes with fresh lemon fettucine. So delicious!
This is definitely a great place to go with a big group and maybe a few friends but I wouldn’t pick it for a date where it may be difficult to have a conversation because of the noise.

As a resident of Santa Monica for over a year now, I had been egged on for a while to try Fritto Misto and their delicious selection of pastas.
Needless to say, I was not let down.
While I wasn’t crazy about our sage chicken with tomato fettuccini, our ravioli dish MORE than made up for it. The textural contrast of the pancetta with the onions, brought together with the bite of the ravioli made for a pretty amazing dish.
Also, I saw the gnocchi on the table next to me, it seemed like the star of the show.
Service at times felt kind of inattentive but they are good at keeping waters full and bread baskets stocked.
P. s. Be warned, the food is quite heavy, so one cream sauce and one lighter sauce when ordering more than one dish may be a good idea.

Second best decision of the day!
The hubby and I came from a hike in Malibu & headed straight over for the carb-​olicious pasta-​bilities! Looking over the menu, we were overwhelmed but in a good way. To go with their pasta specialities or to do the CYO?!! Of course, we wanted to be creative.
I ordered a Lobster Ravioli with cilantro chili pesto, topped with sautéed mushrooms & shrimps. The hubby ordered the Tri-​color Fusili with garlic cream, topped with sautéed calamari. Then, we had a small order of Caesar salad for the table.
Where to begin on how exceptional the pastas were?! Al dente, perfectly seasoned sauces, huge portions! My dish was savory in every bite, with a kick of spicy from the chili flakes. The pesto and cream sauce were really good to dip the breads in. The hubby’s dish was hearty, good call on the calamari add-​on, so fresh!
We appreciated the cozy atmosphere, decors were a nice touch. They have a couple tables outside but we stayed inside since it was sprinkling. The view was pretty sweet too. We watched the metro train pass by a few times.
I liked how you have options:
–Gluten-​free, eggless, vegan
–Lite menu (light oil, less cream)
–Low carbs (non-​pastabilities)
I’ll save that for another time. Fritto Misto did not disappoint for our first time. To top it off, the server was so sweet to let us try the flourless cake on the house. Trust, I wasn’t going to leave without trying out one of their famous desserts! The flourless cake was a bit heavy but paired nicely with a light cream. It was very chocolatey so I had to have a glass of milk! And so we shared a glass: P What a lovely way to end a nice hike.
I can’t wait to make more CYO pastas and try the crème brûlée & tiramisu!

I came here slightly before 6pm on a Saturday night, just before the dinner rush. There are only a couple of servers so service can be a bit slow in the sense that your waitress isn’t always available but the food still came out within 10 minutes of ordering.
Food:
I ordered a build your own with lemon pepper fettuccine, broccoli, shrimp, and cilantro pesto. The fettuccine had a lemony kick that’s good for cutting thickness, and I assume that it would have gone wonderfully even with a cream sauce The lightness of my sauce was a nice contrast to everyone else’s. All of the ingredients tasted fresh and went nicely together.
My boyfriend ordered the salmon special with squid ink linguine (or was it fettuccine) and a caper cream sauce. My mom enjoyed the squid ink pasta best because it was the chewiest. The salmon in my opinion was a bit dry.
My mom ordered the lobster ravioli special. Normally, I’m not s fan of ravioli, but I enjoyed it; just not more than one. Personally, I would not order this for myself because there were only about 6 raviolis and a few pieces of shrimp, and for $ 25, I expected more.
Side note, lemonade and soda both have free refills.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this place, especially if you don’t have a reservation for anywhere else.

Everything here is DELICIOUS! Love coming here ever since I read the owner’s bio and the café’s background. The service is spectacular!
Had the portobello mushroom ravioli with checca sauce and it was phenomenal in taste and the lunch portion was perfect!

Having heard nothing but good things about this place from my roommates, I decided to check this place out with a group of friends. Made a reservation for ~10 on a weekday and it was easily accommodable. Was not that packed during lunch, but I hear it can get crazy during dinner time on weekends (I have had friends go at 5pm to try to beat the rush). So what makes it all worth it? Is it the cute, original art from I presume local artists with price tags hanging from them? Not necessarily since I’m not sure what cause or who it supports, so seems a little more tacky than endearing, but still a nice touch. Is it the parking? Definitely not. Is it the service? Getting warmer since they’re pretty awesome and definitely knowledgeable about their foods. The answer is their tasty and plentiful pasta that I’d say ranks pretty high on the value index. If you have extremely high standards, this place will not reach them. But if you want some good pasta that is super customizable at a decent price, then Fritto Misto will most certainly satisfy.
So onto the food:
Fritto Misto: Battered seafood and veggies. There’s a decent mix of veggies to seafood here and overall enjoyable by everyone. Great finger-​food to start. Their cocktail sauce leans heavily on the ketchup-​y side
Calamari — Can’t go wrong with it. Well battered and tasty
Fried Pillow — Was decent but nothing amazing. Not much for presentation. Akin to a crab rangoon if you’re wondering what it tastes like
Artichoke Shrimp Gnocchi — Looks pretty light compared to some of their other pasta dishes, but pretty good as they have the artichoke enveloped in the gnocchi. Tastes very fluffy… like a pillow!
Garlic Shrimp — A decent dish, but didn’t taste like anything out of the ordinary. By no means is it a bad pasta, but felt par for the course.
Short Rib Ravioli — Comes with a good amount heavy sauce that has a subtle spice to it. Didn’t complement the ravioli that well, but was decent. Short ribs were alright.
Overall, a decent experience. I think the best thing to do is go with the build-​your-​own and pick what you like while maybe asking for sauce pairing recommendations. There were some in the party that were far from blown away. There is plain complimentary bread. The pasta is not made in-​house per se, but is made at a Fritto Misto location that supplies the two storefronts.

Uh-​mazing!
First, JC was our server and he was incredible. Attentive without being over-​bearing. Told us enough about the specials for us to get an idea of what they were without information overload. He also took the care to make sure that my fiancé wouldn’t mind the fact that the lobster ravioli was heart-​shaped. Hah!
Second, the food was delicious. Loved the rich and creamy pink sauce and the veggie lasagna was chock full of broccoli and eggplant. The lobster ravioli was also delicious and had HUGE chunks of lobster inside of the ravioli. The lamb special was also good but my least favorite because the sauce was a bit too sour for my taste. Also, the caprese was lovely because each piece had a huge basil leaf! Was missing something but we sprinkled a bit of balsamic vin and salt on it and it was then perfect. The flourless chocolate cake and whipped cream was not sweet at all so I preferred the crème brûlée. It was one of the best crème brûlée I’ve had!
Third, the ambience was lovely. Casual décor, laid back and relaxed vibe, and yet not so relaxed that the service suffered.
Highly recommend!

The «5» is for the service but the food was very very very good!
First, a thank-​you shout out to fellow Unilocaler’s that provided reviews that created interest to go. Glad we did. After a full day of travel from the east coat, we were tired, hungry and did not want fancy or over-​done menu’s.
What we found was a local place, with excellent food, that was both simple and and creative. I had a simple homemade pasta with fresh tomatoes and basil and grilled shrimp — so good! The shrimp was not over-​cooked as so many places do. My wife had the spinach ravioli with a simple marinara sauce; so rich and tasty!
Our server took the time to tell us the specials, was very helpful with our questions and made us feel like at home.
Don’t pass on dessert and fresh whip crème — awesome!
We are here only for a few days but we might come back!

Great experience on what could have been a difficult request.
We were a group of, I believe, 12, that made a reservation in the afternoon for that same night at 8pm.
The reservation was not only somewhat late notice but also for a surprise party.
The host/​owner (not sure which, maybe both) set us up in a back room to make our table easier to conceal AND actually alerted us when our guest of honor was coming through the front door so we could prepare ourselves.
We were not rushed, even though we all just sat around for 20 minutes before doing anything at all, taking up space in their crowded restaurant.
They stored our homemade cupcakes for the birthday boy in their kitchen, just because, and I quote, they had some extra space. Top shelf service!
Also of note — the food was very good, and for the pretty standard-​for-​LA price, the portions were quite large. I couldn’t finish mine. The menu has a lot of suggested items, but also the «build your own» pastas, which is awesome for those of us with dietary restrictions. I had a rigatoni, added garlic/​olive oil sauce, seared chicken and sundried tomato. It was good, but again, this night was made by the great service.
On the parking front, they have a lot in the back with limited spots. They have a secondary lot a couple blocks away, so I suppose that’s good. The new metro line is going to open right outside … kinda neat, for what that’s worth.
I’d love to come back and just eat with my wife, here. Maybe try something else. Nice job!

In my valiant efforts to break into the LA area with reviewing, I guess I ended up in Santa Monica dining at a restaurant that won’t break your wallet – all the while remaining a delicious option for Italian food! This quaint restaurant doesn’t boast the Lady and the Tramp feel of the world, but more of a welcomed casual dining experience alongside some class. You can come here for a quick bite or we a bowtie, vest, dress clothes, and have it be a first date (like the couple in front of us – the guy looked like Dr. Who: the comb over and everything).
Food:
— Pasta New Orleans ($ 18): A delightful option full of different flavor profiles that mix perfectly with perfect amounts of salty Cajun tones. The Cajun seared chicken really pack in flavor and you can tell they separately marinade these meats, keep them juicy and tender, and allow the sauce to just add to the flavor. The Cajun cream sauce does not have a spicy tone but really keeps the milky texture of a cream sauce that compliments all of the ingredients. The onions and bell peppers are plentiful (no seriously, very plentiful) and keep a mild tone with the freshness of a veggie crisp. The sautéed mushrooms also add a delight you will enjoy without reservation. I loved the plump and thick Tobasco linguini because even though it has an intimidating name, you can’t taste the Tobasco, and the pasta is perfectly al dente to really keep its own flavors while you linger in the sauce and meat. Beautifully created dish with a good potion size (you will be quite full!). If you want to save $ 5 off this dish, ask to not have shrimp. $ 13 for this entrée is killer!
— Flourless Chocolate Cake: We got this for free thanks to our waitress who heard we came due to Unilocal’s recommendation. It was a very welcomed gift and perfect way to end the meal. The rich dark chocolate in this cake really has a strong but sweet tinge to a flourless cake. It’s not the most exciting but it does really curb the sweet cravings one has after a delicious entrée. The dense whipped cream really does boast its own subtle flavors: you can tell it’s not your everyday miracle whip. It’s as thick as ice cream but definitely not ice cream. Loved the duo combo, and not a bad option for a post-​meal ending.
Pros:
— Great portion sizes; they don’t skimp out!
— Deliciously fresh ingredients. You can choose one of 15-​ish sauces for your pasta.
— You can create your own pasta! Perfect for the picky eaters!
— Courteous and helpful wait staff. Thank you so much for the free cake!
— Casual but could-​be-​more-​formal dining experience.
— Prices are fair and not overpriced. I’m thrilled.
Cons
— Complementary baguette bread does not make any impressions. Very staple.
— I honestly didn’t dig the music selection. It didn’t match the Italian meal feel. I would rather listen to some smooth jazz or something foreign than Top 40.
— Parking could be tricky. They have a couple dedicated parking lots but its hard to find the other location if you’re new to the area.
Overall I had a very delightful experience thanks to the Fritto way of life. Meal was excellent, wait time was average, service was superb, and I was grateful for the experience. Definitely recommend for those that want to explore a great pasta joint!

It’s like a curse. Every single time my guy and I come to have dinner at Fritto Misto we get into a huge fight in a parking lot and then the whole dinner we aren’t saying a word to each other. Awkward silence, me hating him, him hating me. Sometimes I just want to take my delicious plate of pasta and toss it at him, although that would be too much of a waste of a delicious pasta.
Today was one them days where we decided to hit up Fritto Misto and I already knew the curse would kick in. As we were driving I just knew it would happen. And lo and behold the crazy emotional woman side comes out, I trip out on him over who knows what (I don’t even think I know) and we get into a huge fight.
Today as I was stuffing my face with pasta I realized I kind of like being in a fight with him exactly the days we go dine at Fritto Misto. I get to enjoy my vegetarian lasagna (which by the way I highly recommend) and not say a word. No interruptions, no trying to make conversation while trying to chew, no buzz kill of the delicious flavors happening in my mouth as my guy tries to talk about football. Total buzz kill.
I get to sit there, chewing slowly or fast or however the heck I please and not having bare to listen about the World Series and the Chiefs and blah blah blah. Pasta at Fritto Misto is so worth it I quite frankly am willing to start a fight with my boyfriend every single time before entering the doors of this little spot that whips up some amazing pasta. Every.single.time.
Pasta at FM is something indescribable. I’m not even a huge pasta gal, but I crave their pasta more than I crave anything else in life. They cater to meat lovers, vegetarians and anything in between. The best part is you can also create your own pasta and put whatever the heck you crave in there. Want extra garlic sauce? No problem. Pink sauce is your weaknesses. They got it. Want to be a boring healthy eater and get just a spoonful of olive oil. They can hook you up as well.
Just a heads up, this place is always packed and always very very loud with non stop conversations coming from every table… but you won’t hear any noise coming from our table because I will be too busy stuffing my face with pasta staring down my boyfriend like I want to stab him (with a plastic knife of course… lovingly :)

I love this little, discrete Italian café! Fritto Misto LOVE! Definitely my favorite Italian place in Santa Monica by a huge stretch!
Jumbo Ravioli (¹⁰⁄₁₀) — Nothing tastes better than gourmet ravioli made with love! The ravioli themselves were delicious and were augmented by the surrounding pancetta, carmelized onions, and sundried tomatoes. We asked for no added salt in the dish and it still came out really good #hearthealth. Definitely would order again!
Vegetarian Lasagna w/​Pink Sauce (¹⁰⁄₁₀) — Mom told me to eat vegetables and this is a super good way of doing that! This is some crazy good lasagna and the signature Pink Sauce is super dip-​able with the bread at your table. Definitely a great choice and something I would order again.
Flourless Chocolate Cake (⁸⁄₁₀) — This is for those deep-​dark chocolate lovers out there. Not too sweet and very rich in flavor. They really pile the whipped cream on this guy and it was delicious and free since it was my first time! It’s simple, yet delightful.
Tira Misu «For Two» (⁹⁄₁₀) — I definitely liked this more than the chocolate cake. Really light and full of sweet, sweet tira misu goodness. Not sure if it’s the best I’ve had but it does come close. Very easy on the stomach after a heavy meal.
Shout out to Brittany, our fantastic waitress for the great service!
I look forward to coming back again! … and again … and again =D

Blech!

Jumbo pasta and chianti. Delightful.

Dieses Restaurant ist definitiv zu empfehlen. Die Protionen sind nach europäischem Mass riesig. Die Speisen sind sehr lecker und die Auswahl lässt ebenfalls keine Wünsche offen. Die Bedienung ist sehr höflich und man fühlt sich rundum in guten Händen. Preislich und für diese Gegend doch eher günstig.

The food is decent, but not worth the horrendous parking situation that is Santa Monica. Normally I can find parking fairly easily in one of the public structures, but the really isolated corner location of this place makes it that much more difficult to find a spot. I wasn’t impressed by the supposedly famous «pink sauce» and actually prefer a traditional meat marinara over the creaminess of this sauce. Nonetheless, the sausage lasagna I tried was still very authentic, though extremely heavy — I left this place in a huge carb coma. Considering there’s so many great places to eat at in Santa Monica, I would say this place is just average; unless you have a giant hankering for Italian food, I would likely skip it.