Best Contemporary Italian Restaurants in Santee

This place is a real gem! Our third time here and we loved it as much as the first two - something that doesn't often occur at least in our experiences! The service is fabulous - every single one of the staff are very friendly and kind. They are all smiling and welcoming! I had a really good Lemoncelli cocktail that was light and refreshing and the rest of my party enjoyed a glass of red wine. Their food is delicious - I selected the fettuccini alfredo with chicken and it was amazing. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce was really good. My husband and both of our friends chose the pappardelle pasta with Italian sausage and Bolognese sauce and they all loved it. We will definitely take more friends to this place! It's truly a great Italian gem in Little Italy!

We went on a Tuesday evening and it was great. The same goes for the food!!

Wonderful food and drinks, but I was especially impressed with the service. Everyone who serves there genuinely seems like they love their job—they are excited to share the history of Barbusa and to recommend their favorite items. My party and I felt well taken care of and wish we could give it 10 stars!

Very nice ambiance greets you, and strong overhead heaters even would make outdoor dining palatable. The service was very pleasant- Ian was our server who was very accommodating and efficient. The food was a cut above, everything was delicious and well presented, and the wine list was excellent as well, but everything was pricey. Dessert was not a large portion nor amazing- so $16 was overpriced for what you got- but on balance I would definitely recommend this place for a well- paced delicious dinner.

Love this restaurant 😍 Great location, fantastic food, wonderful bar & wine selections. The staff is well trained, very professional, and make you feel at home. Been coming since 2017, and it's gotten better and better. The entrées are superb, we got the seafood linguine and Ceasars salad. Red rose wine for my husband and I got the Moscato. Wonderful night out.