UOVO Santa Monica — Restaurant in Santa Monica

To say this place has ruin any other pasta place we had in the past is an understatement.

I want to start off by listing a few things I appreciate about the establishment.

First come, first serve. No reservations. Allows the customers to possibly dine in sooner rather than waitlisted due to prior booked reservations.

Location is small but it’s quaint and gives a more personal vibe with the bar seating and open kitchen concept. I enjoyed seeing how the dishes were made.

The staff from the host to the servers to the chefs are amazing. They were all friendly and work diligently. The flow of the front staff to the kitchen never skipped a beat.

Let’s talk about food! Uovo offers a simple menu so if you want a lot of fancy things like other places, this place might throw you off as they keep it very straightforward and simple.

Their pasta is fresh and flown in overnight from Italy. Every plate we had was perfection. Perfectly cooked al dente pasta where the chew leaves you lingering for the next one. The plates are shareable for 2 people; covers a good 2-3 bites.

What we had…

Truffle tagliatelle (special of the night) : the truffle was not overpowering, every strand of pasta was blended with the cheese and truffle. Ever wish you can be a judge on those cooking shows and enjoy those amazing dishes? Well, this dish made me felt like I was a judge the whole time and I was raving how freaking delicious it is.

Ragú: tagliatelle pasta with the best bolognese we had in a very long time. The bolognese tasted as if it’s been simmering for days on end, maybe it has because one bite in and I didn’t want to share it with my boyfriend. It’s a mix of beef and pork with so many familiar aromatics. Warning, this bolognese sticks to the classic; no cheese, no cream. The only way to eat bolognese in my opinion.

Caico e Pepe: I lean towards the red sauce pastas but holy cow this dish is something you want to slap someone for. The chef swirls the pasta around on a pecorino cheese wheel (I really appreciate not burning any alcohol with the cheese) and top it off with more pecorino and black pepper. We were in awe and speechless.

Insalata Arugula & Mizuna: tossed and dressed perfectly. Fully enjoyed the hearts of palm and almonds with this salad. A lot of textures and flavors.

Tiramisu al cucchiaio: we love tiramisu but to find a good one is harder than you think. Uovo serves up one in a glass but it’s good! The mascarpone, the espresso and everything in between. And it has hazelnut so...

Let me start by saying that Uovo is worth the wait! We showed up without a reservation for our party of three and had to put our name down. The wait was around 30 minutes, but it gave us time to chat and get excited for the deliciousness to come.

The atmosphere is undeniably intimate. The dim lighting and the candles at each table set a romantic scene. It felt energetic and lively, perfect for a date night, but it was also a bit crowded and felt a bit cramped.

The menu offers two options: a tasting menu for sharing and an a la carte menu. Here's the kicker – the tasting menus serves two people each, so if you're dining solo, you'd pay double the listed price. We opted for the a la carte menu because we wanted to try specific dishes.

One thing that truly sets Uovo apart is their pasta. They don't extrude it in-house; it's shipped overnight, ensuring peak freshness. We tried two pasta dishes, and let me tell you, they were phenomenal!

The first pasta we tried was Cacio e Pepe. The handmade tonnarelli (a thicker, more substantial cousin of spaghetti) had a satisfying bite that cradled the sauce beautifully. The Pecorino Romano DOP ensured a rich, salty depth that perfectly complemented the peppery kick. Imagine creamy, nutty cheese clinging to the pasta, punctuated by bursts of black pepper flavor.

The second pasta we tried was Ragu. It stayed true to its Bolognese roots by featuring a rich blend of beef and pork without any cheese, milk, or cream.

Both the pastas were delicious, but the portion was smaller, which had us craving for more.

We also indulged in the Yellowtail Crudo appetizer. The fish was incredibly fresh, and the combination of chili pepper, micro-arugula, and citrusy dressing created a delightful burst of flavor.

But save room for dessert! The Tiramisu was, hands down, one of the best I've ever had in the States. It struck the perfect balance of richness, creaminess, and coffee flavor.

Overall, Uovo is a fantastic dining experience. While the wait and slightly cramped space might be a consideration, the incredible pasta, fresh ingredients, and delightful desserts make it...

Horrible management/waiter

I usually don't write reviews but me and my significant other went to dinner this past Sunday now the food was amazing but our waiter gia was her name she came over and greeted us she was very short didn't seem like she wanted to be doing her job so at first I just figured maybe it's just a person having a bad day as we were sitting at the bar it came a parent that she was the person in charge that night and I am a manager and I know being a manager you are supposed to be warm and welcoming and she was the complete opposite so we end up ordering our food and getting our first course which was absolutely delicious so my significant other needed a refill mind you were sitting at the bar the first time I tried to get her attention she was on her phone mind you we could see her walking in and out on her phone from the back or out the front door the entire time so I became quite agitated when she walked by again I told her we needed a refill so after 10 minutes pass by still no refill and that would be completely understandable if they were super busy or she had been doing something else like I said I'm a manager I understand everybody gets busy but that wasn't the case and she was then on the other side of where the cooks are laughing with another waitress we assumed maybe she was getting the refill then but she proceeded to pull her phone out and walk into the back so we ended up having to ask somebody else a second time for the refill then when it came to the end of the night we wanted our check she just came over and put the check down and she just had a sense that we were bothering her by being there it made my significant other feel very uncomfortable long story short we would love to go there to eat again the food was amazing but the next time we go we hope to have a better experience with our waiter... The other employees were very vibrant and welcoming the lady at the door greeted us with a smile and even say goodbye when we walked out more than what we got...