Service,

“The Buonsante family has gained many loyal patrons by combining excellent cuisine and professional service”

“The service, managed by Tony Buonsante, is notably professional and quite enjoyable.”  

“The service consistently ranks among the most professional in San Diego”

“Each plate sent from the kitchen is thoughtfully arranged and served with care and panache.”

Style,

“It is stylish and cosmopolitan on [an] intimate scale. The small rooms and low ceilings give it a feeling of warmth and personality, with an intangible quality one diner calls 'vibrancy'.”

“Tony built a large restaurant that seems unusually intimate in scale. Diners have a choice of two sidewalk terraces, a stunning courtyard, a handsome formal dining room and the cozy bar where locals come for the fireplace, piano music and the wall of celebrity photographs.”

“Sante on Herschel Avenue is a calm oasis where one can enjoy an unhurried Italian meal in a lovely garden setting. Tables are set with linen cloths and fresh flowers. At night the Tivoli lights cast a romantic glow.”

and Substance.....

“Sante offers a selection of authentic Northern and Southern dishes prepared with skill and a subtle hand.”

“Signature dishes make the difference on the pasta list; for example, tender asparagus is added to the linguine in clam sauce.”

“The restaurant actually serves genuine, imported scampi.”

“Sante's boar chops... are almost incredibly succulent.”

“Regulars rave about the succulent lamb chops, sweet scampi and tender pasta.”

“Everything is made fresh on the premises- pastas, sauces, sausages, breads and desserts.”

“Few enough Italian restaurants serve food that tastes as it does in Italy; one that seems to capture the genuine flavors is La Jolla's Sante.”

“The menu is supplemented by both daily and seasonal specials; this is the only San Diego restaurant, for example, to offer fresh white truffles in season, as well as fresh porcini and other wild mushrooms flown in from Italy.”

“Many menu offerings are unique to Sante in San Diego, like the cozze alla Tarantina, or mussels braised in aromatic marinara sauce.”