Caruso's

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Where the Pacific Sets the Table

Caruso's sits directly on the edge of the Pacific Ocean at Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito, and the setting is not incidental to the food — it is inseparable from it. Dining alfresco here means crashing waves as both scenery and soundtrack, a combination that Forbes Travel Guide, in awarding the restaurant its Five-Star rating, described plainly as something that "cannot be topped." The restaurant also holds a Michelin Star and a Michelin Green Star, the latter recognizing its commitment to sustainable, locally rooted cooking.

Local Ingredients, Taken Seriously

The kitchen's sourcing philosophy runs deeper than a talking point. Produce comes from farmer's-market suppliers, and honey is drawn from an onsite beehive on the Rosewood Miramar property. Cocktails on the bar menu lean on spirits from locally sourced California distilleries — drinks like the La Fata del Mare, built with Jefferson's Ocean Bourbon and fig-seaweed-infused Bénédictine, or the Acqua e Oliva, a gin martini washed with olive oil. That same seasonal attentiveness carries through to an eight-course tasting menu that showcases the full range of the culinary team's work.

Italian Cooking with a Broader Welcome

For an Italian restaurant, Caruso's takes an unusually generous approach to plant-based dining: a dedicated menu serves vegan and vegetarian guests rather than offering a token dish or two. It is one of the details that earned the Michelin Green Star alongside the culinary one.

FronteMare and the BOUNTY Dinners

Beyond the main dining room, Caruso's team runs FronteMare — an outdoor, semi-private space where food is prepared live along the coastline and guests gather around a communal table to share the ocean's bounty in a family-style format. The BOUNTY Dinner series extends this spirit further, bringing together Central Coast winemakers, farmers, and local figures for seasonal communal meals in the property's chef's garden.

The Atmosphere

The name Miramar means "to behold the sea," and Caruso's earns that promise at every service. The combination of Italian fine dining with California's seafood-rich coastline, rigorous local sourcing, and one of the most dramatic outdoor dining settings on the American Riviera makes this a restaurant that holds its recognition honestly.