08/21/2026
A delicious discovery in Upper Montecito Village!
Ancora: Montecito Says “More, Please”
A polished new Italian arrival in the Upper Village proves that sometimes “more” really is more.
There’s a new Italian in Montecito—and judging by the cars in the parking lot, word has already gotten around.
Ancora Osteria, which opened August 13 in the former Via Vai location in Montecito’s Upper Village, is the latest restaurant from owner/partner and Executive Chef Luca Crestanelli, whose culinary résumé already includes the consistently excellent S.Y. Kitchen in Santa Ynez and Nella Kitchen & Bar in Los Olivos.
Now he has brought his considerable talents south to Montecito. And if my first dinner is any indication, he may have another hit on his hands.
The experience starts before you even sit down. Parking is refreshingly easy—something that deserves its own Michelin star in Montecito—and the collection of automobiles already gathered outside suggests that Ancora has quickly become a destination for the Upper Village crowd.
The old Via Vai patio has been transformed into a sophisticated, comfortable outdoor dining area that, at least for the moment, would be my first choice for a table. The interior is attractive and intimate, although seating is limited and the acoustics could use a little softening. Ancora is barely out of its restaurant infancy, however, so consider that an easily remedied growing pain rather than a serious complaint.
Service, on the other hand, already operates like a veteran. Our table of five was looked after seamlessly by a polished, knowledgeable and attentive staff. They were present when needed and invisible when not—a surprisingly difficult restaurant art.
And naturally, I began with the water.
Ancora serves Filette, bottled at the source in Guarcino in Italy’s Lazio region and offered in handsome glass bottles in both still and sparkling versions. Crisp, refreshing and beautifully presented, it is exactly the sort of seemingly small detail that tells you a great deal about a restaurant.
Luca Crestanelli is a man who pays attention to details.
That philosophy continues with the bread, freshly made and possessing a wonderful, audible crunch. I have my suspicions that Caputo—or some equally serious Italian flour—is lurking somewhere in the kitchen, because when the Roman-style pinsas arrive, their crusts are extraordinary: light, crisp, airy and utterly addictive.
The Margherita Pinsa, topped with San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and extra-virgin olive oil, sounds deceptively simple. But simplicity is precisely where great Italian cooking becomes dangerous. There is nowhere for mediocre ingredients or technique to hide. Ancora’s version has that elusive combination of crunch, chew, acidity, richness and what can only be described as a little kitchen magic.
One slice becomes two with alarming speed.
Vegetarians should make a beeline for the Cherry Tomato Pinsa, with mozzarella, blistered cherry tomatoes, arugula and ricotta salata. Bright, fresh and bursting with flavor, it inspires the culinary equivalent of the old potato-chip challenge: bet you can’t eat just one slice.
The salads are equally thoughtful. Luca’s interpretation of a Caesar combines romaine lettuce, house Caesar dressing, Bleu d’Auvergne, chives and hazelnuts. It is delicious, inventive and unmistakably its own creation. Personally, I could live without the Bleu d’Auvergne—the Caesar and I were getting along perfectly well before the blue cheese joined the conversation—but that is a matter of taste rather than ex*****on.
Then came one of the evening’s stars: Mushroom Pappardelle.
The pasta is rolled and cut in house, and here the broad ribbons of pappardelle are paired with mascarpone, roasted mushrooms, Parmigiano and thyme. The result is earthy, creamy and deeply satisfying without becoming ponderous—a symphony of flavors in which every instrument knows when to play and, more importantly, when not to.
Even a humble side dish gets the Ancora treatment. The Crispy Potatoes with rosemary and sea salt were so good that simply writing about them makes me want another plate. Golden, crunchy and perfectly seasoned, they prove once again that potatoes rarely need reinvention. They simply need someone in the kitchen who knows what to do with them.
Dessert delivered one final bit of theater: Fiordilatte Gelato, a silky, soft-serve-style gelato topped with little bits of toffee and chocolate. Cool, creamy, crunchy, sweet—and sufficiently light to allow everyone at the table to pretend we hadn't just eaten quite a lot of food.
Ancora describes itself as an Italian restaurant built around Roman-style pinsa, handmade pasta, seasonal ingredients and simply prepared meats and seafood, with California produce meeting an Italian pantry. That description is accurate, but it undersells the place.
What Crestanelli and his team have created is a restaurant that already feels remarkably assured for somewhere only days old. The ingredients are first-rate, the ex*****on confident, the service professional and the atmosphere relaxed enough that you want to linger—which is, after all, one of the great pleasures of eating Italian food.
There are a few opening-week wrinkles. I'd soften the dining room acoustics, and I suspect reservations will become increasingly difficult once Montecito fully discovers the place. But these are rather pleasant problems for a new restaurant to have.
Ancora is currently open for dinner Thursday through Monday from 5 to 9 p.m., with Tuesday and Wednesday dark. The menu includes antipasti, Roman-style pinsa, house-made pastas and secondi ranging from whole branzino to porcini-rubbed ribeye and pork chop.
And then there is the name.
“Ancora” in Italian can mean “again” or “more.”
After one evening there, I understand the choice.
More of that Margherita pinsa. More mushroom pappardelle. More crispy potatoes. More Fiordilatte gelato.
And, yes, another bottle of Filette, please.
I’ll definitely be going back to Ancora—for much more.
Ancora Osteria
1483 East Valley Road
Montecito, California
Dinner Thursday–Monday, 5–9 p.m.
Ancora Osteria
