On the spur of the moment we decided to stop here for an early dinner. We have driven past several times and returning home from a meeting we just didn't want to cook. So the first thing we found out is that they are only open for dinner and open the doors at 4:30. So we waited 10 minutes, no biggie. The place is very fresh looking inside, nice tables, chairs and linen napkins. Good lighting and very comfortable. The music was a bit too loud and not very Italian. It sort of faded once we settled in with our cocktails. They have an interesting cocktail menu with unusual ingredients. They are following the trend of using a single large ice cube in the rock glass however I believe the cube was not kept in a freezer so 32 degrees rather than 0 or 5F. The drink seemed warm. So there are a few minor negatives. How then do I give 5 stars? Mostly due to the house made gnocchi which were light and the sauce which was rich and flavorful. Caesar salad was extraordinary with a well blended dressing so nothing overpowering. My wife had short ribs which were uber tender with their own rich sauce. They have a well kempt and attentive staff so all in all we will return. Though I'm afraid I may not stray from the gnocchi next time. read more

We made a 7:30 reservation and ate outside under their large tent in the parking lot. Unfortunately our table was not available when we arrived and the hostess offered us a drink while we waited (we waited outside as we are cautious with Covid). We were seated 25 minutes after our reservation but they did comp us our drinks which was kind and appropriate. Our waitress was good but definitely busy. The peach salad (a special) was a big disappointment. The peaches weren't grilled and there just weren't enough. The dressing on the salad was bland. Dinner very good. It is nice to have a nice restaurant option in the area. read more

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We dined here on NYE and everything was phenomenal! We started with the eggplant appetizer which was the perfect size for 2. So fresh and delicious! My husband ordered the Sausage Cavatelli and Broccoli Rabe entree which is one of his favorite Italian dishes but he said this was by far the best he's ever had. I had one of the specials, Lobster over homemade pasta (I forgot the name) but it was in a lemon brandy sauce and it was to die for! There was so much lobster in it. For dessert we had a warm chocolate brownie topped with vanilla gelato - so yummy! We also took a banana cream pie to go which again, best we've ever had. It's a beautiful and warm environment and all of the staff were fantastic! The chef even came out to ask how everything was. We cannot wait to come back! Don't pass this place up if you're in the area! read more

La Marea - Italian Near Me - Old Saybrook, Connecticut

Excellent wait staff and menu. Service especially in the bar area high tops is very good. The menu has something for everyone. The pizzas are made to order if you don't find anything the suits you. We go there all the time. read more

We ordered food to go on Friday evening 5:30ish. Two Caesar salads and an order of calamari w/shrimp. Was very disappointed, The salads were just lettuce a few shavings of cheese and 4 croutons each. Dressing on the side. The calamari was chewy and tasteless it included two pieces of shrimp which were delicious. The price for all was approximately $45.00. Again, very disappointed for the price. read more

Delicious and great service. Everything was fantastic. If you like rabbit, don't pass up theirs with pappardelle. Our server was very sweet and helpful as well. Perfect treat for Mother's Day weekend. read more

My husband took me there recently for my birthday. It was a recommendation from my husbands boss. I was extremely happy with the service and the pork chop for 2 was amazing. I would definitely go back. read more

Food is wayyy too overpriced and the owners are mean, no class. Wouldn't recommended.

Had a reservation; enjoyed cocktails, appetizer, dinner, and then we were told we couldn't stay for dessert as our table was promised to another reservation. The next party hadn't arrived and several other tables sat empty, but we were rushed out. Food was good (not exceptional as the price would suggest), but I've never been denied dessert and asked to leave before now. read more

We had out of town guests and thought we would give this restaurant another try, our server was very friendly and overall very good. However, once again very small portions and way over priced, I ordered the papadella mushroom paste dish and added grilled shrimp, well it came with 3 small/medium sized shrimp.. it lacked any kind of flavor, was warm but not hot like it should be ... and believe it or not I was charged $42.for a very small portion of pasta with 3 shrimp. Totally ridiculous .. I felt robbed.. it was worth $15 at the most!! There were some other issues with the whole experience.. I was hoping to have a better experience than the last time ... we gave them 3 try's with only one positive experience... will not go back.. read more

Awesome restaurant!!! Great food, great staff, wonderful experience every time. Authentic Italian food and excellent cocktails. Love this place. read more

Truly some of the best Italian food in the area. The service was amazing when we went, the vibe is a little more quiet but it was beautiful. I was lucky enough to spend my anniversary here and it was amazing. read more

A busy dinner service under the tent. My friend and I had drinks, appetizers, and dessert. Service was slow but we hadn't seen each other for a while so it was fine, the food was good, not great. What really infuriated me was that WE were waiting for our check to be rung up after trying to flag our server down to pay it, and the HOSTESS came and told us we needed to leave, she needed our table. We spent almost $300, were there for maybe 2 hours, and rather than talking to the server, she told customers they needed to leave. I have waited tables, I understand wanting to turn them, but you don't tell your customers who spent a good deal of money to leave. We won't be back. read more

Unfortunately I just had a really unsettling experience.. which is unfortunate because I've had good meals in the past. I went in for a quick night cap with two girlfriends from out of town and saw there were no seats at the bar. Ok- no problem. The hostess wouldn't even stop to say hello- just continued walking past us to the host stand and rudely asked, "Do you have a reservation?" We didn't- but would have liked to have been offered a wait time or a table. Instead she shakes her head no when we asked if we could have a drink.. DIDNT EVEN USE WORDS!! Really just terrible, terrible customer service. read more

So here is the deal. Great renovation on the space. Big - open- lively- cozy...you should go and see. My husband loved his old fashioned and said it's the best he's had in a long time. We told our waiter and he said the bartender is a true mixologist. Our waiter was wonderful- he hugged us when we left. Friendly- good recommendations- I would definitely sit in his section again. The only problem was my pasta dish needed salt or a little seasoning. I don't think there was any salt in the pasta water. It was the hand made straw & hay pasta with shrimp - zucchini and pecorino. It was light and would have been delicious with a little more flavor. Bread was yummy. Pizzas looked beautiful. I will go back and try another dish. read more

JUST SPECTACULAR! First off, they have adjusted well to COVID. Their outdoor space is stunning! Heated tents, high end decorations and cozy seating. We sat inside for dinner right near their fireplace. They have a sanitizing air system inside. The food was AMAZINGGGGGGG! From the appetizers to the desserts - just spectacular. We started with the meatballs and croquettes. Everything is homemade and it shows! Both so tasty! My seafood stew for dinner had soooooo much flavor! Fresh seafood of calamari, mussels, clams and shrimp. I was using bread to eat up the sauce! It was THAT good. My fiancé ordered the homemade fettuccini pasta with sausage. Also, so full of flavor. The desserts were off the charts -- cannoli and cheesecake. We also ordered espresso martinis to pair with it which were some of the best we've have. If I could give this restaurant 10 stars, I would! Hands down one of the BEST restaurants on the Connecticut shoreline! read more

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Every time I go here I am blown away by the flavors and quality of the food. The ambiance and service is great! Hands down, my favorite restaurant. read more

La Marea never disappoints. We knew it would be crowed on a Friday Evening and we didn't have reservations, but we were really craving there excellent cuisine. We ordered take out and were not disappointed! read more

My wife and were driving back from being out of town and decide on having an early dinner. We dropped in at 5pm on Saturday and got a booth in the bar area. This place is very nicely appointed and comfortable. We have dined here before and have enjoyed the food and the ambience. My wife had the pappardelle pasta with braiciole, which was great. I had the linguine with clams, one of my favorites that I have eaten here before. When my dish arrived my wife immediately asked where the rest of the linguine was. I noticed that it was the amount of pasta recommended to folks when they are on a diet (about as big as my hand). A man came by to ask how things were and my wife asked him what happened to the linguine. He looked and responded that "They weigh everything here". Okay. I guess that makes sense, but pasta is relatively cheap. I went with it and ate my dish in under 10 minutes. The sauce was great, but a lot of it was unfortunately left on the plate without any more pasta to eat it with. I just hope that the restaurant hasn't succumbed to economic woes and is reducing proper and reasonable food amounts to save money like many places seem to be doing now. Still, for $28 dollars, please spare a little more pasta, or people are naturally going to feel ripped-off. My wife was contemplating an after dinner drink, but decided to skip it, because she was still upset at the size of my entree. We're not "volume eaters" by any means and always prefer quality over quantity, but let's do better. The size of a pricey entree shouldn't shock you in a negative way. That being said, the service was excellent and the employees with whom we interacted were extremely friendly and nice. We'll be back at some point this Spring and see what we find. read more

Terrible service as far as take out goes. Completely unorganized. Called for two pizzas and they said wait time was 25-30 minutes. I showed up about 35 min after I called and the pizzas weren't even made yet. The hostess told me they have to take table pizza orders first so that's why it takes longer?? Is that any way to run a business?? Last I checked when you give a customer a wait time you do your best to meet it or be ready before it. Took 1 full hour from the time I called and they were unapologetic to say the least. I will not be ordering from here again that's for sure. From the looks of things they take very good care of their friends and family but if gig aren't one of those then you're bound to get poor service.. Oh and as I was impatiently waiting the owner and pizza chef got into an argument and the pizza chef dropped the 'f bomb' pretty loud. So that tells me things don't run so smoothly here!! read more

Relocated.a few months ago. Followed recommendations of friends and new coworkers to try La Marea and especially on Monday night in the bar. What fun! The bartender, Cindy, was excellent....friendly, efficient and made excellent cocktails. We had the Four Roses perfect Manhattans. They were up and "skate" with ice crystals afloat...PERFECT! We tried small bites for $8 each in the bar. They were all wonderful....vegetable rolls, tuna tartare, lobster arancini, sausage and broccoli rabe and Fritto calamari and shrimp. Wonderful! read more

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Great food!!!!!! Great staff!!! Great atmosphere!!! We have gone many times. Nino and Julianna are wonderful owners. Karen is awesome. Steffi is awesome. read more

Made reservations for my boyfriend's birthday dinner. Could not have been more pleased. We knew what to expect coming in because we glanced at the menu ahead of time. It is on the pricier side, especially if you're ordering drinks. What I loved: The hostess accommodated us when we asked for a quieter table. That was lovely. I mentioned to our waiter that we didn't want to be rushed. This was a special evening and we didn't want our entree coming out the minute we finished our app. He accommodated us and made sure things were timed nicely. My boyfriend ordered the rib eye and said it was one of the better ones he's had. I had a pasta dish and it was incredible. Good portion size. What needs work: Very little. The bourbon list was not as exclusive as you'd expect for how expensive everything else is. Also it is NOT a quiet place as Yelp suggests. This is not a problem, but be prepared. We had some of the best food we've had in a very long time. I was happy as the food was delicious. I'd like to return but we are not as affluent as most of the guests so this will probably remain a special occasion place for us. read more

Simply delicious. Authentic flavors and beautiful interiors. Brought us back to Positano! Will come back ASAP.

Well, made an attempt to have my first experience here since I had heard good things but that didn't happen. Myself and a few friends attempted to go and were told at the hostess stand they had nothing, not even bar seats we could wait for. Why? Because apparently they reserve bar seats. I fully understand that it's a Saturday night and it's busy, I've worked in the restaurant business. But I have never walked in somewhere that has a bar that they had nothing and we can't even wait for bar seats. Bar is first come first serve and that way when people walk in it's an option if they do choose to wait. Completely rubbed me the wrong way. read more

I went here the other night for a birthday dinner and I will say the food was very good and the staff was friendly but the portions are very small and the prices are too high. I literally had to eat my pasta very slow because there was so little of it and I didn't want to finish before everyone else. If I'm paying $25 for linguine with tomato's and olive oil I'm expecting to have leftovers. Ambiance is great but I left feeling ripped off. read more

Expensive and and very ordinary food. I had pasta and a salad and was very disappointed. The pasta was clumpy and overcooked with little flavor. read more

6 of us went here for lunch this week. None of us had any complaints. EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS! We all got something different, and it was spectacular. Even the appetizers. Then the dessert! The Tiramisu was the best we ever had. Could not even eat it all. Definitely going back. It's clean and the waiters and waitress were fantastic also. read more

One of the best restaurants in the area, no question. An array of menu and atmosphere options, white cloth dining area to high top tables in bar area with pizza options. Food quality does not disappoint... ever. Nino (owner) always greets us like family, and gives a very personalized experience to everyone as he mingles with customers and helps with customer needs. Top notch restaurant top to bottom. read more

When I walk into a restaurant and the first thing I hear is "no"...well the rest of my experience is not going to be good. Half of the bar and restaurant were empty and when we went to sit down at the bar, one of the people there grabbed one of us by the arm and said no. He literally grabbed one of us by the arm and dragged us back to the hostess. He said that we had to see the hostess 1st. See the hostess to sit at the bar? She told us bar seats are reserved...yet the bar still had empty seats the entire time we were Drinks were horrible and way overpriced. Food was ridiculous. $15 for a caprese salad which was 5 slices of a small tomato and same size mozzarella slices. There was barely any balsamic reduction or basil. It had zero flavor. Main course was tiny portion as well. When we left we were still hungry. Asked the bartender for 2nd drink. He promptly forgot that we asked. Another person sat next to us. Nobody told him no. He was asked what he wanted and served. Apparently he was there a lot. They knew his name. I looked at the bartender and asked why 20 minutes had gone by without our drinks. He apologized and then took another 5 minutes to serve us. I'm not exaggerating. I would never go there again. There is zero charm...zero ambiance...very pricey without any reason to be pricey. read more

I had high expectations, and was extremely let down from the moment I was seated. Two tables seated after me were engaged first. As a single diner I was obviously an after thought. I was never told specials, nor treated with same courtesy as a 2 or 4 top. One female busser/runner was the only bright spot. Now the food. Judging from the prices, they are proud of their fare... it was sub par at best, ok that's even a gift. I had carpaccio that was a hot mess, and sticky. I was excited to see rabbit on the menu. What a disaster. I come from the mindset that if it's on the plate it has a purpose and should be edible. They served the ribs, which was just crunchy bones. The leg was extremely dry and flavorless. The pasta it was served with was a giant clump, and over cooked. The shortcake was dry but bearable. Considering the not so shy prices, I was appalled at the lack of quality or customer service. I drove almost a half hour and spent over $100 to feel cheated of my time money and dining experience. Sad. read more

We went for a family dinner. Had some recommendations that they had a good meal here. I understand being covid-19 things may be a bit hard. We had an early reservation so for the kitchen to produce what they did is not acceptable as they were not busy at all. One other table besides us. The halibut they charge 38.00 for. I love Halibut and was excited to try it. When it came out they said dont touch the plate its extremely hot. Well it was but the best part about that is the Halibut was luke warm and the mashed potatoes were cold.. so maybe they microwaved the plate? And the Halibut smelled really fishy more than a normal.. Another family member ordered the bolognese.. the pasta was over cooked and again the sauce was stone cold.. when we called the waitress over she stated quietly I guess the kitchen needs to get their act together!! They heated the pasta dish up... and she brought more potatoes (and the potatoes still were not hot) For what this restaurant charges, they should have an expediter checking all meals to make sure for success.. we had multiple people help our table and not once did a manager come over to see what was wrong.. i believe the manager/maybe owner was outside the entire time.. maybe should pay attention to her kitchen as if the waitress is saying her comments there is an issue. Only good part is the pizza was ok.. i dont forsee us returning as the customer service was not for the customer at all. Overpriced, underrated food that was cold and soggy... and not even an offer to make it right or see why items were going back. Maybe paying attention to the kitchen more is where they should start. read more

La Marea - This Halibut was served with a corn, olive & pepper topping, potatoes and zucchini - Italian Near Me - Old Saybrook, Connecticut

Have not been here for a while. Always enjoyed and recommended. Tonight was just simply disappointing in every way.

Amazing meal! I ate here with my friend last night and I am so glad we did. We shared the Parmigiana di Melanzane appetizer and it was delicious - I am still thinking about it today. For my main course I got the pasta special with the house made fettuccine which did not disappoint. There is something so special about fresh pasta like that. The Hello Newman cocktail was nice and lemony. My only regret is not saving room for dessert. I'll definitely be back! read more

This is the second time I've had a problem here. The first time they tried charging me for drinks I never received. Tonight I asked for the Veal Milanese but parmigiana style. The owners wife told me it would cost me 50.00 rather than the 34.00 cost of the Milanese. I said for a scoop of sauce and a slice of cheese? Wow!!! She said "well he really doesn't do that". Ok! It must be so much trouble. They have many other dishes with red sauce. There are plenty of other good places in the area to spend your money!! read more

Just dined with a party of 7 at La Marea for the first time. First impression was great; Hostess was there to hang up jackets, seated right away, vibrant bar scene to the right and dining room to the left. Waiter, although a bit forgetful and quirky, seemed knowledgeable and full of energy. The reason for the 3 stars would be the overall quality and value of the food. For city prices, the portions are small and the food is mediocre quality. The pasta dishes were very average and the chef in my opinion, spent too much time spicing them up but should have stuck with simple, delicious, pasta dishes. Unfortunately you get pint sized, over priced meals. Gave this place a chance over Otter Cove, unfortunately it did not do the trick. Would give it another shot but nothing to rave home about. Of note: The bar scene seemed exciting, could be a nice after-dinner drink spot. read more

We put a reservation in on Open Table for 8:30PM and got seated as soon as we arrived. The atmosphere was nice and cozy. We sat down and ordered a bottle of wine and one cocktail which took quite some time to arrive at the table. The wine finally came and the cocktail 10 minutes later. I had ordered a pink tequila which was phenomenal and not too sweet and easy to drink, the perfect cocktail balance in my eyes. At this point we put in our appetizers, salad, and dinners all at once. The grilled vegetables with mozzarella were amazing and had great flavor. The bresaola was delicious and different, I had never had this before but it was definitely a great appetizer option. The appetizers were small, and could be shared with two people most, only a bite per a person if you had 4.... We were also served some delicious warm bread which was good. However, we had to ask the waiter for more oil which was empty on our table and salt and pepper which we didn't have. The salt shaker we received was also empty. The bus boys need to do a better job tending and restocking the these. The salads finally came and were delicious, all very good and the balsamic dressing was wonderful on the Tricolore salad. A perfect serving for one person, not a big salad you could split or anything. We had then ordered another bottle of wine which took forever (they claimed they didn't forget, buuut I don't know if I believe this or not?). We spent more time waiting and dinner was served and everything was absolutely delicious. The pork chop was my favorite dish, a healthy portion with great flavor and two accompanying sides. The fettuccini bolognese was good, nothing to write home about. The gnocchi was also spectacular, great flavors pulled together served in a Parmesan crisp bowl, so unique and tied the dish together nicely. After dinner we ordered desserts and cappuccinos. The cappuccinos came and we finished them by the time desserts arrived (which the restaurant comped for us because they took so long, a nice gesture). The chocolate soufflé was perfect and sooo wonderful I would order this again in a heartbeat. The gelato a were also pretty good and smooth. My biggest take away here is this restaurant has very good good, but it is hard to enjoy when your service is off. Our waiter was very friendly, however we were missing silverware, appetizer plates, drinks, and water refills all through the night which was quite off. We also would have like some fresh Parmesan on our pastas, however no one came to check on us to make sure our food was good or okay. Our empty wine glasses and plates sat at the table for quite some time before they were cleared away for us to enjoy our next course. We sat down at 8:30 and left the restaurant at 10:50!!!! We were in no rush at all but this is an aggressively long time to be waiting at an restaurant. Everything took fore-ev-er, and I think it is important to communicate to the customer if there is a problem in the kitchen, or follow up with their experience. We spent a lot of money here to have a nice dinner and I feel you pay for the whole experience, and I didn't feel we got that or the restaurant even acknowledged that, which I was kind of bummed. Comping dessert because it took a while was nice, but everything took an extraordinary amount of time and this wasn't acknowledged at all which left me confused. read more

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First time we ate here, food was good, portions are extremely small for an Italian restaurant not something my wife and I are used to. We are not big eaters but whoever heard of an Italian restaurant that serves french portions. The angel hair pasta l ordered looked like it was scooped from an ice cream scooper. We ordered dessert just to have more to eat but after dinner we went through the Burger King Drive-Thru cuz I was still hungry. 6 months later we decided to meet two other couples at the bar before a show. When we arrived dressed in sport jackets, ties and the women wearing dresses, we were told that we cannot sit at the bar, which mind you was totally empty. We were told that the seats were reserved and that we could not sit down, not only that we were nice about the whole thing but the girl was adamant about it and rude, needless to say will not be going back and I can tell you that there are plenty of Italian restaurants in Middletown area that serve normal size portions for the money that are worth the drive from Old Saybrook. read more

Every time we visit La Marea it feels like going to Nana's house for a Sunday dinner. Wonderful owners and awesome food. Be sure to have the cheesecake. Thank you Nino and Juliana! read more

My son asked us what we wanted for Christmas. We said a gift certificate to La Marea! He went there and it was closed, so he bought a visa gif card! We went there for dinner and their system did not take it! Every place should take a visa gift card! The food was good! The service was too good! You couldn't even eat a bite without them asking you how it was! We won't go back! read more