I always appreciate restaurants that have an ocean view. They have both indoor and outdoor seating available. It is a very open restaurant, but the indoor seating also has ceiling fans to keep the inside cool. We came for breakfast/brunch and the food was good, but I was somewhat surprised when it arrived at the table. I ordered the bagel & lox platter because it sounded like a good option on a warmer day. The bagel came out somewhat smaller than expected, but I appreciate the effort that went into the presentation. Parts of the smoked salmon were on the chewier end, but the other toppings offered a good balance of flavor and textures. The salad was fresh and the dressing was light. It was a little unexpected, but I don't mind eating salad for breakfast. read more

M Restaurant - Bagel & Lox Platter - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

We went here for a bday dinner and it was delicious. The service was top notch. The music was on point. The bolognese was the best I have had in a while. I am a spaghetti snob so that is a compliment. We also had a tiramisu for the birthday celebration and it was amazing. We will be back! read more

We had breakfast here on a busy Summer Saturday. The food was good when we finally got what we ordered. It took a couple attempts to get it right, unfortunately. It also took 3 requests to get salt & pepper and the food was cold by the time we got it. It's a chaotic vibe and I wouldn't go back for breakfast just based on the price and what we were charged vs what we actually received. OJ is grocery store quality, not fresh and served warm The staff doesn't seem to know what comes out to the table or what is actually supposed to be included. I ordered Brioche french toast, it was handed to me plain & dry with no butter and a small side of pancake syrup. It's listed on the menu "comes with whipped cream" and berries, but the very small print says the berries are extra $. I then asked the server if it was supposed to come with butter or whipped cream. She said it came with whipped cream and berries- so they delivered it. Then I was still charged an up charge fee. For 1 single strawberry and a small amount of blueberries My daughter has food allergies so we ordered her dish a specific way, and it came straight off the menu so it had to be sent back. $110 for 3 people and I wouldn't try it again. read more

Yum! Beautiful restaurant with delicious food. We ordered a bottle of Opus wine to celebrate, and I had the penne pasta with marina sauce and a kick of red pepper. Service was outstanding and the pasta was perfectly prepared. We didn't have a reservation, but they were able to get us in on a weekend day. read more

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The M Restaurant... Welcome to the island. I came out here for a friends birthday. This was my first time eating here. We originally had our sights and appetites set for the Blue water Avalon. However we were rudely advised by the lady cleaning the door windows that they were closed. So we went to the M instead. The "M" (lucky #13) was a God send. Our waitress was Stefania. She was ABSOLUTELY AMAZINGLY AWESOME. She is literally Jonnie on the spot. I even took her suggestion for my meal. She recommended the Steak and Eggs. She did not disappoint. The meal in it's entirety was very good. I highly recommend it. As for the ambiance... The outdoor patio is very relaxing. If you plan on visiting Catalina Island in the near future please, PLEASE, PLEASE eat at the M. You will not be disappointed. P.s. Bluewater if you read this. Please talk to your staff. What they say in Spanish can easily be interpreted by someone who knows the same language. NOT COOL what she said. Bluewater you just lost a customer. M you just gained one. read more

M Restaurant - Steak and eggs. Steak... Medium rare Eggs.... Over easy - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

There are limited choices to dine, which can be casual or higher end on this island. After reviewing several restaurants for a higher end for my besties and I, I booked here. An early dinner on a Sunday night, it was still busy, where we didn't get the request to sit outside on the patio. No problem, they put us closest to the patio which was fine. However, our server was non-existence the whole entire time. Skip the Ceasar salad, which was not worth the price and the fried ravioli appetizers. The Pesto Pasta was so drenched in sauce, we could have made 3 more pasta plates, which was not good. The only good items were my friends fish plates. Besides that by the time we waved our server for our bill, since we never saw him again after taking our order, it took us another 20 minutes to finally drop it off, since he simply forgot! No problem picking up the check when we were walking out. I should have booked at Blue Watergrill. read more

Rez was for 8:30. Ordered French onion soup, vegetarian flatbread, and Catalina chicken. Asparagus was undercooked. Soup and flatbread were bland. Service was horrible. They turned on the lights and started sweeping before even offering us dessert. Staff was all at the bar drinking and eating by 9:30. Manager had an attitude. Ended u comping 2 meals, but was not apologetic at all about our experience. Would not recommend this restaurant at all. read more

This is the place we chose to have my birthday dinner in Catalina and so glad we did. I really enjoyed sitting in the outdoor patio with the nice view. For dinner we had the calamari dinner plate and lasagna. Note that the calamari dinner was a calamari steak, we didn't know what to expect, it was tasty but the portion was small. The lasagna was awesome, my type of meat sauce lasagna! The front patio ambiance was nice - the weather was perfect and it was a relaxing environment. The service was just ok but I still had a great time. read more

I came here for my girl friend's birthday dinner. We were a party of 6 and had a reservation at 7:30pm on a Friday. The restaurant was pretty busy when we were seated. Food was good overall and service was prompt and attentive. I ordered the Pasta Bolognese which was delicious. My girl friend ordered the Lasagna which was hot as the surface of the sun and was not going to cool down anytime soon. The rest of the party was going to finish dinner before it could be edible. Thankfully the server was helpful and suggested something else that would come in time before everyone finished their entrees. She also got the Pasta Bolognese, which I ended up having for lunch the next day since she couldn't finish it :o]. Lucky me! I would come back again if I were to visit the island and would recommend to others. read more

M Restaurant - Pasta Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

Loved the bottomless mimosas. My omelette was good and the potatoes were delicious. French toast was good (though I wish they had a better syrup. It was watered down, kinda runny). The burrito was good as well. Loved the ocean views and outdoor seating. Overall good food and great service. read more

M Restaurant - Vegetarian omelette, Brioche French Toast, and breakfast burrito - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

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Great service and awesome ambiance. Get the breakfast burrito with all the meats. Worth the extra money! read more

M Restaurant - Loaded bagel - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

Service was great and the food was delicious! Jose was our server and he was very kind.

Pancakes tasted a little chewy to cut through. Eggs Benedict was good. Tomatoes could be slightly more fresh but it was still good. Great price for the meal! read more

M Restaurant - Eggs Benedict Florentine & buttermilk pancakes - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

Main courses were good & the restaurant is one of the nicer ones I have seen on the island as far as aesthetics go. Would definitely be back. We had good service & they have relatively good pricing compared to mainland CA. read more

M Restaurant - Lobster Linguine - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

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Made reservations and sat indoors which had a cool vibe between rustic and modern. Service was friendly and helpful in helping us narrow down the dishes for our dinner. We got the Lobster Linguini and Chicken Parmesan. We also got the Burrata as an appetizer. Everything was good and decadent for a special occasion. The Lobster Linguini was yummy and flavored with lots of cream and butter so it was on the heavier side. The Chicken Parmesan was good, but could have had a crispier crust. Overall, had a lovely time and enjoyed dining here. read more

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We booked a 7:45 dinner on Sunday, expecting to have until 9:00 to enjoy dinner and drinks on the patio since that is their posted closing time. Around 9:00, staff began cleaning inside the restaurant with bleach, and the overwhelming smell made it impossible to enjoy the dessert and drinks we had just ordered (at the server's suggestion). When we closed the patio door to block the bleach smell from inside, staff loudly reopened the door and abruptly told us the restaurant had actually closed at 8:00--an hour earlier than posted. This made no sense and was especially frustrating given our 7:45 reservation and other tables still enjoying their drinks. Clearly no one expected us to finish dinner in 15 minutes. We had mentioned we were celebrating milestone birthdays. When the dessert came without a candle and we asked for one, Maria told us they were out. At the time we took what she said at face value, but in hindsight it felt more like they were rushing us out than offering genuine hospitality. From start to finish, service from both the hostess and server was curt. Perhaps someone was having a bad day, but for paying guests the experience was unprofessional and a disappointing way to end an otherwise lovely weekend in Catalina. The food itself was forgettable, so if you skip this place you will not be missing out. We enjoyed our margaritas at Coyote Joe's where Gabriel was welcoming and showed us some fabulous hospitality! Give him a visit! read more

Dining - Crescent Avenue [Avalon, Catalina Island] We started our first hour on a Sunday Funday by having brunch here at M Restaurant. We waited for 5 mins before we were seated then we were led to a table on their covered outdoor patio. We wanted to eat light because we want to try other restaurants also and didn't want to get stuffed early so we shared a Steak & Eggs. I didn't care for the gristle on the end part of the meat but, otherwise, the medium cooked steak was juicy and flavorful. Everything else was good. I had to remind another server that they forgot to bring our toast. I asked for white, we got wheat. I didn't bother exchanging it... it already took too long to get everything served. We had the nicest server and he frequently came by to update us on the status of our food but he spoke too soft. There are so many dining options in Catalina Island. Just alone on Crescent Avenue we've had to do an eenie, meenie, miney, moe. Dining on this street would give you a view of the harbor and the Catalina Casino. Review #2962 read more

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Hostess greeted us & said Happy Birthday to my wife which I shared via my Open Table reservation. Amazing shrimp cocktail with homemade cocktail sauce. The server never acknowledged my wife's birthday & could have been more attentive. The manicotti was good, filet mignon with blue cheese was great, rock lobster tail was great but could have been a bit more firm (surf & turf with filet instead of New York). The atmosphere was great. The wines by the glass we had were great. Tiramisu was great but very rich as opposed to being light. No cappuccino???? read more

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Food was outstanding!! Reminded us of being in Amalfi! So authentic to the Italian coastal dining we did while in Italy not too long ago! Wonderful experience! read more

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Excellent food and service at M! We had a "Night Before" dinner party for 55 people prior to our son's wedding. We took up the entire rear patio, which felt private. Steven helped us put together a menu with great suggestions on how to handle salad and appetizer courses. The Italian Meatballs and Panko Crusted Zucchini appetizers; Shrimp Scampi, Baked Lasagna, Arrabbiata Pasta and Chicken Catalina dishes were all outstanding, as was the cheesecake. The wine selections were of good quality and reasonably priced. Steven answered all of my questions over the last eight months and handled last minute changes with ease. His staff were friendly and efficient. I highly recommend this restaurant for your large event (or dinner for two). read more

M Restaurant - Dinner on the rear patio. - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

Our experience at M was a mixed bag. To begin: the service was very good and the views from the patio are nice. The restaurant looked clean but the bathroom was a bit dingy. As for the food - we began with the fried ravioli, which were amazing; I could have eaten that alone for dinner. For entrees, my companion had the swordfish and I had the filet. The swordfish was a bit overcooked and dry, but the flavor was good. However, my filet mignon, which I ordered medium, came to me well done - the steak was completely grey. I sent it back, and the waitress was friendly about it. When the new steak came to me, it was VERY rare - I'm talking black and blue. I kind of nibbled around the edges but ultimately left it uneaten. I just didn't want to send it back a second time. The filet was served with mashed potatoes, which were not great - they were too peppery and stiff/dry. The asparagus was a bit stringy - which is to be expected, given the season - but well seasoned. The standout was the bleu cheese sauce - it was absolutely delicious. I may end up going back, in spite of the middling experience, because Catalina dining options are few. However, if and when I return, I'll be sticking to appetizers and/or pasta items. read more

M Restaurant - Fried ravioli with a view. - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

We ate here last Wednesday night for dinner. Had some good food including: 1) shrimp scampi with linguine - full of butter even though it tastes good 2) penne pasta - there is a spicy kick to this dish read more

Would definitely come back. The food and ambiance were great!! The potatoes were tastier than they looked, and they looked good! read more

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We were able to seat immediately without reservations. The view was fantastic. Our food was really great!

This place has a nice atmosphere but when it came to the food I wish we had passed. The bolognese and shrimp scampi was terrible.

Best restaurant in Avalon. Service was amazing (thanks Lauren!). Food... heads above other places here. Must try.

I went to M resteraunt a couple nights ago and ordered the swordfish. The swordfish and rice were cooked perfectly and tasted delicious. However, the vegtables were not as good. They were kind of bitter and I didn't really eat them. Our waitress was kind and friendly as were all the other staff members. I was sitting inside and I asked to be switched outside and they were happy to accomidate. The dining room was clean and so were the bathrooms. I will be back for a second review! read more

The perfect view for dinner and the food was even better. The patio seating was romantic as the evening darkened. Last night, there was only one patio heater and it was cold. The waitress was pleasant and accommodating. We ordered meatballs for appetizer, the sauce was rich in flavors and tasted perfect with the toasted sour dough bread. For dinner, we ordered lasagna and cioppino. The lasagna was rich and cheesy! So good! The cioppino wasn't so great in my opinion and did not have as many seafood as I would have expected and as fresh. Overall, it was a great dinning experience. read more

M Restaurant - The evening view - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

Went for a celebration, server had no idea about the food, and served a ceasar w no dressing, then the steak mrare was well, and the marinara was def out a jar. No manager just a place that serves terrible food to tourist who won't be back, so they don't care. When in Avalon eat cheaper thats were the best food is waisting you money and time looking for real food is pointless. M for meh read more

The food was tasty but the service wasn't attentive nor friendly. I'd return but only if I'm desperate.

Ahh we were fooled by this spot. The menu looked promising but the food we had was below average and it was quite pricey. We got seated outside since we had a dog with us. The server and host were friendly at first but as the night progressed and the restaurant became more busy, we were neglected outside in the cold. The food was OK. The cioppino with linguine for another $6 was hearty, but the flavors of the broth was ok. And there were more chunks of fish than any other seafood. My husband's chicken Parm was OK, he thought it was subpar and the portion definitely left much to be desired. The old fashioned I ordered tasted like an overly sweetened cocktail. Over $100 for our disappointing Italian food. Tourist trap sadly. As for the service, the server was nowhere to be found during the last half of the night. At first we were patient and tried to enjoy the evening. But after over an hour of sitting outside in the freezing cold, I started to flag down the host instead. I tried to flag down the other server but she straight up ignored me. Understandably we were not at her table and she was busy, but no acknowledgement whatsoever. Another group of 4 seated 20 min after us outside, but they got their food and left before we did, they were well taken care of by that woman server that ignored me at the end. I heard it was the first time they opened up the outdoor patio in awhile, so maybe that's why we received very slow service. I started to feel a sense of discrimination at this restaurant towards the end. Workers didn't seem to care to check on us but seemed friendlier towards the family of 4, I was getting very pissed. We tried to be patient given we had a dog and knew we could only sit outside, but at what point do I need to realize the level of service and neglect we received is unethical. read more

Best restaurant on the Island. Beautiful place and waitress was really nice and helpful. Had the charred octopus with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Only negative was the chimichurri sauce lacked some flavor. Wife had the chicken parm, tasted great! Came with pasta and a summer succotash. Definitely recommend coming here! read more

This is probably the least favorite dining experience we had in the 3 days we spent in Avalon. The waitress was great but they were out of our favorite wines. My octopus was chewy so I sent it back for swordfish which was better. read more

Service was very good. We were seated quickly at about 7:30pm. The calm chowder was the best of the three places we had chowder this weekend. I loved my arugula salad. The tequila shrimp pasta was just too salty. The ribeye was okay. Cappuccino mouse was amazing. Too much for one person, a must share read more

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Came here after a dive day to get down dinner before heading back to the mainland. We were going to be a little tight on time (about 75 mins to get to the dock), but with efficient service we would have been good. Once we were sat, we waited probably 5-10 minutes for service to come to our table. We were never acknowledged by the wait staff, and due to our relative timing crunch decided to just leave. No one spoke to us on our way out either. Unsure if it was just "island time", but really I felt a bit judged for our attire- which to an empty restaurant shouldn't really matter IMO. I might come back and give this place a chance, but for now.. they are on my skip list. read more

We came to the restaurant based upon the reviews only to be extremely disappointed. Every dish that we ordered was extremely salty, the steak and potatoes were cold and the lobster linguini was abysmal. Never again, what a waste of time and money. read more

Me and my wife made a reservation for indoor seating since the weather on Catalina was cold and wet. When we showed up the hostess told us there was only outdoor or bar seating. When I informed her we had made a reservation for indoor she didn't seem to understand what making a reservation meant. We decided to go eat elsewhere. It's a shame we looked forward to dinner here since the reviews seemed strong. Never mind. If this is how they treat people I'd rather go elsewhere. read more

We didn't particularly notice this restaurant as we walked by ............. but our noses really made our heads turn towards The M Restaurant. They have an Italian flair menu with patio dining, and indoor dining with a great opening to their patio - perfect for Catalina weather. The service was slow, the wine was okay but the food was good. We started with the Manilla Clams. Admittedly while the clam meat portion is always the smallest portion of this type of dish, they were tough, but it was more than offset by the great broth. The broth was superbly seasoned with a pinot grigio wine base. The garlic ciabatta bread had the perfect balance of toastness (another word in my dictionary) and airiness that soaked up the broth. (We ordered additional bread for $3). The key here is to use your fork to strain the broth for the juicy and flavorful bits at the bottom of the bowl to put on the bread. Our main course was the Scallop Pesto Linguine (We told our server we were going to share this dish, and the kitchen divided it for us. So my pic is actually my half of the dinner portion). These scallops were on the small side but they were cooked perfectly with very tender insides and the nicely seared outside. The linguine was cooked al dente. The creamy basil was on point - rich but not over powered by too much cream and had ample basil to shine through. The pine nuts offered the right amount of crunch to an otherwise "soft" dish. read more

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We had my husband's 60th birthday party (for 30+ people) at the M Restaurant this past weekend, and it was fabulous! While the restaurant hosted a wedding reception inside the restaurant, we had out party outside on the back patio, and it was perfect! Steve, the event coordinator/owner, was very helpful in the planning, making sure the tables were set and ready to go. And the food? Their chicken fettuccini alfredo and sand dabs were the best (along with the Avalon flatbread.) Raul, plus 3-4 others, catered to our every need; they sure were on top of everything. They even cut our cake that we brought in. It was a wonderful evening at the M. Many thanks!! Jenny F. read more

BEST FOOD we had on Catalina. It's a large spacious Italian restaurant in Avalon with nice outdoor seating and large doors that they keep open when not too cold on both sides of the interior. Even if eating inside it feels like "outside-in". The details were nice, the cutlery was nicely polished and wrapped in napkins neatly and every table had different fresh flowers on them. Raul was our server and was super courteous and amazing. Negroni and Raspberry Mule: The first things that were brought to the table and I knew it we were in for a good meal because the Negroni was absolutely right and my wife loved her Moscow Mule variation. Sanddabs Fish Special: crusted on the outside and cooked perfectly, nothing like super fresh fish, the sauce and capers were a perfect pairing that complemented. They sides were also as good as the mains with creamy mashed potatoes and vegetables that were a nice vibrant color and still slightly firm. Cioppino: My wife came here because she was sick of seafood and wanted meat and oddly ordered the one dish that was a crazy seafood combo. It's unlike anything we had in San Francisco where this dish originated. I want to say its more pepppery but not in a bad way. The garlic bread it came with was amazing. Kids Pasta Marinara and Flatbread Pizza: My kids were super quiet eating this because they were too busy stuffing themselves. We threw some of the penne into the Cioppino an it was very good like that. We loved it came with fresh cut fruit on the side and it looked so much better than just something brown/yellow/carb-y that is normally what you get with kids food. read more

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