Hosts were so sweet. Dinner was delicious & can't beat the views. Ordered the Catalina chicken and subbed the mashed potatoes for penne with creamy pesto--highly recommend! read more

M Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

Very nice place. Great atmosphere. The bar area is lively and cozy. I wish we had something like this where we live. The staff was was wonderful everyone worked well together and took good care of us. Our food was so good. I had the arrabiatta which was very good and just a little spicy so it didn't overwhelm the sauce. My husband had the chicken parm and it was also very good. It came with pasta a olio, which was very bland. Ask for red sauce on your pasta because their red sauce was great. The servings were on the large side and we should have shared Next time for sure. This restaurant is actually part of the Hotel Metropole where we stayed. Also a great find. Enjoy read more

M Restaurant - Cheese bread. So good! - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

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Dropped by this restaurant for brunch! Their lunch starts at 11am sharp so I'd recommend coming for either breakfast or lunch. We came at an awkward time (10:40) so we waited 20 minutes for the lunch menu. The food quality was great and the dishes we got were flavorful. The prices are affordable and the interior was clean and aesthetically pleasing (lavender on the tables). Our server was friendly and our food came out fast! I'd definitely come back to try other dishes on the menu :) read more

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The food was very tasty and came out hot, which was nice. Many restaurants we've been to on the island don't seem to pay attention to that detail. We had the burrata, which was amazing and came with a little salad. The clams were delicious and the sauce was super flavorful. I tried the Chicken Catalina and my husband had the Surf & Turf. Bother were very good. read more

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So yummy!! Ravioli were amazing! Pastas were also very good. Definitely coming back. Definitely recommend if your a pasta lover

This review solely pertains to the Thanksgiving evening dinner service. We made reservations via OpenTable, which I was required to confirm via email, text message, and phone call the day before. This felt excessive, but I figured this meant it would be busy. In a way, it was, but it was also incredibly hectic and poorly managed. When we arrived, there were multiple tables empty and, when we were finally sat, it took over 20 minutes for a server to greet us. Two of the heaters outside were turned off, one of which broke during the service. I received the wrong salad (of two prix five choices) and we received the wrong bottle of wine, which we politely asked to be switched for the wine we ordered. This took another 5 minutes or so. We were ultimately charged for the initial, more expensive wine and had to ask our server to fix the bill, which took about 5 minutes. Once we ordered, service was incredibly fast (almost too fast--the food was pre-prepped and ready to go as if it were a caterinf line, which made us question to ourselves the slow service). I asked for all white meat turkey, and the meat was obviously from a frozen or pre-made turkey breast, not from a whole bird. It was also rubbery. My guest ordered the ham, which was fine. The highlight was the mashed potatoes--the lowlight was the stuffing muffin thing, which was too hard on the outside and too mushy on the inside. Our pie was very obviously store bought or frozen and was served on a saucer with a plastic fork. Considering the price, I expected much better. Our server informed us there were large parties being served inside, which I believe likely influenced how the other tables were serviced. This was not on the floor staff, but rather on management for not properly staffing and for the low-quality food and meal experience. I assume they figured they could make some quick cash by serving a holiday meal, which they did, but at what cost. I never write reviews, and I was hesitant to write this one, but there is absolutely no way I would recommend this restaurant nor would I return. There are nicer places with the same view--don't waste your time or money. read more

They overcooked the lobster linguine and arrabiata pasta beyond belief. Pasta was mush and the lobster was so rubbery it lost all its flavor. I've had pasta from fast casual places better than this. Avoid. read more

We went here for the final night of our honeymoon on Catalina Island and were not disappointments! We went around 5PM for an early dinner and had a wonderful server who gave us amazing recommendations for the cheesy bread, wine, and later pasta dish we shared. Didn't get any pics of the food, we were hungry! But the overall vibe was great and more up-scale than the other places we tried on the island. Would recommend! read more

M Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

Great place!!! Great Location!!! The food was excellent!!! Delish!!! Serving sizes were as expected. Our Server, Lauren was friendly, knowledgeable, and Accommodating!!! I'm going to try the Espresso Martini tomorrow... read more

My partner and I were out and about during our weekend stay in Catalina when we decided to try this place. We weren't craving pasta, yet we saw they had flatbread pizza so we decided to give it a go. We arrived without a reservation on a Friday night and were seated promptly. The place is nice, definitely nicer inside than outside. We ordered three things; the flatbread pizza, the tequila shrimp pasta, and the clam chowder in a bread bowl. The flatbread pizza was great! It was everything we wanted and more. Nice and cheesy with peppers and a tasty Italian sausage. The crust was very crunchy. I would rate this a solid 8.6/10 and would order this again. The tequila shrimp pasta on the other hand was quite the opposite. Though it wasn't terrible, we didn't end up enjoying this pasta because the sauce was too runny. We didn't like the cream that the sauce was made with and overall, it lacked flavor. I also didn't enjoy the fact that it had pepper pieces in the pasta. We decided to send it back and replaced it with their clam chowder. The clam chowder was decent. Not the best I've tried but it certainly was not the worst. The sourdough bread bowl was okay. Overall, I would come back for the flatbread. It was quite tasty and was certainly the better pizza option on the island. The service was okay, I appreciate the bussers going around filling up water but our server didn't swing by that often to check up. read more

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My favorite restaurant on the island! No matter what you order on the menu, you're going to love it! Don't forget to try their ravioli bites read more

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Really enjoyed our post race meal at the M. The service (Allie) was friendly and attentive. The food was yummy. The French onion soup was piping hot and perfect for a chilly evening. The accompanying crouton was perfect to soak up the soup. The cioppino was flavorful. The seafood was plentiful and had to order an extra side of garlic cheese bread to have with the broth. Overall highly recommend am if Italian is what you're craving. read more

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The food was excellent. The service is good even though they are very overwhelmed because of lack of staff. The waiters work really hard. No cappuccino. read more

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This was a hidden gem! We enjoyed brunch on the patio. The breakfast menu, cocktail menu (great mimosa flight variations and if you're looking for bottomless mimosas, this is the place), coffee and food were all on point. We had the Florentine Benedict, Avocado Toast, and Brioche French Toast with fresh berries and whipped cream. Service was fantastic. Highly recommend. read more

Amazing service and the food was delicious. The location was beautiful. Right in front of the water.

Seated right away. Very friendly and accommodating people. They tried to make us comfortable. We ordered all the veggie appetizers and veggie breads they had. All of them tasted amazing. We were very satisfied with the food and service. read more

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A very pleasant place to choose for dinner, well appointed with pleasant hostesses and waiters. I chose the burrata and cioppino expecting a variety of sea flavors. What I got in the cioppino was a broth so full of spices, no fish flavors came through, only texture of clams, salmon and shrimp (sadly mussels were left out). The burrata, as I recall should have been served over tomato slices which were also missing only having a few small cherry sized tomatoes for a variety of flavor over a bed of arugula. If the chef was to eat the food, changes would be made for sure, unfortunately a lack of attention in the kitchen lowered the standard that this restaurant could have. read more

Great food in the heart of Catalina. Cheesy garlic bread and their house sangria were my favs read more

M Restaurant - Catalina chicken - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

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So disappointed... took my BFF for her birthday with my adult daughter so 3 of us. Beautiful spot but food was not good and service substandard. My daughter ordered the Sand Dabs that came over cooked no sauce. It was sent back for a rare fillet that came medium she didn't eat that either. Even though I made the reservation for a birthday and we saw other tables get a birthday dessert, she did not. I guess cause we returned a plate so they didn't like us? Total bill $350+ we should have just gone to Coney Island for a hotdog! read more

M Restaurant - Entrance to Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

First off, (and I can't believe I'm saying this) massive props for free water. Though, no free bread which seemed unusual for an Italian restaurant. The dishes were altogether just standard Italian fare - we got arrabbiata, fettuccine and, if I recall, a seafood dish. The chicken fettuccine Alfredo was pretty bland, no parmesan was offered or included and there was no salt or pepper handy either. The arrabiata was acceptable but nowhere near the offerings off the island. Interestingly, the waiter insisted that the dishes were quite small and sharing would be unlikely, but as expected none of us finished our meals. There were several birthdays so lots of singing. The atmosphere was nice, if you eat outside you can see the water. The staff was at least attentive and efficient. read more

Favorite meal of our stay. Clams, onion soup, cheesy garlic bread, scampi, and tequila shrimp. BOMB read more

First of all, our server, Lauren, was excellent. She was attentive and very personable. We were dining with family members who can be challenging and she breezed right through. Our meals were excellent. We all had pasta dishes, lasagna, manicotti and scallops with pesto. Needless to say, we cleaned our plates. The atmosphere was also wonderful. read more

I would rate this place 10 stars if I could!!! I came for dinner last night and the food was absolutely phenomenal. Highly recommend the French onion soup. It was so good I had to come back for breakfast today. The ambiance is also amazing and I had great service!! read more

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Delicious breakfast. Cool views on an enclosed patio and attentive service made for a lovely breakfast. Tangy mimosas were a hit. read more

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Fabulous restaurant on Catalina Island! Everything was excellent. The servers are locals, born and raised on Catalina. The food was outstanding. We enjoyed after dinner drinks and dessert at the old bar from a ship. 5-Star Date night read more

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Positive Experiences. Been a few times. Friendly staff, clean higher end ambiance, and quality food. We enjoy the cheesy garlic bread appetizer. It is light and tasty with a flavorful marinara sauce. The crispy ravioli is good too. The french onion soup was also very good. The Penne Arrabiatta was cooked perfectly with, I believe, the same flavorful Marinara. The Shrimp is large and succulent and Artic Char is really well made. The tiramisu was better than we expected for dessert. The only thing I could say is some dishes are cheese and cream heavy. M is our go to when visiting. read more

I had my wedding dinner reception here. This was one of the few restaurants on the island that takes reservations. My family ate in the outside courtyard area and were well taken care of by Ali/Alison and other staff. She was so sweet and attentive!!! My new auntie-in-law is Italian and she says this place is legit! I loved everything here, from the calamari, burrata, chicken Milanese, the cioppino (5 of my 11 family members ordered it!), Manila clams, blackened swordfish, pesto linguini with scallops (this was my order... yum!)... I mean you really can't go wrong with most orders here. Btw, if you bring your own champagne like we did there was a $25 cork fee. A little pricey imo, but worth it given the TLC the provided by Ali and the other staff. Will be back! read more

M Restaurant - Pesto linguini with scallops - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California

The service was good. This is supposed to be more fancy but they do not have a dress code. Garlic bread for kids had the most amazing red sauce. The portobello was good but not expected to be a single mushroom. The side noodles and veggies really made it great. We had other stuff and it was also good. Their salad dressing was very good. Ambiance was great. Ocean breeze from the patio area, which is mostly enclosed, gave the full experience of being at the beach. Prices were reasonable. read more

Great food, nice service . Recommendations would be that the bus staff doesn't clear plates while people are eating . Also water was never refilled . read more

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Best meal we had on the island! The food and service were excellent! Sand Dabs were some of the best I have eaten. Scallops with Pesto was amazing. Portions were large. Highly suggested! read more

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In my humble opinion, this is the best restaurant on Catalina. Bolognese was money, as well as the Penne Primevera. Wife got the clams and they were solid. They were a bit unstaffed but all of the island is. read more

We had a wonderful dinner here last night on the island of Catalina in Avalon. Great ambience, excellent service by an entire staff who lives on the island. Started with a wonderful bottle of wine, a great kale salad that was bright and flavor not overdressed and had wonderful additions of cranberries and just the right amount of cheese. Also had Steamed Clams in a spicy broth that was excellent and then the big winner of the night was the pasta Primavera. The by far the best pasta Primavera we've ever had anywhere in the world. Clean full of flavor and healthy. Thank you for the wonderful experience. We would definitely recommend it and in fact, we have canceled our dinner reservations at another restaurant for the next night and will instead be coming back to M.. Daniel and the entire weight staff made the experience. Wonderful, we look forward to seeing you again tonight. read more

I had a really nice meal here. Service was excellent, fast, and friendly. Wine was great. Lobster linguini was very tasty. Food didn't take a super long time even though they were pretty busy. Reasonably priced (for Catalina). Great spot, would come here again. read more

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

What a GREAT experience! Great drinks! Great service! Our server Joanna was impeccable! The restaurant was really nice and inviting. Not too close. Not too loud. Just right! Very inviting for tourists! Some of our food was on the cooler side but was great and had great taste! Thank you to the back crew of the kitchen. read more

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were sat at the window, with a beautiful immediately on thursday Aug 22nd. We were provided expedient, super friendly, helpful and professional service. The food was the best meal I've had in MONTHS, and I eat all over CA, including San Diego and the SF bay area. Pricing was more reasonable than you'd expect for a restaurant on the water on Catalina Island. I was provided with the most amazing capaccino mousse for my birthday. read more

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What an amazing experience, oh and the food we cleared our plates and had dessert! This little gem is located in the Metropole Market Place and huge and if you are walking by you can end up missing it but the smell will draw you back in! There was a huge party of 70 in the back. We were able to get reservations and choose to sit on the patio with a nice breeze around 7pm...however the employees made sure to quickly change out any empty propane Tanks whenever they were done. From the moment we stepped upstairs to the moment we left... our service was nothing but exceptional. Our waiter (name escapes me at the moment) Was nothing short of amazing. I have a specific food allergy and unfortunately every single dish had the one food that I'm allergic to. But that didn't stop the insistence of the chef and waiter who was able to cook up an exceptional off the menu halibut order while providing my SO With his chosen meal... the seafood plate. We started the meal off with calamari which was Cooked perfectly And must be one of the best calamari I have ever had. No tentacles here! We went with the suggested wine for our meal and was sure glad we did, the wine was very subtle but crisp and not too oaky as you get with most Chardonnays. This was my kind of server. I was pleasantly surprised when I was brought two desserts for my birthday surprise. One was a cappuccino moose which was exquisite, from the taste and texture all the way to the raspberry cheesecake. Very friendly atmosphere as everybody joined in to sing Happy Birthday. Yet I was not the only one to celebrate a birthday that night... I too enjoyed some Happy Birthday singing to another fellow birthday person. My halibut was cooked perfectly and it is too bad that it was not on the menu but so glad that they were able to make this exception for me. As for the seafood plate my SO would've licked the plate it was that good. We will definitely be back (even if it is just for wine & dessert) highly recommend. They do not offer tap water but like most places on the island have bottled water available. read more

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Came for breakfast on Saturday and the menu choices were varied and lots of healthy choices. My $4 fruit bowl was large! My friend had an omelette and really enjoyed it. Excellent service and outstanding views. read more

I am at M right now and my server Joanna is the absolute best. My friends and I are tipsy and being annoying and she is an absolute delight. Give her a raise immediately. read more

We came to M restaurant with a reservation in early September 2023 for our 10yr anniversary, with little to no expectations. When our table wasn't ready right away, we were a little wary at first, but it was ready within 5-10 minutes of our reservation time, and we were seated at a pretty little table near the front with a harbor view. After this snafu, everything else here was perfectly seamless. Our server was prompt and helpful. Food was absolutely EXCELLENT, even for my classically picky husband. We had the burrata and a Cobb salad for a starter (both fantastic), along with My Tuscan-style salmon (technically was called the arctic char) was some of the best fish I've had in years - my husband, while he loved his steak, agreed that my fish was really the highlight of the dinner. The Tuscan seasoning, the quality and portion of the fish; really one of the best fish dishes I've ever had. I had to fend off my husband as he kept trying to snake his fork over for bites. Really truly a superb preparation - soft and flakey, moist but not soggy, and a generous cut. Compliments to the chef and we highly recommend M Restaurant for a classy dinner or any special event. Looking forward to returning when we are back on the island! read more

Food was delicious! Seemed like everyone enjoyed why they ordered! There was 11 of us; almost all different entrees. Plus appetizers and "beverages" for the adults. "Service with a smile!" Greeted us correctly & tended to our requests. Nice place for a "fancy" dinner on the island. Would go there again! read more

M Restaurant - Calamari Piccata - Italian Near Me - Avalon, California