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Recommended Reviews - Marina
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One of my favorite Italian restaurants. I love this place is so cute and trendy inside. The owner is always nice and they make homemade pasta always a great place to go. If you and Pasadena and you want some good Italian this place beyond excellent and service is good.
For special occasions. Dark, upscale vibe. A bit cramped. Servers seemed experienced and attentive, though we waited quite a bit to have our waters refilled - that just did not seem like a priority during a busy dinner rush. I did enjoy the steak, as it was perfectly cooked to temperature and seasoned well. Melted in the mouth. But of course priced accordingly LOL. Not a place I'd come back to because I always like trying somewhere new, but I'm glad we gave it a try for a nice dinner out.
My boyfriend and I were so excited to dine at Marina in Pasadena. There are some paid lots, free public parking, and street parking if you are willing to walk. Just be careful because there are some tricky signs that say $1.50 in large font and for each 15 minutes in tiny font. Even with a reservation from Resy, we found that it was still a bit of a wait. Without the reservation, you might be limited to patio parking only. Even their bar area was busy and reserved during our time there. I didn't mind the waiting, but it was stressful waiting in a tight space with their staff coming in and out with huge piles of dishes and you have to be careful if you don't want to be bumped into. This feeling of crowdedness continues to the tables with the spacing between one table to another very tight together. More to this in a bit. The hostess was so sweet, she actually sent us a complimentary Blistered Bread and Ricotta ($14) dish that we both really enjoyed to make up for the wait. The blistered bread was masterfully executed, very thin and went perfectly with the ricotta dip. Once again, I didn't mind the wait at all. That was not the problem with my meal. Anyways... going on... the waiter... the waiter we had was really grumpy. Not sure if it's just his personality or he was having a bad day. For instance, I was ready to get the white wine flight but then he was, very poorly, explaining it to the point where I was talked out of it. Then I was about to get a glass of wine or bubbly... Then once again he basically talks me out of it. Nevermind I'll drink water... I guess you don't need to earn a better tip. In addition to the trouble he gave me while order. When he came to ask me about my experience. I honestly responded that it could be better, due to the table next to us. He basically gaslit me like well it's a big party, what do you expect? Wow this inconsiderate family of kids bumping into my table, making fart sounds on purpose, cursing adults, and loud loud kids and adults... You expect me to feel like this is normal behavior and enjoy it. I straight up told him, well YOU ASKED ME, I'm just answered your question. He begrudgingly moved us but basically ignored us for the rest of the night Anyways, as for the food... I thought the food would be pretty fantastic since the restaurant was so busy. It had all of the signs of a successful restaurant. My boyfriend and I shared the following: Squash Blossoms ($16) - I love squash blossoms. My boyfriend knew I wouldn't be able to resist ordering it. Their preparation of this delicate ingredient was heavy for my liking. The batter on it was thick and oily. The toasted hazelnuts were unnecessary. House Italian Sausage ($26) - They have one of those pizza ovens. The crust was thin and crispy. It was well prepared. However the issue we had with this was the flavor, or rather lacking flavor. The taste of the Italian sausage was overwhelmed by the red onion agrodolce. We both ate a slice and took the rest home. Even as leftovers we weren't excited to eat it. Charred Scallop Risotto ($38) - What really sold me was the baja uni batter that I did not taste much of in this dish. This was a poor execution of a risotto. The texture was off, and the flavor was overwhelmed by whatever cheese they used in this dish. The charred scallop was one single scallop cut in half and overly charred and rubbery in taste. The blue shrimp were shriveled too. We made sure to eat the proteins to prevent waste but you know it's bad when my boyfriend didn't even want to togo this dish. He normally eats anything to prevent waste. Branzino alla Griglia ($38) - Whole grilled branzino topped with eggplant, salsa verde and herb salad. This was the least bad item that we paid for... Although there was a lot of bones to be cautious of. I understand the risk of stumbling on a few bones when ordering a whole fish but this was more than I would have liked. I also didn't like some of the flavors coating the fish. Although from a grilled perspective it was crispy and perfectly cooked. This is a popular business with plenty of patrons to keep them busy. Whatever they like... it isn't what I look for in a business I frequent. I know they don't need my business and I will gladly stay away and save myself all of the trouble. This was way too stressful and there weren't any dishes I need to have again. My experience was so awful I'm being very generous with this 3 star, which is "average".
Came for dinner on a Friday night and had reservations. We were seated promptly and started off with the appetizers. The grilled octopus is a MUST. The lamb chops scottadito were tender and cooked perfectly. The fried calamari & artichoke were crispy and paired deliciously with a light aioli. The prosciutto san daniele & figs were delicious! As for the mains, we ordered their spicy shrimp alla vodka, branzino, and the cacio e pepe. I loved their spicy shrimp alla vodka. The branzino was crispy but had a lot of bones. The cacio e pepe was a surprise for me as they use whole peppercorns. Ended the night with a pistachio tiramisu. All in all, Marina is a great restaurant. The only downside was the lack of AC. It was so hot, we started using our menus and napkins to fan ourselves.
Came here this past weekend to celebrate my mom's birthday with my husband and parents, and everything was delicious as always! I've been to Marina several times now and it never disappoints. We started with Lily's Mushrooms and the Lamb Chops Scottadito - the mushrooms had a nice smoky grilled flavor with avocado cream that worked really well together, and the lamb was tasty without being too gamey. For mains we got the House Italian Sausage pizza, the Calabrian Salami pizza, and the Rabbit Bolognese. Both pizzas were great but the Calabrian Salami was definitely our favorite! The honey and spice combo was so good and the crust was perfectly crispy. The Rabbit Bolognese was also incredible, and tasted fresh and light instead of heavy like some bolognese can be. Our waiter gave us the pistachio tiramisu on the house for my mom's birthday, which was such a sweet gesture, and it was delicious! He took great care of us all night and even helped get multiple angles of our group photo haha. Thank you Marina for such a great experience, we will definitely be back :)
Shout out to the nice couple Melanie and James who sat at the bar with me. The Monday/Tuesday lasagna $49 meal for two people includes blistered bread, choice of Caesar salad or calamari/artichokes, lasagna and choice of dessert. Bread was awesome and served hot like a giant balloon with ricotta dipping sauce. Calamari was served hot and crispy. I was worried cause some reviews mentioned that it may be soggy. Lasagna was a small portion that could only feed 1 1/2 person not two hungry diners. Service was slow. It took 30 minutes between the calamari appetizer until my lasagna entree. Considering the long wait, I thought my lasagna would be piping hot but it was both warm and hot on certain parts. The lasagna was very dense, more like a meatloaf than a lasagna. Bar waitress was nice and attentive and gave me regular updates on when my food would arrive. For the pre-fixe price and serving size, it is a decent value. As a single diner, I ate half the bread, the entire calamari appetizer, half the lasagna and I took the dessert home. They also have happy hour specials and a few designated parking spots in front of restaurant but plenty of free street parking.
Paid underground parking is available nearby. I recommend making a reservation, especially if you're planning to come for dinner or on a weekend. The restaurant was clean and had a welcoming atmosphere. I noticed that the restrooms were well maintained, which is always a plus. The food was okay overall. It wasn't bad, but nothing really stood out or made me want to come back just for the food. One thing I was disappointed by was the appetizer, Prosciutto San Daniele & Figs. It only came with one piece of bread, which was not enough. The service was average, not particularly attentive or memorable. Overall, it was an okay dining experience. It may still be worth trying if you're in the area.
Marina is always such a great dinner the food is exceptional but I want to highlight Nick he wasn't our server and yet managed to make the night memorable, he was attentive and kind and when our friend wasn't feeling good he made sure to make her feel cared for. People like nick are so important - kindness is a dying art but I'm happy to see it's alive and well in nicks heart! He is amazing and I hope to see him again my next time dining
The Bottom Line 4 stars: Nice vibe and good service, food and drinks. Recommended! Location 3.5 stars: In Pasadena, Northwest corner of Lake and Cordova. There is limited street parking and a few free parking spots on the side of the restaurant (usually taken). Or you can use the paid lot next door down the alley. I parked at the lot and was supposedly validated by our server, but upon exiting I was still charged the full price of $1.50 for every 15 minutes!!! Not sure what happened there... Venue 3.5 stars: New, nicely decorated upscale facility with indoor and seating and a full bar. They do also have patio seating which I did not enjoy. The patio is these narrow strips on the front and side of the restaurant. The front side is literally on the sidewalk and the side patio is cramped and facing a bunch of parked cars. Not esthetically pleasing or comfortable. They do have heaters though which were helpful as it was a chilly evening. They take reservations on Resy which I would recommend as they get very busy. Service 4 stars: Friendly and polite. Food 4 stars: Modern Italian-inspired. We had the Hamachi Crudo and the Lamb Chops as appetizers. Lamb Chops were good. The Crudo was good but a very small portion. We also had the Scaloppine di Pollo, the Charred Scallop Risotto, the Branzino alla Griglia and the Pork Chop Milanese. The Scaloppine di Polo (Breaded chicken Cutlet) was the best. The Pork Chop was a little dry. The Branzino and the Risotto were good but had way too much butter for our taste. The star of the show was the Pistachio Tiramisu which was excellent. Overall a reasonable dining experience. Prices are on par with similar establishments. Drinks 5 stars: Creative specialty cocktails using unique Italian spirits, full bar, beer, wine, soft drinks and espresso drinks. Drinks are reasonably priced.
Great choice for a Friday night dinner. The house Italian sausage pizza and Pork Chop are good. Not so recommended for their lamb chops, which are not juicy and a bit overcooked. Charred scallop risotto did not surprise me too much though the rice (risotto) was well cooked and done. Service and ambiance are fantastic. Beautiful interior decor and comfortable seatings. I didn't try their alcohol selection or desserts. Maybe next time.
great service and great food! tried this spot on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. everything we ordered was yummy and i would definitely go back again! good vibes esp the area in the back was nice for my group to take some pictures
Cute, authentic Italian restaurant located on a sidewalk corner off Lake Ave in Pasadena. Sat at the bar top. It took a few moments for someone to check on me, but once I was spotted, it was attentive service thereafter. Food: 1.best grilled octopus Ive had in a LONG time. Perfectly grilled on outside but tender and fresh on the inside. The confit potatoes were crisped just right and the watercress balanced the dish well. There was a bit too much Calabrian sauce/ aioli underneath for my taste, but I like to eat on a separate small plate anyway, so it was still perfect. I liked the bit of kick from the Calabrian chili. 2. Olive oil cake was perfectly light and dense in all the right ways at the same time. Paired beautifully with deep chilled limoncello for a satisfying finish. After dining at Marina, I felt like I had been transported to the Mediterranean Sea. This place is a family owned, authentic, understated restaurant and a must of you're in Pasadena.
Found out about this place through Resy (Amex Plat Benefit) and decided to try it. The pizza is very tasty but I wish my Cacio e Pepe pasta has a more crushed pepper instead of whole pepper bcs I tasted a bomb of pepper in my mouth everytime I took a bite, I don't really mind it tho, just preference. Service is great, Nick took a great care of us. There were heat wave during the time of our visit and after it cools down, the temp outside feels the same as inside. I was hoping the AC would be cooler inside. Other than that, we'll definitely come back to try more of the menu items.
2 years ago
We were really looking forward to trying this spot for dinner, but the overall experience was just okay. The service felt a bit off, and while the food was beautifully presented, it didn't stand out in terms of flavor. It's a cute place with lovely interior design, but unfortunately, there wasn't anything memorable about our visit. read more
Food: - Bianca + truffle: 10/10, flavors are good - blasted bread: 10/10 with the dip was good - carbonara: 2/10, could be better if it wasn't just a glob - kiwi energy: 8/10, similar to whisky sour Service: - terrible terrible terrible service: our wait staff was never around, waters not refilled once - we waited 30 minutes to even place our order, after asking for waters, the wait staff never came back - waited 30 minutes for our pastas and the pastas came out cold, the sauce basically glued the pasta together - the fastest thing that came out was the check - it was my partner's birthday all other tables got a cake except for my party - another table that came in after us got all of their food before us Ambiance: - good indoor ambiance - notice that outside patio is just a strip next to the parking lot and the sidewalk - due to service will not return, the whole meal took 2 hours because of poor service read more
What a hidden gem on lake Ave! As a lactose intolerant, I usually shy away from heavily dairy filled Italian food, but Marina is well worth any consequences. The contemporary beach vibe is romantic and cozy. The food is phenomenal, and the service is friendly. I've been here for both regular dinner and happy hour. The best items on the happy hour menu in my opinion are the salami pizza and lamb chop. The pizza crust is nice and thin with strong cheese and savory salami. It's a party of flavors! The lamb chop was well cooked, not gamey tasting at all, and the spiced oil plus sauce were perfectly balanced. The lamb sauce was so good that I ended up dipping the pizza crust. Another standout item is the rabbit pasta. The pasta style holds onto the meat sauce so well and was cooked al dente. The sauce was rich and unctuous without being too heavy. I would recommend making reservations in advance as they do fill up quickly, no matter the day. read more
10 months ago
Business owner information
Xiomara D.
Hi there, Thank you for sharing your experience, we’re glad to hear…
What a delicious find! Everytime we celebrate a friend in our group's birthday we try to choose a new place. Pasta and pizza seem to always come up and since we were all on the east side of town we chose Marina. There's validated parking in the structure underneath and they also have a couple of spaces in the alley as you pull in. There's a lot across the street from Lake and some street parking a couple of blocks down from Cordova as well. We were made reservations since there were 4 of us. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. We sat inside and our waiter so fun and friendly. We started with the ricotta dip and signature bread. We had the margarita pizza, bucatini, mushroom pasta, and the budino. Everything was amazing and tasted so fresh. The cheeses were so creamy, pizza crust crisp and tender, and all the pasta cooked al dente. It's a fusion of Mediterranean and Italian. Highlight recommend for friends or date night. They have an extensive wine and beverage list as well. Ambiance: great for date or friends Parking: underground, alley, or around the area there are lots of street parking Prices: very affordable ranging from $12-$35 Drinks: extensive list of wines and cocktails Dietary options: lots of vegetarian and some vegan Service: excellent read more
2 years ago
The food was delicious! Friend and I sat at the bar, which was a lot of fun interacting with the bartender and owner. Great service, chill vibe, great for a girl's night out. read more
We choose this place for my mom's birthday and i think it was one of the best pick! We had reservations and we were promptly seated in no time. Host was amazing - she pointed out some best dishes to try while we were getting seated. Server came in no time and greeted us, explained the menu, and gave us enough time to order food and drinks. We ordered: Panzanella: I am a big fan of burrata! It was served with heirloom tomatoes with croutons. It was simply WOW. This appetizer was perfectly balanced. Squash Blossoms: Another great appetizer- stuffed with Ricotta and citrus hint to it. Highly recommend this dish. Bianca Pizza: If you like mushrooms on your pizza, this is a must! Aged cheese and right proportion of mushrooms with perfectly baked dough made it very authentic! Steak Frites: This skirt steak was made to its perfection tender and juicy. Topped with peppers and the sauce was made this whole plate absolutely delicious. Carbonara: One of the most authentic Carbonara I have tried in LA area. Absolutely delicious and al dente. Highly recommend this dish. Rigatoni Alla Norma: Great vegetarian pasta dish which was very well balanced with tomato and eggplant. Of course al dente and they got the flavors to the spot! Tiramisu: of course you cannot go wrong with this dessert! Love this place and I will definitely be coming back to try other dishes. Highly recommend this place! read more
7 months ago
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Xiomara D.
Hi Laura , Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are glad…
3 years ago
I'm quite disappointed :( I was really excited to come here because of the reviews but the pasta and food was overall very MEDIOCRE. I ordered the mushroom linguine and it was creamy but it lacked flavor and seasoning in my opinion. The food was very fresh but i'm not sure if it's worth the wait time. I understand the food is handmade but we waited 30+ minutes to get our pastas. My friend got the rigatoni alla norma and rated it a 6/10. Despite the nice presentation, it was bland and dry. We got the Margherita pizza and it was alright, we rated it a 7.5. The pizza itself was pretty basic, the crust was good but the sauce layer was quite thin. The interior is nice and the ambiance is great but note that it's quite loud. The servers and waiters were really friendly. Overall: I wouldn't come back, i feel like my own pasta tastes better To be clear, this is just my experience! I would recommend dinning inside instead of the patio. read more
10 months ago
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Xiomara D.
Hi Magnum , Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We’re glad…
2 years ago
Got everything in the pics and grilled octopus. Octopus was very tender, dessert was a solid 4/5, steak and pasta were both excellent. Parking is bad, only one lot next to it that was $8 for over 1 hour. read more
9 months ago
1 year ago
Everything about this place is PERFECTION! I have lived in Altadena/Pasadena for many years and have somehow missed this spot. The food/service/layout/ambiance can't be beat! Huge shoutout to Tony and Victor behind the bar for making my experience unforgettable! Sit at the bar and request them when you come in! read more
3 years ago
4.25/5 Service is good and so it's the ambiance of the space. Only 2 things I would not get again is the carbonara (too salty & kinda cold) and steak (ordered medium rare and came out medium and burnt & you can really taste the burnt part w/ every single cut). The butternut agnolotti is a must get and oh how creamy the squash is! And the prosciutto pizza was amazing. I would get these two if I come here again. Octopus is nice and tender. My brother was surprised by how much he enjoyed it and so was I since I don't typically get octopus dishes. Calamari is as expected of a fried calamari dish. Rabbit Bolognese was also good; the rabbit obviously tasted lean. Didn't taste gamy for me but it was for my brother. One common thing with all the dishes including pizza was. I wish they were all a little more warmer. read more
10 months ago
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Xiomara D.
Hi Suzy, Thank you for sharing your experience and for highlighting…
Good restaurant and lots of potential, but not super impressed. To start, it seems to be a popular restaurant. Although going at 5:30pm right after it opens at 5pm, my party of 3 was able to get a patio seat within 5 minutes, so very happy about that. If you want to go later during peak time, make a reservation beforehand, safer to reserve prob 1-2wks ahead I would guess. The restaurant is comfortably located on Cordova st in Pasadena, across from the LA fitness, so parking is easy. You can park in the LA fitness structure (free on Sunday but otherwise would have to pay), or I usually park in the lot behind Veggie Grill and Jamba Juice, free. The interior gives a fancy upscale vibe, but they are cool with casual dress and feels welcoming. Outdoor seating on patio was sufficiently warm with lots of heaters, but still bring a jacket just in case. Started out with some drinks and Blistered bread & ricotta. The bread was good, but I would say average: while I liked the presentation, the flavors were nothing to be ecstatic about. I had the Dolcessa gin cocktail and that was actually fantastic. One of my friends go the "I Don't Give A Fig" mezcal cocktail and that was definitely a delicious drink without being overly smoky. The Kiwi Energy drink that I got later on was also spectacular, with strong kiwi flavor and good balance of acidity, probably got most of my vitamin C from that drink. When the main dishes presented, I wasn't impressed with the carbonara, it was average at best. Perhaps sitting outside on the patio cooled it down faster than it could've been, but the flavor was lack-luster although it was al dente, which gave a good chewing texture. The Bianca pizza was reasonable, but way too oily, it was dripping down my chin on the first bite....I think more subtle amount would be classier, unless you want extra oil to treat your dry skin. The steak frites was solid though, got it medium rare as requested, and the fries were crisp and well fried, with delicious seasoning. Overall, not impressed with the Bianca pizza nor the carbonara. But the steak frites was a great choice. The tiramisu was fairly good, more creamy than I usually like it, but the flavor profile was as expected, and went well with my oatmilk cappuccino. I do have to mention that our waiter Nick was fantastic and always present when we wanted to order sometimes extra. Excellent service. So overall, 5 stars for convenience, parking, service, steak frites, and drinks. 2 stars for the bread, carbonara, Bianca pizza. Overall 3 stars. May go back again to try other food options, maybe I can change my mind more. read more
2 years ago
9 months ago
Business owner information
Xiomara D.
Hi Hillary, We appreciate you sharing your experience and are glad to…
1 year ago
Only bad thing I can say about this place is that they agreed to cook well-done steak for my dumbass friend Lorenzo. That aside, this place is phenomenal. Got piss drunk off their gin and tonic, which was just about the best g&t I've ever had in my life, and paired that intoxicating boon to the senses with a delicious grilled octopus and a perfectly-cooked 8oz wagyu steak. The taste, the texture, the consistency--it was all there. But that's not enough to win over a man of high-brow criticism such as myself. See, I'm a guy that wants to see presentation, mise-en-scène if you will. And let me tell you, these plates looked like stills from a Roger Deakins film: absolutely stunning. These guys know their color wheel like the back of their hands. 5/5. read more
Background On Visitation: Wanted to go to a new restaurant and the rabbit bolognese pic on Marina's yelp page made me want to crave it. I'm a sucker food items that have the word "bolognese" in it. Restrooms: They're available. Credit Cards: They're accepted. Reservations: Seems like you're better off making reservations. If you don't make a rsvp, you'll probably be stuck on the bar area or in the outdoor patio. Location/Parking: Located Ambiance/Decor: Ambiance was really nice in the main dining area, but not so much in the outdoor patio. We were situated at a table near plants and during the whole dining experience.....I felt bugs biting/bugging me. I probably think they were just targeting me only. The plates was kind of off putting also. The eating plates we received had some ceramic chipped off of them. Entertainment: Must check out the pizza chef in action with the beautiful pizza oven in the background. Service: Service was slow and the waitress was friendly, but wasn't attentive. She shorted the change by $0.24. Food came out at a snail pace and received the rabbit bolognese an hour and half later after we were done with our calamari artichoke appetizer and margarita pizza. -Please note that there is a 3% surcharge to help supportive kitchen wages and healthcare. You can ask them to take it off if you don't want to be charged that fee. Food Of Choice: 1) Calamari and Artichoke: It was quite salty. The parsley aioli was good, but was salty also. 2) Marguerita Pizza: Loved everything about the pizza. The star of the pizza was the CRUST! The only negative was that they were less generous with the basil. 3) Rabbit Bolognese: Pasta dish was very good even though we waited an hour and a half for. I guess great things come to those who wait. Rabbit was good and didn't have any gamey smell. It tasted like sausage! The bolognese sauce was flavorful, and texture of the malfadine pasta was great! Marina For Thought: Food was excellent, but the service was not. Maybe next time it'll be a better experience. read more
Make sure to make a reservation because this place does get filled up. Theres a underground parking garage behind the restaurant and street parking in the surrounding area. Pastas were great. Lambchops were delicious. Tiramisu dessert was flavorful. read more
9 months ago
Business owner information
Xiomara D.
Hi Diana, We appreciate you sharing your experience and are glad the…
I stopped by on a weekday and the place was very packed. I was lucky enough to be able to get a seat without a reservation. I think next time, I would try to get a reservation so I could actually dine inside the restaurant. Food: The food was just okay. I don't think it was the best thing I've ever had, but I also wouldn't describe it as bad. I ordered their Truffle Cavatelli and Calabrian Salami Pizza. I think there are definitely other restaurants in the area who has better pasta. In addition, I personally didn't like how the cheese on the pizza was able to just get ripped off instead of it being nicely melted. Overall, if I come back, I might choose to try something else. Service: Our server Kelly was amazing. She was very nice and attentive. She did forget to put in our wine order in the system, but it honestly wasn't a big deal. I have no complains about the service. It was great. Ambiance: Unfortunately, because I didn't make a reservation, I didn't think the outside seating was the best. However, if you get to sit inside the restaurant, its very nicely decorated and feels very lively. read more
3 years ago
Best Italian meal I've eaten in a long time. Our server was from Italy and everything! She was splendid and it was a nice touch to top off the incredible meal. My fiancé had the Carbonara, it's made with fresh bucatini, guanciale, fresh pepper, pecorino. The flavor combination was beautiful, they hit this classic dish right on the mark. If you are into carbonara, this is a must try. Pasta cooked al dente just as it should be. I had the Scaloppine Di Pollo, it's a tender breast of (I believe) pounded baked chicken, fried artichokes and capers in a lemon-white wine sauce encircled in a delicious pomme purée. It was a very tasty dish, high quality ingredients. That pomme purée is to die for! We also shared the Italian Sausage Pizza, it comes with in house made Italian sausage, tomato sauce, mozzarella, caramelized onions, agrodolce & shishito peppers. We got it without the peppers. It was a great little pie. The sausage has a nice flavor that's not overpowering like some sausage can be. It's a nice restaurant with comfortable seating. We parked in the parking garage and they do validate, but it just gives you a discount on the garage. I recommend finding street parking if you can. We will definitely be returning, thanks again for a delightful dinner! Bravo read more
1 year ago
The food was good, the service was good. Gluten free pasta available. The shrimp with tomato-vodka sauce was very good. It's oppressively loud in the dining room. read more
5 months ago
Business owner information
Xiomara D.
Hi Rachel, Glad you had a great date night — the blistered bread and…
1 year ago
Service is ok, but the food tastes bad, no taste at all. I will not come back again. Only photos look nice. read more
Really nice place for dinner! I made reservations easily online to celebrate a friend's birthday and there were several other groups celebrating as well! Service was very good and we enjoyed our food! We ordered the bread with ricotta and it was so yummy! Prepare to make some crumbs with the cheese that's on the bread! We found free street parking about a block away and there are some limited parking spots for free out back. I believe garage parking is paid for and not validated. read more
3 years ago
Place was very welcoming especially during this summer heat! The parking is available around the corner and there are two parking stalls up front by the restaurant ( which I was able to get !) Entrance wise is a very cool and comforting entrance since we came back from a hike and the cool ac just made it refreshing. The hostess and waitress were really engaging and got us seated next to the window. We ordered the stuffed zucchini stems, Margherita pizza, tangerine salad, carbonara pasta and calamari. The sauce on the pizza and salad are on the lighter side but that's expected for this cuisine. Calamari was amazing! Would like to try out the prixe menu the next time read more
1 year ago
Wow. Honestly my top favorite italian food in LA. Super authentic, the chef makes everything from scratch. On the expensive side but super worth it for the price. The owner is super sweet and welcoming, service was outstanding, and the restaurant all in all is super aesthetic clean and beautiful. I'd say if you're looking for good italian food, definitely come here!! The owner also also owns a coffee shop next door called REPUBLIK. Lastly their hazelnut ice cream WAS TO DIE FOR. read more
/)/) ( . .) ( づ we had high hopes coming into this...it's a really nice date spot, very chic interior and amazing atmosphere. We got the salami pizza with chili honey sauce. Barely any toppings just few thin slices salami. Wished it had more toppings. The chili honey sauce was way too sweet. It was not enjoyable at all which was unfortunate because we loved the dough. It was chewy, doughy and on the thinner side. If it had more toppings and just a hint of sweetness of the sauce it would have been perfect! We also got the rabbit bolognese which was solid. Nothing outstanding but still good. Also got the calamari's for appetizer. More on the oily size but good seasoning. Wished it was bigger calamari's instead of baby small ones. read more
6 months ago
A modern restaurant in Pasadena which seems to be very popular. We came for lunch yesterday and were seated promptly. Most of us selected from the 3-course menu which included a starter, the main, and dessert. I ordered the calamari as a starter, the carbonara which looked delicious in reviews, and the tiramisu for dessert. Portions were small, but ok for lunch (unless you're hungry). I found the carbonara extremely salty and passed it over to my son to finish. It must have been salty due to the homemade bacon in the sauce. The calamari was nicely breaded and the tiramisu was the best part of my meal. Parking in the underground lot was extremely expensive. We entered the lot on Cordova and paid $12 when we left 2 hours later. It's possible there's another lot for the restaurant, but we didn't see it. Our server was very kind and efficient. Prices seemed a little high for the portion size. read more
2 years ago
Pasta is a must for a girl's night out and we were so glad we found Marina! We immediately received a warm welcome from the owner upon walking in and enjoyed a cocktail at the bar while waiting for our table (without a reservation). He was even kind enough to offer us a glass of red wine that I obviously couldn't say no to. There seemed to be a good mixture of both locals who frequent Marina and folks like us coming in as a new experience. The ambiance is definitely intimate, filled with lots of good conversation and smiling faces. Perfect for a first date, date night, or anniversary. For cocktails, we ordered the Dolcessa and Napolitano. Both were really well made and I loved how clean and subtle the elderflower/ grapefruit flavors were. Our eyes were definitely a little too big for our stomachs because we couldn't make up our minds and ordered 3 dishes. The tagliatelle was my absolute favorite, I never had rabbit before but it worked so well with the dish and the bolognese sauce was incredibly rich. The carbonara was delicious and paired well with the house pancetta and sous vide egg. The pasta for both dishes were perfectly al dente. The dish that surprised us the most was the ricotta and squash tortelloni. I never knew how much I enjoyed oyster mushrooms in my pasta until that night and the lemon sauce was delectable. As if we didn't have enough food the owner also brought over some burrata and parmesan flatbread that was one of the best I've ever had. Such great vibes and amazing food, we're definitely coming back and trying their 3-course prix fixe next girl's night! SYOY, Jess read more
Met my best friend in Pasadena for lunch here at Marina. We are always looking for new places to try, and Marina was on our list. I'm so glad we chose it because it was amazing! We started with the blistered bread and ricotta. I wish I had taken a picture, but we started eating it right away. The bread was warm and puffy topped with parmesan. The ricotta was so creamy. It was topped with olive oil and dried herbs, maybe oregano?, and cherry tomatoes. This was the perfect starter. We decided to try the Pre Fixe menu for lunch. My friend chose the stuffe zucchini flowers and the rigatoni alla Norma. I chose the fried calamari & artichoke and the rigatoni alla Norma. We both chose the tiramisu for dessert. The zucchini flower was so beautifully plated with a bit of tomato sauce and balsamic glaze. It was stuffed with ricotta and fried perfectly. This was delicious. The calamari was breaded and fried to a crunchy crust. The coating was light and beautifully seasoned. Fried calamari is one of my favorite appetizers to order, and this one did not disappoint. The rigatoni alla Norma was amazing. The sauce, the eggplant, and the ricotta salata paired well together. The pasta was flavorful and really amazing. 10/10 recommend. The tiramisu was a nice end to our meal. Not too heavy with a lovely flavor. The Pre Fixe lunch menu was definitely a good choice. If wine is your thing, they have an extensive wine menu. They are still waiting for their liquor license. The waiter said they should have it in about 2 months. The service was great. They were very attentive and made sure we had what we needed. The restaurant was open and light. There is a small patio for seating. This is Pasadena, so parking is challenging. There is a parking lot under the restaurant which was convenient and not very expensive. We paid $6 for the day. This was such a lovely place, and I can't wait to go back when I'm out in Pasadena again. I highly recommend it! read more
Our waitress Kelly was so sweet & friendly. The pastas looked better than it tasted, and lacked flavor. the Caesar salad was super fishy (Had actual lots of pieces of anchovies), we love a Caesar salad so it was disappointing that we didn't eat much of it and left it mostly uneaten. The Margherita pizza and nectarine salad was good. The dessert we tried were delicious and the best thing we had there!! I think there's definitely room for improvement with the pasta but still be back to give it another try. Not sure if they were just having an off day! read more
More info about Marina
841 Cordova St
Pasadena, CA 91101
Downtown
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(626) 714-7228
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http://marinapasadena.com
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Ask the Community - Marina
What is the price range per person?
It really depends on what you get. I want to say entrees run from $25-$30. We ordered 5 appetizers, everyone got entrees and drinks. Everything was great.
Could they accommodate a reservation for 16 people?
Yes, but for sure you need to schedule it days in advance. Don't leave to do it the day before your desired date.
Do you have parking?
They have a smaller free lot right behind, and there is a lot of paid parking underneath!
Do you have vegan options?
Yes. The owner is great. He will find ways to make accommodations for you.
Is there a gluten free/peanut free options for pasta or mains?
They have gluten free pasta ONLY, And it's really good. Hope this helps.
Is there a cake cutting fee for birthdays?
I believe it's five dollars per person if I'm not mistaken
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
55 reviews that are not currently recommended
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