This place is amazing! Great food and great service. It's seems like a gimmick, but the toasted ravioli is really good. I believe that is a St. Louis staple where David is from. Jacob is a gem! So, I have a new rating system......I will be write what I feel honestly about an establishment. The only ratings I will give are 5 stars, which is enjoyable, or 3 stars which is "needs work." read more

Gordon and Kristina here! We decided to celebrate Easter with the family at Slay Italian Kitchen in Manhattan Beach, and it was an absolutely spectacular choice. We started things off right with glasses of **prosecco poured over peach sorbet**--I highly recommend this if you want a fun, refreshing way to kick off your meal! For the table, we ordered a great spread of appetizers to share: the **toasted ravioli** (perfectly crispy), a vibrant **chopped salad**, and plenty of their delicious, warm **garlic bread**. The main courses completely blew us away. We ordered a classic **Margherita pizza**, the **fresh fettuccine with shrimp**, and the **linguine vongole**. You can really taste the quality of the ingredients and the freshness of the homemade pasta in every single bite. A special shoutout to our incredible waiter, **Will**. His service was top-notch, friendly, and attentive, which made our family holiday dinner that much more special. Slay Italian Kitchen is a definite must-visit in the South Bay--we will absolutely be back! read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - Dinner Video - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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1 Week Update: went back on Easter with a friend for our doggie hang out and had lunch here. We had the arugula salad, pepperoni pizza, and tiramisu with special pepperoni on the side for Wallace and Luca. The pizza was still delish! We love a consistent chef and staff who take pride in their food and service. We ended up with Samantha again (I didn't remember her name the first time) as our waitress. I was worried my friend wouldn't think the food was so great, but she was amazed by the Arugula salad alone. She kept telling me how delicious it was and I shared a bit of it. She was correct. She said the salad alone would make her come back. We both agreed that however they are cooking in that kitchen should remain as it is. The way they make the food, nothing overpowers the other ingredients. It all just blends so well for the perfect meal. A simple pepperoni pizza becomes an experience in perfect taste and an arugula salad becomes an uplifting journey for the tastebuds. Now, the tiramisu...I used to eat tiramisu weekly. My friend just got back from Italy not too long ago and loves tiramisu. The tiramisu here is again, perfect. There is nothing too strong, not the espresso, the chocolate, nothing. And they use real ladyfingers and cook it in a pan, not the weird tiramisu chocolate cups some restaurants like to give or a plate of cream, espresso, and chocolate minus ladyfingers. We both were so impressed. It was a perfect lunch meal. You have to try them out! Found this place by accident, but definitely was a blessing! I was scheduled to go to a different pizza place, but that business was having issues with their "machinery" in the back. So, I decided to go further in to the beach, found a great parking spot right off, and walked up to a nice looking Italian restaurant. I knew that had to have pizza. I eat it so much that I took two weeks off and my body was like, "it is time." lol! I walked up and asked the waitress if they had good pizza, cuz who would lie about that? She began to tell me how good it was with the fermentation of the dough and the sauce, etc. I honestly was hooked when she said they actually ferment the dough for whatever amount of days. Also, her energy was so cool and polite, I sat right down with my little doggie, Wallace, and ordered a nice glass of champagne while I waited on my pepperoni pizza. When it arrived, the first thing I noticed was that it wasn't greasy looking and the dough wasn't burnt on the edges, but looked well cooked and crisp. The first bite was crazy delicious! I had to sit for a minute to try to figure out why it was so darn good. The pepperoni was thin, but flavorful, not overwhelming and had spices on them, probably oregano and maybe even rosemary. The cheese was real mozzarella and had a nice light smooth taste. The sauce was seasoned and again had a light taste, meaning it wasn't sour or acidic like most pizza sauces and it also had seasoning that brought out the overall taste of the pizza. In the end, I realized that none of the ingredients were fighting each other for attention. They were in agreement and complimented each other very well. It was better than a good pizza, it was great. I like to share my meals with my doggie sometimes and for sure he got some of the pepperoni. The waitress asked how I liked the meal and I mentioned how delicious it was especially the pepperoni and how I wished I had asked for extra cuz I was sharing with my doggie. She was so kind that she went and gave me a small saucer of pepperoni for Wallace. I won't lie, I gave him one and ate one. Hahaha. Then I took half the pizza home with the additional pepperoni. As I sat there finishing my champagne, I ordered another one with extra pepperoni to take home for the week. Don't judge me, I live far from Manhattan Beach and I haven't tasted pizza that good since I was in Japan and had eaten at an Italian place where the chef had just returned from Italy where he studied how to make pizza. Yeah, I told everyone about this experience and now I'll be returning with a friend within a week's time, Easter Sunday, to be exact. She loves pizza as much as I do if not more, so we will take the dogs and enjoy the day. The restaurant is right next to the beach, so we can walk off the calories with the doggies. I'm excited to go back and see if there is consistency and also to hear what my friend thinks about the food. It will be fun! Highly recommend you try this place for lunch or brunch. I was told they just expanded their hours for the early crowd. read more

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The food at this restaurant is amazing. It's been a while since I've found a place with such reasonable prices and such spectacular food. The calamari appetizer was delicious. I had the linguine vongole, and my husband had the lasagna--both were absolutely fantastic. The service was great, and if you get a table outside on a nice evening, you can even watch the sunset while you dine. We can't wait to go back. read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - Outside - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Unfortunately, I had to miss out on a birthday lunch here. However, my husband and his parents said it was an absolutely lovely experience, overall very cute restaurant, just difficulties with parking as we all know in Manhattan beach. He brought me back a mushroom pizza and the Italian sandwich. As with all Italian sandwiches, I wish it was just a little less bread, but it was so delicious and juicy. The pizza was quite delightful, such a delicious crust cause normally I leave the crust on my plate, but I ate it all this time. Can't wait to go try it in person. read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - Mushroom pizza - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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Excellent food. They managed to walk the fine line of being on the beach and offering high quality. Good music, not exceptionally loud, which is good. Quality staff, good decor. I will always come back here. read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - Beef tartar and cauliflower! A+ - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Came here for a special occasion dinner with my family. The closest parking you'll get is metered street parking or one of the lots closer to the pier. Always a little tricky during dinner time, as is the usual by the beach. The restaurant itself is nice! You check in at the host stand right off the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. We had made a reservation and were seated within a couple of minutes. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, and everything was pretty full! It's very noisy inside, so be prepared to use a loud voice to talk with the people in your party. I can see the appeal of sitting outside now, and we'll probably opt for sitting there next time. Overall, the food was very good! We started off with the Calamari Zucchini Fritti with lemon aioli. We enjoyed the calamari and loved the thinly sliced fried zucchini. We also got their appetizer special for the night which were Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms drizzled in honey (I think it was orange blossom or something similar). An order came with three, and these were good! Garlic Bread was also very good! For a salad to share, we got the Roasted Beets with Herbed Whipped Goat Cheese, Cara Cara Orange, and Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette. The creaminess of the whipped goat cheese paired nicely with the beets and orange. For my entree, I got the Sole Milanese with Swiss chard and grilled lemon. The sole was a generous portion size, and they gave a good amount of Swiss chard as well. I liked this dish! I also tried a bite of the Lasagna, which stays super hot (almost too hot), but it was cheesy and delicious. I also tried some of the Tagliatelle Al Pollo E Carciofi (spinach tagliatelle, herb-roasted chicken, artichoke hearts, preserved lemon, garlic confit, and pecorino). The pasta was quite wide, so to me it seemed like more of a pappardelle? The flavor was very mild, so we probably wouldn't order this one again. Lastly, the Salmon and Tomato Risotto special was very good! The salmon was moist, and the risotto went well with it. Tip: Ask for the price of the specials, since the salmon was significantly more than many of the other menu items. We were a bit caught off guard. For beverages, they mostly focus on beer and wines, so there's aren't really a lot of other options if you don't drink. They do have soft drinks, and they'll bring you a can for $6. Overall, we'll be back, but we'll probably sit outside! read more

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We haven't stopped talking about how much we loved this dinner. We came on a Saturday night when my folks were visiting from NY and would absolutely recommend Slay to anyone looking for fantastic food, impeccable service, and gorgeous views. We sat at the end table on the sidewalk with a view of the ocean and it was perfect! Our server, Lazarus, was super friendly, attentive, and made our experience very enjoyable. As a New Yorker in LA, I have been searching for quality Italian cooking and Slay exceeded my expectations. Easily the best linguini vongole I've had in California! Food rundown: Focaccia - stunning, huge portion, absolutely delicious! We planned to take some home but finished it. Chopped Salad - light, shareable, a great start to the meal. Feta & Watermelon - as a Greek, I never expect shaved feta and wow was it a treat! Perfectly complimented the watermelon and tomato. Manhattan Market - tasty pizza, nice crust, perfect to share. Linguini Vongole - as mentioned, best in California. Linguini tasted homemade, I loved it! Fusilli Vodka - finally a vodka sauce that tastes like a real NY vodka sauce, delicious! The shrimp was a great addition. Meatballs - the owner brought these over as the pizza came out a bit late, great touch and they were fantastic! Solid wine selection too! We already can't wait to return soon and try the new fall dishes! read more

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Unfortunately my experience was horrible. Chicken Caesar Salad took forever, protein was super dry and flavorless, $41 with a beverage what a rip off. Service started out ok but awkward, they had a new bartender who was being "shadowed" by an over-powering passive aggressive self proclaimed director of the bar. Message to owner, changes are needed. New kitchen direction and new bartender. The guy in charge is too aggressive, he chased business like me away who just want to support local businesses. Honestly I wasn't going to write a reviews I usually don't, because I know it's tough out there . But ownership needs to hear. You need help here....major changes across the board. read more

So yummy! I was brought here for my birthday dinner and everyone was so friendly! It was my first time here and I will definitely be back to try more! The hosts at the front and our servers were super friendly and helpful, my only concern was that although there were many servers, it wasn't very easy to get their attention if we needed anything maybe because of how tight the spaces are between tables? Not so sure but everything was still amazing!! :) read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - Fusilli alla Vodka & Penne Pomodoro - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Love it here. All the Slay restaurants are great. I see the owner-chef active in all of them which is refreshing and comforting. Solid, delicious Italian food here. Ambiance and decor are bright and uplifting. read more

The food was so yummy like amazing pasta and the service was phenomenal. That's also mainly while I'm writing this review because everybody was just so darling especially our server Samantha she was so genuine and sweet really took great care of us and went above and beyond. I definitely will be coming back because I had such a good experience And I really enjoyed the food and the ambience sitting outside people watching was fun. read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - Vodka, pasta, and the fettuccine with shrimp and we had the toasted ravioli - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

The food and ambiance here is as incredible. Came through on a trip with my wife and we both give this thumbs up. The waiter was super attentive , the wine was superb but the star of the show was the almond cheesecake. Holy cow. read more

The food was good overall. My cousin and I came in today and really enjoyed what we ordered. The Caesar salad and crispy toasted ravioli were both delicious. Our server was great, very friendly and attentive. However, we were disappointed that it took about 40 minutes just for a pizza to arrive at our table, which wasn't ideal. Aside from that, we had a good experience. read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Service was amazing and every dish was spectacular! The tables outside are setup so nicely, so on a same summer night it's perfect. My all time favorite dish was the linguine vongole. The sauce is a perfectly balanced lemon, herb, and white wine glaze and the noodles were cooked to perfection! I will be back for sure, we loved it! read more

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From the moment we arrived, we felt like regulars. When we asked about seating, the hostess immediately held a table for us, despite our need to step away briefly to take care of parking. Lazaro took care of us one night and Will the other -- both were attentive, knowledgeable, and confident in recommending menu items and wine pairings. They had fantastic personalities and we trusted their recommendations were not scripted but what they find diners truly enjoy. The food tasted like it came straight from the best grandma's kitchen comforting, flavorful, and thoughtfully prepared. Portions were spot on, not too big, not too small. Dining there was almost confusing - but in the best way! Leaving a review I find myself wondering whether I was in a high end restaurant or a casual neighborhood favorite. Somehow, it manages to be both! It's beautiful inside and out - you can dress up or down and fit right in! We were in town for two nights and chose to eat here both evenings. We were told by the manager it's owned by a local family, and that is important to us. They all source a lot of their ingredients locally - such a cool thing to do in effort to support other local businesses. We'll absolutely be back! read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - Tiramisu - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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I ordered the take away special dinner of the day - white fish breaded with Parmesan, roasted potatoes, Caesar salad and tiramisu. The white fish wasn't really white - some of the pieces were dark and the fish was overcooked and hard. The potatoes were roasted and by the time I ate this at the home, they were hard and the inside was mushy. The Caesar salad and the tiramisu was good. I guess I need to go eat at the restaurant and try other entrees and hopefully a better experience. read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - White fish with Parmesan crust and roasted potatoes - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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I had such a lovely ladies lunch here today! Samantha was our waitress and she was so warm and professional, with great suggestions. We met the owner, David Slay, as well, he is very present in his restaurants so the standards are top tier. We had a spattering of items, and the mushroom ragu really stood out. I am coming back soon to explore the wines from the owner's vineyard and I understand the Ciopinno is a must try! Ah, also for the lovely ambiance the pricing is really reasonable so I could go wild here if not with friends who eat like birds, ha. Lastly, the holiday accoutrements are on pointe, I suspect that if they offer Thanksgiving or Xmas meals this would be a nice place to visit, balances a good home Italian feel with sophisticated elegance. The bistro down the street looks super cute too, with a nice bar area. read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - Interior - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Nice, romantic Italian restaurant that is an easy walk away from the beach! We stopped by for an early dinner and were lucky enough to snag a table (outside) without reservations. Portions don't seem big at first, but they sure caught up to us! We ordered the Strozzapreti with shrimp and Fettuccine with shrimp. Both were good, but we especially loved the fettuccine! Ended up in a food coma after the meal. read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - Fresh Fettuccini - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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The food was sooooo delicious, especially the focaccia bread and mushroom pizza. Will definitely come back again.

The atmosphere was lively, and the food was good overall. Unfortunately, we were seated closest to the open kitchen and a strong stagnant, sour kitchen smell carried into the dining area, making it hard to fully enjoy the meal. Since the kitchen opens directly into the seating area, improving ventilation or odor control would really elevate the experience. read more

There is so much charm at this establishment! The customer service was top notch... from Brandon easily explaining the ingredients on the menu to Jacob making sure patrons were welcomed as if they were family friends. After your meal, be sure to take a stroll down to the ocean. read more

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Great food , fresh and tasty I'd recommend and would definitely want to come more often Service is good and kind, food comes fast read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - The view - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Good food, good service, good vibe, but pretty noisy inside. Finding a parking spot is a challenge, however. Use Uber, Lyft, or a cab.

Good food, great location, and amazing service!! Food: We ordered the caesar salad as an appetizer and each ordered an entree: spaghetti with meatballs and Margherita pizza (w/ mushrooms added). The salad was just a normal caesar salad, but the 2 entrees were great portion and taste. The pizza especially was great and wood oven baked. Thin with a chewy and thicker crust (which I love!). The mushroom add on was $4 extra which I initially thought was a lot, but actually, it was fair since they loaded it with mushrooms and the taste definitely improved the pizza. Service: Our server was amazing! He came back a lot to refill our drinks which I appreciated and was funny. He was also very knowledgeable with the menu, so if you're unsure of what option to go with, just ask! Atmosphere: Small interior, clean, aesthetic. The lighting was perfect (not too dark like usual Italian restaurants). Besides the fact that the space between tables felt a bit restricted and small, I loved the vibes on the restaurant. Location: Walking distance to the Manhattan pier and strand. On a sunny day, you can sit outside with a view. Unfortunately, when we visited, it was cold and windy so we sat inside, but I'll be back in the summer for an outdoor seating! Parking is by hour on the street (usual beach parking), so go a bit earlier bc finding parking may take a while! Overall, great experience. My server (who was amazing) made a big difference! He was just amazing so shoutout to him (I wish I remembered his name). If you love Italian pizza, this is the place for you! Definitely a must try! read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - Margherita pizza w/ mushrooms added and Pasta & Meatball spaghetti - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Went to try this place out on Valentine's Day. My waiter was extremely nice, the breadsticks were really good! The pizza however, was horrible in my opinion. Very dry, barely any toppings. And when I picked up my first slice, a piece of thick hair underneath it. I just tossed it aside and didn't say anything. I won't go back. read more

I ordered a Caesar Salad and Marguerhita Pizza. Slay Italian Kitchen has the best. Tried these guys for the first time last week and it was delicious. Pizza was good with lots of cheese and meat. Caesar Salad was off the hook. Nice waiter served us with Good service. Food is not expensive either. Great place for lunch and dinner. read more

Clam linguine was a smaller portion for what I'm use to for $28 so if you're starving I would get something else and I'm sure others do. It was just me . Had the Italian spritz that was delish ( I asked for not so sweet) the place setting was so cute! The space and ambiance was cute and cozy and not overly pretentious feeling...feels like a luxurious neighborhood spot. The service was so kind and timely. Overall excellent spot to stop in for a bite and relaxing evening ! On a cute street with plenty of street parking. read more

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I've been wanting to go to Slay for quite a while now. And now that I've been, I found it a bit underwhelming to be honest. The food was not as good as I had anticipated. The Garlic Bread was probably my least favorite since I naturally was comparing it to many other place I've been. The Meatballs were tough and dried out. Thank goodness for the marinara which I used a lot of to overlook how firm they were. The jam that came with the Burrata was hands down my favorite item of the evening. There were subtle hints of mint in it that made it absolutely to die for. I meant to ask them if I could buy some before I left lol. The burrata itself was a bit strange as it tasted like it was mixed with a subtle goat cheese or goat's milk? It was a little strange. Lastly, we ordered their Pineapple pizza sort of like a joke since it's an Italian spot and pineapple feels very American. But the pizza was good. Again, nothing to write home about, but if I ever were to go back I might order it again knowing it'll be better than the other dishes I had. I tried their Pinot Noir from their estate and the wine was lovely! I might just not go back, but buy their wine. Service was good as our waiter was attentive and patient as we tried making decisions. The restaurant is very small though. Therefore, it's extremely loud, at least during dinner time when they're fully booked. Because it's so small, both staff and customers are constantly running into your chair. All that to say that maybe this isn't the most romantic place to go if that's what you're looking for... read more

Decent and Upscale Vibe -- But Lacking in Other Areas compared to the restaurant competition in Mb. Slay Italian boasts a sleek, upscale atmosphere, like most of the restaurants in MB. Nice decor and ambiance and it certainly gives the impression of a fine dining experience. However, the experience didn't quite live up to my expectations, especially given the price point. The service felt somewhat indifferent--while not outright bad, it lacked the attentiveness and warmth you'd hope for at a high-end establishment. - Usual lack of parking in and around MB - Corkage fees are expensive but to be expected - Compared to places like MB Post the food quality didn't justify the premium prices; it felt relatively average to be honest. Overall, Slay has potential, but for the cost, I'd expect a more polished experience from start to finish. read more

Good was amazing! We got the sausage pizza and the spinach pasta that had artichoke hearts and chicken. Service was also so good as well, the owner/manager? was walking around making sure everyone was okay as well. read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - Focaccia - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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My friend and I went to celebrate her birthday. We saw a post on NextDoor that the owner was very kind to a homeless person so we wanted to support the business. We were sat in the corner in the back so the hostess had to ask two tables to move so we could get in which wasn't optimum. The server had to reach over the other tables to serve us which also wasn't great, often handing us our plates and drinks. I had the squash blossoms which were okay, but overcooked. Also ordered a special pizza with prosciutto, fig, burrata. Having been to Italy earlier this year, it was weird to hold the pizza slice and it stuck straight out, the "point" didn't bend at all. Not sure if that was intentional. For me, the crust was just overcooked. We love Italian food and I really wanted to love this place, but in the South Bay, it doesn't hold a candle to my favorite place on Pier in Hermosa. read more

One of the best Osso Buccos we've ever had. So tender and the polenta it came on top of the delicious. The meatballs are some of the best we've ever had and the mushroom pizza was a hit! Service is great food comes out quick and you if you sit outside there are some tables with a nice view! Will be back! read more

Amazing service and loved the ambiance. My friends and I shared the Caesar salad, shrimp risotto, and the garlic bread. Everything was delicious and would come back again to try something different. read more

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Date night here was lovely. The service was great and they sat us inside quickly. We shared clam linguine vongole w the funghi and roasted fennel pizza and it was enough to share and take some home. Lovely Italian spritz was so refreshing and delicious! read more

Sofia was super nice!! She was super professional!! It was my first time and she helped me out with a menu selection that I ended up really loving and tasted so delicious! She will be the reason I come back! read more

Fantastic service and delicious food with a beautiful ocean view. Goanna was absolutely wonderful--thank you read more

Slay Italian Kitchen - MARGHERITA PIZZA - Pizza Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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The food here is INCREDIBLE!!! I would come back for the Nutella cheesecake alone! 10/10

Appetizers are good to share with ~3 people if you wanted to try a few dishes. The place is located next to the beach with outdoor and indoor seating so if you come for dinner and end up eating outside, make sure to bring a jacket since it gets pretty chilly. Food was good and service was phenomenal. read more

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Recently moved from the East Coast and wanted to try something close to the beach. Overall had a nice dinner at Slay. Got super lucky and found a parking spot right down the street. Otherwise the closet public parking is near the pier. Chose outdoor seating when I booked it on Open Table. Didn't know it was basically on the sidewalk right in front of parked cars. Didn't really like that. Squash blossoms were the special appetizer. Filled with ricotta and fried, were very good. Had the branzino for dinner. Good portion. Topped with sautéed zucchini and tomatoes. Paired it with a nice glass of wine. Waiter recommended the lemon olive oil cake for dessert. I didn't taste any lemon or olive oil. Was a nice light cake but nothing like he described. Service was great. Prices fair for near the beach. read more