The manager soothed things over for a good "walk away" feeling. Now the report; We ordered a bottle of Prosecco...$55 and later a red at $75 Yikes. Salad, meatballs, fried cauliflower and cheese pizza for four. The order of presentation was in reverse with the salad never happening. The bill was in error but corrected when made know and right after our review. Double charges. Enter Beverly the manager who quickly appeared and handled the situation with a hosted delicious cheese cake and more Prosecco for us four. The cost? $230 including tip. Will we be back? Yes!! Their motzerella pizza (in my mind) is world class, but will be ordering a few beers instead of their high priced wine. Not to mention their high $35 corkage...Grim. Kinda tells you what they expect for wine served profit. A little noisy but expected. Nice place, fair portions, good food, great location with an inviting ambiance. read more

The food here is so good it's bananas. I have drug so many friends to this place. The menu changes a bit seasonally but everything I've had is good. I'm sad that the pea salad is gone but hopefully it comes back next summer. The grilled octopus is perfect and the fish dishes and pastas are great too. The cheesecake is amazing and I really done even like desserts. read more

Social media was right! You have to eat here and order at least 4 items. Show you care and share, share, Cher! There is a small parking lot (4 - 5 spaces), so be prepared to look for street parking. Service was attentive and informative. The space was gorgeous. And yes you do have to try their pizza, and you will want to have another drink. I'll be back. read more

Where is the best steak I ever had, melters in my mouth like butter.. the octopus and prawns were a great way to start the meal. My kids loved the pizzas and so did I! Finished off with the cheesecake which was phenomenal! Will def return! read more

Marlena - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Long Beach, California

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I am in love with this place. I cannot wait to come back. Everything we had was delicious, and we tried many things. The Rosso bread was simple yet phenomenal. The pachamama meat balls were delicious. The Branzino and Chicken were very good. The Chicken was definitely our favorite out of the two. Can't wait to come back and try the rest of the menu. read more

Marlena - Branzino - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Long Beach, California

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We've been here twice now. The squid is very good to start. We had two pizzas (prosciutto and the mushroom) very good thin pizza. The hanger steaks were excellent. Probably our highlight was the pork chop special. Thanks to our great server for everything. Thank you Robert you have created an excellent dining experience. Beautiful electric roof, lighting and heat lamps. We look forward to bringing friends. read more

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Excellent service and creative food. Lamb was exceptional. Cauliflower appetizer fabulous. Initial drinks slow to come out but all great. Heirloom tomatoes salad great a tad too spicy for our table's taste but toasted ciabatta helped!! Second time was still equally great! read more

Marlena is one of my favorite restaurants . I have been there three times this year and I could comeback anytime just to keep on trying the draft and stone oven pizzas : pears, spice salami or just Bianca bread with oils and balsamic. In addition to the "dough" what really makes the difference is the ambiance and the crew So nice, chic and Professional. Prices are high but quality is top. Give it a try read more

Great food, great service, and great ambiance. I'll definitely be coming back, especially for the olive oil cake!

Marlena is fantastic. The indoor/outdoor style ambiance is fantastic, the food is delicious, and the service impeccable. Love this place!

Second visit, same as the first...wonderful experience. So great having a new neighborhood spot with outstanding food, drinks and friendly staff. We've celebrated a birthday and had a date night with plans to bring more friends in for the same great experience. read more

Food is amazing , ambiance, drinks, service. Has it all. 5 stars Must try their pizzas.

Ambience is beautiful. It is a very nice restaurant. I was super excited to try it. The food was tasty although the kitchen took forever and it took over 30 minutes to get our drinks Our waitress was a girl named. Diana she was rude. I didn't like her attitude or her snarky little comments when we asked about what was taking so long with our drinks. I may or may not be back, but if I do come back, I'll make sure that Diana is in my waitress read more

Marlena did it again... 8-) What a fantastic experience! My husband and I missed the food and decided to head there right after work. "Monday night will definitely be a slow night for them", we thought. Boy, were we wrong! The house was PACKED with many happy guests and beautiful plates being served... That made me very happy to witness! I'm glad we were able to get in and have a wonderful evening. We ordered my favorite cocktail on the menu - the Vaquero (my beloved Mezcal, tequila, lime, mint... YUM) and a draft beer, and went heavy for the appetizers, since everything is delicious. We tried the Pork Meatballs, the Heirloom Carrots (perfectly caramelized and balanced with the addition of goat cheese and hazelnuts), our favorite Octopus (made with a delightful tomato cream sauce and crispy chickpeas) and a new addition to the menu, the Chicory Salad (my star of the night for some reason, even though I loved everything else! I'm a big fan of bitter greens done right, and the combination of chicories, pink radicchio, dates, kumquats with a creamy mustard dressing was an explosion of flavors, textures and beauty on a plate!) We decided to also go for an entree and shared the Papardelle pasta (very delicious and served in a pork sausage ragú). At this point we were so satisfied that we decided it was a NO for dessert, lol! We both ordered coffees and called it a night. Then, the AWESOME GM, Deb, brings us this absolutely delicious Soft Serve Pistachio Gelato as a gift after knowing we were celebrating the near opening of our second store (we're also restauranteurs)! The gelato blew my mind again, wow. It is so refreshing to see such a beautifully designed space thrive and stick to their instincts in serving excellent food, accompanied by gracious service!... Marlena, keep up working hard, showing us what you do best, and we'll keep coming. You're such a gem in the community. Please don't get distracted with haters adding their silly 2 cents about the vision you have that they don't understand or feel threatened and judged by it. Keep encouraging your competent chefs to create meaningful food, you will reach the stars. And to Debra and Alec, thank you for making every table you came in contact feel so special and needed at your restaurant! This is what the greatest management and customer service are all about. Much love, Dani & Fellippe. read more

Charming all open air restaurant on Naples Island in Long Beach. Everything we ordered was delicious and perfectly prepared. Items were well balanced and portions generous enough to share! read more

If you want a super quaint and cute Italian place with a definite curve on the side, this is totally the place!! We had brunch here today and the selections are absolutely not the traditional. We shared the Crispy Cauliflower as our starter and it was very good!! The spiciness was perfect and I'm not sure how they cooked it but, it wasn't in oil and it was a great tasty start! I had the Bufala Ricotta on toast w/ Hazelnuts, Honey and Peach Jam for my meal. Very tasty and not too sweet at all. My partner had the Wild Mushroom Pizza.... SO GOOD!! Lots of WHOLE olives and lots of fresh Oyster Mushrooms! The dough is freshly made and the cheese... ohh the cheese!! You can absolutely taste the freshness and there's a lot!! We had a bottle of water at our table but, ALL of the staff were incredibly good at stopping by to fill our glasses. The waiter was very friendly and professional and the ambiance is perfect for a super casual meal or, a fancy get together. (I want to eat there for dinner, as the roof opens up for great views! Also, there's a parking lot for roughly 6 cars but, parking really isn't an issue. If you're not sure what you want to eat or where to go, go here!!! Food is excellent, staff are fantastic, choices are wonderful and everything is reasonably priced. Oh yeah, that have a really inviting bar too!!! read more

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Great evening with friends! Outdoor dining, good service and delicious food - crispy fried cauliflower, pacha mama pork meatballs, & pizza!

Nestled in the heart of Belmont Shore is a modern mediterranean gem that exceeded all expectations. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by an ambiance that strikes the perfect balance between chic and inviting. The menu is sophisticated, We started with the gem salad and Mediterranean octopus. For the main course, we went with the much talked about truffle calzone. Amazing!!! Service was impeccable. Our server was knowledgeable, passionate about the menu, and offered excellent wine pairings for each course. The staff made us feel valued and well taken care of, enhancing the overall experience. In short, Marlena delivers a dining experience that is elegant, yet unpretentious. The food, service, and ambiance make it well worth the visit. Perfect for a special occasion or simply to indulge in some of the best cuisine around. Highly recommend! read more

Totally fabulous meal from chef Mike Ryan. We loved the tuna crudo, spinach pasta, salami pizza, and cheesecake! Our dinner was made even better by the excellent staff. Shout out to Corwin, Yassar, and GM Barbera. Can't wait to come back for brunch! read more

Marlena - Cheesecake - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Long Beach, California

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We were really looking forward to trying out Marlena. Our server was exceptional. She went out of her way to create a nice dining experience for us. The restaurant was unique with its lovely outdoor dining. Unfortunately, the cigar smoke from a nearby cigar lounge was oppressive and came in strong waves throughout our dinner. Every dish we ordered was seriously over salted. The cauliflower was cooked perfectly, but the heavy salt overwhelmed the other spices. We ordered the truffle calzone with extra truffles (we absolutely love truffles!). The calzone had black truffle powder inside with shaved truffles on top, yet there was absolutely NO truffle flavor! The shaved "black" truffles were light gray and tasted salty and rubbery, but had no truffle flavor. If you like truffles, don't order any of their truffle dishes or the $45.00 add-on of shaved truffles. We did enjoy their unique wine selection, but won't be going back for dinner. read more

Outstanding find less than 2 miles from home ! I look forward to many more visits. FOH excellent, nice bar program. We had the n/a lemonade. Sister had a recommended glass of wine and she loved it. I had little gem salad, lovely anchovies. Lamb entree. Delicious. Wife had duck, preceded by burrata peach app. Very nicely prepared. Sis had cucumber salad and prosciutto pizza. Great service, ambience- all top notch! read more

The ambiance, staff, and menu are stellar. The menu promises many returns to revisit and try the options once skipped over.

Fantastic! Highlights are the pork meatballs, the ricotta gnocchi and the spicy salami pizza. Also loved the basque cheesecake, very delicious. Charming location, surprisingly warm/cozy feel for such a light/airy space. Great bar program, friendly service. Highly recommend. read more

The food was incredible. Can't say enough about the bread and pizza. Skirt steak was perfectly cooked. Favorite thing was the Honeynut Squash Agnolotti pasta. Inhaled it too fast for a picture. It's the absolute perfect pasta and then you bite into it, and it's as if there is butternut squash soup in every piece. To die for! read more

Marlena - Skirt Steak - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Long Beach, California

Amazing service and atmosphere! For brunch, I highly recommend the fried cauliflower and the Creekstone flat iron. They also make a delicious expresso martini. read more

Amazing ambience, delicious food, great service, pizza bread to die for. Lovely bar and dining areas.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Vibe is gorgeous. Food was AMAZING and fresh. Our server Alec went out of his way to help us make the most of our selections and we are leaving with full stomachs and bubbling with laughter. We had the Bianco bread, octopus, Cacio Pepe pasta, peach and burrata salad, salami pizza, mushroom pizza, prosciutto pizza, affogato and basque cheesecake. We ate like kings! Well worth the cost...check it out and sit in Alec's section! read more

Marlena is a wonderful addition to the Naples / LB food scene. Away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby 2nd St area, with the same energy of fun...with some polish. The setting is simple, elegant, contemporary yet cozy. Saw lots of cool looking cocktails being made and delivered to tables as I sipped some wonderful wine. As for the wine, they have some interesting choices I've not seen before and our server was helpful in helping match my tastes to the wines they had to offer. It was two of us and we opted to go with the server's suggestion of sharing dishes, family style. We had a great Caesar salad (not called Caesar on the menu, so just read through the description for those fresh anchovies). As Caesar lovers, we enjoyed it. We also liked the meatballs made with pork. Our favorite was the blue oyster mushroom pizza, the mushrooms, the olives, the cheese...really good flavor combo! The food was lovely, though not amazing, but the ambiance and energy of this special little spot elevated the meal for sure. I'll definitely be back to try other items on the menu and some of those beautiful cocktails! read more

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Easily the best restaurant in Long Beach. Rotating menu to feature seasonal ingredients, wonderful drinks. Staff is beyond exceptional

I came here with a party of 10 and boy was it a mess just getting the reservation situated. Our waiter suggested family style which was not the best option for a party of 10. I feel like she should have been able to read the room and suggest individual plating for larger parties. I literally felt like we were scavengers. They brought out regular size dishes to feed 10 people. By the time the food got to me since i was at the end it was literally scraps if anything was left at all. Just a horrible experience. My drink and the one slice of pizza i had was good but honestly that was it. read more

I really wanted to love Marlena because it has great vibes and the service was good, but sadly the food was a pretty big let down. The focaccia was very dense, dry, and flavorless. It was two tiny squares (much smaller than in some pictures on here) and it was not served to us with any oil/balsamic. I got the pizza with toy box squash and pesto, and again it had no flavor. Really boring. Cheesecake was nice but not amazing enough to save how bad the rest of the food was. Like another reviewer said, if you get the distilled water, it's $8 a bottle. The server didn't mention that, and I didn't see it on the menu. Luckily my partner had a sense of humor about me accidentally spending $16 on water! read more

Was introduced to Marlena's when visiting good friends in LB that took me there for Sunday brunch. As soon as we walked up I was impressed with the design of the restaurant. Menu options and drinks were good and the staff was very friendly. Will definitely go back! read more

We loved every moment of our dining experience at Marlena. Each dish was beautiful and delicious. The staff were friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was classy yet laid back. It was like fine dining at your best friends house. They have it all done right! read more

I met my friend there. Cute place in Naples, LB. We sat at the bar because we didn't have reservations. I ordered their potatoes which were okay and the salami pizza. I also had their cauliflower, it came with an amazing sauce. It was good. We had cocktails which were amazing. I will be back. read more

On 10/6/24 I left a "tough" review for the popular and highly rated Marlena restaurant. In an attempt to balance out my previous 2-star review, I am making this 5-star to address the respectful and gracious response that Robert Smith made by reaching out to me personally and asking for the opportunity to make things right. He expressed a good understanding of how this could have happened (as the Cioppino was not intended to be an entree) and provided me some incentive and encouragement to return for an in-restaurant dining experience. I will be doing just that and am confident that my 10/6 experience was a true outlier (as it is not in keeping with the majority of 5-star reviews). Any business and/or person can have an off-night but when a business wants to "do right", it should never be taken for granted. Thank you, Robert! read more

My husband and I got a reservation for a Saturday night date, and Marlena did not disappoint!! Their outdoor patio is SO cute, with twinkle lights and heaters that work very well - it was a chilly evening but I did not need my jacket with the heaters on. The service is also excellent. Our server was charismatic and knew the menu very well; food was cooked quickly and brought out in the right order. We shared a salami pizza, yellowtail crudo, meatballs, and the duck. Everything was superb. We will definitely be back! Their menu is seasonal and I'm excited to try future dishes. read more

I had a great time here. We had a prosciutto/burrata pizza and a snap peas salad and some happy hour menu. They were all so amazing! Service was great too. Will definitely come back! read more

5 star restaurant in LB. i never had a bad meal here. the menu is outstanding (try the mushroom pizza and anything from the josper grill), the service is friendly and impeccable, and the space has a nice indoor/outdoor flow. when i have visitors coming to LB, i go here. don't sleep on the brunch either! read more

At Marlena, prepare to embark on a taste adventure that's like a rollercoaster for your taste buds! Picture this: octopus that's so tender, it practically melts in your mouth, pizzas with toppings that dance on your palate, and pastas that make you want to do a happy pasta dance. And don't even get me started on their drink recommendations it's like they have a magic wand for pairing perfection! The staff are like culinary wizards, waving their wands to ensure your dining experience is nothing short of magical. After our first visit, we're already planning our breakfast bonanza. Marlena, you've stolen a pizza our hearts we'll be back for more flavor packed fun! read more

It tries a little too hard and in the end meh. It's very popular with a nice variety of people. Service is great. Food is just not great enough for the price. read more