Considered the higher end restaurant at the Terranea Resort, I've been here a few different times and tried a few different things. It's a nice restaurant for a date night or a fancy girls night or a place to celebrate something. FOOD: Most things are usually good. The bread that they have here is pretty amazing. I also always get the scallops because they know how to cook it perfectly. I also appreciate how vast their wine list is and how knowledgeable the staff is on the wine. One of the best wines I've had to date is the Schloss Johannisberg Riesling. Even as a Riesling and I usually don't enjoy wines on the sweeter side, I really enjoyed this wine. AMBIANCE: Beautiful atmosphere and view. It definitely feels like you're on vacation here and I feel spoiled every time when I eat here and see the view around me. It's so calm and peaceful here. SERVICE/PRICE: Service is great and you feel like a VIP. Price is high but you're definitely paying for the experience, view and service. Food & Beverages: 3.9 Ambiance & Cleanliness: 4.7 Price Point: 3.7 Overall Experience: 4 read more

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The food and service are top quality based on our Wed night dinner in Nov 2020 during covid19. We were not guests staying at the hotel. Covid19: All staff wore masks and gloves (and servers, bus boy, runners also had a clear face shield on top). Temperature check for guests (standing in front of a small monitor) took place at the check in and the tables were distanced apart. All dining took place outdoors. Restaurant was doing decent business with many of distanced tables full. Food: Pre-Main Entrees: Amuse bouche was strawberry with small mint leaf on top of ricotta cheese with balsamic vinegar and sea salt on a cold silver spoon. It was refreshing! Warm homebaked bread, which looked like oval brioche, served with butter and sea salt, was delicious! For appetizer, we had the 3 cheese plate (brie, blue, and I can't recall the third) which came with toasted bread, nuts, raisins, cranberries, blueberry jam (?), blueberries & blackberries & grapes. We also had heirloom tomatoes (tasted much better with salt), for which we added burtata. Entrees: The filet migon medium rare was cooked well but my husband didn't care for the slightly sweet glaze. I really enjoyed my seabass (seared and not overdone) and the potatoes underneath were wonderful. My daughter's kid meal (4oz halibut, pasta, broccoli) was also really good. The roasted fingerling potatoes were really good (fried, deeply baked, cracked) and came with this chunk of butter/garlic/chives/parsley, but it wasn't necessary for us to order b/c I already had potatoes with my dish and we had too much food. Dessert: The kid's meal came with complimentary ice cream and cookie. The server brought us a complimentary delicious dessert--I don't even know how to describe vanilla creamy pudding parfait with chocolate layer that was not too sweet. Cost: Before tip, our bill came to $234, which included one drink and tax. It's about $50++/per adult for entree, if you don't order the most expensive stuff, so this is going to be an expensive meal. Service: Jeffrey (who has been working there for 11 years) and Enzo were great. Food came out in a timely fashion, our waters were filled, they checked on us, they removed the empty plates, and they were friendly and professional. Parking: We self parked for free (and expected valet only as the option). Closing remarks: The only thing I would have done differently is make an earlier dinner reservation (or come to lunch) so we could see the beautiful view before the sunset, because it was pitch black when we had dinner. The only thing that the restaurant could have done differently was call or email to confirm the reservation. read more

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Had an incredible dining experience last night! We sat outside and even on a chilly night we were surrounded by heat lamps that kept us super comfortable. The service was seriously impeccable. Chris was AMAZING!!!! Our glasses were never empty and he really had the BEST attitude. We ordered the 32 ounce steak to share and Chris cut it for us tableside. We also shared a bottle of 2013 DOM! I highly recommend dining here. It's an experience you'll never forget! read more

Overpriced, over glorified, and over rated. We spent over $500 on an impromptu dinner date. Arrived around 7:45pm and the place was packed. Staff were busy yet accommodating. Unfortunately, the food was lacking in flavor... I've had better food at a diner. This was such a scam, the lamb chops were fatty and the lobster pasta dish had zero flavor with a hint of fishy, couldn't take more than 3 bites. The best part was the bread... Even the white chocolate covered raspberries were bad! Tasted like spoiled milk. Quality control called out that day and we had to pay the price. Not returning. Don't recommend. Go to in & out instead. read more

mar'sel - Bland lobster pasta - New American Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Came here as a guest in the Terrenia resort. The menu has good variety, with interesting specials. I personally enjoyed all of the food, but my father (who is pretty picky) had some complaints. We ordered the bread to share (good, but expensive), there was an amuse-bouche that I enjoyed, the burrata tartar (fairly good, but small), and my father and I shared a 32 oz bone-in ribeye (a special for the day). We ordered the ribeye medium rare, but it was served closer to a medium-well, which is my only complaint. The sides of lobster creamed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes were good as well. The ambience is nice, especially with the surrounding nature of the resort, and upscale decorations. read more

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Expensive food for the quality. The cacio e Pepe was cold when we first got it so we asked for another one-- they did not hesitate to serve us a warmer one which was nice but the bare minimum. Service was a little distant, our server didn't have a warm presence and everyone seemed to be trained to be a little too professional that they seemed like robots. The dessert was mediocre, strawberry shortcake was really good. The steak was very sweet and definitely small portions here so get ready to spend a lot. Lots of parking and it's free. 1 star for the view and ambiance and 1 star for the dessert. Don't think I would come back for the food but maybe the view for brunch or something. read more

mar'sel - All the desserts - New American Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

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Food was delicious, prepared well; entrée portions are small so order sides.Nice selection of seafood prepared various ways; wr shared samples so I got to taste many & enjoyed all. Our server ,Steven, and his associates made sure we were well taken care of. All seven of us were very satisfied. You get what you pay for so expect $$$. read more

Your classic steakhouse at a hotel. Nothing crazy but clean and good across the board. A lack of steak options was disappointing, they only had filet and a special 32 oz. We had the seafood platter which was awesome. Great crab with a green goddess sauce. Salmon and chili also excellent. Avoid the asparagus salad, was pretty bland. read more

mar'sel - Seafood plater - New American Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Came here for our Tuesday night dinner while staying at Terranea. The service and decor were both impeccable. We ordered the scallops and the corn ginger soup for our appetizer. Both of which were tasty. Our main course was Australian lamb and pasta with white truffle served with a cheese wheel. Again these were delicious. I am lactose intolerant but the pasta was definitely worth the bloating . read more

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Food service and atmosphere was perfect!!! All I can say thank you Jesus H our server..for making our anniversary fabulous !!!!! We went here for our anniversary and everything was amazing !!!! Felt like stars !!! read more

We've visited Mar'sel a few times across the years and this visit was quite disappointing. Overall prices have gone up but quality seems to have gone down. In particular their side of roasted mushrooms was quite shocking. The presentation was not what you'd expect for a fine dining restaurant, taste was overly oily and salty. read more

mar'sel - Roasted forest mushrooms. Really disappointing - New American Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

I got to admit, I didn't have high hopes for mar'sel, mainly because the menu reads generic and it's yet another fine dining restaurant on a 5-star resort. It's not interesting, ya know? But I've changed my mind since dining here for dinner this week. The restaurant faces out to the PV bluffs, with unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean, made for a perfect al fresco dining. They blast the heat lamps so I was so comfortable the whole meal. Our table of 4 shared the seafood tower, grilled octopus, and burrata. seafood tower and grilled octopus were both great, came with fresh, sweet seafood made perfect. Burrata was a complete miss for me, tasted watered down drowning in the tomato water. For my entree I got the branzino, my goodness, the fish was delicious. The skin! crispy, seasoned...so glad I got it. As far as desserts, there's room for improvements considering this is a French restaurant. Except for the chocolate mousse which was decadent and satisfying, the cheesecake and the panna cotta was disappointedly ordinary. This would've been a 3-star dinner for the food, but the service was outstanding. The service staff was on point, the perfect amount of attentive while leaving our table with space to talk and chat. Never rushing any of the courses. Well-done! read more

The service was average and the food was just about the same. We went there to celebrate a 60th birthday and everyone at the table was disappointed. read more

We have a tradition of dining at Mar'Sel for our anniversary. Last night we sat outside and we're nice and warm under the heaters. Our server Karla was an absolute delight, giving great advice and not making fun of me when I asked her questions like, "What's in a Manhattan?" and "What exactly IS squab?". We had the pan seared scallops over risotto and it was fabulous. The English Muffins in the bread basket were so good I asked Karla to sneak some into a to go bag for me. The most interesting (and fabulous) dish we had was the chocolate cauliflower soup. That sounds like a weird combo, but as the manager explained to us - they get their chocolate from the Rhone valley and it's just a smidge of it blended in. I'll remember this dish for a long time. We felt pampered by the staff and being outside with the view of the cliffs felt like an intimate experience. Cannot recommend highly enough. Oh, and the WhistlePig Manhattan I had was to die for. read more

mar'sel - A Woodford Old Fashioned and a WhistlePig Rye Manhattan - New American Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Absolutely fantastic location, service and food....this is everything you are looking for in a night out. On the Terranea resort, the entrance opens to a patio with an outdoor fireplace overlooking the ocean bluffs to Catalina Island. The bar is welcoming to your left, and both indoor and outdoor seating are available. We started with the gnocchi and a brilliant carrot ginger soup, both of which were beyond expectations. The main courses continued the journey, and the wine selection was excellent. There is plenty of space to enjoy the walking paths or patio outdoors after your meal, making this a true SoCal gem. read more

(See screenshot of ad for Thanksgiving dinner at Mar'sel) When we arrived at 7:55 p.m. the hostess informed me that they closed at 7:00 p.m. I told her that was interesting because their website indicated they were open until 9:00 p.m. She said she was "so sorry" and could she help me find something else/somewhere else to eat. I mean good grief. What a terrible experience.  Text from their website ad for Thanksgiving dinner: THANKSGIVING AT MAR'SEL: There is plenty to be thankful for at Mar'sel with a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Enjoy a prix fixe gourmet menu of holiday classics set with an elegant backdrop, offering unmatched Pacific views. Caviar and truffles are available tableside upon request with specialty wine selections for the holidays. Thursday, November 24 | 1:30 - 9:00pm read more

mar'sel - New American Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

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Very unimpressed. Service is good food not so much. Wouldn't recommend. This food needs some flavor.

Terranea is a great resort with a few restaurants to choose from. My wife and I chose their fine dine-in restaurant - Mar' Sel. I wish I could tell you that our experience was great. I wish I could tell you our experience was good. The food experience was decent at best and very underwhelming, while the view was good. Nelson's has the best view on the resort. I was disappointed that none of the seafood at this restaurant is wild. Everything is farm raised. Very disappointing for being at the coast at a high end resort. We ordered the scallops for the appetizer and it was good. We ordered the 32oz bone-in ribeye medium rare with a couple of sides. The steak came medium-well. This should NEVER happen at a restaurant at a resort like Terranea. They said it would take 10 minutes to get a new steak, which was fine. The steak finally came 20 minutes later cooked medium- still not medium rare, the side dishes were cold at this point, and the sauce went cold and chunky. There was no correction on that end. The manager came and stayed this should never happened and apologized. He asked if I would like a glass of champagne, which I responded, "I'm not a champagne type of guy." When I received the bill, there was no correction at all. Not even one drink was taken off the menu for the mistake they made. I don't expect a free meal but when we end up with our anniversary meal being cold due to mistakes from the restaurant; the right thing is to "DO" something about it rather than a half-assed apology. Server was decent. Manager definitely needs training on how to handle their errors. I chalk it up to being my fault for choosing that restaurant. We ended up packing the food and leaving after finally receiving our food 1.5 hours later. Won't be back. read more

Felix is an amazing server. The ocean views add a chill vibe to dinner, making it a romantic spot or just a great ambiance to enjoy family and friends. The Ibérico Pork Coppa Steak was incredible! Compliments to the chef! read more

The professionalism at this restaurant is tops! We had Felix as our server. Felix was great and accommodated our every request. We liked the restaurant and Felix so much, we went back a second night. The first night we started with the oysters and moved on the the special, Jamon Iberico, which was hand carved while we watched. We also had the crab and asparagus salad along with pasta and prawns. The second night we started with the crab asparagus salad, broccolini and we split a filet mignon. Oh, not to mention we washed it down with excellent wines to include Silver Oak. If we return to Terranea, we will eat here again for sure! read more

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We are staying at Terranea for 2 nights, have been here before but have not dined at Mar'sel - it's a nice venue - the initial service was great- we had oysters and salad and ordered a nice bottle of wine - and then had our meal; sea bass and halibut - both were very good. We then ordered the apple crisp for dessert - it was burned to a crisp - you couldn't even take a bite. The worst part was that our server was nowhere to be found- nobody came to check to see if we wanted anything else or to quality check the dessert.....or to even serve water ....it was 15 minutes later when the bill was dropped off that we showed the server the pic that is attached. Started out great - ended on a bad note. read more

mar'sel - Burned apple crisp - New American Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

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I love celebrating my birthday with great company, yummy food and beautiful view! This was a great choice! We had an outdoor table with lovely ocean view and outstanding service. Their Sunday brunch is from 10am-2pm and the three course meal is $75 per person | kids $26 per person (ages 12 & under). Reservation is a must. I recommend their grilled skirt steak with grilled shrimp and the shrimp cocktail. Tidbit: The sea salt pot de creme is their most popular and long standing dessert. Almost every table ordered this. I preferred their sorbet since I'm not much of a chocolate gal. read more

mar'sel - Outdoor table with ocean view. - New American Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

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Palos verdes restaurant that has stunning views and great service but honestly so expensive for pretty subpar if not bad. Tiniest portion ever for lobster pasta, veal special not good; etc read more

Sunday brunch for Wife's birthday. Sunday brunch was excellent! Felix demonstrated excellent customer service and provided and amazing experience. Great views and great food. Had the pleasure of meeting Itsvan, manager on duty. Highly recommended location with great views and great food! read more

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I was fortunate enough to dine at mar'sel on Thursday night. Wow! It was an amazing experience. I felt so welcomed and attended to. Joey was our server and Istvan was there to give us a warm welcome. We had the sunchokes, the cheese plate, filet, and lobster. All were delicious and displayed beautifully! Joey and Alex both explained the menu very well and were helpful in our decision making. I loved the stories that Joey told about the entrees to bring everything back to Terranea- true to place, local, and sustainable! read more

mar'sel - Gray Whale Gin is a local company and is delicious in this cocktail! - New American Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

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Ate here for brunch, which is $75/pp and menu seemed a little different post COVID. 3 courses. Got shrimp cocktail, the shrimp was pretty big. Got the fish dish which was overcooked and dry. Meh. Also got the sorbet, I did not like the prickly pear flavor, not sure why. It just wasn't fit for my palette. Loved the view here! Amazing. All the views on the resort are pretty good, but loved the vibe here, had the best view along with Nelson's... read more

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Outstanding. From the exceptional views, to the impeccable service and wonderful entrees, the place did not disappoint. Their rye old fashion was one of the best ever. Had the Soft shell crab appetizer- perfect, followed by a delectable sea urchin pasta, and finished it off with the Old Fashioned dessert. Location and service alone earns Mar Sel five stars. read more

mar'sel - Cheers! - New American Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

The location and views are incredible! However the food and service is poor! We were here to celebrate our anniversary. A $200+ meal that was left half eaten and the server didn't even ask how our meal was. Our server spent most of the time chatting with the table next to us and joking with them. Not a single person asked us how our meal was, only if we wanted more stuff. It seems this place only cares about the money, and not their guests. Will not recommend anyone come here for dinner. What a miserable way to spend your anniversary. read more

Came here for dinner to celebrate Mother's Day and had a good experience for the most part. The restaurant is not in the main hotel building but to the left of it. They were nice enough to drive us over since we accidentally went to the main building. I had requested one of the tables right in front of the ocean, but ended up with a table with a partially blocked view. The original table was next to dirty plexiglass so it was better than that. I saw multiple nicer tables open but they wouldn't let us sit there. Smoked Trout Caesar Salad (5/5): pretty good salad, loved the smoked trout. Cocktails (4/5): I enjoyed my lemon drop and mom thought her martini was too sweet. Pork Porterhouse (4/5): solid entree. Filet (3/5): this was just ok, wouldn't recommend. Chocolate Dessert (4/5): good, not too sweet which I liked. Overall it was a nice, relaxing dinner and the customer service was great. Just wish we were able to get a nicer table. read more

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The view was spectacular! Food and service was great, we will definitely be back! It is our go to place when we have friends visiting. read more

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Great service and location. Staff was amazing. Had a prefixe for a work dinner with plenty of sides. Everything was great. Highly recommend. I'd try the fish next time though. read more

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Happy 30th! To Amy!!! We shall see each other in our afterlife. This place is great just right next to the sea side view! read more

Views are spectacular but it doesnt make up for the food. Portions are small but the bill is big. I wouldnt mind it if the food was actually worth it. It is not. MY ribeye was so dry. Dad let me taste his almost $95 pasta that was so bland, we would have been better off going to my grandmas. Service was decent but took forever and it wasnt even that busy. Overall ok because the views and drinks save it. read more

My fiancé and I came here for an anniversary dinner. Our reservation was around sunset and we opted to sit outside on the gorgeous grounds with ocean views. It was quite chilly, but we were assured we would be warm by the heaters. We were sat right away, however the heaters next to our table weren't on & It took someone about minutes 20 minutes to turn them on and acknowledge that we had been sat. The wine list is exceptional & extensive. I went with the 252 Domaine Vocoret & Fils Chablis. For our appetizers we had the Burrata and Seared scallops. The scallops were good, the Burrata was bland. We ended up getting a side of sea salt, which I'm glad we did because we ended up using it on just about every dish. For our mains, I went with the fillet and my fiancé had their pasta special that evening. Sadly, the fillet was over cooked. My fiancé's pasta was prepared table side in a cheese bowel & served with truffles; it was decadent & rich. But with a price point of $95... I personally didn't think it was worth it. Our server was patient & kind when recommending dishes for us and the service was courteous. Towards the end of our evening it started to drizzle so our waitress helped us move to a table inside the bar area. She also brought us the Chocolate Dulcey Pot De Crème dessert with a sweet anniversary message on it. Side note- The bartender makes a mean espresso martini! We were hoping for a different experience for such a highly recommended restaurant, but we love this area so much I would definitely try coming again and perhaps ordering something new. read more

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We tried Mar'sel for the first time on Friday night and it lived up to our expectations. Breathtaking views, great food and good ambiance. read more

mar'sel - Outdoor patio - New American Near Me - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Beautiful restaurant with great service but one star for robbing people with ridiculous prices and the smallest portions for mediocre food. The portions are insulting and you will leave the restaurant hungry. I am very suprised people dine at this spot. Way better options at Terranea. Don't waste your time or money. read more

Beautiful plating, good service...until they get busy, great view, average food at hefty price tags. I found the steak a bit stringy and really disliked the sauce. Oysters just ok. Bread good! Ceasar really bad, seemed like a cheap salad with dried fish on it. Pot de cream so disappointing! read more

First of all, be careful driving here! Because of the supposed view it offers, you're on the side of a cliff looking over the beach. Food: I would say very basic with very small portions and definitely not worth the price. It was the salty side too. The one thing that I could recommend is the dessert. I did not drink for this meal but there was quite an extensive menu and I would not be surprised if they had a wine sommelier available due to the setting. Service: Only reason I gave it three stars. We got exceptional service and attention as we were celebrating for a bachelorette dinner. Conclusion: I won't be coming back willingly but, if I just happen to be at the resort for other reasons, I just might grab a drink and a dessert by the patio if I was desperate. read more

The first time I was at Mar'sel's I was both very impressed by the food, service, or the ambiance. The second one time I went I was very happy with all of the restaurant's food, service and ambiance! The 2nd time we sat in the restaurant's indoor/outdoor space...the view of the sunset over the Pacific Ocean was amazing and the food was excellent! We ate Italian dishes. La the portions. The chef came out to greet us and ask about our experience. I am so glad we gave it a second try. read more

We were in Town for a family wedding! We lucked out and got a private room for the 7 of us. The food was delicious and the service was phenomenal. You can beat the views and we had a patio outside the room to go sit by the fire. read more