My husband and I went out for dinner to celebrate my birthday tonight and since we felt like Italian food, I got on Yelp and chose Il Mare. Â This was our first time at this restaurant and let me tell ya, we would come back for more! Â Soo good. Â I had one of the specials which was the Chilean Seabass with Capellini Puttanesca (Yum!) and my husband had the Chicken Parmigiana. Â For dessert, we ordered a piece of Tiramisu; very good too! Â
Reasonable prices, good ambiance, very well attended by the waiters.
Of my two visits, the first was spectacular, the second not so much.
I've passed by Il Mare many times and passed by again one evening while on bikes with my dog. I had been wanting to try Il Mare and they were dog friendly so that made the decision. My dog joined us for dinner in their outdoor patio and our server brought a bowl of water for her. I LOVE patio dining at night and it was great to be able to enjoy the ambiance without worrying about my dog being tied outside by herself. Dog friendly restaurants make life so much easier!
We ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and calamari appetizer to share. The complimentary garlic bread was really good! The calamari arrived with individual little bowls of parmesan, marinara sauce, and crushed red chili flakes. I thought the calamari itself was just ok but mixing the parmesan and marinara sauce together definitely improved the calamari. Spaghetti and meatballs is one of those dishes that never really stands out to me but yet I continue to crave. However the spaghetti and meatballs here were REALLY REALLY GOOD!! And a really big portion with huge meatballs. The spaghetti and meatballs alone would've been sufficient food for two. Service was excellent from start to finish.
Second visit, I called in the order for pick-up. I ordered a salad and funghi pizza and accepted the offer for garlic bread. I was told it would be 20 mins. I waited 25 before I walked over, which was another 10 at least, so at least 35 mins before I arrived. I waited to ensure it would be ready because I was coming with my dog and didn't want to have to tie her up for a long time. I got there and tied her up thinking it would be a quick in and out. I walked in and told someone I was there to pick up an order and they told me to talk to the girl at the bar. The girl at the bar was chit chatting with a couple at the counter that she appeared to know, for a while before she acknowledged me. Finally she turned to me and I told her I was there for my order. She said she would go to the kitchen to get it but starts bringing a menu to a woman at a table and waits for her to order, then does a bunch of other things BEFORE she heads into the kitchen at all. I was SO annoyed! I went out to check on my dog who was really freaked out and see a  woman who just finished dining trying to comfort her. The girl at the bar returns and says it'll just be another 10 mins. OMG!! I called in my order almost an hour before. When she FINALLY brings my order, it's WRONG and there's no garlic bread. She gave me the wrong kind of salad and the wrong size. I was SO pissed but didn't make a fuss because it was near closing and I really needed to get my dog and leave. I asked what about the garlic bread and she looked around before grabbing a bag and handing it to me. The salad was ok but I would have preferred the salad I ordered. I love mushrooms but the funghi pizza was also just ok, nothing great. The garlic bread was hard and stale. Sadly, there was nothing I loved about my second meal from Il Mare. It left me wishing I had ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. I would give it another chance if I'm dining there but I'm never ordering for pick-up again.
I could have cooked this, but I guess this is one of those restaurants where you pay people to cook for you. And it really does taste like someone cooked store bought pasta, fried a thin slice of chicken and plopped a bunch of cheese to melt on top. And the garlic bread tastes like that kind you would make at home when you're trying to save money. Basically, pretend you're eating italian that you cooked yourself but paid someone else to serve to you
No thanks!
I love going here for lunch - casual service dining with fresh and tasty entrees. I've stuck with the penne pesto dish with chicken because it's just so good! Their sauce really hits the spot. Also a fan of the quick soda refills and complimentary homemade garlic bread. $18 for penne and a Coke is a little more than I'd like to pay, but I justify the expenditure by splitting the large portion and bringing half home for dinner.
Review Source:I came here for lunch with some coworkers on our way back from the jobsite. Â They are regulars, so I can't really rate the service unbiased.
Loved the fig & prosciutto sandwich, but would have like it even more if it was full figs, as opposed to a fig jam. Â Yummy seasoned fries.
Big portions. Â Delicious iced tea. Â Dog friendly outdoor seating.
Came on a Saturday night for a late night dinner around 9:00PM. People were leaving because the restaurant closes at at 10:00 PM (which I didn't know till later). We had a party of 8, seated fast.
The atmosphere and environment was very cute, modern and clean.
COMPLIMENTARY BREAD: It was a very simple garlic bread BUT it was so good, perfectly crispy exterior with soft interior. So good and addicting.
ARUGULA AND PROSCIUTTO PIZZA: wow. Very simple but so good. The perfect combination of the arugula and salty proscuitto went very well together. Toppings weren't overy crowded nor sparce.. just perfect amount in each bite. The real star of the pizza was the dough. Wow.. so chewy but has a great bite. My favorite crust I have tasted on a pizza for sure.
3 CHEESE PIZZA: Wow.. the cheese mix was perfect. I don't remember exactly what cheeses that went on it but it was just perfection.
TOMATO CAPRESE: mm... big slices of tomato, huge chunks of fresh mozzerella, & basil.. with some balsamic& oil. Some people might say you can't really go wrong with tomato caprese but you can. But this restaurants combination of these simple 3 items was so fresh and tasty.
PERCIATELLI IL MARE: The pasta is like a spaghetti noodle but hollow inside. Very nice change from a regular spaghetti noodle. Had plenty of seafood, tasted really fresh. The sauce wasn't over powering. Light and just simply delicious.
PESTO PENNE: bright green color and you can taste the awesome mix of basil& olive oil from the sauce. Usually some places they make their pesto bland and just reaching for salt/hot sauce.. but they really nailed it. I don't even like ordering pesto dishes at restaurants. But this one was just good and had me picking at it uncontrollably.
TIRAMISU: i'm not a big dessert fan but this dessert wasn't sweet. It had great density BUT also light & fluffy mixed in one. Is that possible? YES! Great dessert.
Overall, I have no complaints about this restaurant. Everything I ate was just so good. Service was awesome. We even had the owner come by our table, showing us the wine we ordered and giving us a taste making sure we like it. He was nice enough to give us a little history behind some alcohol, his experience, the food, etc. He didn't over-chat us like some owners, but just really topped off our whole experience at the restaurant. IF I did have any complaints, it would be that they close so early on a weekend. I wish they stayed opened a bit later. He was even nice enough to let us stay just a little past their closing time and didn't rush us to leave. Great food, great vibe, and great service! I will be coming back again, I want to order EVERYTHING I didn't try.
MUST TRY ITALIAN FOOD! Great awesome yummy drooling writing this right now!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've definitely experienced better. When we entered, the host/server didn't seem to know where to seat us. Yes, we were a large group .. but we've informed them that it was for a birthday and of course, we would like to be seated somewhere a bit private.
We were basically just told where we could sit. We weren't even walked over to the table. When seated, we started off with the calamari which was nicely cooked. Then ordered our entrees. The food was average. I ordered the Linguine vongole. I have to say,  I was kind of terrified to take a bite a few times since my teeth have taken a beating here and there throughout the of this entree. Second, the service was... not the best. When one of our friend entrees came out, one of the toasts meant for her dish fell onto the table. I'm PRETTY sure the server was going to either ignore that it fell or pick it up and place it back on her plate. So, I had to  point out that it fell and that she should probably get a new toast.  I couldn't believe I had to  point out something that should be common sense. The table wasn't covered so, you don't know how clean the table was. She never came back with the toast.
Anyways, the only good thing about this place was that they don't charge for bringing in your own cake. (1 star)
still my favorite place in downtown when i'm looking for a chill night out with friends. seriously no fussiness in this place. simply delicious food, casual atmosphere, and friendly service.
5 things, in my opinion, are foolproof.
1. arugula salad - watermelon makes this so refreshing and the perfect way to start your italian feast.
2. arugula prosciutto pizza - nutty arugula, salty prosciutto, and sweet roasted squash = perfection. my favorite pizza in LA.
3. capellini puttanesca - heaps of juicy cherry tomatoes in a bed of anchovy, olives, and capers. drooling right now...
4. any fish of the day. the place is called il mare (the sea) after all.
5. tiramisu - made with mascarpone cheese. light and not too sweet. just perfect.
i don't live nearby so i can't eat the weekday lunch menu. but the chef was nice enough to let me have it on a weekend. prosciutto fig sandwich is not to be missed out on.
last but not least, service! ANDRES, so friendly and patient even when helping a 14 ppl group dinner. THANK YOU for being so kind and attentive! on top of the amazing food we ate, you made our night even more amazing.
when you are tired of 2 hour wait at some over-hyped spot full of instagramming kids, il mare is the best remedy, offering good food made with good ingredients served by good people.
Local spot in the south part of downtown. I recommend this place to alot of my clients that are looking for walking distance Italian food. They always come back thanking me for the recommendation. So cheers to you, Il Mare for making my clients happy!
So I finally made my way there one random night after work with my colleague. I suggested to try this since both of us haven't yet and we still haven't received invitation to come in being that we give them so much business. None of the less, I made my way there to try it out. Great friendly service. It wasn't too busy that night, even during game night.
Yes, the garlic bread is really good. First order is free seconds will be a charge.We decided to share so we ordered the Arugula salad with goat cheese and watermelon. Wow...what a refreshing tasting salad. Normally, I would have beets in that combination of a salad, watermelon made it fresh flavored.
We had the filet mignon and a side of their meat sauce pasta. They split our dish so we didn't have to do it ourselves. It looked like we had our own order of the dish. Portion is pretty large. It was perfect. We were stuffed! The filet was cooked just right. The pasta was a bit undercooked. I did like the meat sauce though.
We were too full by the end of the meal we couldn't try the tiramisu dessert. Need to go back for that. The only thing I'd like to point out is that it's a very dark lighting restaurant. It's lit by spot light lamps. It would probably feel like a better ambiance if it could be a tad brighter. I'm not a huge fan of dark lit dining.
Cheers!
It's been almost a year since my review so I am guess it is time for an update.
LOVE Il Mare! Â I have had many items on their menu.
I love all of their food but I am really in love with their pasta and meatballs. Â Chef tells me it is a basic recipe but I have never had better meatballs anywhere.
All of the staff is amazing. Â If you don't live in DTLA and you are heading to the Convention Center, Staples Center or LA Live it is just 2 blocks away on 11th and Hope St. Â Also a short walk from the Expo/Blue Line Pico Station.
It was quite loud inside, would rather have sat outside or at the bar. We ordered a spaghetti meatball, chicken piccata, and shrimp scampi. Shrimp had a wonderful pop in your mouth each time I chewed into it. Spaghetti meatball was decent. Chicken piccata was rather tender and the sauce that went with it was great too.
Review Source:Yum! Decided to eat here when we randomly walked by before a Maroon 5 concert at Staples Center.
I did not like the complimentary Garlic Bread they served. Ok, fine, yay, it was complimentary. But the bread was way too stale for my taste. At least the garlic flavors were there.
The Shrimp Scampi appetizer was lovely. Tender shrimp that popped in your mouth, sitting over a light, white wine lemon sauce. Loved how the shrimp wasn't over cooked, which often happens.
The Spaghetti with Meatballs and Marinara Sauce was quite delightful. Lots of soft, flavorful meatballs, with spaghetti cooked perfectly al dente, all nice coated in a nicely balanced, flavorful and meaty Marinara sauce. Â Good sized portion too. Not too much, but enough make us full.
The Chicken Picatta was nice... but nothing amazing. The chicken breasts were so tender though! I think that was the best part of the dish; how tender they were able to make the chicken breasts. It was in a simple, light, white wine lemon sauce with capers. There was a hearty serving of garlic sauteed green beans on the side.
Service was good. The waiter was really friendly and came around often to check on us.
I hated the acoustics of the restaurant. It made the restaurant really loud, even when there wasn't a lot of people. It was worse with little kids having a birthday party, screaming like banshees on the other side of the restaurant.
Left the restaurant feeling lucky we didn't go to a bad restaurant. Our tummies were content too. But there's nothing that WOW-ed me. Food was good, but didn't feel like it was unique or special. But at least it was cooked well! So sorry, I'm afraid I can't give it four stars, even though I really want to.
I love this place. Â My husband and I have eaten here a few times before attending events at Staples center. Â It's just a few short blocks away. Â
The service has always been excellent. Â The servers are informed, my beer glass was kept full, and the garlic bread is wonderful. Â I've tried the salads, pizza and the chicken marsala. Â All of the items have been delicious, especially the pizza. Â The tiramisu was one of the best I've had outside of Italy. I don't get to say that very often. Â The server boxed our food to go and can you believe this, they offered to hold our food until the event was over. Â Wow, thats above and beyond service if you ask me. Â I can't wait to go back!
My wife and I ate here last night before the King game, it was our second time. Â The service and food here are excellent. Â My wife had a pizza that she said she could learn to crave it was that good. Â It had arugula, prosciutto and butternut squash. Â I had there linguine and meatballs, there ragu is amazing. Â Chef Lee is doing some incredible things here. Â He is very hands on and very friendly. Â We finished off with a piece of the best Tiramisu that I have ever had. Â Reasonable prices and full bar, a lot to like here. Â Be back soon.
Review Source:After we had called a few other Italian places in LA for a last minute dinner reservation, we called Il Mare, who said they would be happy to seat us. It was almost closing time, so they literally waited for us to arrive, held the door for us and had a table set and ready. We were one of two parties eating at Il Mare, so the service was exceptional. Solid food, and the employees were extremely friendly. After a night of getting turned away by other local Italian spots, Il Mare seemed like the best in the business.
Review Source:I ate at iL Mare Saturday night for my birthday and was with a party of 12. The moment I walked in, the asian guy who greeted us was amazingly nice. The restaurant was very mellow and i loved that I didn't have to shout to talk to my friends. The waiter was also very friendly and funny. They did a great job at refilling our drinks and bringing out our food quickly. Everything I had here was delicious as we all ordered different plates.
Delicious entrees: Meatball Sphaggheti, Pesto Pasta, Chicken Alfredo...
Ordered lunch for the office (10 peeps) at Il Mare and everyone enjoyed their meal.
Best Dishes:
BEEF CARPACCIO - beef was super tender and plenty of it. The arugula was tossed in a light dressing and went perfectly.
POACHED SALMON - soft and flavorful. The sauce is very balsalmic-y but still light and not overwhelming. I would recommend this if you're looking for something light, healthy and delicious.
ARUGULA, GOAT CHEESE & WATERMELON - very light, fresh and delicious. Not all of the watermelon was sweet but for the most part it added a nice bite to the salad.
I called the restaurant around 10:30 am and someone picked up which was awesome since I had such a big order and wanted to get the food by 11:30 am. They were able to accomodate and got the order right!
I'm sure we will be back again.
Btw, Chef Kay was super friendly when I arrived to pick up the food and made sure to double check the order and took the food out to the car!
Il Mare means 'the sea' in Italiano. . .for you film buffs it's the title of a 2000 South Korean movie that no one has ever heard of. . Â . . for DTLA condo dwellers like myself it can also be defined as 'an Italian restaurant in L.A.'
This is a convenient local spot for us Angelenos who live nearby and a great spot for Lakers, Kings and Clippers fans on their way to Staples Center.
Busy lunch crowd of professionals MON-FRI and a decent outdoor area to hang out and eat. They offer a happy hour as well with a few deals and the service here has always been way above average. Another upside is the fact I've never seen it so busy you would need a reservation yet the food is worthy of a stop. Had the pizzas and the linguini and meat-a-ball-a a few times--both worthy of a repeat.
Would my grandfather Pasquale Marchionie be impressed?
Probably not; but he was an immigrant who made his sauce AND noodles in our basement from scratch.
Am I impressed?
Yep; enough that I've walked through the doors enough to get on a first-name basis with several of the servers...hi Vanessa; you're the best.
I say check it out.
First things first, the Il Mare Pizza is amazing. Â Who would think a seafood pizza could be that good. Â I've had it three or four times already.
The place is really nice, the waters are nice and attentive, and if you're around for a Lakers game, you could easily stop by for a drink or dinner beforehand. Â You can't see it from outside, but this place has a full bar. Â Aw yeah.
This place has a back room for larger parties which is great. Â You can be noisy too if you like since it's a ways away from the rest of the dining area.
The garlic bread is the best thing here. I guess this place would be good for a business lunch but the food, although well presented, lacks any serious flavor.
I tried the chicken piccata and the baby back ribs. Both dishes were bland enough to be eaten by anyone and void of any flavor to be considered serious entrees. The tiramisu was decent but after a lackluster meal almost anything would have been good.
*sigh* It's not expensive, but there are better places to eat around here for even less.
Jessica is the best bartender ever and Han is the most awesome dude in the world.
I'm really only basing my review right now on the kindness and attentiveness of the staff, as my friends and I only snacked on the complimentary plate of garlic bread and drank beer. Â The $4 special price on the tap beer is a definite deal considering they have Shock Top and Pyramid and Stella and not just crappy Bud or anything like that (but there's Coors Light for those of you who feel like some carbonated water). Â Han informed me that the dough is actually imported from New York, so the garlic bread was TO DIE FOR and I cannot wait to come back to try one of those pizzas. Â The entire menu itself had my mouth watering and I had only wished I had come with a bigger appetite and a little more cash in my wallet. Â Next time, for sure!
I stumbled upon this place while I was in the downtown area before a concert at Staples Center. Our first choice was Yard House at LA Live, which had a 2 hour wait. No thank you!!
Just a few blocks away from LA Live, this place was a wonderful surprise. We were seated right away and out waitress was very attentive. The food and cocktails were very good and were served promptly. Also the food is very very reasonably priced. We got 2 cocktails, a pizza, and an appetizer all for about $40! We will definitely be back!
I'm giving this place 4 stars instead of 5 because our menus had some food stuck on them, which was pretty gross.
Our server Valentin was fun and pleasant. Â The Linguini Vongole was delish. Â Garlic bread was tasty...very garlicky. Quatro cheese Pizza was not crispy on bottom. Tiramisu was okay. Â Shocktop was warm. (might of been the glass). Nice portion of Jameson on the rocks.
......they have fruit flys :(. Â Did not see this till the end of our meal. Â They were flying around my friends 1/3 empty shocktop pint. Â Me no likey bugs.
First off I wouldn't really call this a seafood restaurant. Â They have several fish, shrimp, mussel related dishes, but when I think of seafood I'm expecting a bit more shellfish to be on the menu. This is more of an italian restaurant that happens to have some seafood dishes.
Now that that is out of the way though let me review the food, which was pretty good.
The taste of the complimentary garlic bread was very good, the bread was a bit on the chewy side though (which I later remedied by dipping it into the sauce for the steamed mussels, which went amazing with the bread).
My friend and I split two things; Steamed Mussels Appetizer, and the Il Mare Pizza.
The mussels were delicious! Â The sauce was a little spicy and garlic ridden and just fantastic. Â The pizza was pretty good too; Â it had asparagus, shrimp, fish and a balsamic reduction drizzled over top. Â There was salmon on it which wasn't my favorite but if you're a big salmon fan you'd probably enjoy it. Â
We also had some cocktails which were made very well. Â
The decor was very nice and had a nice calming and very clean atmosphere. Â The service was great. Â The waiter was very attentive and the food came out at good times. Â And with the exception of a few items on the menu the prices are very reasonable.
Met up w/ a group of people - didn't see them in the main area... so we thought we were in the wrong place, but little did we know there was a back area (good for a private party). Â The back room had a TV and enough room for... 14 maybe 16 people. Â
FOOD:
- Garlic Bread: Â large slices, slightly peppered, & addicting
- Blackened Chicken Salad: Â large uncut leaves of lettuce, two scoops of chicken salad, several long cuts of artichoke hearts (not how I pictured the salad to look like, but it was still good... but I will not be ordering it again).
- Water: Â tastes gross (even w/ lemon in it, you can def taste the difference).
SERVICE:
- Our waitress was nice, but she sometimes didn't remember what we ordered.
- They were able to split our checks into five different groups.
Months ago, I ordered the Il Mare Pizza which was a pesto based, shrimp, mussel, bacon pie. Â It was delicious.
Recently I ordered the same thing - but to go - and ended up with something completely bad. Â Bad meaning Bad, not good. Â A salmon / bacon / asparagus / some kind of balsamic or bbq sauce atrocity passing for pizza. Â WTF?? Â Who puts salmon on top of pizza? Â It's like some episode of Top Chef quick fire kitchen gone wrong.
It's partially my fault because I should have asked what the Il Mare Pie was before committing to it and ordering. Â But if it's written out on the take out menu (maybe old?), I have serious doubts about this place. Â Even if the menu changed, why change a good thing?
Salmon pizza??
This place is so cute! I came here for "mentorship" and it was awesome. We weren't seated immediately because the hostess was occupied on the phone but a nice man came out (who looked like a chef actually) and seated us. It was lunch time but wasn't crazy crowded, and it was nice. We were sitting inside but right by the patio with the doors open so it was almost like sitting outside.
We started with the calamari and it was good, the marinara sauce wasn't the best but definitely looked homemade at least. It's a little watery. Anyways I got the chicken piccata which was very good and moist. The tang of the capers with the lemon butter sauce and bright string peas with garlic was very good. My mentor got the fettuccine with clams and that looked good as well. We also ended up getting tiramisu and sharing it, it was some good stuff, I liked how the cream was very light.
The only reason one star is off is because the service was good then eh. The server brougth out our food in a timely manner and checked on us a few times, but when we finally needed to pay for it and leave so we could go back to work, she was MIA for the longest time.
I would come back, it's convenient and close. Right across the street from Bottlerock and next to Arashi Sushi.
Il Mare is a great Italian restaurant in the heart of Downtown - perfect for a pre-show meal. A group of friends and I dined here on an early Sunday evening. We had a reservation which was almost unnecessary since it wasn't busy at all. It's split into a few areas - the main dining room, the outside patio, and I think a bar area for sports-viewing.
They serve complimentary (and delicious) garlic bread and their chianti was excellent. Two of us ordered the CAPELLINI PUTTANESCA - a nice capellini pasta with a tomato sauce that included capers, anchovi and black olives - all the salty glory you could ask for! We both and enjoyed it and ate enough to not go home with leftovers.
I need to note that our server was excellent. She was friendly and provided great recommendations for when we weren't sure on what to order. She was also able to split the bill individually - I LOVE THAT! Definitely hit this place up for decently-priced, delicious Italian fare in a cool/casual environment.
Ordered take out the first week they opened. Was quick and painless. They promised the order in 10 mins and they were right on time.
I ordered the fettuccine and a side of garlic bread. The fettuccine was decent, kinda bland. I personally prefer Colori's, but it was ok. The garlic bread, however, was a measly 2 pieces! They give you more bread at other establishments and its free!
The hubby wants to try this place since he has yet too. I'll update after we actually check out the establishment.
A few weeks later, stopped by here for a quick bite to eat with the hubby. Not very crowded inside and were seated promptly. I noticed that the menu had changed since the grand opening. There were a few items that were no longer on there.
Hubby ordered the bolognese and I ordered the chicken pizza. Before our order came out, they gave us some bread. It was the same garlic bread that I had ordered prior that they had charged me for! This time they gave us 3 pieces instead of 2.
Our orders came out and it was so bland. My hubby's bolognese seriously needed some salt or something. My pizza was whatevers. The garlic was so caramelized that it was literary sticking in my teeth. There was absolutely no flavor at all.
Prolly will not be coming back to this place again.
Don't let that fish sign fool you. Il Mare means "the sea" in Italian, but this isn't really a seafood restaurant. It's a simple, classic Italian restaurant. You start with complimentary garlic bread. Appetizer options are basic like calamari (what we ordered), bruschetta, and tomato-mozzarella salads. Dinner options are of a similar ilk--chicken parm, pastas, and pizzas. And as of right now, the only two desert options are tiramisu and cannolis.
If this is your type of place, then I think you'll be satisfied. No dish knocked it out of the park, but the meal was nice. The calamari breading was delightfully light, but we wished the pieces in our basket had been more meaty. The bf's chicken parm was fine, but my pesto-mussel pizza was pretty delicious. The cannolis had good texture and taste but needed more filing. I don't think there were any complaints about the tiramisu, though! The highlights of Il Mare are the prices (really reasonable), the service (our experience was lovely), and the pizzas (based on the pesto-mussel). But to be totally honest, with Colori Kitchen just down the street, I think Il Mare is going to have to up its game to compete. It's a decent Italian restaurant, but it's a stone's throw from a really great Italian restaurant.
Went with a few people for lunch, I was anxiously awaiting the opening of this place because I typically have to walk a good 5-6 blocks for lunch to Colori for my Pasta fix. Â The food was OK but it can best be described as: it's edible...
I'm starting to realize that L.A. is just chock full of Italian restaurants that serve nothing more than standard fare. Â It's very upsetting. Â For a restaurant that boasts 'the sea' in its name, I was surprised at how little selection actually had seafood.
They gave us these sliced garlic breads that were so tough and crispy, it cut up the roof of my mouth. Â While the garlic was yummy, I can't say I liked having the roof of my mouth raw.
We ordered the Calamari which was obviously fresh--it tasted great but can't say the same for the Marinara which was watery, sour and flavorless. Â I always get worried when an Italian restaurants' Marinara isn't superb because that's the base of so many dishes...
The Puttanesca...I always tell myself, 'if I make it better--why should I come here?' Â My Puttanesca is way tastier and I am not a chef. Â Everyone else in my table didn't seem to really enjoy their food as well, so I tasted it and while not inedible, they weren't worth coming back to AT ALL.
I'd like to see this neighborhood spot be more inventive in their offerings to set them apart, but if you're going to go with the classics (or standard)--it really has to be exceptional. Â This city is chalk full of authentic and great Italian cuisine, Il Mare needs to step their game up a LOT.
Their staff was great and very friendly. Â I will come back in a few weeks to see if they were just trying to get their bearings straightened out...but for now, I don't know what the other reviewers are smoking...
UPDATE: Few of my coworkers and friends have come back reporting raw meat (chicken) when they ate here recently. Â That's just amateur...guess I won't be back to see if they got their isht together anytime soon...
Exactly what South Park needed! A great casual dining spot combined with enough ambiance for a casual dinner date (saw a few couples having dinner here)
I've tried the rigatone and the chicken milanese and both were satisfying. When dining in, I got 2 slices of complimentary garlic bread and some raspberries at the end. Not sure if such perks keep up, but they've definitely won me over.
It seems to be well received by the neighborhood and game night crowds, always bustling whenever I drive by or stop in.
Looking forward to trying some of the seafood offerings in the future. And I've ordered takeout from here too!
I've been dying to come here ever since I found out that an Italian restaurant was coming in around the corner. My girlfriend and I came here for a late dinner and I was really surprised how flavorful the food was, especially the bruschetta! We also shared the Marsala and the Penne Pesto and both were excellent! The chicken was very juicy and the sauce was amazing! No to mention that the ingredients are definitely on the high end! I would definitely come back here!
Their menu is simple which is nice. The dish style is very similar to Buca de depo. They have your appetizers, meat dishes, pasta dishes, and dessert.
On the corner of 11th & Hope there is a new restaurant, Il Mare. Il Mare means "the sea" in Italian. True to its name, this restaurant specializes in seafood and seafood pastas. The interior of the restaurant sets a clean, modern yet casual mood appealing to all generations. And also (coming soon) has an outdoor terrace for those who prefer sitting outside in the nice California weather. Very unique fish/fork paintings on the walls.
Food prices range from $10-15 for the main dishes!
It's the best restaurant in the South Park area of DTLA if you're craving delicious seafood and pastas!
I love Italian food and have been looking for a good place to eat home style simple dishes. I had the chicken parmisian and fettuccini Alfredo, it was delectable.
The price is right and the food is great! I ordered for pick up and they said it would be ready in 7 minutes, and it was! Very nice people work and run the place.
Almost all Italian places taste about the same, somewhere in the middle with not much variations of flavor
BUT !!! Il Mare has pizzas and pastas that will make your taste buds tingle !!! The Chef actually was running around and greetings customers in between orders to make sure everyone felt welcomed and the food was at its best.
the prices are such a bargain for the wonderful food you get here. its literally $$$$ sign quality and taste for so much less !
This is for certain my new to go place for dinner in downtown.
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