Locanda Positano

We were looking for a place to eat after a long business trip day, and started scouring Unilocal for locations near LAX, since our flights would be roughly right around when dinner would end. The base requirement was «they must have table service» as we had been eating a lot of fast food on this day. Lo and behold, there is nothing good to eat near LAX. Expanding our range to Marina Del Rey on Unilocal we found Locanda Positano and decided with some 350+ reviews and 4.5 stars, this had to be good.
And yes, thanks denizens of Unilocal in the Marina Del Rey area this was fantastic. Driving up to this restaurant, we looked around at their neighboring establishments and honestly the area looked kind of sketchy. I mean iHOP was across the street, and some weird pie place next door.
Once we stepped in we were transported to the most charming Italian place I’ve ever been to in the states.
We ordered the meat and cheese plate to start, and the calamari, then came a trifecta of delicious olive oils with fresh bread. The calamari was light, crisp and delicious and I loved that they included fried shrimp along with it.
We had two bottles of wine, where we learned that Pinot Negro = Pinot Noir. For my main I ordered the wild boar pasta. The pastas were hand made, and I’m not sure if their meats were made in house too, but it sure tasted like it. Others had the lobster ravioli, some shrimp pasta dish, and I’m forgetting the rest now but everyone was more than satisfied with their order.
Couldn’t have asked for a better meal to end the trip with.

Went here for Valentine’s dinner. Was planning to get the lasagna from their normal menu, but they had a special V-​Day selection. I was not disappointed, however, with my alternate selection: Rigatoni… Manzo (short ribs with a tomato-​based sauce on rigatoni). The woman at the table next to me suggested I try it, and I took her advice — to die for! My boyfriend had a the lobster ravioli, which was pretty good. The sauces on everything were scrumptious, even on the calamari antipasto. And the bread came with a trio of olive oil to dip in! It’s a cute, small little place. The server was very attentive but not annoyingly so.

Went there for Valentine’s Day with my wife. When you go online to make a reservation, there was no indication there would be a special, limited menu that night. I wouldn’t mind the limited menu if the food were good and if the appetizer and entrees weren’t all hiked 20 to 33 percent over their normal prices.
I mean, $ 48 tagliatelle pasta in a cream sauce seems a bit much, no?
We were shuffled off to the back room, where conversation was a bit hard to be heard over the Barry White soundtrack. (Love Barry White– just didn’t expect him in a high-​priced Italian joint and didn’t expect him to be so LOUD.)
The beet salad was above average. The rigatoni with short ribs sauce was so-​so. The rack of lamb was so-​so, accompanied by flavorless sautéed spinach and equally flavorless mashed potatoes.
We each had a glass of wine. We decided not to gamble on the desserts. So one app, one pasta, one lamb and two glasses of wine came to $ 157, with tip. Damn. Should’ve gone to Costco.

Lovely little restaurant in Marina. Intimate atmosphere and very cozy. Food is amazing and the service even better. Friendly staff and the hostess is a sweet thing!

My bf and I love this place. The surrounding neighborhood is a little rough and more prone to dive bars than upscale restaurants, but this place it an absolute gem. It’s tiny and usually pretty crowded so reservations are strongly recommended. The food is delicious and the service is outstanding. One thing to note is they serve wine only. I’m not sure if they even serve beer.

The only thing that I am positano about is that this place should not have its kitchen directly in the middle of the restaurant. I want to meet the architect behind this plan. In some ways, it makes sense. There is a balance between all of the tables and their relative distance from the kitchen. But while that might be great for a pinko commie that wants everyone equidistant and homogenous, it doesn’t work for the capitalist pig that I am.
You see, I want to dine in a place where there’s a table that’s so far away from the kitchen, the soup gets cold before it hits the table. And I want there to be a table where the soup is so hot it scalds the diner. I want these things because I believe in disproportionate wealth and riches for some and poverty and famine for others. I also want this because it was weird that I had to exit the restaurant, walk down a driveway, over a speed bump, and then in another door just to get to my table.
All that aside, the food here was very good. I had the little ears pasta with sausage and my lady had something with a ton of seafood in it. I also had the veal meatballs special as an appetizer and now that I am writing about it, I’m getting hungry, so I have to go.

My friends and I had no idea entering this establishment that we were about to experience fine dining. All we knew was that it was an Italian restaurant, which could easily have meant pizza. However, this is now my gold standard for upscale Italian food. Every single dish was perfect and we couldn’t stop exclaiming over them. Even the bread was fantastic served with a selection of 3 different flavored olive oils. Another highlight of the meal was the tender calamari in a light, flaky, and perfectly seasoned batter. Service and atmosphere were also superlative. Definitely make reservations. We were very lucky to be seated without them.

I have been here twice, once with my wife and once with my parents and brother. The resteraunt lends itself to both a romantic, quiet atmosphere, but is also comfortable for a gathering with family or friends. I recommend the fried calamari to start as it is both fresh and very flavorful.
My main course was the equally fresh and flavorful Linguini Al Positano, which was a combination of pasta with tomato sauce, scallops, shrimp, and clams. This paired very well with our Lacrima red wine.
For dessert we had a gelato that was very flavorful and a great ending to our meal. The owner Paolo gave us his personal attention and was very welcoming, nice and accommodating. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for authentic italian, great atmosphere and phenomenal service.

4.5 if I could give it. Another Italian gem on the Westside. We started with a special polpettine appetizer that was above average. The portion was good but all veal meatballs can sometimes taste like they could use more of a mix with other meats. They don’t crumble like a normal meatball, but they were still tasty. The pomodoro sauce they were served in was also a little watery for my taste, but it was all still very tasty.
For our main course, I got the rigatoni with a short rib Ragu and my wife got the pappardelle with boar and red wine reduction. Both phenomenal. Pasta was cooked perfectly, just a tad al dente, and both dishes were full of meat and flavor. Don’t be fooled by the pictures, the portions are quite large and we both took food home. The rigatoni sauce is a bit rich and creamy, but some people might like that, I really enjoyed it but would try something else next time.
Service was also outstanding by the whole staff. All around top notch. After such a beautiful Italian meal, I found myself craving a cannoli and was a little disappointed there wasn’t one on the desert menu, but I can’t really fault them for that. To sum it up: We had a lovely meal and would definitely go back.

Perfecto! Prego! After my husband and I returned from our honeymoon in Italy a year and half ago, this is the only Italian place that even comes close to satisfying our Italian food/​wine withdrawals. Here are some words that come to mind when I think of Locanda Positano:
Handmade pasta
Fresh bread
Wine on point
Knock out Gnocci
Authentic Italian at its BEST
Quaint, intimate, romantic — you need a reservation
It’s easy to rack up a nice bill with all of this Italian goodness… but worth it. You will be STUFFED when you leave so come hungry. Also, get cash beforehand because they only have valet parking. If someone else is paying– tell them you wanna go here! ;) It’s definitely pricey, maybe more like $$$$ if you want the full experience.

I found this place off Unilocal and wanted to try something different for a birthday celebration. I’m glad we found it and went! Very good wine selection and the food is traditional Italian, very rich sauce and amazing pastas. It is on the smaller side for portions and would go with the chicken Parmesan if you’re very hungry. The restaurant is on the smaller side maybe 10 – 12 tables tops. Call ahead if you have a larger party. Look forward to coming back.

Having been spoiled by 8+ years of New York Italian food, we’ve been disappointed by most Italian restaurants in SoCal. Based on a recommendation of a friend, we hit up Locanda Positano for NYE since they were serving their full menu. While we had an OK meal, not sure if we’ll be going back since it wasn’t out of this world and was $$ for what we had.
Pros:
— Cozy little restaurant — was not expecting something this cute right off of Lincoln. Would make a great date spot.
— The olive oil trio you get at the start of the meal is nice.
— The TIGER SHRIMP CITRUS SALAD which was a special was delicious, a nice balance of citrus and freshly cooked seafood.
— All of the pasta that is served is made in house.
Cons:
— Maybe because it was NYE, but the service seemed a little disjointed/​waiters were very flustered. They brought us (and the table next to us) wrong orders.
— Skip the SAFFRON RISOTTO… definitely did not taste right.
— I had the SPAGHETTI ALLA CHITARRA which, while good was drenched in so much sauce you couldn’t taste the pasta. Sauce was verry thick/​too rich, which is not what I associate with the dish — it should be fresh and let the ingredients shine.
— Price: Total was over $ 150 for one glass of wine, two bottles of sparkling water, two starters, two mains. Nothing was really that spectacular.

Everything here was divine!!! We started with some bread and a trio of olive oils — the oils were very tasty. We then shared a pear & radicchio salad — one of the most delicious salads I’ve ever had!
For our entrees, my friend and I shared the short ribs rigatoni and the orecchiette pasta with Italian sausage. Both were fabulous and surprisingly went well with each other. The short ribs pasta was definitely better but I would order both again in the future.
We were too full for dessert — next time!

**3.5 stars — was quite impressed with this hidden small gem in Marina Del Rey. Very small unassuming place but has pretty decent Italian food! Shared the radicchio and pear salad — they split it for us and the individual portions were quite large. Very tasty salad. Had the orecchiette with sausage and rapini (which is like thin broccolini) and the rigatoni with short ribs ragout. By itself, the orecchiette didn’t completely stand out on its own but if you prefer a pasta dish that doesn’t have much sauce and is lighter, then this dish would be fine. But given that we shared our entrees, it actually was a nice contrast to the short ribs rigatoni which was creamier and richer (but very tasty). You also get bread with 3 different types of olive oil to start.
Overall really enjoyed my meal albeit a bit pricey. Parking is valet in front but you can also park in Lincoln after 6pm.

My fiancé brought me here for our date night, he found out about this place They had a Groupon, it was a pretty good deal for $ 50. The food was amazing. I ordered the linguini with clams in Olive Oil… so good! My fiancé ordered the Scallops with bacon and Spinach and it looked yummy! We are definitely coming back even without a Groupon.

The best Italian restaurant you will ever experience period. I have been here 2 times and both times were phenomenal. I have had the meat plate, truffle pasta, oso bucco, steak, Panna cotta, crème brûlée. Everything was just perfect or I might be just in love truffles. This place is amazing and I highly recommend everybody to try their food. It is a life changing experience.

Third time here. Last time here.
Occasion: Mother-in-law’s 83^rd birthday. Six people
Appetizers: Good Calamari and Burrata. Hence the 2 stars.
The food is so mediocre for the price. Advertised Large scallops… Small to Medium at best and only 6 (seriously the width of a quarter). Pair that with some sautéed spinach and thats your dinner. Sautéed spinach? Anyone can whip up some sautéed spinach in 2 min.
We also had the Dover Sole at $ 42. Size again… like if we were in France. Nothing special. Simple breading with lemon and it too was paired with their specialty sautéed spinach.
SO… food «non così bene»…
The backroom aka «Garage» needs some serious acoustics OR the owner should probably tell a table of 10 dudes yelling as if they are in a sports game to calm down for the sake of other guests. It was so bad we could not talk so we left.
BUT our waiter/​owner is the kinda guy that would walk pass a person getting mugged (just look the other way). His response was. It’s no better inside. Which was a crock of sautéed spinach! if ya know what i mean :) And not the right thing to say. He could of easily addressed the issue. A simple word comes to mind that describes him, but I don’t think I can say it without getting my review booted. So lets play Charades!!!
Another name for domestic feline. No no no not Cat!!!
BOTTOM LINE:
When you book absolutely refuse the «GARAGE» the ambiance is nothing like the front (they should just name it something else completely different. like… let me see… hmmm… Oh I got it!!! BaDa Bing’s Garage!!! or Big Lou’s Garage!
Don’t expect the main course to be very «main» stick with pasta. It’s always filling.
Don’t eat spinach 2 to 3 days before. You will have enough as its all of your sides.
BTW whats the deal with us always getting the OWNER as our WAITER? Just hire someone.
And I leave this review with the same though I always have…
Somethings odd in water or air in Los Angeles for sure. If you read reviews here in LA, it brings one to these scenarios
1– People here just want to say its «absolutely marvelous darling» because thats what they heard from their «absolutely marvelous darling» friends” or reviews
2– They just don’t know what good dinning is.
Lots of raving reviews in LA for such mediocre food/​service/​ambiance.
BTW we are Italian.

Eleven tables, dinner only… the rigatoni w short rib ragout is none of the very best things I’ve eaten ever. You must go here!

You are going to spend money here but the food is delightfully fresh. This was my first visit — I had a groupon — but I would return for a nice dinner without one.
I tried the caprese — the tomatoes were pretty and the cheese was creamy. I’m used to a little firmer cheese with caprese, but I would order it again.
I ordered the short rib pasta with pappardelle instead of rigatoni. Good flavor. Good portion. My dining partner ordered the wild boar entrée and substituted the pappardelle for risotto. I’m not the biggest risotto fan but it was pretty good.
VERY intimate setting — someone will likely have to face a wall. Very nice for a romantic outing or to catch up with friends.
The staff was very watchful but not in a creepy or annoying way. They ensured everything came out in a timely fashion and cleared finished plates right away.
I went on a weekday around 6:30pm and parking was NOT plentiful on the streets — valet was appreciated at a $ 4.50 cover charge.

Food was delicious. Not the best pasta, but way better than those C&O, and of course way more expensive too! I can give 4 stars for the food.
We came in an early Friday night slightly after 6 pm. It was empty, so we took our time to order and eat. We had two antipasti and two pasta dishes. The burrata was very fresh and very very creamy. I like it. The calamari was very fresh and was fried at the right texture.
The pasta was all homemade, you can tell by even looking at it. But when they came it was not hot and the pasta was a little dried out. Seems like sitting in the oven waiting for our first course too long. The one with boar meat was very heavy. After several bites, I had to stop. The tomato linguine was more on the lighter side and the tomato sauce was very fresh, though not as flavorful as my favorite one. The seafood inside did not taste that fresh though. The shrimps were tiny too. I might sound picky, but you pay $ 27 for a pasta dish, you better get something fresh!
Me and my friend were eating slow and probably chatting a little long and we noticed that there were some people start waiting for the table. It was around 8:30pm, so we planned to go after we finish our sparkling water. And unexpectedly the owner/​manager walked up to us and started to ask us if we could finish the dinner because there were people waiting. Wow, I know this is an intimate restaurant, but I had never heard of this before! It was truly a bummer! Their service wasn’t rude, but this last move made us uncomfortable. I know usually the table for a restaurants only reserve for 2+ hours, but in that case I was usually told upfront. Anyways, this was just a little story at the end. I just felt we were probably not so welcomed to dine there.