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While a bit on the pricier side for Italian joints, Locanda del Lago qualifies as a "nicer" Italian restaurant, definitely more upscale. The prices are definitely upscaled...but what do you expect: it's located on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, basically tourist-trap central!! And for Italian joints in LA, you could do a lot worse!
While our server wasn't especially friendly (and was probably about 100 years old), he got the job done. The diningroom was spacious and sprawling and nearly empty, so we were able to eat in relative peace and quiet.
We started out with the Tartara di Tonno Ahi Tuna ($14), which was large chunks and good quality tuna with avocado and red onion, simple but delicious. The serving size was hefty for an appetizer, and we were able to share. While it came with only two pathetic toast points, the well-stocked bread basket on our table compensated for the lack in that department.
For my entree, I got the Tortellini al Prosciutto e Funghi ($19), but asked for a cream sauce instead of the brown butter one listed on the menu. My mom ordered it as-is off the menu...she agreed that mine was better! It was flavorful, delicious, with oodles of sliced portabello piled on it.
My sister got the Tagliolini Lago e Monti (Spinach Tagliolini, Tiger Shrimp, Portobello, Cherry Tomato-White Wine Sauce) ($21). She enjoyed the heck out of it and thought it was one of the better Italian dinner she'd had in LA!
My partner got the Fusilli alla Bolognese ($20). I tried it, and found it to be no more interesting than the pasta with marinara sauce I make at home. Definitely underwhelming and way overpriced, although at least the portion was sizeable.
For dessert, I got the Senza Farina ($10), which is a fancy name for warm flourless chocolate cake served with a "Vin Brulée" (fancy name for "red wine sauce") and hazelnut gelato. Yum! And a big enough portion to share!!!
My partner of course had to try the Creme Brulee ($8). It was just so-so, not very custardy.
It was my sister's birthday, so they brought her tiramisu with a candle. It was very tasty (although not as good as the one I make!) and a hefty portion. It's normally $10, but I'm not sure if they charged us, since my mom picked up the tab this time.
Would I go back here? Ordinarily no: it was pricey, and I tend to stick to Italian restaurants where I can get my plate of pasta for under $15...but would I recommend it to someone looking to eat at a restaurant on the generally-schlocky Third Street Promenade? Yes, I would. The food was good, the service was...well, serviceable, and we had no trouble getting a table.
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Ok the food gets probably a 3 star.
Service gets a -1 star.
Fact they do not disclose there are no free refills on any beverage until i get the check -5 stars.
Realizing they overcharged my CC -5 stars.
Yelp really needs to remove the 1 star lower limit.
It's been a while since I've dined here, but a few years ago I was coming here at least on a weekly basis, sometimes twice on the same day!
What I like about this place, and I'm no food-snob or whatever, so I can't tell the difference, but apparently this place serves northern Italian cuisine, which explained why the menu was different than other Italian places I'd been to.
Well, with a unique menu, I was able to enjoy different types of pasta and other entrees that I normally would not have been able to try, so I really enjoyed eating here. I just hate that it's on the Promenade, which I consider to be a freak show. Some people love it, but it's not for me.
Anyway, I've always had great service here, and the food has always been good. Can't complain about anything here...
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bad service on the outdoor patio on a thursday night....I started with a cheese plate and a glass of wine. There was some asiago and some parmigiano but overall boring. Pretty average for the price. I ordered the tortelli with Funghi....and something else stuffed inside..prosciuto and cheese something salty and creamy. I have walked by this place a million times and looked at the menu and I never had the desire to stop. I ended up on a date with this girl who insisted it was a great place. I was skeptical to say the least but hey.....I was right!!! This place totally sucked and because she thought it was good....I thought she was lame....the flavor of the tortelli was decent....the problem was that our service was so bad that by the time my pasta arrived it was hard and cold...not satisfying at all....
The staff probably recognized me right away as one hungry, trapped tourist, because as soon as I got in, they happily led me to a table right by the window with the day's menu. Well, I was just thirsty at the time, so I just settled for some "pupus" with my drinks. I tried (here goes): Tartara di Tonno, or Ahi Tuna Tartar, and Pizza Diavola, or spicy salame calabrese on thin crust. Don't ask, I'm just passing on what's written on their menu. Fancy names, but good altogether, and just blended right with their house wine and Erdinger Hefeweisen beers. Overall, I got a good experience from attentive and polite staff, had good food and drinks to boot at moderate price, and got to kick back and unwind for a while after a hectic day of checking out the scenes around the city.
*** from the bar, my happy hour review here. ***
broad menu of $5 items from chilled veal
tenderloin to prosciutto/arugula thin pizza,
$3 Moretti or Sam Adams, several wines,
and entertaning bartenders chatting away.
best part is happy hour is that it's ALL nite
Tues! (fyi, 4-7pm all other nites of the week)
good to park in 2hr free public prkg ramp,
cruise the beach, grab happy hour here,
off to an evening of movie, or romance,
or shop the promenade like i did today.
*** the pizza is slamming ... that's Italian! ***
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For a really nice looking, pretty place, kind of the perfect looking place for a nice weekend brunch....the food is sadly pretty lackluster.
I got a simple breakfast, and replaced the potatoes for the side greens -- which so sadly turned out to be plain old iceberg lettuce....sigh... for a trendy-looking restaurant in a trendy side of town -- the menu was sadly so much less than hip.
the party of about 8 I was with - had similarly unremarkable stories of all their orders, and there was much food remaining on everyone's plate. it's just lacking any ooomph!
Overpriced with a taste of nothing special. This ritzy place is located on the corner of a cross-street of the famous 3rd Street Promenade.
Its nicely decorated and they're really eco-friendly and they buy all their protein and produce locally, helping out the city/local farmers & seafood.
The server was very friendly and thought I was of age(2 months away baby) so I ordered a grapefruit mojito and my friend got some champagne. Very overpriced.
The chicken pasta special was again, overpriced, but good. I liked that they gave free bread and olive oil/vinegar unlike other ritzy Italian places(*cough* spago).
Nothing spectacular. I'd come here for a drink. That's pretty much it.
EDIT: Now serving up every Thursday night - $8 pizzas & $20 pitchers of mojitos, market margaritas, meyer limonatas & mai tai bazaars! via Lago Twitter. http://twitter.com/Lag...
I always have trouble writing reviews before lunch, it makes me so hungry.
But God, this place is a little piece of heaven and I shouldn't wait to review it anymore. Apparently they just won Recommended in the 2009 Los Angeles Michelin Guide. So other people agree with my assessment bitches.
I ordered the Tortellini al Prosciutto e Funghi which is Tortellini of Ground Veal & Parma Prosciutto, Portobello, Sage-Brown Butter. Yes it is as good as it sounds. You want it. You know you do. Get it now! I have pictures of this luscious baby, but I have yet to figure out how to link them, (Roman? Are you around? Help! ), but once I figure that out you will have scandalous photos of this lovely for yourself. Salty at first but soon sets in as the best thing you've tasted in days.
-1 star for service that screams I will help you when I have decided if you will spend enough money, particularly because you look young and poor (even though I am both of those things). Although let's be honest, that kind of service always makes me spend more, you tricky tricky waiters you. My waiter would of in fact been super hot rivaled Captain Kirk in Star Trek had he not been such an obvious bougie boy. But at least now you know the service is attractive.
Other thing I should mention, this place has a different address but s actually a part of 3rd Street Promenade. Great for a second date and then a stroll amongst street performers.
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The food is really great. I should mention that I had food poisoning after eating here once and I informed them of this. They were rude and dismissive, rather than helpful or appologetic. The place is a bit noisy.
I liked the Saturday Happy Hour with $3 beers, but where the heck is the Peroni?!?
Pretty space, albeit a bit noisy. On the Promenade, if you're into that (I'm not). Felt like a typical Santa Monica tourist trap.
I was part of a group of 15, yet we were only granted one greedy waiter. Had to specify "tap" when presented with the BS "still or flat?" water choice (I hate that). Green salad with heirlooms was bland and unexciting--no vinegary "pop." Food came out in a staggered fashion and was somewhat innovative but just OK.
Water refills and check was verrrry slow to come. Due to the size of our party, the waiter was were still generous enough to tip himself 18%, so there was never incentive to provide chop-chop service. I really hate that practice. God forbid he share that $90 tip with a second waiter for the sake of improved service.
A cool breeze from the ocean in Santa Monica is favorable anytime. Last Friday night, I met a friend in Santa Monica for dinner. As we walked around the trendy area, close to Ocean Blvd., we had an array of dining options. We decided on Italian food and decided to eat at Locanda del Lago. This restaurant has decent decor but doesn't possess that authentic Italian flair. However, we were impressed with the attractive hostess and her mesmerizing Italian accent. We opted to eat in the bar area, as we didn't want to wait for a table in the regular dining area. Well, after 15-20 minutes of no service, the hostess had to come take our order. Again, I was thoroughly impressed with her Italian accent, so I intentionally asked her to repeat the Burrata alla Caprese. Though we were impressed with her utterance of Burrata alla Caprese, we selected the Vitello Tonnato as an appetizer, which was good but quite skimpy for the price, which was $11. We both chose the Petto di Pollo "Contessa Branca" as our main entree. Now, this entree was delicious. Our chicken was stuffed with mushrooms and wrapped in prosciutto. After finishing our meal, we requested a dessert menu but didn't find anything fascinating enough to try.
Toward the end of our meal, the bar staff started to come to our table to inquire if we were fine, as they were supposed to take our order originally but, supposedly, they were too busy. This was my first time at this restaurant and I wasn't wowed by any means. Despite the hostess' classy and impressive persona, and the main entree, I can honestly state that I've had better dining experiences elsewhere. Surely, I may return to Locanda del Lago in the future, but it certainly won't be in the not-too-distant future.
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Better Italian food here than Transtrevere.
one block down from the crowd still not bad. the Ambience is very Italian feel.
Had a pretty descent chunk cheese for appetizers and a salmon for entree. The flavor and the look was a bit blend but food was fresh, LOve it!
Place was a little tight but felt like a family dinner together, they were all happy and enjoying the good times!
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I can't believe that I passed this place on the Promenade in Santa Monica so many times and just noticed it.
Excellent Northern Italian cuisine.
I had the salt-encrusted sea bass, which they prepare at the table by carefully cracking and lifting off the chunks of salt that are piled on it as it cooks. It gave a whole new meaning to "melts in your mouth".
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We went on a Friday night and were going to try their pre-fix dinner. However the price printed on the flyer was different from the "actual" price on the menu. We asked the server and she didn't know anything about it. So she brought up to the manager and manager didn't even come to explain. He sent another girl over and just said they made mistake on the printing ad. then we decided to order something else. I ordered a seared ahi tuna and it tastes fine. However my husband ordered a risotto and it's not fully cooked. So overall I will not recommend to this place to friends.
I went for happy hour and had the prosciutto pizza and fried calamari. Calamari was great. The aoili is more like a tartar sauce. The marinara was really top notch. I would say try a different pizza. The pizza wasn't bad, but some of the others looked more interesting. Now, for dessert. Flourless choc cake with hazelnut gelato. Ladies and gentleman, if you have nothing else, have this dish. I've heard the happy hour burger is great. Great happy hour food prices. We'll be back.
This place is a must stop. Great service and really friendly people, add to that some wonderful food and you have a new regular favorite spot in the neighborhood.
It's one of those restaurants that almost invites you in as you're walking by... and if you feel like a drink, they have a very nice little bar, very cozy. Joe and Greg are great bartenders and you will not go away thirsty. Can you say, "desert martinis anyone"?
The food is top-notch and I doubt you will go away wishing for some other eatery. Try their Wild Chilean Sea Bass baked in salt with baby artichokes, it's to-die-for, pizzas are excellent too. And when I die, I want my last meal to be their Ossobuco alla Milanese!
Not something you would expect on the promenade with all the cheap and touristy hole-in-the-walls, this place is a first class restaurant that lives on its service and quality of food.
Bravo!!!
Everything was delicious. We had caesar salad, minestrone, and stuffed chicken. pretty standard dishes that any italian restaurant might have but theirs was something special. we enjoyed every bit of it!
This has got to be the best italian dinner I've had..
We ate here night two of the bachelorette weekend.. we're mellow girls ok! The atmosphere is so pleasant. We were seated at a big wooden table under a huge rustic chandelier... It felt like being in an Italian mama's home even though you're really right on the promenade.
The bread and spread are very yummy... only downside is the spread is FISH!!! As a vegetarian that made me not so happy.. I could have gotten sick!! I'm surprised they don't warn you. So there goes one star... bye bye.
Other than that, the service was awesome.. Very sweet waitress. And the food was honestly to die for. I had a salad which was very fresh and had a light tasty vinaigrette. Then Ana and I shared the mini gnochi (so fresh and pillowy) and the ravioli (yummers!). The chef clearly knows what he's doing because the flavors are perfectly paired and exquisite. Pasta seems like such a no-brainer but it was clear they actually put thought into these dishes which really made them go beyond the ordinary. It was a great meal :)
Oh, another cautionary note.. the shrimp comes whole which is very disturbing. Heather just about became vegetarian when her plate arrived. And poor Brianna had that critter staring at her with its beady black eyes the whole time she ate. Not very fun for a fellow veggie..
Ate here for a late lunch/early dinner after some shopping. Never thought to eat here...but I was hungry and didn't feel like walking anymore.
What a great choice it turned out to be! We got the filet mignon, italian cobb salad and a spicy pasta w/ veggies. Everything was very tasty and fresh! Their pasta noodles are made fresh every morning, and you can taste it...and the noodles were cooked just right. The salad was also very fresh and tasty w/ huge chunks of gorgonzola! The filet was also very tasty w/ fingerling potatoes and carrots on the side.
Service was nice and attentive (they weren't super busy).
Price for 3 people, including sodas/iced teas & tip = $70.00
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Came here for happy hour with my coworkers. We were planning to have a big group (7-10 people) but there were only a few of us there initially. They sat us at this beautiful rustic table under their chandelier - definitely the nicest table in the place. However, very soon after, the waiter started freaking out because the rest of our party hadn't arrived. So service-wise, not the best.
However, the happy hour specials make it worth the trip. Its great food for around $5-7 each. I don't think I'd come outside of happy hour but will be back for the Tuesday happy hour which runs all night.
Our waitress was great, but that was the extent of the excellence.
My cocktail was mediocre, my pasta and its sauce was fair-to-good (but accompanied by cold, uninspired shellfish and nearly-raw mussels.)
Girlfriend ordered the stuffed beef fillet, *medium*. It was served to her seared on the outside and RAW inside. Not even rare; RAW - cold and red.
Before noticing this, however, she had eaten the outside of the beef, some of the stuffing and sides. Once we had a chance to point out to the waitress that the cow wasn't dead yet, she remarked that the kitchen staff definitely needed to "figure out" how to cook the beef with the stuffing.
I thought, hmm, it might be good to figure that out *before* serving it to patrons.
She kindly offered to replace the beef with something else, but we were basically done so we politely declined.
She offered us complimentary desserts, but we declined (we already had dessert plans).
When we got the bill, we were surprised that not only were we charged the full price for the scary beef, but also charged for the two "complimentary" desserts we had declined.
The desserts were taken off our bill. We paid (including $32 for the beef slab) and left.
We won't be returning.
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Happy Hour!!! I'm not a big eater so I always feel bad getting huge portions and not eating it all so we did what we often do and share an entree, get an apetizer and some wine. No joke, during Happy Hour it was under $30 for the two of us! We couldn't believe it!!!
Happy Hour is Monday-Friday 4-7pm.
I had the baked eggplant which was yummy but I don't remember what else we had (I was here about 8? months ago...).
"Three-Course Gourmet Tasting Menus for
lunch ($28) and dinner ($44)
January 25 - February 6"
The ambience is nice, good lighting, the checks are given to you in small gondolas and the servers are nice too.
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i came here with a large group of people. most of us got pasta. I got the tagliolini lago e monti. i enjoyed my pasta. the portion size was decent. my date got the tortellini al prosciutto e funghi and his tasted undercooked and was super small.
even tho the food was just okay. i must say that the service was spectacular. plates were taken away promptly and glasses were constantly being refilled. the waitress was super attentive and even got the kitchen to make linguini with clams for one of the people on our table even tho it wasn't on the menu any more.
at the end of our meal we were surprised by a number of desserts that arrived at our table. all of which were deeeelicious. this would have pushed me to the edge to give locanda del lago 4 stars, however, we later found that the hotel our friends were staying at sent them....
A nice corner restaurant on 3rd St Promenade in Santa Monica. On a sunny afternoon after some grueling window shopping, we decided to pick a place at random, quickly glanced at the Italian brunch menu outside Locando, and took a gamble. We entered a very bright room with yellow walls, and candle chandeliers scattering the ceiling. The ambiance matched the sunny day outside.
Most of the items on the menu were in Italian, and I ordered a Panini con Verdure, a sandwich with grilled vegetables (eggplant and portobello mushrooms) and swiss cheese with a side of salad (spinach, red cabbage, and a yummy sweet dressing). We waited for a long time, but the waitress kept our hunger at bay with an assortment bread basket. If you feel like sitting down, and not rushing through your lunch with what are definitely restaurant prices ( $9+ for lunch - dinner) I will definitely recommend stopping here.
I couldn't have asked for a better lunch. It was light, so that I didn't feel like a walrus walking (or I guess, crawling) along the beach, but satisfying enough that I actually didn't feel the need to eat Funnel Cake on the pier!!! (something I deeply regret)
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Really two different reviews here:
Food = Very, very good.
Service = Horrible and weird.
First, the food. I ordered the "Euro Burger," which was fantastic. It's hard to stand out in LA, the Land of Tasty Burgers, but this burger holds its own against the best.
The burger was so good, in fact, that it managed to largely overshadow one of the oddest experiences with waitstaff that I've ever had. Our waiter, despite an uncrowded restaurant, for some reason avoided us like the plague through our entire meal. We received exactly zero visits from our waiter or anybody for 20-plus minutes after we were seated, without water or anything. God knows how much longer this would have continued, had we not managed to flag down the hostess, who agreed to take our order (but wasn't apologetic at all). A buser brought our food and drinks, and then we were ignored AGAIN, until we finished our meal, at which point our waiter spoke to us for the first time: "still doing ok?" Hilarious, because it was never previously established that we were doing ok, as we had never spoken before.
So, a double "wow" meal: Wow, what a great burger; and Wow, I never knew it was possible to put such miniscule effort into serving customers. What to do? I noticed this place sells its burgers take-out style outside at the farmer's market on Saturdays, for $8 instead of the $13 they charge inside. A cheaper burger, and you don't have to suffer through their wait service. Sounds good to me.
I love this place everything is hand made, it truly is comparable to Lago de Como in Italy. Every time I go I order something different and am always impressed. Relaxed setting with a warm family feel. The only problem with this place is that every time we go my wife and I always argue about something. That sounds more like my problem huh. Good recommendation for fresh Italian food without being smothered in tomato sauce.
I have very mixed feelings about Locanda Del Lago. We were looking for a place in the area that had a diverse menu and that was pet friendly since we were bringing our pup with us. After some assistance from some fellow Yelpers, we settled on reservations for lunch at Locanda Del Lago.
The interior décor was modest but nice and they had an ample patio area for seating. Although the restaurant itself did not control this, it happened to be a gorgeous and warm day in Santa Monica, which boosted the ambiance points.
Our waiter was pretty meh....got our minimum needs met but wasn't really attentive. The bf and I shared the Insalata Nizzarda (Seared Polenta-Crusted Ahi Tuna Served over Chopped Romaine Lettuce) and the Panino con Verdure (Grilled Portobello, Zucchini and Eggplant with Pesto spread). The salad was described to be more interesting than it tasted, however the Panino was quite good. Everyone else's dishes were "meh". It appeared that the restaurant hired a very eloquent writer for their menus because everything sounded better than it really tasted.
http://www.yelp.com/us...
http://www.yelp.com/us...
Dessert was definitely redemption-- Torta Calda di Cioccolato Senza Farina (Flourless Chocolate Cake with Hazelnut Gelato) and a lovely espresso.
Overall, doubt we'll be back as there are so many other restaurants we could give a roll to at the Promenade. However, Bella enjoyed the patio while she dog-watched.
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Slow and poor service. We came for brunch on a late Sunday afternoon when it wasn't too busy (plenty of empty tables) and sat on the Arizona St. side outdoors. Our waiter didn't bring out any bread for starters. He then forgot one of our orders and had to come by and ask again. The food then took forever to arrive...nearly 45 mins for a panini and an omlette. Evidently the 2 girls next to us also had their order screwed up so they had to wait even longer for their meal as well. The Italian sausage omlette was soupy although the veggie pannini was not bad. We has to ask the waiter twice for the bill, and then when we paid, we didn't get all our change back. Disappointed.
Went here with a group at lunch time. I had a chance to look over the menu ahead of time, so I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted when we got there. They have a deal for lunch, two items, so I went with that. I had the Antipasto Buffet with the Tuna Tartare. The buffet was alright, the best part was the grilled vegetables.
Tuna Tartare is one of my favorite items, all time, and I know that may be very 2002, but dang it, I love love love tuna tartare. And I am not going to stop ordering it. That is, unless I am at Lago. The tuna and the avocado were perfect, but they prepare their version of this with balsamic vinegar. A lot of balsamic. When they placed the tuna in front of me, I couldn't understand why it was so grey, I actually thought it was cooked at first. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I anticipated, so I was disappointed.
At the table, the big hits were the Caprese with the Burrata Cheese and the Pasta Carbonara. Man oh man, Caprese was tasty, the cheese was amazing. I wish I had ordered the pasta. Stupid Atkins diet!!!
One note, and this is why the two stars and not three, there were fruit flies everywhere. They would not go away, and I was pretty grossed out by that. I hate having to wave my hands every ten seconds while I'm eating. Ick. Maybe closing the front door would help?
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It's a little oxymoronic - me being a self-proclaimed seafood hater yet coming to a restaurant called lago. I remember the first time I came here I got a pretty tasty little cream-curry sauce ravioli. However the next few visits never quite lived up to my initial experience.
Last night, after a few failed attempts to eat our turkey day dinner out (I coulda sworn more things were open last year...) we ended up settling here. Their version of turkey and sides was actually pretty good, but the atmosphere just killed. It was somewhat crowded, and we were escorted to the tiniest table scrunched in the back like redheaded stepchildren (at thanksgiving dinner no less). It felt like I had to flag down our waiter for every little thing (drink refills? dessert menu? our check 5 minutes after clearing our table?) while he amicably catered to the others surrounding us.
To make matters worse, some dude at the bar literally passed out, fell off of his bar stool and crashed into the table next to us, causing it to nearly slam into me!! I was appalled that the staff not only let him stay at the bar and continue to drink, they joked with him and offered more stools as a buffer should he fall again!
I've never liked really this place but after last night's poor service, Lago, we are through. I, like you, obviously have trouble cutting people off.
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aahhhh... Lago...
This is the place where we (my fam and I) eat when we're in LA, Santa Monica to be specific. We flew in to LA, and headed straight for the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. We started out with Minestrone soup, which my dad said was good. My mom got a Merlot called Marco Felluga, which she said was really good. After the soup, we got beet ravioli, a margherita pizza (plus sausage and onions), risotto with butternut squash, ahi tuna, and spaghetti. The risotto was great, as was the pizza. The tuna needed more salt, but I love salt on my food. The spaghetti and ravioli were pretty good.
Dessert was great, and we got a selection of five gelatoes (get hazelnut, it's great!), and a "salami" of dense but moist chocolate fudge with sugar cookie crumbles inside. The "salami" came with a vanilla bean sauce.
Go to Lago soon!
Also, Sugar Ray Leonard was sitting at the table next to ours!
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locanda del lago provided me with the relaxed, sunny brunch atmosphere that i was craving, and for that, they get 4 stars.
on our LA vacay, Ashley B. R.R. and i all wanted to have a leisurely brunch after our morning scoping the wares for sale on the third street promenade. at LDL, we were awarded a shady table outside, and a friendly server who was quick with their fresh, organic juice. we sampled the fresh grapefruit juice, both ruby red and original, as well as the bellinis with fresh peach nectar - yum! our server was also great about recommendations, and helped us select:
-the frittata del contadino, a frittata with market veggies and a side of mixed greens
-the frittelle di polenta, a stack of polenta pancakes with bananas and maple syrup
-the uova della mamma, our server's personal fave, and a twist on eggs benedict (one of my personal faves): a slice of mamma's salami bread with prosciutto and a sunny-side up egg under a delicious parmesan bechamel, with a side of mixed greens
i tried everyone's food and it was all really delicious, especially the creative and surprising polenta pancakes. you might not think polenta and bananas go together, but trust me, they do! all the food is organic and locally grown as well, which is fantastic. LDL just provided a really great experience, with their excellent service, delightful menu, and sunny patio. a lot of that had to do with the fact that i was on vacation and it was a perfect day weather-wise, so i can't give them the full 5 stars, but i think you won't be disappointed!
I'm in a generous mood and i think that they deserve a litttttle more than just 3.5 stars, so 5 stars it is. My boyfriend and i ate a nice lunch here yesterday. I don't even know how many times we've walked by this place and never even given it a thought. But yesterday, after a long day of plans gone wrong, we ended up on 3rd street, starving, and this was the first place that caught our eyes...and noses. I also noticed the huge french style windows (which i'm a sucker for) and rustic wooden tables inside. Perfect ambiance for a beautiful spring day at the beach.
When we got the bread, there were 2 slices each of 3 different kinds of bread. But immediately we fought over the olive french bread, haha. It was amazing.
Onto the real stuff. We started off with the Burrata alla Caprese, and i can honestly say that burrata is my new favorite cheese/the most interesting and delicious cheese i've ever tasted...and i'm not a cheese person. It was like an underdeveloped, soft, gooey, fresh mozzarella cheese. We wanted to get another order, haha, but we held back. But i am definitely going to keep my eyes peeled for that cheese next time i'm at Whole Foods or Bristol Farms.
After that, we got the insalata tricolore, which was pretty disappointing and kind of a throwaway. It was small, mostly cabbage, and not flavorful. :/ Pretty much a waste of $8. Oh well. Our main courses were the Prosciutto Pizza, and the Fusilli alla Bolognese. Both were deeeelicious. I could have eaten them for days. I especially loved the pizza. One slice of prosciutto per slice of pizza, just the right amount of cheese and sauce, and the crust was thin and perfectly crisp. Mmm. I'm making myself hungry. I liked the Fusilli also. It was really hot and flavorful, and the pasta was cooked just right. I also smothered it in fresh parmesan cuz that's the only way i roll.
I really liked the silverware/glasses/and plates that they used (yes, i notice those things). Oh, i haven't mentioned our waiter! Nicest guy ever. He, alone, is the reason why my boyfriend and i are planning on coming back soon. He was realllllly patient and helpful with helping us decide what to order. Just an all-around nice laid back guy. We got coffee to hold us over until dessert, somewhere else, and for some reason he told us that the coffee was on the house. :) Bill came out to $65 which was way less than we were expecting. Pretty sweeeet. And it came in a little gondola/boat thing. It was so cute.
All in all we both had a great experience and are definitely going to be back here sometime in the near future. I'm glad i finally found a GOOD restaurant on 3rd street. Yay.
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This was just from the bar, for a happy hour review.
The half-price pizzas for happy hour are fantastic. The prosciutto and arugula pizza is worth a trip to the promenade. Add to that a general fun and friendly staff, good prices on glasses of wine, all add up to a very nice light dinner at the bar.
I really didn't know how to review this place. The big issue I had was that NOTHING on the menu sounded appealing to me. And it's a big menu. And I'm not that picky. There was always just something off for me about each dish. Also, I asked them to make something with garlic and olive oil on pappardelle, and instead they made it with tomato sauce. In eating it I realized that olive oil and garlic would have been misplaced on this type of pasta (a broad, flat noodle), but still...you could have warned me!
On the other hand, the food was all prepared very well, and the whole party enjoyed their meals. And I definitely enjoyed the desserts.
One good thing is that they don't really close for lunch and re-open, so I was able to get my family in for a 430p dinner. It's good to have a few restaurants in the repertoire that will serve early.
Staff was very friendly and helpful, especially in navigating the wine list, which is HUGE and filled with great Italian wines.
I would go there again, probably just for appetizers and dessert, with either a snazzy martini or some great wine.
People thought this was:
One star for the location.
You can spend less money at FAR better restaurants - and I can cook better pasta myself hands down. At about $22 a plate for the pasta dishes I'd rather open my wallet at Drago. Yes, it's homemade, but they take al dente to a whole new level, and the flavors were nothing special - even remotely. I'd never order anything I've had there a second time. Since it's convenient to home and we can have some wine and walk home we've tried this place several times. None of the main courses or pastas are worth the cost and most aren't really even good. Pass on Locanda del lago and if you want to spend $100 plus for two go to Drago pr Enzo Angela . For better food at a lower out of pocket I'd even prefer freakin' Buca De Beppo or Fritto Misto.
People thought this was:
i'm not going to write about the food. no, i'm not.
i am going to write about their basil caprese martini made with wholesome farmer's market ingredients.
hands down THE BEST MARTINI I HAVE EVER HAD.
go. try one. and tell me you don't love it.
We went to Lago in June after spending a day at the Getty Villa. Since it was a Friday night and the restaurant is located right off 3rd St, parking was pretty much impossible. We ended up parking in an easy-access side lot for a flat $5 fee. Walked in around 5:30 and were seated very promptly; however, the restaurant filled very quickly and by the time we left, there were people waiting at the door.
The food is Italian (clearly, from the name of the restaurant), and very, very, very tasty. Everything comes in especially small portions, so you get the super scrumptious Italian taste without the extra fat and calories. Their happy hour menu is also decently priced, but limited to the kind of boring pizzas and salad that make up standard Italian fare. However, the specials on the menu, though expensive, are WELL worth the price. Unfortunately, this was only my first time at the restaurant, but I will definitely be back to try more on the menu.
Overall, the decor is romantic with huge chandeliers and a rustic feel. We were lucky enough to get seated at a window, so we had a view of the promenade foot traffic passing by outside, which actually was nicer than it sounds. The food is great, the location great, and Lago hit the Italian spot for us that night. And then - what better way to spend the rest of the night than shopping or hanging out on 3rd Street?
SO good, will be coming back for more!
Locanda Del Lago is good in moderation. If you eat here to often you burn out on it. But the food here is actually very good. The decor has a nice, rustic, italian feel, which pairs well with the food. Service is always friendly, but at peak time (seeing as how it's on the promenade, it can get very crowded) is a bit slow. The best things to get here are the Burrata alla Caprese, Pizza Margherita Fresca, Risotto di Zucca e Capesante, and the Risotto Primavera (my personal favorite). The deserts here are good as well. I would recommend this place if you're on the promenade and you want some good food to eat, or go here just for fun.
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Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
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Neighborhood: Westwood
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