Marlena Long Beach

Really good ambience and service. Janet served our table with great attention and care. Food was pretty good for the most part. Per my Italian friend in the group, pizzas were pretty authentic, thin crust, less greasy, very flavorful. I got Branzino, it was delicious but with the hint of dominating butter. This dish came with full fish including head. That was pretty bizziare for me, so I had them remove the head. Some people in our group actually found it cool. Other food items including pork meatballs, salami pizza, bianco bread, etc. were really good. Prices were over the roof, but which fine dine isn't these days. The only issue is, their quantity is less for the price that's charged. Unless you get a pizza, most likely you'll need 2 plates to fill yourself which will cost $80~ Drinks were very innovative and tasty. Parking is limited and could be tricky. Street parking could be difficult during weekends, but not impossible.

Great spot, great food, great ambiance.

An overall remarkable dining experience and culinary delight. First impression is visually pleasing with a beautiful aesthetic overall. Very welcoming and open vibes. The menu is concise with all of your favorites like duck, octopus, pork chop, halibut and some tasty veggie options including a tasty cauliflower dish. We had a party of 12 and shared some fabulous homemade pizzas, but also ordered several entrees and the tutti-frutti peas and pastas. Besides the approachable wine list, they also made a marvelous espresso and had some non alcoholic drinks too. The desserts were equally superb to the first part of the meal, and we all really enjoyed ourselves. Beyond the top notch food n drink, and the gorgeous atmosphere …the people made the place tops. Their attention to detail and high level of hospitality was also very enjoyable. Looking forward to visiting again. Things indeed a dining destination. Bravo Marlena LB!

I wanted to treat my father to dinner this evening around 6pm, but unfortunately there were no available tables until 9pm and the bar was fully occupied as informed by the two younger hostesses tonight, and it was recommended to make reservations prior. Totally understandable if reservations are committed to full capacity, however, less than 5 min after leaving, I went on their website to check the link to make reservations. Automatically the date was set to this evening Feb 23, and I happen to come across not only one, but THREE patio reservations on the toast tab feature available before 9pm tonight; 6:15pm, 6:30pm, and 6:45pm. Also at the time of initially inquiring the hostesses, the outer patio areas were mostly unoccupied. It is absolutely disheartening to receive refusal of accommodation, especially shortly after the discovery of 3 available time slots for the same evening near the initial arrival time. It makes a potential guest feel unwelcome, much like the experience of Julia Robert’s principal character in pretty woman. I truly wanted to support a local business for a delightful gastronomic experience, but unfortunately I wasn’t granted the opportunity, despite the website’s ample availability. Other than a clerical error, the only reason accountable would be discrimination, and I can only hope the issue is associated with the former.

What a great dining spot Marlena is to frequent on the community of Naples Island here in Long Beach, CA.We have been there several times now and have had a great time, every time. The food is so delicious that you must try everything. The bread plate, pasta, pizza & steak were all so tasty. They have great staff to great you , make you delicious cocktails (David - bartender) and serve you the food. They are also open during the day so you can relax with a tasty cup of coffee and a pastry. Come on down and let them know that Ricardo the Realtor sent you. See you there!

Amazing vibes, delicious fresh + innovative food and incredibly friendly and knowledgeable staff! A must-do if you're in Long Beach.

Overall, pretty disappointing. Took 2.5 hours for a prefix 5 course Valentine’s dinner with 30-40 min in between each course. The pasta dishes were undercooked and lukewarm. Nothing stood out in terms of flavor. Our server hardly did anything which makes sense since our bill included automatic 22% gratuity. Overall, the experience was not worth $300 for a party of 2.

I would have given it 3 stars, but gave them the benefit of the doubt since I went on Valentine's Day. The food generally was under seasoned and was pretty disappointed that they ran out of dessert while another couple that ordered and sat down after us got it. There are a few gems that came out, but was really disappointed by the slow service -- our meal took over 3.5 hours. I will try again to see how the regular service is.