Serafina Waterfront Italian

Have lived in ft lauderdale for 2 years and always driven past serafina. I finally decided to try it and had a great time. Our server Alan was amazing. He was very knowledgeable on the food, wine, and specials for the night. He was very pleasant to talk to and really went out of his way to make sure me and my father had the very best meal. The chilean sea bass with clams, mussels, and shrimp was an amazing dish. Highly recommend to anyone looking for great Italian in ft lauderdale.

I had a great meal here. Very nice spot on the water. Expert and friedly service. The calamari steak appetizer was perfect. The pork chop was large and juicy with really tasty flavorings. This place is a winner.

This is a little gem, the food, wine, and service are exquisite! Do yourself a favor and give it a try, it doesn’t need to be a special occasion treat yourself! The complimentary bread is outstanding, the lasagna is one of the best in town, nice views of the intercoastal waterway. I had the Zuppa di peche or fish soup on a cool and rainy day it was so perfect!

I chose this place to be taken out for my birthday since I’d read such good things about it. Much was good, the sauces in particular but overall, I wasn’t blown away.
We had ‘spicy’ mussels which were in a bland butter sauce. When I inquired about the ‘spicy’ I was told something like people don’t like it spicy so you can add red pepper flakes. Probably the least inspiring of mussels I’ve had (and I usually order them)
The eggplant was tasty and the sauce of chopped tomatoes was delicious but I’m jaded now because I found one place that does the eggplant crispy and since then mushy eggplant doesn’t do it for me.
my $ 33 red snapper again was bland, though the sauce was excellent. (should have just gotten a pasta dish for $ 18)
The view was nice, as was the atmosphere. A cute place, glad I went but nothing to draw me back.

Like always. delicious! We had Linguine alle vongole, pasta pescatore and our daughter a basic salad. We also were delighted by the deserts: chocolate cake and Canoli! We love this place, it was a very nice dinner. We will come back again for sure!

Since my original review the restaurant has doubled in size taking over the space next to it. Although the additional space might be an improvement down the road it took away from the intimacy of the original restaurant. The new patio is lined in cheap plastic so not much of a view or a finished porch like the original. So if you go and want to be outside with a view defiantly request the original restaurant porch. Apparently there are plans to update the new area to fit the original but it’s been about 10 months in the works. The service also suffered as they didn’t have the staff to keep up with the volume. The food was perfectly reasonable although we ordered simply and it took forever for our food to arrive. Honestly if I had not been here before and enjoyed it so much my review from my last experience would have been a 2. But let’s share the difference and hope they catch back up to their old ways of intimacy and formal personalized service.

We went here with no reservation and got seated immediately. We sat outside on the back deck which has beautiful views of the river and all of the boats. It is all open seating on the back deck and very spacious. We were greeted immediately and we ordered a bottle of sauvignon which was lovely and not too overpriced. We started with the octopus and grilled calamari app which was a special and so so fresh! Then I got shrimp and angel hair pasta in a fra diavolo sauce. My boyfriend got the Dover sol fish on special. It was presented whole then filleted right by our table. Delicious!!! And huge portions! Our waitress was extremely nice and attentive. We didn’t feel rushed and we spend a lot of time there. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for authentic Italian food and fresh seafood.

I’m sure food is going to be ok, but I am already turned off by our rude hostess. The waiter also seems like he is in a rush and not interested in helping us. If you like good service with your good food, try elsewhere.

Ordered a glass of Chardonnay. Got a Sauvignon blanc when I questioned it. Was corrected. As if he knew what he did. Ordered risotto futta mare. Sandy. Almost broke a tooth. Don’t go. And waste your money.

I read good reviews about this place. It’s located on the intercostal so it promised a water view.
We walked down the quaint –though could be more picturesque– long alleyway and arrived at 7pm and were seated outdoors.
We were served our drinks and apps timely however at around an hour into it it starred to rain and since we were sitting near the edge we were getting us tad bit wet so I tried to hell the waiter over but we were sort of ignored as most of their attention is drawn towards the inner circle of the restaurant
So then finally we got up and moved ourselves to another table however these tables were so wobbly we stood up again and they finally came over and had to move tables to enable us to sit more comfortably however They just couldn’t seem to get it to stop wobbling. And they just didn’t seem like a professional staff. Very awkward.
So we decided to go inside and as we sat down I looked at my watch and it was 8.30pm so I inquired to the waiter what was going on with the meal? He apologized and said they were lacking one chef because it was his day off so they only had two chefs.
That would’ve all been fine I guess but then a few other uninvited events culminated in a less than pleasant evening here.
To make matters worse I and my partner got food poisoning and spent my night and the following 24 hours lamenting in bed and in bathroom having even stepped foot on that place.
Be careful what your order and proceed with caution.

AMAZING Italian restaurant in Ft Lauderdale. Beautiful and intimate with delicious and authentic Italian food in a gorgeous marina location. Service is truly professional. It was a pleasure to find Italian food that rivaled any we’ve had on Long Island. I would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant to anyone!

A few years ago I came here and the food was phenomenal, so I decided to come back to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Saturday evening. The hostess was rude. My fettuccini dish was not as good as it used to be. I think they have a new owner now.
However, our server was great and so is the atmosphere. Our server was very knowledgable and recommended a wine that we ended up loving.

Ok, I don’t write reviews for every place that I have been. I typically write when a place has been phenomenal, or a total flop. Seraphina is honestly the best Italian restaurant that I have ever been to. Service was beyond attentive, but never obtrusive. Mary Jane was an EXCELLENT server. The owner greeted us, virtually the entire staff played a role in serving our meals/​pouring wine/​etc. We both had the Veal Chop Parmesan. I substituted the linguini and pomodoro which came with it and rather had pappardelle noodles with bolognese. To say that it was the second best veal chop I have ever had speaks volumes. Carpaccio appetizer was tasty, but the portion was a little disappointing. I would still order in the future.
There was not one moment of disappointment. Do yourself a favor. Eat here.

Invited here for a quiet Monday evening by a friend, we enjoyed semi-​elegant dockside dining that began with starched tablecloths, candles and a lovely outdoor atmosphere. Our server, Bianca, was very attentive, knowledgeable and had terrific recommendations for us. We began with the Tuna Tartar topped with avocado… It was very flavorful and the chopped bits had a nice texture. Fish is a specialty at this restaurant, and my dining partner was not disappointed with his snapper accompanied by potatoes and an unremarkable vegetable. Despite the variety of specials, I opted for a stuffed pork chop in a marsala reduction served with spinach gnocchi. Although the flavors were nice and the gnocchi was prepared perfectly, my chop was a bit overcooked and rather dry. For dessert we shared a housemade tiramisu that was quite lovely.
I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a romantic date or a family gathering. Monday night is very quiet, so if you’d like an atmosphere that is a bit more lively, choose a different evening to enjoy this beautiful little spot.

Not bad — not the best
My partner and I couldn’t figure out where to eat for our anniversary. He remembered this restaurant as one we’ve never tried, so we called, got a table, and went over.
We got a table … On the water … Next to the huge boats that often dock there. We ordered wine, salad and a meatball appetizer. Not bad.
I ordered chicken (overcooked) with veggies and potatoes (my potatoes were burned).
He got sea-​bass. Not bad but very small helping (his potatoes were also burned).
We didn’t complain. If the worst thing that happens is your potatoes are burned, then life is pretty damn good. Still, the presentation left us unimpressed.
Though he didn’t wait on us, there was one older waiter who we noticed had a pretty bad attitude. He seemed frustrated and didn’t give way to customers when they walked thru the restaurant. He seemed determined to push his way thru without stopping — very odd.) I always thought the customer came first?
Thank God he wasn’t waiting on us.
On a good note, our server was friendly and had only been working there 4 days. He tried very hard to do a good job and we tipped him well. We also watched another waiter who had clearly been there a while. Very friendly and knowledgable. (we eves-​dropped on his evening-​specials conversation with the table next to us).
Bottom line: would I try it again? Yes. Maybe they were just having an off night. The setting, food and service was ok. The presentation was just ok.
1 Ap + 2 wine + 2 salads + 2 entrees = $ 140 + 20% tip.

Can not say enough about how wonderful Serafina is… the food is always fresh, the staff is excellent…
Planned a private party with Mickey and every single detail was delivered as discussed, to perfection. Highly recommend the mozzarella carozza and the Grouper Francaise! Will be back for many meals to come — so glad I stumbled across this hidden gem! Would give more than 5 starts if I could.

It’s hard not to write a perfect review when surrounded with some of the best company.
This definitely is a very nice romantic restaurant sitting right on the waterfront. The service is very nice and classy. Unfortunately on my first visit it was raining although we still sat outside our view was limited yet still a very nice ambience. The restuarant is on the smaller side upon entering then surprisingly as one goes outside there is a nice size seating area.
Our appetizers, salads and dinners were all delicious. I ordered the crusted red snapper and it was very good. The sides it came with were green beans and potatoes. Veges were good but I was not happy with the cold potatoes which I left. Michelle C had the branzino fish which is an Italian fish, she gave me a taste and it was very good a definite must try. I would love to revisit on a better weather day and absolutely look forward to do so.
No pictures due to not having my phone: (
This restuarant is definitely one to try. I’ll be back. Thanks Michael C for the pick and also gifting us Reidel stems to toast with the pros.

Came here for a friend’s Bday dinner with a group.
The settting was nice by the water as we sat outside. Pretty views and quaint. Small on the inside but the outside was pretty good sitting area.
The group was large and i thought the service was spotty. Waitress seemed overwhelmed with the large group.
However, it was a nice evening. Their wines were nice. We ordered 2 bottles one red, one white. I had the white and it was good. They had a nice wine list to choose from.
The specials were plentiful and i decided to go with the risotto of the day. It was really good, not great.
Everybody seemed to enjoy their food and overall i thought it was pretty good.

We all know the awkward moment where you make plans with new friends, they pick the restaurant and you all meet there. After looking at the reviews I knew it would probably be a good choice. As soon as we arrived Michael & Goldie were already there. OK, this was starting off right. We are usually always on time, even early so it was refreshing to have another couple who does the same.
This little Italian restaurant is so pretty. Very small inside but the outside however has plenty seating right on the river. It is covered for those rainy evening’s. The night we came it was not the best weather so we could not see the beautiful views but you could tell it would be a very nice view.
They have a very nice wine list but we wanted to bring our own wine in which we each brought a bottle. Then woah, I thought I was the only one who on occasion takes my own Riedel wine stems. Michael whipped out stems for all of us. Two lovely bottles of wine at $ 20 per bottle corkage, not bad seeing how we drank some very fine wine. From the moment we sat down our server was excellent. He opened and poured or wine, brought us water and bread. They have fresh fabulous bread.
When you are enjoying great wine and have so much in common the conversation flowed nicely. This was starting off to be quite a lovely evening. Hubby decided to order an appetizer of meatballs and I wanted a cesaer salad. The salad was crisp, and the dressing was tasty. I tried the meatball and it was good.
Our server told us all the specials for the evening. We all ordered our entrée’s. I chose the Branzino which is shocking seeing how much I love my pasta but this evening I wanted something different. I had Branzino in Venice and assumed I could never find such amazing Branzino ever in the US. When our server came out to prepare it tableside wow was I excited. It was absolutely delicious! The fish was so moist and flavorful. I was very happy with my choice and now have a great place to come back and have it again. When you think about it for days after… you know you had an incredible meal.
We ate, we drank and had a wonderful evening with our new friends. Thanks Michael & Goldie for choosing such a lovely restaurant.
If you are looking for great service, good Italian cuisine in a very lovely setting check this place out. Perfect for a romantic date night or to enjoy with friends.
Grazie!

We went to Serafina a few weeks ago and had a lovely meal by the water. For me, the food here was between 3 and 4 stars, but the service and atmosphere elevate this hidden gem to a 4 star rating.
We were lucky to have Mary Jane as our server. Other Unilocalers described how affable and on point her service was and Mary Jane did not disappoint.
Serafina is in a very small building on an out of the way street on the intercostal. We sat outside with a view of the water and docked boats. We really felt like we were in a small European town. My 11 year old was enthralled with the location, spending most of the meal looking at the boats and fish, letting Mom & Dad have time for adult conversation. Indeed, it is a great place for a special date or to take tourists.
I just wish the all of the food would have been as «extra special» as the location. I did love the gratis bruschetta. The tomato balsamic mixture was a sweet and savory mixture with just the right seasonings. Also the, piping hot bread served was delicious (and made great fish food!).
Probably the best item ordered was my husband’d Filetto di Manzo ($ 34). The filet mignon was tender and cooked to perfection. Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed with the pastas we ordered. 11 year old ordered his favorite, Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina ($ 18): homemade gnocchi topped with buffalo mozzarella, which he got with a pink sauce instead of a tomato sauce). The dish was good but I kept feeling like something was missing. The same was true with my Linguine alle Vongole ($ 20). The little neck clams that came with it were fresh and yummy. The pasta was almost too al dente. The white wine sauce, almost like the vodka sauce was missing a richness to it. I am not a fan of heavy sauces but the sauce did not stick to the pasta at all. I would not order either of these pasta dishes again.
Many times, I do not like Italian food because it is way too rich and filling. These pastas just needed more «oomph» in order to satisfy. I would love to go back to try more items and enjoy this scenic locale.