Fisherman’s Village

This was a quaint little wharf in Marina Del Rey. It’s really small so I don’t recommend walking all the way here from your hotel like I chose to do. But it was very relaxing and some of the shops here were super adorable and all locally owned! There was even an icecream shop! :) The building were super cute. A nice photo spot but there’s not much here.

I like this place. I used to take my kids Sunday afternoon, shopping centers were interesting, nice restaurant choices and the most fun part was the live Music from different bands every week. Watching people enjoying the walk and watching the boats and Yachts. was fun But NOT ANYMORE. Shopping booths are vacant, restaurant choices are left only 3 and No live music every weekends. They need to remodel do something to bring more people in.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but quite possibly not this. I suppose it cannot be helped that this is just a strip of shops by the seaside and that’s all that is. It’s certainly not as impressive as SF’s Pier 39, but you already have an inkling that it’s not going to be.
From across the marina, my friend and I saw the cute colored shoppes and people renting out kayaks so we took the water boat and rode all the stops to get to Fisherman’s Village. About 5 minutes in, we were ready to head out. It’s a short walk that is definitely very touristy with overpriced food items and a couple of fishing boats docked by the pier.
I really don’t have any more to say about this because that’s all it was!

Love this place. Love the cool foggy mornings and evenings, and it’s a great place to walk a dog. In the early morning you see boats going out to either go fishing or whale watching.
Lots of restaurants and shops, everything right along the marina.

Fisherman’s Village is a relic from the late 60s or early 70s, and is in need of a major remodel (which is apparently in the works). Other than a few restaurants like Whiskey Reds, El Torito, and an Italian restaurant, there is not much to do in the «village.» On some weekends they have live bands playing classic rock cover tunes, but I think that’s just an attempt to get people to shop & eat here.

I come here all the time. Mainly on Sundays to sit outside at Sapori, grab some wine and food, and enjoy the live music. Don’t forget to getting parking validation.
Okay, the people watching is epic. All walks of life…
Boats watching is fun. Haven’t done the ‘Horn Blower’ thing yet but need to this summer.
Shops are dead and over-​priced.
Parking is always no problem.
Get some ice cream
Go to Whiskey Red’s for the atmosphere only. Huge. Fend for yourself. Watch the coy fish pond (in back). Order food elsewhere– like Sapori.

Love stopping at this little spot. There’s live music on sundays, great bird watching on the pier, usually see seals or sea lions and a few shops to check out. There are some yummy restaurants too!

Fisherman’s Village is a waterfront strip with restaurants and a few shops. A cool place to relax, have dinner, drinks and enjoy the view.

I went there last week and I think this place really has potential! But it starts to look a bit run down… shops are closed, buildings need paint, birds s… on everything… I had lunch at Thai garden café, which was just heated up and not good :(I will come back because it is nearby… but I think I wouldn’t if I would live further away…

I live at the other side of the Marina and these colorful and gorgeous houses always caught my attention during my walks around the area. However, I never took the time to visit the village until two weeks ago. I went there at sunset time, and it was gorgeous, so relaxing and peaceful. It’s true that there are not too many restaurants or shops, but it’s definitely a place worth to visit if you are around the area.
Feel free to check out this page if you want to see some of the beautiful pictures I took while I was visiting.

Great destination after a ride via bicycle or while you wait to get in one of the boats for a fishing trip. Just wish they had more local places instead of the standard restaurants along the waterfront.
Would love it if it was like the redonda beach village with its open seafood markets and shops.

Fisherman’s village is so cute and picturesque! I discovered it for the first time when riding along the strand. I saw the brightly colored buildings ahead and kept riding just to see what they were. I haven’t really checked out any of the shops in the village, just walked around a bit as a break from biking.
There are a few shops, restaurants and snack stands here to peruse but overall it’s pretty quiet.
Of course if you have watched arrested development, this will all look very familiar to you! If only the banana stand was there!

Love that I can rent a boat, see sea lions and pelicans, enjoy a scenic view, get some food, listen to concert, etc etc. so close to where I live. A nice little place to walk around and have fun that never gets too crowded. Don’t miss the water bus!

So very disappointing and upsetting. I grew up coming down here every few years and it was always a lovely spot with a great view and some cute shops and restaurants. Today, it’s still fairly well attended, but there’s nothing to do and the clientele is sketchy.
There’s two decent restaurants — Shanghai Red’s and El Torito — both severely due for renovation but surviving because of the great water views. In between those two are a series of wannabe New England-​facaded shops, all but 2 of which have closed just in the last few years. The two that ARE open are laughable — the merchandise offered is worse than a thrift shop. It’s like the last, last leftovers from their 80’s merchandise that they’re still trying to move. I did spot a beautiful lead crystal vase made in Czechoslovakia pre-​Czech republic, and was able to get it for 50% of the asking price, which was still more than it would’ve been on ebay. But seeing a quality piece like that collecting dust on a high shelf surrounded by nickel and dime China plastic and resin trinkets just drove home the fact that while these places may have had quality collectibles in the 70s and 80s, all that is long gone.
It’s amazing to me that this whole area has done nothing in decades to upgrade itself for tourists; instead the new restaurants and shops open AWAY from the Marina in the various strip malls that surround the area. It’s become much more of a residential community for high end condos and apartments, but for outsiders looking for a beautiful afternoon by the ocean, the reality is a slowly decaying «village» that will probably end up being torn down. It’s really sad.
As has been mentioned already, there is live music in the center of the «village» on weekend afternoons, and it’s pretty good. It’s played loud, it attracts lots of folks dancing, and makes for a nice placemaking in an otherwise abaondoned retail space.

Arrested Development fans — this place is a must! You’ll recognize Fisherman’s Village from the show as the set location for Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana Stand.
Of course, the Bluth Banana Stand isn’t really there, but you can still buy a frozen banana at the shop next to the lighthouse!
Parking is cash only, OR you can get validated for 2 hours by making a purchase at any shop. Don’t worry, there are plenty of parking spots.
There’s live music, and the locals (mostly older) seemed to really enjoy it.
This place is fairly desolate compared to Newport Beach’s Balboa Pier. It’s definitely ideal for someone who wants private thinking time, while enjoying a beautiful view. But just be warned that most of the shops here have gone out of business, so don’t come with an itch to shop.

If not for the small size of «Fisherman’s Village,» I would give it 5 stars.
This is a quaint and adorable little area adjacent to the marina which includes many places to eat (burger stands to expensive restaurants). There are also some businesses where you can rent equipment if you wish to partake in aquatic activities such as paddle boarding, sailing, and jet skiing. I went parasailing twice leaving from here, and absolutely loved the experiences. It may get a little crowded in the afternoon on the weekends, but overall this is a great place for a romantic date or just to relax and escape from the middle of the city.
Parking: some business validate an hour or 2 for the lot, which charges $ 1 per 20 minutes.

Feels like the concept didn’t survive the economic crisis or the concept was flawed from the beginning. Except for a couple of restaurants, the area is pretty much empty and there are no stores left.
In other words, not worth the detour.

Delightful and cute area that deserves some attention. A few restaurants from fancy-​ish to simply ice-​cream and quick food; a marina where one can charter a fishing boat, or just take a water bus; or observe some marine life like the friendly sea-​lion and tens of cranes, gulls et al.
Two hour parking is free when validated.
By chance, there was a Beatles Tribute band playing on Saturday afternoon from 2−5pm. They were great. Dancing allowed!

Since I walk, ride, bike, or drive past this every day, I hesitate to write a review, but honestly there isn’t a lot to do at Fisherman’s Village. There are really only two choices: eat or get on a boat. The shopping is negligible and the fun consists of renting a bike, kayak, or jet ski. We catch the Water Bus here.
Restaurants include El Torito, Shanghai Reds and some other middle of the road establishments. I’ll be posting reviews on them soon, but basically there aren’t any really great restaurants at Fisherman’s Village.
Often there is a live band performance on weekend afternoons, but it is in front of the fake lighthouse without much space to sit/​relax/​enjoy the bands.
Parking isn’t cheap, but can be validated for a couple hours at the restaurants.
The vibe is very similar to Shoreline Village in Long Beach or even Ports o’ Call in San Pedro, but with less shopping and weaker restaurants.
It’s wrong for me to bash on one of the main attractions in my own city, but I truly wish Fisherman’s Village was better. Please improve the parking, bring in some cool restaurants (I’m looking at you YARD HOUSE), and offer some hip shopping options.

*** Charming spot to stop summer wknds. ***
If it’s sunny, between 1−5pm, warm and
I’m nearby? I’ll drop by to hear the band.
The village is really made for tourists but
It’s also perfect for locals on lazy days. ;)
Today featured a ‘70s retro rock band but
they did sing a hot lil Bobby Caldwell tune:
MY FRIENDS WONDER
«WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?»
BUT I’M IN DAZE … IN A DAZE, YOU SEE?
I CAME BACK TO LET YOU KNOW,
I GOTTA THING FOR YOU AND I CAN’T LET GO
I GOTTA THING FOR YOU AND I CAN’T LET GO.
*** Ah, a pleasant way to break-​up my 5mi run. ***