Marinella Restaurant

CLOSED!
I made a reservation on OpenTable on Monday and tonight we arrived and it’s closed for good. Small sign in the window saying rent increased or something.

try pasta with clam & white wine sauce
super, super yummy
well cooked pasta
go for it!

Time Arrived: 7:00pm Sunday
Time Wait: No reservations, no wait
Party: 2 People
Atmosphere: Homey, warm
Food/​Drink: I was truly blown away with their Bruschetta. Not only was it complimentary, it was DELICIOUS! The bread was perfectly toasted with chunks of juicy tomatoes drizzled in garlic olive oil. It was so good, I had to ask for another one.
The pesto pasta was great. The noodles were cooked al dente and the pesto sauce was on the creamy side.
Service: Attentive. I liked how they presented their daily specials by rolling it out on a chalk board to your table. It added a nice touch.
Overall: I’d definitely go back for some good value, home style Italian food. Oh, and for their Bruschetta! Yummy!

My experience at Marinella was great, and I debated whether or not to give three or four stars. I’m a huge ambiance person, and for me, Marinella was lacking. It felt cozy, but definitely no personality and seemed to appeal to an older crowd. That being said, the service was fantastic, food was delicious and fresh, and the prices not too steep.
My sister and I shared the mozzarella which was so fresh and delicious. We both have lived in Italy, so we have pretty high standards for mozzarella. My tell-​tales sign for a fake Italian place is wen the mozzarella is shitty. Needless to say, I was very pleasantly surprised when the mozzarella was fresh and authentic! This was a great sign that the meal was to be delicious too– which it was!

If you don’t love the food, the affordability, the service, the ambience, and the quirks, you are seriously flawed.

I had a friend who was looking for some quality Italian food, who was visiting NYC. I decided to use Unilocal to find a decent Italian restaurant in the West Village. Overall, I would say that the reviews were dead on.
I have to say that the mainstay of this restaurant is their food and service presentation. One of the cool elements are the specials which are rolled over on a chalk board, something I have not really seen before. The pasta is homemade and out of this world!
The only problem keeping this from five stars is the service. DO NOT come here if you are looking for a quick meal. While the service was quite attentive, it took them a very long time to make the food making our meal twice as long as the average dinner.
However, if you are in no rush, and looking for some fantastic pasta I would absolutly recommend this venue. I know I will make it a point to return in the near future.

Every year a group of of friends that work together in the television business gather for the «Freelancer’s Ball». For over a decade the venue was Massimo’s… but they have closed. Marinella filled the void perfectly… Here’s what I ate…
Shared apps– grilled octopus!!!, marinated portabello mushrooms!!!, fried zucchini w/​red sauce!!!, artichokes!!, my only disappointment of the meal was the only adequate mozzarella cheese, a Caesar salad perfectly dressed. I split two mains w/​my son– Squid Ink Linguini w/​Calamari and red sauce– freash pasta, tender calamari– spot on. Osso Bucco– falling off the bone, rich gravy– perfect. Tasted two deserts– Tira Misu, Ice Cream in a chocolate hazelnut sauce… both very nice. A very nice wine list with reasonable winners. Service could not have been better and… drum roll please… we saved a tidy sum from previous dinners! We will be back next year!

Overall summary: Thought the food was generally kind of meh (very generic Italian), service was of the type that seemed to appeal to the middle-​aged/​older, long-​time New Yorker crowd, as opposed to a younger audience.
(Caveat: I’m generally not as huge a fan of Italian food, so perhaps my standards are a bit high for that cuisine in general)
I had one of the specials of the night, a gnocchi with a pesto sauce. Frankly, it came out bland and entirely uninteresting. They did put a small jar of pepper flakes on the table, yet (miraculously), even the pepper flakes were bland, and did very little to help my dish. The cheese in the gnocchi didn’t really add any flavor at all. My friends got a squid ink pasta and the chicken breast as well, though nobody seemed that enthused.
The place itself could fall under the «charming» category I guess, though I would say the term is being used slightly euphemistically… it was a bit crowded and old-​feeling.
Will echo what others have said about service (a bit slow… there was even some eye-​rolling I think) and the portions (on the small side).
All in all, was a relatively average Italian place for me, and I feel like I could find better, especially in the neighborhood.

I will say that the food was fantastic. The spinach ravioli was incredibly good.
However, the service was a little slow (granted I was part of a large party and it is a saturday night) and the portions are a little small considering the price of the meal.
But I will keep this place in mind next time I am in the area and looking for a good Italian restaurant.

Marinella is simply a warm place to enjoy a lovely meal.
It’s small, quaint, and very comfortable. It looks like what I would always imagine a small Italian restaurant in the area to look like. The staff is very nice and their methods are a very welcoming touch of «old-​fashioned».
We started with a bottle of vino from Italy immediately. A few days ago I had tried the Brunello Di Montalcino 2007 (Castelli Martinozzi) over at Eately and it was probably one of the better reds that I’ve had in some time. Super tasty and deliciously enjoyable, so we went with the Brunello Di Montalcino 2005 (Mana Petra Toscana). It wasn’t as tasty but it was still very, very good. :) We enjoyed it thoroughly.
For our appetizer we went with the grilled octopus that was on the daily specials chalkboard which they rolled over to our table. It was divine and quite possibly the best grilled Octopus I have had thus far.
For our entrees we ordered the Zuppino Alla Mediterranea which was absolutely delicious, and had our taste buds, and palate going crazy! The sauce that it comes in is amazingly tasty, and we kept dipping our bread in it the entire time until we ran out. YUM!
We also ordered an entrée from the daily specials menu which was the Pappardelle with Shrimp and that was just as tasty, and filled to the tee with endless amounts of shrimp. I mean, it was simply: GOOD.
I love this place. I love the vibe, I love the food, and I love the good old-​fashioned service!
Great Job Marinella!

Good place for a lunch– their specials are presented through chalk boards. Though, the prices seem a tad expensive for the portion you get. We opted for grilled calamari as an appetizer and while the flavors were nice, the way it was cooked or presented could have been better. It was whole pieces of squid and due to that, biting it was a bit «rubbery. My co-​worker ordered the Gnocchi with Pesto and he said it was delicious. But, poor guy only had about 12 pieces. I saw him eat it really quickly, then used leftover bread to garnish the sauce, literally cleaning the whole plate up.
I got the lasagna with bolognese and that was really good. Chunks of meaty sauce poured over lasagna; you just can’t go wrong.
For the price you pay for the meals, you’d expect something out of the ordinary. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good comfort food, but it’s no fancy dining.

Wonderful, home-​cooked, Italian food. This is a small, family restaurant.
Service is somewhat slow but you wont mind when you see how delicious they made your food taste! Waiters are still very sweet and attentive.
Perfect spot for a cozy family dinner!

Came here a few weeks ago with a group of 8. This is a place where you bring your parents, grandparents or go when you just want to chill out. It is not trendy, nor would I recommend this as the best spot for a group of friends wanting the ‘hip’ spot in the city to eat.
The food is excellent: Home made, delicious –I had the pasta bolognese it was fantastic!!! They give us big bowels of homemade bread to start.
Service: slowwwwwwww, think your old uncle who is going blind.
Wine: try it first, the house wine is lacking flavor and really taste.
I would def go here again, because of the food –nothing else really stood out…

We picked a good-​looking place for the first half of our dinner and a movie. Ordered the Pecorino Sardo and Pear Salad, one of the specials, for $ 13. You can see what we got in the photo section. Giant hunk of cheese and a quarter of a pear. Hmm. I really wanted to like this place. Maybe it’s worth another shot.

As a wise ad campaign from the 80s said, «You never get a second chance to make a first impression.» It was Head & Shoulders. What they didn’t tell you was, you can forgive a crappy first impression when there’s really good food and service apart from the initial dandruff, if you just brush it off your shoulder.
When we arrived exactly 12 minutes late to our reservation because of an issue on the subway (we apologized profusely), the bartender/​host wagged his finger at us and tsk-​ed. Then, he didn’t give us any indication of whether/​when we could be seated, nor did he answer when we asked gently. It was weird, and I thought it was rude but then he brought out a barstool so we could both sit while we waited. We ended up getting seated 15 – 20 minutes after we arrived, which was great!
From then on, it was smooth sailing. The waiter was friendly as can be and we dug the atmosphere. From the murals on the wall to the pair of young women seated next to us going a little overboard with the wine, it was just a fun, comfortable vibe. And the food! That’s the main event, obviously, and it’s really superb. My bolognese was divine, it was exactly what a bolognese should be. Meaty enough, with delicious fresh pasta and just enough tomato sauce to bring it all together. We had the eggplant rollatini appetizer too, which my vegetarian girlfriend loved and I enjoyed as well. It had an excellent sauce and texture, the most important (and rare) features in an eggplant dish. But the pasta was what really won me over. Plus, it was very reasonably priced considering the location.

This might be the best service I’ve encountered at a restaurant. The waiter alone might have been working here when my ancestors inhabited the tenement down the street. His bifocals seemed to suggest that. When we asked for gluten-​free pasta, he suggested whole wheat, which alone merits five stars. The only reason I can’t give it five stars is because the vegan options seemed to be limited to various pastas with marina sauce, and I expect better from Italians, but being a vegan in Little Italy is like being a Jew in Rome. Wait, I’ve done that, as well…
Seriously, this place is a good deal, and quite reasonable by New York standards. I wish they didn’t serve rabbit and that their lentil soup was made without chicken stock, but given everything that’s flowed down Delaney Street, what can I expect?

I guess I’m a sucker for a gimmick, because I was completely enamored by the specials chalkboard, which they wheel around to every table. They got me. Just like that.
The complimentary bruschetta was very good, as was the half-​bottle of white wine that my friend and I shared (I’ll be darned if I can remember which it was).
My friend had a special ravioli, and the portion was a bit small, but it was wonderful. I had a Caesar salad (real Caesar dressing and yummy anchovies) and rigatoni alla francesco (rigatoni with spinach, sausage, and garlic), which was just delightful, and more than I could finish.
The room is very comfortable, cozy, and well-​worn without being ratty or tattered. There is a back dining room where there was a very loud party of eight or so women celebrating a birthday — and celebrate they did. None of us in the front dining room seemed to mind. But everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when they stumbled out. Ha.
Staff is incredibly accommodating and friendly. Prices are mid-​range, and reasonable for what you get.
I remember this place with fondness and when looking for Italian in the Village again, would definitely return.

What can I say? This place was delicious – everything was seasoned perfectly, very fulfilling and reasonably priced. (plus, the free bruschetta when you sit down-​definitely a plus in my book)
The wait staff is a bit slow though (took us forever to get our entrees and check) but other than that, very worthwhile.
Recommendations include:
Smoked mozzerlla, Fettuccine Pollo E Crema (noodles, cream, chicken and mushrooms) and Veal Scaloppine Alla Valdostana (veal scaloppine topped with fontina cheese and prosciutto)

It’s easy to walk right past Marinella and dismiss her entirely. She’s got this whole bright blue and white exterior that’s more nautical in theme than Italian. She looks outdated and, unlike some of her neighbors in the area, she’s really not trendy at all. She also lacks the feel of a West Village institution — old enough to be relevant, yet too young to be canonized. But Marinella’s not some middle-​aged has-​been. In fact, she’s the sexiest cougar on Carmine Street — a little rough around the edges, but brimming with confidence, experience, and a bit of naughty sensibility. In short, she’s a rascal.
Those in the know keep her a dirty little secret, while the others may unfairly write her off as your middle-​of-​the-​road red-​sauce joint. I’m in the know. I’m also terrible at keeping secrets.
Marinella’s daily specials are rolled to your table via giant chalkboard-​on-​wheels, a list as long as the regular menu, the names of dishes seemingly each a millimeter away from falling off the edges entirely. Not gonna lie, it’s a down-​right challenge to even look at their regular offerings while this behemoth is in your face.
But, I’ve got a solution. Order the lasagna. It’s not always listed as a special, but the chef should gladly oblige upon speaking its name. Don’t write this one off because it falls under the whole «classic Italian» category. The pasta itself is so incredibly tender, they almost taste like thinly-​sliced layers of meat. The sauce is a deceivingly simple blend of béchamel and tomato, but it’s simply to die for. Also, you shouldn’t expect your typical block of carbs, but rather an aesthetic offering of flat noodles, meat, and cheese carefully strewn about the plate in which it is served. Look no further — this is the best lasagna you’ll ever have.
The servers are attentive while being completely non-​intrusive. For a relatively small establishment, Marinella’s got a sizable staff. There is always someone at your service, a mere moment away in any direction. And the best part is how organic it all seems — you never really realize how comfortable and effortless the employees make everything feel while you are actually there. Restaurants with double the price point don’t even manage to pull this off.
Their lasagna aside, Marinella offers up all-​around exceptional Italian. With a bit of home-​made flair and Old World practice, she’s made her way into my heart as one of my favorite establishments out there.

We ate here with a few friends last night. One of our party has been there before and recommended it.
She was spot on. The service was friendly and totally efficient. The dishes sampled were:
Eggplant rolintini. Eggplant as thin as crepes, wrapped around spinach and goat cheese with a rich and superb red sauce.
Calves liver with a red wine reduction. Cooked as requested and delicious.
Calamari with a white wine sauce was fresh and perfectly cooked with an incredible flavor.
A fish stew with a tomato based sauce and lots of fresh shrimp, clams, mussels and calamari. A total success.
A word about the sauces across the board. No one, I repeat, no one could resist eating every last drop which they scooped up with the absolutely delightful bread with a totally awesome crust. By the way, there wasn’t a crumb of bread left either.
I had a mixed green salad too, with fresh crisp lettuce, fennel, onions, peppers and tomatoes. It had a dressing which was there, but not there. Totally delicious and finally healthy.
The crostini served for the table was one of the best I ever had.
We’ll be back, and next time I’m having that liver and damn the cholesterol!