Marisi

This place is amazing. We made a reservation and arrived about 20 minutes early, they were able to seat us right away.We tried the focaccia, short rib ragú, filet mignon bolognese and milk chocolate dessert. Everything was delicious, was blown away especially by the focaccia and ragu. The best I've had in a while.Service was great and attentive.The ambience wraps perfectly in a well put together concept. All the pieces of decor fit perfectly with each other. The warm lighting and music sets the tone for a lovely evening with good company, great food and selection of wines.

Almost 5 stars but super long lulls between courses! Ambiance, food, cocktails were all outstanding but there was def long waits between getting our salad and starter and the mains. The wait staff were all extremely polite and outgoing, at least. Drinks: Hugo Spritz-delightfully light elderflower spritz Apricot Old-Fashioned-every so slight apricot flavor and def a boozy punchEspresso Martini-pretty standard Espresso MartiniCantaloupe Margarita- not bad but didn't taste too mellonyFaves would probs be the Hugo Spritz and the Apricot Old- Fashioned since we appreciated their flavors a tad bit more than the others. Food: Foccaccia: A must-order. Crisp exterior, hot, fluffy interior. Delicious herby/cheesy dipping sauce Tonarreli with Prawns: Big prawns but overall a smaller portion; awesome for Pesto lovers and the pasta was Bucatini-like. Prawns were a little on the drier side than I would've liked and may have been a tad bit overcooked. Little Gem: Standard little gem salad with grated parm and radishes; pretty goodRoasted Chicken and Market Veggies: Roasted chicken was cooked well; crispy skin, juicy meat, and a really flavorful sauce. I would have preferred roasted veggies or potatoes on the side because the veggies it came with was like a warm salad. Happy to have the greens, but a bit odd due to temp and texture. Overall a good experience. We skipped dessert (which we never do) but we were scared we'd be trapped and never be able to leave because the service was so slow. Overall really enjoyed the ambiance, the food and service for the most part, but we really can't stop thinking about the bad flow. A bunch of other tables appeared bored too. Would visit again, though.

I really love this place but there's a specific couple of reasons I'm giving it three stars. I didn't think the server was that great... He did not leave much of an impression. I was a little more impressed by the man who delivered a drink to the table then my actual server. For comparison, check out steak 48 and notice the training of the servers. Top notch.Next reason for my three stars... It's very expensive. And it doesn't need to be this expensive... Because I would go there at least once a week if it wasn't so pricey, I took my friend for her birthday. We had two entrées, some bread, a mocktail, and a martini... $150And it was my treat because it was her birthday dinner but my gosh... For one cocktail and two entrées... That was insane for pricing. This is the problem with inflation right now. Don't be part of the problem... It's so nice when a restaurant has great ambience and quality food and service and they don't gouge you on the price when everything these days is so crazy expensive. The bread they serve is really good. But it's $11. And if you go to Dobson's downtown, which is an iconic San Diego restaurant... They have the best homemade bread on the planet and it is freeeee. And they are known for it. This place makes very nice bread, but it's not out of this world. It wasn't super soft. But they throw Maldon salt on top of it and that does make a nice impact. But I would say it should be eight dollars. And then after you've spent all this money, they bring a birthday dessert that really is all about the sparkler. It's these two tinyyyy little cookies. They should be presenting a phenomenal dessert at this place with the prices that you're going to be paying, if it's somebody's birthday. On the house amazing dessert is what should be expected. Have you ever been to Sammy's woodfired Pizza and had the messy Sunday for somebody's birthday? That thing is amazing and it's free. The sparkler was impressive for sure. But the cookies were dry and not amazing and that's not worthy of a birthday dessert. But of course they do that to give you a little thought and then make you pay for dessert For your birthday. We shared the whole roasted chicken and the pasta carbonara. The chicken is $56. A $60 chicken dish. Insanity.It was good, but it didn't blow my mind. If you want a chicken dish that will blow your mind... The smoking goat in Northpark.Trust me..This chicken dish was good... But not $56 good. The carbonara was great and they are known for it. I don't remember the price of that being off the charts insanity. The Martini was $21. I think the mocktail was $11 /no alcohol. I just don't know why everybody has to go so nuts with the prices. I would love to go to this place all the time... But I might need to get a second career to be able to afford to do that!

Italy, we have a problem.Marisi Restaurant, which I've been told by at least three people, is a visit worth making. So I made it. My bestie and I headed over there a few weeks ago to see what all the fuss was about and I'm here to report that the fuss is not only expensive, but familiar. The menu is a rehash of everything Italian everywhere. Not that that's necessarily bad, just disappointing given how high the bar was set for us. But, I wanted to give them a chance so I threw out the Judge Judy in me and willed myself to enjoy the evening. (Besides, hanging out with my BFF always overshadows anything unfortunate, misguided, etc.)We started with Marisi's version of an Italian staple, focaccia bread ; we had it served with a not-free pesto dipping sauce which was surprisingly salty but played nicely with the fluffy, warm focaccia slices I cut up. We ordered the Proscuitto and Pineapple next. It was a riff on the more traditional Proscuitto e Melone, but it actually worked a LOT better. Whereas the cantaloupe and the melon from the more traditional plate tend to be hit or miss in the appropriately ripe department, pineapple is consistently sweet and chewy and the sour candy-tartness adds a welcome dimension to the dish. Well-done, Marisi. But the presentation had all the subtlety of death; it was this hunk of a thing on a plate without respect to space, volume, or size.For our third and final course, I ordered the Short Rib Casarecce, a $34 side dish of one of their "little known pastas" dusted with an essence of short ribs. I'm OK with the price and even the size. I'm just not OK with the way it hit how small the dish was. In fairness, the server might have said something but I shut down around him, he with the good looks and the stuffiness and who only spoke in the third person and clasped his hands behind his back like Columbo, the TV detective, investigating the murder of a wealthy scion.The pasta was excellent - so, again, kudos Marisi - but at the end of the day, it couldn't overcome the feeling that I had been here before, being seated and served by the same people, and eating the same food I've eaten at dozens of other Italian restaurants. And, lastly, there was this on the 'About' page of the Marisi website: "Dry aged fish, whole animal butchery, little known pasta shapes and homemade Limoncello are just a few things that make Marisi memorable, combined with a passionate team and service from the heart."Wait. Whole animal butchery? That's what you want to be remembered for? In 2024? Do we get complimentary bronzed organs from inside the meat we're eating? Does that come with a swag bag of methane that these animals generate? Yikes. And Ew. Or, as my bestie mentioned later in a text: "Ewwww."At the end of the day, Marisi will thrive with or without me and my opinions and I'm glad. Hard work deserves to be rewarded. It's just that I won't be doing the rewarding.

This was honestly a tough review to sum up. All things together, if I could, I'd probably give this place somewhere between a 3.5-4. It does really well in some elements, but then lacks in others:Marisi is a gorgeous restaurant inside and out. Impressively chic decor that is romantic but well-lit, very upscale Mediterranean/coastal vibes. I absolutely adored the lights from the ceiling in the front outdoor area, and the customized plates they served their food on. Silverware and serve ware were all very high quality. For such a nice restaurant, the service is incredibly friendly. Everyone is approachable, patient, and kind. We never felt rushed, and our waiter was thorough with his recommendations. He was very attentive to us but also knew how to gauge when it was appropriate to check in on the table without being intrusive / overbearing. Loved the etiquette!The Porn Star Martini is a HIT!! Delicious and tasted exactly like the description. Must-try! Also...Fun-fact, this is the only restaurant on the west coast with a barrel of Gold standard Blanton's bourbon (aged 4 months and counting). Where I was disappointed was the food. We ordered two pasta dishes (pasta comprises the bulk of the main entrees here, all hand-made.) First off, I was surprised to see how small the portions were for dishes that cost between $24-35 a piece. One dish is enough for one hungry person, so keep this in mind if you are thinking about sharing. I hate to say this, but in the spirit of honest reviews, I have to admit that The Rigatoni was the worst I've ever tried. The sauce on it tasted like it came out of a Chef Boyardee tomato/alphabet soup can and had some pepper flakes added to it for very minimal spice. We didn't have the heart to send it back, but I definitely wanted to and would advise against it. The short rib ragu is apparently one of their most popular dishes, but I had a lot of trouble understanding why. It largely lacked short rib, the sauce was underwhelming (but better than the sauce on the rigatoni) and overall fell short of the hype. The flavors and textures did not come together well, and it's very short on the short rib. TL;DR -- come for the ambiance and drinks ... pass for the food. The food needs work on flavor, portions, and price tag for what it's worth.

Came to La Jolla from Los Angeles just to try this place (the Insta ads worked, folks! Lol) Marisi is such a great vibe, with great service and great food! We ordered so much and enjoyed everything, including the wine rec from the som! Rob, our server was fantastic- truly attentive, on top of everything, and didn't lead us astray in his recommendations! This is a great date night spot or fun for group of friends or celebrating something special. Can't wait to come back!

The service here is outstanding. The server does not upsell, he did not rush us, he let us order our bottle of wine and appetizers and sit and chill for a bit. He perfectly sensed when we were ready for our entrees and approached. He was perfect.The food here is typical San Diego / La Jolla ok. It hangs with nine-ten and Catania, 7/10. It is not as good as the Trust restaurant group which IMO cannot be defeated. This replaced Whisknladle. The food quality is same same but different in a not so great way. Nothing was bad to be fair, but nothing shined and melted our socks off. The best item was the chicken patte. nice and creamy, balanced. The a5 wagyu tartar, blah, sizzler, the pasta? Blah, olive garden. Restaurant is pretty. Older crowd, no young bros. Its fine but there's better.

We love Marisi for its refined Italian. Favorites: ragu, little gems, Bellini, carbonara. Ivan is a great server. The bday treat is such a nice touch. Highly recommend

Aliyah was a great server who gave wonderful recommendations and told us about the origins of Marisi. The attention to detail and beauty in the decor of this restaurant were the highlights along with the perfectly cooked al dente rigatoni which was my personal favorite along with the fresh focaccia bread and dip were to die for! The perfect spot for a date night out or a girls' lunch. Would highly recommend it!

Food, cocktails, service, and ambiance were all a 10/10! Highly recommend for a date night!