La Mia Cucina in Pacific Grove

Review №1

2023-10-09 19:46:30

We absolutely adore this place! It holds a special spot in our hearts as one of the standout dining establishments in the charming Monterey Bay Area. What sets it apart is their unwavering commitment to freshness – you can taste the difference. While reservations are highly recommended, the restaurants warm hospitality ensures youre in for a treat even if you drop by spontaneously. Paula and Chef Michael, the owners, are not just proprietors; theyre {friends} who greet you with warm hugs and smiles, making you feel like part of the family. The calamari and Arancini appetizers are our favorites, and the minestrone soup is a delightful taste of an old-country recipe. For the main course, we always opt for the Tortiglioni with Sausage, Seafood Linguine, and Eggplant Parmigiana – they never disappoint. Overall, this restaurant offers an incredible dining experience. The pricing is fair and the level of personal attention and care from the staff is unparalleled. Its undeniably one of our favorite places and a must-visit every time were in the Pacific Grove-Monterey area.

Review №2

2023-12-04 03:18:05

This was a real find. The food was outstanding! We started with the bruschetta, which was fresh and light. The house salad was tasty, with a wonderful dressing. Split pea and ham soup was thick and flavorful. This was some of the best homemade gnocchi I’ve had to date and the lobster ravioli was a true standout. We finished off with an amazing sherry cake with pistachio gelato. The service throughout was outstanding. On top of all this, comparatively their prices are reasonable. We will absolutely be back. Can’t recommend it more!

Review №3

2023-09-18 21:46:05

We had a spectacular dinner here on a Saturday evening in September. Despite arriving at the very end of the night (and without a reservation!) the management warmly welcomed us and La Mia Cucina treated us to a memorable evening. All our meals were absolutely delicious, the homemade pasta was fantastic, and our waiter, Danny, could not have been more attentive or friendly. Its a warm and intimate place, and tastefully decorated. The online photos dont do it justice. Highly recommended!

Review №4

2023-10-18 14:30:52

I have been to Monterey Bay a few times and decided to eat here as the reviews were great and a local couple advised my family how great the food is. They were wrong. The food was bland and just not on the level of the price we were charged for each dish. I had the lasagna because it was the special and Ill be honest, Stouffers frozen lasagna tastes better. My daughter had the gnocchi with marinara, absolutely horrible. I was in NYC a few weeks ago and the Italian food there is on a totally higher level. The atmosphere here was great and the service was wonderful.

Review №5

2023-07-22 20:40:22

My family has been coming to this restaurant for years and it’s consistently excellent. The owners and staff are friendly and attentive. The owner’s, Paula and Michael greet us with warm hugs and smiles, and the staff soothe the soul. My mother can’t wait for the delicious warm brownie topped with ice cream, blueberries and strawberries - it is definitely the “cherry on top”.

Review №6

2021-10-23 19:40:38

Lucky us! We were able to get in only because someone cancelled last minute. Delicious food, nice ambience, wonderful service. Started with their delicious focaccia bread, entrees came with salad or soup. Hubby chose salad, I chose the chicken soup. Hubby had the most delicious freshly made gnocchi with 2 kinds of sauce. I chose the sand dabs. We celebrated his bday w/their strawberry dessert, delicious! Happy tummies :)Will most definitely return!

Review №7

2022-11-27 18:32:38

We came here enticed by the 4.6+ rating.The service is wonderful - warm, kind, committed. The ambience is fun with the colorful vintage posters lining the walls. The crowd is full of loyal local patrons so I trust that this is a much loved restaurant. So the 3-star rating is more about the food. The crab/prawn cake appetizer was tasty but the rubbery chewy pieces of prawn made the dish less enjoyable. Kudos to the staff for letting me share my candid feedback directly with chef. How often do restaurants send their chef to chat with a patron? Not many I think. The Caesar salad was dressed in a fresher dressing than I expected 👍 and topped with softer cheese than aged Parmesan. The arancini was sized like racquetballs and the rice grain texture inside was mushy. I extracted the homemade sausage from the core and enjoyed the tomato-herb sauce circling the 3 rice balls. The lobster ravioli dish overall was too sweet. Some of the pillows had a nice portion of filling. Other pillows had a lot less. I wonder whether the mascarpone cheese dominates the filling and the taste of fresh lobster. Our waiter recommended a really nice wine to accompany our dinner. Experience overall was 4-stars.

Review №8

2023-09-03 00:44:58

Handmade stuffed pasta, very rich and tasty dessert, some of the best Italian food we’ve ever had!Overall what always makes this an amazing experience was this place offered some of the best service we have ever received!!!Very personable!Definitely one of our favorite places - and a definite stop every time we visit this area!!!

Review №9

2023-09-03 04:23:46

Enjoyed every aspect of our meal. Both the Lobster ravioli and San Dabs entrees are excellent. And their Tiramisu is heavenly. Cant wait to go here again next time we are in town.

Review №10

2023-06-05 23:12:49

The staff here is amazing. The hostess was very accommodating even when we did not have reservations - she went out of her way to find us a table. The servers are very nice and friendly. Service was a bit slow, probably because there were large groups dining that day. The food is okay; the ingredients are nice but this is American-Italian, not Italian food.