Best Date Night Restaurants in Marina del Rey
17 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Dear Jane's
Michelin-listed, chef-driven seafood with retro coastal glamour and marina views.
Essential Picks
#1
Dear Jane's
9.1
Dear Jane's is a chef-driven, marina-front seafood restaurant from Josiah Citrin and Hans Röckenwagner, pairing classic American seafood dishes with a polished, retro-inspired dining room. Since opening in 2022 and earning a place in the Michelin Guide, it has become Marina del Rey’s most talked-about seafood destination for special-occasion dinners and serious seafood fans.
Must-Try Dishes:
Oysters Rockefeller, Shrimp Louie, Trout amandine
What Makes it Special: Michelin-listed, chef-driven seafood with retro coastal glamour and marina views.
Notable Picks
8.6
Sushi Enya brings a more polished omakase experience to the marina, with a chef-driven bar and intimate room that leans into higher-end cuts and composed bites. Diners treat it as a special-occasion spot for pristine fish and paced service, whether they’re at the counter or a small table.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chef's Omakase, Toro Sashimi, Hokkaido Scallop with Caviar
What Makes it Special: Refined omakase-focused sushi in an intimate room right off the marina.
#3
Pizzana
8.6
Pizzana brings a polished, chef-driven take on neo-Neapolitan pizza to the Marina, with long-fermented dough, precise toppings, and a strong wine and cocktail program. It’s where locals go when they want serious pizza with a more upscale, sit-down experience than the average slice shop.
Must-Try Dishes:
Cacio e pepe pizza, Neo-Margherita pizza, Diavola-style spicy salami pizza
What Makes it Special: Chef-driven neo-Neapolitan pies with long-fermented dough and thoughtful toppings.
#4
Casa 12
8.5
Casa 12 is an intimate Italian ristorante just off the Venice Pier, combining candlelit tables, live-music nights, and handmade pastas for a classic romantic date formula. Guests praise the lobster ravioli, slow-cooked Bolognese, and grilled octopus as much as the warmly lit room and European-feeling sidewalk seating.
Must-Try Dishes:
Lobster Ravioli, Fettuccine Verdi alla Bolognese, Grilled Octopus
What Makes it Special: Cozy Italian spot near the pier with handmade pastas and live music.
#5
Irori Sushi
8.5
Irori Sushi is a long-running tatami-style restaurant tucked into a shopping center, known for floor-level seating, bento lunches, and a surprisingly affordable omakase. Regulars come for the mix of traditional ambiance and strong value on sashimi, nigiri, and hot dishes.
Must-Try Dishes:
12-Piece Omakase, Bento Box Lunch, Yellowtail Collar
What Makes it Special: Tatami-style seating and an omakase-and-bento format that balances tradition and value.
8.4
Vibes:
Date Night Magic
Group Dining Gatherings
Business Lunch Power Players
Family Friendly Favorites
Akbar Cuisine of India is a longstanding Washington Boulevard restaurant serving richly spiced North Indian curries, tandoori specialties, and fresh-baked naan. Locals treat it as a reliable choice for sit-down dinners that work as well for a low-key date night as they do for larger gatherings.
Must-Try Dishes:
Coco Lamb, Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Biryani
What Makes it Special: Old-school Marina Indian dining with deep flavors and warm service.
8.4
United Bowl Nation is a waterfront café-bar where Mediterranean-leaning grain bowls, mezze, and global plates share space with wine nights and specialty coffee. Locals come for the plant-forward menu, marina views, and a relaxed, all-day hangout energy that works for laptops by day and mellow dates by night.
Must-Try Dishes:
Mediterranean Power Bowl, Vegan Lentil Cigar Rolls, Baklava Selection
What Makes it Special: Waterfront café pairing Mediterranean-leaning bowls with wine nights and views.
The Harbor View Dining Room at Del Rey Yacht Club is a members-focused, harbor-facing dining room where the club’s culinary team offers Champagne Sunday brunch, themed prime rib and lobster nights, and a dedicated Chef’s Table menu. It’s a refined, reservation-only setting that turns chef-curated menus and marina panoramas into a more intimate, club-style chef’s table experience.
Must-Try Dishes:
Eggs Benedict from Champagne Sunday Brunch, Prime Rib from steak and prime rib nights, Chef’s Table seasonal tasting menu courses
What Makes it Special: Members-only harbor dining room with a dedicated Chef’s Table menu and Champagne brunch.
8.2
SALT Restaurant & Bar, opened in 2015 inside the Marina del Rey Hotel, focuses on California seasonal cooking with an American bent, from chowder to braised short ribs. Diners come for polished plates, cocktails, and one of the better waterfront dining rooms on the harbor.
Must-Try Dishes:
Marina Clam Chowder, Shrimp & Grits, Braised Short Rib
What Makes it Special: Hotel waterfront restaurant marrying seasonal California dishes with marina views.
8.2
Moto Azabu combines a full sushi bar with izakaya-style plates and a lively second-floor dining room overlooking Washington Boulevard. It’s where groups mix sashimi, rolls, and grilled bites with cocktails, turning dinner into a longer night out near the water.
Must-Try Dishes:
Spicy Tuna Roll, Baked Crab Roll, Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna
What Makes it Special: A second-floor sushi and izakaya bar with cocktails and marina-adjacent views.
8.2
SUGARFISH’s marina location follows the brand’s strict set-menu approach, turning out “Trust Me” sequences of nigiri and cut rolls built around high-quality fish and warm rice. It’s a dependable choice for guests who want a streamlined sushi experience without navigating a long menu.
Must-Try Dishes:
Trust Me Set, Nozawa-Style Toro Nigiri, Albacore Sashimi with Ponzu
What Makes it Special: A set-menu sushi experience built around the signature Trust Me format.
#12
Tajrish Kabob
8.2
Tajrish Kabob is a full-service Persian-Mediterranean restaurant where charcoal-grilled kabobs, stews, and seafood plates anchor a sit-down experience just inland from the marina. Regulars lean on it for well-seasoned koobideh, Cornish hen, and salmon kabobs in a space that now feels more polished after a recent remodel.
Must-Try Dishes:
Beef Koobideh Kabob, Cornish Hen Kabob, Salmon Fish Kabob
What Makes it Special: Remodeled Persian spot with charcoal-grilled kabobs and hearty plates.
#13
Cast & Plow
8.1
Cast & Plow at The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey is a waterfront farm-to-table restaurant where housemade ice cream and sorbet headline the dessert menu after harbor-view dinners. Guests linger on the terrace over chocolate lava cake and rotating ice cream flavors that feel more composed and plated than parlor-style.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chocolate lava cake with housemade ice cream, Housemade ice cream and sorbet selection, Seasonal dessert served à la mode
What Makes it Special: Hotel waterfront dining where polished desserts lean on housemade ice cream and sorbet.
#14
Namoo Korean BBQ
8.1
Vibes:
Birthday & Celebration Central
Group Dining Gatherings
Date Night Magic
Trendy Table Hotspots
NAMOO Korean BBQ brings a modern, polished take on tabletop grilling to the second floor of the Maxella Avenue complex, pairing premium cuts with a sleek room and free parking. Guests come for course-style combos, attentive staff who manage the grills, and a mix of traditional plates and more contemporary touches that make it feel like a night out as much as a meal.
Must-Try Dishes:
Course Combo A, NAMOO Signature Beef Bulgogi, Seafood Pancake
What Makes it Special: Upscale Korean barbecue with table grills, free parking, and polished service.
8.1
KazuNori’s Marina del Rey outpost is a dedicated hand-roll bar where warm rice and crisp nori are built to order across a short, focused menu. Counter-only seating, set menus, and a tight operation make it ideal for a quick but serious sushi fix before a movie or night in the marina.
Must-Try Dishes:
Toro Hand Roll, Bay Scallop Hand Roll, Blue Crab Hand Roll
What Makes it Special: A hand-roll-only bar obsessed with warm rice, crisp nori, and speed.
Worthy Picks
#16
Sinder Lounge
7.9
Inside the Marina del Rey Marriott, Sinder Lounge serves American and New American fare in a coastal-chic lobby space with indoor and outdoor seating. Hotel guests and locals drop in for everything from breakfast plates to cocktails, street dogs, and steak tacos with marina-adjacent views.
Must-Try Dishes:
LA Street Dogs, Skirt Steak Tacos, Salmon with Forbidden Rice
What Makes it Special: Hotel lounge-restaurant blending coastal-chic design with American comfort dishes.
7.6
La Marina Trattoria is a newer waterfront Italian restaurant on Fiji Way with a menu that includes classic pastas, seafood, and several stone-baked pizzas. While it isn’t a pure pizzeria, its pies benefit from the full kitchen and a setting that feels more like a sit-down trattoria than a slice shop.
Must-Try Dishes:
Margherita pizza, Prosciutto and arugula pizza, Four-cheese pizza
What Makes it Special: Full-service waterfront trattoria where wood-fired pizzas share the stage with pastas and seafood.