Cantalini's Salerno Beach Restaurant

What a treasure we came across looking for somewhere to have dinner. Special does not begin to decribe this place. What a wonderful experience. Service great. Food was so good. A must visit if you are in the area.

I believe the essence of Italian cuisine lies in high-quality ingredients, and this place truly delivers. Every ingredient is fresh, and it makes all the difference. Absolutely top-notch!

Was such a good time with INCREDIBLE food. We went here on a whim and I am so happy we did. Their ravioli is incredible and we got the seasonal appetizer - also amazing. Would come again. If they offer you garlic bread, it is $7. But food is so good!!! Phone did not eat first 😁

We had an amazing dinner experience while visiting the area! All our dishes were outstanding and the service was excellent! Large wine selection available.

Took my sister here for her birthday. We got a nice cozy booth. Pizza was excellent! Tomatoes and basil were so fresh and so sweet! We also shared chicken piccata with hand made delicious fettuccine Alfredo. Finished with a giant piece of chocolate cake. Waitress was fantastico!

Completely disappointed. Food is great but unfortunately felt like the staff took advantage of us, as customers. My husband and I weren't really hungry so we decided to share a plate of pasta. We looked through the menu and prices ranged from $15-$25 a plate. Waitressed recommended a special plate and we ordered 1 to share. Husband and I only had water. Plate was a normal size portion with 4 shrimps and when we got the check we had to pay close to $50.00! As the young generation says, "we were bamboozled!" You get 2 stars because as a business you should do better and it's all about the principal! Don't over charge your customers! Definitely not coming back regardless of how good the food was!

It was a lovely dinner! Romantic place, pasta is so good, staff are all friendly and so nice! Must be here!

Dined in with the family and we got these dishes - 1. Mushroom ravioli 2. Baked ziti 3. Chicken piccata 4. Traditional gnocchi 5. Eggplant Parmesan 6. Custom pizza Everything was delicious! Portions were hearty and generous, the servers were happy & helpful. The atmosphere, lights and live music were charming. Everyone had a lovely time. Thank you!

If you've driven the stretch of coastline between El Segundo and Santa Monica, you may have admired the SALERNO BEACH ITALIAN FOOD signage as you pass through Playa del Rey. Any chance you've dined at Cantalini's (since 2000) or perhaps back when it was Giovanni's (established early 60's)? Ever noshed on the house-made mushroom ravioli while seated under the festive mural of coastal "Old Country," while Dean Martin croons through the stereo speakers? How 'bout that dessert menu? "Three cannoli's please!" Maybe you've consumed a beverage or two at the adjacent Harbor Room bar? Here are plenty of examples of everything that's right about this lil piece of PDR. Boughie quotient = zero, keeping it real with red checkered table cloths, un-gentrified vibes & free parking 3 blocks from the beach. Original founder, Giovanni Cimino immigrated from (you guessed it) Salerno Beach on the Amalfi Coast, while current owner & exec chef Lisetta Maria's clan originally hails from Abruzzo, Central Italy. #NowThstsItalian

Food was a bit bland and basic for the prices. I ordered the stuffed chicken marsala on special that night, which ended up being over $40. I would never order it again, there was nothing special about the dish at all. The interior is extremely dark, to the point where it seems like they're trying to hide how dingy & dated it is. To top it off everything from the seats to the tabletop and the menus were all sticky. There are much better Italian options just a bit farther in marina del rey or manhattan beach for similar prices.

Love this place. Their lunch menu is so delicious and fairly priced compared to the dinner menu. Meatball sub - delicious Steak sub - so good Great lunch spot

I've had this place not far from home bookmarked for a while but I left disappointed. The place was pretty old and the food was average at best, both my shrimp and my friend's ravioli. What really made it a not so great experience was that after taking my order the waiter asked me if i wanted regular or garlic bread, in a way that it was assumed that either option was included. I ended up with a giant order of not so great garlic bread that I was charged for. Talked to the waiter about it, but he obviously knew what he was doing. Now usually that when this sort of thing happens in a restaurant, it would get taken off your bill, not here-- he told me he cannot. He knew I was not happy and sent me home with some below average tiramisu to go. Do yourself a favor, if you want a "old school" Italian vibe with actually good food drive a little further to C&O Cucina or something similar

Cute little Italian restaurant with a beachy vibe, park in the dirt lot across the street. My only observation was that I was offered fresh Parmesan for my pasta but it never showed up. A couple of birthdays were being celebrated too so it was fun and festive.

Decent Italian spot near the beach. Cool interior decoration. Nice servers. Food was OK but not remarkable. I found the veal saltimboca just average. And everything I tried from my friends ravioli to the gnocchi just average as well.

A great find by us during our golf trip. We were looking for a place to eat and Cantalini's came up highly rated. The staff is what you would expect in an old school Italian joint. Friendly, not overly so...helpful, and a little spunky. The cantaloupe and prosciutto was great. We followed it up with gnocchi with prosciutto and peas, a chicken roulade special and an amazing shrimp tortellini. One of us had a cannoli for desert and he raved about it. The wine list was great and the live music was super entertaining.

Quite a variety of Italian dishes here. They offer beer and wine, outdoor seating, parking is a little tricky but food was good, service was great. Very intimate setting.

We love this place! We try to make a stop here every time we're in town. The waiter is awesome at giving menu suggestions and different options. Yes, we've always had the same waiter every time. The restaurant is so nice and welcoming with Italian music playing, just a wonderful all around ambiance! And the beach is within walking distance.

We had a great dinner and were well taken care of by all the staff who helped us. Food is delicious!

First of all, we arrived about 25 minutes before the rest of our party. We were seated immediately and regaled by the hostess about the place. It was our first time there. We ordered a bottle of wine and eventually a small appetizer while waiting for the other four members of our party. The staff could not have been more gracious. The service was excellent. We had a wonderful dinner. Seriously, my wife was taken aback because as a first generation Italian American, she was surprised that their "gravy" tasted just like her mother's. I had the veal saltbocca. It was delicious. You never know what you are going to get with veal. Everyone in the party expressed delight with their dishes. It is a haul for us to get out to this place and I always wanted to go. I would make the trip again. In my opinion, you won't be disappointed and the prices are reasonable. Want to go back in warmer weather and sit outside.

I've only been here once, but I will be back after a pleasant experience. The Chicken Piccata was remarkably delicious, the service was quick, and the server was friendly and attentive. The inside is relatively small, so tables are close together but not a claustrophobic feeling. Overall, it was a delicious and enjoyable meal with a good atmosphere. Looking forward to returning soon!

Still one of my favorite Italian spots in the city! The inside is cute and charming and the servers are great and super friendly. One of my favorite dishes is the chicken piccata which comes with fettuccine Alfredo on the side which is the perfect combination.

Salerno Beach deserves your business. Old, charming places like this are going extinct, and need to be supported. The food is good, the inside is filled with personality, and the staff is so lovely.

It was.... Ok? The service was great, very quick and kind (the place was EMPTY on a Tuesday late afternoon) and the ambiance is adorable. Painted murals cover large parts of the walls, open windows for fresh beach breeze and loads of photos of old actors who have visited. The food was ....lacking. Tried the crab cakes and the little quarter sized balls were cute to look at, ok flavor but nothing really exciting. Very puréed texture and while they provide plenty of tartar sauce, it completely overpowered the flavors. Decided to try the special they had and should have not. The super huge sliced bread was VERY toasted and so hard I was almost unable to eat it; peaches with balsamic drizzle and bland burrata isn't worth the $25

Been coming here for over 10 years, not my favorite Italian place but consistent and friendly. I enjoy the classic menu and will continue to walk in whenever in the area and have a solid meal. I think the prices are fair, especially for the area. Parking is easy if you drive around the park, a lot of free parking.

The service is fine, the food is okay, the ambiance is traditional red leather booth Italian. Nothing to write home about, but also you won't be sending your food back. Honestly can't taste a difference between this place and Pinguini down the street. The saving grace of this establishment is the sacred Harbor Room in the back. 6 stools, stiff drinks, cheap beers, damn good jukebox, and nearly expired salty crowd of regulars who make you question why you walked in the door.

Had a lovely dinner with the family last night. The service was great, food was delicious, and ambiance was perfect! I know I enjoyed my dish and I'm pretty sure the rest of my family did because every plate was completely empty. For appetizers we tried the Bruschetta and anti pesto platter with garlic bread. Both were very good!

Food was great, music was great, all around awesome place to eat. The Cioppino was to die for!

Nice little local feel, authentic Italian atmosphere which was exactly what I was looking for this evening. Our waiter "sunshine" was very helpful the food was good, prices not bad for salad, soup, two entrees and two glasses of wine and it was reasonable for LA prices. Would for sure come again.

Old world Italian hard to find in LA. From spaghetti to linguine and clams to chicken and veal dishes it's line you are back on the east coast

Always a enjoyable place to visit, food is great. service very good , prices reasonable ..Sunday night they have live music...fun little italian restaurant

This place is so cute! Dimly lit. Romantic vibes. Perfect for date night or anniversary. I started with bruschetta, crunchy and delicious. The special appetizer was burrata cheese with fresh tomatoes, so good. House Italian salad, was refreshing. Entree was homemade ravioli with spinach and ricotta in marinara. I would say amazing. Followed by crème brûlée for dessert. Which I am obsessed with. The service was pretty good, considering they were under staffed. However we did not get our wine until after we had our two appetizers and midway through our salad. That why I had to knock off a star. Wish I could do half star because this place is amazing. Make reservations so you can get a booth! But reservations is not always necessary during the week.

Best Italian food in West LA. All the most famous Italian dishes available. Eggplant meals in your mouth. Chicken Marsala one of the best in Los Angeles. Service is willing to describe daily specials. Wine list very reasonable. The dining area is full of pictures of stars who dine there. Tables are very cozy. The take all visitors and family for special occasions. Try it I know you will return to experience more of the menu! Ciao Bella! RonyX

Long time customers of Cantalini's however the last visit was extremely disappointing. Had a problem with the Chicken Piccata it was tough. Brought it to the attention to our waiter Emily, was replaced by another chicken dish, no difference. Emily seems to be disinterested. The cost of our total bill was $204.11. No concessions made!

Overpriced for what it is. Food is a 3/5. Kinda what you'd expect in a more touristy area. Was hoping it was a little more classic PDR and a little less mediocre Italian tourist trap vibes.

Might go again / price = $10-20 (lunch) / service = above average / cleanliness = average / indoor = Italian vibe / parking = metered street, small business plaza parking lot Ordered the meatball sandwich for lunch costing around $18 with a fountain soda. I was conflicted on how I should rate Salerno's. On one hand, there is the meatball Parm sandwich that, although the bread can be toasted more for crispyness, was one of the better meatball sandwiches I had which was not many. The disappointing factor was the cold in spots garlic knots that should be a staple for any Italian restaurant or pizzeria. The mozzarella cheese from the meatball Parm stretches miles away balancing with the marinara sauce it beds on, but the garlic knots were mostly cold as if they just unfroze them. So much for being homemade...

I was thinking of having Cioppino soup because the day started out cold and raining, but later turned to sunny and windy. I made reservations here because of their Cioppino. We were greeted by our waiter , Rogelio, a good looking sharp dressed waiter who looks like a Mexican movie star. My girlfriend ordered the Cioppino, her son had the chicken saltimbocca and I had the braised short rib ravioli. Rogelio took our order from memory and placed our order. I had a taste of the Cioppino and the Saltimbocca. The Cioppino was full of shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops and calamari with a tomato base ,Italian spices with a fantastic taste. There wasn't a hint of Mexican spices like some restaurants make that taste like menudo. The Chick Saltumbocca was tasty with prosciutto , Marsala wine sauce mixed with chicken Alfredo with white cream sauce . My braised short rib ravioli with meat sauce was delicious. I had a topping of sprinkled cheese on top to add more flavor . It's not a large meal , but a simple size meal to not hold your belly down for the night. I've been here in the past on several occasion's , meetings, parties and just with friends. The food here is excellent and the service is always professional, like Rogelio, and they make you feel comfortable . Their prices are reasonable and affordable in this built back better era which everything cost 25% more. Their Cioppino is $34 compared to other restaurants that serve the same bowl of soup listed $36 and $60 in the South Bay Area. I was able to feed my family of 3 with a reasonable price of $115 taxes and drinks included. Anywhere else would easily be $150-$200 just for a family dinner. I have not had a bed meal yet, but too full to try their dessert. I highly recommend this place and I plan on taking my family back.

Where have I been te last 30 years in SoCal and never ate here? This place is old skool italian. it is a small restaurant that is perfect for a romatic dinner. The interior is italian decor, pictures of celebrities that have visited/eaten there. The lighting is dark. I am not a fan of the dim lighting since it makes it so difficult to read the menu. (Thank God for cell phone flash light!) The food is excellent, especially seafood. I had the linguini pescatore. The calamari and scallops were so good, super fresh too. No rubber tasting calamari and the scallop no toughness or old (sour) taste either. Shimp was big, plump and meaty, the clams and mussels are real good. Pasta was cooked al dente and the sauce was rich and not heavy. The house bread of focaccia was amazing. For 30+ years I have not found a place in SoCal that has ever had focaccia bread that tasted as good as North Beach San Francisco's Liguria Bakery. Cantalini's focaccia is right up there w/Liguria's. Fresh, soft, fluffy, not dry at all and full of flavors! We asked for the basket to be refilled a few times and our server happily provided more. We had the burrata with tomatoes and balsamic glaze. The rest of my party (8 of us) had chicken piccata (rich delicious sauce), shrimp w/spaghetti (very rich as well, enjoyed by my friend), 3 of us had the linguini pescatore, scallop and linguine, ravioli w/marinara were all enjoyed by individuals in my party. One person ordered baked ziti. Loved it from what I tasted but she wasn't too happy because she said it was too much sauce. We all thought it was not bad and the extra sauce means make more pasta and add to it and you get another meal out of it! She's not the person reviewing this restaurant. My party agrees that we all would've made more pasta the next day to make another meal out of it. Person taking our order sorta rushed us to try and take our order immediately but we still had a person that hadn't arrived yet. It took a iittle while to get our orders in but nevertheless, our server made up for it by being attentive, giving us more foccacia, gave me a complimentary tiramisu for my birthday and then he got the whole restaurant singing happy birthday to me. I loved that they all sang in unison and sang it well too! I cannot wait to return to Cantalini for authentic italian food. It may have taken 30 years to find a great italian place but i'm glad to have found it now! No pictures unfortunately because it was way too dark to take pictures. Thank you Cantalini!!!

We've been coming here for 10 years and things have really gone down hill recently. The quality is never consistent, you could get a bad meal or a great one. They no longer offer tap water (isn't that illegal?) so you have to pay 6 bucks for acqua panna. The portion sizes have been made smaller, notice this particularly with the salads. They used to even do half sizes for the pasta so you could save a buck and they stopped doing that too! We're devastated, we used to love this place, and always looked forward to coming.

I am so very excited to write this review. Such a cute quinte restaurant. We were in for dinner a couple of weeks ago and had the most wonderful experience from the delicious Bruschetta to Scampi Diavolo to Spumoni Ice Cream! What a wonderful way to spend an evening with Rogelio, Nick, and the rest of the Cantalini's team who are always kind and gracious. Thank you for a great evening!

We try this restaurant every year because it's in such a great location, but each time it has unfortunately disappointed. Great staff and ambiance, but the food just misses

Amazing garlic bread!! Make sure you get it! My pasta was alright - nothing special. Loved the atmosphere and location. Great bars around the corner. I'll be back!

Went on a Tuesday and there were only about 6 tables filled. (parking behind the restaurant is much easier mid-week. As a matter of fact, I often avoid this place on the weekends because of the parking.) The restaurant is small and cozy. We ordered calamari to start, and it was light, crispy and delicious. Comes with a marinara sauce that I spiced up with chili flakes. Elena had the penne vodka and I had the eggplant parm plate. It came with a penne marinara. The eggplant was breaded (of course), but it was light and the cheese and sauce were very tasty. It was such a big serving that I took half of it ToGo and had it the next day for lunch. My dish was excellent--great Italian comfort food, and Elena said hers was yummy as well. She also wants to come back and try the different sauces. We didn't have room for dessert but the waiter told me they make their cannolis and tiramisu there at the restaurant so I will have to try those. I'm a sucker for homemade cannolis. We ordered the spaghetti and meatballs ToGo for Kieran. It was a good solid and tasty meal. We will be back again and again.

Very friendly waitstaff. Delicious homemade ravioli and to my surprise they had homemade GF ravioli that was excellent. We also split a tasty berry salad with and yummy orange dressing. Walkable to beach too. We sat inside but there was nice seating outside as well

I almost don't want to tell you how great Cantalini's is. I don't want them to become crowded. Every dish is superb. Wine selection is excellent.

This little place knows how to do great Italian. Our first visit while visiting our son in February. We will return. There menu is extensive & everything that came by our table looked delicious. It was hard for all three of us to decide on what to order. We all made the perfect decisions after talking to our waiter who was Italian & looked after our table great. The sauces were all homemade & out of this world. We tried to find parking in the area a few nights before. But not many parking places available. They sit in a small V shaped area in the block. We were staying in our Coach at Dockweiler RV Park in Playa del Rey so a few nights later we took Uber so we didn't have to worry about finding parking.

Nope. Server was terrible. Can't do this again, worst service ever. Going to Caffe Pinguini instead when I want Italian food. Bummer because I used to love this place.

Best Italian on the westside. We love coming here. Food is full of flavour and portions are generous. Service is also always good and kind. I also appreciate that they allow for modifications on pasta types. My favourite is the eggplant parmigiana with the bruschetta. This is a hidden gem.

Oh Yeah beautiful linen napkins real food and real people great atmosphere got to try it

My son wanted to go here for his college grad dinner, we had never been here before. We all LOVED this place . The ambiance was wonderful, very old world Italian. The staff and our waiter were absolutely amazing! So friendly, jovial and fast, they made us feel so welcome and made our experience exceptional. The food was delicious!! Generous portions, everything was yummy, not stingy with the wine pours either! Come try this place if you like Italian or just good food and atmosphere.

I had the bolognese and meatballs. It was by far the worse I have ever had. The spaghetti are box spaghetti at best. The sauce was extremely salty. And the meatballs tasted awful and flavorless. I know this place has been here a while because I used to live nearby. I ate until I was satisfied since I was starving, but definitely wouldn't do again. This will be a first and a last. At my server was extremely pleasant.

I recently visited Cantalini's Salerno Beach Restaurant. While the service and waiter were excellent, the veal and pasta I ordered were a huge disappointment. The veal was tough and tasteless, and the pasta was overcooked and bland. Considering the high prices, the taste was far from satisfying. We paid $255 with tips, but no one was pleased, and we all left hungry. Even the ambience couldn't make up for the poor quality of the food. I would not recommend this place based on my experience.

Cantalini's Salerno is a hidden gem. We love coming here and celebrating special occasions. Everything that we've ordered off the menu has been exceptionally good. We were there just last week celebrating a birthday and ordered pizza with mushrooms, butternut squash ravioli, baked ziti, chicken Parmesan, shrimp ravioli, and shared a great bottle of Cabernet between the 4 of us. The hostess, who is hilarious btw, seated us right away and we were waited on right away. Old school Italian restaurant with checkered table cloths and beautiful murals on the walls. Highly recommend if you're out that way! You won't be disappointed.

The food was amazing! So wonderful and lots of Italian variety! Service was top notch with a great touch of humor! My nephew just had graduated CSULB and we were celebrating! We couldnt have been to a better place! The charm of an old family italian restaurant! it was wonderful!

I literally cannot believe that I have not reviewed this business before! It has been my go to for almost 20 years (yikes I'm old!). It's a neighborhood gem with unparalleled service and delicious Italian comfort dishes. Lisa, the owner, is an amazing business woman and all around incredible human. Rogelio and Nick have been customizing our dining and catering experiences for years, making sure we have the warmest most welcome experience. My go to is the chicken piccata, which comes with a side of fettuccine Alfredo, and my husband is obsessed with their Cioppino! Other favorites: fettuccine Salerno, penne vodka, shrimp scampi, allll the homemade filled pastas, linguine pescatore, antipasto salad, the veal! You really can't go wrong.

The food is delicious at affordable prices. The restaurant inside is beautiful and cozy. They have live music on Sundays. Very good selection of Italian wines . The staff are amazing . Always happy and accommodating.

A very confused staff and winetasting made for a very unacceptable experience. The wine stewards were rude. The staff at Catalini was rude. We will not be back.

This is a casual playa del rey restaurant with a warm cozy interior and outdoor seating. I ordered a small Caesar salad big enough for two to share. The dressing was good, better than most. My husband and I ordered the scampi Salerno and linguini pescatore for our entrees. My scampi came with a side of linguini and baby clams. The scampi was slightly overcooked but good. It sat on top of a soup like broth which was flavorful and perfect for dunking the bread that came with our meal. The linguini pasta was perfectly al dente. One problem, the "sauce" was the same soupy broth that came with the scampi and there were no baby clams. My husband loved the linguini pescatore which was brimming with shellfish. He brought half of it home and enjoyed it the next day. There was a large party next to us with one obnoxiously loud man. We told the waiter and he immediately told everyone, especially the loud man, to lower their voices. They did. We ordered two tap waters with no problem. I ordered a decaf espresso and a cannoli, my favorite. The shell was hard and stale. The inside was overly sweet and mushy. When the waiter asked how the meal had been I told him about the soupy linguini and stale cannoli. He apologized and immediately took $16 off our check, which we didn't ask. Nice gesture.