Tucked away on one of downtown’s quieter streets, La Marinara has subtlety down to an art. Warm colours and soft light, potted plants and flickering candles create a soothing, unassuming atmosphere. Music plays low and ambient, setting the tone but never intruding on the conversation. For this reason, La Marinara is best suited for romantic dinners or quiet business lunches. Designed in the style of the French bistro, it specializes in Italian pasta dishes. Primavera, bolognese, alfredo, carbonara, amatriciana: the usual suspects are present in all sorts of savoury permutations.
If you’re looking for veal, there may be no restaurant in the city better suited to your needs. Why not try the breaded veal, or bring crispy and cream together in sonorous harmony with the veal parmigiana. Did we mention the veal with lemon?
La Marinara earns widespread praise for authentic Italian cooking, homemade pasta that many describe as among the best, and a warm, intimate, unpretentious dining room. Reviews highlight friendly, attentive service from a family-run team and a cozy atmosphere that feels welcoming rather than formal. Dishes like gnocchi, fettuccine and veal marsala are repeatedly praised, with tiramisu and Caesar salad noted as standout desserts, while some nights offer generous portions and others feature smaller servings for certain items. Occasional drawbacks include a very salty soup, a carbonara with too much cream cheese, and high wine prices, but these are not universal. Overall, La Marinara is seen as a dependable downtown option that delivers comforting, well-executed Italian flavors and a consistently positive experience that keeps locals and visitors returning.
Quaint little Italian restaurant. Service was prompt & attentive & very friendly. The food was authentic Italian & very good. Dinner for 2 with apps, a bottle of wine, entrees & dessert was $258 pre tip. So not expensive but not killer either. Highly recommended.
We are tourists & were in the area & this restaurant was rated pretty high. I really don't understand it. The soup was very salty. The bolognese lacked flavour & depth. The fettuccine was over priced. $15 for a glass of wine when the bottle cost $10 was atrocious. Really disappointed in this meal considering the prices & trying to steer anyone that stumbled upon this restaurant to choose an authentic Italian resto instead.
Typical traditional Italian restaurant with high quality products, run by long time owners that used to be at Piedmontais. La Marinara is one of the best price quality option in Montreal. We had scallops as appetizers that were amazing. Then we had veal with pasta that were tasty & tender. Great for lunch & dinner. The owner recommended a 60$ bottle that was very good.
Feb 9, 2024
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The service at La Marinara was first rate. It's a small restaurant & we arived when it was packed with pre-hockey game diners so it was quite noisy. But once a few people left, it was more comfortable to talk. We found the food quite good. A couple of points, though: the tomoato & bocconcini appetizer was really tiny. There were only 4 or 5 thin slices of tomato, each topped with a small piece of cheese. This was not what we were expecting for the price. The minestrone soup was good but much too salty. The main courses we ordered: stuffed tortellini & nerone sauce topped fish were very good. The litre of house wine was excellent. It's a very authentic feeling Italian restaurant.
Dec 8, 2023
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Great Italian food, the vongole is the best I've ever had. Service is quick & attentive; the bistro-cafe genuinely leaves one with a true European dining experience.
