Polina Salerno Italian Rstrnt

Every place has its off nights or so-so menu items. Sadly, Polina Solerno's food is not usually worthy of its quaint, east-coast, momma does all the cooking atmosphere. After three visits served up of mostly mediocre food, the great feel of the place is no longer enough to get us through the front door anytime soon. The one bright spot is the bruschetta. It is served on thick, doughy bread which is unconventional but surprisingly good. Be it Spaghetti ($13), Chicken Piccata ($19), or anything else sampled so far, the quality of the food has been, at best, only 'acceptable'. Seriously, the consensus at our table has been that the tomato sauce is most probably canned or out of a jar (a la Ragu). Not bad for take-out or a lean cuisine frozen entree, but including a glass of wine and an appetizer, we usually spend $35-$40 per person there. For that price point, Romeo Cucina around the corner or Ti Amo in South Laguna would be a better choice for superior Italian food. Very sorry to say this because the inside atmosphere is absolutely wonderful. And though other reviews on this page seem to have been sterling, our experience has consistently been as described above. more

This is gem that the locals have known about for some 25 years. Really a fun place to go with a great wine list, excellent food and caring service. The linguini in clam sauce was written up in Sunset Magazine as being the best in Southern California. Really, everything I have eaten there has been great... Pros: Excellent home style Italian cooking Cons: Wish it was open for lunch more

Exceptional service, great food! Order the Chicken Parmigiana or Eggplant Parmigiana. Both are fantastic. Also the fried Mozzarella is amazing. Friendly servers, very intimate atmosphere. It's like you're eating at your Aunt Polina's house. Our favorite of all Laguna restaurants. Walk to the beach afterward! Pros: Great location near the beach and great Italian food! Cons: Better go there hungry..big portions! more

Liked the atmosphere, unpretentious and relaxed. The food is top notch. I have had the linguini in white clam sauce, the veal piccata and the chicken parmigiana...all were excellent. If you are visiting Laguna beach for their art fairs or Pagaent of the Masters, make sure to stop by for dinner. Pros: Food, service and vibe more

I've been here a few times at the request of my father who has an affinity for the place. The service could stand to improve a bit. One time I was staying in Laguna by myself for the weekend and came in with a good book and chilled out with a plate of chicken penne arribiata and a bottle of beer. It was relaxing but I was not waited on very well. The food is decent but not much different from chain-restaurant Italian. The prices are somewhat reasonable if not a tad overpriced for the quality. Pros: warm atmosphere Cons: so-so food, service, and prices more