There ’s something distinctly pleasing about gazing over the water while you eat. Marina del Rey is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in Los Angeles, and Café Del Rey offers haute cuisine and a killer view. The décor is understated but elegant with a few colorful touches like their brilliant orange water glasses and orchids on each table. It doesn’t need to be flashy or garish - the guests will all be staring out the windows - that is until the food arrives.
While there are heavy Asian influences, the cuisine plays with a variety of innovative flavors. Your meal starts with a fresh platter of artesian bread in several varieties. The starters are inventive and well thought out (prostitute and brie pizza is a standout) and the main courses are divine. Of course, with the ocean just feet away, seafood is a natural choice (and the black spaghetti with shrimp, scallops and calamari is superb) but they also present interesting twists on chicken (honey and Chinese five spices) and burgers (made with Kobe beef). By far the most interesting and refreshing desert I’ve encountered yet, the lychee mouse bombe is complimented by the fresh tastes of raspberries and rich pistachio cake.
Sometimes restaurants will know a good thing when they see it - a fantastic view - and rest on their laurels. Café Del Rey might have a fantastic setting but their menu more than lives up to the view. Once you pop in a bite of the lychee sorbet your world will shrink to the space of the tip of your tongue. |
