Marino

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Family Story Rooted in Hollywood

When Ciro Marino — known to friends as Mario — arrived in Hollywood in the late 1950s, he brought with him the soul of New York Italian cooking and the instinct to make everyone feel at home. Decades later, generations of film, music, art, and business figures have gathered at his tables on Melrose Avenue. Today, the restaurant remains entirely family-owned, with the second generation carrying the name forward: Mario runs the dining room, and his brother Sal commands the kitchen.

That continuity is part of what earned Marino Ristorante recognition from Gambero Rosso, Italy's most authoritative food guide — a distinction that places this Hollywood address in rare company among Italian restaurants in Los Angeles.

The Kitchen and the Garden

Sal's cooking is grounded in a seasonal Italian philosophy: daily market shopping, locally sourced produce, and the freshest seafood available. The menu changes with what's good, not what's convenient. Herbs and basil come from the restaurant's own garden — you'll find them in the Caprese alongside imported mozzarella di bufala, and tucked inside ricotta-filled zucchini blossoms.

Pasta is made in-house across most of the menu. The Lasagna Verde carries particular weight: it's described as "Dad's signature 60-year recipe" — spinach pasta layered with Bolognese and béchamel, a dish that connects the present kitchen directly to the founding generation. The Cassonetti, celery root-filled ravioli finished with shaved fresh black truffle, shows how far the cooking has traveled since then. Seafood runs through the menu with intention — Maine lobster in a spicy tomato sauce over linguine, wild Alaskan salmon with celery root and pistachios, whole Mediterranean branzino baked in salt.

The Room and the Experience

The décor is modern and comfortable, with memorabilia accumulated over six decades of Hollywood life lining the walls. The atmosphere has been described as marrying the quintessential New York Italian sensibility with the ingredient-driven sensibilities of Los Angeles — a combination that feels specific rather than generic.

The seasonal menu extends to a Market Tasting Menu for those who want the full arc of the kitchen's current thinking, and the bar program offers thoughtful signature cocktails — a Guava Negroni, a smoky Agave Amore with rosemary-infused mezcal — alongside premium spirit flights.

As Mario and Sal put it themselves: "Classics never fade or die." At Marino Ristorante, that conviction shows up in every plate.