Love & Salt

Celebrated my birthday dinner with my bf, our moms, and his sister. I live up north, Bay Area, so wanted a local-ish spot where I could bring the family together. First off, let's talk about so the service: the host was SUPER kind and sat us at a table that was more accessible for the older ladies. The ambience is lively so please don't come and expect a quiet meal. Our server was VERY attentive and took care of us throughout our meal. We brought a bottle of wine, the corkage fee is super reasonable, and then ordered a bottle for the table before the meals arrived. I ordered the pork chop and it came with potatoes (the potatoes tasted like the ones my dad would make me as a kid (insert happy tear emoji)). We had such a great time and were well taken care of, which is hard to experience in this hustle and bustle era. Every single staff member was genuinely kind and I will recommend Love & Salt to my friends.

Cute place but incredibly loud. The food is ok, a bit expensive for what you actually get it. The service was excellent. Great location near the Strand.

Interesting experience. Put 6 adults at a 4 top. Service was very slow. Food was good but some entrees received before some apps and items forgotten. Included 20% gratuity but didn’t tell anyone.

Champagne was perfectly icey cold and bubbly. Fennel salad was excellent and unique. Chopped salad was good. Pizza was great. But oh my.. don't forget dessert. The butter cake was FABULOUS.

Wonderful! We requested a quiet table and they accommodated our request. Loved the lasagna!

Three friends and I went for dinner on a Saturday afternoon. Quite frankly, the food was very disappointing. This may be more of a pizza-focused spot, but we wanted to try something different. Unfortunately, none of our choices delivered.

One friend ordered the salmon ($50), I chose the free-range chicken, and the third went with the lasagna. All three dishes fell short. My chicken was served over two pieces of soggy bread, soaked in chicken juices, with a couple of greens on the side. It felt more like a soup with chicken tossed on top than a thoughtfully prepared entrée.

The lasagna was barely touched—two bites in, my friend pushed it aside, saying the overpowering flavor made it inedible. The salmon came simply plated over vegetables, and when my friend asked for a spicy sauce to add flavor, they brought a tiny cup—then charged extra for it.

We all left feeling the same: it just wasn’t worth the price. I had originally wanted a salad with protein, but the menu didn’t offer that—only a salad with salami, which didn’t appeal.

The restaurant may want to revisit its menu and consider how to elevate dishes beyond the basics. Most diners around us were ordering pizza, so perhaps that’s the focus here. On the positive side, the staff was lovely and very polite. The tables are small and tightly packed, so expect a busy, trendy, and loud atmosphere. That’s fine for some, just not ideal for everyone.

**The location is fantastic—right in the heart of downtown Manhattan Beach. But unfortunately, I won’t be returning.**

I have been a loyal fan of Love and Salt over the years but this last visit left me not wanting to come back. From the minute we walked in it was so incredibly loud that I almost decided to leave and go elsewhere. It was just my daughter and I, (my son and husband were out of town). I had mentioned in the notes this was my Mother's Day dinner. Unfortunately we were sat at a table that was higher with incredibly uncomfortable chairs. Our server was nice and welcoming took our drink order and appetizer order. The appetizer arrived before our drinks but whatever. Not a huge deal. I ordered the pork chop and it was very good. My daughter ordered the bolognese pasta and didn't care for it. I was just disappointed that I was having a special Mother's Day dinner with my daughter and we could barely talk because it was like we were in a nightclub. It was beyond loud and louder than any other restaurant I've been in. The acoustics in the restaurant make the sound bounce everywhere as there isn't much to absorb the sound. For the price I paid for dinner I hoped to be comfortable and enjoy time with my daughter but unfortunately we couldn't wait to eat and get out of there. Sadly I won't be back.

Food was delicious. Chef helped us pick a delicious pasta and our waitress helped us picked the right wine to drink. Both their input help boost our experience. Will be going back

I didn’t choose this restaurant myself—a friend picked it because she’s pescatarian and the menu suited her dietary preferences. While I can appreciate that, I personally found the options a bit disappointing. I ended up ordering a salad, which unfortunately couldn’t be customized with any protein, and a small plate of olives.

That said, others at the table seemed to enjoy their dishes more, so it might just come down to personal taste. I will give credit where it’s due: the drinks were immaculate—definitely a highlight of the evening. The dessert, on the other hand, was just okay.

Overall, it wasn’t quite the experience I was hoping for, and I wouldn’t choose to return. However, if you take a look at the menu and it excites you, this could very well be a great spot for your palate. Just not mine.

I arrived with my daughter at 6 PM on Sunday. The restaurant was about 50% occupied. The host asked if we had a reservation. I said no, and he told us we couldn’t sit at a regular table—we had to sit at the bar or the chef’s table. I pointed out that there were plenty of empty tables and explained that we just wanted a quick meal. He still said no. When we left, the restaurant was about 60% full. I don’t understand why they felt the need to lie to a customer.

My daughter ordered a mushroom pizza, and I ordered a small chopped salad. Unfortunately, the food was terrible. The pizza was soggy—we had asked for it extra crispy, but it came out extra soft and soggy instead. The salad was overwhelmingly vinegary and too spicy.

I also had a glass of Pinot Noir, which was okay, but overpriced. For just a small chopped salad, a glass of wine, and a pizza, the total was $93. Definitely not worth it. I have no desire to return.

Restaurants like Madeo, Cecconi’s, Novikov, or Avra might be on the pricier side, but they deliver quality—and they’re honest about their reservations. If they’re fully booked, they say so. No games.

Amazing Spring menu additions -striped bass and Delta Asparagus pizza. The yellowfin tuna crudo and burrata di Puglia bright and fresh. The Lasagna Arrotolato has the most delicious bolognese sauce. I could eat here every night!

Came here again and really love this place. Consistently good. Meatballs are great, burrata dish is tasty and fresh. The lasagne is great to share. Drinks are amazing. Will be coming back again.

Our reservation was delayed because of people still seated. The host was very good at communicating

Food and service are consistently perfect. This is my favorite restaurant in Manhattan Beach. Try the chicken. It is exceptional.

We love this restaurant and enjoy manager Mark when we see him (congrats on the baby!). We typically sit at the bar but had a table last night. Our servers were nice, one was training. Whether due to the bar or just training, it took us 20 min after sitting down to get our first drink and place our initial order. Not a big deal. Our reservation was at 6:00. We had two glasses of wine each , some food items, and then dessert. At the conclusion of dessert at 7:15, the check was dropped without asking if we wanted anything else. Then the manager came over at around 7:20, no later than that, and asked if he could take our wine glasses. I said “well I think we'd like to order another glass of wine if that's ok.” He seemed annoyed and said we have another reservation for this table at 7:30 but I'll let your servers know. (The server did return and told us we couldnt in fact order another glass of wine but could go to the bar.) So for our night out and reservation we had essentially a one-hour period to enjoy ourselves before being pressured out by the manager. Really unfortunate. We left a big tip for the servers because they were friendly and it's not their fault they were being pressured. But dang, poor people skills by the manager and way to make some regulars feel unwelcome. We left without spending any more money and not sure we'll actually return, which is unfortunate since we really like this restaurant, Mark, the bartenders, servers, food runners. If this is the only restaurant I've heard of that places 1 hr 20 min window for a reservation, no problem, just tell us and we'll reserve elsewhere. But springing that on us at the end and having us feel unwelcome, pretty passive-aggressive and poor customer service.