Food was wonderful! I just wished we could have been seated in the front dining room where the live music was. I booked this birthday dinner for my husband based on the advertisement of live music. Also, even though they asked if we were celebrating anything special, they didn't do anything for his birthday. I suppose I thought there would at least be a small slice of some kind of dessert. I mean, why ask if you're not going to do anything. Also, the parking situation is not good. They don't have their own dedicated lot nor was there any signage directing us to use a neighboring lot. We parked on busy Hawthorne Blvd and then had to walk in dirt to get to the restaurant.
Ro
We have been to this restaurant several times. It was my daughter's 11th birthday and she wanted Italian. I booked for 10 people (7 adults & 3 kids, ages 9-13). Positives: We love the ambiance & liveliness. The hosts are always welcoming. They gave us a great booth which was perfect for our party. Negatives: Service was extremely slow this time. Server was not attentive to our party at all. Didnt know anything about the wines, his recommendation for food was the "market price" item, didnt really help much of the table when inquiring about options. After spending nearly $900 on dinner, they charged my daughter an additional $10 for her birthday dessert. I mean, come on. 20% automatic tip added to the bill which wouldve be fine if the service matched but it absolutely did not. The food is always good, not great.
jay
This is one of our favorite dine out spots. Great food and a great place. However, the waiter service was not so friendly. He only came once just to see the wine. Very rushed and hopefully be much more friendly next time Regardless wife and I are going back and highly recommended
Ellen
All servers were professional and enhanced the dining experience. Pacing of food service and food were well done. The music was a significant problem. The two entertainers and choice of music were good but the volume was totally overwhelming!! Dining should be a social experience, not a concert. The music should add to the background ambience.
Liz G
Eggplant started: mozzarella cheese had a mildew taste. Caesar salad the lettuce was a bit limp. Risotto was al dente not creamy. Salmon was not fresh and moist. The panna cotta dessert was very nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
Eric Naples
I was in town for an event in Long Beach recently and the group I was traveling with , along with myself, ate dinner at Primo for 3 out of the 4 nights of our trip. The pasta was the best I’ve never had, the pizza was amazing and the desert was out of this world. To match the experience we had with the food, the atmosphere was noteworthy too. Great live music, friendly and helpful staff, and a fantastic private dining area that truly makes you feel as if you’re a guest at a good friends house.The owner was extremely personable and was very involved in customer satisfaction. I will NOT be looking any further than Primo for a quality dining experience the next time I’m in town.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese, Panna Cotta
Mary Cilva
We went to Primo for the first time to celebrate our anniversary. I had heard from friends how good the food is and how lovely the atmosphere is inside and out. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening. I had the salmon and my husband had the filet. Both were delicious. Our server was top notch. We will definitely return to try some of the other items on the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Parker Monroe
Classic Italian food with a nice classy ambiance. They have a very traditional cooking style.
Vegetarian options: They have a few classic Italian dishes without meat that wouldn’t traditionally have meat.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Capricciosa Pizza
Robert Dixon
One of South Bays Best. Traditional, not trendy. Classic Italian done right and a great bar and atmosphere that Dean, Sinatra and Sammy would frequent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Parmigiana, Primo Lasagna, Lamb Shank, Ossobuco Di Agnello
Robin
We always sit in the back room for a quiet evening... the music is great in the main room but it's too loud for us. Great to have the option. The artichoke appetizer is fabulous... it's not a salad it's three artichoke hearts w stems in a great marinade ... we all loved it.. The pork chop is more than outstanding!! Beyond flavorful, moist and a fabulous huge portion!!! All of the pastas were delicious. We had both cannoli and three svooos of sorbet for dessert. A great dinner for four.. we all loved it. The waiter was both knowledgeable, friendly and accessible. Thank you for a great evening, Robin
The food at Primo Italia is always flavorful and excellent. Wife and I had Siciliana salad (salad could have been a bit more seasoned), Strozzapreti, and Orecchiette. The prices for these entrees are probably priced accordingly, however, the 2 oz. of Pinot Noir ($17) and the Pear Martini ($14) are over-priced. The largest problem is, if you are seated in the front dining area and the live music is playing, it is impossible to have a conversation with your table mates without shouting. The volume for the piano and voice microphones need to be turned down. Ask to be seated well away from the front area if you want to have a nice conversation while dining. Overall, because of the sound level and ambiance of sitting in the front dining room, just a fair experience.
Jordan Lyle
Excellent!! Anytime someone asks for a restaurant recommendation Primo Italia is always at the top of the list. The food is delicious, the service is next level, and the atmosphere is truly special. This is my family's go-to spot for a great evening!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Justin
Restaurant was great. Food was very good. Calamari was ok but not excellent. The fried Burrata was delicious. The dishes we had had great flavor and portion. It was noisy but the piano player did well. Definitely going back again.
Katrina
We went to Primo to celebrate my daughter's birthday & we had a wonderful time. The food, service, & ambiance were perfect! Our food was cooked perfectly & our waiter was a true professional! We look forward to returning in the near future.
Food was wonderful! I just wished we could have been seated in the front dining room where the live music was. I booked this birthday dinner for my husband based on the advertisement of live music. Also, even though they asked if we were celebrating anything special, they didn't do anything for his birthday. I suppose I thought there would at least be a small slice of some kind of dessert. I mean, why ask if you're not going to do anything. Also, the parking situation is not good. They don't have their own dedicated lot nor was there any signage directing us to use a neighboring lot. We parked on busy Hawthorne Blvd and then had to walk in dirt to get to the restaurant.
We have been to this restaurant several times. It was my daughter's 11th birthday and she wanted Italian. I booked for 10 people (7 adults & 3 kids, ages 9-13). Positives: We love the ambiance & liveliness. The hosts are always welcoming. They gave us a great booth which was perfect for our party. Negatives: Service was extremely slow this time. Server was not attentive to our party at all. Didnt know anything about the wines, his recommendation for food was the "market price" item, didnt really help much of the table when inquiring about options. After spending nearly $900 on dinner, they charged my daughter an additional $10 for her birthday dessert. I mean, come on. 20% automatic tip added to the bill which wouldve be fine if the service matched but it absolutely did not. The food is always good, not great.
This is one of our favorite dine out spots. Great food and a great place. However, the waiter service was not so friendly. He only came once just to see the wine. Very rushed and hopefully be much more friendly next time Regardless wife and I are going back and highly recommended
All servers were professional and enhanced the dining experience. Pacing of food service and food were well done. The music was a significant problem. The two entertainers and choice of music were good but the volume was totally overwhelming!! Dining should be a social experience, not a concert. The music should add to the background ambience.
Eggplant started: mozzarella cheese had a mildew taste. Caesar salad the lettuce was a bit limp. Risotto was al dente not creamy. Salmon was not fresh and moist. The panna cotta dessert was very nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
I was in town for an event in Long Beach recently and the group I was traveling with , along with myself, ate dinner at Primo for 3 out of the 4 nights of our trip. The pasta was the best I’ve never had, the pizza was amazing and the desert was out of this world. To match the experience we had with the food, the atmosphere was noteworthy too. Great live music, friendly and helpful staff, and a fantastic private dining area that truly makes you feel as if you’re a guest at a good friends house.The owner was extremely personable and was very involved in customer satisfaction. I will NOT be looking any further than Primo for a quality dining experience the next time I’m in town.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese, Panna Cotta
We went to Primo for the first time to celebrate our anniversary. I had heard from friends how good the food is and how lovely the atmosphere is inside and out. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening. I had the salmon and my husband had the filet. Both were delicious. Our server was top notch. We will definitely return to try some of the other items on the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Classic Italian food with a nice classy ambiance. They have a very traditional cooking style.
Vegetarian options: They have a few classic Italian dishes without meat that wouldn’t traditionally have meat.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Capricciosa Pizza
One of South Bays Best. Traditional, not trendy. Classic Italian done right and a great bar and atmosphere that Dean, Sinatra and Sammy would frequent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Parmigiana, Primo Lasagna, Lamb Shank, Ossobuco Di Agnello
We always sit in the back room for a quiet evening... the music is great in the main room but it's too loud for us. Great to have the option. The artichoke appetizer is fabulous... it's not a salad it's three artichoke hearts w stems in a great marinade ... we all loved it.. The pork chop is more than outstanding!! Beyond flavorful, moist and a fabulous huge portion!!! All of the pastas were delicious. We had both cannoli and three svooos of sorbet for dessert. A great dinner for four.. we all loved it. The waiter was both knowledgeable, friendly and accessible. Thank you for a great evening, Robin
Restaurantji Recommends
The food at Primo Italia is always flavorful and excellent. Wife and I had Siciliana salad (salad could have been a bit more seasoned), Strozzapreti, and Orecchiette. The prices for these entrees are probably priced accordingly, however, the 2 oz. of Pinot Noir ($17) and the Pear Martini ($14) are over-priced. The largest problem is, if you are seated in the front dining area and the live music is playing, it is impossible to have a conversation with your table mates without shouting. The volume for the piano and voice microphones need to be turned down. Ask to be seated well away from the front area if you want to have a nice conversation while dining. Overall, because of the sound level and ambiance of sitting in the front dining room, just a fair experience.
Excellent!! Anytime someone asks for a restaurant recommendation Primo Italia is always at the top of the list. The food is delicious, the service is next level, and the atmosphere is truly special. This is my family's go-to spot for a great evening!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurant was great. Food was very good. Calamari was ok but not excellent. The fried Burrata was delicious. The dishes we had had great flavor and portion. It was noisy but the piano player did well. Definitely going back again.
We went to Primo to celebrate my daughter's birthday & we had a wonderful time. The food, service, & ambiance were perfect! Our food was cooked perfectly & our waiter was a true professional! We look forward to returning in the near future.
Had fun with our friends in a quiet side room
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
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