Baleenkitchen - Redondo Beach

Made reservations two weeks ahead, I got a confirmation phone call from the restaurant a couple of days before, yet on the day of, I got a phone call from the restaurant stating that they were booked and they had to seat us at the lounge. Needless to say I was extremely upset, it was my good friends Bday and wanted to make it special for her, but it started pretty bad. I told the girl that she need it to figure it out, I make reservation at the restaurant and not at the lounge. She call me back and stated that unfortunately she had no room at the restaurant for us. When we got there, she told me the same thing and when I asked her why this was happening when the reservation was make days in advance she said because the reservations was done through open table. I asked to speak with the manager, he managed to get a couple of tables together for us and after 30 minutes of waiting, we had a table at the restaurant. The weir thing was that as we started moving toward our table, most tables in the restaurant were clearing up??? This was so confusing for me and my friends. Michael the manager took good care of us, but I will never go back there again.

They have the best cioppino ever and enough for two.

We dined at this restaurant for dinner on July 4th. The entire staff appeared to be overwhelmed and lacking managerial supervision. Despite having a baby and a stroller, we were initially seated at the wrong table and asked to move by the hostess. Our waiter also forgot to bring our appetizers and drinks. While we appreciated the gesture of items being removed from our bill, the restaurant needs to improve their organization, especially during busy holidays.

Y husband and I dined at the restaurant at Portofino last night and had a wonderful experience. The ambiance was cozy and intimate, and the service was excellent. We enjoyed delicious seafood pasta and a bottle of red wine. We will definitely be returning soon!

We recently celebrated another birthday at this restaurant and enjoyed the complimentary surf and turf meal, which was both a great deal and delicious. We also loved the blistered shishito peppers, my husband's favorite green vegetable. I personally enjoyed the brussel sprouts and the cioppino was a hit. Some other favorites of ours include the wild mushroom flatbread and the miso glazed salmon. We have always been satisfied with everything we have ordered here. The service is top-notch and the atmosphere by the ocean/marina is very calming. Make sure to make a reservation to take advantage of the free valet parking.