marina cafe

the food is wonderful theserviceis great and it has a view to die for, when in destin don't miss marian café. we try to go  several times when we are in town and they also have a wonderful happy hour in the bar

excellent food andservicewith a great view of the harbor. it has a quiet atmosphere which was good for conversation. calamari appetizer was very good. sushi menu has a good variety. we had samari tuna sashimi which was superb. there were four of us dining and each of us chose a different fish entree...all were excellent. we had the brownie with cinnamon ice cream for desert. awesome!

i took my girlfriend to destin with plans to propose. i had called around to several different restaurants and tourist attractions in the area to decide on the perfect location. all of the places i called were dismissive and not very enthusiastic ... in fact one restaurant i called said they wouldn't take pictures during/after the proposal because they thought it was "distracting to other customers". then i came across marina cafe. when i called i told them i wanted to propose at their restaurant and immediately the office manager (i believe her name is judy... i might be wrong) was super excited and began to list off ideas of where in the restaurant would be the perfect place to do it. i did not ask about pictures, but due to her enthusiasm i immediately booked a reservation. in the upcoming week to our trip to destin i spoke to her again and asked if they might be able to take pictures and she said that they would do anything i wanted to do. once we arrived at the restaurant the hostess informed our waiter (freddie) that we had arrived and he personally walked us to our table where the manager (michael) was waiting to greet us. they really pulled out all the stops, even greeting me by name, pulling out my girlfriend's chair for her, and just making us feel like celebrities in general. i had told them that i was going to propose after ordering the entree and as soon as they saw it was happening they made sure to take pictures and a video on their cell phones and afterwards came up and got my number so they could send them to me. apart from helping out with the proposal, theservicewas phenomenal. freddie (our waiter) was incredibly friendly and attentive. the food was excellent (best steak i have ever had!!!!) and my fiancee's swordfish was to die for. after the meal they brought us complimentary ice cream (which was also delicious) with a decorated plate that said "congratulations"! apart from theserviceand the food, the view is beautiful - looking out at the boats in the marina. we were both just blown away by the whole experience and they helped create a night we will never forget for as long as we both live. this is a restaurant that we will visit every time we come back to destin (which we will, because we have family that owns a condo in the area). whether or not you have a special occasion, you definitely need to try out marina cafe!!! it is our new favorite restaurant.

missed the mark. we have eaten at marina cafe probably 5 times over the last 15 years on vacation. this visit was more uneven. while the food was good, theserviceand overall experience have dropped a notch or two. after leaving cash for our pre - dinner bar bill, we proceeded to the host station to be seated for or reservation. the bartender found us at the host station to inform us that a trainee had "incorrectly rung our bill at happy hour prices" and handed us a new bar bill for double the original amount. the host visited our table about 5 time during the meal, which was way too much. two in our party had the grouper special , which was billed as a more healthy option. it was a 4-5oz piece with few vegetables as a garnish for $31. the menu and decor seem the same as 15 years ago, and the prices are too high for the creativity and meal you get. it's a nice setting, especially around sunset. they need some updates, and need to focus on getting things right, not so much on maximizing your bill and bugging you during your meal

happy hour spot. i love the happy hour here. they did make some changes for hh but not enough to stop coming. overall very good, best view and good price. thurs night ladies night. wine under two bucks!servicecan be slow in bar during hh but so are most places. see you next time marina !

don't go to happy hour at the bar on fridays. i have eaten in the restaurant and the food was excellent. i have also eaten the bar food, which is also excellent, but any time i have gone on fridays i am always disappointed with theserviceat the bar. after my husband and i stood at the bar for 10 minutes with no acknowledgment that we were even there, we found a seat at the bar on the end away from the bartenders (because there were no seats near them). the 2 waiters are way at the other end of the bar and never even look down to the other end. the one time one of them came our way and didn't even look up at anyone, i asked in a loud voice 3 times before they finally looked up and i asked if he would take our order. another time i went around to the other side and asked if they'd take our order, and he said he would come over there, but he never came over. another time he took my drink order but never came back with the drink. also, the prices are sky high after happy hour; my hubby ordered a double beam and coke and was charged $18.50 for it. many people got up and left because no one would wait on them. the one guy that was paying attention (the one who was bringing out the food), was the only one sympathetic to anyone there. why are there only 2 waiters during happy hour??? it's the same story every friday (i've been several times - don't know why i went back). never again!

keeps getting better. our third visit in three years was another pleasant and fulfilling dining experience. this was our first time with andy as our server and he along with the marina cafe staff are true professionals! theserviceyou will receive will exceed your expectations, and rivals that of the finest five star restaurants we've visited in nashville and louisville. my wife and i love the sushi here, and we usually start with two rolls off the extensive sushi menu as an appetizer. the appetizers all look delicious, but we were hooked by the sushi on our first visit. my wife likes the metro martini, cherry cosmo, and she also had the zombie martini as well. the zombie martini has both light rum and 151 along with some other liqueurs if my memory serves me correct- quite strong but still pleased my palate. our friends had a mango mojito and a harbor view- all which had many accolades and praise. i decided to try the shrimp linguine- the spicy tomato sauce with capers, gulf shrimp, and kalamato olives was a no-brainer. my wife got my usual stapel dish- andouille crusted redfish with cayenne butter. our friends ordered the waygu hanger steak with chimichurri sauce, and jumbo creole bbq gulf shrimp with southern grits. our food took a bit to arrive and i know that good food takes time, but our server andy kept us stocked in the delicious bread and drinks. the entrees were all incredible! everyone but my wife tried an entree they had never had before and all were excellent. after dinner i had no room left for dessert but my wife ordered the vanilla creme brulee. she offered me the macadami laced cookie with it and i began to wonder why this delicious item isn't in the menu by itself. our friends both got the rum raisin bread pudding souffle. either one was a winner in my book. if you are in this area make sure you visit marina cafe. the portions are great, the atmosphere is top notch, servers here set the bar, drinks are great and original, and the price is "right on" with the area. if you go to the nearby "jimmy buffet" fried seafood paper cup cocktail joints you will ultimately spend close to the same amount as you would here. who knew one could find such a bargain in a state that helped re-elect obama!

this place is expensive, so we usually stick to ordering sushi at the bar. they have a great happy hour (half off drinks and sushi on weekdays) but last time i was there, i was disappointed to see they restricted which sushi was included in happy hour. overall, the food is good, although theservicecould be better!

great food. first time at marina cafe. it had a beautiful view of the harbor and the food andservicewas excellent. the crab cake small plate was the best crab cake ever with a remoulade sauce that was a perfect complement. the grouper was light and tasty -some of the best fish i have ever had. the macaroni and cheese was an excellent side and not too heavy.servicewas outstanding and we had a very memorable experience. definitely a go back to place.

excellent in every way!. my beau and i went to marina cafe last night. the decor and view are stunning. the food is beautifully presented and delicious and theservicewas exceptional. i would highly recommend marina cafe for a special night out.

my husband and i went on a saturday night to celebrate my birthday. dining outside overlooking the marina with a full moon and clear skies created a romantic atmosphere.
the staff was attentive and friendly. theservicewas prompt and efficient.
i had a light and delicious drink to start that i had never had before - a fleur de lis. it featured sparking wine and grapefruit juice.
my husband had the crab cakes for an appetizer. they were blue claw crab with a lot of crab meat and a nice sauce. he had the red fish for dinner. the fish was fresh and cooked well with a spicy sauce.
what was disappointing were the non-descript, bland vegetables on the side. my sides were also disappointing. i had to pay $2 extra for fingerling potatoes which had a nice flavor but were overcooked. it's irritating to be nickel and dimed at a restaurant that is already charging high prices.
marina grill pays careful attention to its entrees but drops the ball on the rest of the plate. on that note, we decided not to stay for dessert. if it wasn't fish - we didn't think they would attend to the details.

underwhelming and overpriced. we've eaten at marina café for the last 17 years, and planned a final big event, due to closing on our house. we invited our neighbors, and ordered a
really nice bottle of wine.servicewas slow, the wine didn't exist, so we had another vintage. three of us ordered the yellow edge grouper, with crab. the
plate was totally colorless. overcooked fish - maybe grouper, maybe not -
totally bland white beans as a side, and some nice crab on top. all of this for
$35!!!! my husband had the veal chop - nothing special. we spent a lot of money for a very disappointing meal. this is a beautiful restaurant - just not
making the effort. it used to be great, but not lately.

great food, great view, good service.. decided to give this place a try based on the good reviews. went in for there 2 for one entree special between 5 and 6pm, and what a deal this is. the food was very good, theservicewas good and the price was unbeatable. this was our first visit, but it will not be our last. if you are in the area, make your reservations, as it fills up quickly for the 2 for 1 special. any time that you can get a great meal, with a great view, and goodserviceall for less than $50 including tip, i'll take it every time. the grouper and the swordfish were both excellent. i can't wait till we get back down to destin so we can eat here again.

one of our favorites in destin. love the variety on the menu, theserviceis wonderful, and the cocoanut cream pie is the best dessert!

awesome food! everything that was brought to our table was cooked to perfection. the view was fabulous and itservicewas impeccable! this is must if you are visiting the destin area.