La Marina — Restaurant in England

Food and presentation were very good but the ambiance to make this a special place was missing! I dined here with my wife on a very warm summer evening and we made a reservation the previous day. On arrival we were given a choice of tables but chose a small table with a stunning view, realising that it was not actually large enough for drinks I approached a waiter to ask if I could move to a larger table and was given the 3rd degree and told food would be very slow coming (which in fact was not the case). Our choices for starter and main did not disappoint although the duck meat in my pasta was obviously reheated and as any chef knows, reheating duck can make the meat tough and dry. Our reservation was for 8pm and by 9:30 the staff were folding up tables and sun shades and storing them which did not give much of a feeling of being welcome. When the bill came it included an arbitrary added service charge which was paid grudgingly as the waiter we had for most of the evening did not once crack a smile and did his duty efficiently but without an ounce of charisma. On leaving I was asked by another waiter if we would return but could only mention the lack of cheer in his colleague and the excuse of long hours of work was offered. From my own experience that is standard practice in this industry and if you can't find pleasure in offering hospitality you should find another...

Every time we come back there we expect more of the same, however we never get more of the same, we just keep getting better and better!

We were served this time by the delightful Lowri which we like because she always has time for us and always has a smile on her face.

We have been as a couple, we have dined there with family, we have been there with friends and every time we leave with a smile on our faces and a feeling of money and time well spent.

We know we can be a tough crowd, we have been lucky enough to go to a lot of places and see a lot of the world. This often means that we expect more than sometimes perhaps we should.

None of that matters in a place like La Marina where the food is always great the wine is always just right for the food and the service comes from the likes of Lowri.

Lowri who is a long standing member of the team with the owner and manager always look after us so well. They fitted us in and even rang us to suggest moving our table inside when the weather report changed at short notice so that we didn't miss out.

When restaurants and staff go the extra mile like that, they are worth going the extra mile to. If you are in Portishead be it as a resident or a fleeting visit, make the time and don't miss out on a fantastic dining experience and smile with them as they always give service...

We went to dinner this week at La Marina as I'd read great reviews. My meal itself was delicious but the service from the young waiter really let it down for us. We were made to feel like everything was too much trouble. I had ordered a latte and quickly asked if it hadn't been made, if I could swap it to an espresso, at which point they brought over a latte glass with a small espresso in the bottom. A few minutes later they brought my partner an espresso in the appropriate cup. I just felt embarrassed like they were making a point that I'd changed my mind. I wouldn't have thought it would be too much trouble to tip it into into a proper cup. When we were waiting for the bill he ignored us a few times when my partner had tried to signal to him and walked around us to the point that I had to be quite direct to ask for the bill - it was about 20 minutes of us sitting there with no drinks or anything and at their price point I would expect better. It was disappointing as the food itself we would have...