Midlina Restaurant — Restaurant in Baltimore

Would love to be able to give Midlina a review, however regardless of an 8pm reservation, and us waiting at the bar for 45 minutes, we were never sat. We were told we were “welcome to sit at the bar until our table was ready”. Okay, no problem. A little odd that reservations are even an option if there is no intent on having a table ready at that time, but things happen (I’ve worked as a server and bartender and like to thing I’m a benefit of the doubt kind of person when it comes to crowded nights at a restaurant). After 40 minutes of waiting at the bar-which mind you is in direct eyesight of the host stand- we saw a nearby table had been cleared and we were optimistic that we’d be next, but instead we witnessed a group of 4 walk in, ask if there was a 4 top, and get sat immediately at that newly opened table. That was enough for us, so we decided to head over to a different restaurant (at this point it was 9pm and we had to rush to find a place to sit and have a nicer meal since most spots around here stop food ~10pm).

From the looks of it, we were not the only party that this was happening to. On a positive note, the bartenders were really kind and apologetic- even though it was clearly not their fault. They offered us to eat at the bar but by the time we decided we probably weren’t going to be getting a table, they were so backed up that it honestly felt like it would be even more stressful to put that on them as well (they were already going out to check on tables that servers hadnt been to in a while, in addition to taking care of the extra people around the bar waiting for a table as well). Shoutout to the bartenders for their hard work and hospitality!

At the end of the day, in my opinion as someone who worked in the service industry for 6+ years, the best restaurants know when to 1.not take reservations and 2. When to turn people away. Not having a table ready at the time of the reservation is one thing, but having (seemingly) no real intention of honoring any sort of “line” is another. Walk-ins shouldn’t have a table before a reservation if the reservation was there on time (which we were), and if you don’t have the capacity to honor reservations, then don’t make it an option. Overall, very disappointed with our experience. This was our first time too, so still up in the air if we will be giving it another shot. We definitely won’t try again with a...

I have to say that I was underwhelmed by the food and service at this restaurant. I decided to go with my family to celebrate my birthday and the night ended with us being served raw donuts twice! Since we arrived early, we thought we would have quick service but it quickly became clear that only one person was going to wait on several tables, which included a large party. She did her best but service took longer than it needed because of all the tables she had. What I couldn't understand was why there were two hosts but only one waiter. In any case, we ordered pork belly and meatballs for our appetizers. They were both good but the meatballs stood out. It should actually be made into an entree. The entrees, however, weren't as good. In fact, the chicken came out luke warm like it was just heated in the microwave even though you could see blood on the bone. We asked for it to be cooked some more which made it edible. It actually tasted pretty good. We loved the flavors. I ordered the seafood pasta dish which could have been better. The clams had a bitter taste and the caviar was mushy. We also had the bolognese, which I'm sure was good since both my sons emptied their plates. We decided to split the donuts for dessert and this is where it went from okay to bad. How do you fry donuts twice and both times they are raw? We were upset by this point and just walked out. Needless to say, I didn't have a great birthday dinner. If you do decide to check them out anyway, pass on...

Our group of four dined at Midlina on the evening of March 22, 2025. The atmosphere is wonderful. We had the Jamon Serrano & Chips, Seafood Ceviche, Tandoori Spiced Octopus, and Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps for apps. I had the octopus, and it was awesome. The other three diners shared the rest and were very happy with the selections. For the main course, we had the Char-Grilled Quail, Fusilli Amatriciana, Skirt Steak, and Paella Mixta. I had the paella and without a doubt - a chef's kiss! Just wonderful. The person who ordered the quail said that it was dry. There were only compliments for the remaining dishes. We each had adult beverages. I honestly do not recall the name of mine, but it was sweet, involved vodka with lavender, I believe, and had two so I guess I liked it! There were a couple of negative things. One was that there were only two desserts available that evening. The passion fruit mango cake was just okay. This was a birthday dinner, and I had hoped for chocolate something. The only other negative comment is that our server, while efficient and professional, was a bit "grabby" with removing our dishes. I guess turning the tables quickly is important, but we truly were not there for long - just short of 1.5 hours. Having said all that, I will...