La Perla di Pompano — Restaurant in Pompano Beach

La Perla di Pompano – A True Culinary Gem in Pompano Beach

If you’re searching for an authentic Italian restaurant with old-world charm and traditional values, look no further than La Perla di Pompano. Tucked away at 420 Federal Highway in Pompano Beach, this cozy spot offers a truly memorable dining experience.

From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted warmly by the friendly staff—and immediately tempted by a beautiful dessert cart showcasing an array of traditional sweets that hint at the perfect way to end your meal.

We began our evening with homemade bread and crispy garlic butter wafers—simple, comforting, and delicious.

We shared two appetizers: •   Calamari Dorati con Zucchine e Gamberi: A lightly breaded and fried medley of zucchini, shrimp, and calamari, served with a fresh tomato marinara. It was tender, flavorful, and perfectly executed. •   Beet & Burrata Salad: This dish was not only delicious but also visually stunning—sliced beets arranged with creamy burrata, walnuts, grape tomatoes, fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic. It looked like art on a plate and tasted just as good.

The entrées were equally outstanding.

My wife, who fell in love with a pasta dish during our trip to Sicily last September, was thrilled to find its match here: •   Strozzapreti Norcina – a twisted pasta in a creamy tomato and sausage sauce. Rich, comforting, and absolutely soul-warming.

I had the: •   Tagliatelle Nere alla Pescatore – squid ink tagliatelle with diced salmon, clams, mussels, shrimp, and calamari sautéed in white wine and a light marinara. The delicate sauce allowed the freshness of the seafood to shine through beautifully.

Our friend ordered the: •   Gnocchi Burratini – pillowy gnocchi in a fresh pomodoro sauce with basil, topped with creamy burrata. The cheese added a velvety smoothness that melted in your mouth.

And finally: •   Pollo alla Toscana – chicken breast sautéed with white wine, garlic, artichoke hearts, capers, olives, and tomatoes. A rustic, hearty dish full of authentic Tuscan flavor.

For dessert—every option was tempting, and truly, you can’t go wrong. Each one is crafted with care and full of traditional Italian sweetness.

A special shout-out to our server, Salvatore, who was not only professional and attentive but also entertaining and thoughtful in guiding us through the menu. He’s a perfect example of what great hospitality looks like.

We were so impressed with La Perla di Pompano that we’ve already made plans to return—this time to celebrate my wife’s birthday.

If you appreciate exceptional Italian food, warm service, and a cozy atmosphere, make a reservation and experience La Perla for yourself.

Highly recommended....

Unfortunately, this restaurant has absolutely nothing to do with traditional Italian cuisine!

I always try to find something positive, even during a disappointing visit. However, in this case, the kitchen was frankly a disappointment — and not even the friendly service could make up for it.

Let’s start with the Caesar salad. Arguably, it was one of the worst versions of this classic dish I’ve ever had. The dressing was sharply sour and overly mustardy, completely overpowering everything else. The croutons had long lost their crunch — they were damp and unpleasantly soggy. The only highlight of the dish was the chicken breast: juicy, with a lightly crispy crust. Unfortunately, the low temperature in the dining room played a cruel trick — the meat cooled almost instantly and turned rubbery. It became impossible to continue eating it.

The Bolognese pasta gave me a glimmer of hope — it was clear the pasta is made in-house, which is always a welcome touch. But either the dough or the water during cooking hadn’t been salted, resulting in completely bland pasta. The sauce was a watery mix with no cohesive flavor — dominated by acidity and salt, with no gastronomic balance between them. The ground meat was minced so finely that it resembled dust more than the hearty base of a classic sauce. The Parmesan, which was meant to complete the dish, was entirely tasteless and clearly not of high quality.

As for the atmosphere — saying it was loud would be an understatement. Having a conversation with the person across from you was impossible: the noise from voices, clinking dishes, and music blended into a full-on acoustic chaos. It felt as if the restaurant was intentionally trying to sound like a bustling street market at noon.

That said, I must acknowledge the work of the waitstaff: polite, attentive, and quick to respond to customer dissatisfaction — all at the highest level. The dish I didn’t enjoy was removed from the table and the bill without question, and I received multiple apologies. The front-of-house team truly deserves praise and a high rating.

Unfortunately, the kitchen fails by comparison. Final rating: 2 out of 5, thanks solely to the excellent service. But people don’t come to a restaurant just for smiles — they come for the food. And that, sadly, is where this place has...

I had high expectations for this little restaurant for my mom's 86th birthday. Very cute place with old Italian style ambiance. Parking was a bit rough...if you pass the south alley, you have to go around back on the back street, which puts you in the wrong direction to park...so a 17 point turn fixed this...(another patron was doing the same thing)..lol. Other option is parking at the bank on the south side. Our waiter was nice, a bit too talkative, and as my husband says "if you are talking, you can't listen." I think he was hard of hearing, since I told him twice that it was my mom's birthday, and he ignored it, so I dropped it. He also had a hard time hearing me, and asked me to repeat someting 4 times before he got it. He said he lived in Italy for 22 years, so my husband spoke Italian to him (he speaks both Italian and Spanish), and he ignored it several times. Kind of weird, so I chalk it all up to hard of hearing. I did notice that they turned away some walk-ins, but the waiter did tell me that there was only one cook, the owner, today, so he needed patience, which was no problem, because when I am spending $300+ for 4 for dinner, I always make sure I am in no rush! Just make sure to make a res! Bread was good, Cesar salad was average, meals were nice (a bit bland), but all too salty. Everybody told me the next day how parched they were all night long, which caused a lot of water consumption and not the greatest sleep. I thought it was due to maybe a glass and a half of wine, but then my 13 year old daughter said the same thing "she was parched all night," so I tasted her leftovers and realized how salty hers was too! The desserts were spectacular.....lemoncello pie, almond creme brulee, apple tart, and daughter said the chocolate mousse cake was exceptional. I may go back to give it a second try, but there are so many others that I want...