Mar'sel

We came here for brunch and it was an amazing meal and experience. We sat on the patio and we got the ocean view behind the glass walls, which helped block the wind. The waiter noticed my wife was cold and brought her a blanket. Stellar service! Very attentive. The first course was amazing. Hands down the cauliflower white chocolate soup was fantastic. Their signature dessert was also one of the best we ever had. The entrees were a little underwhelming. We ordered the Paella and the bucatini. The waiter had recommended other dishes, but we chose what we thought we wanted. They were still good, but we think the other entrees may have been better Overall this is a great location and great meal. Highly recommend this place.

Brunch at Mar'sel is an experience. The view is gorgeous. The food and service was exemplary. The cocktails were fantastic. You could easily see yourself ordering several of them poolside. The plating was excellent. The shellfish was fresh and prepared for ease in eating. We especially enjoyed their version of carbonara. The desserts were delightful and a perfect ending to a leisurely meal. This is a relatively expensive restaurant but well worth the price.

Such a beautiful view with amazing vibes and atmosphere — and the food is just as great! Perfect for a special occasion.

Beautiful view in Palos Verdes at Terranea. The outside area was comfortable and warm with heated lamps. The scallops were the best I ever had. Ocean view was lovely. Food was excellent, we enjoyed everything we tried from the bread to the final desserts. Our server was very friendly and made our night helping celebrate a special occasion. Mar’sel was among the best dining experiences I have ever had!

Great place to eat. Sure, it is pricey, but you get a very high quality food. Loved the place’s view. The waiter was polite and patient. No draft beer, cons. Reservations accepted. Cheese menu was not provided at beginning, I saw the full menu before so I asked for that. Cheeses are from California, Spain, France, and U.K. The breads are made in-house, so you get them warm if not hot. Will go back here again.

One of the best restaurants in Southern California. Not the easiest to get to, but if you're staying at or visiting the Terranea Resort for any reason, it's a no brainer to treat yourself to a truly first class experience. The Wine and liquor selection is also extensive and the bar at the entrance is staffed by bartenders every bit worthy of the establishment as a whole. Ask your wait staff for their recommendations and they won't steer you wrong. A++++

If you're looking for a restaurant with breathtaking views, look no further than this cliffside gem. The panoramic ocean and coast views are simply stunning, and the inside seating by the fireplace is cozy and inviting. But the real star of the show is the food. Every dish we tried was exceptional and well worth the price. The flavors were expertly balanced, and the presentation was beautiful. What really sets this restaurant apart, however, is the service. The staff are friendly, accommodating, and always have a smile on their face. They made us feel comfortable and welcome from the moment we walked in. This restaurant would be perfect for any special occasion, but it's also a great spot for a lovely dinner any night of the week.

Frederick Ordonez

This was our first time dining at mar'sel. This higher-end restaurant delivers a memorable dining experience. The service throughout the restaurant was excellent, but our main server Chris was simply exceptional. Thanks Chris! This mar'sel dinner added to our overall enjoyment while staying at Terranea Resort during Christmas week. Our favorite dishes that we rated 5⭐️ were the following. ~Le Petit Barachois oysters - sweet, delicious, and not briny. (Cali-grown) ~Wagyu stuffed white truffle ravioli ~Assorted breads & spreads

Anja Karst

Most beautiful steak I ever had! The food is next level and so is the service. I hope to come back during the daytime to enjoy the view! Great atmosphere and the staff is very friendly and attentive.

Rachel Ortega

Loved the ocean views! The resort was beautiful, the surrounding areas were also quite nice. The food was outstanding. And so was the service! We loved our experience there and plan on returning.

Elizabeth Wang

Wonderful experience! We went there for my birthday, and we had an amazing experience! Couldn't ask for anything better. The ambiance is lovely and romantic. The food is absolutely delicious. The servers and chef were very thoughtful and considerate to deliver top quality food with our food restrictions in mind. The servers were extremely friendly and nice. Our server, Steven, was so friendly and nice... the kind of nice like you-want-to-be-friends-with-him kind of nice. We highly recommend the place!

NS R

Came here to try the Sunday brunch. They used to be named Catalina kitchen last time I came here with different menu. The food was good and bit pricey but worth the visit as not many comparable experiences you can get in an exclusive resort with ocean view reminding south of France. Follow us on instagram @gemislist to discover more

Michael Eliot

Great food, exceptional service, ultimate location with a sea view. My new favorite restaurant at Terranea.

Jeff Huang

Mar’sel is located in the Terranea resort on the south side of Rancho Palos Verdes, right on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean. Mar’sel is a classy, kind of expensive restaurant with three main rooms: a dark bar, a fireplace room with a glass wall overlooking the ocean, and an outdoor patio with heaters. The menu has lots of fresh and innovative foods, with a larger number of seafood options. This is a great place for date nights and getting together with friends. It’s not a great option for kids. We heard about Mar’sel in the winter, and were told that sunsets are beautiful, so we waited until late spring to make sure it wasn’t raining, and to go when sunset would occur at a reasonable hour for dinner. If it’s raining or you’re seated after sunset, you’ll still have a great meal, but you’ll miss the beautiful views, which are a big reason to go here. There’s valet parking and the restaurant will validate your claim card so that the cost is (still) $15. The food was super fresh, and Steven, our waiter, could not have been nicer or more attentive.

Shannon

We had their Sunday brunch. It's such a special place with a spectacular view of the ocean and Catalina. The service is unmatched. Everyone there works as a cohesive team. The food was outstanding. I enjoyed the smoked salmon, wagyu steak and finished the meal with some house made sorbet. In my opinion this is the best spot in the South Bay to celebrate special occasions!

Mikayla Tillett

Had an incredible time here! Our waitress, Betty, was so informative about the menu & provided fantastic service. The whole staff did as well! The food was fantastic & we will definitely be returning! Thank you Betty & the mar’sel team for this elegant & fantastic dining experience

Zeno Lee

We came here for brunch and it was an amazing meal and experience. We sat on the patio and we got the ocean view behind the glass walls, which helped block the wind. The waiter noticed my wife was cold and brought her a blanket. Stellar service! Very attentive. The first course was amazing. Hands down the cauliflower white chocolate soup was fantastic. Their signature dessert was also one of the best we ever had. The entrees were a little underwhelming. We ordered the Paella and the bucatini. The waiter had recommended other dishes, but we chose what we thought we wanted. They were still good, but we think the other entrees may have been better Overall this is a great location and great meal. Highly recommend this place.

Lissa Newton

Brunch at Mar'sel is an experience. The view is gorgeous. The food and service was exemplary. The cocktails were fantastic. You could easily see yourself ordering several of them poolside. The plating was excellent. The shellfish was fresh and prepared for ease in eating. We especially enjoyed their version of carbonara. The desserts were delightful and a perfect ending to a leisurely meal. This is a relatively expensive restaurant but well worth the price.

Liv

Such a beautiful view with amazing vibes and atmosphere — and the food is just as great! Perfect for a special occasion.

Augen Batou

Beautiful view in Palos Verdes at Terranea. The outside area was comfortable and warm with heated lamps. The scallops were the best I ever had. Ocean view was lovely. Food was excellent, we enjoyed everything we tried from the bread to the final desserts. Our server was very friendly and made our night helping celebrate a special occasion. Mar’sel was among the best dining experiences I have ever had!

Lisa Beach

We had an incredible dinner last night at Mar'sel. The food quality, service and ambience was 5 star. Betty was our server and she was extraordinary, very knowledgeable of the menu and a wonderful demeanor. Definitely recommend this restaurant if you want a special and elevated dining experience.

Kian N.

Great place to eat. Sure, it is pricey, but you get a very high quality food. Loved the place’s view. The waiter was polite and patient. No draft beer, cons. Reservations accepted. Cheese menu was not provided at beginning, I saw the full menu before so I asked for that. Cheeses are from California, Spain, France, and U.K. The breads are made in-house, so you get them warm if not hot. Will go back here again.

Scott K

One of the best restaurants in Southern California. Not the easiest to get to, but if you're staying at or visiting the Terranea Resort for any reason, it's a no brainer to treat yourself to a truly first class experience. The Wine and liquor selection is also extensive and the bar at the entrance is staffed by bartenders every bit worthy of the establishment as a whole. Ask your wait staff for their recommendations and they won't steer you wrong. A++++

Vladislava Kursheva

If you're looking for a restaurant with breathtaking views, look no further than this cliffside gem. The panoramic ocean and coast views are simply stunning, and the inside seating by the fireplace is cozy and inviting. But the real star of the show is the food. Every dish we tried was exceptional and well worth the price. The flavors were expertly balanced, and the presentation was beautiful. What really sets this restaurant apart, however, is the service. The staff are friendly, accommodating, and always have a smile on their face. They made us feel comfortable and welcome from the moment we walked in. This restaurant would be perfect for any special occasion, but it's also a great spot for a lovely dinner any night of the week.

A friend held a milestone birthday celebration, and everything was top notch (in quality as well as price). The menu options available all looked good (and everyone seemed to enjoy them). The setting and facilities were very nice. And the views, of course, were excellent. On top of that, we had high-level service from the staff -- speed, accommodation, responsiveness. Indeed, the only critique I could come up with was that the guy with the pepper grinder would ask instantly whether you wanted some, before you could even taste your food. Pricey, but, for something special, worth it.

Dave Hill

A friend held a milestone birthday celebration, and everything was top notch (in quality as well as price). The menu options available all looked good (and everyone seemed to enjoy them). The setting and facilities were very nice. And the views, of course, were excellent. On top of that, we had high-level service from the staff -- speed, accommodation, responsiveness. Indeed, the only critique I could come up with was that the guy with the pepper grinder would ask instantly whether you wanted some, before you could even taste your food. Pricey, but, for something special, worth it.

Christian Gerges

My fiancé and I came here for our engagement dinner and it was an amazing experience to say the least. Our server Felix went above and beyond to make sure that we had a night to remember. He started off by seating us outside next to a glass fire heater with the most amazing view of the moonlight over the water and Cliff side lights. He then recommended we start off with some Barada cheese, Spanish artichokes and the most amazing bread service you can ever imagine. For dinner, she had the lobster risotto which is just superior to anything we've had before and I chose the coastal lamb that was simply just the tastiest I've ever had. By that time we were filled to the point where we couldn't think of dessert, but he still insisted on bringing us out some cheesecake that I still think about in my dreams. I can't stress enough that Felix had made that night amazing and treated us like family from the very beginning. It doesn't get any better when it comes to the customer service. He is simply the best!!!! 100/10 Experience!!!! If you're looking for the best service for your special night be sure to ask for Felix!!!!!!

3 stars strictly for the views, would never go eat there again. We went for our anniversary brunch on a Sunday and wish we had eaten at a different restaurant within the resort. It was a course menu (not sure if that’s only on Sundays), but everything was lackluster and subpar for the $100/pp price. The steak, the spaghetti, the dessert - all things that are pretty difficult to mess up, but somehow this place managed to ruin everything that came out the kitchen that day. Service was slow due to a large party the restaurant was accommodating, but the wait staff was very nice. Outside of the view and proximity to the ocean, there is nothing about this place that justifies the price.

christine oh

3 stars strictly for the views, would never go eat there again. We went for our anniversary brunch on a Sunday and wish we had eaten at a different restaurant within the resort. It was a course menu (not sure if that’s only on Sundays), but everything was lackluster and subpar for the $100/pp price. The steak, the spaghetti, the dessert - all things that are pretty difficult to mess up, but somehow this place managed to ruin everything that came out the kitchen that day. Service was slow due to a large party the restaurant was accommodating, but the wait staff was very nice. Outside of the view and proximity to the ocean, there is nothing about this place that justifies the price.

The service and atmosphere is fantastic. Great location within the resort and friendly/prompt staff. But I have to give the place a negative review because a restaurant of this caliber that charges premium prices should focus on their food. If the plate prices are in the 40-50 range then I’d expect a dish that lasts more than just a few bites. They were “michelin” sized mini plates but nowhere near the flavor profile to charge a premium for a small, bland dish. It was a disappointing experience.