Best Restaurants on the Palos Verdes Peninsula

The Palos Verdes Peninsula has some of the finest restaurants in the South Bay, some with incredible ocean views. They include a very diverse range of cuisine including Italian, American comfort food, Mexican, Steak and Seafood houses, new American, Chinese, Sushi, and Thai cuisine. Check out our favorite restaurants on the Peninsula

• Nelson’s – Bar and casual food restaurant located in the Terranea Resort on the ocean in Rancho Palos Verdes. Named for the classic character Mike Nelson (Lloyd Bridges) in the TV series “Sea Hunt” which was filmed at the Marineland Aquarium that previously filmed at this site in the late 1950’s. This cliff side restaurant, just south of the Point Vicente lighthouse, offers one of the most scenic locations in Palos Verdes to watch the sunset and enjoy a meal or enjoy a drink in front of an outdoor plaza with a fire pit and fireplace.Menu
  (310)-265-2836
  Directions

• Mar’sel – Elegant resort restaurant presenting New American cuisine in an elegant space with ocean views is also located in the Terranea Resort. Set overlooking the Pacific Ocean with stunning views, Mar’sel offers the ideal location for an elegant dinner or seasonal Sunday brunch.Menu
  (310)-265-2836
  Directions

• Catalina Kitchen -Also located in the Terranea Resort adjacent to the stunning guest pool with a tropical flavor, this restaurant provides two dining experiences, with an interior dining room providing a vibrant and modern setting or an exterior dining area that has that classic dining al fresco resort feeling.Every Friday night, Catalina Kitchen presents a limitless seafood buffet which features seasonal coastal cuisine, build-your-own pasta dishes, a carving station and a dessert station. Guests will also be able to order enhancements including grilled lobster, king crab and seafood towers built to share.Menu
  (310)-265-2836
  Directions

• Salsa Verdes – A Mexican restaurant located in the Lunada Bay area of Palos Verdes Estates, the menu provides a variety of Mexican flavors from the Yucatan, southern regions and northern regions of Mexico. Entrees include fantastic grilled shrimp and fish tacos, crab enchiladas, seared sea bass, and flavorful chile rellenos. Although they do not say on the menu, they will do a combo plate for example with a crab enchilada and a beef taco with rice and beans. Get there before dark to enjoy the gorgeous ocean view.Menu
  Located in the inner courtyard of the Lunada Bay Plaza Building at 2325 Palos Verdes Dr. West, Palos Verdes Estates
  (424)206-9456

• Black Bamboo Sushi – Located in the Lunada Bay Plaza shopping area in Palos Verdes Estates this restaurant is a hidden treasure that has a small dining room and sushi bar that serves some of the best sushi and specialty rolls around. It is a small and cozy restaurant with only about 7 tables and a small sushi bar with a very friendly sushi chef. Although they do not use real crab meat the sushi rolls taste delicious. The service is excellent and the prices reasonable.Menu
  724 Yarmouth RdPalos Verdes Estates
  (310) 265-1688

• Avenue Italy – Located in the Golden Cove shopping center in Rancho Palos Verdes this restaurant provides wonderful Italian food in a lively setting. They serve wonderful pasta dishes such as two of my favorites: Linguine pasta served with sautéed manila clams in white wine and garlic or Linguine with Manila clams, mussels, scampi, scallops and calamari. Other menu items include delicious pizza as well as chicken and seafood entrees.Menu
  31243 Palos Verdes Dr West Rancho Palos Verdes
  (310) 377-3940

• Giorgio’s- This small intimate Italian restaurant is located in the Brick Walk area of Deep Valley Drive in Rolling Hills Estates and specializes in pizza and pasta dishes but also has excellent seafood and steak entrees. The portions are large and reasonably priced. 5 star rated on Trip Adviser.Menu
  777 Deep Valley Dr Rolling Hills Estate
  (310) 541-2600

• Misto Caffé and Bakery – Though technically not on the Palos Verdes Peninsula Misto Caffe is located at the base of the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the rear of the Hillside Village at the corner of Via Valmonte and Hawthorne Blvd. This restaurant serves up refined homestyle comfort fare with a delicious bakery. The restaurant has both interior seating as well as an outdoor patio.Menu
  24558 Hawthorne Blvd, Torrance
  (310) 375-3608

• Red Onion Mexican restaurant – Providing some of the best traditional Mexican fare as well as steak, chicken, pork and seafood dishes with a Mexican flare this restaurant has been a favorite of Palos Verdes Peninsula families For many years. It has been owned by the Earle family since Bart Earle opened it in 1963 and son Jeff Earle will still be seating you most nights. One needs only to glance at the walls of the restaurant, displaying old mementos and fading photographs of long ago, to appreciate the history and good feeling that live within.Menu
  736 Bart Earle Way, Rolling Hills Estates
  (310) 377-5660

• Think Prime Steak House – This traditional steak house provides Peninsula residents with the best steaks around. They also offer numerous wines and daily live music. You can just envision Sinatra’s rat pack dining here. Other menu items include lobster tail, seafood, cioppino, rack of lamb, and chicken.Menu
  29601 S Western Ave, Rancho Palos Verde
  (310) 221-0415

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• Mama Terano – Owner Robert Bell, famed owner of Chez Melange Restaurant which was a south bay culinary fixture until its recent closing, provides the incredible tastes of his grandmother’s Millie Terano’s Brooklyn kitchen where she prepared classic Italian food for their family and friends. Located on the Brick Walk in Rolling Hills Estates. Entrees include pasta dishes, beef filet, duck breast, sausages, pork Milanese and chicken beast.Menu
  815 Deep Valley DrRolling Hills Estates
  (310) 377-5757.

• Swan Thai RPV Restaurant – Located in the Golden Cove Shopping Center where Hawthorne Blvd meets the ocean in Rancho Palos Verdes this restaurant serves excellent Thai cuisine combined with a beautiful ocean view and outdoor patio overlooking the ocean.Menu
  31206 Palos Verdes Dr W, Rancho Palos Verdes
  (310) 377-7200

If you live in the South Bay beach communities, you will find wonderful restaurants with great food, service and the essence of the gorgeous Palos Verdes Peninsula. They are definitely worth a drive up the Hill.

Make sure to check out available Rancho Palos Verdes real estate and Palos Verdes Estates houses for sale in case you want to move to the Palos Verdes Peninsula to experience these fine dining options regularly.