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Caffe Pinguini, Playa Del Rey, CA

Caffe Pinguini

4.9
4.9
1640 Reviews
$31 to $50
Italian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 21 times today
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
We are open for curbside pickup, takeout and delivery and offering a 10% discount on all orders! Lunch will be open from 12pm-2:30pm & Dinner from 5:30pm-9:30pm.

Italian owners, Tony Cotrufo and Enrico Fiorentini, both hail from Rome and have been serving fresh authentic Italian cuisine at their Playa Del Rey location since 1997. They offer homemade pastas, an excellent wine list, outdoor seating and daily specials.


Caffe Pinguini was awarded with the "Marchio Ospitalita" Italiana - Seal of Authenticity". The seal distinguishes those restaurants with the highest quality of Italian hospitality.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (310) 306-0117
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Gerardo
  • Catering
    We do different kinds of catering from buffet to a full dining experience.
  • Neighbourhood
    Playa del Rey
  • Cross Street
    Culver Blvd
  • Parking details
    Choose of street or valet parking.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, Delivery, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,640 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Beach Cities

    Best Ambience

  • Beach Cities

    Great for fine wines

  • Beach Cities

    Romantic

  • Beach Cities

    Italian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Caffe Pinguini is celebrated for its "authentic Italian dishes," charming coastal ambiance, and attentive service. Located near the beach, it's a favorite for special occasions with its romantic atmosphere and "wonderful outdoor dining patio." Despite some mixed reviews on food quality, it's praised as a "hidden gem" and neighborhood favorite.

1,640 Reviews
  1. Eric

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always an excellent place to have authentic Italian food. Grazie!

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  2. Jennifer

    Los Angeles

    17 reviews

    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious Italian cuisine. Friendly & great service. This time due to rain the patio was closed off so louder inside than usual. A gem of a restaurant!

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  3. Bart

    Los Angeles

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on February 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent experience. Server was great and good extremely good quality. My wife and I will be back soon!

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  4. patrice

    VIP

    San Francisco

    28 reviews

    5.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on January 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This place is legit Italian w/fantastic food & great authentic service. It’s no frills just as if u were in Italy……which is another reason it’s so good. 💯 recommend & can’t wait to go back. (I live in Newport Beach & we have no Italian close to this!)

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  5. Kenneth

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is a favorite for Italian fare on the west side. Can’t beat the location (you could hit the ocean with a well-thrown baseball), and the food is consistently delicious. The servers are incredibly attentive and charming, and the atmosphere is intimate and conducive to conversation. Highly recommended.

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  6. Lindsey

    Chicago

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incredible food, very authentic, classy and cozy atmosphere!!

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  7. Deborah

    Los Angeles

    124 reviews

    5.0

    124 reviews

    Dined on December 26, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We just love Caffe Pinguini. The staff, service and ambiance are wonderful, and the food is amazing. We are treated like family. Our neighborhood go to place.

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  8. michael

    Los Angeles

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 25, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful experience. Highly recommend, third visit as good as the first

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  9. Robby

    Washington DC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 7, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Waitress was impeccable. Food is always amazing. Can’t go wrong.

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  10. Digna

    Los Angeles

    171 reviews

    5.0

    171 reviews

    Dined on December 6, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As always we love our neighborhood restaurant. Can’t beat the authentic Italian dishes especially their pasta! Indoor dining is vibrant and loud and they have a beautiful quaint outdoor patio dining as well. We will always support them.

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FAQs

Caffe Pinguini offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (310) 306-0117.

Caffe Pinguini is rated 4.9 stars by 1640 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 21 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Caffe Pinguini

6935 Pacific ave, Playa Del Rey, CA 90293

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Culver Blvd
  • Neighbourhood
    Playa del Rey
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Seafood, Steak
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Choose of street or valet parking.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Gerardo
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, Delivery, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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