Seafood restaurant

Marina Cafe Restaurant & Tiki Bar

Great KillsStaten Island

4.3· 1,665 reviewsClosed now
Marina Cafe Restaurant & Tiki Bar — seafood restaurant — in Great Kills — Staten Island — NYC
Marina Cafe Restaurant & Tiki Bar interior — Great Kills

Great Kills

Staten Island

The brief

About Marina Cafe Restaurant & Tiki Bar

Iconic restaurant, bar & banquet hall with scenic views serving upscale Italian & American meals.

Community Rating

4.3

out of 5

1,665 community reviews

Rating aggregated from community reviews across platforms. Read full reviews on Google or Yelp for detailed diner experiences.

Community-sourced rating

Reviews

What diners say about Marina Cafe Restaurant & Tiki Bar

15 verified Google reviews

4.7

15 reviews

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Catherine DiDomenico
a week ago

We recently held my daughter's bridal shower at this restaurant and could not have been happier with the experience. Eddie was wonderful to work with throughout the entire planning process. He was friendly, helpful, and always available to answer questions which made everything so easy.<br>The day of the shower was perfect. The staff was amazing, attentive, welcoming, and professional. They took such great care of our guests and made sure everything ran smoothly from beginning to end.<br>Thank you to Eddie and the entire team for helping make this such a special and memorable day for my daughter and our family. I would highly recommend this restaurant for any special occasion and look forward to coming back again. Catherine D

Thomas Mazzola
a month ago

My wife and I reserved a table for two for our anniversary dinner. Our table was not ready so we had a cocktail at the bar.<br>Finally, we were escorted & sat right next to a table of 20 people screaming, laughing and drunk. We couldn't hear our own conversation. Not romantic. The congenital waiter asked what I would like for dessert.<br>" I said two Advil". He laughed. 😡<br>The food was good, waiter service very good.<br>We should have never been seated near that crowd. The Maitre'd and Hostess never apologized and the bus staff continued setting up tables and chairs around us for a Baptism and other large parties. I don't think we will be going back. Very disappointed. 👎

Jiovani RiveraLocal guide
a month ago

First time to this marina, drove a little over and hour from Nassau County Garden City yesterday to get there around 12:45pm. Yesterday was Mother’s Day and I did not have a reservation, I randomly picked this place to have a lunch with my wife and kids. I went inside and since I didn’t have reservations they suggested outdoor dining instead and we were perfectly fine with that. The sun came out and it was absolutely beautiful view, between the boats and water and houses near by I really enjoyed the scenery. We sat near the water; since there were other tables available towards the back for people who didn’t want to sit close to the edge. It is kid friendly and has space to accommodate big parties with reservations ahead of time. We were 4 and got seated right away after walking outside the dining area for indoor. Valet parking is included with the restaurant and that was nice since it was busy and the parking lot is shared with boaters and others just enjoying the area. We ordered coke , Shirley temples and one of their special margaritas for drinks. Unfortunately the coke was not tasting the way it was supposed to, it had a bitter taste maybe it was flat, maybe the server gave us diet but we got it replaced 2x and still not difference between the replacement cokes. We all got Shirley temple’s instead. Service was pretty good, server helped us take our order and then had bus boys pick up our dishes as we finished them. We had blue point oysters, little neck clams, and the lobster & crab sliders - they were to die for “delicious” as main entree we ordered the stuff chicken breast and the filet of sole franchise; both were delicious and highly recommend!! Side of broccoli robe to go with our meals. There is no Apple Pay, bring physical credit cards or cash.

Michael Zeh
a month ago

Came to Marina Cafe for Mother’s Day and had such a great experience. The food was amazing, the drinks were great, and the atmosphere by the water made the whole day feel special. The staff was friendly and attentive even though it was busy for the holiday. Everything came out fresh and the service never felt rushed. Definitely one of the best spots on Staten Island for a nice dinner or special occasion. Highly recommend!

David WallmanLocal guide
a month ago

Not sure if I can say enough great things about the Marina Cafe!<br><br>I have been here at least 10 times over the past couple of years and each time I have an excellent experience!<br><br>Each meal starts off with hot bread and crackers with butter and olive oil.<br><br>For our appetizers we typically rotate between baked clams, fried calamari, meatballs, and the salad. All of the apps are fantastic and my personal favorite is the baked clams!<br><br>We have tried a decent amount of the entree at this point as well. Some of the ones we keep going back to are the Pork Chops, Short Rib, Seafood Risotto, Alaskan Salmon, Ahi Tina Steak, Mahi Mahi, and The Rack of Lamb. I am pretty sure my wife has gotten the Lamb more than half of the time we’ve gone here! Most recently I got the Short Ribs and they are delicious!<br><br>I am not a huge dessert guy but my family will get the Lava Cake, Affogato, and the Crème Brûlée.<br><br>Also want to give a special shoutout to our server Kenny! We’ve had the pleasure of being in his section several times now and he always provides fantastic service!<br><br>I would highly recommend Marina Cafe to anyone! We have had many fantastic normal dinners here as well as birthdays, Mother’s Days, and Engagement Celebration!

Thomas JonesLocal guide
a month ago

This is our go to place to celebrate our families birthdays, communion etc. The staff is always so accommodating and friendly. Great bar area to hang out before guests arrive. The food is always consistent beautiful view of the water it's definitely a favorite of our family!!

Kelly Adams
a month ago

We had a surprise 70th birthday party for my mom here and it was perfect. I had heard great things about this place, but had never been myself. After the party was over so many people came up to me raving about the place, the food, the service. It was beyond excellent. The food was delicious, the waitstaff was attentive and we were never left looking for someone when we needed something. I spoke with Eddie to set up the party and he was awesome. So helpful and so reliable. 5 out of 5 stars! Thank you to the staff of Marina Cafe for making my mom's birthday so memorable.

Sev Deva
a month ago

I hosted my son’s birthday party at Marina Café on a Saturday during lunch, and it was an amazing experience. The entire staff was wonderful, and Eddie, the manager, made everything feel effortless and stress-free. He truly went above and beyond. I highly recommend this place and definitely ask for Eddie! Thank you again for making the day so special.

Nancy ArgenzianoLocal guide
4 months ago

Haven’t been at the marina since 2012. Thought it would be a nice place to catch up with a friend I hadn’t seen.<br>The appetizer was shared , crab meat, artichoke and spinach dip with tortilla was good. Our main course wasn’t seasoned, very bland, the chicken was raw and pasta soaking in a mixture of water and tomato sauce.<br>Reservations were for 2:15-2:30. We were feeling pushed out due to a party coming in that needed that area. We learned of this upon arrival. No advance notice was given otherwise we would have changed the date. We decided to leave asap taking our dinners with us. I cooked the chicken at home, pasta was drained but beyond repair, the soaking caused it to become gummy. Our bill with tip came to $162.00. Staff were kind, view calming. Very frustrating how our afternoon turned out.

Patricia Mosca
8 months ago

This was my first visit to the marina several weeks ago and I was very impressed. The floor to ceiling windows offer an incredible view of the marina from everywhere in the restaurant and gives the place a feeling of serenity. Some of the food I tried would rival some of the best Manhattan steakhouse and seafood restaurants. The food was perfectly prepared and plated beautifully<br>The seafood tower as an appetizer was very impressive with right off the boat fresh tasting clams, oysters, very large shrimp and lobster. The tuna tartare had a very unique and delicious sauce and was mounded on an absolutely delicious fried disk. My other two stand out appetizers were the seafood salad and, a surprise, what they call an Italian eggroll With really delicious Italian red sauce. If you are a lobster bisque lover this lobster bisque was to die for. The Châteaubriand was cooked exactly as ordered, medium rare with house made barbecue sauce and Demi glace which were both excellent with a roasted garlic bulb creamed spinach and mashed potatoes.<br>The very fresh angry red snapper came on top of broccoli rabe and was topped with very fresh premium crab meat. The best part of this dish for me was the ring of gnocchi around the fish that were like little pillows of softness. The variety of desserts are homemade and all were delicious. If you happen to be there on a nice day and the tiki bar is still open, it is definitely worth sitting out there for a cocktail and a dessert and coffee. I can’t wait to go back there in several weeks for my birthday.

Emily dorothyLocal guide
9 months ago

One of the best Italian spots on the island AND good views ? It's hard to find a place that does both but this one hits the mark. Growing up on SI there have been so many parties and dinners here especially during the summer for the tiki bar, the drinks are well made for the price! I would definitely recommend if you haven't been !

Carter WalshLocal guide
10 months ago

We started with the dragon shrimp and meatballs. Both were great! The shrimp was our favorite but meatballs were really tasty as well. They also gave us bread with the sesame crackers I love. Then we got the pasta di vincenzo and the short rib. The eggplant pasta wasnt our favorite but not bad. The short rib was very good but tasted a bit like stew meat not what i expect from short rib. Would still get it again just know to expect a more stewy short rib. For dessert we got the creme brule and apple tart. The creme brulle was really good but the apple tart crust wasnt our favorite

Tracey WM.Local guide
a year ago

This staple restaurant is a classic in Staten Island. Came to the tiki bar to sit outside and catch the breeze. Our waitress (wish I remembered her name) was super friendly gave great recommendations and followed through with checkups. We started with calamari (a little cold) and the lobster and carb sliders (no food presentation) then ordered the tuna steak and salmon, they were cooked well and taste was good, they were able to substitute the sides. I didn’t like the paper plates and plastic cup service. This is a tiki bar so there was a crowd on the younger side but played the music at a decent volume for patrons to hear one another during dinner.

Jennifer LoBiondo
a year ago

My family and I went for Christmas Eve and although we had to wait a bit, it was truly worth the wait. Plus it’s always a great sign when the place is packed and everyone is enjoying themselves. We sat in the bar area for some drinks and were seated at a beautiful window facing the marina. Appetizers were delicious, especially the white arancini with honey, and the squid was beyond fresh and tender. Best squid I have ever eaten. I ate the Christmas menu special seafood fra diavola, and enjoyed every bite even the next day which I took home because portions are very generous which I appreciated. My mother ordered the seafood risotto… delicious. I must shout out the bartenders as well who made us delicious drinks and the servers who checked on us often. We had a great time and would come back again to enjoy.

M JAYLocal guide
4 years ago

I have been to this restaurant several times with family and friends and I can’t get enough of it. Eddie is the manager of this restaurant who is so awesome, accommodating, friendly, and attentive. All of the waiters are all great. The ambience has a great scenic view of the water front, the drinks are nice and strong the way I love it, food is fresh, seasoned and delicious, the service is fabulous and the overall environment is relaxing and comforting. The price range for meals is reasonable especially with the cost of seafood today. Parking is not hard to find whether your parking in the actual lot or off the street. For party size great than 3, I would definitely suggest making a reservations for meal times after 5 pm. Prior to that you could walk in and be seated with a table.

Reviews sourced from Google. Displayed for informational purposes. Ratings reflect reviewer opinions at the time of posting.

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