I Cuigini: "Italian/seafood" I Cugini Tip by Dabs

On our first night in LA I wanted to take dad and grandma to a nice meal so we headed to I Cugini in Santa Monica.

I liked the interior decor but the open space made it so that it was not at all conversation friendly. And we were there on a Wednesday night when it was not busy, imagine what the noise level is like on the weekends!

The service was friendly and prompt. Valet parking is available for $5.

Favorite Dish: We started off with Fritto Misto for an appetizer, for $9.95, it consisted of two medium shrimp, 6 or 7 calamari rings and a couple of smelt, hardly the hearty portions I'm used to from Chicago restaurants and really nothing special.

The waitress recommended the breaded calamari steak in a lemon caper butter sauce, it had a nice flavor and it was pounded thin so it was tender, not chewy. The portion was fine for dinner but a little overpriced at $19.

My grandma tried the lasagna, once again the portion size was fine but way overpriced at $22. Later in the week, she crinkled her nose at me and said "who puts fish in lasagna"? I guess at 96 you've earned the right to say exactly what's on your mind LOL

All in all I was satisfied with the food, even if Grandma wasn't, but didn't think it was a very good value. Other reviews I read (and one VTer who's restaurant reviews are usually spot on suggested this place to me) raved about this place, especially for the fish dishes so maybe if you can get past the prices you might enjoy eating here.

Address: 1501 Ocean Avenue
Comparison: more expensive than average
Directions: Ocean Avenue at Broadway
Phone: (310) 451-4595
Price: US$21-30
Rating: 3
Theme: Italian
Website: http://www.icugini.com/