Laguna Miramare

I really hate to give only 2 stars to this restaurant as the food was wonderful, however, a few things spoiled the experience. A friend arrived late and I I told her «wait til you hear the description of the food by the owner — it’s just wonderful.» While the other two tables got her full attention, we did not. Our waitress just named the specials — no description to make them sound at all enticing. While she was very pleasant, we had to ask for bread after some time as she didn’t remember to bring it. I ordered decaf coffee and soon after I got my coffee she asked if I thought I was going to want another cup as there coffee maker only makes a few cups and she would have to make it — I hadn’t even had a few sips and didn’t know at that point I may/​may not have wanted another cup. But the worse part was yet to come. A table of 9 women were seated right next to us — it was impossible to have any conversation at all due to their conversations — were not rude, but noisy. Right next to us was a lovely open room with a large table that would have been perfect for them, and why they were not seated there I have no idea. I ordered the bass with crabmeat that was fantastic. Sad that the atmosphere caused me to give a bad review.

Great fish and veal and service. We love the artichoke app and octopus as well. Hidden jem in west chester.

Great spot! BYOB, which is such a nice option. Friendly and attentive service and delicious food. I had the arugula and beet salad and pasta rolls with spinach and red pepper. My husband had the caprese salad and fish special, which was presented as a full fish but deboned by the server at the table. Everything was fantastic — even the warm bread that was served (and the kind server kept offering to bring us more!). We will definitely be back.

Nice BYO and glad we stumbled upon it. Food was very good and our server was awesome. I forget his name but real nice guy from southern Italy. I highly recommend the place

Had an incredibly fun and delicious evening here!
First, byo and free parking… Two of my favorites! No hassle of west Chester parking.
Sat promptly by a very friendly hostess who had many recommendations. Our friends were all lost and arrived late; some places this may be an issue… Not here!
Our night began with a geography lesson from the owner. Interesting! And helped us to understand food better. Our service was so slow. But we were very happy to have it that way. We could catch up with our friends and savor each course as they came out. Now it has been two weeks so I can not remember everything but I do remember everything was incredible!
We had the artichokes, eggplant, and the pasta with mushrooms for group appetizers. I could not pick a favorite because each one was wonderful
Two people at our table had the fish filleted at our table. It looked beautiful and they both were very pleased.
I had shrimp. Not what I thought I ordered but l loved it!
Several desserts delicious!
So much food! Great prices, I thought!
Owner was very, very busy! But kept coming over to chat. She even joined us in an after dinner drink! What a hoot!
I have been telling everyone about this restaurant because I felt it was truly unique and an amazing addition to the local food scene.

The food is the closest you’ll get to authentic Italian without going to Italy. Try everything. Feel free to be adventurous. Amazingly delicious. I’m a South Philly Italian… I love the food here. Best in WC.

Wonderful experience food and service was outstanding. Give this gem a try

Had a reservation for 6:30. We were promptly seated. Orders were taken quickly and appetizers arrived shortly after. Caprese salad was good, butternut squash app was soggy and calamari was under done and rubbery. Waited 45 minutes after apps cleared for our entrees, which arrived and were undercooked, cold or not prepared to our request. Three out of four entrees went back. Wonder what will replace this eatery?

Really can’t say enough about the amazing food here. The ambiance is wonderful and the staff friendly and efficient. But THE FOOD! Really amazing things coming out of the kitchen at this place. It’s a hidden gem for sure.

«Hidden gem», as a few other reviewers have described Laguna Miramare, is a perfect description for this restaurant. The owners are attentive and clearly care deeply about the food and diners’ experience.
To those who have noted that it is a bit more expensive than other restaurants in the area: assuming you drink, it’s hard to get worked up about a few extra dollars when the restaurant is BYO. And those extra dollars are well spent here.
This restaurant will thrive here and would thrive even downtown among the other top BYOB’s.

Living in Philly for a few years, I’ve been able to try several of the primo restaurants in the area. Having been to LM a few times now, I am confident in saying that it matches up stride for stride with most of those.
Of course, with a restaurant of this quality, the service is always on point. My waiters have always been attentive and warm without hovering over my shoulder. They show up at the right times, and I never have to wait long if I need attention for any reason.
The food is also extremely high quality. This isn’t the «Italian» food you find at chain restaurants. This style of food comes straight from Italy, even down to the way the menu is presented. You won’t find Americanized dishes like chicken parm or spaghetti and meatballs. What you will find is traditional dishes expertly prepared.
The bolognese sauce is decadent, the pasta has always been light and springy, and the meat cooked perfectly, succulent and moist. Get the Caesar salad: it’s always a treat to have one made tableside by someone who knows what they’re doing.
Remember, it’s BYOB, which increases the value. Bring some decent wine and friends, and you can spend some time enjoying Italian food the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

Laguna Miramare is a hidden gem in West Chester. I have an absolutely magical experience every time I visit. Carolyn and Chef Marco, the restaurant’s owners, are incredibly passionate about their restaurant and their food. Their menu is unique– Northern Italian fare that comes specifically from Trieste and the surrounding region. You won’t find anything else like it in Chester or Delaware County (perhaps not even in Philadelphia). Moreover, Chef Marco is a genius at what he does; the food is incredible!
On my last visit, I had the grilled fish, which Carolyn personally fileted table-​side. The ingredients were beautiful and the product was delicious. Also amazing was the grilled octopus, which I had as appetizer. Octopus can be difficult to prepare as cooking it even slightly too long can leave the meat rubbery and tasteless. Laguna Miramare’s version, however, was cooked perfectly. I’ll certainly order it again on my next visit.
I’ve eaten at a lot of the heavyweight restaurants in Philadelphia — Fond, Vetri, Marigold Kitchen, etc. — and I truly believe this restaurant can hang with any of them. Yes, you may spend a little more here than at some other restaurants in the area, but if you’re looking for a genuinely exquisite gastronomic experience and you don’t want to make the trek to Center City, you should definitely come here.
Five stars. Bravo!

Anytime we see both 5 and 1 star local reviews, we need to taste for ourselves. A 4 star for me is quite good. The owner and staff were pleasant and attentive.
We had the baked clams appetizer, 4 very tasty variations on Casino, with fresh bread to dip in the broth.
The Caesar for 2 was made expertly table side by one of the owners. It’s always interesting to see how Italian restaurants trust this Mexican-​invented dish, and we really enjoyed this version.
My wife had a seafood risotto that she loved; I found it a tad salty, but tasty.
I never pass up a soft shell crab special, drenched in butter on perfectly done pasta. I would get it whenever available.
Carolyn, an owner, has a home in Northern Italy, and knows her way around indigenous recipes. Marco, the cook, delivered.
This is not where you go for meatballs and chicken parm. Come here if you enjoy real Italian styled seafood.
The poor acoustic of the previous Butterfish survive, but Laguna promises to address this problem soon.
As a BYOB, the value for money is a very good deal — there are few expert Italian seafood restaurants anywhere, and I am happy we have one here in West Chester.

Our experience at Laguna has always been wonderful and we have been multiple times. Its excellent food, nice location (with parking) and a BYOB. The food is unique, fresh, very seafood based, and healthy. I know one reviewer said they had a bad experience, and I am familiar with how frustrating and maddening that can be (not here, but elsewhere). Please consider giving it another shot. Carolyn and Marco are both very nice and accommodating. I have no vested financial interest in their survival, but I do appreciate small business and the difficulty of the restaurant business. The servers are very, very nice too.

When this restaurant opened up I was so excited. My friend and I went and had a great experience. My friend’s husband knew the owner and she couldn’t have been nicer to us. The food was perfectly prepared and presented.
Later I made a recommendation to a coworker who came back and related a totally opposite tale.
This past Friday I went with two friends who I have known for a very long time. We all were shocked by the rudeness we encountered. First, the owner became visibly angry with us because we were sharing a Caesar salad for two. She made the salad at the table, never looking at us and slamming her spoons as she went along. Not once did she say a word to us during the time we were eating our entrees, which by the way were mediocre at best. When she came to the table to tell us what the desserts were, she looked up in the air and rattled them off, not describing them, acting as though she really would prefer that we not be there. Trust me, we were all very polite and almost afraid to ask why we were being treated so horribly.
Towards the end of the meal, some friends, who are very well known in the West Chester community came in and sat down. (By the way the tables did not start to fill in until this time, so the owner could not claim that she was stressed out) The owner went over to their table, was all smiles and was having a very pleasant conversation with my friends. It became apparent that we were just not worth her curtsey.
Well, I intend to Facebook, Twitter and tell everyone I know not to go to Laguna Miramire. I have lived in West Chester all of my life and I have loads of connections. I would never want anyone to pay (good money) to be treated the way we were treated. By the way the waitress was the best. She was a very sweet young lady and I wish her well.

I have to say my colleague and I had a wonderful lunch yesterday. The rolls are heavenly. Best I ever had. Can’t wait to go back with my husband for dinner. I love this space. Wonderful paintings on the walls. My pasta was good. Mousse pie excellent. I hope this place succeeds. Spread the word. It needs more advertising. I didn’t know it was open and I live five minutes away. How about another article in the Daily Local!

Had a lunch there. Food was very good. Cathy is the best!