We stopped in for lunch on a Friday while visiting town. The place was quiet but the owner was attentive and our food came out quickly. The beef gyro was fantastic, one of the best I've ever had. The inside is nice, so don't be discouraged by the older look of the exterior of the building. If I had more time in town, I would've returned for another meal. read more

Lighthouse Bistro - It's not often you find Lebanese beer. - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

After a full morning exploring near the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we were running on empty when my daughter found Lighthouse Bistro just a couple of blocks away--and it could not have been a better discovery. From the outside, it's unassuming with a bit of sidewalk seating, but step inside and it completely transforms. Crisp white tablecloths, each topped with a single flower--simple, elegant, and welcoming. You immediately get the sense that care goes into everything here. The menu is described as "Global Cuisine," and it absolutely delivers. * The Roasted Beet Salad with Chicken was outstanding. My daughter took a the owners dressing recommendation --He assured her he'd redo the dish if it wasn't perfect. * The Caprese appetizer with heirloom tomatoes and balsamic was fresh and beautifully balanced. * The Nepalese dumplings (we chose chicken). Easily some of the best I've ever had. The dipping sauce--bright, herbaceous, likely cilantro-based--was next level. Truly unforgettable. Ralph was present, engaged, and genuinely invested in the experience. It shows in both the food and the atmosphere. read more

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Delicious, clean, fresh food! Great service, great ambiance and great value!! We'll def come back again, even tho we're only in town for 3 days. So glad we found this place on the 1st day! read more

This unassuming place is on a busy street near Cannery Row. There's parking on the street and we found a parking spot right in front of the restaurant. We arrived around 5 pm on a Wednesday and were seated right away. It's a small restaurant so it's good to keep this in mind if you have a large group. It took a minute to get menus and our drink order in but we weren't in any hurry. Staff were friendly and the area was very clean. I ordered the linguine with clams, which was an excellent choice. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the clams were delicious. There's a variety of dishes to choose from so it would be a great choice for anyone looking for a good meal. read more

Lighthouse Bistro - Pasta with clams - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

Every year I take all the moms out to brunch for Mother's Day. I made reservations for 9 after reading the reviews from Yelp (4.7 stars). Let's start with the good things. The breakfast was very delicious and everyone was satisfied with their meals. I ordered the crab cake Benedict and was very pleased. The lady that worked there was also pretty nice as well. The temperature outside was in the 50s and I asked the owner if I could close the door and he said he would in a little bit, but never did. I had to get up and close it myself since all the moms and guests were freezing. I got up 2 other times after that and asked the lady that worked there if she wouldn't mind closing it. If you eat here, just be mindful of that door. It was pretty annoying to say the least. There were also people filming inside which made our brunch feel intruded. Additionally, they came by maybe one time to check on us or offer refills or other needs. Not good, considering we're a party of 9. Rarely write reviews, but if it helps others to make an informed decision...I'm there for them. All in all, I would give them an 8 rating for the food but a hard 2 stars for service and experience. We're locals here in Monterey and probably wouldn't give this place another chance unfortunately. read more

Fabulous Out of this world crab ravioli!!! The appetizer was yummy -gone before i could look twice 5.0 rating read more

A hidden gem! The food was delicious and the service was amazing in every way. They don't even serve breakfast on weekdays, but insisted on letting us order from the breakfast menu because the kids wanted it. We were so appreciative! Seriously, the food was incredible. We ordered: chicken and waffles, French toast, lighthouse burger, and hummus with handmade pita bread. Yummy!! Our server was so nice and attentive and lovely. The ambiance is adorable and the music is great tokWe loved this restaurant and will be back for sure! Thank you, Lighthouse Bistro!!! read more

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Food had good taste and flavor. Arrived on time and hot. Thought there is not a kids meal, our server suggested options for us to order. Excellent service. read more

Came here with a group of 6 on Thursday evening. For starters we had hummus, fried artichoke, calamari and baba ghanough, all were good. We shared vegan pasta and grilled salmon, they were so nice to split into two plates for us. We also had a cheese pizza. The entree were all great. We were told that the restaurant was newly opened and have a quick chat with the passionate owner. A little surprise from the restaurant- baklava home made by the owner's wife, it's great and not too sweet like the normal one. We have a great time. read more

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My wife and I came to Monterey for our anniversary, and wanted a lovely seafood dinner, we saw the 4.8 Yelp rating for Lighthouse Bistro and thought we couldn't go wrong. How mistaken we were. We both dine out often, are decent home cooks, and know quality food. We tried 2 appetizers, the fried calamari and beef momos, and were not impressed, both seemed to have food service frozen written all over them, they didn't taste freshly prepared or make us want more. The sauces served with both could have been right out of a bottle. We also tried the seafood cioppino and seafood paella. Heavy sigh. We are both very familiar with quality cioppino and paella, such a disappointment. Both lacked any traditional seasoning, depth of flavor, or culinary skill . The cioppino wasn't served with any crusty bread at all. The "paella" even had 2 unopened mussels in it. These should never have been served. Even the iced tea was weak and flavorless. My wife ate almost none of her meal, we actually drove to in-n-out after so she wouldn't have to go back to our room hungry. The service was OK, friendly enough, but even then we were never offered a refill of water or tea. I am not in the habit of leaving reviews such as this, but felt it was my duty to leave some sort of an advisory. I have no idea how they are the highest rated seafood restaurant on the Monterey peninsula, but I have my suspicions. read more

I'm so glad we have this modern restaurant in our neck of the woods. It's beautiful designed to be elegant, we felt like we were in Italy with the music and the interior feel. The owner well very kind and provided great detail in the specials and proposed the chicken momos on the rainy cold day. Best momo's I've ever had. Not even kidding. The food here is amazing. My wife opted for the sand dabs and I the chicken Alfredo. I'm again not even kidding both dishes were amazing and full of flavor. This is what Monterey was missing, a place that actually has flavor in there dishes. We will definitely be returning and plan on spreading the word of this amazing restaurant. read more

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It is a lovely little restaurant. Kind attendance, great service, good food. Great for a romantic evening with Sinatra and low light. Loved it, would come back again. read more

Lighthouse Bistro - Ambiance - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

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Eating here is equivalent to sitting down at a family's table - a family who love to feed people. My children had the chicken Alfredo which they both enjoyed and finished. My husband partook in the pomegranate chicken and I wanted to take it from him but I was also enjoying their chicken curry. It's just such new flavors to enjoy. I highly recommend a visit. The atmosphere is so welcoming and lovely. We enjoyed our time here. I wish I had taken pictures !!! read more

This was our first visit and we really like the food, atmosphere and service. We had the fattoush salad and cioppino and both were excellent. So was the homemade bakhalava. Service was attentive and friendly. Will definitely go here again! read more

I have to say that the best thing at this restaurant was the customer service. We were greeted at the door and sold in trying the food for the first time. We ordered hummus, fried artichoke, clam chowder soup, and chicken kabobs. The fried artichoke was okay, not too bad. The hummus was good too. But, when it came to the clam chowder soup, which was one thing we were looking forward to, it was too watery, lacking flavor, and had more potatoes than clams. The chicken kabobs were lacking flavor and vegetables. The only veggie they had was green peppers. No onions, no tomatoes, very basic. The rice that came with the kabobs was also bland. I hate to leave this review, but based on the raving reviews from other customers, we definitely were expecting more flavor and quality with our meal. read more

It was wonderful! My friend and I came in during an outage in Carmel and the staff was incredibly warm and welcoming. They went above and beyond in everything! We had their pita and hummus, as well as the salmon and it was INCREDIBLE!. The inside is lovely and had great ambiance! Would come back again and again! read more

Lighthouse Bistro - Hummus - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

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I wish we could take a picture of our food to share but we finished everything on our plates before we could think of it. DELICIOUS, fresh food, and a great environment! And great value! We could have paid much more for food this good in another restaurant! You can taste how dedicated they are in preparing every dish. We had the salmon and pomegranate chicken and we loved both of them! We were served by the owner who was so kind and gracious. Best baklava ever!!! If you come just for the baklava you won't be disappointed! read more

Food was delicious, the sandab picatta was amazing, flavorful, light and perfectly cooked. The service was very good as well. The owner very attentive and kind. They have only been poke for 8 months. Come support this family owned business, you won't be dissapointed! read more

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Wow what a great little spot! The music and setting was very cozy. We had both the chicken entrees as well as the chicken pot stickers. Everything was delicious. The vegetables on the side were perfect. Ralph took care of us with a complementary homemade baklava! It was the perfect amount of sweet. Would definitely be back if I'm passing through and would highly recommend. read more

Lighthouse Bistro - Sign outside - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

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What a pleasant experience! Ralph (?sp), owner, was our gracious host and waiter. We arrived just after 11 AM on a Friday morning, craving breakfast. Hubby and I ordered waffles and bacon. Food arrived exactly how we requested it, was hot and delicious. No other patrons in the restaurant the whole time we were there. Nice and quiet for us, but I'm sure the restaurant could use some breakfast business! Perhaps the lunch & dinner crowd is larger. Can't wait to try lunch or dinner next time we're in town! Located right across the street from Goodwill on lighthouse Avenue. Two or three small tables outside too, which I'm sure are pet friendly. Go check this place out! read more

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Ambiance was nice. Service was spectacular. You can tell the owner really cares about his customers. read more

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Excellent food. We have been trying new restaurants and this by far is our favorite. The sand dabs and chicken kabobs are an excellent choice on the menu. read more

Lighthouse Bistro - Entrance sign - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

Go out of the main road and find this gem restaurant Lebanese cuisine with an twist Try the crab cakes appetizer, crab ravioli with the Pinot noir wine and finish with the home made baklava The warm and friendly owner and chef- all for the right price I'll definitely come back again read more

We recently had a family outing brunch over the thanksgiving long weekend at Lighthouse Bistro. The location of the bistro is very convenient and the good part is they also serve breakfast menu along with lunch menu. We had plenty of food and drinks options to choose from including for the kids. We ordered Mediterranean Omelet, Vegetarian Omelet, Breakfast Burrito, Veggie Pasta, Margaritas, Cinderella, Kids Pasta with Juice. Everything was delicious and pricing was reasonable. The service was good and the place was clean. Only thing is you have to wait a bit if it is overly crowed ! read more

Lighthouse Bistro - Strawberry Margarita - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

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Their paella and cioppino were both wonderful! Wine and beer ++++. Comfortable and friendly surroundings. We will be back!!

Great Sandabs! Wonderful attentive service. Reasonable prices. We were there on our 50th anniversary trip and it certainly was a highlight. Very friendly and interesting owner. Highly recommended. Joel - SF Bay Area read more

We stopped for lunch here. Our gracious host made us a couple of drinks that were quite good. For eats we split the chicken Alfredo which was very good. We finished with the tiramisu for dessert which was also quite delish! This was a great place for a nice meal with excellent service, thank you! read more

Everthing went well the service, the super chill ambiene Friendly staff, etc I've been coming here for four years and it's epic and,Maria and Hebnifer were both above par servers read more

Nice remodel on a busy street which will hopefully continue to attract customers. I had lunch on Thursday to take advantage of their locals discount. Discovered once the bill came that the 20% discount applies only to entrees and not the two appetizers we bought so I will know for next time. My chicken fajitas were good and plentiful but nothing special. Came with two small corn tortillas when I asked for them and I'm guessing I could have asked for more. My daughter enjoyed her chicken , rice, and tzatziki pita sandwich which was made to order with the cold items on the side. The fried calamari was light and crispy with a nice sauce. Service was attentive and I will be back for Thursdays locals discount to try more entrees. Note: there were several typos on the menu that I'm assuming the owner would like to edit and we'd be happy to point them out so his lunch menu is corrected (if he'd like our help to do so and the menu was still very readable). We parked on the street two blocks away with 2 hours limit. Other parking has less time. I think they have some designated spots in the back read more

Super quaint and elegant Mediterranean-style fusion restaurant to have lunch or dinner. They cooked to order and the food was delicious- chicken was juicy and salad was light and fresh. Child friendly, very clean, gluten-free options, halal .... Reasonably priced. A cute hidden gem. read more

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Everything here is lovingly homemade and incredibly delicious. The service is so friendly and too notice. Definitely need to come back for their Baba Ganoush and Cioppino. Oh my god, and that homemade baklava is to die for!! Beautiful, warm and cozy/intimate/relaxing atmosphere. Incredible experience!! Oh, and almost forgot to mention that their prices are soooo reasonable!! read more

Lighthouse Bistro - Cioppino - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

Street parking or in lot bt aquarium. Food was very good for what we ordered. Sanddab piccatta was excellent, capers, garlic and lemon sauce with mini tomato bits. No bones at all only skin on filet. Pizza with cheese and red pepper flakes was good. Service was excellent, came and got me refills to soda 3 times. Coffee was refilled. Ambiance somewhat cozy as this was not a large restaurant. 4 stars out of 5. read more

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I ordered seafood pasta and crab cakes for takeout when I stayed in the area on vacation recently. The restaurant was a bit tough to spot at first, not being familiar with the neighborhood, but I did find street parking across the street. The dining room is cozy, but pleasant, and the staff are all very kind and welcoming. The food was delicious, although I imagine I didn't sample it at its peak of freshness after a decent drive back to the AirBnB. I will save this place to try again for dine in next time I'm in the area. read more

Best darn eggs Benedict I've ever had Along with the yellow potatoes that were cooked to tender perfection, the sauce or cream or whatever it was on my English muffin that held my Benedict was superb!!!! The owners are so friendly and they kept our coffee full and HOT. I will definitely return to this establishment and leave my money there anytime ! We were shopping across the street and even told us we could go back in to use the bathroom if we needed too. Not many establishments will even let you use their facilities to wash your hands so I give them 5 stars only because there aren't 6 to give !!! read more

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We had a fantastic dinner at Lighthouse Bistro. I ordered the seafood skewers, a special that came with salmon and shrimp -- perfectly seasoned, fresh, and beautifully grilled. My husband tried the lamb kebabs, which were tender and flavorful, and we started with the babaghanoush appetizer, which was creamy and rich without being heavy. Every dish felt carefully prepared and thoughtfully balanced. One tip for future diners: don't let the online reservation system discourage you. The app showed the restaurant as fully booked until 7 p.m., but we went earlier and the place was empty. It seems there's a glitch in their reservation system, so don't hesitate to walk in or call. Great food, relaxed vibe, and a nice addition to a Monterey evening out. Highly recommend! read more

Everything went well!!!!! The ambiance, the service and the food. There was nothing that took a star away. A Formally informal bistro hidden on the main drag, Lighthouse, I'm glad we took the time to find it. We started with a beet salad, which we split at no extra charge. Then The clam chowder had more clams than anything else, the timing of the food service was uncanny. Finally I had the lobster ravioli and the sauce was out of this world and my guy had the blackened salmon which was so fresh it could have been called get in the bay moments before. We turned the cannoli which is a shame. Definitely coming back next time read more

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Excellent food from many cultures. We started with Nepalese with chicken Momos (like potstickers) and spicy beef Choila. Both were excellent. The choila had a good spicy luck to it and really tender beef. For main course I had the pomegranate chicken which was a lightly glazed chicken breast. Came with rice and veggies. Tasty. My wife has the chicken curry which has a lot of flavor and the same sides. Also tasty. Wednesday they have a wine special which made it very reasonable along with the other prices on the menu being pretty good. Service was excellent, fine dining at locals prices. read more

The food was simply fantastic! Had the fried artichoke, crab ravioli, and clam chowder. All of it was so good! The pasta was perfectly al dented and flavorful. And loved the clam chowder so much bought 2 bowls to go! Had their baklava as well! One off the best I've ever had! Not too sweet and perfect texture for both the dough & the filling Highly recommend on food alone! The cherry on top was that the service was attentive and prompt. Graciously answered our questions too. Had a wonderful ambiance that was accommodating for kids. Next time I'm in monetary, this'll be my first stop! read more

We tried Lighthouse Bistro today for lunch and big thumbs up! I had a gyro, husband had the shawarma. Both delish. Lovely atmosphere, fine service. It's where Mando's used to be. And guess what! You can get a nice lunch for under $15! That's unheard of in this area for such a nice classy place. Give 'em a try! They've only been open one week so far. read more

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What a pretty restaurant (recently renovated) with incredible, attentive and friendly service! My husband and I stopped for lunch and had the Margherita pizza and a Caesar salad. The pizza had a thinner crust baked to a golden crisp and just the right amount of sauce, seasoned to perfection and with plenty of mozzarella cheese without overdoing it. The owner was so friendly and served us some delicious baklava for dessert. I recommend this family run restaurant with gusto! Second review: This was my second visit in two days to this wonderful restaurant. I had the caprese salad as a starter. Wow!! the mozzarella is farm fresh! The heirloom tomatoes are big and juicy and so vibrant, and the balsamic so delightful. Next came the chicken kabobs which did not disappoint! Very tender and perfectly seasoned. I asked the incredibly friendly owner why he was giving us such a VIP treatment and he said all his customers are VIPs! Such a kind man who welcomes you as if you are a guest at his home. The best experience! I love the look of this family run restaurant also. Casual but chic! read more

Lighthouse Bistro - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

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