Now I understand why the place was empty on a busy Sunday morning. The reviews on Yelp were so positive and I am here to let you know not to believe them at least when it comes to breakfast. Literally just finished one of the worst breakfasts ever. Huevos Rancheros was more like soup, with undercooked black beans and unripe avacado. I'm so glad we didn't order more. read more

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

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

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

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

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

See all

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

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

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

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

See all

Food was bland. Needed more seasoning. No ambiance. Service was good. I won't be going back. Nor would I recommend the restaurant.

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

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

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

Amazing food!! I loved the avocado toast, the server was very accommodating and very nice. The breakfast burrito was loaded and service was amazing. GOOOOOO!!! NOOOOOWWW!!! DONT THINK ABOUT IT JUST GOOOO read more

The alfredo and salmon were so delicious! I love a good garlic bread too. The service was great as well!

Best restaraunt in monterey and Only yelp review i will ever write. Went here like 50 times and the service and food has always been amazing. Love the classic music this place has brings a great ambience. Love this place. read more

Lighthouse Bistro - this food was bomb - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

I wish I could give Lighthouse Bistro a rave review. For the good: the restaurant itself feels nice and cozy, prices were reasonable, the waiter was friendly (albeit rather slow and heavily cologned), and the owner was extremely personable and seemed to really care about the treatment and experience of his guests. Now for the bad. Although the prices were reasonable, the food was rather unremarkable. We ordered the hummus, fried calamari, fish and chips, and pomegranate chicken. The hummus was fine, the calamari was extremely chewy (borderline inedible), the fish in the fish and chips was actually quite nice, but the chips were basic and bland, the pomegranate chicken was overly sauced, slightly dry while the steamed veggies on the side were mushy and lukewarm, the rice was fine. Overall, the food was a miss, and the food is the most important part to us. As we were eating we mentioned to each other that the food was on par with something you'd get at Denny's. So if you enjoy Denny's, you might enjoy Lighthouse Bistro. Beyond the food, we weren't over the moon about the service. The server was friendly, but rather slow and seemed to be fumbling around quite a bit. Our waters remained empty for most of our meal and it look a long time to order our main entrees. This is a new, family owned restaurant. I love supporting family owned businesses, but we were a little turned off by what we were seeing. The owners family (possibly wife and children?) kept popping in and out of the restaurant. The restaurant is rather intimate, so the constant popping in and out was quite disruptive. A preteen child was skipping and running around the restaurant constantly going in and out the front door. Then there were a group of teenagers (maybe the owners daughter and her friends?) just hanging around, walking back and forth in front of the restaurant and occasionally coming in, standing around, walking to the back, and leaving. The whole thing really look away from the experience. Even if the food was amazing, we probably wouldn't come back just because of that experience. Parking on Lighthouse can be a nightmare, but that isn't any fault of the restaurant, just something to be aware of. Maybe in time Lighthouse Bistro will be on par with some of the other amazing restaurants in the area, but not right now. Personally, I'd skip this one for now. read more

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 for lunch and it was definitely a hit. Greek salad was portioned just right and the chicken on top was grilled perfectly. Chicken alfredo was yummy and soo creamy! Clam chowder was delishhh and so flavorful with the perfect garlic bread served on the side (i wish it came with more bread honestly). Finished of with a lava cake for a sweet treat and it was one of the best lava cakes we ever had! So moist, chocolaty, fluffy, and just overall very yummy paired with the vanilla ice cream. Would definitely come again! read more

See all

Super yummy clean and friendly! Nice ambiance and music was not too loud. Very relaxing. read more

Some of the best crabcakes and mango salad I had. Really good. Chicken momo's were good too. read more

We came here for date night while we were visiting Carmel and absolutely loved it! The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the food was amazing. We especially loved the fish and chips and carrot cake! Would definitely recommend this is place if you're in town! read more

See all

Sand dabs piccata was perfectly cooked, well prepared and well presented. For a balance, tzatziki sauce for the rice would have been even better. Turmeric rice was good and veggies were crunchy and that's how we like it. My husband had pomegranate chicken and my friend had gyros. We loved our dining experience today. The waiter was friendly, owner came and spoke to us. The ambiance was amazing with soothing classical music in the background. read more

Lighthouse Bistro - Sanddabs Piccata - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

See all

What a surprise gem. We arrived with our Service Dog around 2pm. We each had an omelet that was very good. We also ordered a meat paddy and scrambled egg white for our dog that she appeared to enjoy as well. Good friendly and attentive service with a warm adult atmosphere. We are local and plan to visit again, maybe around dinner time to experience other menus offerings. read more

Excellent food after our aquarium trip. I normally worry a bit about resistances that cover too many cuisines on one menu but here they nailed everything. We ate a very late lunch (3p) and had the restaurant to ourselves. The server was very congenial, we had a great time. read more

Great service, super friendly host. Food was extremely well priced and very good. Located off of cannery row, so a bit lest touristy which was nice. Great strawberry lemonade! read more

See all

We just had a really nice dinner here and the service was EXTRAORDINARY! It was a slow night because of halloween, so that's why they had extra time to carefully explaint the menu. Their signature dish, the pomegranate chicken, was very good. Also, the sauce for the dumplings was also really good. read more

I haven't been to a restaurant in Monterey, PG, or Carmel that i felt better cared for than at this restaurant. Besides the food tasting incredible and the prices being fair, the attentiveness of the staff really make you have a good experience. Me and my husband started off with the fried artichoke and the Momo. Both of the sauces were great i would say the portions for it are just enough for two people because you'll want to eat a good bit for yourself. Our entres were the chicken alfredo which was standard, no complaints and well cooked but the Sanddabs stole the show. I have never had such flavorful fish 10/10. I didn't even get photos because we dived right in. For dessert the server told us the options and recommended the lava cake which was great but i love a good carrot cake and it did not disappoint. The restaurant is relatively new and i hope it gets more business because it is well deserved! read more

See all

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

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