Vacationing in Monterey, we decided to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday dinner at Nami. We had a reservation for 7:15 pm, and when we arrived, we were surprised to see that the restaurant was mostly empty, especially since the streets outside were packed. The decor was beautiful and had a very upscale, aesthetic atmosphere. Our server was friendly, attentive, and checked on us frequently. The drinks were decent, but nothing memorable. We started with four oysters. Being in Monterey Bay, we expected exceptional seafood, but unfortunately, they were the opposite. The oysters were chewy, and dry, almost as if they had been sitting out for a while. Next, we ordered the ahi tuna. When the food runner quickly set the plate on the table, the sauce splashed all over the table and onto my blouse. Accidents happen, and she did apologize and clean the table, which we appreciated, but it felt like something that could have been avoided with a little more care. The ahi tuna itself- also chewy and dry. We did not finish either appetizer. For our entrees, we both ordered the filet mignon, and my boyfriend added a lobster tail. The filet itself was cooked perfectly, but the lobster was extremely overcooked and tough. Unfortunately, the side dishes also missed the mark. We were looking forward to the mushrooms, but they were soggy and had an almost sour, stale flavor. The entrée was served with au gratin potatoes with a side of thick brown gravy, and the flavors simply didn't complement one another. Instead of feeling like a thoughtfully composed dish created by a chef, it felt like several unrelated flavors placed together on one plate. The overall experience reflected that same feeling. Nami seems to prioritize aesthetics and presentation over the quality and execution of the food. One additional issue was that our table was noticeably unstable. Every time my boyfriend tried to cut through his steak and lobster, the table wobbled so much that I had to hold it steady. That's not something I would expect at this price point. Our bill came to over $250 before tip, and for that cost, we expected the food and overall dining experience to reflect that price. Overall, this was a disappointing birthday dinner and I felt really bad because I was the one who chose this place. While the atmosphere was beautiful and our server was kind, the quality of the food and attention to detail simply didn't justify the price. Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend Nami for a special occasion or fine dining experience. read more

Nami Restaurant - Entrance area - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

The food was good. The service by Juan was excellent. The place was neat and clean. read more

Nami Restaurant - Lobster and steak. - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Such a gem! Food was amazing! Service was great! And the staff were so attentive and nice. Good music and overall a really great place. My family genuinely enjoyed this restaurant from the Sea bass to oysters and sushi! Milan the waiter was awesome! read more

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New restaurant in the former Cibo's space. Great location, right across the street from the Conference Center. It should have been crowded, but on a Monday night, it was not. The beautiful and comfortable bar area was empty. I am celiac (no gluten, not even cross contact). It appears they are getting up to speed on how to handle someone like me. Our server Stephanie was fabulous and determined to accommodate my needs, but she had to talk the chef into it. I mark this up to being newly open. Specifically, I asked whether the Tikka Masala Seabass was GF. From the description, it appears to be. Stephanie said she would double-check with the chef. She came to report that he had said since the pan had cross contact, it wasn't really GF. He suggested that the only GF items were the GF pizzas (they apparently have a dedicated GF oven, which I will definitely be back to try). I asked whether he could make my fish in a clean pan? This is an obvious and easy fix. She cheerfully reported back that he would do that. The fish was delicious, and I ate every bite. My companion tried a roll as an appetizer that she really liked also. Stephanie brought us a lovely GF dessert, comped for my birthday. I would ask that they consider upgrading the wine list to include more reasonably-priced and local non-chardonnay options. The cheapest bottle was House Pinot Grigio, which turned out to be Seaglass ($13 retail), for $56. Pretty steep for that level of wine. And we're in Wine Country in Monterey County. I think the restaurant holds much promise. It is owned by the Pangaea Carmel people, a restaurant that we like very much, and that also seems gluten-safe. read more

Just tried Nami in downtown Monterey and wow... this place already feels like a hidden gem. Everything we ordered was super fresh and clearly made with care. The sushi roll was , perfectly seasoned rice, generous pieces of fish, and that crunchy topping added the perfect texture. Not overly sauced either, which I really appreciate. You can actually taste everything instead of it being drowned out. The shrimp pasta was just as impressive. Creamy, rich, and full of flavor without being heavy. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, and the peppers and onions gave it a really nice balance. Honestly, I didn't expect a pasta dish to hit this hard at a sushi spot, but it absolutely did. Presentation was clean and modern, the vibe was calm and inviting, and service was friendly and attentive without hovering. For a new restaurant, they're already doing a lot right. If you're in Monterey and want something a little different but still comforting and high quality, Nami is 100% worth checking out. I'll definitely be back. read more

Nami Restaurant - Spicy Crab Crunch Roll - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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If you come to Monterey you got to stop by Nami, the food is so good and flavorful. Service is top notch from the servers to the bartenders Cadillac margaritas with the Lalo tequila omg a must have. read more

Nami Restaurant - 6 year old birthday gift - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Fantastic service. We brought our rowdy toddler and our dog, and the servers couldn't be more welcoming. They even heated our daughter's food, gave water bowl to our dog and comped several desserts for my son's birthday dinner. Definitely a must if you are staying at the Marriott or portola! Special shout out for Pedro for his hospitality! read more

I came here on a Saturday to have some pregame drinks and apps with my girl. We had the Cinnamon Sunset Cocktail, Sakura Sparkler, Espresso martini and a local draft IPA. For the apps we tried their calamari and crab cakes and we shared a medium-well ribeye entree. Everything was spot on. They had live music tonight we enjoyed. The Bartender definitely knows what she is doing-they don't skimp out on the drinks! Our server told us that the owners also operate Pangaea Grill and Sur at the Barnyard in Carmel so it is no surprise everything was this amazing. Very great and attentive service, everyone was so friendly. read more

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We ordered the calamari and fish tacos the first night we were here and it was so good! the only place that we tried this weekend that wasn't disappointing tbh. They were also very accommodating as we had a cat,dog, and wheelchair with us :) We are leaving tomorrow so we are gonna go back one last time read more

Nami Restaurant - Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Outstanding service and delicious food definitely one of our top restaurant picks. The new menu is excellent, highly recommended, and very kid-friendly! read more

Nami Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Cannot say enough about Pedro our waiter. Truly warm and welcoming. Always goes above what I expect for service. Knows how to take care of people. Food here is excellent. Wish more people would go! You will not regret the time you spend here. You will want to go back not only for the food but for the family feel you get from the staff team. You can actually watch the restaurant working together. It's pretty cool. read more

I wanted to try this place after it's grand opening, reviews and write ups were good. I tried it when it was Cibo and was not too impressed, as the restaurant seemed to focus on getting tourists in, and so much on food. I feared the new Nami would do the same. Turns out my fear might have been right. My husband and I went in on the second opening night. It was a Thursday, but one would think that for a grand opening, not to mention all people in town for an event at the Golden State Theater, the restaurant would be busy. I ordered a craft cocktail, which was good. But there was so many variations on the menu, Japanese, Italian - Steak with bok choy? My husband was interested in ribeye but not the bok choy. In short, the menu was too confusing with too many items to think about. With all these items, the prices were pretty high also. If we were to pay $50 per steak, we'd go to a steakhouse. If we're gonna pay around $30 for Ramen, we go to Japanese restaurant. We paid for the drink and ended up leaving to go somewhere else, that a more straightforward menu and livelier vibe - the cooks in the back looked bored. I feel the prices and many options are catering more to tourist. Perhaps if I have family coming to visit, I may go back to try it again. read more

Wonderful experience, staff was amazing and food was excellent. Location was also wonderful easy to get to. read more

Nami Restaurant - Steak and lobster - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Stephanie and the team provided amazing, friendly service on top of tasty drinks & delicious food. I had been celebrating my birthday with a group of 14 for dinner, and all of us could not be more glad we chose Nami. 10/10 read more

We ordered a burger meat was cooked as asked, medium althoughthe bun was soggy....seating for to long at the counter perhaps??. The tuna poke was fine nothing special. They need to work on the white rice offered for the sashimi. California rolls were warm and seem like they sat in the counter for a while as well. We unfortunately did not see the menu prior to entering the restaurant but its not Japanese food, it has some Japanese options that are just ok. read more

Great food! Great Service! Great atmosphere! Italian, Japanese, Steak, pizza excellent menu

This place used to be an Italian place but I never got the chance to try it. Now it's an Asian infused Italian restaurant which is a bit interesting combination. The inside of the place seems like it's a super fancy restaurant but I didn't get to take a good look of the decor too much. There was a big sheet of paper on the table so while we waited for our food, we were just drawing on the big sheet of paper. It was relatively nice to have to keep us occupied. When the food came out, we weren't as impressed as we expected. The food was okay... I got an egg tofu soup which was pretty good. My sister got California rolls and the portions of the rolls were super small.. probably the same diameter as a quarter. She ate all of it in 2 minutes... definitely not filling but the price made it seem like it should've been enough. We also shared shrimp tempura rolls. It wasn't too bad but they were poorly wrapped so it fell apart the moment you tried picking them up from the place. My other sister got the dumpling ramen and it was just broth and dumplings. We assumed there would be noodles in the soup but there wasn't. Something I did like is that the owner approached our table and was asking for feedback. He did ask for honest feedback and we did inform him about our thoughts about a few of the dishes. He was very open to hearing us out and you can tell that he wants to improve the place. Him introducing himself and wanting to hear customer feedback is something you don't come across too often. The pricey for the quality and quantity is questionable but I have good expectations for it to be good considering the own also owns another restaurant in Carmel! read more

Excellent service and food. Love the new menu. Juan M is amazing. Thank you for a fabulous time. read more

Nami Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

After a day of golfing, I was craving pasta. We walked across the street to this restaurant & decided to come in. First, I ordered my lemon drop martini, yum. And I am very picky. But the bartender nailed it. And then I decided on the Chili Garlic Shrimp Scampi. IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!! So much flavor!! I would have taken a picture but it was so good, I didn't want to put my fork down. Our waitress was extremely friendly & super sweet. Inside the restaurant was very nice, but it was such a gorgeous evening, we wanted to sit outside. I wish we were staying longer so I could have my meal again. read more

Amazing staff, very clean and welcoming. Best crab cake I've ever had, the shrimp egg rolls are amazing. The steak sandwich literally melts in your mouth. Great location, highly recommend. 10/10 read more

Nami is a hidden gem! Amazing food, beautiful presentation, and live entertainment that makes the whole experience unforgettable. The atmosphere is lively and fun, and the service is top-notch. Can't wait to go back! read more

The ambiance was great. The service was wonderful and the food was delicious. We ordered 3 pupu plates. The raw oyster and two sashimi - so good. My husband ordered the red snapper and I had a pizza. The variety of entries was great read more

Wonderful ambiance. Great bolognese. And Pedro was the perfect server. I totally recommend.

Amazing food and excellent service. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience enjoyable. Highly recommend read more

Nami Restaurant - Amazing food and excellent service. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience enjoyable. Highly recommend - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Sadly, our first try of the new Nami was a disappointment. The menu seems like they are trying to be everything to everyone or at least Japanese and Italian, which is very odd. I ordered spring rolls with spicy peanut sauce and out came fried egg rolls with hoisin sauce and a sweet chili sauce. ‍ We also ordered the Wahoo sashimi and Tuna Sashimi. The waiter came back over after a bit and told us they were out of Wahoo. The service was friendly but inconsistent. Food came out very slowly. They obviously have some kinks to work out. read more

The food and service are great. Nice and clean restaurant and walkable distance from our hotel. The restaurant is under new management and Definitely recommend. read more

The food was really good. But the lounge had such a great vibe! Especially Michelle who's behind the bar she provided great service!!!

It was so bad. I ordered the filet and it took forever to arrive. Given that I was the only person in the entire restaurant, the wait time was surprising. The Diet Coke I ordered was flat and tasted stale. When the filet arrived, the side of mushrooms was grey and soggy, the "demi glace" was congealed and sour, and the filet itself tasted old or expired. It looked like it was microwaved or heated up after being cooked at an earlier time? I don't know...I took one bite and had to send it back because I didn't want food poisoning. I hate to write reviews like this, but hopefully the restaurant does some soul-searching with this kind of feedback. The server was nice, I felt bad for him. read more

This new restaurant is an excellent addition to the Monterey Peninsula. The food, the service, the atmosphere, everything about it is great! We will certainly be going back and of course we recommend it. read more

WOW! My first time at Nami was absolutely amazing. From the service, to ambiance, to quality of food; everything was knocked out of the park. We started with the crab cakes and it really got us excited for our main dishes. They were absolutely to die for. I got the filet and added a lobster tail and it was one of the best dishes I've had from a restaurant in a long time. The filet truly melted in my mouth and the lobster was cooked perfectly. This is the perfect date night spot and would highly recommend trying it out, you absolutely will not regret it! read more

Nami Restaurant - Crab cakes - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Check out this awesome Asian fusion restaurant! Upon walking in, I was pleasantly surprised by the decor & ambience. I brought my 90-year-old mom as we were visiting the Monterey area. I'm vegetarian & my mom is not. Nami definitely catered to both of us. My first indicator to return to the restaurants is customer service. Whoa! The entire staff were friendly & accommodating. Ohh, btw, the lava cake was scrumptious! Highly recommend this place! read more

Awesome food. The service is great and very friendly with the customers. Very recommended read more

Nami Restaurant - Garlic Cheese Bread and Vegetable Tempura - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Stopped in on family vacation and found a pleasant ambiance and friendly service. They made us a fun and festive mocktail. Pizza, oysters rockafeller, prawn paparadelle, and tuna poke was delicious. Music playing but at a volume that allowed dinner conversation. Not a chain. Will return the next time we are in town. This is a great place to come eat if every one wants to eat different kinds of food. Everything was fresh and delicious! read more

Nami Restaurant - Tables and decor - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Delicious food, gracious service. Our group had sushi, ramen, grilled fish and pasta-- and everyone raved about their dish. The tuna poke appetizer was a great value-- such a generous portion and like everything else, fresh and tasty. read more

I'm sorry.. but this was not good. I asked for certain things didn't get them The bathroom smelled like sewer. We were told there was going to be music. There was never any music.. very disappointed. read more

Lunch at Nami did not disappoint! The service was thorough and friendly. The dishes we ordered were delicious. We started off with the ahi sashimi, which was melt in your mouth good. The sauce it had was also yummy. We tried the raw oysters and they were fresh and creamy, and came with some good horseradish. For our lunch entrees, I got the bento box and my fiancé got the skirt steak sandwich. Tempura had a perfect crunch, the chicken was juicy, rice was fluffy, and the salad was fresh. My fiancé was stoked on his sandwich, his steak was tender, the veggies were cooked perfectly, the aioli was good, the bread was great, and the fries were crispy and stayed that way throughout the duration of our lunch. We will definitely be coming back to try more items on the menu and enjoy the good vibes. read more

Nami Restaurant - Skirt Steak Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Service was good. Food was terrible. Maybe cause it was during lunch but everything had no flavor.

If you're in Monterey, you have to try Nami. Such a fun spot! The music was great and the whole vibe was cool but still relaxed. I got the spicy rigatoni and it was sooo good! The lavender moon drop cocktail was light, a little floral, and delicious. Plus the birthday cheesecake was phenomenal!! Shoutout to our server Juan for being so sweet and attentive. He made the night even better. Definitely coming back! read more

Here in town for a vacation. Juan our server was top notch. Nami has a very welcoming atmosphere. Juan went above and beyond to get us what we needed and made sure we were taken care of. The music playing in the back ground was a good vibe but not too loud. The Japanese/Italian mix is something you didn't know you needed. The Spicy Rigatoni was delicious. I would recommend the plate. A few of the others at the table got sushi and said it was phenomenal. Overall I would recommend this to anyone. Has something to eat for everyone. From steak, to sushi, to pasta to garlic bread and calamari. read more

Nami is the place to be in Monterey! Came for a friends birthday, Juan took great care of us. Drinks were not just delicious, but aesthetic too. Atmosphere is versatile. Got the spicy vodka rigatoni, sashimi, and crunchy crab rolls. Everything was fresh and cooked well. read more

Nami Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California