Monica W.

My family and I came to visit Monterey Bay for Mother's Day weekend and it was a nice and relaxing dinner. We booked Stokes Adobe for table of 8 (including two small toddlers) They brought out little coloring paper & crayons which was super nice of them. We were seated in a private area which was nice since our two small toddlers like to walk around and it's less distraction. We did family style and ordered a bit of everything! Crispy potatoes: Love the carbs! The potatoes were crispy and delicious. The lemon truffle crema sauce was so yummy! Oysters: Definitely order half shell oysters! They were delicious! Hamachi: This was okay, nothing special to be honest sinc Mussels: This one was also delicious as well. It was made with white wine and tomato broth with butter, shallot, garlic. Beets salad: You can't go wrong with ordering a beet salad! The honey vinaigrette was delicious! Santa Cruz King Salmon: This dish was simple but tasty. The Meyer lemon sauce went well with the salmon. 12oz Pork chop: The meat was soft and easy to bite into. The cauliflower puree was delicious! Snake River American Wagyu: I thought the steak was okay. It was a bit too rare for me personally but my husband liked it! Brussels sprouts: Yummmm! Love the crispy Brussels sprouts. Overall service was great and the food was good. The only downside of the night was not getting the duck liver mousse toast. Not sure why the order went through when we mentioned in the beginning but hope to try it next time we're in town.

Monty H.

Beautiful upscale place in a historic structure, plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Service was great, and waiter knew the menu well and had good recommendations. I don't think the portions are worth the price as the main dishes are pretty small, but in terms of quality everything tasted amazing. They do have a happy hour, which we caught the tail end of, definitely worth trying.

Heather M.

I wasn't sure about this place at first. It had a very small menu that is quite pricey. However I was blown away! Stokes is in a ln old historical building so it's an interesting atmosphere. The service was perfect! The drinks from the bar are inventive, beautiful, and perfectly crafted. We started with the rosemary focaccia and fresh butter. A great start. The tuna crudo was fresh and topped with lemon, shallots, and fried capers. It was a very good portion. The bolognese was incredible!! The flavor from the pancetta really came through and added a unique flavor to the homemade pasta. The chicken Milanese was perfectly crispy and juicy chicken breast in a bed of vodka sauce and topped with fresh baby kale and sunflower sprouts dressed in lemon. Sooo good and sooo filling!

Janelle M.

Based on the menu and the ambiance we narrowed down our options to this place. Service was great. The only complaint was that several of the drinks and menu options were different than what was reflected online. Appetizers- we had the shrimp tostada and the octopus. Both were great and we would order them again. Mains- I was looking forward to having the halibut and Luli Pinot noir but these options were not available. Instead I had the salmon and it was amazing! I don't know if it was deep fried but it was crispy on all sides. I will be dreaming about this salmon. My husband had the cavatelli and he really enjoyed that. Dessert- I forget the name of our drink but it was like an espresso martini on the rocks with a vanilla foam and orange zest on top. We'll be trying this at home. We had the panna cotta and affogato. The panna cotta was more like a parfait and tasted like yogurt. I would definitely return next time we're in Monterey. Fantastic!

Helen N.

Stokes Adobe has consistently been one of my favorite restaurants to visit whenever I'm in the area. The experience never disappoints. Grace took exceptional care of us -- she offered thoughtful recommendations, was genuinely attentive, and maintained that perfect balance of being present without ever hovering. The level of service extended beyond just our table; you could see the same care given to everyone around us. Thank you, Grace! The menu is always evolving, which keeps each visit fresh and exciting. There's a real sense of creativity behind the dishes. I also appreciate the designated parking in the back -- it makes the experience that much more convenient. Whether you choose to sit inside or outside, you really can't go wrong. The ambiance works beautifully in both settings. Stokes Adobe continues to be a place I look forward to returning to.

Annie H.

My boyfriend took me here for my birthday dinner last night. What a romantic experience. The ambiance is gorgeous; it's been a minute since I've seen real candles lit at a table. There are different rooms, and we were seated in one that had a lovely bookshelf beside us. Parking is not too difficult; there's plenty of street parking! Our server was so sweet without being intrusive, it can feel a bit awkward at times going to a restaurant when the servers are required to ask how we're doing every .5 seconds. That was not the case here. We ordered the Caviar Service, Crispy Potatoes with Lemon Truffle Crema, and a Duck Liver Mousse Toast for starters. As for our shared entree, we picked the Big Sur Chanterelle Tagliolini. Our server made sure that the pacing that the food would be coming out at would be to our preference, and communicated it nicely. Which, by the way, all came out in a timely manner. The Caviar Service was beautiful. I appreciated how they plated it all. It comes with 30g of white sturgeon caviar resting on ice, chives, creme fraiche, potato chips, and blinis. Tasted great, nothing to complain about, we had fun with it. The Crispy Potatoes with Lemon Truffle Crema were delicious! Crisped up to perfection. It was definitely a bit filling for a starter, but great nonetheless. The Duck Liver Mousse Toast? I'd write home about that. I loved how the vinaigrette sweetened and brightened up those flavors, and the parsley went beautifully with it all. The thinly sliced shallots were gorgeous. Our Big Sur Chanterelle Tagliolini had housemade pasta, and you could really taste a difference! I'm a big texture girl, so it made the experience so enjoyable. Chanterelles are my favorite mushrooms, so I was so happy with how they melted in my mouth. 10/10! For dessert, I decided to go with the very popular Yelp review: The Chocolate Budini! I agree, it is probably one of the best desserts that I've ever had. The textures of a delicate, crispy wafer with the little chocolate balls and soft mousse come together for a great mouthfeel. It's balanced, not too sweet or bitter. I decided to try the pistachio gelato since I love anything pistachio flavored, and it did not disappoint. Overall, amazing experience. I would definitely come back.

Jenny X.

Solid place to go with a big group - apparently it's haunted! Good: - The tagliatelle bolognese was really good and good portion sizes too! - The ambiance is really nice and quiet for a deep catchup with friends - The staff are really nice - The ice cream with coconut milk here was so good! I just had a few Bad: The food and service took forever - we had to wait over 30 min to get the check - Relatively expensive compared to other places in the area Overall this was good for a longer leisurely dinner if you aren't in a rush! We escaped traffic back to SF afterwards.

Evangeline E.

OMG OMG OMG HOW HAVE I NOT BEEN HERE!! I reserve the integrity of my 5 star reviews and this absolutely deserves it. The definition of California cuisine. Everything is fresh with the rotating seasonal menu. The pate mouse toast was the star the saltiness was so good with the caramelized onions to add some sweetness. The pasta was a unique flavor and had a bite to it. Steak was perfectly tender, seasoned well, and loved the veggies with it. Octopus was a tad tough, but flavor was great and the sauce had this rich flavor to it. Exceptional cocktails and wine offerings. Service was top notch we ate here on a weeknight with our 1-year old and they picked up and replaced our utensils when my daughter threw them on the floor (whoops). Super nice staff answered all our questions and never left us hanging. Food came out fast and was hot. Ambiance was a cool vibe. Outside had fire pits to hang out and inside had a bar. We sat in the dining room area and it was very cozy and intimate feeling.

Kevin S.

Visited this restaurant for Mother's day. Ironically, even though I have lived in the area for decades somehow I missed this one. Saw some reviews and photos on Yelp and decided to give it a try. As my reviews tend to be lengthy let me summarize up front and add the details for those more interested. Service was 5 star, Ambience 4.5 star, and for Food I want to go higher but for reasons I will go into I must stay with 4 star. And because I think the food is the most relevant measurement I chose 4 star. The experience overall was great. We reserved indoor as Monterey can get a bit chilly but once on ground and with outdoor fireplaces and heaters it was the better option. And with a 3.5 yo in tow the outdoor really was the better option. It gave her freedom of movement and the ability to be more of a noisy child than the indoor would permit. Our waitress was attentive and great, the seating by the fire was a bit hard but she brought out blankets that could add warmth or in our case cushion to make them less noticeable. We ordered basic pasta for our child and let me just say the portion would have fed two adult men. Nothing amazing but it was palatable and she enjoyed it. We ordered drinks to include one of their specialties and it was enjoyed. And we started off with an order of the oysters. They were fresh, well presented and offered multiple options to flavor the oysters. For main courses I selected the Hen House homemade pasta with mushrooms and saw you could add scallops for $17.00 and it sounded brilliant. The dish was flavorful, creamy and only surprising in that they delivered one stunning scallop on a side dish. Slightly confused I remarked, "ummm is this the $17 scallop". Which in retrospect I would note I really wanted to see the menu again because I sincerely believe they likely advertised it as a singular "Scallop" which leaves only myself to blame. In all honesty the scallop is probably the second best scallop I have had in my life (Libertine Social in Vegas is hands tied the absolutely best to date). But I digress... I enjoyed the dish, mourned the single scallop and cleaned my plate. We also ordered the Focaccia Bread and butter starter. Let me just say that I love bread, probably more than I should and fresh baked focaccia is at the top of my list. I am accustomed to the outside being a bit crispy but the inside being pure pillowy heaven. They appear to cut them in slices and then bake them or toast them slightly before service. Definitely not a fan of toast, or crunchy bread it was not a high point but again well presented and despite my preference I did eat it with my pasta. Lastly my partner had the Wagyu beef, the description sounded great and the presentation was there but I think there are moments that when you read a menu you envision the finished product and let's just say it felt diminished in my minds eye. Flavors aside it was well cooked and the sides tasted fine. I just felt like I heard that grating voice from the 80s or 90's..."where's the beef". Now I say all of that to provide my view on the overall experience but I would say they are definitely worth the experience but go in knowing it will be a bit pricey. And to be fair if it's beef you are looking for I recall seeing a massive 32ounce porterhouse on the menu. But the price matched its size. In the end it was a strong 4 star experience and "scallop" aside if 4.5 was an option I would probably give it. Just not a 5. Hope this helps and please take note of my photos as they convey my write up. To our waitress, you did great!

Emily C.

Brought my partner here for his birthday and we had a wonderful celebratory meal here. The restaurant is literally a converted house so the interior feels very cozy and homey. We were seated upstairs and had a view overlooking the bar and downstairs entry area. Our server was fantastic, chatting with us and frequently checking in on how we were doing. We got the Duck Liver Mousse Toast as an appetizer, which was delicious, and the Bistecca Alla Fiorentina as our main, which was the perfect balance of well-cooked meat with flavorful side dishes of broccolini and potatoes. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to celebrate a special occasion in Monterey.

Guillermo R.

Love how they turned this beautiful home into a great looking restaurant. We didn't see the upstair dining areas but the main floor two rooms were great as was the bar area. The front lawn is a nice place to relax as you wait for your table. The menu isn't huge a good selection. We tried the Cesar salad and it was fine. The bolognese pasta was good nothing outstanding but good. Feels like a date night for celebration destination.

Aidan K.

Well, I guess the first sign something was awry was the restaurant being empty on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend. But 1) this place came highly recommended from a few forum threads from about a year ago (argh) and 2) they charge a $25 cancellation fee for reservations. I'll start with the ok -- the pasta wasn't bad. But $35 for each is a bit ridiculous. Michelin guide spots in LA and SF don't charge that much. Not bad though, which is pretty much the only win for the night. The wine pours are truly embarrassing and the restaurant should be ashamed of them. I haven't seen such a small, IKEA sized glass since I was in college. The worst part is that patrons ordering a bottle of wine had the normal wine glasses you expect. So they have those glasses, they just choose to nickel and dime those paying by glass. That alone is just such bad form. The service of course was the atrocious cherry on top. Our server wasn't egregiously awful so I won't name him... but he forgot multiple parts of our order, brought a drink out after we'd finished our meals (because it took so long), and gave us the wrong receipt at the end. Mind you, there were only 2 other tables in our section. Yikes. I'm guessing this place was a gem and a hot spot a while ago, but since then, people moved on. In the meantime, I have a feeling they're struggling because of how much they nickel and dime their few existing patrons. It's a sinking ship and I hope management rights it... But for now, I'm sure you can do better for your money.

Great service and great food! Highly recommend the Wagyu steak or chicken Milanese Also, Concetta is great and love her energy!!