Consistently amazing. Just had a halibut dinner but everything there is always delicious with a light and delicious sauce. The salmon in parchment is also amazing. Warm bread with olive oil always served. Owners Susan and Bill and sometimes their adult children welcome and serve everyone. Bill is an incredible chef. Very attentive and professional service. Wonderful ambiance and beautifully decorated. Over the years have always found this to be the best restaurant in PG. Well worth the price. read more

I am so glad I found this gem while visiting Monterey. The food was amazing! My husband and I started with the deliciously crispy calamari for our appetizer. For our main entrees, we shared the marinated lamb filets, which was cooked to perfection, and the delightfully creamy tortellini florentine. Lastly for dessert, their warm brioche bread pudding was phenomenal and the highlight of the evening! Best of all, the service was excellent and incredibly personable. We got to know the chef and owners, who talked us through their menu and helped picked the perfect dishes for our palettes. We are so glad we chose Taste Cafe & Bistro as our one dinner in Monterey. Highly recommend this restaurant to all those visiting Monterey like us or those lucky enough to live nearby. read more

Taste Cafe & Bistro - tortellini florentine & marinated lamb filets - Modern European Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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I've heard nothing but good reviews from Taste. I've waited to long to try it. Very beautiful design inside. The owner is the host, and server. Very nice person. Food was amazing and halal. Will be definitely returning. read more

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We recently dined at Taste Cafe & Bistro as a group of nine, on the recommendation of a friend who has been coming here for decades. It's clear why this family-run restaurant has such loyal patrons--the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and the service truly makes you feel at home. I especially enjoyed their selection of district 7 point noir and the cozy, inviting setting. My friends all loved the food, and overall the dishes were well prepared and nicely presented. Personally, I wasn't as fond of the lamb chops and the evening's special sea bass, as the texture didn't quite suit my taste. That said, the experience as a whole was delightful, and I can see why this place has been cherished for so many years. read more

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Excellent food, excellent service. Menu items are varied enough, and they had a special of the day. The pool next door is highly chlorinated, and the restaurant was cold, so that's why I took off a star. read more

My partner and I found this place on accident and we were very happy we did! Everything we had was superbly made and extremely delicious. I had the lamb fillets and it was amazing. The spinach was flavorful and tender, the potatoes were complex and well worth it, and the medium rare lamb was perfect. My partner got the butternut squash pasta and it was tangy from the cheese and rich with a hint of sweetness from the red caramelized onions. Truly delicious. The bread pudding was also crazy good too. The owner sat us down and was super welcoming and it felt homey in the restaurant. I could tell that the owner cared about the customers and it seemed like she knew regulars coming in. 5/5 stars read more

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I first visited Taste Cafe in 1990-1 when I was at DLI and have been going back and sending friends ever since. No one has ever been disappointed with my recommendations and have often said it was their best dining experience while visiting the Monterey Peninsula. We haven't visited in a couple years but with friends in town from Boston we decided it was a good opportunity to show them Monterey and visit Taste Cafe again. We were greeted like old friends by Sue and treated like family. While the menu is very familiar (their salmon in parchment is always amazing) there's always some specials and new twists to try. When we asked about any special favorite wines on the wine list she suggested a Lebanese wine from the Bekka Valley which we tried and it was a real nice suprise and paired well with our meals. If you're looking for great service, atmosphere and value, Taste Cafe will never disappoint. read more

I'd put it in my top 3 recommendations for those visiting Monterey. The staff is incredibly personable and give great recommendations to showcase their knockout dishes while still catering to your taste. I got outdoor seating for me and my pup but the inside is well arranged and decorated from what i saw. The waitress was even attentive to my dog, Paul, and brought out a bowl of water. The food is amazing and the dessert is a must order. I started with the soup of the day which was butternut squash--it was fine but i did add some salt and pepper to it. Then my tuna steak came out within minutes after finishing my bread and soup. It was magnificent perfectly medium rare and came with an incredibly light but delicious sauce. The dessert blew me away though. Especially the bread pudding. I would say decently priced, not cheap but not Carmel expensive. I will be back for more something small that i think could be added to outdoor seating: either a table mat, extra napkin or table cloth for when you set down silverware so it is not just right on the metal table read more

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As always, Taste Cafe & Bistro is amazing ! I took some out of town clients here for dinner and they all loved it ! Sue is so sweet and always treats us like family . The fresh halibut special was delicious as well as the calamari appetizer , the eggplant napoleon, the crab cake and the desserts are to die for ! The ambiance is quiet and enjoyable as well . read more

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Everything went well as usual. The reception was good. We had veal and sea bass. Drinks, appetizers and main courses all came to us sequentially... just at the right time. The restaurant has a delightful ambiance which indirectly enhanced the dining experience with tasteful food. read more

We had our Valentine Day's dinner here and it was a great experience! The ambiance is very charming & cozy. We had escargot, artichoke soup, grilled prawns, veal medallion and chocolate torte for dessert, cafe mocha, wine for drinks. Everything was delicious! The service was great. It's a very nice family-run bistro, owned by the chef (Bill) and his wife (Sue) who was very courteous and friendly! This was our first time dinning here and we plan to definitely return! read more

My girlfriend and I walked in and didn't feel particularly welcomed, despite having made a reservation several hours in advance. We ordered different dishes, but they seemed nearly identical aside from how they were served. The food itself was mediocre, and when we paid, there was no thank-you and our change never came back. I'm hoping this was just an off night for the crew. Going out to eat should be a fun or engaging experience, not just about the food. read more

As always the service and food at Taste was fantastic. I had their Bistro Vegetable Torta entire which is a vegetarian's delight with layers of assorted vegetables & fresh mozzarella cheese, surrounded by housemade marinara sauce, & Kalamata olives. I started with the Artichoke soup which as always was absolutely delicious. My friend had the Roasted Half Chicken, marinated in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs, with mashed potatoes, fresh vegetables, tomatoes and a light jus. For desert we shared the Warmed Brioche Bread Pudding, which was a supreme delight served with apricot coulis, creme anglaise and creme fraiche. This is an amazing neighborhood restaurant, with Bill cooking, Mo waiting, and Susan greeting and serving people who she remembers by name. The prices are very good, and it is so worth it to try out Taste Cafe and Bistro and keep their card handy, as you can also order food on line and pick it up to dine at home, is you so wish. But I would always miss Susan's big hugs. read more

We had a lovely dinner here for my wife's birthday. Both the food & the dining room were great. Our server, Noor, was very friendly & made us feel at home. Our first time here & we were just visiting Pacific Grove, but if we lived there we would be regulars at Taste. read more

My husband and I were fortunate to step into the Taste Cafe & Bistro. The ambiance was cozy and welcoming. We were treated like family and enjoyed conversing with one of the owners. Everything on our plates was amazing and cooked perfectly. read more

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Food outstanding! Service impeccable! And ambiance very welcoming. We spent the weekend at the Asilomar event center, our first night we went looking for a place for dinner, we saw a mexican restaurant and when we made a u turn my wife sees this cafe & bistro and we decided to make a go with it, it's her birthday weekend so her choice from the moment we set foot inside we have this welcoming feeling. The owners Bill & Sue Karaki run a great restaurant. Bill is head chef where Sue and her son handle the front of the house. For dinner my wife had the sea bass dinner special and absolutely loved it. I ordered the filet rare and it was cooked perfectly. The plate presentation was beautiful, they even sang happy birthday for us. If you're in the area this bistro is a great place to put on your list. Prices are fair service outstanding and food cooked to perfection. read more

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An amazing dinner!!! We started with crab cakes, eggplant napoleon and mussels! My husband had the special lamb and beef meatballs spaghetti. Our favorite was the mussels. Service was friendly and attentive. A nice homey and spacious place. We will definitely return! Highly recommended! read more

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Follow Up- I brought my husband here to celebrate his birthday. What beautiful memories this family restaurant gifted us with from start to finish. Greeted warmly at the door by Reyna and Susan the co owner came to our table to tell us about the specials and take our order. I felt like I was visiting someone's home as it's very comfortable and cozy with small tables some with bench seating. The walls are lined with family photos and Susan even showed us some of her very talented adult children's artistic creations. Onto the incredible food: I opted for the special, sea bass with a white wine sauce, capers and vegetables served with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. This came with a side salad or soup. I chose the Caesar and it was the perfect size. The fish was delicate and the sauce just a tad runny yet very nicely flavored. I adore capers and there were also some Kalamata olives also a favorite of mine. See photo. My husband opted for the filet and it was cooked perfectly, and served with fries. He said the beef was very good. We also ordered Tai tea and I asked for non dairy which they gladly accommodated. For dessert my husband ordered the brioche bread pudding with apricot sauce which I literally got two small bites of. To be fair this is a difficult dish to share it's so delicious. I also ordered a French roast decaf which rounded out the meal very nicely. The bill came to around $75.00 as they gifted the dessert for the husband's birthday. Very reasonable prices and as already mentioned family owned by some of the most gracious servant hearted people you would ever hope to encounter in this lifetime. I am thinking this is going to become our favorite restaurant to bring out of town guests to and celebrate special events with. read more

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The pacing if our meal was perfect and the food was spectacular!! I tried the halibut special. My fish was prepared perfectly and the flavors were incredible. My husband had the pesto pasta and liked it very much. We shared the bread pudding for dessert and it truly was the best bread pudding we've ever tasted!! We can't wait to go back!! read more

We always LOVE taking friends and family to Taste for great entrees, desserts and drinks!

The food was excellent. Really delicious and generous portions. The family that owns the restaurant is very nice and welcoming. Highly recommend! read more

Service, food, ambience all fabulous! When we are in town, we always eat at Taste. They are the best! read more

Went with my family. Food was amazing. Great service. Nice atmosphere for dinner to share with others. We shared appetizers everyone got their own dinner and then shared dessert. read more

To start, the service was very slow. I believe they did not have enough staff. I ordered a dish with pesto and received other thing. It was ok, and it was late so we accepted it. But it was not what I ordered. The staff told me "there is some pesto in the sauce", but it was a bolognese or something. Then I ordered a hamburger, and came in a different bread than offered. But was good. At the end, the check came with 20% tip included already. Definitely not as good -either for service or taste- as the reviews. The place is ok, but service/taste vs price (around 20$) per dish... hope it was a just a bad day. read more

I just had not 1, not 2, but 3 wonderful dinners at this gem of a family restaurant. After a 50 years career in all aspects of the restaurant industry, finding and experiencing such a place is a pure treat. After having created, owned and operated this bistro for 30 years, it feels fresh and clean with attention paid to every detail of an outstanding business. Grace and quality are the personalities of the food and atmosphere here that only reflects the family responsible for it. The food is beautiful and perfectly prepared. The service is polished while remaining warm and inviting. So its 5 stars three times on three consecutive occasions. I'm only sorry that we must depart without bringing Taste and family home with us. Until next trip, all of our love and gratitude. read more

Service was slow. The restaurant did not smell good. It was stuffy and a bit dirty/sour smelling as though it needed a really good deep cleaning and airing out. The hallway by the bathroom was particularly foul smelling, as if there was a plumbing water leak that hadn't been taken care of. Food was mediocre in quality. Neither one of us was impressed. The great reviews are baffling. read more

If I could give six stars I would! This is the best dining experience I have had in a long time. The staff provided impeccable service, present without being overbearing. We started with a bottle of wine, they were out of the one we requested and found a substitute in the same price range. We ordered the eggplant Neapolitan as an appetizer. Wow! This could be a meal in itself. Beautifully plated, toasted brioche topped with eggplant, peppers, mozzarella, carmelized onions and pesto and some magic - I was in heaven! Definitely a go to. He ordered the lamb tenderloin, this was not what I expected at all (in the best way). Imagine a pork tenderloin- only lamb! There are three plated in a circle with scalloped potatoes and spinach in the center all on au jus. And the flavors were fabulous. I had the special of the day, sea bass with steamed broccoli, mashed potatoes and a lovely wine (?) sauce with Kalamata olives, capers and tomatoes. Delicious. All plated beautifully. You eat with your eyes first - right?? We decided to save room for dessert so my honey asked for a to go box. Sue the gracious owner tried to plate our to go box too! LOL really nice, but no need. I've read the reviews for the bread pudding and hope to have it next time, but it is rare to see housemade butterscotch pudding on a menu! So glad we chose this! A perfect end to a wonderful meal! We'll be back! read more

We stop in to Taste on each of our annual trips up the California coast. Even though we aren't regulars, we're always welcome like old friends. This charming family run restaurant never fails to put out rustic yet refined California-Mediterranean cuisine. Looking forward to our next visit! read more

Taste Cafe & Bistro - Fish special. I believe it was sea bass. - Modern European Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

We had NYE dinner reservations here for 6:30pm. I was a little surprised they didn't have a prix fixe menu for the occasion but I liked their regular dinner menu so I was looking forward to it. My bf and I, 30-somethings, arrived right on time and we were easily the youngest guests in the restaurant. I got a little nervous on what that might mean for the food, but we were already in too deep. Service was a bit slow, but I will attribute that to the restaurant being mostly full the entire time we were there. We had a few servers check in on us throughout the night and they were very friendly and we could tell they were working hard. We decided on the crabcakes and mussels to start and we shared the roasted half chicken. I really enjoyed the crabcakes and my bf loved (devoured) the mussels. The chicken was a perfect dish to split between the two of us and it was very flavorful and juicy. We were too full so we didn't even look at the dessert menu, and between the food and a few drinks, everything was reasonably priced as others have said. If I was in the area, I'd certainly stop by again to try another dish. read more

Taste Cafe & Bistro - Modern European Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

We were totally surprised by dinner at Taste Cafe & Bistro this evening! This unassuming little spot in Pacific Grove is deceiving from the outside. Once you enter, it's like you've been transported to a cozy European cafe. Small bar on the left, cozy dining room and open kitchen in the back to the right. As soon as we walked in we were warmly greeted by Sue and offered our pick of tables. We ate early, but this spot filled up quickly! We started with salad and soup. Mom had a half Caesar which she thoroughly enjoyed while Marty and I each had a cup of the roasted tomato and lentil soup. While the soup looks creamy, there is no cream - simply puréed lentils which with the roasted tomato made a flavorful and satisfyingly healthy soup! Dinner was amazing! We each shared tastes of our dishes. While I was tempted by the special rockfish, I had been eyeing the Chicken Dijionase, grilled herb marinated chicken breast, served with sautéed mushroom, Dijon cream sauce and au gratin potato, so that's what I chose. I hesitate to order chicken breast out as it's so easy to overcook, but this was done perfectly! Tender, moist and such a decadent sauce! Marty's Marinated Lamb Filets, grilled, in a cabernet shallot sauce with sauteed spinach, red peppers, pine nuts, and au gratin potatoes was probably the star of the evening! The lamb was a perfect medium rare and so tender. The accompanying Cabernet shallot sauce was just delicious, light with such a hearty flavor! Mom ordered the Spinach and Cheese Ravioli, in house made tomato pesto cream sauce, grana cheese, caramelized red onion and pine nuts. A generous portion of this perfectly comforting pasta! She made a good effort, but only got through half! Really delicious! We didn't want dessert, but it was Marty's birthday and Sue insisted on treating even on our first visit, so we went with the Dark and White Chocolate Mousse served with creme anglaise and raspberry sauce. It was light, fluffy and the perfect end to our very delicious meal. They have a full bar. Prices are truly reasonable especially considering the quality of the food. This is my new favorite restaurant in Pacific Grove! I can't wait to try their other offerings! Oh...I almost forgot to mention....those au gratin potatoes are to die for! read more

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Picked up a large Caesar salad to go. There were 2 tiny bits of cherry tomato as though it was a rare commodity. I mean c'mon!

My husband and I have gone there frequently and always enjoy ourselves. The staff is very warm and welcoming and the food is wonderful if you're in Monterey or Pacific Grove or in that area, definitely stop by to taste their food. read more

I have been here several times and just love this restaurant! Tonight I had the fresh salmon baked in parchment with veggies, and my DJh had their halibut special. Both so amazing and flavorful! Their eggplant appetizer and the apple gallet for dessert made for a memorable meal. Service was attentive but not intrusive. The only sad thing was that not many people were in the restaurant. Spread the word, this one is really in the top 2% tier in a town with many good restaurant options. read more

Food, service and location is great!! One of the best places on the Peninsula!! Can't wait to go back!

We enjoyed our meal so very much this evening. We tried the artichoke soup which was perfect and made without dairy or chicken stock. I ordered the Chicken Dijonnaise and my sweetie had the vegetable torta. Both dishes were excellent and were obviously prepared with great care. Service is lovely and continental style. The restaurant is open and airy with some singular decor choices. read more

My friends took me out for my birthday last night, and Susan the owner was so welcoming, we felt like we were at her house eating dinner with her, sharing stories, laughing, delighted with everything she brought us (sea bass special, filet mignon, eggplant sandwich, all really delicious) As we sat closest to the door, we saw people come in, Susan greeting many by their name, saying goodbye with warm hugs. She surprised me with a candle lit dessert, everyone at the restaurant singing happy birthday. She even gave me a hug. I was so touched by her lovely gesture. At the end of the evening, each of us were planing for another night at Taste with our family members. We all hope to become Taste regulars!! Thank you!! read more

Taste Cafe & Bistro - Birthday candle lit ice cream - Modern European Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

Had dinner here last night. Wonderful reception, clearly a family run restaurant warm hearted and increasingly a rarity. Great quality food, cooked with love and care. Beware portions are generous. You will not leave hungry, if you do, check yourself for worms! Will come back. read more

This friendly and welcoming place is a true family run gem. We enjoyed the halibut and sea bass. Both came with either a 1/2 salad or soup. Both were nicely prepared in a northern Italian style. We finished off our meal with an apple galette. Food was fairly priced compared to all the touristy places you are confronted with in Pacific Grove or the Cannery area. Well worth a visit for sure. read more

We are thrilled to find a restaurant that obviously takes pride in their menu and their service. This is a winner all the way around!

What a great family owned restaurant. My fiance, daughter, and I had found this cute joint while searching for a restaurant that had great quality of food. My fiance had the Red Oak Leaf Salad and I had the escargots to start off with. Both were extremely delicious. Even my picky toddler daughter wanted to eat the salad, which was good to see, considering she doesn't really like eating vegetables. For our main course, I ordered the rib eye steak and my fiance ordered the chicken apple sausages. For our picky daughter, we ordered her the spinach and cheese ravioli, just so she can get some veggies in her system. After her first bite, she said "yummy!!!" All dishes were extremely delicious and my mouth is watering just thinking about them right now lol. The service too was great and we had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Sue, and her beautiful family, who also worked at the restaurant. You can tell that these family has a lot of passion towards their business since the food is made with love and it shows! We definitely will be returning when we come back to visit Monterey next year. Overall, excellent service and food! read more