My family and I would definitely recommend this restaurant. We came to Pacific Grove with our dog for the second time and we had to eat outside. The owner gave me a blanket and turned on the outdoor heater and made us feel welcome. We weren't very hungry to start, but we ordered the escargot appetizer, the Sea-bass special which included soup or salad and we had the Caesar salad with that. My husband and I had wine and we enjoyed the red blend Behringer and the Pinot from Monterey. Our Apple galette is coming right now and we know it's good because we had it last time. So remember, dog, friendly, and great customer service! read more

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

See all

Well dang... I didn't take any pictures! Came here with my cousins, who just moved to Monterey. They lived here as kids and then moved back as retirees. It was Labor Day weekend, so we didn't know if get a table. It's family owned with the Mom and the daughters working front of house and Dad and sons the kitchen. Lovely atmosphere. I felt like i was being welcomed to their home. Good food, great prices. We started with a cup of their delicious Artichoke Soup (cup $8). I'm used to the very creamy one at Duarte's in Pescadero, which I love. This was brothier and more herbal and very good!: 4* Then we shared an Organic Red Oak Leaf Salad (Full size $10). it was a great mixture of flavors and texture with crumbled blue cheese, balsamic dressing, sliced pears, and glazed pecans. 4.5* Entrees included: Fresh Salmon Filet ($30) on a bed of spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, Kalamata olives, zucchini, artichokes, baked in parchment paper, served with a basil beurre blanc sauce. Beautiful Provencal type preparation and the salmon was a perfect doneness. 4.5* Roasted Half Chicken marinated in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs, with mashed potatoes, fresh vegetables, caramelized red onion, roasted garlic, and light jus. ($28). This was homey and well prepared, but standard issue. I loved the red onions. 4* Grilled Veal Medallions with mashed potatoes topped with crispy onions, grilled squash, and mushroom marsala sauce. ($31). I asked for medium, because it was veal, but it was overdone and dry. my fault I should have asked for medium rare. The gravy and mashers made up for it though. 4* Marinated Lamb Filets grilled, in a cabernet shallot sauce with sautéed spinach, red peppers, pine nuts, and au gratin potatoes. Probably my fave of the night. The portion was too large, though. Such an interesting combination of elements and a lovely presentation. 4.5* the four of us shared 1 dessert (so full already) Dark & White Chocolate Mousse, Creme anglaise, raspberry sauce. ($11). I liked this, but it was a little too sweet for my tastes. I would have left off the raspberry sauce. 3.5* What a great dinner and unbelievably reasonable prices for the ingredients and the quality! Food: 34/40 service: 18/20 Atmos/intangibles:17/20 Value: 19/20 Overall: 88/100 read more

Went to a wedding reception here and the food was incredible, got the salmon dish and loved the sauce, fish and vegetables were so fresh. Crème brûlée was also solid. Interior is beautiful, honestly no complaints and want to come here for dinner now sometime. read more

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

A special restaurant right in Pacific Grove--don't miss it if you are in the mood for a fine European meal with excellent service and ambiance. The artichoke soup was so tasty, as was the butternut ravioli. I splurged and had the bread pudding for dessert and I'm glad I did; it was memorable. I will return! read more

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

See all

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

See all

Love the cordiality of the owners and workers. It was a birthday celebration and I wanted a French bistro feel for my birthday dinner. And I got just what I wanted. Great food and a great atmosphere. Was delighted to try mushroom escargos! read more

A wonderful, family owned and operated restaurant with a cafe atmosphere, very comfortable. The food is invariably fantastic, with a menu that contains both common fare and some things that you won't find anywhere else; there should be something for everyone here, but you shouldn't sleep on the Lamb Filets, which are to me outstanding. I like the open kitchen, where you can appreciate the professionalism that goes into the creation of your meal. Service is the standard by which all others should be judged. We never miss an opportunity to dine here when we're in PG. 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

See all

Taste Bistro is one of those neighborhood gems with a staff that appreciates each customer and enjoys serving them delicious food. The owner-hostess graciously made a table available for our traveling foursome, then made us feel like regulars - warm, engaged with each of us, and took time to chat with us as we were leaving, to thank us for visiting. Service was impeccable and every dish was wonderful. A great experience. 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

See all

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

See all

Outstanding family owned and operated local restaurant. Noor great server. Her dad is the chef and brother's work together to make this neighborhood gem shine read more

Owner is the sweetest person. Staff is kind , talented and remembers their patrons. Food is extraordinary and so fresh. Their salmon is my favorite. Plus their butterscotch pudding is out of this world ! read more

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

See all

Food delicious and service an A+. Ambiance is comfortable and friendly! We are regulars and are never disappointed,

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

great food, great service. Nice neighborhood spot. I would recommend for a casual meal. We will definitely go back.

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

See all

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

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

See all

Fantastic place to dine. The owners are fabulous. They make you feel right at home. The food and service is excellent as well. I wish I lived closer as this would be our 'go-to' place. The menu has something for everyone including the more adventurous with the braised rabbit! read more

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

See all

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

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

See all

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

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

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

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

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

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

See all

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

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

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

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