Flourless Chocolate Cake with Espresso ice cream was scrumptious…read more Osso Bucco was perfection! Filet Mignon was excellent! Gnocchi = delicious! *April 21, 2018 was meal and review, never finished posting. You still deserve the 5 stars... every time we have visited since has been excellent as well!

Disappointing Lack of Service from Will. The ocean and golf…read morecourse views are fabulous. The room has a luxurious feel to it. Food was delicious Busboy Brian always does an excellent job, efficient, friendly, observant as to what you want so your water glasses are always kept filled, ice brought, etc. Waitress Kiersten always does an excellent job, she really hustles and cares about getting the orders correct and the people at the table well taken care of, so each meal with her as a server ends up being a good experience. The other servers usually get it right too. It is Will's service has more than once been a disappointment to me as a frequent guest, although he has been a server there for years. It comes off in my personal feeling as his being supremely indifferent to getting the guest's orders correct, or caring about the small details of service. ("Phoning it in" is what my friend said about the service - and he used to be a waiter himself, so he knows.) For example just on this last meal: Lemon was requested of Will when we initially placed our order. It was not brought to the table, until much later in the meal my friend's husband asked Brian, and Brian brought it. Pasta was asked for light on the sauce. It came cooked perfectly but very heavy on the sauce. When my friend pointed it out to Will, he simply shrugged. Maybe he'd never even bothered to ask the kitchen to go easy on the sauce for the pasta. (Since this is the second time this happenned, I'd bet on that.) Will never checked with any of our other guests at the table to see how their food was. It was only when the manager came over to inquire as she was making her rounds around the room, that she carried out that basic nicety. We had to flag Kiersten down to order dessert. Will pretty much avoided making eye contact even when we tried to get his attention, which was a bit baffling because the restaurant wasn't full when we came in at 5:30 p.m. The large party didn't get seated until we were three quarters of the way through our meal. Will didn't even bother bringing the bill, we had to flag down someone else to bring it. We tipped regardless - not because it was deserved in this case - but because we have good manners and know that tips get shared among all the staff. If this was the first time it happenned, you can always graciously be the bigger person and chalk it up to someone having an off night. After it happens perhaps a half dozen times over the years, maybe it's a good idea to ask the hostess when you come into Peppoli's to make sure you are seated at someone else's station.

As an Italian chef with years of experience in the culinary world, I believe I have a trained eye…read moreand palate for recognizing a restaurant that truly cares about quality. From the very first bite, you can tell when a kitchen takes pride in its craft, carefully selecting high-quality ingredients and preparing every dish with passion and attention to detail. What truly makes this place stand out is that excellence goes far beyond the food. The service is impeccable, the atmosphere is welcoming, and every detail is thoughtfully taken care of. From the kitchen to the dining room, everything reflects professionalism, care, and a genuine commitment to creating an outstanding dining experience. As someone who understands the restaurant business from the inside, I appreciate the dedication it takes to deliver this level of quality consistently. This is the kind of place that reminds you what great hospitality should be: exceptional food, outstanding service, and attention to every detail from A to Z. Highly recommended to anyone who appreciates authentic quality, excellent service, and a restaurant that truly cares about its guests.

Overall, I'd give Osteria Al Mare a 4.5/5. You have the option of dining indoors or outdoors facing…read morethe oceanfront. Service was friendly and professional. The dining area was well lit, very clean and has a homey vibe. As for the food... 1. Complimentary Bread Basket (2/5) The bread was OK - it seemed like it's store-bought bread rather than made in-house, so really nothing special. The butter that comes with the bread is cold, which made spreading it on the bread difficult. As such, it's really nothing special. It's still a nice complimentary appetizer, so I won't let this affect my overall rating. 2. Clam Chowder (5/5) One of the best clam chowders I've had. Don't let the look of this zuppa turn you away; it may not look super white like the traditional clam chowder soup offered elsewhere, but the taste says it all. It's super light and creamy rather than thick and filling. You can taste the sweet clam flavor within the soup without the soup tasting seafood-y or getting the rubbery chunks of clam. It's perfectly balanced with onions, carrots, little chunks of potatoes, cream and a combination of herbs and spices. 3. Fritto Di Calamari (5/5) I'm not a huge calamari fan, but Osteria Al Mare knows how to make Calamari right where even I enjoyed this dish. The calamari was fresh and cooked to perfection - no rubbery-ness or toughness in each chew. Each calamari was lightly battered and fried to the perfect crisp. It's coated with just the right amount of salt and pepper to give it that peppery, savory goodness. It comes with sides of fresh lemon wedge, lemon aioli-like sauce and tangy tomato/marinara sauce. I like lemon and citrus flavors, so adding on freshly squeezed lemon juice and dipping it in the lemon-aioli sauce was just the perfect combo for me. 4. Squid Ink pasta with Mussels (3/5) The pasta is black from the squid ink. You don't taste anything "seafood-y" within the pasta itself. It's just dyed into the black color from the ink, so don't let the look deceive you. The pasta was al dente. The tomato sauce was light and tangy. Unfortunately, the mussels were not fresh on the day we came, so it kind of ruined the dish. 5. Pesce del Giorno (5/5) AKA - "fresh catch of the day" On this day, it was lightly breaded sole fish that's again, cooked to perfection. Super fresh sole fish that's tender and moist. The breading was not heavy. It's served over a bed of baked sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach. Squeeze on some fresh lemon juice for extra citrus zest. Each bite was delightful.

we found this place on instagram and it is so cute in this…read moreplace! very intimate setting and the service was exceptional. the complimentary focaccia bread was amazing. the chicken primavera was very well done and the plate was empty after! and to top it off the nutella bread pudding with ice cream on top was to die for. absolutely will be back!

Would never return. We chose this restaurant for my bachelorette dinner and the experience was…read moredisappointing from the moment we walked in. Paula, the hostess (and possibly an owner according to all the other reviews here), was dismissive and treated our group with obvious disrespect while warmly interacting with other tables around us. We were the largest group in the restaurant and the only Asian American group. Everyone in our party was Asian except for one white guest, who was the only person Paula spoke happily to and even joked with when he asked where the restroom was. The contrast in how our group was treated was hard to ignore and left us feeling singled out. Our server was nice, but the poor hospitality overshadowed what should have been a special celebration. I left feeling unwelcome and I hope no one else has a similar experience.

The first time we visited Cafe fina was on March 31, 2026, while in town for our son's baseball…read moregame at the local college. We come out to Monterey allot, but this was our first time at Cafe Fina. It looks deceptively small from the outside, but it is nice and cozy inside. It was the owner that sweet talked us in to try it out, we just didn't know it at the time that he was the owner. We were seated right away, with a good view of the water and the rest of the restaurant, our server was there right away to see what we needed. He gave some good recommendations that we both took for both dinner and dessert. I had the a cup of clam chowder and Wild Salmon over a light basil cream and served with veggies and Orzo. My husband had the cup of minestrone soup and the Grilled Sole and finished it off with dessert, their Blood Orange Cheesecake, which was delicious. We loved it so much, 2 months later in May we came back when our daughter came to visit and brought our son who got the chicken Parmesan last time. This time we got seated at the John Madden table, the waiter gave us the story of when Mr. Madden was there, and his jacket sits on the back of one of the chairs. Very cool.

We got the classic clam chowder in sourdough, and I'd give it 4/5. The bread was really big, but…read morethe inside wasn't dug out very much, so there wasn't a lot of soup for the price. There were also a lot of potatoes and I was hoping for more seafood. I did really like how creamy it was, and the cheese on top was a nice touch. We also tried the paella. I've had real paella in Spain and at other restaurants, so I was expecting something more traditional. This one was definitely different from what I expected when I think of paella. It had fresh seafood and tasted good, but it had bell peppers and other vegetables and didn't really look or taste like a traditional paella. The Italian beer was really good! The atmosphere was probably my favorite part. It's a very cozy and romantic spot with ocean views from the windows, and the service was very good. Overall, we had a nice experience, but the food didn't quite exceed my expectations, especially for the price.

I think this place is underrated. Everything we got from the clam chowder bowl (amazing!!) to the…read morekids menu sandwich and fries (sooo good and a big size), to the service and staff, we loved this hotel and the restaurant. If you're staying here you have to check it out.

We were staying at the Embassy Suites and decided to go down for the free cocktail hour- as we were…read moreat the bar, we decided to order dinner. Service and food were great!

Dining at Estéban was a real pleasure. My husband and I spontaneously chose to have breakfast…read morethere, and I'm happy we did! I ordered huevos rancheros, which were delicious with all the toppings I wanted. The only small mistake was that I got over-easy eggs instead of the over-medium I requested. Since I don't like runny yolks, that was a minor disappointment, but the other ingredients made up for it. I also enjoyed a perfectly made Bloody Mary. Hubby had coffee and avocado toast--no complaints from that, except maybe having freshly sliced avocados instead of mashed. The outdoor seating was cozy, with a view of the courtyard fireplace. Everyone from the host to the waitress and busboy was friendly and attentive. I'm looking forward to coming back.

Was looking forward to a nice birthday dinner at a new place for us, disappointing! When…read morereservation was made through open table app it was indicated that we choose them to celebrate a birthday. There was NO acknowledgement of this, in fact a message was sent to restaurant asking a question and never received a reply, so a call was placed to get the answer which was answered by hotel front desk . What is the point of offering guests an option to send a message, someone's not checking ? Table was set VERY sparse , napkins and silverware and what I thought were bread plates. In fact no bread was offered, not sure if they do. NO salt and pepper, decorations or lighting on table either, VERY plain. Food was decent and menu was limited in the choices. Tapas are overpriced and not varied in my opinion . The entire salmon dish was very heavy on the butter All in all , an OK and highly disappointed experience. Wait staff ok , food ok , food and the space was visually appealing but the restaurant lacked something that should could make it a memorable experience.

The Food was Amazing Specifically the Fish and Chips ! My New Favorite. The Service is wonderful…read moreand the seating inside is great !

The nice part of being a tourist is playing tourist…read more I couldn't tell you when I last went to the wharf in SF. During my visit last year, I did not make it to this part of the city here. In coming to this area, I have been hunting for a particular local seafood. Walking in a little after noon, the host offered me a choice of outdoor dining or inside and I chose the latter. A large party on the left near the kitchen was finishing their meal as I was seated at the back of the dining room. After studying the menu and knowing a heavy dinner was scheduled, I placed my order. I started with the creamy clam chowder, bowl (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=yvzZfApDSWDk8aktHf2lTg); it was nicely seasoned and a good balance of clams and potatoes besides coming with a basket of bread (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=120&select=_3DT3OTWbBcyPJl82i-vQg). For a lighter meal, I tried the crab Louie (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=uHj68d1auRex_tOe7MxthA); chopped iceberg, crabmeat, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, thousand island dressing; besides these listed ingredients, the were black olives and shredded lettuce. I liked that the dungeness crab portion is generous and the variety of veggies though was a little disappointed the dressing was thousand island. For my beverage, I had a diet Pepsi with a wedge of lime (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=LqVNn9E6Yxv491TjxjWuLQ). I finished my main meal and brought the bread back to my hotel. There was a steady flow of customers coming into the restaurant with most dining outdoors given the good weather. They have a full bar and the cocktails tempted me. Maybe next time. Big thanks to Alex for tending to my needs and serving my food besides training a new staff member. After finishing several soda refills during my meal, he offered to pack me a cup to go. Very thoughtful. I asked about the abalone on the menu which may be my try on my next visit.

The food was good ...not excellent, but for an affordable meal with good taste this is a good…read moreoption in Monterey. The service was decent, not over the top but then again I'm not looking for people to send Christmas cards to lol. The ambiance was also in the decent category, but if you sit at the windows it's incredible! Find a dinner house for supper when you're here in the area or better yet go to Carmel, but if it's lunch give Louie's a try, you won't be disappointed!

definitely a pricier pick but a wonderful choice. great drinks, great food, amazing view of the…read morewater, and the service is always great. perfect for a visit or a special occasion highly recommend the strawberry daiquiri and bruschetta appetizer!