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    The Spotted Duck

    4.8 (163 reviews)
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    THE SPOTTED DUCK ATMOSPHERE

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    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Alyssa L.

    My bf and I were really looking forward to trying this restaurant and found easy parking on the street. Reservations were also easy to make with a nice 15 minute grace period. Upon stepping in it's a bit of an older looking interior which was surprising but we got seated promptly upon arrival. We ordered the drunken skillet seared octopus to start(4/5). The octopus was cooked perfectly and not too tough or chewy. My bf loved the sauce which reminded us of a fusion hoisin sauce but I found it a bit odd for the dish and didn't feel like it was the best pairing. For our entrees we ordered - Seared Duck Breast (5/5): We both loved the crispy skin and the juicy and delicious cook of the duck. The sauce was delicious and the polenta tied the dish together as it soaked up the sauce and all its flavor. This was probably the best duck we've ever had and the only complaint we have is that there wasn't more! - Cabernet Braised Lamb Shoulder (3.5/5): Unfortunately, this dish did not live up to our hopes. I found the lamb a bit too gamey my bf found the sauce a bit too acidic. The gnocchi was good though but we found it hard to really enjoy the dish. Overall despite the costly price of the dinner, we unfortunately didn't leave completely full. Service felt rushed and we'd go back for special occasions or if we're really craving the duck but otherwise we would probably go somewhere else. Like a previous review mentioned, we wish we had both just ordered the duck!

    Potato leak smoked salmon soup
    Javier B.

    Delicious, friendly service, nice place, fantastic food, great company! Lived every bit of it. Potato smokes salmon soup, lamb and their delicious duck! All of it out of this world!

    Imperial Sour Plum
    Bella N.

    I went to the Spotted Duck and it is definitely on the expensive side, so that is something to know before you go. I made a reservation about a week in advance for a late Sunday night, which I would recommend because it books up fast. We started with the Crispy Brussels Sprouts, which come with an apple cider onion jam. These were unreal. Sweet, tangy, crispy, and just addictive. We ate them so fast that my only photo is of a half eaten bowl. I would honestly go back just for these. The portion is big for an appetizer and you could easily eat the whole thing yourself. We also ordered the Spotted Duck Cheese Fries, which come topped with duck confit and a cheesy sauce. They were salty, rich, and a perfect match with the sweet Brussels sprouts. Such a good combo to start the meal with. For drinks, I got the Imperial Sour Plum. It has blood orange, goose ale, and ume plum wine. Really liked this one. Not too sweet at all, which is exactly what I prefer. It was refreshing and balanced without feeling sugary. For my main dish, I ordered the Seared Tucker Reserve Duck Breast. It comes with creamy white corn polenta, braised rainbow chard, duck, green tomato ginger jam, and a few watercress leaves on top. I almost ordered the special of the night but wanted to go with one of their classics. The duck was cooked medium rare, which they recommended, and it was tender and flavorful. Everything on the plate was great except the polenta. It was extremely rich and creamy, which is just not something I usually enjoy. If you are a polenta lover, you might like it a lot more than I did, but if you are sensitive to very rich foods, that is something to keep in mind. I wish there had been an option to sub it out because the rest of the dish was excellent. For dessert, I ordered an affogato. It was simple, just vanilla ice cream with espresso, but the combination was incredible. Exactly what I needed after a heavy meal. They also give you a surprisingly generous amount of ice cream. More than I expected for an affogato. My boyfriend ordered the Belgian Chocolate Pot de Creme, which comes with ruby port, stewart coastal huckleberries, buttermilk, and vanilla bean whipped cream. It was actually smaller than my affogato, which surprised me, but it was presented beautifully. The whipped cream was so thick and shaped that I honestly thought it was a scoop of ice cream at first. He said the pot de creme was very rich and he loved it. Service was fast and attentive without being too much. Our reservation was at six thirty and we finished closer to closing time, but dishes still came out quickly. The bill appeared quietly on the side of the table and they picked it up the same way, which I thought was interesting but polite. We sat in the far corner of the restaurant by the window that faces the street. It ended up being the perfect spot because it gave us a good amount of privacy. There was a party of four toward the front and a larger party of seven deeper in the restaurant, and although we could hear everyone, it did not feel cramped. I think we got lucky with our table placement. Overall, for the price point you know you are walking into, it was a very good experience. Great food, fast service, and some dishes that I would absolutely come back for.

    Duck liver pate
    Karen Rae S.

    Food was rich and delicious. Relaxing atmosphere and excellent service with attentive staff. The server gave lots of recommendations that were helpful. The pate was amazing. I will definitely be back.

    Jennifer A.

    What a great spot! We had a group of about 10 people so we took up a majority of their downstairs space, but it was fantastic! The service was impeccable, the space was warm and inviting, and the food was excellent! We brought our own wines and of course had to pay a corkage fee, and we also ordered some from the restaurant. I would definitely make this a place on the regular rotation when I'm in the area. Reservations probably are a good idea because of the limited seating.

    Grilled ad astra bread - July 2025
    Candace C.

    Came in on a weekday and was greeted and seated promptly. Service was really good and I was checked on multiple times during dinner and got local recs from my server too. I had to try the duck breast (the top seller) and it didn't disappoint. The duck was cooked perfectly and flavorful. I was really surprised by the Ad Astra sourdough bread that was grilled. This famous Monterey bread was delightful, highly recommend. For the quality and taste, prices were fair. I'd come back!

    Steak + Frites
    Sarah-Lorraine K.

    WHY WE WENT HERE: - dinner THE LOOK (FROM THE OUTSIDE): - located on the corner of Lighthouse Ave and Fountain Ave - street parking available THE LOOK (FROM THE INSIDE): - on the smaller/quaint side - interestingly enough it's carpeted flooring - interesting choice of artwork - multi-level; ground floor and then a small set of stairs to the bar area; unsure if there's additional seating (other than at the bar) there THE MENU: - starters - entrees - sides - bin - sparkling - bin - white - bin - half bottles - wines by the glass - session cocktails - beer + ciders - water + soda WHAT WE ORDERED: - spotted duck cheese fries - crispy brussel sprouts - skillet seared duck breast - steak + frites - PG Spot - Yuzu Rose Shandy THE TASTE: - spotted duck cheese fries - comforting - crispy brussel sprouts - crispy and loved the dressing on it - skillet seared duck breast - great! tender and flavorful - steak + frites - good, but not great - PG Spot - fiance enjoyed this so much he got another - Yuzu Rose Shandy - refreshing but watery CUSTOMER SERVICE: - we walked in for dinner and managed to snag a table (all other tables were taken by reservations) - server was great

    Gnocchi
    Aaron P.

    Wow! After only one visit this has definitely become one of our favorite restaurants in town. We wanted to give the place some time to work through any potential kinks after the change in ownership from the previous restaurant. We loved that place and we are so glad to see the new owners are keeping with the quality food and excellent wine selection. We wanted a bit of everything so we shared the grilled octopus, mussels, and the lamb gnocchi. We paired it with a (surprisingly light) red blend of tempranillo, cab, and Pinot called "House of Brown". The mussels were probably our favorite with a very tasty bouillabaisse sauce. I just wish it had more bread!! The gnocchi was also a hit and made me wish we didn't share. Oh yea and more bread for that would have been so good. For dessert we didn't quite share (I wanted to try the new ice cream shop) the chocolate, berry and whipped cream dessert. I promised I'd only have a bite but definitely went in for a few more. The service was amazing and super helpful. We will definitely be back!

    The fish is okay. It has a nice presentation but-- eh.
    Andy L.

    This restaraunt is OK. It's not bad! But it's not the step-up fancy restaraunt you would expect it to be. Therefore, it's expensive for what you want. The food highlight is probably their salad and the duck. That's pretty good! Their burger is disappointingly average. Their other food is fine. The fish is fine. Not succulent and full of flavor at all. The one who served us is new. So I'll cut him some slack, but I would have thought they would hire a pro to serve here. Cheap pay probably because his enthusiasm wasn't there. The owner greets you at the door with a frown and smiles when you leave haha! So would I come back? Mehh... not unless you crave duck. Is it bad to eat here? No. Is it expensive? Yes. Should you try it, up to you :)

    Julienne D.

    Talk about a getaway weekend and starting it off with a little treat at the Spotted Duck. With so many places to eat, it just so happened that this was where the dart landed and we got to enjoy duck in a different way. Enthusiastic service and some good recommendations. We started off with two beers. Missed out on the wine but their collection looked beautiful! Our appetizers arrived which were brussel sprouts and the duck pâté. We topped it off by sharing a steak a frites! While it all sounds pretty ordinary, the duck pâté was the highlight of the meal. Enough for us to save some to dip the fries in! We got seated at the top corner table which was the best spot to people watch. It also felt more intimate because we were off in our own little spot a little spread past the rest of the table downstairs. There was mood lighting, interesting art, and shelves of wine. Back to the highlight. The duck pâté was one of those memorable bites of the weekend. Mixed with port gelee, the duck pâté is a good way of introducing someone who has never eaten duck before. It was savory with the slightest bit of sweetness! Greatly paired with some sourdough. I understand the love for this dish and would definitely come back for it again! If you haven't, trust me. It's a good new taste!

    Squash and Pear Soup
    megan o.

    Amazing service, ambiance, and food. All around a well spent time. Food tried: Charcuterie Board 10/10 the bread is to die for. Figured out I have a new favorite cheese with there goat cheese chèvre...get it with the side of marinated olives Squash and Pear soup. I think I could eat this over and over for the rest of my life and never get sick of it. If you leave this restaurant trying only one thing let it be this. Duck breast: absolutely phenomenal...polenta as the base was the most perfect pairing. Chocolate pot de creme. So good.

    Drunken Skillet Seared Octopus
    Jessica H.

    Made a reservation hoping for outdoor seating. Arrived and confirmed they have outdoor seating and dog friendly! They quickly set up the table. Note, no heater but they offered blankets. They really went out of their way to make sure we were warm, keeping our hot water cups filled. Once settled, we ordered 2 cocktails, 2 starters, 2 entrees and dessert. duck arancini $17 duck confit, buffalo mozzarella, romesco sauce, almonds - This was serviced differently than I saw online. Instead of the 3 balls, we got one rectangular arancini. The rice was cooked perfectly, soft and creamy. You can taste and see little bits of duck confit. drunken skillet seared octopus $23 preserved black-bean honey sauce, jerry's everything seasoning - The octopus was tender and presliced into 4 pieces. I personally did not like the black bean sauce with the octopus but my partner enjoyed it. The octopus was still enjoyable as it was served on top of the sauce and the amount could be controlled. skillet seared duck breast $43 creamy white corn polenta, braised rainbow chard, duck jus, green tomato ginger jam - The duck was tender. The polenta was soft and creamy. Absolutely loved the green tomato ginger jam with the duck. Had reminiscence of plum sauce. caramelized sea scallops $43 maitakes, snap peas, fingerling potatoes, porcini mushroom blanquette - The dish was served with 4 perfectly cooked scallops. The blanquette was delicious. I scrapped the sauce with every bit on the plate till it was clean. Spiced Pumpkin Cake $11 With apple and whipped marcapone - Per the server, this is a new dessert. The cake was moist and lightly spiced. The apples and the marcapone matched really well with the cake. I only wished the cake was warmer slightly before serving. Overall, the entire meal was fantastic. The portion size was a bit small for the value. However, their service was so accommodating, we left happy with our dinner choice. With a final bill of approximately $200 for 2 people and leaving still a bit hungry, I'm not sure this will be a good causal dining spot. This restaurant would definitely be a great spot for special occasions or if you're a light eater.

    Lamb
    Tony H.

    What a great fine this was small little place, but oh Lord so good. Risotto mushroom was phenomenal. The lamb shoulder with gnocchi you couldn't ask for better atmosphere is great service staff is wonderful. The owners take good care of the place in our present covering making sure that you experience is ip to par I don't do this often, but this is a five star do yourself a favor if you're in Monterey Pacific Grove or Carmel come to Pacific Grove, and try this place

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