Highly Recommended 14 Dinner Restaurants Near Monterey, California

Jonathan Hahn Ashley D was my waitress and she was amazing! I was the only one sitting outside on a beautiful day but it was no problem to get great service. Food was good, and relaxing area outside!

Rhonda Hurtado Warmly greeted upon entering. Choice of indoor or outdoor seating. Ocean views. Great staff recommendations - was even told soup or salad should be skipped to safe room for dessert. Lovely delicious tiramisu and creamy spumoni. Will definitely return for other meals.

JAY MAC I had an absolutely perfect dining experience here! While the current 4.3 rating is good, this place is easily a 5-star gem that far exceeded all my expectations. The food was incredible—every single dish was flawless, but the grilled meat was truly the star of the show. It was cooked to perfection, incredibly flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. What really set this night apart was the service. It honestly felt like the staff could read my mind; every detail was attended to before I even had to ask. Everyone was 100% friendly and made me feel so welcome. A huge, special thank you to Stephanie! You were absolutely perfect and made my night truly special. Your attention to detail and kindness are unmatched. Thank you for providing such a perfect evening. I will definitely be back!

Jeffrey Martin Excellent food! The seafood sampler appetizer was our favorite, but the crab cake was also very good with plenty of crab, not overdone with stuffing. The pasta was good, but a little under seasoned. We ate at 5:30pm. No wait and service was excellent because not many diners were out early on a weeknight. The view of the pier was nice. Overall, 5 out of 5.

Adelene Goh We enjoyed a comforting spread at Bubba Gump — crispy fish and chips, creamy clam chowder, flavourful pasta, and a generous seafood platter perfect for sharing. Everything came out hot, tasty, and satisfying, with friendly service and a fun, lively atmosphere. A great stop for casual seafood.

Wendy Brickman It’s no surprise to learn that The Fish Hopper was recently voted Best Restaurant on Cannery Row — it’s absolutely well-deserved! I went for a late lunch on a beautiful day, and the views were simply breathtaking both inside and out. Watching the ocean waves crash over the rocks while spotting sea life and sail boats and more made the entire dining experience even more special. We ordered the grilled salmon and the halibut with macadamia nut crust with tangy mango sauce— both were outstanding with generous portions! The seafood was super fresh, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor, complemented by fresh vegetables and sweet potatoes. Our server, Jeff, was friendly, attentive, and offered great menu suggestions that really made the meal even better. We ended with a creamy café latte, though I have to admit, the dessert tray looked incredibly tempting… next time for sure! We sat in the east section at table 9 and if thats available, it has a 180 degree view of the gorgeous Monterey Bay! If you love spectacular ocean views, top-notch seafood, and excellent service, The Fish Hopper is a must-visit on Cannery Row!

John Mukhar Four of us stopped in at Rosine’s for dinner before a concert at the Golden State Theater across the street. We had a 6:30 PM reservation and were seated immediately upon arrival, despite the restaurant being very busy. Our server greeted us promptly and took our order without delay. We ordered the Chicken Parmesan, Fettuccine Alfredo with Prawns, Crispy Hot Chicken Sandwich, and the California Club. The food arrived quickly and everything was delicious. I had the Crispy Hot Chicken, which came with hot oil and hone; excellent flavor and perfectly prepared. The staff were friendly, attentive, and professional throughout our visit. We all enjoyed our meals and still had plenty of time to walk over to our concert. A great experience overall.

Babsi Bauer Absolutely amazing food! I’m celiac and the waitress was so kind to help me with GF options and do some changes to items which were not GF from the start. The food was fresh and delicious! Tons of vegan GF options too. The backyard is super cute and cozy. We felt so welcomed and left with fully happy bellies.

Elif Demirag We had an amazing experience at Sandbar & Grill. We’re in Monterey just for one day, and we’re so glad we chose this place. The food was absolutely delicious — everything we ordered was spot on. The service was just as great; our server was incredibly kind, attentive, and made us feel very welcome. Special thanks to the server with the nose piercing — you truly made our visit even better. Highly recommended, and we’ll definitely come back if we’re ever in Monterey again.

Danny I Chelsea our server was awesome! She was very friendly and helpful. The servings were great. We enjoyed the food and had a great time. God bless.

Deborah Bitto My girlfriend and I chose Lalla Grill for lunch because it was conveniently located under our hotel. It wasnt too crowded, had a diverse menu, and we got a great window seat. The food and service were excellent! We both thoroughly enjoyed our visit and highly recommend it.

Kelsey Jones All the food we had was great: the poached shrimp cocktail, dungeness crab drip--these were our favorite items, also had sea scallops really good, the wagu burger- really good, the chowder -- liked it but liked old fishermans grotto one better. We had a very kind server that very accommodating, the atmosphere was wonderful. We loved sitting out on the patio looking at the water and saw lots of seals/sea lions swimming!

Nalina My mom flew into town and took me here for my birthday and we had a ball. Drinks, appetizers, entree, and dessert. Everything on the menu looked so good, but this is what we got (pictured below). The food was amazing and came out hot and fresh. I especially loved the dessert (white chocolate bread pudding). The service was also fantastic. We were checked on very frequently. The location is gorgeous! I anticipated a little but was greatly surprised with how much so. There were turtles outside in the pond. The ambience is great. We met the sweetest lady here and bonded (as easy coasters) over the grits. Every time my mom plans to come, she mentions going back here.

Robert Degnan Cant recommend this place enough. From being greeted by the hostess to being seated. Our service was amazing and attentive. There are plenty of beer choices. As you will see in the pictures from a dark brown to a hef. The wings are smoked with a dry rub. I cant explain the flavor except unique. The wings were huge. The pan pizza had a baked crisped top and was combined with a pan style