Food was tasty here. I would definitely come back. Ordered the paella. Service was ok, our server was coughing a bunch which was a little unnerving? read more

Amazing 1824 cocktail by CJ barman. Craftsmanship at its best! Super skilled cocktail maker !

The best decision I made before getting to Monterey was making a dinner reservation here. This is where we had dinner on our first night. After checkin, we lounged for a couple of hours then headed out to dinner ready to feast. We were tired, hungry, and ready to find out if Monterey had good eats. First off, I didn't even realize this was located inside a hotel. A definite thing to consider for a future visit. I'd totally eat here everyday if I stayed there. Both my friends had never had tapas before so I took the lead. Here's what we ordered Huevos Diablo - not my favorite. I wasn't a fan of the shrimp. I guess I like my deviled eggs basic. Lamb albondigas - super good. Right amount of spices Medjool date with bacon and blue cheese - perfect taste combo. I love how the saltiness of the bacon was covered by the sweet date. Fresh grilled pita - suuuuuuper delicious Piquillo peppers - our personal favorite. We loved it so much we ordered another. Pulled pork empanadas - another favorite. The pulled pork was beyond. And the dipping sauce that came with it was divine. Duck breast - my order and ultimate favorite. I got it because my friend had never had duck before so I wanted her to taste it. It was cooked perfectly. It almost melted in your mouth. I almost wished I didn't have to share it. Paella del Mar - seafood paella. Very good, but I wish the seafood wasn't overcooked. Warm chocolate cake with raspberry sorbet - I only had one bite because I was super full, but it did taste great. Everything we ate was delicious. Of course some stood out more than others. Even the house wine was tasty. The service was equally great. I made the reservation online and got a phone call the day of to confirm said reservation. That was a nice touch. Our server, Marissa was impeccable. She was very knowledgeable and seemed to know the menu well when we had questions. Her suggestions were a hit. The rest of the staff were equally friendly and efficient. Someone was always around clearing things off our table. Talk about teamwork. I am definitely going to dine here again the next time I visit. read more

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The food here is really good The staff is really friendly And drinks are decent I had the omelette and a bloody read more

Esteban Restaurant - Bloody- good but no great - Spanish Near Me - Monterey, California

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April 4 what what has happened? for my birthday celebration my party which, was extolled by myself to friends before arriving ..on every routine excellent detail this establishment normally proffers..was a flat flop on everyone's faces at my table. not a thing/nothing I'd said to entice my guests choose Esteban last evening manifested ! though we said nothing it wasn't celebratory meal at all. just where did all elegance in staff men & their old world charms in services disappear to? and only bread and nuts matched normal food quality including its plated presentation .... all missing in little over a month's time since Super Bowl evening when I spent finest evening & served excellences with beverages then famous empanadas then burger there! now? all upsetting experience as nada/nothing same, all mediocrity. we sincerely could have driven to Habit Burgers for exact same fares and even the fries on plate dry un-fresh tired ..delivered on smallish plating as seems staffs chef elected for Thursday April 4 my evening celebration..with staff all all changed and clearly fumbling courses, arriving after extended waiting at our table to "serve" cold burgers following the stale pork empanadas. we deferred further experimentation courses after second and third such a flop, skipped dessert and beverages further as whole deflate$ experience rang through to now next day, this morning ! but oh onward yes, same highest pricing on wallets expected indeed. In conclusion? I appreciated the responsorial eye to exact details ? which we suffered, not quite. No outreach nor request speak on credible offensive food service touted all over everywhere both in ads and by chef. I'm indeed a Monterey county pioneer family w/long histories & times as attendee Casa Munras' property since late 1960s, before a time of slam public without courtesy $$ credit applied to our main courses, if nothing else elegant could be offered. Last evening was my 5th evening in Esteban since February 1st, but many evenings dining also before that over recent years as we guested families from out of state. So to conclude and In that light now.. I wish commend each of Esteban older honed staffs as whether hostess waiter woman barkeep, or ancillary young servers.. whom previously attended our tables last January then February until Lenten season.. all elegance was they. Your pros...And, were highly renunerated as well. Anne read more

Love going here for happy hour when appetizers are half price. The dishes are a bit pricey for their size (which is why going during happy hour is better) but you will leave satisfied. A few dishes you MUST try: the blue cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon (it's a great combination/balance of sweet and savory and the blue cheese is subtle); the warm and soft pita bread served with garlic humus, olive tapenade, olive oil & balsamic; and the paella. They have 3 types of paella, I recommend the classic seafood paella. It easily serves 2 to 3 people and it's a great deal for the price. The food is great and service is always friendly and helpful answering questions. It's a casual atmosphere with upscale dishes read more

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Our dog-friendly go-to Spanish restaurant whenever we visit Monterey. Olga, the receptionist is so friendly on the phone and in-person. Do try their paella and wished they still had the churros con chocolate. read more

First time here, very impressed. We stayed with the tapas menu, and everything was really, really good. Patatas bravas, brussels sprouts, mussels and clams, everything was wonderful. Great service. Very nice ambience. This is the place to go! read more

Great Restaurant must go when in Monterey. Great paella & tapas Paella Del MarWarm Pita Basket Short Rib Beef back soon,Pulpa Confit.

The food was very mediocre, papas bravas was over spiced and dry potatoes, the jamon with jalapeno sauce was weird and doesn't melt in your mouth, the peppers were chared and burnt and they didn't bring anything for my wife's birthday even though the host confirmed it was a birthday evening and I saw someone else get a birthday candle desert. Extremely disappointed in all aspects read more

We were guest of the hotels during Jazz week, the last weekend in September. We were looking forward to their Sunday brunch, and we were unfortunately very disappointed. Not only was a service slow, but ultimately we never received our food. We had two kids with us who patiently waited an hour and a half to be told that our food ticket had been lost and that our foodwas never coming. our server kept telling us that the food was coming, which was even more frustrating when at the end of the hour and a half wait we were told that our ticket was lost. We contacted management and they offered to take money off of our hotel stay, so this review is specifically for the restaurant. Even after speaking to management, my husband and I came to the conclusion that we will not be staying at this resort, let alone eating at the restaurant. So unfortunate, because a few years ago the level of service was so much better. There was three or four other tables who were experiencing the same terrible service that morning during the time that we were seated. Hopefully they will step it up. read more

I have been here several times. Some of the most delicious food in the area. A wonderful evening every time I go.

Went for Thursday Happy Hour to hear some live music from young musicians, a trio that was part of the Monterey Jazz Fest's Next Generation program. Very enjoyable. Very good value for the money. Service was efficient without being overbearing. The house red wine was pretty good, as was the Huevos Diablo (basically a deviled egg with a couple shrimp and some pickled pepper slices). The egg dish had good balance of flavor. The highlight was the Pacific Cod, served over white beans, green & black olives, pepper slices, and garlic. Excellent! read more

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The food was AMAZING! There was so much flavor! The red sangria was just ok. Service was not good at all, our server had zero personality, it was almost kind of awkward. But the food was a 10/10, so we'll be back! read more

The food, the service and ambience just are all amazing. Totally recommend this place. I've been here with friends a couple of times and never been disappointed. read more

We tried many of the tapas and chicken paella. Very good. Also tired a bottle of red wine which paired nicely. Took 30 minutes to put in our order and met our waitress which was disappointing. Nice atmosphere. read more

Covid-19 Review Times are strange right now yet you wouldn't notice at this restaurant. The service was incredible from top to bottom and the food was amazing. What I especially liked was the ambiance and heated gas lamps at every table, given we had to eat outdoors. I'm definitely coming back to this spot soon! read more

Great food. Best Red Sangria I ever had. Great service. The cookies were great. Best Tapas outside of Spain. read more

Went here for Valentine's Day. Not good at all. Horrible service & horrible food. There was a special for $90 each... they were out of scallops (dish 2) which we learned about after the first dish was done. They offered us to share a tapas so we ordered empanadas, which we had to share 1 order. It came 1 hour after our first dish. They were good, but we had to ask 3 times for an update. We had to ask for water and sprite several times as well. The steak entree was off... the pomegranates were not a good add at all. We boxed it up because we were ready to leave. Ordered dessert and they gave us one to share (we're paying for 2!!). We were excited for this place as it was our first time, but it was a horrible experience. Would not recommend at all. $230, still hungry and upset. read more

Had a wonderful dinner last night! The service was excellent, Nicelle the restaurant manager took exceptional care of our table and our serve CJ was very attentive & knowledgeable on the menu which I very much appreciated. Chef Gus delivered an amazing meal as always! Overall a wonderful experience dining at Estebans even with the outdoor dining restrictions you have a beautiful outdoor patio to enjoy! read more

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From start to finish the dining experience was perfect and the staff were amazing. We had a large party and Nicelle and Renfred were phenomenal at arranging everything. They were knowledgable helpful and friendly. The food was also excellent. Thank you! read more

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Having lived and dined around the Monterey Bay, I have to begin by saying that I am totally jaded. So often, restaurant food is lackluster and service can be truly terrible. My husband and I went to Esteban to celebrate a special occasion and to try something new. We started with massages and good soak at the spa on the hotel grounds. For just $20/person, you can get an all day hot tub pass with in and out privileges. That's a total bargain. Highly recommend. We decided to order a bunch of small plates for dinner. We ordered the seasonal salad, the cheese board, pork belly and the bone marrow. The standouts were pretty much everything but the bone marrow. My husband loves bone marrow, and doesn't need it all mixed up with distractions. Neither of us liked it. The pork belly, on the other hand, was AMAZING. We should have stopped there. Desserts weren't that interesting. We ordered the ice creams and the pot de creme. Other than the coconut ice cream, the flavors weren't that interesting. The pot de crème lacked the intense chocolate flavor I expect. The big standout of the whole evening was the waitstaff. I asked that our meal be brought out in courses, starting with the salad. The whole thing was very smooth. We were checked on appropriately. No one batted an eye when I asked for a complete change of plates and flatware in the middle of our meal. I wouldn't hesitate to return for another soak and an early dinner. It felt like a perfect California outdoor dining experience. read more

Great food, great service, and beautiful outdoor ambiance! The brussel sprouts and pulpo frito are so yummy!!

We just finished dinner at Esteban and I can highly recommend this place. We showed up tired and ragged looking from our road trip with a three-year-old and an 11-month-old. We felt a bit underdressed. The hostess originally told us the wait would be about an hour. The assistant manager quickly jumped in (Don't know his name) and found a way to accommodate us and got us seated within a few minutes. This meant the world to us as we were exhausted and had two hungry children to feed. Not to mention that I was really craving tapa for dinner tonight. The food and the service did not disappoint. The drinks were great the food came out timely and well cooked and the pricing is wonderful. Very nice atmosphere and ambiance as well. read more

Stayed at this hotel thinking it was full service (gym, restaurant, pool, etc). Stayed on a Friday night. After an early dinner we thought we'd stop by the restaurant (Esteban) for an after dinner drink at 8. We were turned away from both restaurant and bar. As hotel guests. Plus it wasn't crowded. I'd look for a hotel/restaurant where you're actually treated like a guest. read more

Awesome food, service, atmosphere. The entire visit was so good, we went back 2 days later for dinner again. The patio is amazing!

Bad generic answer from the manager. Copy and paste response of course. Again shame on the owners for serving supermarket thanksgiving dinner at grotesque prices making dinners believe it was some gourmet diner. Worst dining experience of my life. Please do not insult me and respond to me with some vague team excuse. Happy to report that convince a party of six not to go last week ‍ read more

During the pandemic, I was very impressed with Estabans. Every employee we encountered were super nice and everything was very clean. We made a reservation on the patio. Richard was our server and he is quite simply the best. He spoke about his favorite dishes a d the specials, and I swear that man made everything sound amazing! And everything was! Richard explained that the food would take a little longer than normal with all the take out orders...didnt bother us, gave us time to let our appetizers settle. We really enjoyed the beet salad, the dark chocolate creme brulee and we shared the steak. All amazing food. Please keep Richard forever. He is a gem. read more

The food here is bad. 1/10. What kind of chef makes seafood paella and cooks the seafood separate from the paella and then just puts it on top for presentation. And the worst part was all the seafood thrown on top of the rice at the end was overcooked. The shrimps were tough, not seasoned at all, and had no color on them. It's as if they boiled the shrimp for 10 minutes or something. The "sangria" was clearly just red wine with some fruit thrown in right before they brought it out. This restaurant cuts corners and gives Spanish food a bad representation. The head chef should be ashamed of himself. read more

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Elegant, comfortable, welcoming ambience paying respect to Spanish California and delicious, fresh Spanish-Californian-Mediterranean flavors make this a winning restaurant. We appreciated the friendly and hard-working staff. The dishes were suffused with harmonious flavor such as an incredible watermelon gazpacho with herb oil and chocolate mint from the Casa Munras garden. read more

First time there, drawn by news of the beautiful new patio dining area. Staff were so so kind and attentive. Food was delicious, especially the prawns in garlic chili oil. The patio garden dining space was lovely and relaxed, and seemed a million miles from all the traffic right outside the door. I can't wait to go back! read more

This meal was so good!! The paella was to die for! My daughter had a kids meal and enjoyed it so very much! I recommend the mushrooms!! Also the dessert was sooo good!! Recommend the churros! Definitely coming back! read more

This restaurant is top shelf. Service is above and beyond with knowledgeable servers. Richard and Alexander are the best. Over the years, we've had almonds & olives, medjool dates, paella, chicken, moorish chickpea stew, wine pairings. All fabulous! Stay at the Casa Muras and eat at Esteban. read more

Esteban Restaurant - Grilled chicken - Spanish Near Me - Monterey, California

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I have been coming to Esteban for at least 15+ years and have seen it's transformation throughout the years. The restaurant and their new outdoor patio is amazing with wonderful atmosphere. The Tapas are great and the main courses are even more delicious. Good service and very friendly staff. read more

I would not recommend this establishment - whether you are a tourist, local, or a guest of the hotel. This place is a joke. We came here to celebrate my birthday and while the hostess was aware based off of our reservation, the server was not. Not a huge deal - especially since Richard was great with us the entire time! On the menu, we ordered the patatas bravas, octopus, grilled flatbread, and the paella del mar. I ordered a rosé sangria - it was essentially a rosé with a few slices of fruit floating in it. The only highlight of the entire meal was the octopus - just the protein itself, none of the carrots or the pea shoots (which were supposed to be red sorrel, as stated by the menu) shone through. The patatas bravas tasted and looked as if they had been cooked through earlier that day - they were overcooked and soggy - not crispy. The grilled flatbread was essentially a thick flavorless piece of cardboard with some tapenade and scarce burrata smeared on top. And the *star* of the show: the paella del mar. 1. Rice: under seasoned. 2. Shrimp: desperately under seasoned and over cooked. 3. Shellfish: under seasoned. 4. Random veg on top: undercooked and under salted. Paella del mar (or any paella for that matter) shouldn't be smothered in vegetables, local or not - and if they are, it should be stated in the menu. All of the protein that was PLACED ON TOP of the paella were not cooked in the paella, as it should be done traditionally. It shouldn't be advertised or said that "Chef Gus loves the tradition of this dish" IF HE DOESN'T ACTUALLY COOK IT TRADITIONALLY. Our server asked us how we were enjoying our meal before we had to unfortunately tell him that we were disappointed and we were finished with everything. He apologized, took the paella back to the kitchen, and gave us the check. Hilariously enough, when we first sat down, we saw Chef Gus walking around the dining room, chit chatting with guests and refilling waters - asking what they had ordered for dinner. He approached our table, had a small conversation, and went back into the kitchen. You would think that if a guest is dissatisfied with their experience and their meal, the chef would come and speak to the table to make amends or see what could have been done better. No excuses for being weeded or that there were too many things to be taken care of - there were three other parties of 2 in the restaurant. Thank you Chef Gus for an amazing experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The best part about our dinner experience was coming home to nurse two upset stomachs and opening a box of cheez-it's. read more

My favorite go to place for wine and solitude! I sit next to fire pit and order my $7 wine all evening at covid special price and enjoy the ambience outside which is quiet and in peace with nature! Give it a try and you will not be disapp Edit 2: My favorite go to for have a glass or two of wine! Love the ambience and the service especially in the times of Covid! Love the way the clean the place and give my favorite place close to the fire pit! Kudos to the staff work here! I take a bow to them for the great service! God bless them! read more

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Absolutely amazing food and service. Highly recommend this restaurant in the heart of Monterey.

We had a wonderful dinner last night, with our family. Shared many delicious tapas. Everyone loved the food & the beautiful patio.

My husband and I were staying at Casa Munras Hotel & Spa and decided to have dinner on our last night. When we arrived the hostess told us it would be a 15 min wait to be seated... which was a bit odd because there were tables available and they were not busy at the time. Our waiter Alexander was awesome. He had great recommendations from food to wine. Our first dish we tried was the Pork empanadas. The pastry was flaky, soft and was very delicious. The second dish we tried was Grilled Flat bread that had burrata and tapenade. The flat bread was made in house from what Alexander explained to us, and it was good. We decided to give the Paella Del Mur a try aside from the mix reviews.. the serving was sufficient, served in a 12" pan and was plated nicely. The rice seemed bland and the overall dish didn't excite me as much as I wanted it to. Overall, service was great due to Alexander. The pork Empanadas was probably the best dish of our dinner. read more

Esteban Restaurant - Pork Empanada - Spanish Near Me - Monterey, California

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The Brussels sprouts were insanely good! We also enjoyed the Caesar salad and the chef burger and fries. Outdoor seating is lovely and our server was wonderful. read more