**vegetarian review** Fairly decent spot. I got the potatoes, beet salad and vegetarian paella to share between two people. I have definitely had better potatoes at many places. The beet salad however was really good and stoke the show. The paella was decent. Nothing out of the world but not bad. Overall kinda expensive, but can be visited once. I'll probably not go back. read more

Esteban Restaurant - Beets salad - Spanish Near Me - Monterey, California

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Food and service is excellent! Octopus is cook to perfection and Seafood Paella is very flavorful! Spent 3 days in Monterey and ate 2 dinners here! read more

Esteban Restaurant - Seafood Paella - Spanish Near Me - Monterey, California

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We came here for Valentine's Day and I'm glad we did! The service is amazing and always so accommodating. Whether it's the server, manager, hostess, everybody worked as a team to attend to all needs. Although we had a reservation for 645 we did request if we could grab a table an hour earlier. Despite the backlog of folks on a Valentine's Day (as expected) they accommodated us! They did offer a 3 course V Day meal but we went with their regular menu. My wife and I both ordered the Half chicken. My 4 year old Izzy got the burger and fries from the kids menu. The restaurant is located in an upscale hotel and there is plenty of street parking. read more

The bar tender was amazing and the food was great! I truly enjoyed the experience, the customer service, and the conversation. The fireplace also kept me warm and felt back at home. Thank you read more

Went here for a birthday weekend dinner twice. Everything was delicious, even though I didn't recognize the menu from the last time (it was probably seasonal, which was fine). There wasn't a single bad item. I would definitely go again. read more

Esteban Restaurant - 6 dishes from Esteban's fall menu - Spanish Near Me - Monterey, California

Disastrous Experience from Start to Finish I had high hopes for Esteban Restaurant, but unfortunately, our experience was an absolute disaster. I understand that it was a busy holiday weekend (the day after Valentine's Day), but the service, seating, and food quality were all unacceptable. First, I called days ahead to make a reservation for Saturday at 6:45 PM, only to receive a confirmation with the wrong date--not a great start. I also confirmed over the phone that they were only offering the fixed-price Valentine's menu, which was fine with me. When we arrived on time for our reservation (actually 2 minutes early), we were told there would be a wait. No problem--until a friend of mine, who arrived without a reservation, was also told there would be a wait. We were finally seated 15 minutes after our reservation, but at the worst table in the entire place--right next to the kitchen, where the staff was constantly running by - it felt like we were sitting next to a highway. To make matters worse, the manager was loudly throwing silverware into containers, creating even more chaos. It was clear that they were under-prepared for the busy night. Then, one minute after we were seated, my friend (who had no reservation) was escorted past our terrible table and seated in a quiet, lovely section of the restaurant. She later told me she had a fantastic meal with great service, while we endured a loud, uncomfortable, and disappointing dining experience. We were already displeased, but we decided to try a couple of appetizers. We ordered two slices of bread cut in half (so, four small pieces) with olive oil for $6 and crispy Brussels sprouts for $19--which, thankfully, were tasty. So, we decided to go ahead and order dinner. I went with the $79 fixed-price menu, which included a glass of champagne--but I asked if I could substitute it for a club soda with lime, to which our server said, "No problem." My wife ordered the salmon for $45. The meal started off well--the beet salad was delicious and full of flavor. But from there, things went downhill fast: Our entrées arrived, and I had finished my club soda, so I asked for another. The glass was taken, but never returned so back to regular water for the rest of the meal. I also noticed I hadn't been given a steak knife, so I had to flag someone down for one. My 8 oz. Prime Manhattan Filet was nearly impossible to cut, full of tendons, and raw in the center (despite ordering medium rare). The middle two inches were just gristle and completely inedible. My wife's salmon was served skin-side up, and the skin was so tough it was uncuttable, even with a steak knife. She had to peel it off and eat what was left of the dry, overcooked salmon. Nobody checked on us after dropping off our entrées. By the time someone finally came back, we were done picking at what little we could eat. The server asked if we wanted boxes--we declined because that was the worst filet I've ever had. Then came dessert--a churro-like dish that was so over-fried it was literally uncuttable. At this point, it was almost comical how bad the experience was. Finally, the bill came. I had a $200 gift card, and the total (with a 19% tip) came out to exactly $200. However, as I was figuring out the receipt, my wife noticed I was charged for the club soda--despite being told it was a substitute for the champagne. I tried flagging someone down to fix it, but we were ignored. Instead, we just left, giving our server $4 less than she could have had--not out of spite, but because we had no intention of ever returning to this restaurant. Final Thoughts The worst part? We never should have been seated at that horrible table while a walk-in guest got a prime table just one minute after us. That set the tone for the rest of the night, and it only got worse. We should have trusted our instincts and left before ordering. Lesson learned. Would I ever come back? Absolutely not. read more

Esteban Restaurant - Special Valentine's menu - Spanish Near Me - Monterey, California

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Made reservations for 5:15 Valentine's evening. Were arrived early and were seated by 5:10. The busser came by and gave us some water. No server came by. Within 2 minutes the busser brought us prawns that we did not order, figured they were complimentary. After 20 minutes of being there, no server to take our drink or appetizer order, or any order for that matter. We asked for our server as we were ready to order. We were being patient as they were busy on this day of love. Another 20 minutes go by, still no server. We left. All the bussers were excellent! And on top of things. No love for this place today. We were out of there by 5:50. read more

Lisdel was fantastic as a server and the food was excellent. 0 complaints and really was icing on the cake for a Valentines with my wife. Would 10/10 come back - especially if we could guarantee to sit in Lisdel's section! read more

Esteban Restaurant - Valentine's 3 Course Menu - Spanish Near Me - Monterey, California

One of my favorite restaurants in Monterey. Absolutely delicious and staff was courteous, also the food was delivered so perfectly timed. read more

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A hidden gem in Monterey, nestled near downtown. Ever since coming back from our Barcelona trip, I've been on a mission to find the best Spanish/Catalan restaurants in both Monterey and SF Bay Areas, and Esteban didn't disappoint. We ate in their courtyard and sat next to their firepit. The courtyard is well equipped with heaters. The staff was friendly too. Would definitely come back here again. read more

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We returned for our 25th anniversary (we were here the first time for our 13th anniversary and I will say that it is still amazing as ever. We opted to attend during happy hour. They offer a nice happy hour from 4:30-6:00 daily. There were a couple of items that we had on our first visit that are no longer on the menu, but that is ok everything we did have was amazing. The brussel sprouts are a must-have, crispy with just a hint of char. We could have eaten a couple of bowls of them. Jamon Serrano Y Manchego is a nice variety of bites to pair together. Mejillones Y Alemjas is a nice combination of seafood and cooked perfectly. Westholme Wagyu Bavette had to be some of the most tender meat we have ever had. It was perfection on a plate. Our server Jessie had not been working at the restaurant very long but she was amazing. She made sure to answer all our questions, that we had everything we needed and to check on us regularly. She did not even mind that we ordered one thing at a time to enjoy each of them before ordering another. We will be back the next time we are in town. read more

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Love this restaurant! Food is delicious! Staff is informative and welcoming. Love the Bakers bacon!

Thanksgiving late lunch on the patio. Perfect temp and I avoided turkey and Grandma's green beans. Halibut on a bed of Mole anf Pepitas instead. I have always had a good experience here. read more

Esteban Restaurant - Halibut on a Mole bed with Pepitas - Spanish Near Me - Monterey, California

Another amazing meal here -- highlights include the chicken & chorizo paella and the jamon Serrano pizza. The tapas are outstanding, definitely best in Monterey. Overall a wonderful evening out in this fantastic restaurant. read more

We were recently on vacation in Carmel/Monterey and wanted Spanish food. Estaban was a disappointment. We ordered three appetizers - potatoes bravas, pulpo frito, and croquettes. The pulpo frito was delish and the mix of sauces were great. The croquettes were a mixed bag - some with potato chunks and others with mashed potatoes- but certainly skimping on the shrimp and chorizo. I sent the potatoes brava back. In my opinion they were not even close to "crispy duck fat potatoes" but instead steamed or boiled potatoes with brava sauce - the waitress tried to explain the menu description was not current and wisely took them off the bill. The paella Del Mar was a bust - soggy rice ( not the lovely crust that it should have). There were four clams (tiny), four mussels (tiny) and four prawns (completely overcooked with a faint bleach smell). For $59.00 I expected at least clam and mussel meat in the dish, but no... just rice The dessert was nice, we had the just baked cookies and crèma Catalan. The service was uneven - several bus boys and a waitress- but after my complaint during the appetizers- she was scarce. And, we asked for the appetizers first as the menu indicated a 25 minute prep time for the paella - however, the croquettes and paella came at the same time. We were really looking forward to the meal - but it fell short and we won't be back. read more

Tried several items off the menu and the one dish that stood out The Most was their EMPANADAS!!! OMG sooo fresh and sooo ultra delicious!!! Comes 2 on a plate and We could have easily ordered 4 plates of them and be very satisfied! A clear very close 2nd place was their Westholme WAGYU Bavette. Very very tender and so very delicious as well. Other awesome items we tried off the menu were: Crispy Bruselas: Brussel Sprouts which were fresh, crispy and full of flaver Pesca del Día: Fresh Catch of the day: very fresh and tender Halibut Ok items we tried: Vieiras con Jamón: seared scallops / needed more salt and / or spice to take it up a notch Pimientos Asados: Charred organic peppers. They are just ok. Ok to snack with a beer but not amazing. We received good service. Very attentive! And we enjoyed their patio seating. read more

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We needed a Place to Celebrate our Success. The choice was clear, the Patio @ Esteban! The perfect place we absolutely could count on for Friendly & Attentive Staff, Remarkably Delicious Food & Masterfully Crafted Cocktails, including the ever excellent (off Menu) "Migdales Old Fashion"! read more

Esteban Restaurant - Cheers to Esteban! - Spanish Near Me - Monterey, California

We had breakfast at this restaurant. Highly recommend it. The coffee & food were delicious. The service was a little slow. I'm not sure if the restaurant is short on staff or if employees are taking time off. They can use some additional help. Good spot to enjoy breakfast! read more

Great food.. Great service amazing ambiance. We came to celebrate our Anniversary. The paella was one of the best especially the crispy rice. Love this place read more

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We just had the best meal in a long time. I hadn't eaten at Estéban in a few years and I guess there's a new chef since we last went because, wow! We had several tapas plus paella and another main and some desserts. Everything was so so delicious! Yvonne was awesome and helpful and spaced all our dishes ordered perfectly. We are looking forward to returning soon. read more

Esteban delivers fantastic Spanish-inspired cuisine with a cozy atmosphere and attentive service. The tapas are flavorful, and the outdoor patio adds to the charm! Must visit during their happy hours! 10/10 read more

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Went here for the paella and was not disappointed! It was delicious- we we're celebrating our anniversary and the service was amazing- can't remember our waitress name but she was great and gave us complementary champagne drinks to celebrate, can't wait to go back! read more

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Great location. Food was great. Service was great. Kitchen made a few mistakes. Burning one paella and forgetting the pepperoni on my kiddos pizza. read more

Awesome food, creative tapas menu, great ambiance and decor, uneven service. This is a restaurant inside the Casa Munras hotel in Monterey. Came here for dinner twice, mixed experience. The rating for this review is a combination of experiences during the two separate occasions (1 star first time, 4 stars the second time). The first time we sat indoors in the small room near the fireplace. The second time (also for dinner) we sat outside on their patio. First, let's talk about food. A must try is their bouillabaisse seafood stew; nicely done. Some may say the portion is too small but it was perfect for me. You can order an appetizer to complement it. The grilled octopus appetizer was really good, juicy, tender and crispy. Shrimp tapas and the scallops appetizer were both tasty. Chicken is dry; I'd skip that dish. There's a lemon tree in the yard by the patio. Nice touch. Menus were both on paper (traditional format) and iPads (fancy!). Next, let's talk about service. The first time we were here for dinner, after we were seated we were ignored for the entire evening. Many tables who arrived later than us all got to place their order, receive their dishes, and even paid and left and we were still waiting for our dishes. Our waiter really messed up. He had a heavy accent. Not sure if he was new here. He took a long time to even take our order. After that, he disappeared. Nowhere to be seen or be found. We couldn't flag down other waiters either because they were mostly outside on the patio. We finally chased down our waiter after having waited for 75 minutes! He mumbled some lame excuse and 15 minutes later our dishes miraculously appeared. He clearly forgot to put in our orders. Throughout the evening he never came to check in on us. The second time was better: more attentive, prompt service; waiter returned to ask how we liked the dishes and if we needed anything. It was a different waiter. It made all the difference. Esteban is super dog friendly. They even have a menu called Canine Cuisine with items that range from ground chuck patty to chilled wagyu bone marrow and all-beef frank pupsicle. Out front they have a bowl of water for puppies right next to an adorable dog statue. read more

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Stayed at the hotel for a couple of days and only ate here once but it was wonderful. We came down for breakfast and didn't realize the time, it was 10:02am and they stop serving breakfast at 10am, and we were apologetic and about to leave and the waitress stopped us and said let me just ask the cook. She asked and they let us eat, we were sure to be quick to order and eat but they were not rushing us at all and were super sweet to us, even made good suggestions while ordering. The food was super good too! Thank you Rebecca, our experience was great and we can't wait to go back. read more

We've been to Esteban's multiple times- whenever we visit Monterey. The atmosphere is low-key and inviting. They have both patio and inside dining. Staff are friendly and attentive without being intrusive. The Tapas plates are all delicious-and especially a great deal during their Happy Hour! read more

Fabulous meal tonight. Ate out on the patio. Soft guitar playing in the background. Jessie was training our server and we had excellent service. Cocktails were delicious. We ordered many things: patatas bravas (crispy and flavorful), polpa (grilled octopus, very tender), Spanish ham and manchengo cheese with grilled Ad Astra bread (delicious), mussels and clams with chorizo (gorgeous sauce), their Caesar salad was fresh, and tasty with more than just lettuce, pork belly was cooked to perfection. Our desserts were fantastic too. Crème brûlée with a cinnamon touch, their flan was like Filipino leche flan (dense and decadent) and the basque cheesecake was superb. All in all. A great birthday dinner for my son. Highly recommend. We will be back for the paella. read more

They had great items for our party of 9 to share with each other we had that and cocktails and wine . All were good but the service was top notch! Very attentive and respectful! Will recommend to all our friends! Great location too! read more

I went to Estéban Restaurant ten years ago and had a great dinner. However, now it is even better. Everything was impeccably presented and delicious with farm to table fresh flavors. Joseph had insightful knowledge about the restaurant and the menu and the service team was attentive. If you want to have a relaxing evening with beautifully crafted food, Estéban is worth experiencing. read more

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If you're in Monterey, Estéban is a must! We were seated in a private dining room inside as it was too cold to sit in their courtyard. Service was fast and they were very accommodating towards our son. Menus are on an iPad. You tap the picture for more details and pricing. Paella takes about 45 mins to cook and we were advised to have some tapas while we wait. We ordered the champinone coca flatbread and a pitcher of red sangria. The sangria was ok a little too bitter for my taste. The flatbread was delicious and the perfect amount of food to hold us over until the paella arrived. The Paella Del Mar, is excellent ! The rice was crispy and flavorful and the chiles gave it a nice touch. The prawns could use a bit more seasoning. All in all very satisfied with our visit ! read more

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Esteban Restaurant is such a gem! We got to enjoy a wonderful dinner here during our stay at the Casa Munras Garden Inn & Spa. The dinner was very tasty and unique and we loved the tapas style menu. It was easy to share and try a bit of different dishes. We also appreciated how dog-friendly and accommodating they were of our pup. They routinely offered to refill his water bowl and served us his Pooch Patty in a dog bowl, as well. The service was great and so was the food. Highly recommend stopping by this restaurant when you're in Monterey! :) read more

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Excellent service and seating both indoors and outside. I've noticed the outside caters very well to the warmth this time of the year for all seating with firepits and usually music around as well. I can't emphasize the service enough. The paella is indeed a 45m wait as stated on the menu and was exquisite and delicious. The simple bread order with oil and vinegar was excellent. Usually for establishments like this I would order many rounds of tapas (in particular any octopus/pulpo dish and especially mejillones y almejas borrachos but after a long day a simple bread and paella was envisioned to be the perfect order for the night and it was exactly as imagined. Thank you! read more

Esteban Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Monterey, California

OK, you have to try the Brussels sprouts, Crispy Bruselas. We ordered them as a side dish and they are by far the best I've ever tried including my own. For Tapas we had the Croquetas and Seared Scallops. At this point in our culinary delight we realized we needed bread to soak up all the sauce deliciousness. My advice, order bread with your Tapas. For entrees we had Mussels and Clams and Pesca Del Dia (halibut and risotto) The mussels were fresh and expertly prepared. They were delicate - not rubbery. Again, the au jus was a bit spicy with a definite chorizo seasoning. Another highly recommended dish is the halibut. It was the best cooked halibut, flaky & light, the risotto was almost like Mac-n-cheese, but frankly, we ate so much we couldn't finish the risotto. Everyone was very attentive so the service was good. We felt so welcomed as even the managers checked in on us. Lastly, the ambiance is intimate and private even though you're at a major intersection in Monterey. If I could give 9 stars I would. Don't miss this best kept secret of Monterey dining read more

Esteban Restaurant - The patio at Estéban restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Monterey, California

We've dined here several times as we enjoy staying at the attached hotel, Casa Munras. It is always a lovely experience, they have great service and a delicious selection of Spanish foods. I can't believe I've never reviewed them yet! We usually dine outdoors because we have our dog with us but the patio was under construction last time we came. They are VERY dog friendly and always bring water out for our dog too. Durng our most recent visit we had a selection of tapas. The Zanahorias were an expected standout, grilled carrots on a bed of hummus with paprika. The empanadas were also amazing, there were only two but they were quite big and filled with cheese and pork TLDR: Consistently tasty and unique dishes with great service! I will be back! read more

Esteban Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Monterey, California

Will not be back. Used to be one of our favorite restaurants in Monterey but food is no longer good here. Pulpo dish was badly burnt and seafood paella tasted bad, not fresh and prawns were not even devined which is unacceptable for a $60 dish. read more

Terrific service, wonderful food. We are local and this is one of our favorites and will be back often.

The food was excellent and always seemed to be the right amount. The staff was exceptional from the person who kindly seated us outside to the all the wait staff - efficient, informative, and so aware of when to "intrude". My friend hadn't seen each other in a long-time so very much to catch-up with. The staff must have sensed that since they were so respectful. Clearly a place to visit again. read more

So it was my birthday weekend and my wife and I were up in Monterey, California. We were sitting in our hotel room and my wife says, "Where do you want to go tonight?" I said, "I'm down for whatever, let's just see what Yelp has to offer". I leave the room and I her say, "what about this Topless Bar??" I come around the corner, smirk, and say, "I know it's my birthday, but a topless bar?" She laughs, says, "No you Idiot, a Tapa's Bar!! Luckily, she didn't throw a shoe at me! Haha --------------------------------------------------- True story? (USEFUL) Did I make it up?? (FUNNY) Or was it all a dream??? (COOL) Let the games begin!!! So after checking out the menu on Yelp and realizing it was just a short 5 minute walk from our hotel, we made our way to Estéban Restaurant for some Spanish Tapas! Our initial intention was literally just to grab a drink, a few appetizers, then go elsewhere to grab dinner, but after perusing their delicious menu, we decided to stack up Tapas and live like the Spaniards do! We didn't have reservations, but we were accommodated with an outdoor table that had a perfect vibe for a sunny Saturday evening. Once we sat down and ordered our drinks, we both reminisced about our trip to Barcelona in 2016 and all of the fun Tapas we had on that trip. As the Tapas made their way to our table, there was a familiar vibe that took us right back to that trip. Every dish was so well executed, plated beautifully and well worth this 5 star review. Highly recommend coming during their happy hour (4:30-6:00 p.m.) Their HH menu has some great offerings. So the next time you are in Monterey and you are given the option to go to a 'Topless Bar' or a 'Tapas bar', I say Estéban Restaurant should definitely be your #1 choice! read more

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We ate outdoors in the evening which was nice, they have heaters to keep you warm. I had the pork shoulder empanadas as an appetizer. They were good, it comes with two. The masa is more like a croissant texture. The green sauce that comes with it is pretty yummy. I also had the Mediterranean salad which was delicious! And the half chicken with Spanish rice. It was ok, it was a little dry. Luckily we used the green sauce to give it more flavor. read more

Delicious happy hour specials (calamari and Spanish meatballs ) w great cocktails and phenomenal paella on a beautiful patio!