we used to frequent fandango for special occasion dinners, because the basement room downstairs was/is a great place to dine, the service is fine, and my excellent wife likes the wine. the food is prepared well, but is not particularly memorable for us. if you like safe food choices and seek some elegance in pacific grove, then fandango is a good place to be. read more

You are always elegant. Thank you for keeping your standards patron focused. Every meal at Fandango is "special". Keep it up!

Our go to place when visiting Pacific Grove! Paella is so flavorful and aromatic, just delicious! Our other choice, osso bucco was fall off the bone tender! Service was great - our table was perfect - always a very enjoyable dining experience! read more

My husband and I have been here twice and have been pleased with the service and food. The escargot is a perfect appetizer and the bread tastes/smells so fresh. read more

4 of us happened upon this jewel. It's pricey but the food is outstanding. For appetizers we had the Tapas, Prosciutto Melon, & the Terrine of Foie Gras. For our main courses we had Paella, Filet & Scampi, Veal Picatta and a Hamburger. I'm not a desert lover but the Chocolate Mousse & the Raspberry Sorbet were so good I had to eat some even though I was stuffed. Even the bread & butter and coffee were fabulous.The service was impeccable. I thoroughly enjoyed this special meal. read more

The ambiance with the lit fireplace on a cold day was lovely for lunch, but the food did not deliver. We had the "pasta pesto: Basil, garlic, ground nuts, Parmesan, olive oil 14.50", and we were both extremely disappointed. The sauce had NO flavor, and I couldn't figure out what they had added to the pesto, since I've never had a pesto that wasn't really strongly flavored. This was like ordering an espresso and receiving a Swiss miss hot chocolate. I asked the waiter what was in the pesto and he said "cream". He just said that was the sauce; he didn't offer to change it out, but that was more our fault for not thinking to ask. Cream wasn't mentioned anywhere in the pesto description, and as an avid cook, I am aware that pesto is never cooked and once you add something like cream to it and heat it up, it is not pesto. I don't care about the technicalities, but I do care that the flavor strength went from a 10 (pesto) to a 1 (whatever they served us). The bread is also just basic Italian...no nice chew or crumb, or crust, just the kind that crumbles all over your plate but without the flavor of a baguette. I was happy that when we shared our perspective with the manager, he was a great listener. read more

Stopped by for a late lunch. Wow, the food was excellent. The service was excellent. How good? I left a very large tip, and as my wife and I were a few minutes out the door, the waiter came chasing after us. He was concerned we had made a mistake, and didn't want to change the credit card until he was certain we really meant to give that amount. read more

Had a last minute overnight in the Monterey area Memorial Day Saturday night, and a collegue recommended this, so we bit and did an OpenTable reservation. We arrived quite early, intending to walk around, but the weather was blustery and wet so they let us sit in the bar and run up a tab {smile} and still seated us early. I had the scallop appetizer and the giant squid entree - she had the tapas and the rack of lamb. Scallops were excellent, giant squid was less so, IMO. It tasted of butter and not much else, much as I like butter. The tapas were a masterpiece, and the lamb was most excellent (having the fovers on a sandwich as I write this - still great) If you are the sort of person who goes chasing the latest food trend, this may not be for you. This is fine food made extremely well. More importantly, this is a restaurant experience, of which the food is only one part. The restaurant is cozy and warm . We were seated in an intimate room with only three tables. The owner and the staff were also warm, inviting and accomodating to a person. Professionals who just seemed to be there at the right times and left you alone otherwise. It started with a fine bowl of olives and great bread as we were seated. Every place has it's ups and downs - we consider this a great find, and I'm not sure we'll ever eat anyplace else in PG from now on. We visit once a year or two, generally. Bravo! And the cookbook is fabulous,too!!!! read more

My family and I have been going to Fandango for over 15 years. It is a Monterey Peninsula classic and I have been known to spend quite a few birthdays here as well. You always leave feeling a little bit happier after visiting here as they are so warm and you feel so taken care of. Their wine list is extensive which means you are sure to pick something wonderful. We have always loved everything we have ordered. Their food is always amazing. I love this place and will be coming back for decades to come! Merci Fandango! You are truly a class act. read more

I treated my friend to lunch for her birthday about 2 weeks ago. The food was, as always, outstanding. The restaurant was not overly crowded so we were extremely disappointed in the inattentive service. The waiter, a long time employee barely had time to take our order and deliver it. No checking on us after he delivered the food until he came to pick up the dishes. He also did not remove our salad dishes before delivering the entree, this would be okay at Denny's but not at this upscale restaurant. When I asked him a question he answered with his back to us as he walked out of the room, no time to chat unless you were a weekly local. If you go please make sure you are seated in the big room with the waiter in his 30's, he was outstanding on our 2 previous visits. read more

Highly disappointed with the service.... Meal took over an hr to arrive...waiters never came back to ask how the food was... The calamari was good but the 16oz lobster was 120$ and overcooked... Told us it would be fair market value when the surf and turf was only 42$... Guess I should have asked the price... Desert took over 30 mins after the meal and still brought out after I said I didn't want it... Will never come back and should have went to Max's like originally planned read more

Came for dinner on a Tuesday night after our round at Pebble Beach. We had a veal dish, a chicken dish and the sand dabs. All three were over the top with flavor and cooked to perfection. The fire place was roaring which made the ambiance so nice and relaxing. Our drinks were delicious and we ended with the creme brûlée soufflé, which was the best I ever had. We are all from the east coast NY and FL and I wish I could find such a charming and delicious place like this closer to home. read more

We got there at opening time, so it wasn't so crowded. One of us had the fillet and scampi which was delicious. I had the short ribs which was also very good. The calamari appetizer was to die for! The best I've ever had. definitely would make this a place where I would visit again. read more

I tried Fandango for the first time tonight and was very pleased. I had one of the four specials - surf and turf. My filet was cooked perfectly. The lobster tails were wonderful. I had the chocolate mousse for dessert and it was delicious. I think the prices are in line with the nicer restaurants. For a nice/special night out, this would be a great choice. One negative I would mention is the overpriced drinks. A short top shelf margarita was $12.75 and not nearly worth the price for size and quality. read more

Great ambiance & delicious eats! Food is always so good & love all the different spots you can sit in the restaurant. A favorite spot to dine in PG! read more

Mothers Day Brunch- ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING and A HUGE RIP OFF!!! Fandango's, you should really be ashamed for the service, by our particular waiter, and disgusting food you charged $30 a head for? I ordered the New York Roast of Beef. This plate was absolutely pathetic. 2 small slivers of really fatty beef, no seasoning, watered down gravy, it was supposed to be a mushroom sauce. What mushrooms were they referring to? The mashed potatoes tasted like cardboard water based out of the box crap. And the 4 tid bits of vegetables served with the ridiculous garnish that was bigger than my portion of my sides- what a slap in my face. A "brunch" especially an advertised special day brunch should have at least one beverage included. Not even a coffee, or a typical mimosa was offered. Everything was charged a la carte! That is ridiculous. I would have rather gone to a dang Denny's or a Sizzler and had a better meal. What a rip off. Asked if I could add a side order of scrambled eggs and I was scoffed at like an idiot. As if it was wrong to ask for a breakfast item. The menu consisted of 1st course a salad, Main Entree of either, Roast Beef, Eggs Benedict, Salmon, Ham or Chicken Salad. Desserts were Profiteroles or Lemon Sorbet. Now really is that a brunch menu? Especially a Mothers Day Brunch menu? Our plates were being wisked away so quickly and I was not even done with my course. Each course plate was wisked away as if I was being rushed out of there. I will never go to this place again. For $30 I could have gone to In N Out and had a grand meal for the whole family with better choice in beef! You should get NO STARS. read more

I regret having to write this review. For many years, my partner and I have always made a point of reserving a table at Fandango -- one of our favorite restaurants in one of our favorite places, Pacific Grove. Unfortunately, something has happened to our beloved destination. I am told that the same owners and same chef abide; however, the food has, indeed, slipped in quality and presentation. I will say that our Caesar salad and caprese salad were quite good as was our wine -- a dolcetto, the only one on the wine list if I am not mistaken, so look for that. (We have a veteran waiter to thank for the help in this regard.) The main courses, sad to say, proved less than inspiring and not in the least memorable. I ordered the Osso Bucco which appeared on a bed of tasteless orzo. The lamb shank was split in one way or another and a layer of tomato sauce that dried into a paste sat on top of it. The meat was sinewy. My partner ordered the Paella, one of our all time favorites. It, too, lacked inspiration, tasting more like a cautious stir about made by an impotent Brit than a lusty mix of rice and seafood prepared by an equally lusty Spaniard. Oh how I long for the Fandango of yesteryear. read more

Been twice, super fab food and staff, tried escargot for the 1st time, it was off the hook! I have booked clients there, they love it.

Rack of lamb and grand marnier souffle are great - the rest of the items on the menu are pretty mediocre. The ambiance is good. But this place is pricey. We have been coming here for many years and I personally think the food and service has stayed consistent. My expectations have grown along with their prices! read more

Great place! I liked the ambiance. The food was very good. The menu had alot of choices. Lots of specials. I ordered the veal picatta. Very tender veal. The wine was very good. For dessert we had the make your own Sunday. Great service. A little pricey! read more

After reading all the bad reviews, we went just because of our curiosity, something we have never done before, since our b&b host recommended it. The food was good. Overall we concluded that grumpy people like to visit Pacific Grove specifically this restaurant. We would agree that it is probably over priced a little bit. read more

Maybe my expectations were a bit high; to me the food was good; but not what I would hope for the price. I had the paella; my wife had the osso buco. Both were well-flavored; the paella was billed as having spicy sausage along with the chicken & seafood, but the sausage was a missing flavor element. Ambient noise level was pretty high. Now I can say I've been there, but there are too many other places on the Monterey Peninsula that are far better for this price range. read more

Not authentic Spanish food, however food there was delish!! Also service is 5 star, great people there.

The rack of lamb had so much flavor! The scallops over the pasta was amazing too. We had great service, Rodrigo was our waiter and he was very accommodating with everything. Ben and Paul were great too. True service! read more

I have to say that I have been to and have enjoyed Fandango's many times, and I know the owner personally, but this last visit was a disappointment on several levels. I had booked my reservation through Open Table. It was for a birthday celebration with my good friend. We arrived a bit before our 6:30 PM reservation time. There were only a few tables occupied at the time. The host was unable to locate our reservation, but took us to be seated. He took us to the center of the dining area smack dab in the middle of the room at a four person table. Since there were only two of us we asked if we might be seated in a more intimate location. He said he didn't have anything available although we could see there were plenty of options. He led us to the bar area where we waited a full thirty minutes before WE went looking for him to find out what was delaying our seating. He finally took us to a nice table in one of the smaller rooms, but said it was only because a party of seven hadn't shown up. What??? I had a reservation, which I showed him the confirmation number on my phone. The dinner didn't go as planned either. We waited quite a while before the waiter came to take our order. Unbelievably, every entree had only potatoes and green beans as the side dish. I don't like green beans so opted for just potatoes. I had the sand dabs, but they were drowning in so much of the lemon butter sauce that it was hard to enjoy them. The waiter did take pity on me and came back later with some cooked carrots for us. Next came dessert. Even though I had told the maitre 'd this was a birthday dinner nothing special was done by the restaurant to mark the occasion. No apologies were made for the delay, and it was this delay that caused us to miss our movie. I had heard rumors that the restaurant was lacking in customer service, but had not believed it until this night. I can't say that I would recommend Fandango's in the future. It just wasn't a very good experience. read more

I have been in PG for nearly 13 years, but never darkened the door of Fandango's until this weekend. We were promptly seated, and the dining room has a very nice feel to it. The tablecloth had some stains on it, but we were interested in the food mostly. Our order was taken by a courteous waiter, and we waited about 20 minutes or so for it to arrive. My chicken sandwich looked half hearted, almost something thrown together at 7-Eleven. Fries were generic store fries from Smart and Final or a supply company of some kind. Definitely was hoping for some fresh spuds. The other sandwiches in our group looked a tiny bit better since they were served on fresh bread. Mine was a sesame seed bun which looked like something again from 7-Eleven. Also promised on the menu was a fresh bell pepper, but it looked like I got a tomato instead. In any case, the food was okay, but nothing we expected given Fandango's ratings. Our bill was around $40 for three people. I probably would pass on Fandango's again since I can get a better chicken sandwich from the Lovers Point Grill, and fresher spuds for less money. Anyways, your mileage may vary. read more

I have grown up eating here from romantic dinners for two to my father's 86 birthday in May. The staff is so kind and want to always go up and beyond your expectations. The salmon fetticine is my favorite meal. I also love love their caprese salad read more

What happened to Fandangos on Mother's Day??? Wow, I've eaten at this great restaurant many times and decided to go for my Mother's day with my husband and children (daughter came down from SF who attends culinary school) 30$ for cafateria food. We received 2 slices of roast beef, gravy, watery mashed potatoes, and a few cubed squash, No juice, coffee, fruit or anything. The other choices, ham, or salmon also had the same sides. The desserts were even prefrozen. I was offered coffee after dessert came and never offered a refill. We were in and out in less than 1 hour for a 3 course meal. Plates were being cleared as some of use were still working on it. What a rip off. Fandangos should be ashamed! It was so awful that it became comical, the only thing upsetting was the empty wallet. read more

Loved it! Husband had the rack of lamb... one of the best I ever had. I had the chinese chicken salad (real chicken). We split a tomato and mozzarella salad. Wine list was large and we are not big drinkers, so it was a no go on that. Dessert was by far the best... I had gran marnier sufflet and husband at the vacharone? ( a merangue with ice cream and hot chocolate). Great service and a relaxed atmosphere. Overall a niceevening out. read more

Went to Fandango on Saturday night. The place was jumping and we had 8:30 reservations. This is what my bf and I had: App: Sand Dabs - lightly battered and served with a heavenly parsley butter. Salads: House special Caesar with anchovies - by far the best caesar dressing I have had. Heirloom Tomato Caprese - enough said. Entrees: Rack of Lamb - They are known for this dish- as they should be. Cooked to a perfect med-rare and served with a square of potato gratin and green beans with a lovely reduction over the lamb. They also cut the medallions meat from the bone, but served the bone on the plate - made for a very nice presentation. 14 oz NY Steak - It actually looked to be bigger than 14 oz. Served with the same sides as the lamb but with a tarragon butter that was spiked with herbs and cognac - wowzahh! Both paired well with the Duck Horn Cab Sav we brought. But they have a very impressive wine list. Def something for every taste. Dessert" Lemon Cheesecake with Raspberry sauce- Very rich and creamy. Food paired well with the Duck Horn Cab Sav we brought. But they have a very impressive wine list. Def something for every taste. The atmosphere is both inviting and bustling, but not so much as you cannot hear your own conversations. Bottom line: They really know what they are doing at this place. read more

This is one of the best restaurants on the Monterey Peninsula. The service and food selections are the best. Lamb lovers must try their lamb shank...it is amazingly delicious! read more

Perfect for special occasions, Sunday Brunch and an awesome dessert souffle! Great rack of lamb!

My experience here was just okay...the portion sizes are very small for the price. My husband had the short ribs; it was about a 4.25oz piece of meat with a 1/3 of a potato, 3-4 baby carrots (super tiny), 2 pearl onions, and a mushroom or two. The short ribs were cooked well and seasoned well...actually pretty tasty.Unfortunately there just wasn't enough on the plate! I had the puttanesca pasta. It too was pretty tasty and the portion size of pasta was generous; but really nothing spectacular and definitely not worth $17.50. The bread that came with dinner was fabulous and the butter was room temp making it easy to spread. My husband also ordered the chocolate mousse cake which turned out to be a scoop of mousse for $8.00...no cake present. Overall the flavor of the food was good, just way over priced. read more

Not at all impressed with my dinner. The 2 anemic canneloni nicoise were swimming in a puddle of grease. The cheese topping the canneloni was nearly inedible - I didn't eat it - and it looked like it was square (do they really use pre-sliced cheese???) read more

Lunchtime with a friend. Very pleasant staff, nice venue - old house with small rooms. The food was good - we ate salads and the other food I saw looked great. We were left in peace to talk but not neglected. I would eat there again to try dinner food. Not intimidating, though we were asked if we had reserved even though many tables were free. Good bread. read more

We just had our wedding dinner in the Wine Room at Fandangos and couldn't be happier. The food was amazing! The highlight was the sand dab, calamari and scallop appetizer the kitchen made for us because we were all from out of town and didn't know anything about sand dabs. So delicious! The staff was very attentive and the evening was truly memorable. If you're having a small destination wedding you and your guest will be impressed. read more

My husband and I had dinner tonight at Fandango's for the first time. The older gentleman who greeted us and took us to our seats was not especially friendly. He fumbled around with the menu leaving to get a new one and handed one to my husband and put mine at the end of the table. Then Dino came to wait on us and only spoke to my husband until I asked questions. He was very abrupt acting as if he had better things to do. We felt like we didn't matter as patrons of the restaurant. We noticed that the young waiter at the table next to us was very attentive to his customers and very friendly and pleasant. So I guess you could say this rating does not apply to all. Our food was a 3 and our experience was a 1 so we are rating this restaurant a 2. Most likely we will not return. read more

Well, they say you can never go back. In the case of Fandangos that proved to be unfortunatey true. Wife and I became engaged at this restaurant twenty one years ago. Went back this time with out twelve yo son hoping Fr a great experience but were disappointed. Food was OK, but service was indifferent at best. Owner stopped by most tables, several more than once, to inquire about meals, walked past us each time. Better places tontry on our next trip to the Penninsula. read more

Fandango was recommended by someone at the Inn where we stayed. We EAC had Caesar salads -- nice amount of garlic and cheese. We split the rack of lamb (had been eating too much on our trip to NoCal) and it was delicious and half was plenty for each of us. Lamb was spiced well and cooked just to our liking. We had mint jelly with it and both enjoyed it. The wine by the glass and bread were so-so, what keeps me from 5 stars. read more

i'm torn between 3 and 4 stars, and I'd like to give 3 1/2. We received a couple of recommendations for Fandango and decided to give it a try. We arrived around 7:45 and were seated immediately. I was surprised to see that much of the restaurant was empty, but we were dining early in the week. The maitre d' was very welcoming and showed us to a table in a very small room (maybe 8'x8') with two other couples (one of whom was not happy to see us). I wasn't really pleased to be seated in such close quarters when there were entire rooms in the restaurant empty. I could hear every bit of the conversation the other diners were having, and I'm sure they could hear ours as well. The service was excellent; our waiter was prompt and seemed knowledgeable. My water glass was never empty, and they remembered that my date preferred no ice in his water (something other establishments often forget after the first glass). The wine list seemed fairly extensive, but didn't indicate which wines were available by the glass. We had the caprese salad (delicious, the heirloom tomatoes were amazing), the New York steak, and the paella. The steak was tasty, though we were surprised by how thin the cut was. The steak was served with carrots and potatoes; the carrots were quite good but the potatoes felt out of place on the dish. The paella was pretty good, the portion was quite large (its served in a skillet and easily could be shared with another diner). The andouille sausage wasn't as spicy as I expected and I found the rice to be a bit underwhelming in flavor. All of the fish was cooked perfectly. I can see why some might find the restaurant to be a bit over-priced but we were aware of the prices before dining and didn't suffer from sticker shock once we got there. Overall, I'd say the service is worth the prices with the quality of the food falling just a bit short of that. read more