Came here with my husband for the first time. To my husband it is the second time and he can be hard to please AND we both feel beyond satisfaction with this place. The pasta with the lamb is so fresh and amazing, while the basic spaghetti and meatball I order is a GOAT. The service is amazing, very attentive, and the atmosphere is free of complaint. Would totally recommend this place to anyone visiting the town! read more

il vecchio - Spaghetti (Dinner) Lamb Ragu d'Abruzzo Pasta (Dinner) - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

I'l Vecchio hosted our fashion show last Sunday with 50 guests. Everyone raved about the restaurant. The food was just exquisite from the hors d'oeuvres to the main dish with the fabulous homemade pasta and dessert. it is the absolute best Italian restaurant that I have ever experienced. The owners and staff are so welcoming and friendly. The seating is very comfortable and the restaurant is nice and spacious and great ambiance. Everyone had the best experience ever. I recommend this restaurant very highly. Marita Johnson-Marita's Boutique read more

Great Italian spot in Pacific Grove, very close to Monterey. We came in with a same day reservation on a Friday evening during Mother's Day weekend. It was quite busy, but we were seated right away. Very cute restaurant, intimate. To the right of the host, you can watch them make their fresh pasta. We started with the beet salad. Delicious. The citrus dressing really brightened up the greens. For entrees, we both ordered pastas. The portions are huge! We took home half, which was perfect for lunch the next day. We ordered the cacio e pepe and the carbonara. Both were delicious. I think I liked the cario e pepe a little more than the carbonara. Will return when we're back in the Monterey area. read more

il vecchio - Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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Had a wonderful lunch here with my family during our visit to the aquarium. We picked this place for the short walk and food options. We arrived prior to them opening and were seated a little before opening time. Staff were very nice and brought water and menus. Decor was rustic but nice. Items ordered- Beet salad- Loved the taste and light dressing! Perfectly balanced! Bread service- Bread was fresh and good. The EVOO dip was delicious! Cheesy garlic bread- too much cheese for me but kiddo enjoyed it Berries & burrata salad- Hubby loved this! Cup of chowder x2- Yummy chowder with plenty of veggies & clams Saffron seafood pasta- Lots of seafood and just ok to me. Not a fan of the pasta size Spicy black fettuccine pasta- Loads of shrimp and not spicy read more

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In town visiting friends and they took me to this Italian spot. I already knew it was going to be great as there was a line of people waiting to be seated. As you walk inside, there are guys making fresh pasta. Very rustic and quaint atmosphere had me feeling that I was in the home of family. Service was outstanding and they were very attentive. We ordered the Italian ceaser salad and Crab Arancini for starters. I loved that the ceaser salad was romaine heads and the crab arancini was amazing especially the sauce! For my main course, I got the Chicken Cacio E Pepe. OMG, so delicious. I can't even begin to explain the flavor bursting from the chicken thighs. This place was a 10/10 experience and definitely worth an out of town visit! read more

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When you walk in you see them making the pasta! They espresso martini is one of the best we have ever had. I ordered the agnolotti alla Nonna, it was AMAZING! Its probably the best Italian meal I've ever had. My husband ordered the cacio e pepe and loved it. Service was impeccable! If we ever return to Pacific Grove we will 100% eat here again! read more

il vecchio - AGNOLOTTI ALLA NONNA, BUCATINI CACIO E PEPE - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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family chose this place on a whim and glad they did. Great space in PG with homemade pasta that really is delicious. The butternut squash risotto is also very good. Rice perfectly cooked, no mush and good flavour. Did need a bit of salt to bring out the flavour all the way but that's just personal preference. We added a chicken thigh which came on the side and is the same no matter what dish you order (parents split a different dish and their chicken was identical) but perfectly cooked, not dry at all and really is seasoned well to serve as a basic addition to any entree which i appreciate. Only regret I have is getting the honey glazed carrots as they were not very "honey glazed", just butter carrots really. Wish they were sweeter or had more flavour. read more

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The Tonnarelli Carbonara was good, just good. I think it needed more cheese melded into the yolk dressing preparation. The tiramisu was tasty! ...for what it was. But I like my tiramisu to have a strong coffee presence and here, that was completely overwhelmed. read more

il vecchio - Tonnarelli Carbonara with the poached egg already broken by me. - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

A family stable whenever we come to Monterey. The food and service here never disappoint. There's a lot of parking spaces and online reservation helps skip the wait time. read more

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Been here a couple times now, and each time I left really happy with the experience. The food is good, and I leave stuffed. Absolutely filled to the gills with food. We've tried numerous pastas, salads, mains, and sides, and most of them were thought of highly by our party. The people working here are great, and we found some new wine we liked as a result of their helpfulness. They also have live music on certain nights, adding to the vibes. I'll keep coming back. read more

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Food was immaculate. Service was fast paced but we never felt rushed. The server was beyond kind. Our water glass was never left empty. We were checked on several times. There was live music playing which added to the ambiance. They had a lovely bar area and beautiful local artwork by the booths. The recommendations were authentic and not forced. The descriptions were on point on how the food would look and taste. read more

il vecchio - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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Just up the street from us and amazing. Best Italian around the peninsula. Great place to walk around afterward.

Cute Italian restaurant with good food and good service! We ordered: Burrata: delicious! The bread was nicely toasted, the tomatoes were sweet and the jelly things on top added a nice addition of flavor. All the flavors mixed really well. Artichoke: they were nicely fried and not too oily. It came with three delicious sauces. The lemon aioli was our favorite but they were all good. The pesto tastes really fresh. Pesto gnocchi: this was OK. The sausage it came with seemed out of place, not the greatest. Chicken Marsala: the chicken was so tender and juicy. The flavors were delicious! The mash potatoes were simple but good. It comes in a hot cast iron which is a great touch. Vanilla gelato: delicious! It comes with chunks of biscotti which were a nice addition. And caramel sauce which was not too sweet but great flavor. The Italian soda wasn't great, not much flavor or carbonation. It is close to cannery row and other attractions. There were plenty of parking spaces on the street. Overall, I recommend and would come back. read more

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I find it challenging to give a negative review to a restaurant that serves excellent food, but I believe client connection is essential. Our dinner cost $230.00, including tip, and unfortunately, the service fell short. The server took my credit card without a word, and as we left (the manager/hostess) saw us depart, she didn't say anything. (in my opinion establishments of this caliber at least express gratitude to their customers) The ambiance is indeed relaxed and beautifully curated, which makes the staff's lack of effort to make patrons feel valued all the more disappointing. Due to the staff's seeming indifference, I wouldn't recommend this location. read more

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Grabbed a last minute reservation here showed up half an hour early and they still sat us! So major props to the staff for that. We got the bread service which was a great way to start the meal. The olives were beautifully brined, sour and salty, and the oil they were in was great with the bread too! All the ingredients just tasted high quality, especially the olive oil. I got the spicy squid ink scampi which was such a treat. The sauce was creamy and flavorful and the noodles were firm and salty. The portion size made it well worth the price, tons of noodles and six HUGE shrimp. Felt like I got my money's worth. Also grabbed the fortuna (peach mule) and that was so yummy yummy yummy. Bartender's rent was DUE Servers were very attentive and cheerful, they were happy to have a chat and lots of smiles. Made for very good vibes! read more

il vecchio - Bread service - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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First time for my husband and I to try this place. The moment you walk into the restaurant, you feel a homey inviting atmosphere . We sat at the bar and had a few drinks before dinner. The bartender was very friendly and suggested a few perfect choices. Started our meal off with mouth watering garlic cheese bread . We then had Salmon with potatoes and homemade gnocchi . Had to topped off the evening with the best tiramisu!!Family friendly and prices are reasonable.. read more

il vecchio had some solid food, but the service really held the experience back. The highlights were the caprese burrata and the tiramisu, both of which were excellent. The crab arancini had a decent amount of crab, which was nice, and the pasta portions were a good size. That said, the service was extremely slow. It took over 20 minutes just to get water. Because of the long wait times, the overall experience didn't quite match the quality of the food read more

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What a wonderful evening at this cozy neighborhood gem. Not my neighborhood, mind you, but a lovely neighborhood. A neighborhood I could easily live in but for the multimillions necessary. Back to the food, Il Vecchio knows what it's doing. The entrées were exceptionally detailed in their descriptions and the food wowed. Even spaghetti and meatballs was surprisingly elevated. I had the mushroom and sausage Orecchiette and it was sublime, smooth and enormously satisfying. The surprise of the night was the Botticelli cocktail and the burrata appetizer with micro basil, grilled tomatoes and balsamic pearls. There was confusion among the wait staff when our original waiter said he was released due to it being slow. It suddenly got busy. But we were assigned a new waiter. If he had been just slightly more attentive, this review would be five stars. read more

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Overall, great Italian food and lovely ambiance. We had a reservation and they were busy even on a weekday night, so make a reservation if you can. We enjoyed all our dishes including the lamb pappardelle, the orange and beet salad, the caprese burrata, and the osso buco gnocchi. Everything tasted great and was a decent portion size for the price. They even offered more bread for the burrata when they noticed we had finished the pieces but still had most of the dish left. The cocktails were pretty good as well, though we had some confusion with the server about one of the drinks (supposedly the menu changed recently so they were confused) that required back and forth three times. Once we finally got the right drink, it was a lovely cocktail. Now, we ordered a gelato creation as a dessert to share for the table, and that was the biggest disappointment of the meal. This "creation" is pre-made and stored in the fridge. The gelato was hard (almost frozen) and flavors that were written on the description were misleading and not at all what we expected. We expected pistachio gelato and instead got vanilla gelato with pistachios (which is fine if this was clearly described). Especially for $12, we were expecting fresh scoops of gelato and not a frozen sundae. Definitely a bummer to end our meal. All in all, food and beverages were great, would definitely come back for those. I'd skip the dessert options though. Parking can be tricky but we nabbed a spot on the street right in front. You may need to walk a bit if there are no nearby spots. read more

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The clam chowder was delicious, had a rich and creamy flavor, didn't feel heavy on the belly, the burrata salad was actually one of my favorites, definitely worth trying. The gelato was a bit grainy but not overdone and had a home-made taste, was delightful. At first the service seem seemed to need a little work -- we were ignored for quite a long while after being seated and when requested water inquiring politely who our server was from a male server who then in passing whispered something to a female server. She then greeted us and had somewhat of an annoyed attitude and did not come back leaving us waiting for a longer period of time. However, another man served us and he was very pleasant and made the experience exceptional (we truly appreciated it). Overall a nice experience as we listened to live music by a guitarist named Dan. Great ambiance, comfortable seating, and the food was good. It can get a bit noisy while busy but isn't overwhelming, and you might want to wear a light sweater during the evenings. Definitely a lovely place to dine with family and friends. read more

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This place was great!!! It's cute and has a nice cozy ambiance. We came here on a whim on Mother's Day for lunch. For apps we ordered the crab arancini (delish) and the Italian Caesar salad to share. Grandma got the lamb pappardelle, which she loved (I don't like lamb but still thought it was good) and mom got the truffle risotto, which she loved too! I got off the dinner menu their salmon with balsamic glaze, it was delish!! I will definitely be coming back for the salmon and to try their poached pear salad! We didn't have any room for dessert, since dinner the portions were big and I brought mom and grandma choc covered strawberries. But next time we will try and save room for dessert! The chef came out to the table and said hello, which was nice! And the waitress was good. But the parking you need to be careful about, there is street parking, but it's hard to come by. I found a parking lot next to the restaurant, but it was for another restaurant and there were signs warning me not to park there. But it was Sunday and Mother's Day, so I figured I would be fine. But I was wrong, I had a $50 ticket waiting for me from the city-which was my fault. And they actually do have their own parking lot, so make sure you find that or do the street parking, because you will likely get a ticket if you do what I did!lol read more

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Yum. 10 stars for the food. I got the caprese baratta salad, oh my it was very good. The pesto gnocci with sausage was great too and the the dessert, a tall glass of chocolate, cherries, ice cream, whip cream. I was stuffed when I left. They have live jazz at 6pm too. Our waiter was great read more

I went to this place last April with my friend and we are constantly talking about how good it was. The inside has ambient lighting, there was live music and the service was wonderful. such a cozy little spot where we enjoyed the most delicious and comforting pasta. We will be back soon! read more

il vecchio - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

Service was very good here, I even saw the waiters help a disabled girl in a wheelchair find a spot to eat. The ambiance and vibes were also amazing and it felt like a cozy restaurant from Italy. When it comes to the food, it wasn't the best. The charred octopus was overcooked in a way that made it feel a bit like rubber (though the taste was still good). The saffron seafood pasta I ordered wasn't worth the almost 40 dollars I paid. The carbonara my friend ordered was "underwhelming". There was barely any saffron, so the sauce tasted like something was missing. The food was also quite expensive, so definitely not a place to come if you're broke. read more

I came here with a party of 7 for dinner on a Sunday night. It was really busy. Thankfully we made a reservation ahead of time. Our table was ready for us upon arrival. Our waitress was very busy but not very attentive to our table. There were several moments we tried to get her attention and she wouldn't look our direction or come see if we needed anything. At one point, a member of my party had to get up and find someone to help us. Perhaps they need more servers working? We ordered bread for the table and it took a very long time for this to arrive. Our meals ended up taking an hour. The menu had several great options. I opted for the gnocchi osso bucco and it was so good. The gnocchi were fresh and I devoured every bite! I paired this with the garlic roasted broccoli, which was so good. They have an extensive wine selection and a full bar, if you want cocktails. read more

il vecchio - Gnocchi Osso Buco Pasta (Dinner) - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

Today, I'm right back in Pacific Grove. Where I grew up, on the Peninsula. They know what day it is, it's the day before Saint Patrick's Day. I skipped the Irish pub, and I felt like doing some more Italian American cuisine. I'm here at il vecchio, this Monday evening. I knew it was going to be good, when I saw them Rolling the Pasta out fresh at the front. Today, I wanted to do a Bucatini Cacio E Pepe Pasta with Grilled Chicken thigh, Pecorino, Black Pepper, and Cream Sauce. From what I know, Black Pepper makes every Cream Sauce better, it gives it that Peppery Smokiness. This the only way. I think this was one of the best Pasta I've had so far. The Chicken was seasoned and Grilled to perfection. The Pasta was cooked just how I like it, Al dente. I really like this style of Pasta, I think I never had Pasta like this before, it's like Spaghetti, but in thick strands, it gives it that rustic element to it. The Sauce was so luscious, and velvety. It was Executed, and put together so well. I was thinking this was going to be a 3.9-4.4 stars, I was going to give it a 4.4/4.5 stars, but this feels like a 4.6 stars, so I'm going to give this 4.6 stars out of 5 stars. That's a high score. I enjoyed my meal. It was some solid, and delicious Pasta. I'm satisfied. read more

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Charming and lovely, highly recommend. The food, service and ambiance exceeded my expectations. Will definitely return next time I am in town. read more

Il Vecchio - Pacific Grove I was in Monterey for a business trip and decided to stop by Il Vecchio on a whim--and I'm so glad I did. From the moment you walk in, the warm, welcoming atmosphere sets the tone for an exceptional dining experience. They have a full bar and an extensive wine collection that would impress any wine enthusiast. The menu is incredible--so many tempting choices that it's genuinely hard to pick just one. I ultimately went with a fresh salad and a beautifully prepared pasta, and both were outstanding. The service was attentive without being intrusive, and the overall experience felt both elegant and relaxed. This was an unexpected highlight of my trip, and I'll absolutely return the next time I'm in town. read more

il vecchio - saffron seafood pasta - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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If I could give a 0 Star I would! People with allergies BEWARE this establishment does not care and does not accurately state allergens in the menu!!! The Manager (or maybe he was the owner) is also extremely rude. I visited il vecchio on February 26th to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday and get a nice dinner. We ordered drinks, a bread appetizer, and 2 pastas (I got lasagna and my boyfriend got carbonara) First of all, we we're sat at our table and completely ignored for 15-20 minutes and we started to consider leaving, waiters walked past us constantly avoiding eye contact not offering us water or letting us know we would be helped soon. Second, we ordered the bread appetizer which cost $7, we expected a decent amount of bread for that price but received 4 SMALL slices, without offering more just whisking the plate away without saying anything. When we finally ordered our food I ordered the Lasagna which on the menu was "braised pork & beef ragu, mozzarella, tomato, ricotta" as you can see in the photo attached. *I have a SEVERE Nut allergy and always make sure to order food that I know will be safe.* When I started to eat my food I realized my face was beginning to breakout in hives and I was getting itchy, I was looking in the lasagna and realized there was PESTO all over it (NO WHERE STATED IN THE MENU) Me and my boyfriend called the waiter over and he told us that "this has happened many times before since it's not listed in the menu" and took my food and replaced it with a pesto free lasagna. Luckily I carry my epi-pen and allergy medicine in my purse, I did have to take medicine which ruined our dinner and it felt like it cut it short since we weren't able to comfortably relax and take our time. Our waiter was very sweet and once he did start helping our table after the initial long wait he was very helpful and we understand that the lack of allergens listed on the menu are not his fault. We asked the host if we could speak to the manager on the way out and I'm not sure if he was the manager or the owner but he started off being polite but turned out to be extremely rude. I mentioned how the food (once fixed) was great and we had a good time at the restaurant but that since nut allergies are so common and often severe that it should be listed on the menu to help avoid future allergic reactions but then the man started to make excuses saying "Well walnuts aren't a common allergy" and he made it very clear there would be no plan to update the menu correctly. He was clearly uninterested by anything I was saying and brushed it all off, and asked if we wanted our bill covered instead which made it seem like he was implying we were only asking for a free handout. I explained to him that I plan to pay for my food and we enjoyed it but if the pesto went unnoticed I could have had a worse allergic reaction and/or died and we just waved it all off rudely. If there was more compassion and understanding about the situation that was completely avoidable if the owner cared more about the customers wellbeing and safety then we would have loved to visit this restaurant again, but after the mix up and how we were treated in return I will never come back. read more

il vecchio - Menu (NOT STATING PESTO OR NUT ALLERGENS) in the Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

I wish I could give more than 1 star for at least the service aspect of it but it was all horrible. I had an allergic reaction to the food. They said it was from the squid but I've never experienced this problem with squid The service was horrible. A few of the bussers were nice but that's about it. We came here to celebrate a birthday and had to leave early due to experiencing an allergic reaction. read more

Food was great! Service was excellent and the vibe was lively considering version and good fun!

This restaurant was an unexpected gem. I've already decided that whenever I visit Monterrey, this will be my first stop. The menu offers some really interesting choices, like artichoke calamari and Dungeness crab arrosticini, which immediately caught my attention. The pasta was freshly made and the sauce was expertly prepared. You can actually see them making the pasta as you enter the restaurant, which was a lot of fun to watch and really adds to the experience. Bonus points for the ample parking, which makes the visit even easier. read more

This is my second visit and the food has been a hit each time. The service at the bar was exceptional and although they close at 9pm we didn't feel so rushed to finish quickly. The ambiance is warm at inviting, during my visit it was a rainy night and inside was so cozy and everyone was enjoying themselves! This would be a great place to gather together for a great meal with a menu that won't disappoint! read more

il vecchio - Chicken Cacio e Pepe - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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I like the ambience here and the art throughout the restaurant! The service was great and the dishes were tasty! My favorite was the salad and artichoke dish, and really cool how they offered the incentive that if we post our meal we get a free dessert! Although the Chocolate Mascarpone tasted like regular chocolate cake and not the traditional mascarpone. We also ordered salmon which was good but I could tell it was farm raised. And the salad was super fresh! read more

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The service was amazing! The waiters and hostess were the sweetest ever and made sure we were well taken care of. My sister and I got the burnt grapes & feta to share as an appetizer. That is a must get!! It was sooo good. For the mains, I had gotten the saffron pasta and it was okay, to me. I would personally rate it a 7.8/10. My sister on the otherhand didn't necessarily love her osso gnocchi, but maybe that was on our part of wanting to try something different. It was also jazz night so the vibes were great! Loved hearing live jazz in addition to our meal. Overall a great place to eat if you're in town. read more

il vecchio - Osso Buco Pasta (Dinner) & the Seafood Saffron Pasta - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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So, my wife and I had a short window to eat before heading off to a concert in Pacific Grove so we did a quick Yelp scan and il vecchio looked promising. We only had time for appetizers and a side. As we walked into the restaurant, I was immediately impressed with the decor and overall vibe. The place felt like a rustic Italian place with full bar, warm fire and some interesting fixtures. My wife had the Black Garlic Pork Ribs with pickled granny smith apple slaw. I had the Grilled Octopus. We decided to share the Garlic Roasted Broccoli. So here goes. The Black Garlic Pork Ribs were cooked perfectly but lacked flavor and, in particular, garlic. She thought it was pretty bland, given the description. The pickled slaw was uneventful - I had a bite and was not thrilled with the taste. My Grilled Octopus was not like what other Yelp reviewers raved about. I get octopus is a hard protein but I have had amazing octopus that was tasty and very easy to eat in other restaurants. This dish was chewy to say the least. The cauliflower was cooked well but the romanesco had sort of a bitterish taste. The garlic roasted broccoli was just okay. Service was great and again, the ambiance was wonderful. One nice touch is that they deliver the check in an old Italian book. Very cool. So, the meal was just ok - hence the rating. Like any restaurant experience, we only had 3 dishes so there may be some gems on the menu we missed. read more

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I had read online that this was one of the more popular spots in Carmel, but had gone downhill in recent years. Whenever I've read stuff like that, in my experience, the place is usually still very good. We found il vecchio to just be "ok", though. The service was great, and the drinks were pretty good, but the food we found to be pretty average. Starting with the bread service, the whole table agreed the oil/balsamic mixture had way too much balsamic and not enough oil. Then the pastas, out of 6 of us we ended up with several of the carbonara and rigatoni (as pictured). We found them to be pretty average. The carbonara seemed to have mostly crispy prosciutto and minimal guanciale, if any, which was a huge disappointment. It almost felt like bacon in the dish rather than thick, distinctly flavored/textured guanciale. The poached egg we found unnecessary in an already egg-based sauce. For the rigatoni, it was fine but nothing out of this world. It also didn't help that our food got cold quickly because we were sitting near the kitchen, and they kept opening the back door probably because it's hot in the kitchen, but it made our table and food cold quite quickly. Anyway, we had a good time and our server was great. Just disappointing in comparison to other Italian in the north east where we're from, and minimal seafood options which was surprising for Carmel. I think 3 stars is appropriate -- pretty average. read more

il vecchio - Carbonara and rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

This review purely based on the service we received. Our waiter Jordon.P barely checked in on us after taking the initial order. He was tending to all other guests right next to us but not us. We had to flag other servers multiple times to get water, juice for kids. When we flagged him for the check, he asked if we wanted any dessert and I expressed that I've been waiting forever for him to check in on us and he was like "oh ok" vs "I'm so sorry about that" which is what anyone would have expected.but when the bill arrived I noticed we were charged a 20% gratuity for a party of 6, which explained his attitude towards me. read more

Il vecchio's had a last min reservation for a table of 7 and I was shocked I think we just got lucky because it was packed! The restaurant was eclectically decorated with all different types of wooden chairs! It was a very comforting environment to eat in too! The restaurant was super accommodating since we had a little one in our party. And all the food was so delicious!! Fresh pasta that tasted like it was made in house! Loved all the sauces!! I'm so happy we did family style so we could try all the things! read more

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What a sumptuous meal! What a memorable meal! This restaurant has an amazing bar scene, a cozy dining room and such warm and hospitable staff! But we came for the food and I now have found my black squid ink pasta! The shrimps were jumbo and cooked to perfection! The spicy cream sauce was tangy and so tasty! The dish could have been shared! Hands down one of the best cooked aldente pasta! The lasagna came in 3rd place - it has enough layers, cheese and sauce but could have used a bit more meat in it. The second place was their Tiramisu! Oh the rum soaked layers and cream got us to other side! Cold, easy to scoop and true deliciousness in a bowl! read more

il vecchio - Tiramisu! - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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