Wow wow wow. I cannot rave enough about this place. I should've reviewed this place years ago, and funnily I thought I did, but my oversight. Nobody and I do no-one does Carbonara, my favorite pasta of all time, like this little joint. Firstly, they put zero cream in it. It's done the Roman way, super authentic, with guanciale (pork jowl), a bit of butter, egg, parmigiana-reggiano cheese, maybe some pecorino. The aroma coming off of that dish is heavy and divinity strikes. You can ask them to add some grilled chicken for protein. Their lunch and dinner also comes with their house salad, which is itself another marvel--a marinated collection of fruits and veggies, so incredibly tart and refreshing. Their pesto pasta is also the real deal, not too oily and a bit on on the dry side, in a good way. This also comes with that salad. We also got their sole panini pressed and perfect. For dinner, they have their remarkable pizzas, where they ferment the dough for some three days to get a remarkable bread-like consistency. We got their set/pesto pizza, and ate it for a few days as leftovers, it really was that good, and the bonus is that we could heat it in the microwave without it getting rubbery. Oh if only we lived here ... did I mention their prices? A remarkable $19 bucks for a substantial pasta or panini plus salad. Their customer service is excellent and gracious, generously giving us extra dressing for the salad--they pack everything to go in a efficient and no nonsense way. Love love love this little gem. If you're in Monterey, or Pacific Grove, or even some place in Carmel or the vicinity, it will be worth your while to visit here. read more

Almost a homerun, but owner ruined it at the end. Proximity to the aquarium and warm, rustic ambiance made this potential gem enticing, our service and food were stellar. Totally fine that they forgot to make my daughter's meal, there was so much to go around given great portions!! But the owner asking us to leave while we were waiting for our check was a real downer. His stormy return to further assert dominance while I was signing our check was even worse, angrily bringing up the kid's meal non-issue. We explained it was no big deal, and attempted to get away from this negative angry man as soon as possible. People have bad days, we all do, but I also dislike paying to be the cathartic target for the frustrations of someone so disconnected from his own staff. Restaurant workers have it really bad, his staff was working so very hard. It was obvious this guy was not in touch with anything going on here, as he was getting in the way and angering the guests his staff worked so hard to serve. Time to sell the restaurant to someone who isn't burned out and wants to welcome guests, not torch them. Sadly we won't be back. read more

We eat here at least once a week. Owner is great and so it the food. If you haven't had dinner here....give it a try. If you have, give their breakfast a try too. read more

Great customer service! Sweetest server ever, but unimpressed with the food and drinks. The bottomless bread that you have to order was the best part. Without it, the mozzarella burrata would have been a complete fail. I should have taken a picture, but it came with two small crostini and four wedges of tomato. Would have been nice if cut into bite size pieces and drizzled with balsamic glaze. The Italian soda was served without cream and therefore was too sweet. I suggest that they rim the Dante's Inferno with chili powder or habanero salt to compliment the jalapeño. The amalfi dive cocktail was like a tasty fruit smoothie. read more

I came here for the lunch special which is well worth the visit! I had the Rigatoni Con ragu Di Carne(ragu, beef, pork, sausage, with DeCecco rigatoni) and it was pure perfection! Al Dente pasta served piping hot in a rich red meat-sauce and it came with a side salad. My boyfriend ordered the Farfalle Con Funghi cream bow-tie pasta with mushrooms and it was equally delicious. Lunch specials offered everyday from 12-1:30pm for $11.50! I will definitely return. read more

il vecchio - Red Rigatoni Con Ragu Di Carne and cream Farfalle Con Funghi lunch special pastas! Side salad included as well. Delish! - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

Nice place, we loved the food and the wine. If any, some of the appetizers were a tad bland...liked the baked eggplant & the zucchini souffle. They could be a bit more spicy and flavorful. Aside from that, we really liked this place. read more

Really lovely meal here! We had two ordered of steak and both the polenta ragu and the lamb ragu. All meals were excellent, great flavors, and good portion sizes. Italian sodas were excellent as well! Service was very friendly and helpful as well as quick without being pushy. We had enough room for lemon tarts after dinner which was the best dessert I have had in a really long time. Complementary water, bread, and olive oil/balsamic were a big hit too. read more

We thought this place was awesome! The service was fantastic. Our server was Laura and she was just wonderful. She answered all our questions and was very helpful. She gave us suggestions for wine and was knowledgeable about what would go well with our food. The ambiance is kind of cool - very casual and on the rustic side. I think the prices are reasonable and the portions are generous. We tried the meatballs for appetizers and both kids were good. Most of us liked the traditional better but they were both really good. A couple of people in our group had the special soup that was a potato leek and they said it was delicious! The bread was good with the oil/vinegar mixture. The various entrees people in the group tried all got rave reviews. Here they are in order of overall liking (but all were good): spaghetti with tomato sauce (very generous portion), gnocchi with tomato sauce, wild rock cod pizzaiola (very generous portion), rigatoni with the pork and beef ragu (very generous portion), pesto pasta (very generous portion), ribeye steak. For dessert we tried the chocolate mousse crepe which was fine but the lemon tart was really good. The cappuccino was DELICIOUS, as was the drip coffee. Definitely save room for the coffee or cappuccino if you are a coffee drinker. We will be back for sure! read more

Homemade pasta is addicting. Couldn't stop eating. Very good sauces. The Prince desert is a must have. Save room. Limoncello sorbet is refreshing with a wonderful lemon taste. Lemon tart was also very good, though it had a lot of non sweetened whip cream. If you have sweet tooth, may want to pass on the lemon tart. read more

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Adorable, cozy little Italian restaurant! We came for the early dinner special that they offer from 5-5:30 (includes weekends too!) which is such a steal - a great variety of pasta dishes for only $9.50! At that price point, I think it's such a steal - not sure how the regular dinner dishes fare, but I do think they're a little different. We ordered the carbonara penne and rigatoni con ragú toscano and both were yummy! To accompany all those carbs, we opted for the verdure alla griglia (mixed grilled veggies) on the side, and it was delicious! Especially those red bell peppers. We had enough pasta to take some home as leftovers, but we couldn't leave without trying the tiramisu. It was my first time trying the venetian style, and it was served in a cup with a layer of cake/lady fingers super soaked in espresso, tons of mascarpone cream, and topped with some chopped up dark chocolate. I loved it and think I prefer the texture combination more than regular tiramisu! read more

Wonderful local Italian restaurant in Monterey. Eat where the locals eat! Wonderful wine list and very original desserts!

This is a great Italian restaurant. 4.25 stars for the food. 5 stars on the service. Roll up the score! Cannelloni, Rib Eye and the white wine pasta special were all very good. The pasta has a nice hand made feel, a little soft, but the flavors were subtle and light. Not tangy and concentrated. Precise with care. I like service with opinion. Our waitress knew the menu and directed us with her opinions. Even with presses between polar opposite comparison dishes, she responded positively. Desert was custom made vanilla, gelato, pistachio and caramel... Hand whipped cream and waffle wafer... Omg. A must. Order with confidence. I'm coming back. read more

il vecchio - Get started with some sparkling water. - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

Knocking one star off because I asked for my spaghetti without cheese (I'm dairy free) and it came out with cheese on it. But once they corrected it, and brought me a new one out l, it was actually very delicious! Great little spot with authentic tasting pasta. My husband liked his pizza too, he said the crust is something different! read more

Great little Italian restaurant that's just a couple of blocks from the touristy Cannery Row. Unlike the tourist trap restaurants, this one has some good food and no crowds to deal with or overpriced garbage. When we get there just past noon, there were 2 - 3 tables occupied so we were seated quickly. Lunch is the fixed priced "Workers Lunch" available on weekdays for a not unreasonable $9.50. You get a salad and 2 pastas that are served table side. Salad was the usual green salad with spinach, chick peas, etc. My gripe on this was that there was too much dressing so the salad was dripping. Otherwise, pretty good salad. Penne con ragù di carne - Penne with shredded beef and pork cooked in a tomato sauce. Rich meaty flavors with sweetness from carrots and herbs. Farfalle con ricotta - For a cheese sauce, this was surprisingly light tasting. I was expecting a richer taste though but likely the cheeses used were milder. Tomato soup - Lunch partner picked this over the pasta to have something different. According to the waitress, this had tomatoes and chicken broth. Surprisingly good with a smooth and robust taste. Pretty good deal for the quality and if you're hungry, you can ask for more pasta. Don't expect to take leftovers home though as seems like they don't allow lunch customers to do so. Another table had tried but they were told no take aways! If you're heading to the Monterey Bay Aquarium or Cannery Row, take a 5 minute walk to il vecchio for lunch rather than all the touristy stuff. You're welcome. read more

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We had a lovely dinner here. We often visit Monterey, but hadn't been back at this restaurant since our first visit in its early days. Wow, it's doing great business. Good on them. We shared yummy appetizers polenta and meatballs. We also shared the pollo marsala, which I thought was not the best, the chicken was a bit chewy. They had a sign saying that we could return the dish if we weren't completely satisfied...the problem was that my husband was quite happy with the dish. LOL, I'm not sharing next time! Our waiter was from Sicily, so I got to practice my teeny tiny bit of Italian with him. I hope I know more next time we travel to Monterey! Grazie mille Il Vecchio! read more

Food is good and reasonable priced but they should be open later for lunch. Get those locals in on there lunch break!

Il Vecchio was recommended by a friend. It was underwhelming to say the least. Our waiter initially was attentive. We ordered the steamed and sautéed brussels sprouts as an appetizer. They arrived within minutes of being ordered, were lukewarm and clearly not made to order. We mentioned to our waiter our disappointment and while he was apologetic we didn't want him to say anything to the kitchen we were just letting him know. That being said we never saw our waiter again until we asked for the check. He passed our table numerous times and clearly was avoiding us. Never asked how our entrées were, whether we would like another glass of wine etc. At the end of the meal when we brought his absence to his attention he said that he was really busy and wasn't avoiding us although we watched him making small talk and laughing at the bar with a waitress The food overall was mediocre at best. read more

Very slow service. We didn't get our food for more than 1 hour. I would not go back. Terrible service, particularly the waitress who never checked up on us to see if our appetizers and main came while we waited one hour and everyone else's received their food. This is the 2nd time in my life I have written a review about a restaurant and only do so when the customer services is beyond terrible. read more

The extensive menu reflects a "best" and "worst" quality of this long established Italian restaurant in Pacific Grove. The "Worst": Our guest for a birthday dinner on Valentine's Day was a retired executive chef. He ordered osso buco, assuming it would be served in the traditional manner-tender slow braised beef falling off the shank bone. Instead, the beef was served in ungenerous pieces, mixed in with "reginette" pasta, mushrooms, etc. Nowhere on the menu did it state that the osso buco would be "deconstructed" in that manner. We also had to inquire about the availability of mushroom risotto, as it was somehow missing from the menu. The buratta appetizer had fresh ingredients but imho should be broken down to thinner slices if tomato with more than two small crostinis. For dessert, our guest was comped a tiramisu. Remarkably, it was served in a paper bowl, much like a Dairy Queen dessert. Our shared comment was "Seriously"? Lastly, I brought a special bottle of wine to dinner. Our waiter advised us if the $25.00 corkage fee, which I found perfectly reasonable. What I continue to find irritating, however, is the habit so many restaurants display of uncorking the bottle, pouring the first serving, and ignoring wine service for the rest of the meal. It seems to be a prevalent trend, except in the most upscale dining and service establishments. The "Best": The Roasted Eggplant appetizer was spot on delicious. The focaccia bread with balsamic and olive oil was fresh and delicious, served complimentary with our meals. The mushroom risotto was a "10", both flavorful, earthy, and perfectly cooked. The lamb filets that my wife and I ordered were excellent-both were generous portions that were tender, perfectly cooked, and had lovely hints of fresh rosemary in every bite. The other dessert we had was a vanilla gelato with a nut brickle mixed in. That was as good a dessert as I can remember enjoying in a restaurant in a very long time. Coffee was dark, strong, and richly flavored. Our service was fine, with only a few hiccups. Servers here would be well advised to point out anomalies to customers, especially a dish like "osso buco" in the form it is served in here. Overall. an enjoyable meal and a relaxed, comfortable environment. Recommended. read more

One of my favorite Italian restaurant to go especially when I'm in the mood for fresh house made pasta (which is early everyday). They start you off with some fresh bread with Olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You gotta have the Salumi e formaggi as appetizers. My favorite dish are pasta alla carbonara, Agnello con Papardelle and the Gnocchi's. Gnocchis are delicious in every way. Either fried as appetizers or have it as an entree in 4 different style. Although the gnocchi pesto and Gorgonzola with apples and tomato basil are delicious, I prefer and simply flavor the sage butter gnocchi. Spaghetti con polpette is my comfort dish here. Every dish I had have yet to disappoint. read more

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Lunch time favorite. Rock cod with red sauce and potatoes!

Wonderful breakfast! Great prices compared to everywhere else and the quality was fantastic!

Right after taking my kid to the aquarium, our friends wanted to eat at Old Fisherman's Grotto but my GPS kept telling me to make wrong turn so we gave up and just drove towards where were staying that night. Then I saw a restaurant with some lights on right hand side of the street and I told my wife let's just eat here regardless of if it's good or not. It was pretty packed that night and we didn't have reservation but the host found us a table. I looked at the happy hour menu and ordered a glass of chard or my wife and a glass of beer for myself and some shrimps along with our dinner. We waited long long time to get our drinks and food but no complaints because it was packed and short handed. When we finished our dinner we found the server gave us a big discount ....... I guess my point is not about discount but I have to say the service and good we got that night were really great considering it was right after Xmas and that place was packed with locals and tourists like us. Will definitely come back to this Italian restaurant when we visit that area. read more

I came here with my boyfriend after a nice day spent in Monterey. The dinner and service was fine - we split the salami & cheese appetizer, he had the rigatoni con ragu toscano (slow-cooked beef) and I had the spaghetti con polpette. Unfortunately, he suffered from food poisoning later that night and had a rough 12 hours. I'm pretty positive it must've been the ragu, as we had both eaten from the same dishes for all other meals that day. We had a great time during the actual dining experience, but I can't really give anything more than 1 star here because, you know... food poisoning. Won't be back to risk this place. read more

A truly Italian eatery from the time you walk the in, this is true Italian. Make reservations because this place is busy. .true Italian all the way. You will hear multiple languages spoken here. The food is outstanding and the service is excellent. If you have an opportunity, reserve a table here. . read more

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Our whole takeout experience was great. The staff helped us out with a few recommendations and everything we ordered was incredible! Especially the osso bucco pasta and gelato. I only wish we lived closer, so we could have it every week. read more

I have been a loyal customer of il vecchio for years. My experience tonight was not stellar, but our waiter, Tijmen, made it worth it. The food is incredible {rigatoni is the best} and the house red is to die for. Tijmen apologized for the delay of our entrees and comped our dessert. Love this place!! read more

The food is delicious - hands down! However, we wished our waitress had a bit more personality. My husband and I were visiting the area from San Diego and asked for recommendations and suggestions, but our waitress didn't have much to offer. Luckily we were seated close to the kitchen and made our dinner choices based off of what looked good coming out of the kitchen. We ended up having a Cesar salad (probably the best I've ever had) and the D'Angelo pasta (very rich and delicious). My husband had the Insalata Mista and the seafood pasta, both of which he said were very good. We told our waitress we were celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary and were surprised she didn't bring out a complimentary dessert. On our next trip to Monterey we will definitely eat here again, but now we know not to expect exceptional service. read more

il vecchio - D'Angelo Pasta - Italian Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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This place is amazing. Each chair is unique and different. The service is wonderful and the food is mind blowing good! I've been here three times and each time it's great! They have nightly specials and once a week they have pizza night! This place is a must if in Pacific Grove read more

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Excellent for dinner. Every pasta dish is amazing. I often go alone and have a three course meal. Love the chocolate cake. Though they changed the frosting which hurt my heart. But its still great. I think my favorite thing on the menu though is the beet salad. read more

This is a hard review for me to write because my husband and I love this restaurant, but our experience tonight was terrible. We arrived at 6:45pm and have a reservation at 7:15. We obviously knew we were early, so we checked in and ordered a bottle of wine at the bar. The bartender was excellent and I wish we could have had him as our server! At 7:10 we checked on our table and they said there was 1 party in front of us. At 7:30, we were told they were waiting for a table to get up and leave. Finally, at 7:40, we were seated. We were seated at literally the worst table I've ever seen at a restaurant (see photos). Our table was right next to the kitchen, had a view of the trash, and we were boxed in by the table next to us (their backs faced us). Our server did not come by often and was not friendly. We received our entrees and my husbands lamb was undercooked, so he could only eat a portion of the dish. My spaghetti was delicious, but the meatballs had a really strong flavor that I didn't like. The bartender walked by and said he was going to comp our wine due to the long wait. Our waitress asked about the lamb and took the lamb off the bill as well. On top of this, they also gave us free gelato to take home. All of these gestures were very kind and generous, but all we wanted was a nice, normal dinner at this amazing restaurant and no amount of free food could fix that, unfortunately. I would have given 1 star, but the bartender was fantastic and they did comp one of our meals along with the wine. However, I'm not sure we will ever go back. read more

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Bravo! The waiter recommended the lamb Ragu pappardelle! I was hesitant as lamb can be gamey but he said no no ! We cook it slowly and the pasta is made fresh daily ! It was fabulous. The service was not rushed, as they do in Italy so you can savor the meal . Much appreciated. Bravo!! Well done , Everything Fantastico read more

Always delicious. We have eaten well prepared, creative and delicious dinners here for years. Our recent experience with breakfast confirms the owner's and kitchen's expertise. Food is ample, well presented and has the right balance of flavors. Eggs Benedict very well done. Try the corn muffin. read more

I have been here a couple times now and it's a solid Italian meal. Pros: - Fresh, home made pasta. Perfectly cooked. I'm a sucker for fresh pasta. - The carbonara with fresh pasta is delicious. Perfectly salted, great balance with pancetta. I kind of wish they served it with a raw yolk but that's just personal preference I suppose. - The pesto cod was perfectly cooked and the veggies it was served with were seasoned nicely. Great option for those who don't want pasta. Cons: - The service is a tad slow. But they were pretty busy so I get it. - The bread they serve is cold. It would be a nice touch if they warmed it a bit. I also asked for butter (don't judge) and it was rock solid. One of the better Italian meals I've had. Definitely worth a visit! read more

Very bad customer service. My good friend who is an African American shared with me that he was treated poorly by the staff. He did enjoy the food but was severely disappointed by the treatment. He mentioned that this is the reason. He will not be returning to the Monterey area. Step up your equality service! It's 2018! read more

Disaster. We are local and have been going here for some time. We were celebrating the departure of our two boys going to college - a special family night. Made reservations for 7pm. Seated at 7:50pm. By then they had run out of bread. Meal took way too long. Staff was scrambling the entire time. Terrible experience and memory. There is definitely a balance between catering toward the smaller local patrons and the large visiting groups. Obviously we see who has won out. Will never return. read more

One of the best meals I've ever had. On top of that, the staff was wonderful. So glad I was recommended this place while traveling through Monterey. read more

I can't believe I just literally learned of this place yesterday and I'm back today. Must have the gnocchi. The New York steak reallllllly good, next to my other favorite steakhouse spot the Growers Pub. Procesco and House wine great. Desserts to choose from on my take would be between the Matterhorn and the Foresta. Will be my go to spot for Italian. Bon A petit. read more

Great Italian joint! It has a very family run and owned feel to it. Food is excellent and so was the staff. I loved coming here when it was open before the whole Covid19 happened. They now have a great the out menu. read more

Great place in Pacific Grove, we went here on our last night in California, We had delicious drinks, and wonderful fresh baked bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. I had the Gnocchi with gorgonzola and apples, the apples were too few for my liking but the sauce and gnocchi were delicious. My husband had the polenta with ragu which had pork and beef in the bolognas I had a bite and it was very delicious, I think he made the better choice, but mine was delicious too. We had desserts, I had the gelato Madona dessert with had amaretto and lady fingers. I had a hard time tasting the amaretto, but all in all it was very tasty. My husband had the Dolche vita which was another gelato creation with pureed peaches and brandy, he declared it delicious. Very lovely place to eat in Pacfic Grove/Monterey, definitely would check it out again when we are there. read more