We had a fantastic dinner at Lighthouse Bistro. I ordered the seafood skewers, a special that came with salmon and shrimp -- perfectly seasoned, fresh, and beautifully grilled. My husband tried the lamb kebabs, which were tender and flavorful, and we started with the babaghanoush appetizer, which was creamy and rich without being heavy. Every dish felt carefully prepared and thoughtfully balanced. One tip for future diners: don't let the online reservation system discourage you. The app showed the restaurant as fully booked until 7 p.m., but we went earlier and the place was empty. It seems there's a glitch in their reservation system, so don't hesitate to walk in or call. Great food, relaxed vibe, and a nice addition to a Monterey evening out. Highly recommend! read more

Super quaint and elegant Mediterranean-style fusion restaurant to have lunch or dinner. They cooked to order and the food was delicious- chicken was juicy and salad was light and fresh. Child friendly, very clean, gluten-free options, halal .... Reasonably priced. A cute hidden gem. read more

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Excellent food from many cultures. We started with Nepalese with chicken Momos (like potstickers) and spicy beef Choila. Both were excellent. The choila had a good spicy luck to it and really tender beef. For main course I had the pomegranate chicken which was a lightly glazed chicken breast. Came with rice and veggies. Tasty. My wife has the chicken curry which has a lot of flavor and the same sides. Also tasty. Wednesday they have a wine special which made it very reasonable along with the other prices on the menu being pretty good. Service was excellent, fine dining at locals prices. read more

The food was simply fantastic! Had the fried artichoke, crab ravioli, and clam chowder. All of it was so good! The pasta was perfectly al dented and flavorful. And loved the clam chowder so much bought 2 bowls to go! Had their baklava as well! One off the best I've ever had! Not too sweet and perfect texture for both the dough & the filling Highly recommend on food alone! The cherry on top was that the service was attentive and prompt. Graciously answered our questions too. Had a wonderful ambiance that was accommodating for kids. Next time I'm in monetary, this'll be my first stop! read more

Everything went well!!!!! The ambiance, the service and the food. There was nothing that took a star away. A Formally informal bistro hidden on the main drag, Lighthouse, I'm glad we took the time to find it. We started with a beet salad, which we split at no extra charge. Then The clam chowder had more clams than anything else, the timing of the food service was uncanny. Finally I had the lobster ravioli and the sauce was out of this world and my guy had the blackened salmon which was so fresh it could have been called get in the bay moments before. We turned the cannoli which is a shame. Definitely coming back next time read more

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We tried Lighthouse Bistro today for lunch and big thumbs up! I had a gyro, husband had the shawarma. Both delish. Lovely atmosphere, fine service. It's where Mando's used to be. And guess what! You can get a nice lunch for under $15! That's unheard of in this area for such a nice classy place. Give 'em a try! They've only been open one week so far. read more

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What a pretty restaurant (recently renovated) with incredible, attentive and friendly service! My husband and I stopped for lunch and had the Margherita pizza and a Caesar salad. The pizza had a thinner crust baked to a golden crisp and just the right amount of sauce, seasoned to perfection and with plenty of mozzarella cheese without overdoing it. The owner was so friendly and served us some delicious baklava for dessert. I recommend this family run restaurant with gusto! Second review: This was my second visit in two days to this wonderful restaurant. I had the caprese salad as a starter. Wow!! the mozzarella is farm fresh! The heirloom tomatoes are big and juicy and so vibrant, and the balsamic so delightful. Next came the chicken kabobs which did not disappoint! Very tender and perfectly seasoned. I asked the incredibly friendly owner why he was giving us such a VIP treatment and he said all his customers are VIPs! Such a kind man who welcomes you as if you are a guest at his home. The best experience! I love the look of this family run restaurant also. Casual but chic! read more

Lighthouse Bistro - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

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I wish I could give Lighthouse Bistro a rave review. For the good: the restaurant itself feels nice and cozy, prices were reasonable, the waiter was friendly (albeit rather slow and heavily cologned), and the owner was extremely personable and seemed to really care about the treatment and experience of his guests. Now for the bad. Although the prices were reasonable, the food was rather unremarkable. We ordered the hummus, fried calamari, fish and chips, and pomegranate chicken. The hummus was fine, the calamari was extremely chewy (borderline inedible), the fish in the fish and chips was actually quite nice, but the chips were basic and bland, the pomegranate chicken was overly sauced, slightly dry while the steamed veggies on the side were mushy and lukewarm, the rice was fine. Overall, the food was a miss, and the food is the most important part to us. As we were eating we mentioned to each other that the food was on par with something you'd get at Denny's. So if you enjoy Denny's, you might enjoy Lighthouse Bistro. Beyond the food, we weren't over the moon about the service. The server was friendly, but rather slow and seemed to be fumbling around quite a bit. Our waters remained empty for most of our meal and it look a long time to order our main entrees. This is a new, family owned restaurant. I love supporting family owned businesses, but we were a little turned off by what we were seeing. The owners family (possibly wife and children?) kept popping in and out of the restaurant. The restaurant is rather intimate, so the constant popping in and out was quite disruptive. A preteen child was skipping and running around the restaurant constantly going in and out the front door. Then there were a group of teenagers (maybe the owners daughter and her friends?) just hanging around, walking back and forth in front of the restaurant and occasionally coming in, standing around, walking to the back, and leaving. The whole thing really look away from the experience. Even if the food was amazing, we probably wouldn't come back just because of that experience. Parking on Lighthouse can be a nightmare, but that isn't any fault of the restaurant, just something to be aware of. Maybe in time Lighthouse Bistro will be on par with some of the other amazing restaurants in the area, but not right now. Personally, I'd skip this one for now. read more

We just had a really nice dinner here and the service was EXTRAORDINARY! It was a slow night because of halloween, so that's why they had extra time to carefully explaint the menu. Their signature dish, the pomegranate chicken, was very good. Also, the sauce for the dumplings was also really good. read more

Super yummy clean and friendly! Nice ambiance and music was not too loud. Very relaxing. read more

Came here for lunch and it was definitely a hit. Greek salad was portioned just right and the chicken on top was grilled perfectly. Chicken alfredo was yummy and soo creamy! Clam chowder was delishhh and so flavorful with the perfect garlic bread served on the side (i wish it came with more bread honestly). Finished of with a lava cake for a sweet treat and it was one of the best lava cakes we ever had! So moist, chocolaty, fluffy, and just overall very yummy paired with the vanilla ice cream. Would definitely come again! read more

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We came here for date night while we were visiting Carmel and absolutely loved it! The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the food was amazing. We especially loved the fish and chips and carrot cake! Would definitely recommend this is place if you're in town! read more

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Some of the best crabcakes and mango salad I had. Really good. Chicken momo's were good too. read more

Sand dabs piccata was perfectly cooked, well prepared and well presented. For a balance, tzatziki sauce for the rice would have been even better. Turmeric rice was good and veggies were crunchy and that's how we like it. My husband had pomegranate chicken and my friend had gyros. We loved our dining experience today. The waiter was friendly, owner came and spoke to us. The ambiance was amazing with soothing classical music in the background. read more

Lighthouse Bistro - Sanddabs Piccata - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

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Everything here is lovingly homemade and incredibly delicious. The service is so friendly and too notice. Definitely need to come back for their Baba Ganoush and Cioppino. Oh my god, and that homemade baklava is to die for!! Beautiful, warm and cozy/intimate/relaxing atmosphere. Incredible experience!! Oh, and almost forgot to mention that their prices are soooo reasonable!! read more

Lighthouse Bistro - Cioppino - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

What a surprise gem. We arrived with our Service Dog around 2pm. We each had an omelet that was very good. We also ordered a meat paddy and scrambled egg white for our dog that she appeared to enjoy as well. Good friendly and attentive service with a warm adult atmosphere. We are local and plan to visit again, maybe around dinner time to experience other menus offerings. read more

Excellent food after our aquarium trip. I normally worry a bit about resistances that cover too many cuisines on one menu but here they nailed everything. We ate a very late lunch (3p) and had the restaurant to ourselves. The server was very congenial, we had a great time. read more

Great service, super friendly host. Food was extremely well priced and very good. Located off of cannery row, so a bit lest touristy which was nice. Great strawberry lemonade! read more

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I appreciate the speed with which we were sat. It's not a big restaurant, but it's spaced out nicely. There is an interesting mix of Lebanese, Italian, and other flavors on the menu across the appetizers and entrees. Service felt like something they put a lot of effort into and was appreciated. It made for a nice birthday dinner that was capped off with an excellent dessert. read more

I haven't been to a restaurant in Monterey, PG, or Carmel that i felt better cared for than at this restaurant. Besides the food tasting incredible and the prices being fair, the attentiveness of the staff really make you have a good experience. Me and my husband started off with the fried artichoke and the Momo. Both of the sauces were great i would say the portions for it are just enough for two people because you'll want to eat a good bit for yourself. Our entres were the chicken alfredo which was standard, no complaints and well cooked but the Sanddabs stole the show. I have never had such flavorful fish 10/10. I didn't even get photos because we dived right in. For dessert the server told us the options and recommended the lava cake which was great but i love a good carrot cake and it did not disappoint. The restaurant is relatively new and i hope it gets more business because it is well deserved! read more

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The food is always amazing. We love the chicken Caesar salad and Alfredo. We will be back many mores times! read more

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What a great little restaurant! We happened to find it after we didn't want to park a half mile away to go to a local place on the wharf. The service was impeccable and the food was excellent. We started with crab cakes then the beet salad and finished with the Seafood Pasta. The cream sauce in the pasta was epic. They grill the bread before bringing it out, sooo good. We were visiting from LA on our anniversary and they were so kind to give us a complimentary cheesecake dessert. My wife loves bread and they even made us a fresh batch to go, with our leftover salad. Can't recommend this place enough. Do yourself a favor and get over here soon! read more

Lighthouse Bistro - Sorry should have said gem in Monterey - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

Food and service were so good at Lighthouse Bistro that we ate there 2 out of 4 days. Breakfast French Toast, eggs & bacon were perfectly prepared & presented. The Sand Dabs Piccata were outstanding at dinner. Plan to definitely dine here again on our next visit to Monterey. "Try it you'll like it..." read more

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE and let me explain why. My girlfriend and I were staying in Pacific Grove for a night for my 30th birthday. After one day we decided to spend a second night here and we both felt like having breakfast for dinner. After calling multiple restaurants that denied us we landed on Lighthouse Bistro, and the nicest man on earth who also happened to be the owner named "Ralph" answered the phone and told us they would be happy to serve their breakfast menu for us. (Even though it was a Wednesday and they only do breakfast on the weekends). Not only was the food amazing but was also a birthday I will never forget. 10/5 stars. read more

Lighthouse Bistro - Buttermilk pancakes California Benedict - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

I heard good things about this new restaurant, so we thought we'd give it a try! Glad we did! Greeted & seated right away. My husband ordered a special of the day, lamb kabob ($24.95), I had the sanddab piccata ($19.95), we shared a cup of clam chowder ($7.95), & the calamari ($13.95). The lamb was delicious-cooked perfectly & very tender, sanddabs were tasty with a great lemony sauce. Both accompanied by a seasoned rice & perfectly cooked veggie medley of zucchini & carrots. Our entrees & calamari were great! The only thing I might've wished for during our meal was that there be more clams in our soup. Restaurant was pleasantly decorated with nice background music. We'd certainly go again! read more

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A wonderful experience! We enjoyed the delicious Giant Pretzel with cheese to start, followed by the Greek Salad, Vegetarian Pasta, and a delicious New York Steak. Everything was incredibly tasty, but we especially loved the steak! It came with a sauce (which we ordered on the side) that was absolutely mouthwatering! We will definitely be back! Ralph and Sunil are so warm and friendly, and they made my family feel at home in their beautiful, cozy space. Highly recommend! read more

My husband was born and raised on the Atlantic Coast; he spent a year at the language institute in Monterey; he is a fine cook and an enthusiastic diner. He knows his seafood! We go back to Monterey every fall and can hardly wait to go to our favorite restaurants. Now we can add one more to our must-enjoy list -- Lighthouse Bistro. We give this new find top marks for a charming atmosphere, absolutely fresh seafood, and expert preparation and service, with attention to quality and presentation -- all in an inviting setting. From the calamari appetizer to the baklava, and the main courses in between, we were definitely impressed. The owner treated us as honored guests at his table. Had we not discovered this treasure on the final night of our stay, we would have eaten there a second time. Next fall, we will definitely be dining at the bistro... more than once, I'm sure. read more

I came with my wife and mom. The food and service were absolutely amazing. We tried several dishes, and everything was delicious. The kebbeh balls were perfectly crisp and flavorful--yummy, yummy! The chicken Pomogranat, salmon, and chicken Alfredo were all cooked to perfection. Our waitress was very attentive, and the owner, Rifaat, is such a warm and friendly person. You can really tell they care about their guests & business. I'll definitely be visiting again, and I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great food and genuine hospitality. And don't forget to try their dessert! read more

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Good service with over priced food. MSG kind of food. Taste ok and you will regret afterwards

Great food, eclectic menu with food options for everyone, great service and the best baklava we have ever had!

Went to eat with friends and had a great experience. The prices were affordable, and the food was excellent. The owner, Ralph, was super friendly and even gave us a complimentary appetizer, which was a nice touch. It's a small, cute hidden gem in the Monterey area. Perfect for a quick lunch. Great location too, just walking distance from Cannery Row. Definitely recommend checking it out on your next visit. read more

Discovered this restaurant on Lighthouse Avenue, a short walk from the aquarium. We wanted to find a quieter vibe from the hustle and bustle of Cannery Row and we were pleasantly surprised. We were greeted at the entrance by the server, and decided to give it a try. So glad that we did because the service was wonderful and the food was meticulously prepared. We were hungry and ate the sea bass entrees too quickly to picture, as it was that good. We especially enjoyed the authenticity and freshness of the kibbeh. The kibbeh that I have tried elsewhere pales in comparison. This was lightly fried to order, with high quality meat and a very yummy minced meat and pine nut filling. If you have never had kibbeh before, this is the place to try it! The hummus was a nice side dish and baklava was not too sweet like the commercial ones you find in the store. All in all a great experience. I highly recommend you give this place a try. I only wish they had a location closer to where I live. Until then I will be trying to replicate that kibbeh dish at home. Wish me luck! read more

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I ordered the chicken piccata via Grub Hub. It came nicely prepared with rice, carrots and zucchini. The takeout container is very thin cardboard and unfortunately most of the sauce had soaked through the container and into the plastic bag. There was a tear in the bottom of the container where it had soaked completely through. The food was delicious, but they do need better takeout containers! read more

A little off the beaten path from Cannery Row and so worth the detour. We had the Kibbeh for appetizers, I had the Blackened Chicken Pesto, and my partner had the Beef Gyro. The food came out piping hot and the food was so fresh and delicious. The staff was phenomenal and so welcoming and the overall vibe of the restaurant is so cozy. We came for lunch but they also serve breakfast and dinner with all those dishes sounding phenomenal. The owners came by to speak with everyone and you can tell they take pride in the service they provide. Will definitely check them put again when I'm in the area! read more

Stopped here for lunch after the aquarium, the food was delicious! My wife and I shared a cup of clam chowder, the Lebanese chicken shawarma and the fish and chips. They allowed our son to order breakfast past noon. Very hospitable and friendly. Great price as well. read more

Great service. Calamari, fish and chips but especially the paella! Wonderful! Cozy, only 10 tables of a busy street but worth it. We will come again read more

Amazing food! Amazing service! The vibes were great and the restraint was super clean. Never felt better, I highly recommend.

Wow! It's rare to find a hidden gem like this. The food was great and service was excellent. We walked here from the aquarium and it was a nice short walk. I forgot my credit card at the restaurant and didn't realize it until I was at the airport. I called immediately and they were so kind and helpful and mailed my card back to me right away. Incredibly kind and great to be reminded that people will go out of their way to help each other. read more

Delicious food. Great service. Pomegranate Chicken, Breakfast Omelet, Mai Tai's. Beautifully prepared by (Mando's) chef.

We went there after a visit to the aquarium and found the rating of 4.8 way too high. Portions are good but small. The two tables at the window get too hot when the sun shines. They were generous with refills. Water took 3 requests. All in all, not a bad place but certainly no 4.8. read more