Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Manta Rey Restaurant

    3.7 (377 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Manta Rey Restaurant Photos

    MANTA REY RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    More like Manta Rey Restaurant

    Recommended Reviews - Manta Rey Restaurant

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Menu
    Sam J.

    I stayed at the hotel here so manta Rey made for a very convenient option to eat. They have a nice menu with great seafood options. I am a sucker for fish and chips whenever they're on the menu so to no one's surprise I got the fish and chips. However I didn't want fries so they substituted with grilled vegetables. I loved the switch up. The fish was nicely fried and not huge. It was three smaller pieces which made for a perfect size since I didn't have the fries to get filled up on. In and out in about 30 mins total and upstairs in bed. Service was quick. Restaurant was available. Dinner was done.

    Pauline S.

    A Peaceful Dining Experience at Manta ray in San Simeon! On our anniversary trip, we were on our way to Hearst Castle we decided to stay one night in San Simeon. We weren't really looking for anything in particular. We just wanted to see the elephant seals, and made an early tour in the morning in Hearst Castle. We stayed at the Sea Breeze Inn, a nice hotel in San Simeon, and then wanted to find somewhere nearby to eat within walking distance. We crossed the street, there isn't much traffic, and after about four minutes walking, we arrived at a restaurant Manta ray. We were welcomed by our waiter, Oscar, a very kind man, who showed us to a table. We started by ordering fried calamari, which came with a couple of sauces. We were served fresh water with ice, along with a glass of wine for me and a beer for my husband. I ordered a Zinfandel (about $13, though I don't remember the name), and my husband ordered a beer. After the calamari, we shared a clam chowder bread bowl. It was delicious, with warm fresh bread and great flavor. Later, we ordered a house Pinot Noir, one of the affordable options. Oscar, our waiter, was respectful, attentive, and very polite. But then the restaurant filled up quickly, a group of 15 came in, then a couple, then another group of four, then two, then another eight people. Suddenly, the restaurant was full. I was surprised at how popular the place was, the service and the food were great. But they are short-staffed. If you come here, remember this: * Sit down and calm down. * If you're in a hurry, this is not your place. * If you're coming with kids, this might not be your place either. This is a peaceful restaurant, a local spot where you can enjoy the experience with kind people. Oscar was extremely hardworking. He was cleaning tables, bussing dishes, taking orders, making drinks, serving wine, delivering food, refilling water, and even bringing bread, all at the same time. He was essentially running the entire dining area by himself on a Saturday night rush, while just a couple of cooks worked in the kitchen. In less than 30 minutes, around 25 people came in, and the restaurant can probably hold about 30 in total. Oscar and the cooks did an amazing job doing everything they could to provide good service and tasty food. If you come here expecting fast, five-star service in five minutes because you're starving, then go somewhere else and pay the extra price. But if you want to relax, have a bottle of wine, order appetizers, and enjoy the atmosphere, this is the perfect place. We stayed from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., enjoying every moment. We had the fried calamari, then clam chowder, then a cioppino, along with battle of wine, beer, and water. The music was relaxing, the atmosphere was peaceful, and the people, locals and travelers, were friendly, kind, and smiling. Please, don't write a bad review here just because you came from the city expecting to be treated like someone "special." The special ones are the local people working hard to make your evening better. Be patient, be respectful with the staff, and you'll have a great experience. For us, it was a memorable anniversary dinner, and we are thankful to Oscar, our waiter, as well as the chefs and staff who made our night special. If I ever return to San Simeon, I will definitely come back to Manta Ray Restaurant.

    Sea bass and seafood pasta. Great choice and great prices.
    Christine L.

    What a hidden little gem attached to a hotel. It's on the non-ocean side of the highway but SO WORTH IT. Everyone waits in long lines for all these other restaurants to open up and I had a spectacular dinner. They open at five. I ordered the sea bass my husband got the seafood pasta dinner. Cooked to perfection both dishes. The prices were responsible for the quality you got. The big beautiful round windows made for an artist flare as the sunset was unfolding. Service was excellent. Would highly recommend this spot as the others seem so played-out and over-hyped with hour long lines.

    Breaded artichoke appetizer mushroom raviol and seafood sample platter...this place is right near Cabrillo high or the 1.....probably wouldn't have stopped here but we are doing a 1 nighter before going to Hearst Castle and its near were we are staying......nice interior lots of windows nice for a sunset dinner, this is only a dinner restaurant........the food was very good, very nice for an intimate dinner for a date night, nice wine bar...over allI would come back

    Calamari
    Loran ..

    Ambiance was great, especially around sunset. The bread they give before the meal was tasty and we enjoyed our meal.

    Seabass
    Gabe C.

    Best seafood pasta I've had hands down. It got better with every bite. The Seabass was good, the sourdough bread as good as any bakery you'll go to. But that seafood pasta just blew me away. Perfectly cooked scallops, clams and shrimp. Paired with the Savignon Blanc it doesn't get much better than this and it's connected to the Quality Inn of all places! Definitely exceeded expectations.

    Dessert Menu January 2023

    See all

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Anita D.
    9
    156
    81

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    24 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Debbie C.
    33
    94
    51

    3 months ago

    Crab cakes with no crab just dense and mostly breading. Sanddabs were watery and flavorless. We ate two bites and left the rest.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ben O.
    6
    101
    0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dana D.
    0
    17
    21

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Gabe C.
    1
    147
    324

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Glenn G.
    36
    131
    14

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jen C.
    4
    69
    8

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Angie D.
    45
    126
    62

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of E M.
    40
    51
    6

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Hannah S.
    658
    1153
    24895

    3 years ago

    Helpful 54
    Thanks 3
    Love this 51
    Oh no 2

    9 months ago

    Nice little place. Filet was good. Garlic nashed potatoes were dry. Creme Brulee was good. Waitress was a delight!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    So surprised at how attentive the wait staff was. Food was served quickly and really was quite tasty.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Daniel S.
    80
    136
    202

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 months ago

    It's a small quiet place in the front of Quality Inn. We've had dinner several times and they are always excellent.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of R A.
    0
    19
    0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    It was very disappointing. Fish wasn't fresh some were frozen. I won't go back. Disappointing

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Peggy H.
    113
    48
    76

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ken B.
    0
    24
    3

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Excellent service and the seafood is most exceptional! "I eat seafood everywhere, this is one of the best" Husband

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 10

    Manta Rey Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Manta Rey Restaurant

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Seafood 214 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Moonstone Beach Bar & Grill

    Moonstone Beach Bar & Grill

    3.8
    (2.3k reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    Moonstone was recommended by a friend who lives out here in Cambria. We ordered the rib eye medium…read morerare, spicy tequila cream chicken pasta, cioppino, oysters on a half shell, and calamari frito. I do not eat seafood, therefore this review is based off of my group. My husband enjoyed the oysters stating they were fresh and sweet. My daughter loved the calamari. I was quite underwhelmed with the spicy tequila cream chicken pasta. I was told that the dish was very spicy. To me, there was barely a hint of heat to it. The flavors was lacking. I feel as if the sliced onions should be left out. Our friend ordered the cioppino and mentioned the same thing, the sliced onions made the dish taste a little off but otherwise delicious. The kids fusilli with Parmesan was ok. It was basically tossed in butter and she can add her own Parmesan. The rib eye came out medium well. We thought that maybe it was just the ends that were a bit more cooked, however, almost the entire steak was medium well. The only part that we didn't eat was looked to be medium. Although the steak was not cooked to our preferred temperature, it was very flavorful and tender. And we sure were hungry after a day of exploring. We ate nearly the entire plate. I didn't want to mention anything since we ate 90% of the plate, but our friend convinced us to bring it up to the server. And so I did, not wanting to anything to be done about it. We did nearly finish it. We also did not want to wait longer for the steak to be re-made. I paid for my tab and it was well under what I had expected the total to be. I scanned through the itemized receipt and realized that they took off the steak. I felt ashamed for even bringing it up since we basically ate it all. The cocktails were great. Not too watered down or too heavy with alcohol. The restaurant has an amazing view overlooking the Pacific Ocean and offers outdoor seating. The service is quick and everyone was very friendly. Will I came again? For sure. Just not for pasta.

    Sunset at Moonstone beach ended at the Moonstone Bar and grill restaurant. Situated in front of the…read morePacific Ocean. Beautiful view of the sunset . Ate dinner with the family and well presented with their menu. Monique was our server and she was fantastic. Grouped of 10 so we had lots of entree . The oyster bar was fresh The rib eye steak was cooked to perfection. The all time favorite clam chowder in a sourdough bread was so tasty and oceanic flavor. The shrimp salad was crispy and tangy. The steamers of clams was divine . The wine broth was soothing. The salmon shrimp crab cake was good. The fish and carne asada tacos . were delicious Dessert we opted to molten lava cake. Erupted with sweetness. Overall, fantastic night.

    Photos
    Cioppinot
    Cioppinot
    Grilled Mahi
    Grilled Mahi
    Moonstone Beach Bar & Grill

    See all

    Sea Chest Restaurant & Oyster Bar

    Sea Chest Restaurant & Oyster Bar

    4.1
    (1.4k reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$$

    Another fantastic experience! Saturday night in late March and arrived at 4:25. We scored the last…read moretwo spots at the bar. We enjoyed cocktails in the parking lot and met some nice people visiting from Evergreen, CO. We love the atmosphere when you first arrive, with all of the chefs prepped in anticipation of the bustle of the first patrons arriving. We split the Rockefeller for a starter. It went great with the Markham Sauv Blanc!! We had the shrimp scampi over pasta--so ridiculously good, it should be illegal. We also had the sea bass which was tasty. The potatoes on the side are perfectly done every time. I would say a 4pm arrival is probably the right time to get in line. Worth the wait!!

    Not worth the hype…read more We went to Sea Chest Oyster Bar last night. Honestly, it was extremely disappointing. The food was lackluster and bland. The Clam Chowder tasted like flour and needed salt. The Soy Ginger Mahi Mahi was presented with the Soy Ginger sauce on the side, rather than being cooked in. It was so bland you had to search for the flavor of the sauce. I'm not sure how a dish with soy needed more salt, but it certainly did. Rather than it being a reduction or the fish actually cooked in it, it was just flavorless. And don't get me started on my Halibut. All of the fish is cooked in butter, which should give it some flavor, but it did not. We are usually plate-cleaners, but we both ate only about half of our meal. Lackluster, boring, bland. I would say it was a one-note flavor, but you'd have to have some flavor for that to be true. The only positive I have about the fish is that it was fresh, so I guess there's something. The service was fine. I can imagine what it's like to have an entire restaurant sat at the same time, so there should be some forgiveness there. But for $200 for two people for one appetizer, two entrees, and three glasses of wine, I would expect to be able to get through the meal.

    Photos
    Sea Chest Restaurant & Oyster Bar
    Swordfish
    Swordfish
    Clam chowder

    See all

    Clam chowder
    Big Sur Restaurant

    Big Sur Restaurant

    3.6
    (398 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    This was the only restaurant opens till 10 pm. Decided to drive from Cambria to Big Sur for late…read moredinner. It was a an average American restaurant. Seated for 5 and ordered from their menu. The clam chowder was delicious but too much potatoes than clams. The Seafood Alfredo pasta was very good. The seafood shrimp scallop calamari was very tasty fresh and good sized amount. The sauce was very creamy. The tri tip was dry and well done. Kinda tough to bite. The combo bbq the pork ribs were juicy. The green salad was very ordinary I've beth lettuce with carrots. The fried calamari with French fries were pretty good. The attendant was so nice.

    While staying in the hotel their not too much option to eat for dinner unless you wants to drive in…read moredark for 20 minutes so we end up eating here some of the mixed reviews we seen but we still decided to eat. Dinner menu prices are kind of expensive. But the meal is big enough. Staff aren't welcoming the guests. Service charges was 15% added automatically but don't see mention anywhere but that's make sense because most of their customers are Indian while we were there. I also work in the restaurant industry for last 9 years and very few Indians give tip. I was assuming that's why they added the tip with every check even though you are party of 2. I seen customers are mentioned in other reviews as well. One of the middle table is very wobbly.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Huevos Rancheros
    Huevos Rancheros
    Patio area

    See all

    Patio area
    The Sow's Ear

    The Sow's Ear

    4.0
    (830 reviews)
    4.8 mi
    $$$

    While visiting in Cambria, we had dinner at The Sow's Ear. It is a beautiful and cozy, quiet place…read moreand we both had a delicious dinner. The crowning jewel was that we had used Uber to get there, but could not get one to return to our hotel! In a bit of a panic, we asked the Manager ( Owner?) if she knew how we could get back. She immediately offered her daughter, who happened to be there visiting! The daughter laughed and said " sure!". We had a fun ride back...she was charming. She refused payment ( but we left money on the seat)....said " this is what we do here!". We will definately always eat here when in town, just because of the people ( and the yummy food).

    On my yearly trip to Cambria, the Sow's ear is always a must. The food is always consistent and…read moregood. And the flower pot bread is one of my favorite things. They are known for their fresh out of the oven flower pot bread. It's a little crispy on top and as you work your way to the bottom, it gooey, and almost slightly undercooked deliciousness. I love getting to the bottom of the pot and adding some butter. It's so good! I usually always get the same thing. I love the steak and mashed potatoes. It's so tasty that's it's had for me to try something else. This restaurant is very small and cozy. It's like an old school family restaurant with a cute fire place. I always try to arrive right when they open so I can get a table right in front of the fireplace. It's so cozy! And then I have to get my glasses of wine. The ambience is just very quaint and cozy. I always recommend this restaurant to my friends when they are going to Cambria. Everyone that I have recommended it to has gone always had good things to say about it.

    Photos
    One of Cambria's most romantic restaurants.
    One of Cambria's most romantic restaurants.
    Bread
    Bread
    Sign fom sidewalk

    See all

    Sign fom sidewalk

    Manta Rey Restaurant - seafood - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...