Great ambiance with friendly, attentive service. The food was excellent! It could be even better with a little kick--adding some watercress would really brighten up the flavors. read more

Montrio - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

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My wife and I stopped by on a Thursday night right at 4:30 when they're starting their open. The bar is the only spot available for service between 4:30-5 as the rest of the kitchen and restaurant are still getting up and running. Fabio, the bartender, was excellent. He's super knowledgeable about each cocktail and was a wealth of knowledge around all things mixology. The special 1890 cocktail was called Agua de Flores which really reminds me of a riff on an Aperol spritz but the base is a hibiscus syrup which reminds me of Agua de Jamaica which I'm a big fan of. It was just the right balance of tart, tangy, and sweet. A beautifully crafted cocktail and a STEAL at $1.89. Yes, you read that right. Less than 2 bucks! We also tried a Pistachio Horchata cocktail which was also "good" but not amazing in my opinion ($10 during happy hour). A bit too sweet for my liking but still an objectively good cocktail. The 1890 featured appetizer was a Housemade Shrimp Eggroll. The outside shell was super light and crispy, almost TOO crispy, but the shrimp inside was still tender and not over cooked. The orange sauce that is drizzled on it is awesome. Some sort of mayo based aioli. Multiple guests asked for more of the sauce to add to their other appetizers because it was so good. The Braised Short Rib Sliders were EXCELLENT. The brioche bun is fresh, soft, light, and airy, while still having a good chew to it. The meat itself was juicy and tender and the slaw added that needed touch of acidity to balance out the richness. The mussels and frittes (yes, fries), were solid and the broth they were in was decadent. The mussels were tender and melted in your mouth which I really applaud because so many places overcook them and turn them into little balls of rubber. Putting the fries on top of the dish may make for a nice presentation but is an odd choice because they'll inadvertently get soggy from the steam coming up from the mussel broth. They'd be better presented on the side in one of those small serving cups. For dessert, we tried the bread pudding which was on top of a rich butterscotch sauce with shaved white chocolate and served with a scoop of passion fruit ice cream on top. I initially scoffed at a bread pudding being served at a "higher end" restaurant but I'm glad my wife decided to go with this dessert because I was thoroughly impressed. Soft and chewy at the center but those toasted / burnt edges on top added some nice texture contrast. The passion fruit ice cream was a great compliment to how rich the pudding and sauce were and it was also nice on its own. Montrio bistro is truly too notch from service, ambience, and food and I'm excited to come again soon. read more

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Excellent service. Excellent food. Excellent drinks. The restaurant was clean, high end & comfortable. Their menu has an array of excellent cuisine from salads to delicious mouth watering steaks. Fabian was superb. He went above and beyond for my husband delivering on an amazing cocktail he created himself. read more

Montrio - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

What a disaster! We were a group on the 2nd floor, probably 21 of us, I had the vegetarian scallops. Never have I had such tiny and poor tasting scollops! Although our meal options were preselected. There was long delays in meal service. Wine service was very poor and MANY found that the white wine did not taste fresh and clean - and management argued with us -we had VERY EXPERIENCED wine experts in the group. Service was so bad I had to virtually beg for coffee which was served in a small cup and I was never offered a refill! My wine glass sat empty. While I expected a private group we were jammed in with another with only room dividers which did not block noises. I have been on annual retreats with this group for 41 years, many times in Monterey and we have never before received such poor food and service. read more

The food was really tasty and we enjoyed everything we tried. The service was very attentive--almost a little too attentive at times. Our waitress would stop by so often that she'd naturally chime in and seamlessly weave herself right into our conversation. She was friendly and well-meaning, but it was a bit too much. The portions felt a bit small for the price, and I was still a little hungry even after finishing both the appetizer and entrée. read more

Excellent, attentive service from the whole staff especially our server William, who introduced the manager to the person in our party who called ahead about a garlic allergy. Beautiful interior, you can see small remnants of the former firehouse it was, like the red brick wall and gold carved fire extinguisher behind the maitre d stand. Ladies, check out the larger women's bathroom stall for the black and white photo of the former fire house. I'm surprised a former Michelin-rated restaurant offered bread and butter though it was rather unremarkable. A sign of a good restaurant is having mocktails on drink list, good sign. I didn't get a drink but my friends enjoyed their mocktail and drink. DUCK BREAST, coconut rice and charred bok choy. Thank you for accommodating the person allergic to garlic, who loved everything. BRANZINO - 3 pieces of fish, provided me with two meals. The sauce was tart and acidic and needed salt. The stewed tomatoes were the best, and the farro was perfectly chewy. ORECCHIETTE with spicy sausage - large serving for high end pasta, delicious, and al dente For meat lovers they have Wagyu and angus cuts. There's a great patio facing the quiet street. We found street parking a few blocks away. Montrio is pricey but a great choice for a special meal with excellent service. read more

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A very classy and intelligent vibe is fantastic. The onion soup needs Gruyère cheese, imho The wagyu steak was quite succulent Also, the servers Micheal Next door to the Marriott read more

We had a fantastic time here. The food was perfection. Each morsel was better than the last. We had some cocktails to start. The smoke and mirrors is Smokey goodness paired nicely with the mezcal. We enjoyed some appetizers like the French onion soup and the Cesar salad . Then for our main entree we had filet mignon that was accompanied by mushrooms, onions and potato puree. It was all cooked to perfection! The wine list was also remarkable, we had a bottle of cab from the Napa Valley and finished our meal with a cream brûlée. Oh wait we can't forget about the side of herbed risotto that we shared that was so rich and creamy it melted in our mouths. For a culinary delight, Montrio is a must try. read more

Montrio - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

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Food and service were both excellent and would absolutely go back for another occasion

Montrio is that rare restaurant that's classy and looks ideal for date night, yet is super family friendly and kid friendly too. We had an excellent dinner here with great service from Chris. Montrio seems to be famous for their steaks and fish entrees, with many of them with a slight Asian twist. Their kids menu is larger than most other places with things like grilled salmon. After a while cheeseburgers and chicken strips get old! They had a decent cocktail menu. I got the Open Sesame, thinking they Black Sesame Vodka will remind me of my favorite Chinese dessert. However, the raspberry flavor overwhelmed a bit with tartness. Decent drink though. For entrees, the bone-in Brick roasted Jidori Chicken was incredibly juicy. My 3yo son wound up eating most of it, so I wound up eating his salmon. The Kid's Grilled Salmon was good sized. Salmon cooked perfectly but a little bland. Some lemon would be nice. We wound up getting some ketchup on the side. I guess with kid's plates they need to go easy on the salt. The yellow squash side was excellent. For dessert, definitely get the Budino. Italian custard but with an Asian twist of using miso caramel to add some umami to your dessert. Add in some crunchy hazelnuts and you have a 5-star dessert to end an excellent meal. read more

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Fantastic atmosphere, decor, and service. The crab cakes were divine. The Sea Scallops melted in my mouth. SO good! The service was impeccable-thank you Bridget! read more

Was looking to get out of Carmel for dinner and came to Montrio! Location was super cute and convenient and there is a ton of street parking. Drink menu was so fun and unique, brown butter old fashion yes pls! The best thing we ate all night was the crudo, wow, they had a hint of spice with little bitty jalapenos and a hint of lime - so good! Main courses were alright but the apps and drinks really shined here! read more

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My boyfriend and I came across this place on a mid afternoon stroll around our hotel and decided to make same day reservations. My boyfriend and I shared 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and 3 desserts. Everything we had was delicious but my favorites were the lobster bisque, butternut squash and the wagyu. Their bread pudding is also a must try! So incredibly fluffy and warm! Highly recommend this restaurant if you're visiting Monterey. read more

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First rate fine dining. I had the cioppino, husband had fish of the day. The cioppino was exceptional. More seafood than soup, all shellfish no fish. Nice wine selection by the glass. read more

3.5 stars We had a good experience here. Came around valentines week. I remember that I liked the soup-a lot. The rest of the food, I thought it was nice but seemed forgettable to me. It was a good place to try in the area, but I don't know if I'll come back. There isn't a lot of fine dining in Salinas. But it was fun trying out a new place in town instead of going somewhere far. read more

Five stars. I love this place. Everything was delicious. We ordered the caesar salad, blue jumbo lump crab cakes, and the braised short ribs. The caeser was one of the best Ive ever had. The crab cakes weren't out of this world but were still good. However the braised short ribs were the showstopper. So incredibly good, so tender. Our waistress Bridgette was super nice and helpful. The atmosphere of this place is awesome and I love the way it used to be a fire house. The lighting was consistent flickering which was kind of irritating but the food and service absolutely made up for it. I cant wait to come back next time we are in the area. read more

Dropped by during happy hour on my monthly visit to Monterey looking forward to my favorite drink Zen Garden and found out it's off the menu! Disappointed by the Nino Perdido that starts with a light flavor and goes downhill from there as the ice melts. Very meh! Bartender said they tend to update menus about every quarter. Too bad. The mussels was missing the pizzazz and with hard fries this time, too. So I opted to head out to avoid further disappointment. Hoping the inconsistency is a one time. Sorry. read more

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My husband and I came in after an all-day drive and an emotional roller coaster about a friend's health. The staff, especially Bridgette (sp?), was lovely. I was astonished by how many GF options I had! I had the burrata with smoked beets and the Jidori chicken. My husband had the lobster bisque and pork chop. We shared a lovely Pinot noir and the flourless Valrhona chocolate cake. And I could eat everything without modifications! I can't believe I haven't found this charming spot on any of my previous trips to Monterey. Definitely coming back! read more

Nice, open and spacious restaurant. Wait staff was friendly and attentive. We were celebrating our engagement and they brought us a complimentary dessert and sparkling wine that was a lovely end to the meal. The Caesar salad was really tasty. The fillet was buttery and amazing. The sides were just OK. The Waygu was mostly great, but a bit overcooked and charred on the end pieces. Overall good experience, we would give it another try. read more

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I was surprised here for my birthday dinner and it was just the loveliest experience. The ambiance is so warm and inviting. The staff is so kind and friendly, our waitress Concetta was so kind with great input and recommendations. The menu is vast with options for many preferences. The duck confit Mac-N-Cheese was so rich and creamy!! My entree of the beef Filet Mignon was so tender and full of flavor, a great balance with the mashed potatoes and mushroom bourbon sauce! Cooked to perfection! You can tell great thought was put on the menu!!! Props to the executive chef and all the kitchen team. I will definitely be back!!! read more

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French onion soup was perfection as was the rest of my meal with steak, mushrooms and potatoes. Unique atmosphere; elegantly done. Waiter was good but very sloppy appearance for this upscale restaurant. (Unkempt hair, baggy, unpressed slacks and dirty apron) read more

The service was great, but the food was amazing! The chef's attention to details was apparent. The steaks plate was hot, the mushrooms was seared and retained their flavor (not water), and the bread was soft and warmed. Overall I was pleasantly surprised because it feels like a lace that just overcharge the tourists, but they charged what they were worth. Our anniversary was mentioned and every server came by and wished us happy anniversary. Very attentive! read more

I finally had the chance to properly dine here. I've only been to place for dessert before. This is one of the few restaurants in Monterey that is featured in the Michelin Guide. The interior is lovely and elegant, with a fancy, yet cozy ambiance. We were seated in comfortable booth seating, across from the bar area. We were served rustic bread with butter, which had a nicely crisp crust, while the inside part was soft and chewy. For my meal, I was trying to decide between Duck 3 Ways or Short Ribs. I ended up ordering the Duck dish, consisting of pan roast duck breast, crispy duck leg, local sunny up duck egg, as well as crispy polenta. My favorite preparation was the crispy duck leg. There was an irresistible crunchy exterior, while the meat was tender, and delightfully well seasoned. The duck egg had green onion and other spices on top. The yolk oozed beautifully and there was polenta cake below the egg, which was absolutely delicious! Then there was the duck breast, which came with whole grain mustard jus. The sauce was decent and had bold flavor, but I thought the duck breast was a bit on the tough side and kind of bland. Of course we had to get one of the homemade desserts. I was leaning towards the Valrhona Dark Chocolate Tart, but then our waitress let us know about Flourless Chocolate Cake, served with housemade pistachio ice cream, whipped cream, an artistic streak of chocolate spread and pomegranate seeds. We went with the latter, and it was definitely the way to go! You could not tell that the cake was flourless. It was simply delectable, melt in your mouth, incredibly rich and full of chocolate taste. The ice cream was smooth, creamy, nutty, while the whipped cream and pomegranate added a bit of sweetness. All the ingredients combined together well. Service was solid. My friend and I arrived late, but the hostess was friendly and understanding. Our waitress was attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Prices are on the expensive side, but I would be open to returning to try the Beef Short Ribs or Grilled Local Catch, depending on what it is. read more

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This place was amazing. We totally didn't expect it being so good since it was less than a block away from our hotel, but we were very pleasantly surprised. It took awhile for the hostess to seat us, but once we got to our table, everything else was perfection. I was not in the mood for a big dinner, so I ordered the French Onion soup to start and the wild mushroom risotto appetizer as my main course. The soup was very cheesy and the bread on top was perfect! The taste was wonderful and I found myself wishing the bowl was bigger! The risotto was actually a perfect size for my dinner, and it was scrumptious. Perfectly done with the mushrooms and enough cheese to make it gooey. My dinner companions ordered the following and everyone was in amazement at how good everything was: The Seared Sea Scallops were done perfectly, the Jidori Chicken was a half of a chicken and big enough to share, and the Double Cut Pork Chop was huge and served with apples, which made it so pretty. We opted to share two desserts: the creme brulee and the butterscotch pudding. Every single thing was delicious. The wine list was also good and had some great choices by the glass with a generous pour. The service was impeccable, and our server, Conchetta, was fun and professional. Lastly, the atmosphere was wonderful, from the white tablecloths to the lighting and beyond. We really really enjoyed this place and will definitely go back on our next visit to Monterey. Kudos to Montrio for doing everything right! read more

Bravo to Charlie the manager for turning my reservation hiccup into a highlight of the evening! He handled everything swiftly and with such genuine kindness. Service like his is exactly what makes Montrio shine as one of Monterey's premier dining spots! read more

Wow! What an incredible foodie experience! Fantastic location, classy and comfortable ambiance with excellent service! They have a grand selection of boozes, wines, craft cocktails... my husband loved the "Almost Paloma" and my "Brown Butter Old Fashion" was amazing! Our appetizers were so delicious! The oyster trio and scallops crudo were very creative with their unique garnishes. My husband enjoyed his pork chop and my short rib was out of this world! Very very pricey but we'll worth it! Excellent special occasion place or just because? Don't pass this one up if you're visiting from out of town OR if you're a local and haven't been here yet? Hurry up and get over there!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

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Concetta our server was amazing, extremely knowledgeable on the menu and just a fun person to talk to. The food was fantastic at every stage; appetizers, entrees and dessert were all tasty and cohesive dishes. I only wish I got better pictures to capture how good all the food was. read more

Montrio - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

I'm not sure how this place is considered a Michelin Star restaurant... We stopped by for dinner and were seated immediately because we had a reservation. It was almost completely empty on a Sunday which should have been the first red flag. We browsed the food and drink menu and knew what we wanted. No one came over to take our drink order or introduce themselves for about 25-30 mins, despite it being pretty empty (a second red flag). We almost left but then our waiter came by. We never got his name but he was a white male with a man bun. He spoke to us in a fake & rude tone. Very weird vibes. He did not inform us about their food specials. Our food took a while to come out but it was pretty good, nothing to rave about though. I loved their complimentary bread. It was so soft. Duck was one of my least favorites I have had. It was so dry and lacked flavor. The black angus new york strip was juicy and soft. Portions are meh for the price. I did enjoy their duck fat fries as it was a flavor I had never tasted before. We celebrated my birthday and they brought over a dessert (which was just ice cream?). They ended up charging me for it too???? and without even informing us about it. Never have had this happen anywhere else so BE AWARE!!! Overall, the service really ruined it. Our waiter was inattentive and dismissive. He would be seen chatting and laughing with the chefs or at other tables but not ours. I noticed a couple who came in shortly after us received much better treatment than we did. Someone came right over to take their drink order, tell them the specials of the night, and were even offered bottled water (we weren't). They checked up on them often. Left the restaurant feeling highly unsatisfied with no plans to return or recommend this to anyone. Please save your money and time to go elsewhere. Food: 5/10 Service: 0/10 read more

Didn't make a reservation but was able to sit at the bar... Birthday Celebration part deux . The Brown Butter Old Fashioned is a must. The Pan Seared California Grimaud Farms Duck Breast is a sure fire hit and the Espresso Martini is a great way to close the dining experience. read more

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Always a wonderful & interesting menu. We have been enjoying the food for many years when we visit Monterey Service at the bar is epic! Liza is amazing!!! read more

Food was good but WAY over priced . Service was terrible . Had to wait 1 1/2 for our main courses . Understaffed . Waitress was inattentive . Manager pretty much only came up with excuses and was ineffectual. Ive been a customer for many years and this was a mistake this visit . Do not go . read more

Great service: the staff was very accommodating to our party of 10. Extremely patient and very helpful with the recommendation Wonderful ambiance inside: tasteful decor and arrangement through and through Food and drinks: we ordered most of the cocktails on the menu. They were beautifully arranged, refreshing and well balanced I'd highly recommend the onion soup, pork belly and oysters as starters. Crab cakes are good as well but slightly on the fishy side Loved my Branzino especially, fresh ingredients, nicely cooked with crispy skin My friend loved her Ciopinno. She did all the cracking work and soaked up the last bit of the broth with cheese bread provided Other folks loved their wagyu orders, although the steak portion looks a tad small to me compared to the price it's being charged. All in all, another solid dinner marked!! read more

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Overall this was a wonderful dining experience. The food was delicious! I wish the desserts were a little more appealing but the entrees and appetizers were amazing. Set in an old firehouse the space had a lot of character and it didn't feel crowded. Great for an intimate dinner or a gathering of friends. FOOD: Started with the onion soup which was spectacular! The cheese topping was perfect and the broth was smooth and tasty. Had the swordfish for an entree and the broth it sat in was wonderful and the pine nut mixture on top was the perfect compliment to the generous portion of fish. Personally I would have liked some carb to go with it but I was more than satisfied. My wife had the duck which again was a very generous portion and cooked just right. Didn't see anything on the dessert menu to make me want to order it but did not take away from the delicious meal. SERVICE: I think our server was new. She didn't bring out the complimentary bread and we had to ask for it. Then she nearly took away our plates before we were done and didn't mention all the specials and we only found out because the other server did mention them. But her service otherwise was excellent. COST: Pricey but in line with what you'd expect for such a high end restaurant. Food was definitely worth it and we will be coming back. read more

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Phenomenal meal. Ate here last weekend, Saturday night and I have to say, I would love to go back again! The decor was excellent and very easy to find parking outside. It is free after 6PM and there's plenty of spots even for the weekend. Right away walking inside, it's well decorated and feels extravagant. I had a reservation for 2 and the hostess seated us in a comfy corner towards the left side from the entrance. The food was spectacular! I ordered the Artic Char while my girlfriend had the scallops. She kept stealing from my plate...but that's a good thing! The Artic Char tasted so good and it wasn't extremely heavy on the flavors. I enjoyed both the crab cake and the oysters as well. My favorite has got to be the dessert. I forgot what it was called but oh my goodness, when that thing hit the table, it smelled fantastic. Tasted just as good too! I'm also a big cocktail fan and the cocktails were on point. Shout outs to the entire team at Montrio for making my girlfriend's first time in Monterey a great dinner experience. If we're ever in the area again, we'd love to visit again! Cheers! read more

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This review is very late because I thought I had already submitted it. I just realized I just wrote my notes down but did not write the review. We visited Montrio earlier this year in May on our central coast road trip. It was supposed to be our nice anniversary dinner and it turned out to be the worst experience of our trip. I'll start with the positives: Steamed clams appetizer - The sauce and bread were a perfect match to go along with the clams. Buttery and delicious. Pork Chop with Apple chutney, baked polenta and charred broccolini - This was our main entree and it was pretty good. The pork chop was cooked about med to med-rare which made it very juicy and tender. Broccolini was nicely charred but could have used some acid or additional seasoning. Baked polenta had a nice crust and flavor. Now onto the not so good: Braised short rib sliders - these were Meh. Most of the flavor came from the slaw and pickles. The short rib had no flavor and the brioche buns were toasted but tasted stale. Ahi Poke with rice crackers - The tuna was marinated which masked the freshness or perhaps the lack of freshness. The tuna itself was cut into tiny cubes (much smaller than I have ever seen), served on a small bed of cubed avocado and sweet glaze on top. The rice crackers were a weird touch and to us, felt like it cheapened the dish. Drinks: Miso Harmony - Bourbon cocktail with sherry and red vermouth topped with spiced orange foam. I did not like this drink at all. The bitterness from the vermouth and spice from the orange foam just was not my cup of tea. Perhaps someone who likes these characteristics will enjoy this cocktail. Bees Elbows - Gin cocktail with lemon and honey. This one was nicely balanced and had just the right amount of honey. Definitely a good cocktail. Here's where all of this becomes pointless. For a nicer restaurant, you would typically expect pretty decent service. When we first walked in, this is exactly what we were met with from the hostess to our first server, Daniel. They were very friendly and made us feel very welcome. When we asked about the happy hour menu, Daniel let us know that it is only available in the bar area so he happily moved us to a bar table. Unfortunately, this meant our server changed. Our new server, Bill, was weird right off the bat. His odd sense of humor was dry, too dry for us, and he gave off a super weird vibe. We started talking about the Happy Hour menu and the different times listed. Some deals were available from 4:30-5:00 and other deals were 5:00-6:00. When I asked him about the Happy Hour beer prices, he replied "it doesn't matter if you're not going to order a beer". HUH??? WHAT?? EXCUSE ME? What kind of response is that????? The rest of our meal, we were just weirded out as he kept up with this weird vibe which definitely turned into more rude towards the end of our meal. We finally ask for our check and he goes, prints the check, and drops it off at our table without a single word. Not a single "how was everything?" or other normal gesture a server would make. Finally, the kicker, when he returns with my credit card, again he drops it off and walks away without saying a single thing. Whatever, I go to sign the credit card slip and notice that the amount charged is more than what was due. Our total came out to $96 but Bill had taken the liberty to charge $123.45. WTF!! At that point, I walked up to the hostess and asked to speak to a manager. Manager, Don, comes by and I tell him about our terrible experience with Bill and the fact that he purposely overcharged us. Don was very friendly and apologetic. He fixed our check and even comped our 2 cocktails which was nice of him. He said he would talk to Bill about our experience but honestly, this was enough of an experience for me to never recommend Montrio to anyone I know. There may be good/great reviews by other people and I'm sure they are honest, real experiences. It's unfortunate and unlucky that one bad apple can ruin an experience for someone but that's exactly what happened here. To Manager Don, Server Daniel, and Hostess whose name I didn't get, thank you for your hospitality and friendliness. I'm sure this review won't deter many people from visiting you guys. To Bill, wtf is wrong with you. You are rude and deceitful. You should be ashamed of yourself. By the way, we could hear your conversation with your co-workers bashing your clientele and we could also see you grabbing cocktail garnishes from the bar, sniffing, licking, dropping, and returning that same garnish to the bar for some other poor soul to have added to their drink. NOT COOL! read more

Montrio - Pork Chop with charred broccolini and baked polenta - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

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We heard a lot of good things about Montrio. Therefore, when our niece had her pre-wedding meet and greet there, we were excited and looked forward to attending. Boy, what a disappointment! Took us a long time to find a parking spot since Montrio is located in a prime location of Monterey. When we finally got there, we were told to wait since we were 3 minutes early. After we were allowed in, we were led upstairs to a small space for private parties. We felt like sardines as we squeezed through and found the bar at the side of the room. I ordered a glass of Pinot Noir and noticed how rude and unorganized the bartenders were. My bartender was very rude and unfriendly. He poured half of the Pinot Noir in my glass before the bottle ran out. Instead of opening a new bottle, he slyly took the Cabernet and poured in the rest. I questioned him when he handed me the glass but he insisted that it was all Pinot Noir. Normally, I would contest or call the manager but it was a celebration and I didn't want to make a scene. The cheese plates that they offered were sparse. I'm sorry to say that this was not the experience that we had imagined. read more

Montrio - Packed room - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

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There were some stand out items and some that could've been executed better. The two stand outs of our meal was the steak tartare and the cioppino. I loved the depth in both these dishes. The cioppino sauce was well balanced and had a pleasant smokiness to it. Out of all the dishes, this was definitely the best in my opinion. The fish of the day dish was well cooked, but had no seasoning. The fish was moist, but we definitely lacked salt. We had to ask for some on the side. The duck three ways was underwhelming. The duck leg confit was stringy and had no moisture whatsoever. The breast was cooked to a perfect medium rare and was good. The duck egg needed some salt. The side of bread at the beginning of our meal was one of the best I've had, I would buy a loaf if I could. If you're reading this review, the restroom has a door knob, but it doesn't turn - go ahead and push the door open. I thought it was pretty amusing sitting facing the restroom and walking people trying to turn the knob and waiting until a waiter/waitress tells them it's push to open. read more

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I've been come here since the 90s. Every meal has been great. The quality has not slipped. Great preparation, texture and flavors. Nothing is overpowering. Flavors are balanced and complementary. The service was friendly attentive and fun. I'll be back. read more

Montrio - Perfectly prepared halibut - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

Party of 5 on a Thursday night. They seated us at a nice quiet table per our request. Upscale ambiance but our server was not knowledgeable and was very unfriendly (not a great combo!). She poured almost 1/4 of a bottle of wine we brought into a single glass, was nearly surly about our requests. My sister asked if she could crumb the table because we had a lot of crumbs from the bread crust and she brushed off the table in front of my sister and left the rest of the table full of crumbs. It was strange, really. The food was OK. Overpriced for nothing special. We had the French onion soup - lots of onions and bread but kind of sweet broth (and not much of the broth, it was more like a pudding stuffed with bread, onions and some cheese) - 2/5; fish sticks which were more like crab cakes in that the fish had been chopped up and mixed with mayo (?) and seasonings before being breaded - it was pretty good but a bit surprising 3/5; house salad which we asked for light dressing and it was almost drowning, can't imagine what normal dressing looks like 2/5; Jidori chicken - decent 3/5; duck confit - duck was good but was almost spoiled by a very runny sweet potato "mash" 3/5; king trumpet scallops which had hardly any flavor and the accompanying corn risotto tasted like plain gooey rice with some corn kernels (1/5). I was really hoping for a good meal but it was not. Between the cold/surly service, mediocre food, and high prices, this isn't on my list to go back. Sadly. read more

4/1/23 My recent trip to Monterey for a weekend getaway with our 3yr old and 2month old kids was totally a reminder of how acclimatized we people are from the Bay Area to crappy butt service, and the entitlement of waiting staff for tips that were not earned. I never felt so willing to be generous with tips... and thus I was. And don't even get me started on those 5% "SF Mandate" aka "Living Wage Surcharge" aka "Small Business Surcharge" aka GREED charges... never saw one of those should-be-illegal resort fees at any restaurant here. Anyway, forget SF... this place is about You. Our waitress even said straight up to us, "I am here for you. Whatever you want, you tell me." And she kept her promise. As for the food... 1. Talley Chardonnay $15 "'estate' arroyo grande, CA, '19": It was good but sorry I didn't take notes. 2. Brown Butter Old Fashioned $16 "brown butter washed bourbon, house roasted almond syrup": Amazing!!! Truly. You know me--I've tried a lot, and I really look for that complexity of flavor and texture in cocktails, and this really has all the nuances you could want--especially that butter wash! Just the right amount of meatiness and oiliness that really gets your senses... sensuated. 10/10 3. Trio of Oysters on the Half Shell $18 "chef's daily inspiration": Well, firstly, just look at the pics--let me know if that's not the prettiest plate of raw oysters you've ever seen outside of a Michelin-star prix fix menu you've ever seen. And yes, they are as fresh as they look--so much so that they're actually just a little crunchy. The guts are creamy, just a little bitter. Unfortunately, though the garnish is super pretty I don't taste any of it. 8/10 4. Miso Glazed Pork Belly $23 "pickled apple arugula salad, garlic chili oil": This one was an absolute fail. This came early in the meal so after being served this I actually had a really bad feeling the rest was gonna be god awful too... luckily I was wrong. Firstly, they made a mistake and brought us 2 plates. I told the buslady and she took one back--the one that's TWICE as big as the one she left. That's not good. Seriously, check out my pic--this was basically a 1.5" square of roasted pork belly. Pretty ridiculous. Also the plating was awful--half the play was empty and the sauce looked like dirty water running across the plate. But worst of all, it was nearly inedible. The skin was hard and it tasted like this was cooked yesterday and kept under a lamp. Like how can basically a block of fat be dry to the point that it couldn't be chewed? 1/10 5. 'Sterling Farms' White Sturgeon $45 "forbidden black rice and butternut squash, sauteed florentina, ginger-tamari glaze": OH GOD YES. This absolutely made up for that disgusting pork belly. The outer sections of the surgeon were a little on the dry side, but once you got through the surface layers you're treated to a waterfall of juices seeping out the microscopic crevices in the firm, white, yet buttery flesh. Sure, I think if they can cook it just 10% less it would have been perfection, but this was orgasmic as is. 10/10 6. Kid's Orecchietta Pasta $16 "butter & cheese, or pomodoro sauce": Memory is a bit vague but I did remember the pasta (kinda like shells but not?) was al dente but the sauce was too thin. But my 3yr old isn't the world's biggest connoisseur so he gobbled it up. 7. Snake River Farms Wagyu Eye of Ribeye $72 "tripled seared, smashed & duck fat fried yukon golds, charred onion, black garlic emulsion": Perfectly medium rare. The meat was seriously high-quality--no sinew, and totally soft and tender like filet. But I do wish they kept some of the fat. It was too lean to feel like a good ribeye. Also, I will say, my wife bought for me a huge also-Snake-River-Farms wagyu ribeye roast for my bday (but I ended up smoking it for my kid's 1st bday) and that meat was totally different--it was almost foie gras-like in buttery fattiness. This one was absolutely opposite. Also, I could have used 2x as much--portions were pretty small. 7/10 8. Side Smashed & Duck Fat Fried Yukon Golds with Chermoula $16: These are the same as those served with my steak. Shouldn't have ordered this. 8/10 9. White Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding $14: 1 of top 3 best bread puddings I've EVER had. Another was a croissant-based one in SF. But definitely The #1 Prettiest Bread Pudding I've ever seen. Just look at the pics. And it tastes just as glorious as it looks. Soooooo silky inside. Like tasting the solidified air of love. 10/10 10. Spiced Pear Tart $16 "bourbon, spiced pear syrup, walnut liqueur and lemon juice": Tastes like Asian plum actually. One of the best cocktails ever. So rich and complex. Pear almost tasted fermented. Amazing. 10/10 11. Latte $4.50 Bring $300 for 2. Treat yourself to what a great dinner should be, service, food, and all. 5/5 #monterey #italianfood #americanfood #fancyschmancy #sturgeonfish #sturgeonsteak #wagyu read more

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