Gosh, I really wanted to like this place. The place was busy and there seemed to be enough wait staff but they seemed overwhelmed and rushing constantly. Even though it was super busy at one point, they appeared to be taking breaks at the bar. I was confusing to see them stopping at the edge of the bar to quickly drink a glass of water have a couple laughs, then rush out to serve people. This happened a couple of times. I felt that on site manager could have improved the situation. I felt like the staff were really well meaning but definitely lack training. The menu is interesting. We ordered the spicy gyoza soup, a tempura roll and an Asian chicken salad. The menu indicates that the soup is spicy and it was. I was actually too spicy to eat unfortunately we pulled the gyoza out and left the broth. The shrimp tempura roll was not good. I'm not sure if there was imitation shrimp, but noticed they did have imitation crab on the menu anyway it just was odd tasting and not eat eaten. The Asian chicken salad was fine, seemed exactly like a $5 salad kit from the grocery store. I hope they can get their menu more on point and improve their service as the location is fabulous and the staff were really nice and trying hard. read more

New restaurant in the former Cibo's space. Great location, right across the street from the Conference Center. It should have been crowded, but on a Monday night, it was not. The beautiful and comfortable bar area was empty. I am celiac (no gluten, not even cross contact). It appears they are getting up to speed on how to handle someone like me. Our server Stephanie was fabulous and determined to accommodate my needs, but she had to talk the chef into it. I mark this up to being newly open. Specifically, I asked whether the Tikka Masala Seabass was GF. From the description, it appears to be. Stephanie said she would double-check with the chef. She came to report that he had said since the pan had cross contact, it wasn't really GF. He suggested that the only GF items were the GF pizzas (they apparently have a dedicated GF oven, which I will definitely be back to try). I asked whether he could make my fish in a clean pan? This is an obvious and easy fix. She cheerfully reported back that he would do that. The fish was delicious, and I ate every bite. My companion tried a roll as an appetizer that she really liked also. Stephanie brought us a lovely GF dessert, comped for my birthday. I would ask that they consider upgrading the wine list to include more reasonably-priced and local non-chardonnay options. The cheapest bottle was House Pinot Grigio, which turned out to be Seaglass ($13 retail), for $56. Pretty steep for that level of wine. And we're in Wine Country in Monterey County. I think the restaurant holds much promise. It is owned by the Pangaea Carmel people, a restaurant that we like very much, and that also seems gluten-safe. read more

If you come to Monterey you got to stop by Nami, the food is so good and flavorful. Service is top notch from the servers to the bartenders Cadillac margaritas with the Lalo tequila omg a must have. read more

Nami Restaurant - 6 year old birthday gift - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Just tried Nami in downtown Monterey and wow... this place already feels like a hidden gem. Everything we ordered was super fresh and clearly made with care. The sushi roll was , perfectly seasoned rice, generous pieces of fish, and that crunchy topping added the perfect texture. Not overly sauced either, which I really appreciate. You can actually taste everything instead of it being drowned out. The shrimp pasta was just as impressive. Creamy, rich, and full of flavor without being heavy. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, and the peppers and onions gave it a really nice balance. Honestly, I didn't expect a pasta dish to hit this hard at a sushi spot, but it absolutely did. Presentation was clean and modern, the vibe was calm and inviting, and service was friendly and attentive without hovering. For a new restaurant, they're already doing a lot right. If you're in Monterey and want something a little different but still comforting and high quality, Nami is 100% worth checking out. I'll definitely be back. read more

Nami Restaurant - Spicy Crab Crunch Roll - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Great food! Great Service! Great atmosphere! Italian, Japanese, Steak, pizza excellent menu

Excellent service and food. Love the new menu. Juan M is amazing. Thank you for a fabulous time. read more

Nami Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

I'm sorry.. but this was not good. I asked for certain things didn't get them The bathroom smelled like sewer. We were told there was going to be music. There was never any music.. very disappointed. read more

This place used to be an Italian place but I never got the chance to try it. Now it's an Asian infused Italian restaurant which is a bit interesting combination. The inside of the place seems like it's a super fancy restaurant but I didn't get to take a good look of the decor too much. There was a big sheet of paper on the table so while we waited for our food, we were just drawing on the big sheet of paper. It was relatively nice to have to keep us occupied. When the food came out, we weren't as impressed as we expected. The food was okay... I got an egg tofu soup which was pretty good. My sister got California rolls and the portions of the rolls were super small.. probably the same diameter as a quarter. She ate all of it in 2 minutes... definitely not filling but the price made it seem like it should've been enough. We also shared shrimp tempura rolls. It wasn't too bad but they were poorly wrapped so it fell apart the moment you tried picking them up from the place. My other sister got the dumpling ramen and it was just broth and dumplings. We assumed there would be noodles in the soup but there wasn't. Something I did like is that the owner approached our table and was asking for feedback. He did ask for honest feedback and we did inform him about our thoughts about a few of the dishes. He was very open to hearing us out and you can tell that he wants to improve the place. Him introducing himself and wanting to hear customer feedback is something you don't come across too often. The pricey for the quality and quantity is questionable but I have good expectations for it to be good considering the own also owns another restaurant in Carmel! read more

We ordered a burger meat was cooked as asked, medium althoughthe bun was soggy....seating for to long at the counter perhaps??. The tuna poke was fine nothing special. They need to work on the white rice offered for the sashimi. California rolls were warm and seem like they sat in the counter for a while as well. We unfortunately did not see the menu prior to entering the restaurant but its not Japanese food, it has some Japanese options that are just ok. read more

This new restaurant is an excellent addition to the Monterey Peninsula. The food, the service, the atmosphere, everything about it is great! We will certainly be going back and of course we recommend it. read more

Outstanding service and delicious food definitely one of our top restaurant picks. The new menu is excellent, highly recommended, and very kid-friendly! read more

Nami Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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I wanted to try this place after it's grand opening, reviews and write ups were good. I tried it when it was Cibo and was not too impressed, as the restaurant seemed to focus on getting tourists in, and so much on food. I feared the new Nami would do the same. Turns out my fear might have been right. My husband and I went in on the second opening night. It was a Thursday, but one would think that for a grand opening, not to mention all people in town for an event at the Golden State Theater, the restaurant would be busy. I ordered a craft cocktail, which was good. But there was so many variations on the menu, Japanese, Italian - Steak with bok choy? My husband was interested in ribeye but not the bok choy. In short, the menu was too confusing with too many items to think about. With all these items, the prices were pretty high also. If we were to pay $50 per steak, we'd go to a steakhouse. If we're gonna pay around $30 for Ramen, we go to Japanese restaurant. We paid for the drink and ended up leaving to go somewhere else, that a more straightforward menu and livelier vibe - the cooks in the back looked bored. I feel the prices and many options are catering more to tourist. Perhaps if I have family coming to visit, I may go back to try it again. read more

Wonderful experience, staff was amazing and food was excellent. Location was also wonderful easy to get to. read more

Nami Restaurant - Steak and lobster - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

It was so bad. I ordered the filet and it took forever to arrive. Given that I was the only person in the entire restaurant, the wait time was surprising. The Diet Coke I ordered was flat and tasted stale. When the filet arrived, the side of mushrooms was grey and soggy, the "demi glace" was congealed and sour, and the filet itself tasted old or expired. It looked like it was microwaved or heated up after being cooked at an earlier time? I don't know...I took one bite and had to send it back because I didn't want food poisoning. I hate to write reviews like this, but hopefully the restaurant does some soul-searching with this kind of feedback. The server was nice, I felt bad for him. read more

Wonderful ambiance. Great bolognese. And Pedro was the perfect server. I totally recommend.

The food and service are great. Nice and clean restaurant and walkable distance from our hotel. The restaurant is under new management and Definitely recommend. read more

Check out this awesome Asian fusion restaurant! Upon walking in, I was pleasantly surprised by the decor & ambience. I brought my 90-year-old mom as we were visiting the Monterey area. I'm vegetarian & my mom is not. Nami definitely catered to both of us. My first indicator to return to the restaurants is customer service. Whoa! The entire staff were friendly & accommodating. Ohh, btw, the lava cake was scrumptious! Highly recommend this place! read more

After a day of golfing, I was craving pasta. We walked across the street to this restaurant & decided to come in. First, I ordered my lemon drop martini, yum. And I am very picky. But the bartender nailed it. And then I decided on the Chili Garlic Shrimp Scampi. IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!! So much flavor!! I would have taken a picture but it was so good, I didn't want to put my fork down. Our waitress was extremely friendly & super sweet. Inside the restaurant was very nice, but it was such a gorgeous evening, we wanted to sit outside. I wish we were staying longer so I could have my meal again. read more

WOW! My first time at Nami was absolutely amazing. From the service, to ambiance, to quality of food; everything was knocked out of the park. We started with the crab cakes and it really got us excited for our main dishes. They were absolutely to die for. I got the filet and added a lobster tail and it was one of the best dishes I've had from a restaurant in a long time. The filet truly melted in my mouth and the lobster was cooked perfectly. This is the perfect date night spot and would highly recommend trying it out, you absolutely will not regret it! read more

Nami Restaurant - Crab cakes - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Amazing food and excellent service. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience enjoyable. Highly recommend read more

Nami Restaurant - Amazing food and excellent service. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience enjoyable. Highly recommend - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Nami is a hidden gem! Amazing food, beautiful presentation, and live entertainment that makes the whole experience unforgettable. The atmosphere is lively and fun, and the service is top-notch. Can't wait to go back! read more

The ambiance was great. The service was wonderful and the food was delicious. We ordered 3 pupu plates. The raw oyster and two sashimi - so good. My husband ordered the red snapper and I had a pizza. The variety of entries was great read more

Awesome food. The service is great and very friendly with the customers. Very recommended read more

Nami Restaurant - Garlic Cheese Bread and Vegetable Tempura - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Sadly, our first try of the new Nami was a disappointment. The menu seems like they are trying to be everything to everyone or at least Japanese and Italian, which is very odd. I ordered spring rolls with spicy peanut sauce and out came fried egg rolls with hoisin sauce and a sweet chili sauce. ‍ We also ordered the Wahoo sashimi and Tuna Sashimi. The waiter came back over after a bit and told us they were out of Wahoo. The service was friendly but inconsistent. Food came out very slowly. They obviously have some kinks to work out. read more

Stopped in on family vacation and found a pleasant ambiance and friendly service. They made us a fun and festive mocktail. Pizza, oysters rockafeller, prawn paparadelle, and tuna poke was delicious. Music playing but at a volume that allowed dinner conversation. Not a chain. Will return the next time we are in town. This is a great place to come eat if every one wants to eat different kinds of food. Everything was fresh and delicious! read more

Nami Restaurant - Tables and decor - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

It was suppose to be this new restaurant everyone's excited to try out for the first time. Had high hopes it was going to be delicious. We ordered t h e woo hoo sashimi it should of been called boo woo because it took way to long to come out and the presentation was lacking it was dull in color and taste it felt gritty and that didn't even offer so sauce. Now we're going on to 45 minutes no entree I had to ask another waiter how long does it take to come out I had the prawn scampi the dish was okay but small portions I finished my dish before my boyfriend and that has never happened ever before. I couldn't believe it. But our waiter took one dinner off and that made us happy but we will not be coming back here. I would go somewhere else bussboys chewing gum the food is lacking in many ways. Taste, presentation, timing, and real let down. No worth wasting your time and money on a place that's not going to make it through this year very dissatisfied in many many ways. read more

Service was good. Food was terrible. Maybe cause it was during lunch but everything had no flavor.

The food was really good. But the lounge had such a great vibe! Especially Michelle who's behind the bar she provided great service!!!

It was terrible. Ordered the crab cakes (these were ok) but the temperature vegetables were horrible. They used like a beer batter instead of tempura batter and the vegetables were julienned and stuck to each other they over fried them and greasy. Supposed cauliflower were tiny tiny little pieces mushy inside burnt on the outside. Husband had the oysters (so so) but his sushi roll was the size of a hot dog sliced into little pieces. Drinks were very weak (old fashion and cosmopolitan) and the price we paid over $100 - should have gotten a clue when everyplace on Alvarado St was packed except this place - there were maybe 10 people in there mostly drinking... never never never again (and this was our 2nd try) read more

Delicious food, gracious service. Our group had sushi, ramen, grilled fish and pasta-- and everyone raved about their dish. The tuna poke appetizer was a great value-- such a generous portion and like everything else, fresh and tasty. read more

Lunch at Nami did not disappoint! The service was thorough and friendly. The dishes we ordered were delicious. We started off with the ahi sashimi, which was melt in your mouth good. The sauce it had was also yummy. We tried the raw oysters and they were fresh and creamy, and came with some good horseradish. For our lunch entrees, I got the bento box and my fiancé got the skirt steak sandwich. Tempura had a perfect crunch, the chicken was juicy, rice was fluffy, and the salad was fresh. My fiancé was stoked on his sandwich, his steak was tender, the veggies were cooked perfectly, the aioli was good, the bread was great, and the fries were crispy and stayed that way throughout the duration of our lunch. We will definitely be coming back to try more items on the menu and enjoy the good vibes. read more

Nami Restaurant - Skirt Steak Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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If you're in Monterey, you have to try Nami. Such a fun spot! The music was great and the whole vibe was cool but still relaxed. I got the spicy rigatoni and it was sooo good! The lavender moon drop cocktail was light, a little floral, and delicious. Plus the birthday cheesecake was phenomenal!! Shoutout to our server Juan for being so sweet and attentive. He made the night even better. Definitely coming back! read more

Here in town for a vacation. Juan our server was top notch. Nami has a very welcoming atmosphere. Juan went above and beyond to get us what we needed and made sure we were taken care of. The music playing in the back ground was a good vibe but not too loud. The Japanese/Italian mix is something you didn't know you needed. The Spicy Rigatoni was delicious. I would recommend the plate. A few of the others at the table got sushi and said it was phenomenal. Overall I would recommend this to anyone. Has something to eat for everyone. From steak, to sushi, to pasta to garlic bread and calamari. read more

Nami is the place to be in Monterey! Came for a friends birthday, Juan took great care of us. Drinks were not just delicious, but aesthetic too. Atmosphere is versatile. Got the spicy vodka rigatoni, sashimi, and crunchy crab rolls. Everything was fresh and cooked well. read more

Nami Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Juan was awesome! Great bevs and yummy sashimi. Fun playlist, we were vibing all night long. Friday night and no wait! read more

Nami Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Was so excited to try Nami when I saw they were opening and they did not disappoint! The food and atmosphere was amazing all of the staff were super welcoming, nice and attentive! read more

Nami Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Husband and I decided to visit this restaurant on 2/13. Made reservation, no wait time upon arrival. We found the restaurant to be clean, aesthetically pleasing (decorated with hanging faux greenery, big vases with pink faux flowers, white tablecloths and a small flower vase as centerpiece). Juan our server was professional, friendly, and gave great recommendations. Husband and I ordered the spicy crab sushi roll, Tika Masala Seabass, and Spicy vodka Rigatoni (added prawns). I was very impressed with how fresh everything tasted, and the amount of prawns on the plate. It was a nice surprise to see the tika masala sauce came on the side (I personally used it all). Everything was delicious, fresh, and we are definitely coming back. It was an added bonus that the bar area is separated from main dining room, and there are outside tables as well. Absolutely a place to visit read more

Pizza was fantastic, enough for 2-3 people. Shrimp friend rice was the perfect spice. They also had live music that night late 70's, 80's. We had a blast! Waiters were very attentive and accommodating. Enjoyed it so much we went back for breakfast. read more

I would give this a 0 star review if I could. To start- We had an 8:15 reservation and went to the bar upon arrival. There was zero acknowledgment from either bartender. Although we were seated on time, we waited about 15 minutes before anyone approached our table. No one introduced themselves until I stopped a passing waitress to ask who our server was. She returned to say she would be assisting us. From there, the delays continued. After waiting roughly 30 minutes, we had to ask about our appetizers. The raw oysters finally came out, but we again had to follow up on our second appetizer before it was brought to the table. Another 15-20 minutes passed before I had to ask about our starter soup. When our $50 steak entrée arrived, it was cold. This restaurant previously served Italian cuisine--which was consistently good--but since switching to Japanese fusion, the quality has dropped significantly. The sashimi and poke were dry, lacked flavor, and came with no sauces. The ambiance also didn't match the new concept; it still felt very Italian, and the live music didn't complement the dining experience. Overall, it was a disappointing and expensive dinner. The only positive was the shared bonding moment with other guests who were experiencing the same poor service. read more

Food sucked, do not get the walnut shrimp fried rice greasy af. Literally had a pool of grease at the bottom. Took 2 hours to get our food. Service was super slow. read more