The food was actually pretty dang good, but the overall experience left a bad taste in our mouths. We had a 7:30pm reservation which we were running 5 minute late for. Upon calling the restaurant from the car to notify them, the clueless-sounding hostess sounded confused and informed us that we'd just been seated. After assuring her that, no, we in fact were not even in the restaurant yet, she sheepishly admitted that she gave our table away to a group claiming to be us! Upon arrival, there was a halfhearted apology and we were told that we would be seated soon. 45 minutes later, after watching group after group seated in front of us, we were finally seated in the almost empty back room of the restaurant. By-the-way, there is no bar area to have a drink while waiting, or really much of a waiting area at all. We just stood packed in the entry way with a bunch of other people. The wait staff was well informed and efficient, but it was almost another hour before we got our food! They didn't seem to think that was too inconvenient, at least by their standards. Any good restaurateur would have fully admitted their mistake and tried to get us seated at the next opportunity. Amazingly, they didn't seem to concerned. We won't be back, but somehow I seriously doubt they care. read more

I wish I lived in Monterey. This place is a bit away from tourism row and very pleasant after a day's drive from San Francisco. I would recommend this place to couples and even families with well-behaved children, as it is definitely for those looking to get away from yet another Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. This was clearly a place where not a lot of tourists knew about (probably a good thing). We found it on Yelp ourselves and decided to give it a try in order to avoid a meal that I could have had in my own hometown. My man and I shared a bottle of wine (all of which is reasonably priced since they are also a retailer) then ordered a bisuqe as an appetizer (at the recommendation of the waitress) and it was AMAZING and enough for 4! Each of our entrees were excellent and flavorful, with a twist on regular seafood flair. We then shared the sorbet for dessert, which was a light treat to finish off our meal. read more

Came with a group of 10+ friends on a weeknight. Place was clean, the menu had a nice variety and the staff were attentive. I chose the raw oysters for my appetizer and the duck confit for the main course. The oysters were excellent, I wish I had ordered a double order! The duck was a little on the dry side, but the presentation for everything was great! I also liked how they offered a variety of hot teas. I would come back with my husband to try other dishes! read more

Just an overall amazing meal experience for a very reasonable price. Everything we had was phenomenal. The wine and beer, in addition to the food items, were well priced. The scallops and mahi mahi we had were wonderful, but I have a feeling everything on the menu was. Oh, and try the asparagus fries! read more

Passionfish is a gem on Lighthouse. Incredible wine list and beautiful food presented gorgeously. The long narrow dining room can get fairly loud, making it not the best place if you're looking for a quiet evening. While they were happy to create a small vegan entree for me, they didn't have any vegan options on the menu and very few vegetarian options. A few well-chosen vegetarian choices would kick them into the 5-star realm. read more

Enough reviews, they don't really need another! Scallops were fantastic as was the banana nut bread pudding. My wife had halibut...it was decent but not fantastic. We will be back to try another round. read more

My friend told me about this place and I am glad she did. I am pretty picky about my seafood and Passionfish did a great job with everything. For a starter I ordered a crab cake and for dinner I got scallops. The crab cake had massive amounts of fresh crab in every bite and the lime relish that it came on complimented the flavors of the crab perfectly. The scallops were what took a good dinner and made it great. Scallops are almost always overcooked everywhere I go and here they were sweet and succulent and the perfect texture and temperature. Paired with the tomato-truffle butter, it was food ecstasy. I wasn't the biggest fan of the minted celery and risotto custard that it came with, but the scallops were really just so great that it didn't even matter. The birthday boy is not a seafood fan and ordered a ham & cheese arancini as a starter and the beef short ribs for dinner. He said it was all very tasty and the bites that he shared with me lead me to agree with him. We shared a chamomile creme brulee for dessert and it was good but not my favorite, the chamomile was a little bit too overpowering for my taste. The only thing I wasn't so happy with was how close the other diners were to us. There was about a foot and a half of space between each table and you can hear everyone else's conversations over your own. Even so, the delicious meal will still assure a return trip next time I am in Monterey. read more

Ridiculously good fish. WOW. Had the seabass and it was epic...

I can't believe that I haven't written a review for this place. This is one of my favorite restaurants, if not my favorite restaurant in the whole world! Everything that had been said is true -- the food is wonderful, their wine list is well-picked and very reasonably priced, and most of all, the service is superb. In fact, my husband and I agree that our server -- Kevin is the best server that we've ever encountered, and that's saying a lot. He is the perfect balance of warmth, friendliness, but at the same time unobtrusive. We haven't been here in a while so I hope that he still works there. We tried their Dungenesss crab cake -- which was divine, the mahi-mahi entree with green onion rice, Sea scallops with tomato truffle butter, and the Sturgeon with the spicy red curry vinaigrette. Everything we ordered was delicious. Kevin recommended a Sauvignon blanc that was spot on - it very much complimented our meals. The dessert that we ordered was also very good. We can't wait to go back! If only it's located closer to where we live... read more

Made another visit 2 days later, still packed. Liked the roast lamb breast more than the arctic char on a bed of sweet onion rice. The lamb breast is a good deal at $18 vs. $24 for the arctic char which tastes and looks like salmon but more fishy. The restaurant only serves sustainable seafood, and the arctic char is farm raised. Wanted the sea bass but not available. Did not like the short rib/foie gras tortellini, the broth is way too salty and can't taste any foie gras at all, not worth $14 for an appertizer. The warm bread pudding for dessert was good, but the sauce is too sweet, would have been better served with ice cream. read more

We were wonderfully surprised by our entire experience! From the deep fried Kalamanti olives on, the combination of flavors and spices were a real treat! The salads were fabulous with shocking combos of flavors. My husband had one with coated sardines, grilled romaine and asiago and caesar mouse type thing in middle. Fantastic. I had special salad w squid, cukes, vegies in spicy dressing that was much lighter but equally as good. For entrees we had the duck confit and the Arctic Char. Both were excellent. Then the special dessert we shared... A chocolate lighter than mouse topped with rose infused marshmallow!! OMG. To die for. Light, not too sweet. In all dishes, there is a surprising combo of tastes and spices that keep on surprising. We'll be back. read more

This was an amazing meal at a fair price. The fish is fresh and obtained sustainably. Our waitress was very nice and suggested a perfect wine bottle for our meal. Romantic ambiance but not too formal. Very nice place!! read more

Another favorite on the Monterey Bay Peninsula. The wine list is awesome. The prices for wine are retail and lots of local wines. The dishes have all been exceptional. Loved the portabella mushroom fries, and I always get their oysters which are so fresh and always have a creative granita on top. For entrees, we've tried the duck confit, short ribs with spaetzle, and rock shrimp. All very tasty, but we haven't had room for dessert. read more

Truly excellent! Not cheap but what truly good restaurant is? Some of the dishes we had included a sardine salad with had two good sized sardines grilled served with mixed greens. For non-seafood lovers there are usually several other choices, the night we went one of them as a "breast" of lamb, slow cooked so it had the texture of Osso Bucco and the flavor to match, but the real stars are the fish! Also tried some of the deserts and these also were excellent. Wine list is large and not too expensive although you can spend about as much as you care to. Lots of interesting small wineries listed found a gem for $30. Decor is understated with decent table spacing and room dividers to break things up. Service worthy of 5 stars but was not overbearing or intrusive. read more

Pros: fresh fish flawlessly prepared, excellent service, consistently great, deserts also superb. Cons: a bit pricy, but so good it is still a good value. read more

Passionfish was our best meal in the Monterey / Pacific Grove / Carmel area on a 5 day trip. The crab appetizer with the spicy ginger dreassing is amazing. I tried the Sturgeon and my wife had Halibut both perfectly cooked and excellent filets of fish. The creme brulee was incredible. Also, this place has a great local wine list with very reasonable prices. I will be back my next trip to Monterey and would not miss this spot if you are visiting. If you live in Monterey and haven't been there you are missing out. read more

Great , sustainable fresh fish and a great wine list at very reasonable prices.

The wine, the food, everything was excellent. Loved the dessert with a chocolate cake and mint chip ice cream.

Older crowd (over 50) and no bar, wine only. A plus is they do online reservations. We waited for a long time and then walked down the street to another place that sat us right away and was amazing! This review was from August 2012. read more

An experience I will always remember. went here on my honeymoon. The food and the service was phenomenal. The atmosphere was wonderful, really set the stage for an out of this world meal. So delicious my husband and I came back for a second night. The bacon fritters, brisket with spatzle and the pear bread pudding are calling my name. Can't wait to return. read more

Excellent choice for dinner. The mussels were so tasty. We ordered the slow braised lamb. Out of this world. The scallops with rice pudding so yummy. Fine wine at reasonable price. Overall a wonderful place to eat. We will be back again. The desert sounded so good, but we were so full. read more

I liked the food at Passionfish very much. I would come here if I was in the area but I would not make a special trip from SF just for this place. The crab with zucchini souffle was excellent. The scallop was indeed delicious. Good wine selection. Service was good. read more

Great food, excellent service and a relaxed but comtemporary atmosphere. Highly recommend giving Passionfish a try if you are in Pacific Grove, you will not be disappointed. read more

Great dinner, good service. The halibut was cooked to perfection. Sturgeon was wonderful with and amazing sauce. The crab and avocado salad with arugula was to die for! I would definitely go back again. read more

Amazing food. Service is good. The wine list is excellent and reasonably priced. This is where we bring people for dinner when they come to visit. read more

We were there on a Saturday during Valentines Day weekend/ Presidents Day weekend. Our reservations were at 8 and I understand it's busy but we were there for 2 hours. With that said, the food was amazing. Everything is sustainable and the menu changes daily. I had the duck confit, which was so delicious. My boyfriend had the scallops (they just melt in your mouth), and we split the pear bread pudding (to die for). read more

Had the tostitos, crab salad, oysters, lobster, and steak. Everything was incredible flavor and service was perfect. Here for my Bday week and we were very happy. Might visit here twice in the week, things were so good. All the tables around us seemed so pleased as well. read more

First, service was excellent, from front desk through our server. Second, food was exceptional, beyond expectation. Starters were heirloom tomato salad and goat cheese, and entrees were sturgeon and halibut. Desert was bread pudding. Everything well seasoned and perfectly prepared and presented. A truly wonderful meal read more

Excellent!!! I had the sturgeon and wifey had the tilapia.. Both cooked to perfection...the heirloom tomato salad was incredible.... I am sure we will return on our next visit!!! read more

I had the "spoonable" lamb and it was amazing. Really impressed a fish place did meat so well. Wait staff was very friendly and attentive. I would recommend this place to anyone. read more

Husband and I ate here when we lived in Monterey and whenever our family came into town to visit. It had some of the best food I've ever had. We ordered the steamed mussels and I literally drank the pool broth afterward that they were laying in. Sooo yummy! Everything we ordered was delicious. Such a small, intimate setting too, which I really liked. I believe their menu changes every week, if not everyday. The place is kind of upscale, and the prices reflect that, but it's definitely worth every penny. read more

So we had a reservation for two at 7:45pm on a Saturday night. Upon arrival, we checked in and said they would seat us soon. 20 minutes later we were starting to get disappointed (did they forget about us?!) but finally got seated. Honestly I don't know why our table wasn't ready right away. What's the point of making a reservation if I still have to wait? I understand it was a Saturday evening and they looked pretty busy, but it's not like were a table of 8, there was only 2 of us! Nonetheless, I cannot complain about our experience here. Our waitress was very polite and attentive and the food was AMAZING. I think I am addicted to their complimentary bread and whipped butter- it was so good! To start off, we ordered the warm brussel sprout salad and Dungeness crab cake. Cooked to perfection, flavorful, and good presentation. For main entrees, I ordered the lobster tail and he ordered the 12 hour slow-cooked lamb entree. These were both very savory with beautiful presentations! Dessert was the chocolate truffle torte, mmMMmmMm. Overall we left impressed and very satisfied. We will definitely be returning! read more

service was outstanding, however food was only average. If our server wasn't so great, would have rated this place a 2 star. Was shocked that our entree fish was not that fresh and over cooked. Our pear goat cheese salad was the best thing we had. Ordered seasonal strawberries for dessert and that consisted of mainly ice cream, disappointing.... yes, wine list was decent. read more

Big fans of this restaurant. Good seafood for reasonable prices. For appetizers, we had the crab and avocado salad (less salad-like than I thought, not many leaves and more avocado and crab, but even better!). We also had the striped bass crudo, which we were a fan of. We probably liked the seaweed salad on the side the most. As mains, we ordered the scallops and the halibut (which was a special of the day). The scallops were as advertised, very large and succulent. The sweet rice on the side was also good. The halibut was cooked very well, though the risotto was very bland. For dessert, we had the mudpie and sesame truffle. The mudpie was good, more like ice-cream than anything else. The sesame truffle wasn't anything to write home about. Service was great. The server was very friendly. The food came quickly. Would come again. We paid $130 for 2 people. read more

Just mentally insert "Complete Lack of" before the name of the restaurant. Meh. The duck wasn't horrible, it was simply bland and uninspired. The brocolini tasted of charcoal. The creme brulee was just inadequate. Creme brulee is hard. It's simple that there is nowhere to hide. I can taste culinary talent, and this kitchen just doesn't have it. Skill, perhaps, but talent, no. Sad, but true. read more

The food was amazing. I highly recommend the rainbow trout, although I know their menu changes often. The crab a different avocado salad was just heaven and their wine selection is unbelievable. Great service topped the whole night off. I'll definitely be back. read more

Second time here. Always fresh ingredients and sustainable. Wonderful new dishes to try. Huge wine and beer list and even fantastic desserts. Make a reservation and enjoy! read more

Excellent food & service. We had a great evening. Passionfish is a very nice restaurant.

High quality, sustainable sea food, wonderful service, delicious wines, lovely ambiance! My favorite dish was definitely the sturgeon. Worth every penny! read more

This was great experience from start to finish. There were so many amazing things and I wanted to try them all, so my friend and I each had the scallop appetizer, which was delectable, we then split the warm brussel sprout salad, the 12 hour roasted lamb, and the chocolate passion fruit torte. We had two good wines, a white, then a red by the glass, excellent wines by the glass. This is one of the top three restaurants in the area, highly recommend!!!! read more