I am so glad to have been recommended this restaurant by my lyft driver when staying at Pacific Grove. Usually I'd only go to Monterrey for the aquarium and end up eating on Cannery Row, it was just the kind of restaurant I had been looking for. I had the special which was Halibut with snap peas, corn and other summer veg as well as a glass of Lambrusco. My date who is vegetarian had an Amazing salad with flavors of curry and a fruity/sour beer from Oregon that we ended up talking about the whole week after. Since we spent the day snacking we only had room for dessert at the end and enjoyed the cobbler. The restaurant was pleasantly quiet and serene. The server was very knowledgeable and made us feel welcomed. I am looking forward to my next trip down to revisit this gen. read more

They are only serving takeout now, but when they reopen make sure and go! Their service was always impeccable and the menu items utterly exquisite. This is a truly magnificent restaurant in Pacific Grove and in all of the Central Coast! read more

It was meant to be a special evening out, but my latest meal here was disappointing. One of the appetizers was inedible -- rock-hard, dry, fried calamari thrown on a pile of herbs in a too-spicy, sour dressing -- and the server did not notice (or at least did not comment on the fact) that it went uneaten. The halibut in my main course was overcooked and bland. How does a restaurant known for its fish mess up two seafood dishes? Adding to my frustration was the unprofessional behavior of our server (in addition to the lapse mentioned above). Service was extremely slow, too. My dining companion and I were bummed enough that we decided to skip desert and coffee, and leave as soon as we could get the bill paid. Just a bad night at a usually great restaurant? The best restaurants don't have bad nights. The best restaurants would never serve that horrid calamari appetizer. read more

This was a nice little find.. atmosphere & ambiance was nice. And my favorite part is they had a separate menu for people with food allergies!! I was able to order a delicious gluten Free meal. I had the duck confit & it was mouth watering delicious! Even the chocolate torte for dessert was Gluten free. The wait staff was polite & didn't bother us too much, but always made sure we had everything we need. read more

Passionfish - Menu for people with food allergies - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

Great restaurant. We started with the beet salad. The beets and greens were fresh. I wasn't a fan of the curry vinaigrette. Me and my girlfriend split a biscuit and that was delicious. She ordered the scallops and I ordered the albacore. We followed it up with the bread pudding and the chocolate tort. It was all delicious. The highlights were the scallops and the bread pudding! Yum! read more

My husband and I were impressed: great food and great service without pretense, and not overpriced for what it is. We made a reservation for a Thursday night. The dining room was spacious and comfortable. The service was warm and friendly. Our choices for appetizers and entrees were delicious: scallop with risotto cake, spicy fish stew, the Arctic char, and the tuna. The accompaniments to our mains were so interesting. We chose the bread pudding for dessert, and while I enjoyed the ice cream, the bread pudding itself was not my favorite dessert ever (other yelpers seem to enjoy it). I would definitely recommend this place / come back. read more

This is undoubtedly one of the best seafood restaurants I've ever eaten at. We've been here two or three times and each time it's extraordinary. Tonight my daughter and I shared the ceviche appetizer along with the grilled corn salad. Incredible!! We then moved on to the seared Albacore with the cauliflower purée and the Arctic Char with the Red Curry vinaigrette. Amazing! The wine list is flawless too! It's an exceptional restaurant and I think one of the best in Northern California. read more

First off I want to thank the general manager/wine director Jannae and the hostess Carrie for their help on granting a special request that I had. I had added a request to my reservation that stated that it was my 1st anniversary and that I wanted to have someone email me so that we could work on getting me the same table that we had at passionfish the night that I had proposed. I didn't get the email, but I was still confident that all would be well. Sure enough when I showed up 15 minutes early, they not only acknowledged that they had gotten my request but that they had narrowed it down to what they thought the table was. Next our server Amanda was exceptional in greeting us promptly and wishing us a happy first anniversary. After taking our order for the roasted fig appetizer, she went to open our half bottle of champagne that we brought and was having issues. She rightly asked first if it was ok for her to take the bottle to the back and use her wine key to open the bottle. In no time she was back and had our bottle open. When I then looked at our menu for the night I noticed that they had printed a special menu for us that said "Happy 1st Anniversary 9/10/17". After I had asked Amanda if we could keep the menus she said that she was already going to wrap up the menus for us. Her suggestions for dinner were spot on and we totally loved our food. For dessert they put a single candle in our Maple/Banana bread pudding and ended one of the best dinning experiences outside of our wedding dinner/reception. I also want to take a moment to mention the bus staff and assist staff for helping us have a wonderful evening. read more

Hubby and I are headed back home to Orange County and after driving all day decided to stay over in Monterey. It's so beautiful here. We headed over to Pacific Grove (less than 10 minutes away) and ate here. The trees in the median of the cute street were filled with paper lanterns in anticipation of The Feast Of Lanterns next week (07/20/19 - 07/27/27)). There are a lot of waitstaff at Passionfish and they are eager to serve. Hubby had melt in your mouth albacore & I had scrumptious scallops. We shared the Roasted Corn Salad and it was soooooooo yummy. It was just right, actually, the best we'v ever had! This was an early 36 year anniversary for us (it's actually tomorrow but we'll be driving) and we loved it! If you are in the area, please, please, please try Passionfish! read more

Loved our experiences at Passionfish ! Food was exceptional! Service was great! I can't recommend enough. The biscuits are what dreams are made Pf read more

We wanted to take advantage of the local seafood here, and this was the best meal ever! Outside of the restaurant gives no hint of the fabulous space inside. We started with the crab salad, which had a generous portion of crab. The star for me was the Stripe Bass Crudo on seaweed, topped with Pommegranite Granita with ginger. Eat them all as soon as it's placed on the table, or the granita will melt, robbing you of the experience of the pop of flavors that slowly burst as it mixes with the fish (remember Remi's description when he was explaining what the cheese and truffles tasted like in Ratatouille?). Next we shared the 12hr Spoonable Lamb Breast. Very tender and rich. My choice was the Albacore Tuna with bacon wilted Chard & Gremolata w/mashed parsnip. We finished this off with MEYER LEMON PANNA COTTA * blood orange curd * lemon verbena crème brûlée * lemongrass meringue. Our search for a wonderfully tart lemon dessert has ended! All this for a price that doesn't require your first born read more

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I love their creativity & quality, in an unassuming to comfortable environment Always delightfully surprising and homey read more

very good service from call in to server. food was very good. do wish the view outside was better from the one side but it does face a gas station. I would recommend this place! read more

I've been to Passionfish a few times over the years, this last time we brought our 16 month old- this is not really the place for young -un's. They don't have high chairs but they sat us in a spot where we could easily have room for our daughters stroller. It was my birthday and they had written "happy birthday" on our table which was a nice touch! I had the Mahi Mahi which was a little disappointing- it was a bit gamey and dark - almost like the fish had been bruised. My Mahi came with the green onion rice which was a bit sticky & gummier than I had remembered. My husband had the Alaskan Halibut which was amazing and our app the spicy mussels was spot on as well. We had a bottle of wine our waitress suggested which was a perfect compliment to our meal. I was a little disappointed they don't do the complimentary dessert for birthdays like they used to...service was excellent and hubby's food was great as well but honestly I'm not sure the whole experience was something we will do again anytime soon. read more

Passionfish - Grilled Mahi Mahi - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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Good service. Good food. Duck confit,Grass fed ribeye, dungeness crab cake were really good. I took 5 guest and all enjoyed food. Server was Helena. She was wonderful server. 大変美味しく全員で色々とシェアしてエンジョイしました。 お皿もどんどん変えてくれて最高のサービスでした。 気持ち良く20%のチップが置ける店でした。 read more

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Definitely caught them on an off-night. A shame, we do think highly of chef/owner Ted Walter; OTOH nobody hits home runs every time up at the plate. One fish dish was ruined by too much acidic lemon juice; we had to ask the waiter to take it away and settled for a crudo instead. The fried oysters were beautifully deep fried yet tasteless. Intensely disliked the kimchi salad, which the night we had it consisted mostly of beansprouts (ugh!) in a very harsh vinegar. The lamb was tender but so bland it was boring. Scallops with rice pudding was exact same dish we had two yrs ago, except the tomato sauce this time tasted flat with no depth at all. We were shocked, on our previous visit this dish was a five-star rave from my spouse - but not this time! Bread pudding dessert was very good, but Passionfish's strength is not the dessert courses. We'll swing by again on our next trip, and expect that the kitchen will be back to its usual high level. One thing that did bother us was that the menu seemed very little changed from 2015. We expected more variety from Chef Walter, whose cooking has changed noticeably from his early days. BTW, most of the restaurants in this area conform to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's watch list of sustainable fish; this is not something unusual or remarkable to Passionfish. read more

Amazing Biscuits, one is not enough. Intended to only each 1 end up having 4. The Arctic Char was perfectly cooked. Very tender and moist. read more

Passionfish - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

Excellent in every way. The food was a great combination of fresh ingredients and an excellent combination of flavors we have never experienced. They are doing great with the struggles created by Covid. read more

Out of this world yummy - food was incredible as was service!! Ps. Best biscuits we have ever tasted!

The food here was wonderful! I had the Albacore tuna with cauliflower very tasty and flavorful. read more

Passionfish - Albacore tuna - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

Our favorite place in Pacific Grove. In fact we went 2 times during our 5 nights in town. Fresh sustainable seafood, perfectly cooked and with inventive styles. The seabass crudo with granita on top and seaweed ponzu was amazing. Also loved the desserts, particularly the chocolate torte with passion fruit coulis. read more

One of the best meals I've ever had. We made reservations a week before arriving in Pacific Grove. The restaurant is really easy to find and when we were there, there was plenty of parking on the street. The wait staff helped pick out the perfect bottle of wine, and we also started with a glass of champagne. Our appetizers and main courses were both delicious and perfectly prepared and we saved room for dessert which was also excellent. Highly recommend and will be back! read more

We got there early and we're seated and served quickly. We shared some appetizers and salads. Everything was delicious. We particularly liked the calamari, the fish stew and the trout ceviche dish. Good thing we got there early as there was a line out the door when we left! read more

We had an amazing dinner with spicy fish stew and ceviche to start. The tomatoe salad with grape sauce was a piece of art! The albacore and cod were perfectly paired with delicious vegetables and sauce. Wait staff was very attentive yet kept their distance. Outside tables were full and heaters on, we felt very comfortable. Great wine selections from around the globe. read more

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We stopped in earlier today for a beer, initially. Then because of state law we decided to eat dinner and have a beer. We're met at the door by a surly woman who made us sit and wait until she could find a table in the restaurant that was hardly busy since we were eating early at 6pm. Then she took us out to the patio for outdoor dining and she made a face because we had to sit at a French Cafe style fold-up round-table with folding chairs. We didn't see anything wrong with the table, it suited us perfectly. The other tables had cushioned chairs, but so what!! She led other customers to their ta les a x was equally sour and bothered by her work. Then our waitress showed up and had a accent of some sort. So I asked her where she was from. And she said here. And then she said from California. She sure didn't sound like she's from California and I told her she didn't have a Californian accent and she shot me a scowl over her mask! Getting on with the food, everything's has been very good, surprisingly good. You started with the trout ceviche tostadas and that was quite a surprise but sweet and crunchy and spicy all at once. After that we split a Heritage tomato salad with goat cheese and that was also very good. There were fried olives which we never had before and some sort of light and crunchy tempura batter. Also very good! Finally, out came the spicy fish soup and, oh, was it ever spicy and delicious! We would come back just for this soup, it's incredible! Obviously they had to reduce tens of pounds of fish heads and bones to get to a reduction as good as this. Other reviewers say to order the biscuit with the soup but we both think that would ruin the intensity and the flavor. It's very delicate and very intense and full of fresh salmon. The beer selection was good but nothing special. For dessert we had the the bread pudding, wow! Go and ignore the waitstaff temperament and you'll have a superb meal. read more

Wow! This place lived up to the hype!! My husband and I decided to go here to celebrate our anniversary and we couldn't have picked a better spot! The ambiance was great, it's pretty casual, and the service was great too (they didn't hover but we didn't have to wait for what we needed). The food was so good! We shared the calamari for an appetizer it was good, the protein was cooked well but the herb salad wasn't my favorite. I got the scallops and cleared my plate, they were perfectly cooked and the sauce was rich and delicious! My husband got the Alaskan halibut special and it was like summer on a plate! We shared the panna cotta for dessert, I've never had something like this and I was not disappointed! read more

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My wife and I were really looking forward to this place after checking out some of the reviews and pictures on Yelp. And we weren't too disappointed. We ordered the following: Appetizer: Smoked trout ceviche tostaditas/cashew pesto/salsa brava ($11) - very tasty with surprisingly bursting flavors. Only critique is that the tostadita was a little soggy, so perhaps pre-made and taken directly from the fridge. Wish there was more crunch to it. Dungeness crab salad ($24): Amazing. Decent portions of crab (3 oz) on fresh avocado topped with some greens. Possibly one of the best vinaigrette dressing I've had in a while and the crab tasted incredibly fresh. Sea Scallops/tomato-truffle butter/savory rice pudding ($27): If you had to try one item, this dish is a MUST. Comes with 3 large dollar coin size scallops that were perfectly cooked, and melted with pure succulence in your mouth. Wonderfully paired with the rice pudding. Duck confit/honey reduction/smoked chile-potato cake/charred broccolini ($29): This was by far the biggest disappointment, especially considering the price. They bragged that the duck was cooked for 12 hours, and I believed it, because it was as dry as cotton-mouth. I'm sorry but a duck is not meant to be that dry -- whoever thought of that style of preparing it should be tarred and feathered. The sauce was also a little bit too sweet. Biscuits ($2 each): Shocking that they actually charged for biscuits, but nevertheless, they were pretty darn good. My wife and I arm-wrestled for the last piece of a piece. Overall: Will definitely come back, but if I ever think of ordering the duck again, I will definitely bring some moisturizer and give it a good rub down before I eat it. read more

We ordered the biscuits, fish stew, warm brussel sprout salad, scallops entree and Arctic char. The wine was great, I had two glasses of white. Wine is truly priced reasonably! Oh and can't forget that we got the chocolate torte for dessert. Great meal and great vibes. Favorite dish was the scallops entree for sure... truffle tomato sauce was to die for. read more

Two awesome visits so far! I love the menu. It's simpler than you might expect. But everything is oh so delicious and fresh. And don't forget the wine list: Passionfish sells wine at near retail prices as a rule, and the wine-by-the-glass list is vast and delicious, as is the 1/2 bottle list! read more

Wow this meal was my favorite during our trip to the Carmel/ monterey area. The spicy fish stew was amazing. Get it with the biscuit (super buttery and delicious). For the entrees we ordered the albacore and the sea scallops. We were sat at one of the tables outside and our hostess gave us a call ahead of our reservation to let us know to dress accordingly as there weren't any heat lamps. Very thoughtful and we definitely appreciated the heads up. read more

Incredible food with pleasant atmosphere. Thoroughly enjoyed dining here. Will definitely go back

The fashionably teeny, tiny and frankly stingy portions taste good but I have to have a three course meal at Passion Fish to satisfy even a small to medium hunger. That is not the big problem, however. After all, Passion Fish proudly carries forward the famous Nouvelle California style from the 1980's. The bigger disappointment: NO ESPRESSO. My waitress said that there is not enough room in the kitchen for an espresso machine. I think the problem is stinginess because the espresso machine I have at home is smaller than my regulsr sized coffee maker. The friendly service and professional pride that the people at Passion Fish have does not make up for the sense of stinginess I have about the place. read more

Been here so many times but this is my first review. Always stellar service - everyone so professional and welcoming. The food tonight is fabulous. Try the venison meatball chowder if available. It has a nice clove flavor with tons of character. Pairs perfectly with 2011 mont Olivet chateauneuf du pape. The trout ceviche with Pierre paillard champagne is also a great match The wine list is one on the most well-chosen and fairly priced I've seen. Lots of new world favorites, cult wines, and some old world flair Come for the food and stay for the wine Well done every time read more

Good but pricey. I had the rockfish and a variety of different appetizers with our group. Wine list is extensive and very fair pricing.

Janette was our waitress and she had the best recommendations for us!!! Not to say everything is amazing because I guarantee it is! My boyfriend and I are such foodies and we're utterly impressed with service, ambiance, and quality of food...not too mention the amazing wine selection too !!! This place is 5 stars all the way around! Thank you for accommodating and staying open during trying times! Fantastic! Thank you Janette!!! read more

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Artistry in food flavors, from the curried salad to the ginger sauce beneath the panna cotta. We added to that halibut and scallops, both under-adorned so their natural flavor and texture could be enjoyed. The service was professional. Though a bit slow, it was good not to be rushed. Small things were forgotten, like lemon for fish dishes and salt&pepper shakers. Portion size is small, so best not to bring a big appetite. read more

It was a very nice restaurant as long as you understand that its pricey and you will leave hungry. I expected as much when I went in and got exactly that. Dont get me wrong, the sea scallops were delicious! It's just more of something interesting to try. The deserts were tasty as well. It was a decent experience, just make sure that you have something at home to fill you up once you get back. read more

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Always an excellent meal for a couple or a group. Great for special occasions or just a casual dinner.

Everything top to bottom is great here. Service is attentive but not overwhelming. This is our go to restaurant in Monterey and everytime we've visited every dish is stellar. Make reservations ahead of time as they are deservedly busy. read more

Had a great selections of wine. Nice selection of menu items. Banana Bread pudding was yummy. Great waitstaff! Would go again if in the budget. read more