This was absolutely THE bar to be in Monterey. The cocktail menu is super funky with something for everyone. I had the Blood Sisters and was impressed with how refreshing it was. My husband enjoyed their take on a penicillin and then an old fashioned. The ambiance really set this bar apart, too. We found ourselves in a cozy nook towards the front, but there was no shortage of quirky places to hangout and a beautiful outdoor area with fire pits. The staff come around to take orders and serve you, so you don't even have to wait at the bar. I can't wait to go back! read more

Pearl Hour - Blood Sisters & Pearl Hour Penicillin - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Monterey, California

The ambiance and service is well above par! Staff is kind, attentive, and drinks are great. would highly recommend. David and Danielle were the best!! The staff is well experienced and knows what they're doing. read more

Cute little spot that's definitely worth stopping in at when you're in Monterey. It's great for a date night or just a few drinks after dinner. The service was quick and friendly and the cocktails were delicious. The menu is very unique; we tried the Pencillin and the Black & Yellow - both were amazing. We were there on a Sunday night, so there was live jazz - which was a great addition. The outdoor patio is super cute and well decorated and the fire pit was perfect on a chilly night. read more

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Amazing service, awesome ambience. I'd describe the overall vibe as whimsical/magical. Loved the lighting, decor, drink themes, etc. Went on a Sunday and they had great live jazz. read more

Fun place to hang out. Variety of music and talents throughout the year. Drinks are pretty good and the vibe is on point.

We ordered simple stuff but presentation, ambience and service will bring me back 1000%! Such a great spot to chill, enjoy good conversation, and roomy enough to plop down on a comfy soft sofa, handbag right next to me, cocktail on the coffee table and learn all about new friends. Love this place, hope it's here forever read more

I love it when they have DJBaddJ!!! I wish they had more vegetarian options on the menu, and I definitely miss the hot buttered rum. The bartending staff is very attentive. Great place to hangout with friends. read more

We have family in Monterey that we visit frequently and we cannot believe we haven't found this hidden pearl until now. Our new favorite bar. The ambiance is great, the decor is fun, and the drinks are excellent! read more

Pearl Hour - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Monterey, California

Pearl Hour has been, for quite some time, our favorite bar in Monterey and one of our favorite bars in the world. We reached out to PH to ask whether we could host a welcome drinks event the night before our wedding, and they graciously accepted! I can't begin to explain how incredible the service we got in preparation for and during the event was. Every single one of our guests gushed about the quality of the delicious cocktails and how BEAUTIFUL the space was. Thank you so much, Pearl Hour, for hosting us, especially since we know that putting together events such as this one can be really stressful. A+ drinks. A+ service. A+ everything. read more

Pearl Hour - Outdoor area - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Monterey, California

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Great little place, was highly recommended by my aunt because it's a women owned. Drinks were quite expensive but a very cute place and experience. read more

Such a cute bar. Intimate setting, great spot if your looking to have a conversation with someone without all the bar noise. They had a jazz band playing after 8pm when I went and it was a nice touch. The drinks are extremely unique, I am in no way an expert but the waitress was very knowledgeable which was helpful. The staff was very kind and genuinely friendly. If I didn't have to work the next day I definitely would have stayed longer and got another drink. read more

i truly hate giving out negative reviews, & rarely do, but i've had a few experiences here. the first 2 visits were fine, but the third one really got me and I felt the need to write something. -the first time we popped in for drinks, it wasn't busy (I believe it was a weekday). the drinks took a super long time, it was very dark inside, and the smell of incense was almost headache-inducing. the prices were pretty astronomical (& i'm saying this after spending 8+ years paying for drinks in los angeles) for the size. but again, it was fine. nothing to write home about, but nothing terrible. -the second time, at least we knew what we'd be paying for. we went to see a friend's band play. the drinks again felt overpriced for the size & quality. $15 for a tiny canned wine seemed a little extreme (especially when you can get the same kind at elroy's for $10). again, not a great experience, but not worth a negative review. at least we went into it knowing what to expect. -the third time is what really got me. we were there for a friend's birthday & all went in, sat outside on the patio, ordered drinks, etc. then 30 minutes later (still no drinks) someone comes in & tells us there's a $10 cover to be there because of the music (which was inside, not on the patio where we were seated). there was no one at the door, and they came over to us after ordering drinks, having been on the patio for at least 30 minutes. we asked why we weren't informed of this when we came in, & the server could not have been snarkier / more rude. despite his attitude, this is just a bad / shady business practice. my boyfriend and i weren't drinking that month and ordered 2 mocktails (which was basically an inch of liquid and one giant ice cube) at $11 each. so our 2 no alcoholic beverages went from $22 to $44 + tip. this just left such a bad taste in my mouth. we paid for our "drinks", said our goodbyes, & left without even going inside to listen o the music. if there's a cover, tell people ahead of time. not when they're already trapped, having ordered a drink. this really rubbed me the wrong way / we all felt pretty taken advantage of. i'm honestly pretty shocked this place is so popular. maybe the options (especially for craft cocktails) available in monterey are just lesser? (which makes sense compared to the variety in the oc, la, & santa barbara, etc.) again, i truly hate to leave a review that's less than positive, but felt this experience merited if it can help others not get swindled out of money for no reason. it really did feel like a shake down. for these prices i'd recommend spending money on cocktails at stokes adobe, cella, or alejandro's instead. EDIT: Hi Katie! In response to your reply, I do acknowledge and appreciate the thought that goes into picking and creating your products. I recognize that everyone has different taste / experiences- for me, it was really the handling / not disclosing of the cover charge that prompted me to write anything. we didn't even know there was a band playing and expressed that we weren't interested in staying for the show, but were told that we had to pay regardless). again, i appreciate the acknowledgement and insight! read more

We were told to come here by the Wine Experience. There are some amazing authentic cocktails made here! This place is super unique! The ambience and service is incredible. Danielle served us and she seemed incredibly knowledgeable about the drinks and what to recommend based on our preferences. I highly recommend this place!! read more

Cute patio area for a drink and light bite. The servers were really friendly. I had the gin/sparkling drink "It Was Just a Dream". The first one was perfect - refreshing and herbaceous, the second one was just a little too sweet and acidic. We also snacked on the olives (loved the orange zest on them) and the marcona almonds. Tasty. A nice little stop before dinner. read more

Damn I am a Monterey Native and really thought I was being crazy until I read some of these reviews. If you wanna feel like your going to the mean girl in highschools bar... they only POLITELY SERVE a certain demographic and you start to feel unwelcomed soon after your first drink. I can also attest to the LONG LONG waits for cocktails. I actually stopped going because I started to feel unwelcomed. If there is a cover charge for the night the server will remind you every chance they can get... which is ironic because once we asked to be notified before the DJ started so we could close out and we're still charged. Skip this place , the vibes aren't worth it. read more

Great cocktails, cool jazz, but did not appreciate being charged cover fee for music when we entered the venue before 8pm (cover on the website is from 8-11pm) but were still there when the band came on. Thankfully, they were nice enough to waive it, since we were not aware of it beforehand. read more

If I could give it no stars I would. Pretentious fits this place perfectly. Bartender saw us walk in, never acknowledged our presence, looked at us like we were in the wrong place, she continued to walk by us for 10 minutes never acknowledging us! Never took our order but took the order of the people who walked in after us! Rude, unprofessional, resting b***h face!!! read more

Pearl Hour - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Monterey, California

If I can give this one zero stars I would. Took my sister out for her bachelorette party and we waited at the bar, a server came up said they can serve us and just find a seat, and they'll be right over. Well 30 minutes go by. Not one single person came over until we flagged them down. Have an evil eyes , waved at anyone to grab there attention. The girl took our drink orders and yet he we go and wait another 20 min. No joke. Finally comes back, and forgets my bottle of wine who I was going to share with our friend, and she forgets! Well she comes back another 15 min later. At that point I'm fuming. She apparently says she doesn't have the black magic women red wine. I was really wanting to try it. We ordered a bottle. (For two) one glass is $15 and a bottle was $30. She said they couldn't find any bottles and brought just one glass not even two.. top it off, she had an open bottle in her hand. But was attempting to pour a single glass. Like dude seriously?? I waited an hour for a bottle of wine- for two people! This place is not classy. It's a dump. I'd never return. It's like 21-28 year old people. I also fell against the stage because of how low it is- and there it no bar to warn you, which I'm sure is a liability. Lastly. As we were finally done, I see this bartender taking his sweet time making drinks. With still so many people waiting for them! Seriously?!???! . I'm not from that area no longer. And thank god! You guys need a bouncer, faster services better music. And more cleanliness. This was absolutely one of the worst places I visited. Don't waste time or $$ here. read more

Stumbled across this place and i absolutely fell in love! They play oldies and their outdoor patio on a rainy day is such a vibe. Definitely a hole in the wall and it needs its recognition so here I am taking it to yelp :) read more

Great spot to have some cocktails. Ambience was warm & inviting. Staff was pleasant and music playlist was a vibe. It was nice to see that a back bar was added for those busy nights. read more

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Love the ambiance, great outdoor patio. It feels very magical to have a drink under the twinkling lights.

When we arrived at Pearl Hour's outdoor space, I was really impressed -- it's a dreamy, multilevel outdoor patio with a fire pit, candle-lit tables, and a lot of seating. The vibe was amazing. We ordered three beverages, olives, and Cheez-Its, as well as water. It took about 30 minutes for our water to arrive, and about 45 minutes for the other beverages to be delivered to our table. We almost had to leave before the beverages arrived. We only had an hour to stay at Pearl Hour while waiting for our dinner reservation, and we were really disappointed that, when the Venus mocktails arrived, we had less than ten minutes to enjoy them. When we looked around the patio, it appeared that other patrons had also not received their orders yet. Our server apologized for the delay and informed us that they were busier than expected that night. It was a Saturday night in the middle of a three day weekend..... wouldn't one expect to be fairly busy on this kind of night? The Venus mocktail was really unique; it had a very large (literally, the largest I have ever seen) ice cube that took up most of the space in the small glass. The beverage was delicious -- not too sweet and with an exciting combination of citrus juices, but again, there was barely any liquid in the glass because the ice cube consumed so much volume. Pearl Hour has a lot of potential, but I think several improvements could be made. read more

Pearl Hour - two people clinking glasses of wine - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Monterey, California

Incredible ambiance and service. We arrived on Saturday for one round right as they opened and we're greeted warmly and had some great drinks. I got a double barreled old fashioned and it was perfect. I would absolutely recommend this place! Very relaxing atmosphere read more

Pearl Hour - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Monterey, California

Great staff, tasty drinks- warm ambience! New favorite spot in Monterey. Live music and burlesque!

Amazing ambiance, chill and relaxing. My husband was a Steinbeck fan, so we decided to give a try since the drinks were inspired by his literature works. It did not disappoint : ) We went through the side to get to the backyard where the bar area is. Each table had candle and a small glass of liquid with a red rose. The tables were assembled around a bon fire in the center (I so wished they offered s'more!!!) There were lots of options on the menu! I don't drink cocktails often so I went with fruity/easy to drink ones while my husband went for the whiskey ones. We both enjoyed our drinks, and we finished all. Our waitress was very nice and the drinks came out fast, speed and quality, that's what I'm talking about. We really did enjoy just sipping and chilling by the fire, really a great way to end the night. This is just what we needed after a disappointing dinner to end the night in a super positive note. I highly recommend Pearl Hour to anyone 21+, individual or groups! Great for friends or family who just want a good time with delicious cocktails with great ambience. Please give Pearl Hour a try! I feel confident that you'll have a good time here : ) read more

Pearl Hour - primavera (L) and cali old fashion (R) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Monterey, California

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Calling all hipsters, queers, and feminists! This is da bomb bar, super cute in decor with finely crafted cocktails. It is not cheap, but each drink we had was MAGIC. We arrived at 5pm, sat in the outdoor patio, around a large gas fire pit, and enjoyed exquisitely balanced drinks with interesting flavor profiles. My partner had two manhattans and I had a sunrise in Japan followed by modern love. It was the kind of bar that one might find in San Francisco or Oakland, and we were so grateful to find a place run by women that felt incredibly queer friendly if not queer during Pride month. read more

Great spot for an after dinner drink. Fun, eclectic, unique. Drink menu is very different but worth many sampling of unusual concoctions. Seating is in the back patio off the street so a bit easy to miss. Indoors is still being renovated. Former gay bar so the vibe is welcoming and diverse. read more

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Great selection of cocktails, great atmosphere. Live jazz on a sunday night and a pleasant fire pit in the back. Friendly vibes - you wont be disappointed. Tried the black and yellow and the penicillin, both were excellent. read more

Pearl Hour - Penicillin - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Monterey, California

Their zodiac based drinks are fabulous! They make me want to go back each month to try the new one!

This place was the best score in town on a warm Saturday afternoon. The vibe was chill and the drinks were beyond amazing They only had one sushi snack to offer which was fine by me since we weren't there to eat anyways. It was colorful, cool, had a fire pit, and handmade hand sanitizer on your table that wasn't disgusting. And, if you get there early Sal Carbone next door will sell you a drink and tell you stories about his life as you painfully wait for them to set up read more

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Service is great, ambiance is unmatched, drinks are a bit pricey but totally worth it for quality and taste. Pearl hour is the gem of Monterey. read more

I am visiting from out of town and was looking for something fun to do on a Sunday night. The Mexican restaurant we ate at suggested us to go to Pearl Hour for some live music and cocktails. We are SO happy she recommended this place. Such an amazing vibe, great live music, great cocktails and impeccable service! Thank you for an amazing night read more

Pearl Hour - Annel and But A Dream cocktails next to the fire pit - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Monterey, California

I've been here once on my trip to Monterey, it was a Thursday and it had a great vibe, the drinks were so good almost dangerous! I loved my bartender I didn't catch her name but watching her make drinks was almost mesmerizing plus great music choice ! read more

Pearl Hour - Paloma - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Monterey, California

Loved the vibe, the drinks, the decor, the feeling. So good. Ordered an It Was All A Dream and it was excellent. read more

Pearl Hour - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Monterey, California

Good vibes and great music! Went here with 2 friends on Jazz night and it was so chill. Def coming back!

Such a great ambiance!! Super cute place, the decor is absolutely amazing, the service is great. I loved their drag show, and the music was so fun. Will recommend this spot to everyone!! read more

Excellent cocktails and ambience. Inside bar very comfortable and outside bar is fun with a large fire pit.

When we sat down at the bar this week my friend exclaimed, "It's like you're at some magical woman's house." This is the only bar in Monterey Bay that has cocktails of profound depth both in flavor/ingredients and intention of their creation. I love spirit forward cocktails and amari, and my favourites are Smoke Signal (whiskey & Gran Clásico), The Black Pearl (premium whiskey & Forthave Amaro) , Mariposa (Mezcal & Foro Amaro) and The Pearlescent (Mezcal and Italicus). Pearl Hour uses fresh ingredients, juice's their own fruits and citrus, and makes their own syrups and cordials, (just to name a portion of what makes this bar unique and special). The owner cares about what she is creating and strives to provide a space for the community to come together and enjoy. I'm grateful for this bar because if it weren't here, I would be driving to Santa Cruz county every time I had the desire for a quality cocktail. read more

The one star is for the ambiance and cute decorations. The place is like a hidden, trendy oasis. The first couple times we've gone we were actually very accommodated and taken care of. But last night was extremely disappointing. We brought some friends who had just moved here from Santa Barbara and wanted to take them someplace with a vibe. After our first round it was no longer a "vibe." After reading the reviews I wonder if the employees/owners just prefer to only serve people they know. We were enjoying ourselves in the corner and eager to try several different cocktails. The server, however was only able to do one thing at a time, it seems. He would be stopped before he got to us and therefore we were ignored. In the hopes to receive better service and a drink after being empty for at least 30mins, we moved inside. I don't think they do table service inside. Which is fine, we don't mind ordering from the bar. The bartender is nice and was quick about our drinks. Sadly, she had to then communicate with the clueless server in order to add the drinks to our bill. I understand how many extra steps this adds to a bartender's duties. Owner was completely oblivious to the fact that guests were going unserved. I watched several groups of people (all different ages and demographics) walk in and then leave due to no service. I spent 15yrs in hospitality in this area and it does still cause me anxiety to witness.. I think we will try again but probably sit at the bar. Or, if there is a different server than the one working Sunday night. Recommend training your staff to have their head on a swivel and remember the more they maximize their sales, the more $$ they take home. read more

It's a dive bar, but a classy dive bar, with unique mixed drinks and quality, reasonably priced local craft beers and wines. They have some great music, ranging from rock to jazz to electronica. So why only three stars? It's a bar. Its primary mission is to serve drinks. And whether they have one, two, or three bartenders on duty, there usually seems to be a long wait to get a drink. Part of this is due to the complexity of the mixed drinks, which, as I said, are very good. Good things often take time. Part of it's probably due to things like training and the ergonomics of the bar area. But if someone just wants a beer or a glass of vino, the wait can seem interminable. The place is fairly new--and trendy--and I like it a lot. But there's def room for improvement. I'll be happy to update my review and add stars if and when service reaches the next level. read more