As a British ex-pat living in America, I'm hyper critical of British pubs. There's nothing that grinds my gears more than a "British" pub serving fries with their "fish n chips." I'm from Reno and we don't have any good British pubs so when going out of town I always look to see if there's a good looking one where we will be going. I saw this place on Yelp and the first thing I noticed was how legit the fish and chips looked. Once I saw that you can get sides of mushy peas or curry sauce, I knew we had to check it out (this is how you would order fish n chips in the UK!) Stopped by on a Friday evening, it was definitely busy but we got lucky and got seated right away. The live band outside was a nice touch. Now I will say, the menu here is fairly small, with only a few British items. But the items they do have are very authentic and I was primarily going for the fish n chips anyway. Great big pieces of cod, batter was beautifully fluffy. The chips are perfectly thick cut. My only very very minor complaint is that I do wish the curry sauce was a little thicker and less spicy, more like a traditional chip shop curry sauce but that's just my preference. I still love that it's even offered! My husband had the BBC (bangers, beans and chips) and he loved it. I tried a bit of his banger and it was really good. Nice thick pork sausage. They had a good looking beer selection, I will have to try some on a future visit when I'm not pregnant! I was really really pleased with my meal here. Please add some bangers and mash though! Those bangers are delicious. read more

I haven't been here in over a year, only because I forget about them until I drive by Well my mom and I had some time before appointment and had lunch here...just as good as ai remember...will definitely be back Fish pieces where big and artichoke hearts also big, you definitely get your moneys worth read more

The Monarch Pub & Restaurant - Fried artichoke hearts - Pubs Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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We absolutely loved Monarch! It's a short walk from the water and there a plenty of great shops nearby. We were able to sit outside under the umbrellas on a beautiful day. The fish, prawns, and chips were amazing! Great portions and fried to perfection. The French fries were solid also. The fish was fresh and really devious. The prawns were huge and juicy. A great place for outdoor lunch. read more

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I ordered a Caesar salad without croutons to make it gluten free, and I was told there is risk of cross contamination, but I ordered it anyways (intolerance, not allergy). Unfortunately, I had two croutons in my salad :( I wish they had been more cautious. Our food also took a long time to be served. I will give props to this restaurant for having a nice outdoor atmosphere and seating, but I will not be back. read more

We were looking for fresh fish... Reddit suggested this spot. Fish was not fresh but the curry sauce was nice. Staff was friendly. Very laid back atmosphere. Great outdoor seating and parking on the street. Bathroom was clean and private. read more

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It's a pretty and well located restaurant, didn't try anything outside of bites and beer. Service was a bit slow and they only had two tiny screens in their bar despite advertising for the World Cup (a lot of people left as there wasn't enough seating and no outdoor screening). read more

When I searched for dog-friendly restaurants in Pacific Grove, this one came up, so I decided to try it. They are located at Lighthouse & 17th, and have plenty of outdoor seating. I liked that they had dog bowls available and a hose, so we could get our own water for our dog, Zoey. I ordered the veggie burger with cheddar cheese and chose sweet potato fries for a side. I also ordered an extra side of coleslaw. The burger and coleslaw were very good. The sweet potato fries, were disappointingly soft and limp. I like my fries, sweet potato or otherwise to be crispy. My husband had the bangers, baked beans, and French fries. He really enjoyed it all. The fries are thick, which is not how I like them, but my husband did thought they were fine. The service was very good. read more

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We were driving through the town of Pacific Grove trying to find a place to have dinner. This small town is down the road from Monterey and is its a sleepy suburb compared to Monterey. There were not alot of restaurants and most of them were closed. We landed at Monarch Pub. It was a full house and we waited about 20 minutes to be seated. We sat outside on the enclosed patio, about 1/3 of the heaters were broken on this particular brisk evening. We sat next to one of the broken heaters. The menu is British pub fare. We ordered breaded calamari and fish n chips to share. The waitress was over worked, it was just her for the entire patio. So it took awhile to order and to get our drinks and food, and to even get napkins, refills, and condiments. To add to her workload, the ticket system went wonky, it didn't print the table #s. So she had to shout out orders with two other staff helping her. With folks all claiming orders willy nilly, it was mayhem. We got our calamari appetizer but got skunked on our fish n chips. That came super late. The fish in the fish n chips was fantastic. Quality, great tasting piece of cod. Firm, flaky fish. It was beer battered and deep fried .Ohhh that crust was darn tasty as well. Fried to a prefect golden crisp.hard an audible crunch. Mmm. The fries were steak cut and just ok. Anyway the breaded calamari tasted ok. Not bad, not great either. Plus I don't think k it was fresh made. read more

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Nice little charming place. We had been here for almost a week so we starting to look for something different. I believe we had the owner take our order. He was friendly and quick with our drinks and order. It wasn't too busy. I convinced my son to try fish and chips for the first time. I think we set the bar high as he loved it. Portion sizes are good. We probably could have ordered just the single filet. It's a nice change of menu compared to the other choices in the area. read more

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Last minute decision to eat here? It was a case of right time, right place. Charming place to eat or drink, the inside felt cozy and inviting. We chose outside as it was a lovely day. I'll always choose a pub in hopes of finding a good curry dip (I found one here!). The patio outside had good seating, welcomes pets on a lead and has a great fireplace. Service was pretty quick, and our server was friendly and helpful. The first thing I saw was the curry dip...I've been on the hunt for just this seemingly forever! So I had to order anything with fries to dip; their Ruben did not disappoint. The corned beef was tender and juicy, sliced just thick enough to stack and not be chewy. The Rye was perfectly toasted to avoid getting soggy. And the fries in the curry sauce, even now, making my mouth water! The burger was very good, cooked to temp as ordered. It was a perfect mid rare, bacon was crispy and the avocado perfect. Or drinks were kept full and we left stuffed and content. Highly recommend. read more

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Dog friendly restaurant with lot of tables outside! Nice staff, very big portions of food, cocktails are good too!

Best fish and chips in the area. Great pub, Paul and Jeff are great hosts, always enjoy our weekly visit here. If you haven't tried it, you are missing out! read more

The Monarch Pub & Restaurant - Fish, chips, mushy peas and curry sauce! Just awesome with a Guinness! - Pubs Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

Fried calamari was a generous portion, Rueben sandwich was good and the Philly cheese steak . Knowledgeable server . Highly recommend

Over the last 3 days we've found ourselves back at The Monarch multiple times. Jeff, Amy, and the whole staff are friendly, attentive, and accommodating. We came to see the World Cup game, and then came back because it felt so comfortable. Between the cocktails, food, clean bathroom, ample seating, and (again) the warm hospitality, we would recommend this place for food and/or drinks. It's not a sports bar - the outside area is lovely and perfect for couples or small groups and has no tv's. Inside there are just enough tables for everyone to find a seat, without feeling crowded. The frosting on the cake was that tonight when we showed up at closing time and asked to just watch the last half of the game they welcomed us in, and closed up around us. Thank you! read more

Been here numerous times. Best food, Bloody Marys, music and atmosphere. Beautiful place to sit outside and chill!!!! Can't wait too go back!!!! read more

I can not enough! It has a comfortable outdoor patio with umbrellas. We were greeted my a friendly gentleman that was immediate in helping us out! He must of seen that we were thirsty and in of need of tasty fish and chips! I'm not an expert yet the platter was delicious with crispy large portion! Crispy and NOT greasy! Delightful! We will be back for sure! Thank you! read more

The Monarch Pub & Restaurant - Fish and chips! - Pubs Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

The fish and chips are delicious! The patio was comfortable with good umbrellas for sun protection. read more

The Monarch Pub & Restaurant - Fish and chips, 2 piece - Pubs Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

No frills pub in Pacific Grove. Dining room inside the pub was not really busy, a cold evening didn't allow for outdoor seating. Food was brought within 4min (British Bangers sandwich) and waited on the beer for another few minutes. Sandwich was dry, fries were just ok. Prices are too high for the average food quality. There are better dining options around. read more

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Fish and chips were good and what you would expect when I went the first time. I tried to go a second time but the fryer was down so they basically couldn't make much of the menu. Otherwise, sitting outside on the patio feels great on a sunny day. Service was good without issues other than the time the fryer was down. read more

We were staying steps away so we popped in here one afternoon. The patio is a must when the weather is beautiful. Our server was great and we enjoyed our round of drinks. We also enjoyed sharing the fries with side of curry sauce (great flavor and spicy kick!), wings, and fried artichoke hearts. This is a nice, casual spot for a drink and pub eats. read more

Very friendly and great service. Food was ok.. but if you're looking for a great outdoor atmosphere and service it's a nice stop.

The service is dreadful. Sat at a table with 2 other people. Took 17 min for the server to return to take any drink order. Most of the time you see them just standing around cracking jokes instead of servicing tables. They make eye contact with you then look away. If you want to be served you have to wave them over. Don't wait for them because they won't come by your table. Don't come here if you're hungry... read more

We walked from our hotel on canary row to pacific grove and had lunch at the monarch pub. It had an amazing outdoor patio area and was a nice calm location away from the hustle of canary row. Service was good and food was pub food but still tasted good! Would recommend if you are staying in Monterey and want a beautiful long walk to a calm lunch spot. read more

Walked over from the Farmers market in central PG to try Monarch for the first time with some friends. We sat outside where there is ample seating. They have heaters for those chilly evenings. We were seated and served promptly. As for the food, I had the fish and chips, a side of curry sauce and an Arnold Palmer (did not get a refill). The fish was good, and the curry sauce was delightful. I appreciate the price point on the meal. I would come back to try the burger. read more

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I've been coming to Pacific Grove 4 times a year for probably 20 years, and I've never stopped in at the Monarch. Shame on me! I always order takeout and I was craving fish and chips. Based upon the reviews, I ordered takeout and oh my goodness I was so thrilled with my food! I will definitely be back. Super great service, a wonderful ambience, and as I said, food cooked to perfection. read more

The Monarch Pub & Restaurant - Fish and chips! Not the best picture because I already dug into it! - Pubs Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

Excellent food & great atmosphere! We had a lovely meal and enjoyed the outdoor patio. Fish and chips were great as well as the shrimp and chips. Also had the Philly cheesesteak sandwich which was huge and tasty. We'll be back! read more

Great live music and vibes for a Friday night. Good for a quick drink or quick bite. I had the fish and chips and the beer bartered prawns, the fish was delicious and crispy the fish portion was very large. Probably the best beer batter prawns I've had in a long time. The chips/fries were not great as they lacked flavor. read more

The Monarch Pub & Restaurant - Fish and chips - Pubs Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

visiting from out of town and fish and chips was on my list. fish for us both was soggy so very disappointed, service was good but would not return. I'm originally from Uk so know good fish and chips. fish should be nice and crisp. also got the mushy peas that wher OK but overpriced read more

This place was recommended by our hotel front desk as "the best fish and chips," and it delivered. The fish and chips was excellent, but double the size we expected. Fried artichoke was excellent!! Cesar salad was so so, but we needed some leaves to balance all the fried food. read more

The Monarch Pub & Restaurant - Artichoke, fish and chips, Cesar salad - Pubs Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

Everything is good about this place. But the service was impressively bad: abrupt, rude, inconsiderate, and very insensitive to the seniors in our group. If you want to stay afloat, don't give bad service. It's like trying to swim and chaining yourself to an anchor. Customer Service is everything. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly, well, and with consideration - no matter who they are; what age they are. read more

I decided to give this a try on my last night in the area. One waitress/hostess told me I could just sit wherever I wanted. The weather was perfect for outdoor seating, so I grabbed a small table outside with its umbrella open, and waited. After a few minutes, someone came and cleared the table next to mine. A minute later, a hostess seated a family of four at that table and took an initial drink order. A couple minutes later, their drinks arrived, and the waitress took their order. Maybe I was absolutely invisible, because after a total of twelve minutes and watching other tables get service, I still hadn't not had a single waitstaff stop by my table to say hi, say they'd be right with me, take a drink order, or say that they were sorry I had to wait so long for service. So I left, disappointed, and still quite hungry. In all my travels, I don't think I've ever had that happen. Maybe I'll try again next time I'm in Monterey, but right now, I'm not particularly enthused about that idea. read more

We checked Yelp reviews before going here. Lots of excellent reviews for the fish and chips. Was really hungry and craving beer battered fish. I had the one piece, husband went for two. We were soooo disappointed. Fish was overcooked. Actually tough to chew. Could not eat all of it. Didn't like the chips. Left hungry. read more

Food was good but customer service is terrible they took about an hour just to give us our food

This place has a great pub ambiance, Laurie took great care of us while we listened to Katherine Levine play with her band some great 80'/90's music. We ordered Calamari, Artichoke Hears, and Fries with Curry Sauce for dipping. Check this place out. read more

The fish and chips are excellent and actually portioned well, unlike the giant slab of fish you get at most places. Most of the seating is outside (we were stuck outside on a Monday evening at 5pm) so don't expect to get a spot inside. They have heaters but we had to ask twice for them to be turned on and then ours ran out of propane. I personally enjoyed the music but it was a totally random collection from country music to the Grease soundtrack and everything in between. read more

We visited this pug and restaurant 3 times in 2 months after we discovered this place. Their beer batter fish and chips and beer batter mushrooms are my favorites! This is the best tasting beer batter fish filet I have ever tasted ! It is light and fluffy and the fish inside is tender and moist . The batter has its own unique flavor , same with the giant mushrooms. The filet is a very good size and I can substitute the chips with coleslaw because of low carbs diet . It is located in the beautiful city of Pacific Grove with ocean views and lots of big trees . A must visit place for good food and they have plenty of beers from the pub ! Excellent customer service and they are very friendly. read more

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This was my second time visiting the Monarch. I remembered not totally enjoying myself here the time before but promising to try the food on the next visit. For sure the food was good, if I had to say anything critical of it it would be that it felt a bit undercooked. Something about the texture underneath the bread gave me a vibe. My first visit left me unimpressed only because I swear they made a Mojito that... well, it wasn't good. The service was also slow. This visit was a quiet day and there were not a lot of patrons outside of me and my company. We waited by the door as instructed for well over 25 minutes before being noticed. We were given the choice where to sit so we chose patio. Our server was a very friendly but was far too often not present. read more

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Great Pub Grub! What an absolute gem in charming Pacific Grove. The Monarch Pub truly has it all--comfort, a laid-back atmosphere, and outstanding food. From the moment we stepped inside, we felt completely at ease. The setting is casual and welcoming, with a cozy bar, a relaxed dining area, and a spacious patio that's ideal for unwinding. It's the kind of place where both locals and visitors feel instantly at home. We ordered the British Banger Sandwich, which came with perfectly cooked fries and tasty beans--it was absolutely delicious. We also ordered the crispy, flavorful Prawns and Chips, and they were excellent--lightly battered, golden, and full of flavor. And we couldn't leave without trying the Sticky Toffee Pudding, which was nothing short of heavenly--warm, indulgent, and unforgettable. The menu is full of great choices for everyone, including lots of fresh salads and hearty sandwiches. The prices are very reasonable, especially considering the high quality and generous portion sizes. Whether you're craving traditional pub fare or something lighter, there's something to satisfy every appetite. Monarch Pub also offers a great array of British and Irish ales, a variety of beers, and wines, along with a full bar featuring special cocktails--perfect for pairing with your meal or enjoying during a night out. Our server, India, was wonderful. She was friendly, attentive, and genuinely kind--her excellent service made a great experience even better. The patio added to the fun with its humorous signage, lush flowers, and all of its visual fun elements of Great Britain inside and out--creating such a cheerful and unique vibe that made our visit even more enjoyable. It's also a great place to catch a game--whether you're into baseball, basketball, soccer, or more. The relaxed setting and friendly crowd make it an ideal spot for sports fans. Easily accessible, you can stroll over, bike over or drive over with lots of nearby parking. We're already looking forward to catching a future performance by Katherine Lavin, who we know is incredibly talented. We'll definitely be back! Monarch Pub is a must-visit--whether you're in the mood for a satisfying meal, a refreshing drink, catching a match, or just a casual evening out. Highly recommended! read more

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Great vibe, burgers and live music. If you plan on eating outdoors, layer up or try to snag a spot by the fire pit. Some of the live musicians are incredibly talented. Would totally go back. read more

This place was so wonderful! The bartender was amazing, friendly, and super attentive! Probably the best fried mushrooms I've ever had and the jalapeño poppers were so good too! Beer was cold and loved that there was a patio option! Will definitely come back when we are in the area! read more

The Monarch Pub & Restaurant - Pubs Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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