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2
Tue, 12/5
8:00 PM
About
Located on historic Fisherman's Wharf with stunning views of the Monterey Harbor, Old Fisherman's Grotto is a "must visit" restaurant. The "Grotto" has rightfully earned its worldwide reputation for only the finest cuisine in a superb atmosphere and service. Featuring fresh seafood from sustainable sources including Macadamia Crusted Halibut, Hawaiian Swordfish, Ultimate Seafood Pasta, live Crab and Lobster, the Grotto also offers a variety of the finest "Certified Angus Beef". Start with our award-winning clam chowder and finish by indulging in one of our fresh house-made desserts. Enjoy a bottle of wine from our 2014, 2015 Wine Spectator Award Wine list with over 200 selections specializing
PRICE RANGE
$25 - $40
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
CUISINES
Steakhouse, Seafood, Soups
FEATURES
Parking Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Reservations, Private Dining, Seating, Street Parking, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Accepts Discover, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Waterfront
Reviews (2,514)
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2,204 results
Traveler rating
1,250
603
191
68
92
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Time of year
LanguageEnglish
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Traveler rating
1,250
603
191
68
92
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All reviews chowder seafood calamari crab cheesecake bread surf and turf abalone steak salad potatoes fries our waiter the wait staff visit monterey an appetizer wharf
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Reviewed 3 weeks ago via mobile

Recommended by the hotel, the meal was flawless. Sample plate plus seafood ciopinni were delicious plus enormous. Finished with a bread pudding.

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed 4 weeks ago

This restaurant was surprising, dice it was our first time. Everything was perfect since we walked in. We tried the crab cakes, fried calamari, clam chowder and mahi-mahi. Maybe it was too much for two people, but everything was amazing. We also had the chocolate...tuxedo cake, and they gifted my wife a cheesecake for her birthday! We'll definitely go back very often.More

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed October 29, 2023

This is NOT A FAMILY FRIENDLY restaurant with young children anymore. We felt shooed away as a family of 5 because we brought a child in an umbrella stroller. They turned away 4 paying adults and a child who doesn’t eat as much. Is that...good for the business? Well do the math and imagine the loss. We are just one of the many families with young child/children that they shooed away. We drove 3 hours to see Monterey and were looking forward to go back here because AS A KID, my husband had great memories here with his family. We come back here for the memories and great food. We wanted to pass it on to our children but now cannot. Ironic, huh? It has been a family favorite for 30 years but sadly today that changed. We were unwelcomed. Of course, a rejection is always a redirection. We went to a different restaurant which is family friendly and found a new place that we like. But as for Fisherman’s Grotto, one day those children will become grown ups. Obviously, they will know from their families that they had a bad experience here so why recommend. It’s a cycle of life. Time will come that this restaurant will reap their unkindness to the children. It’s ironic that the child who once had a great experience here with his parents cannot go back here anymore because he now has a child in a stroller, that will need a high chair, and will probably cry but mostly laugh and have a good time with family. Most of the adult customers who are raving about their food and don’t have children or grandchildren yet will one day be unwelcomed here. We were once part of those adult group, but not anymore because now we have a kid. Good bye, Fisherman’s Grotto! From once a kid who likes your restaurant but now hates itMore

Date of visit: October 2023
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Reviewed October 21, 2023 via mobile

We had such a wonderful experience last night. The food was very good, especially the squid eggplant Parmesan, as well as the octopus appetizer. My sister had the shrimp scampi and enjoyed that very much as well. The service was really outstanding we commented multiple...times on how attentive yet not over bearing they were. I would highly recommend going back and will definitely make a reservation in advance next year when we return. If you are lucky enough to get a table near the window, it helps with the atmosphere but anywhere is greatMore

Date of visit: October 2023
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Reviewed October 16, 2023 via mobile

We loved this restaurant. I personally can’t eat seafood but I wasn’t made to feel bad for not ordering seafood. But we had the most fabulous meal, in the most perfect surroundings and an excellent attentive waiter. He recommended a local wine which was superb....I would love to visit this restaurant againMore

Date of visit: October 2023
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Reviewed October 5, 2023 via mobile

Excellent food. Clam chowder was the star. Big portions so bear that in mind. Ask for a window table. Excellent ambiance, inside the restaurant was a lot smarter than the brash entrance and Fisherman’s Wharf. Quite ‘Good Fellas-ish’. Really good meal and excellent service. Highly...recommend.More

Date of visit: October 2023
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Reviewed October 2, 2023

myself and my husband had dinner here while staying in Monterey for 2 nights, we booked well in advance while back in the UK and when we went it was very busy so glad we'd booked! We were given a warm welcome on arrival and...shown to our booth table right by the window so had a lovely view. our waiter came over and introduced himself and took our drinks order. Our drinks did take quite a while to arrive but i concluded that was because they were so busy. we ordered starters and i had their clam chowder, it was amazing! so tasty!! we both had mains and mine was one of their fish specials. again, all tasted amazing. We didnt order dessert but they brought us a slice of cheesecake free of charge as we were there to celebrate our honeymoon and my husband's birthday, i was also given a rose. Lovely end to the meal! one touch we really liked was the owner / manager came round to check diners were happy and check was all ok. we chatted to him for a bit and he appreciated that we'd come to visit their restaurant all the way from England. another reason we came to this place was their policy on children in the restaurant. i know their policy doesn't go down well with all but when we go out for dinner we want to enjoy it without the disruption of very young children so i said they had our full support with their policy A great place to eat, great food and service, we'd return again if ever in Monterey.More

Date of visit: September 2023
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Reviewed September 19, 2023

The Old Fisher Grotto." 2023, WOW!!! Most beautiful experience ever! Thank you Arlene manager & precious "Pablo" our server. You made our anniversary the best one we have ever had in our 30 years together! You treated us like royalty even though you never met...us. Pablo, you by far are rated high scale in our books at #1! You were so attentive to not just our needs but, every table! You made sure all tables were cleaned, water glasses were filled, and everyone was happy! What surprised us is when you arrived at our table with a beautiful plate of "Grilled artichokes drizzled in sweet balsamic vinaigrette, tasty fried calamari with a side of aoli & cocktail sauce, sourdough bread with mouth watering shrimp bruschetta. Not to mention a beautiful flower right in the middle of the plate. We were not expecting that! Pablo you truly are a "Gem💎"! What brought me to tears was when you also brought us a month watering tasty dessert, I mean a delicious cheesecake with a candle on top for our anniversary. My goodness our taste buds were dancing furiously! You didn't have to do this either, but you did. We are so gracious to Fishermen's Gratto for their kindness and love. The food overall by far was the best on this wharf!!! Especially the clam chowder which was a "10" there is no other clam chowder out there this tasty. Not even in Santa Cruz where I was raised. Throughout the years of our exploring restaurants we have tried at least 5 restaurants on the wharf and 'Old Fishermen's Grotto" has always been number one!!! The fish and calamari were most excellent, it had so much flavor, with a nice outer crisp, the internal body was moist and delicious. We haven't stopped talking about Old Fishermen's Grotto to our friends. Many of them had to visit for themselves and totally agreed that it is by far the best restaurant in Monterey. Please do yourself a favor and bring your family to this restaurant, they won't regret it! We will be back! Thank you Pablo! Thanks to "Old Fishermen's Grotto" for your beautiful smiles, gorgeous hospitality, and delicious food!💛More

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?3  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed September 12, 2023

Loved it ! Great dinner and fabulous service from Cristian. We were seated upstairs with a view of the bay & the sea lions trying to entertain everyone. We will be back.

Date of visit: September 2023
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Reviewed September 11, 2023

Wandering past we stopped here for lunch, then ended up returning twice more for dinner. Delicious fresh seafood, great atmosphere, service and overlooking the water and all the activity that goes along - paddlers, sea lions, pelicans.

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed August 20, 2023

Well decorated restaurant on the very touristy Monterey pier. Food is good, Sand Dabs excellent and fresh. They have a regular every night menu and an up-charge special seafood menu where they add at least $20 an entree. My only objection is when they overcharge...for dinner entree’s. It is not necessary to charge $50 for a fish entree and even more for steaks. The service is decent with a friendly waiter. It is a bit gross to display menu items fully cooked on a table on the pier as you enter the restaurant. When ordinary Americans are suffering the ravages of inflation, I feel restaurants should make sure they have a few entree’s at reasonable prices! I told this to the owner he was not apologetic and defended his exorbitant prices. The bottom line is the owner can charge whatever he wants and as customers you are free to find a similar less expensive restaurant.More

Date of visit: August 2023
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Reviewed August 18, 2023

The wharf experience is not our cup-of-tea, but we were hungry and decided to drop in because the restaurant clearly advertised "no children or strollers". Ah - wonderful. It's clear this place has been around forever. Yay for a full bar with bartenders who know...what they are doing. Yay for the sound dampening materials which allow for conversation. Yay for the window seats where our out-of-town guests could ogle the sea lions. Yay to the servers who are attentive and professional. As to the food; it's good Italian comfort food. Nothing exceptional, but generous portions with solid sauces and good ingredients. Our favorite appetizers were the fried calamari (delicate breading and properly fried), the grilled artichoke ($14 - large artichokes halved, and grilled). I had the Linguini Isabella with bay shrimp, chopped clams and scallops in a garlic and cream sauce over a bed of linguini. It was good, but not $34 good (yes seafood is expensive, and they didn't skimp, but still). On our second visit (to bring our guests) I had Seafood Puttanesca consisting of penne pasta with salmon, shrimp, scallops, tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies and fresh herbs. The amount of seafood was great, but again I'm not sure it was $39 great). We are glad we went, but this wasn't a cheap meal.More

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed August 16, 2023 via mobile

We loved our food and cocktails here. The clam bake was so so good, best chowder I’ve ever had…. and I’ve tried a lot in my travels on the east and west coast. The seafood salad was excellent also.

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?
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Reviewed August 8, 2023

Great place. I love that they have older, experienced waiters. They know what you want before you do. Clam chowder - one of the best I’ve had. I got the seafood pasta - clams, lobster, pasta, about $50 and more than I could eat. Wife...had Sea Bass which she loved. Sat upstairs by the window and watched the seals play in the bay. Fun, enjoyable experience. We walked around, other restaurants were nearly empty. They definitely have the good reputation.More

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?
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Reviewed August 6, 2023

Old school wharf restaurant - Perfect experience! Our waiter was great (Pablo) and we were seated by the window with a view of the water and the sea lions. Clam chowder was classic and delicious, grilled and marinated local artichoke was outstanding and my husband...thoroughly enjoyed his fish special entree as I savored the prawn cocktail. Big band music in the background plus a red rose upon leaving - felt special and pampered.More

Date of visit: August 2023
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Questions & Answers
Ask a question
phillD3329SP
December 31, 2019|
AnswerShow all 2 answers
Response from Free32697 | Reviewed this property |
I do not know if they do not allow children there. We were there around 9pm and we didn’t even see children out on the wharf. But you are correct that people allow their own children to behave badly and therefore ruin it... More
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Nancy B
August 18, 2019|
AnswerShow all 5 answers
Response from Kekio W | Reviewed this property |
So sorry, can't help on this one. Maybe call them?
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Terri c
June 12, 2019|
AnswerShow all 2 answers
Response from Fofo44444 | Reviewed this property |
Go to their website. Their menu is viewable there. Unfortunately we can't include HTML or website links on this forum. If you can't pull up their website use a different browser.
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OLD FISHERMAN'S GROTTO, Monterey - Menu, Prices, Restaurant Reviews & Reservations - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Old Fisherman's Grotto

Yes, Old Fisherman's Grotto is taking precautions against COVID-19. A full list is available within the "safety precautions" section of this page.

Old Fisherman's Grotto is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4.5