Monserate Winery — Restaurant in Fallbrook

Words cannot express the gratitude I have for the Monserate Winery family. I first discovered Monserate in August 2023, when a wedding planner posted a sneak peek on Instagram of their Tuscan Estate while it was still under construction. At that point, I had already spent 4 months touring and ranking over 100 venues in the OC/SD area (not kidding) — and nothing felt quite right. Then I picked up the phone, called Monserate, and spoke to Molly. From that first conversation, my expectations were already exceeded. It felt too good to be true… but they had everything I was looking for in a venue and more. Choosing Monserate turned out to be the best decision I could have ever made.

The venue is just one piece of the puzzle when planning a wedding, but it’s arguably the most important. It’s not just about a beautiful backdrop - it’s about trusting a team to bring your vision to life, to treat you and your guests with care, and to support you through every step of the journey. Not only did Molly go above and beyond as our venue coordinator, but she made sure that every detail we dreamed of would come to life. Over our 1.5+ year planning process, she made us feel like the most special couple in the world, and we felt so lucky to have her!!! The Monserate team listened to every request, accommodated our needs, and treated us like family—not just another event on the calendar.

And then there’s the venue itself… breathtaking. The property is expansive, luxurious, and unlike anything else in Southern California. From the moment guests arrive, they’re transported to what feels like an authentic villa in the Italian countryside—complete with stunning architecture, 100 yr old olive trees, thoughtful design touches, and incredible food. The bridal suite is to die for!!! They truly thought of every detail when it came to building this property. Monserate isn’t just a place to get married; it’s an experience your guests will remember forever. My guests are still raving to this day that it was the most beautiful venue they’ve ever been to!! We’re still dreaming of our wedding on 5/17/2025 every day and wish we could relive it over and over again.

From our wine tasting and walkthrough visits, to the last dance of our wedding night, the Monserate team went above and beyond to make our day absolutely perfect. Molly, Josh, and the entire staff treated us with such respect, care, and joy—it truly felt like they were celebrating with us.

If you’re searching for a wedding venue in Southern California, do yourself a favor and look no further. As a gal with analysis paralysis, trust me when I say I did the due diligence of searching everywhere… Monserate was my saving grace. Every second—and every penny spent—was worth it. Our wedding was a dream come true, and we have the Monserate Winery family to...

Went to the restaurant here yesterday for a birthday lunch. It was so disappointing. The service wasn't up to the standards I would expect at a nicer restaurant - and the food...oy.

We started with the truffle fries and the Bruschetta. Fries were actually great, but the dipping sauce was flavorless and tasted of just plain mayo. Bruschetta wasnt bad - but wants anything to write home about.

We then got a cesar salad. The salad wasnt dressed enough, and I really wished they would have offered some cracked pepper or something because the flavor was missing completely.

Onto the main dishes. Honestly, I'm impressed with how bad the food was! Its not an easy task to completely mess up Italian food at a restaurant that serves mostly Italian.

The pizza - the dough was flavorless. I expect to have a bit of flavor and not just eat flour and water. The toppings were also lacking flavor (we got the pesto) and the second the pizzas came out, they were cold and disappointing.

I got the fettuccine with meat sauce... holy cow... the pasta was way too thick, and was stuck together - and was also under done. The sauce lacked any seasonings and flavor and was a paste rather than a sauce, and when I would try to get a bite - the whole bowl of pasta came with the one bite I tried to take. I just couldnt eat it - and took 2 bites and was done. Also, I suggest you all offer fresh parm for dishes.

The service was also not the best. Our waiter was clearly stressed and he showed it and shared with us that he was having a off day. While I understand and sympathize, it felt more like an excuse as to why he wasnt providing us with good service. We tried to get his attention several times with no success, and he forgot a drink one of the guests at our table ordered... 10 minutes went by, and we just gave up and realized we were never getting the drink. Last, we were celebrating a birthday, and I believe that was shared when the reservation was made, and if it wasnt, it would have been nice if the waiter asked "are you all celebrating anything today?". I would expect a restaurant like this would ask, and or provide a little birthday treat for the person celebrating, but none of that was done.

Overall, not a great experience, not great food, and it left a lot to be desired. We left after and went straight to in-n-out since we were still hungry.

I gave two stars because the location...

My husband and I had our wedding at Monserate Winery's new venue, Villa de Fiore, in July. I want to start off by saying, the entire property itself is absolutely GORGEOUS. Before choosing this venue, we had toured a lot of other venues in SoCal and nothing else compared to the sheer beauty of the architecture and natural surroundings here. Everything about the property makes you feel like you have been transported to the Italian countryside. The buildings were beautifully designed to enhance the natural greenery and there is an overall feeling of elevated elegance. Throughout the entire planning process, the wedding and events staff was attentive and friendly, making sure we had everything we needed in order for the big day to run smoothly. Our venue coordinator was Carissa, and we also worked with Josh at times, both of which were pleasant and accommodating, continuously going out of their way to ensure we were happy. Our wedding was absolutely perfect and all of our guests couldn't stop raving about how beautiful the setting was, the friendly staff, the delicious drinks and wine, and how perfect the layout of the entire venue was. We wanted an indoor-outdoor feel, which was exactly what Villa de Fiore offered with the large sliding glass doors into the reception space. Our guests also noted the small details like the walking path around the pond leading to the welcome table, the ceremony in front of the trees, the pond with a fountain, the expansive courtyard for cocktail hour, and the adjoining built-in bar. I would highly recommend Monserate Winery to any other couples looking for the elegant, Italian feel right here in Southern California! I have attached some of our sneak peeks, and as you can see, the Monserate backdrop makes for absolutely breathtaking photos that we will cherish for...