Fin + Field Restaurant and Bar — Restaurant in Monterey

We stopped in for an early dinner before seeing a show down the street. The restaurant's bar opens at 4:00 and they were gracious enough to seat us a little before 5:00, before the restaurant was technically open.

Despite being part of a hotel, the space had a modern vibe independent of the Marriot with a noise level that felt lively without interfering with normal conversation.

We were seated a little out of the way, but had very attentive service from our server. We had plenty of time before our show, and they accommodated our request for a more leisurely pace. Our server checked in on us multiple times and was quick to fulfill every request. Unfortunately, Fin and Field uses the server + food runner model, which means going through the who-had-what dance when the food arrives because the runner has no idea. Also, the runner had to relay requests for refills, etc, as they didn't seem empowered to fulfill them.

Pricing is a little high, but within the expected range for a nice place right in the Monterey downtown—if the food is good. I ordered the grass-fed beef burger, which comes with french fries and nothing else. My fries were somewhat underdone, soggy and a little limp. The kitchen overcooked the burger, which was well-done without a trace of pink. The patty is about an inch thick, which is a lot of dry meat to get through. The burger comes with cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato, but no condiments that I could see. Some mayo, mustard and ketchup would go a long way to make it...

Came here while on vacation with my husband for dinner and twice for breakfast. The service was fantastic as well as the food. Fidel was super friendly, kind, and brightened our vacation so much. He is very knowledgeable about the area and wanted to steer us in the right direction when visiting places. His service was outstanding and his team was awesome, too. Next time we vacation in Monterey we hope to see him again! The food, as I mentioned earlier, was fantastic. I got the cauliflower steak and was surprised how good it was. My husband got the award-winning clam chowder bread bowl and he said it was the best he’s ever had. Normally restaurants will load up their chowder with potatoes, but in his bowl, there were plenty of clams. We finished off the night with the chocolate cake and a scoop of ice cream to pair with the wine we brought. Amazing combination.

Thank you to Fidel and his team for making our dining experiences unforgettable!

The breakfast buffet was also amazing. They had a made-to-order omelet and waffle bar as well as a ton of other items in the buffet, including: sausage, bacon, eggs, roasted potatoes, corn beef hash, cereal, fresh fruit, yogurt, pastries, muffins, donuts, biscuits, gravy, oatmeal and toppings, hard boiled...

We're currently staying at the Monterey Marriott, and decided to eat at the hotel restaurant for dinner last night.

What a surprise it was! The maitre d' was a kind, sweet man who immediately sensed that our little one was on the spectrum. He gave our kiddo a dolphin plushy and some crayons, before seating us in the most amazing corner booth ever. Junior loved the lighting and the energy.

Our server was equally nice. He grabbed us some piping hot chicken fingers and fries straightaway, so mom, big brother, and I could enjoy a little quiet time while we snacked on a delicious cheese plate appetizer.

Big brother ordered the kids' burger sliders and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Mom and I both ordered red meat entrees and were super happy with the results. I had the ribeye, and mama bear had the skirt steak. Both were absolute winners. Delicious, appropriate portions, and very much worth the money.

We had a very lovely time overall. A nice, long, happy, dinner, like we've come to expect whenever we visit Monterey. Fin and Field is a treasure, and we will definitely be adding it to our list of kid-friendly fine-dining experiences.

5...