February 2025

Although we have consistently loved our many dining experiences at Old Fisherman's Grotto, both during lunch or dinner, today we decided to have hot tea and a dessert at 4 pm, or teatime. Significantly, the hot water was very hot - very important for a proper cup of tea and I was with someone from England. We were presented with an impressive dessert tray making it a challenging choice! I chose the generously sized chocolate cheesecake surrounded by blackberries and whipped cream which was fantastic. Not overly sweet but a perfect flavor and thick consistence - we loved it. My friend had the tiramisu which was so delicious and creamery. So, our advice is, don't skimp on dessert next time you dine at Old Fisherman's Grotto. A perfect sweet ending to your meal!

Excellent food on Monterey's Old Fisherman's Wharf. Love their giant pretzel and appetizer plate. Delicious seafood assortment and enjoy trying different dishes, including the coconut shrimp and halibut, too. Desserts are wonderful. Excellent customer service and gorgeous views of the Monterey Harbor.

New! June 2023 visit: Old Fisherman’s Grotto located on Monterey’s Old Fisherman’s Wharf overlooking the Monterey Harbor is a great restaurant to enjoy any day of the week, but we chose it for my husband’s VERY special birthday dinner. We still prefer to pick up To Go orders these days and love dining at home. I am referencing their huge online menu for descriptions to follow. We started with an amazing Pear and Gorgonzola Salad with sweet and delicious poached pears served over Salinas Valley organic mixed greens, tossed with balsamic vinaigrette, and topped with candied walnuts and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. Yummy! My husband got a cup of the award-winning Clam Chowder which he always thoroughly enjoys! I had a few wonderful spoonfuls, too, of this creamy goodness! Then, I enjoyed the grilled artichoke which consists of the legendary Castroville artichoke marinated in balsamic vinaigrette, served with lemon dill aioli. Fabulous! For my main entrée, I had my favorite Grotto dish, Macadamia Crusted Halibut which is tender and flavorful Alaskan halibut crusted with macadamia nuts and panko breading, grilled and topped with tropical fruit salsa, and a pineapple citrus sauce. It is served with maple sweet potatoes and sauteed organic fresh broccoli and green beans. It provides a great combination of flavors! My husband ordered the petrale sole which was lightly breaded and grilled with clarified butter, topped with a lemon butter sauce. This delicious seafood dish is served with sweet corn risotto and sauteed organic vegetables. They have many great desserts that we love but tonight we had the New York Cheesecake with graham cracker crust and sour cream topping. This was a perfect birthday feast with leftovers, too! Kudos to Chef Juan Ponce of Old Fisherman’s Grotto who always delivers a consistently awesome meal! It's no wonder this is one of the most awarded, most successful restaurants in Monterey County. Very highly recommended!