The Lantern Room — Restaurant in Monterey

Read a review of the quality of food, kitchen and chef of this new restaurant after the remodel and decided to try it - since we are local neighbors and love the idea of having a great oceanfront dining experience five minutes from our house. Apart from being pricey, ($89 for a steak?) the food was indeed good. Drinks were ok, guess I expected a little more presentation.

Everything else: when we came out of the elevator, there was nobody at the podium unusually situated across from the entrance in the hall. So we stepped inside, and then heard shouting from the hallway. A very officious and extremely condescending host who did not seem happy to see us, btw, would not discuss seating us until we had READ THE MENUS! Mind you, we did not walk in wearing beachwear. My husband asked him why? Did he not think we would like their menu? (We knew exactly what he was implying). It was one of the more bizarre starts to a dining experience ever and I’ve eaten in thousands of restaurants around the world. I asked him if he had a nice oceanfront table for us and he said he wasn’t sure. When we walked in (around 6pm) those tables were maybe 40% occupied! And never did fill up. He did not even know how to lead us to the table properly - wasn’t paying attention and pulled out a chair for me while I was passing behind so that I had to jump out of his way. Honestly, I have never experienced such an awkward and unfriendly seating ever. Then he dumped the aforementioned menus on our place settings. They should be handed to the diner! Come on! Table service was ok, but apart from our surly host seating us at a table that wasn’t also not set properly for two - I don’t love the idea of a server calling himself our “assistant” and taking on the task to put our napkins on our laps. After about seven decades on this earth, we can manage this ourselves. Also, not checking back to see if we needed anything else after food delivered and trying to snatch away our mussel broth while we were clearly still eating it (twice), are basics to do and not to do. At one point I heard a woman (server, manager?) casually but audibly mentioning some kind of issue of wine delivery to another employee - not a customer. It’s like they were unaware people were dining and shouldn’t be subjected to internal restaurant issues that should be discussed out of earshot. I also found the restaurant a bit dark quite gloomy once it got dark and you could no longer see the ocean. Maybe some table lighting? I also recommend tablecloths. But I think next time we will just...

The restaurant is at the Monterey Beach Hotel, which has undergone extensive upgrades, and the aesthetic and atmosphere now complement the dramatic beachfront setting beautifully. The views from the restaurant are fantastic, and we appreciated the abundance of booth seating. However, we opted for a small window table for two to fully enjoy the stunning view up close.

It was a quiet Monday night in January, and while the service was attentive, it lacked a sense of refinement. For our first course, we tried the octopus, which featured flavorful sauces and artichokes with just the right amount of heat. Unfortunately, the octopus itself was a bit chewy, and the portion was disappointingly small—just one tentacle, likely no more than 2 ounces. Splitting it was bittersweet; while we each got two small bites, the $28 price tag for such a tiny portion felt unreasonable. (2.5/5)

For entrees, my wife ordered the Black Cod, and I chose the Pea Shoot Pasta with Calamari. The Black Cod, though flavorful, was another letdown in terms of portion size—barely 3 ounces. It left us feeling unsatisfied despite the excellent preparation. (3/5) The pasta dish, on the other hand, was the opposite in size—almost too large. While the flavors were robust, the delicate calamari was overpowered by the pesto-like sauce. (3.5/5)

The dining room itself was lovely, though the music was a touch loud and upbeat, which distracted from the serene and beautiful view. At $147 before tip, including two glasses of wine, we felt the experience didn’t provide enough value to make a return visit...

I think the only good things about this restaurant were the view and the host. The host was very welcoming and attentive. The view of the ocean was gorgeous.

The bathrooms are the perfect example of a failed design. The crevices in the stall doors are so big that you have no privacy. There are no trashcans in the individual stalls of the women’s bathroom. Also, no changing tables for babies.

I ordered the hibiscus spritz. They were out, so then I ordered the passionfruit drink. The server came with a peach drink and said he hoped I’d like it. Never had a server decide for me before. The oysters had a lot to be desired and they weren’t cleaned well. I ordered the Monterey Bay cod. That entree was 70% tasteless rice, 20% bok choy and 10% fish. A very plain dinner, I was disappointed.

Overall, I think you’re paying for the view, not the food. Save your money and appetite, and just go to the...