Paluca Trattoria

Noelle Sercer

Every other place on the dock seems touristy and gross. Boyfriend found this place as a last resort and it was cute and delicious! An underrated gem. Jenny and Lina were so sweet, attentive and thoughtful. They even came and put the umbrellas over us when the sun came out. You should eat lunch here!

Dariusz Szafranski

Perfect place to eat and chill. Wonderful lobster ravioli and shrimps pasta. Best food in usa we’ve encountered so far on our journey. And same table as ladies in Big Little Lyes

Rita Athanacio

Gamberoni prawns and Ingridina smoked salmon fettuccine were delicious (but rich, so be prepared). But the Calacrian prawns appetizer was out of this world! I wish I could remember the name of the young man who served us because he was very attentive - with his timing. It was great that we could bring our dog (outside dining only, if course), and the ambiance was just right.

Allan Volkov

Food was absolutely delicious, huge variety of flavors. Service was very helpful, kind and fairly quick for being as busy as they were. Had the option for outdoor or indoor seating which is always a plus. Sitting outside during sunset hours was very beautiful (beware of the sea lions sun bathing). Overall a great dinner experience and a will definitely be returning and recommending to others.

Caty Wagner

Food in tourist areas is usually bad but it was delicious. 6 happy bellies

Oksana Ostrovska

Very nice place! We were outside and had lunch watching the seals! It was unexpected! The only recommendation: bring a jacket. In addition to the fact that this is a good place for watching fur seals, it is also a very tasty restaurant! Highly recommend! All the dishes were delicious, especially the lobster! We will definitely come back again!

Rich Borbon

Food was excellent, the view was special. The majority of the staff were helpful and professional. Fish and chips, pesto cream gnocchi, clam chowder, mocha coffee, all top notch! Looking forward to eating there again!

Lesley Bourdet

Beautiful deck, friendly service, and great food! Best carbonara I've EVER had! I added prawns and was pleasantly surprised with how large they were and how many I received. My husband got the sea bass and finished his plate quickly. Highly recommend!

Eva Drozdowski

great dinner spot by the wharf! all the food was delish and the owner is super friendly. highly recommend

We sat inside the small dining room on a chilly night, and had a wonderful time. The food was delicious, the service prompt and friendly, and the inside of the restaurant was pleasantly quiet despite it being a smaller room. With two entrees and two drinks we only spent a little over $100. Excellent date night spot!

Rebecka Henry

We sat inside the small dining room on a chilly night, and had a wonderful time. The food was delicious, the service prompt and friendly, and the inside of the restaurant was pleasantly quiet despite it being a smaller room. With two entrees and two drinks we only spent a little over $100. Excellent date night spot!

They have a great view here, and it’s a quiet little spot tucked right inside a busy area. I ordered a cappuccino and a tiramisu—both were decent—but my husband totally won the dessert lottery with his dish (it’s the one in the second picture… I forgot the name, sorry!). If you dine here, I highly recommend trying that one. You won’t regret it!

We stumbled upon this spot for a Sunday lunch while walking the waterfront. I was impressed by how many vegetarian options were offered! For the price per dish, the food wasn't particularly fantastic (my ravioli, for instance, was inconsistently lukewarm throughout), but the highlight of the experience was sitting by the water and being entertained by the sea lions. 🦭

· · McMurphy

They have a great view here, and it’s a quiet little spot tucked right inside a busy area. I ordered a cappuccino and a tiramisu—both were decent—but my husband totally won the dessert lottery with his dish (it’s the one in the second picture… I forgot the name, sorry!). If you dine here, I highly recommend trying that one. You won’t regret it!

Lisa Jeffries Nobling

We stumbled upon this spot for a Sunday lunch while walking the waterfront. I was impressed by how many vegetarian options were offered! For the price per dish, the food wasn't particularly fantastic (my ravioli, for instance, was inconsistently lukewarm throughout), but the highlight of the experience was sitting by the water and being entertained by the sea lions. 🦭

I was visiting with a couple friends and they were searching for a nearby place for dinner. I let them choose based on what they were craving but I wish I had looked at the info before we went because I probably would have avoided a place at the touristy Fisherman's Wharf. We made a reservation with no problem on a Saturday night. It was busy but we were seated on time. We had an Italian waiter so I was hopeful the food would be good, but I was a bit disappointed. First, we ordered the calamari appetizer and it was brought out the same time as our entrees. While the calamari was tender, it barely had coating on most pieces and it was not crispy at all. It was like it was pan-fried instead of deep fried. I ordered one of their specials that had a mix of seafood - fish, shrimp, calamari, mussels, and clams, with white wine sauce over pasta. The calamari was so overcooked it was very very chewy. The shrimp were a touch overcooked too. The mussels, clams, and fish were good and the dish overall had a good amount of seafood, but the texture of the shrimp and calamari ruined it. My friends' dishes were tasty and both were big portions. I just don't think the food was worth the price and probably wouldn't go back.

Great location but service just ok, no wine chiller offered in the sun. The prawns app was tasty, nice but very buttery sauce. Bruschetta was just ok - nothing impressive.

Enjoyed an early dinner. We ordered the following: for appetizer, Brushcetta Gamreroni, included Prawns. Seafood Pasta, included Scallops, Prawns and Mussels. It was supposed to have Clams, but only two shells were found. Linguini Ala Arrabiata, included Prawns and Linguini. All dishes were prepared well, the only drawback is the cold. All seating is outdoors along the water and as the cool breeze turned cold real quick. The food can get cold quick in the evening. Staff was cordial.

Cecilia Knapp

I was visiting with a couple friends and they were searching for a nearby place for dinner. I let them choose based on what they were craving but I wish I had looked at the info before we went because I probably would have avoided a place at the touristy Fisherman's Wharf. We made a reservation with no problem on a Saturday night. It was busy but we were seated on time. We had an Italian waiter so I was hopeful the food would be good, but I was a bit disappointed. First, we ordered the calamari appetizer and it was brought out the same time as our entrees. While the calamari was tender, it barely had coating on most pieces and it was not crispy at all. It was like it was pan-fried instead of deep fried. I ordered one of their specials that had a mix of seafood - fish, shrimp, calamari, mussels, and clams, with white wine sauce over pasta. The calamari was so overcooked it was very very chewy. The shrimp were a touch overcooked too. The mussels, clams, and fish were good and the dish overall had a good amount of seafood, but the texture of the shrimp and calamari ruined it. My friends' dishes were tasty and both were big portions. I just don't think the food was worth the price and probably wouldn't go back.

Rebecca Clark (Becca)

Great location but service just ok, no wine chiller offered in the sun. The prawns app was tasty, nice but very buttery sauce. Bruschetta was just ok - nothing impressive.

Robert Diaz

Enjoyed an early dinner. We ordered the following: for appetizer, Brushcetta Gamreroni, included Prawns. Seafood Pasta, included Scallops, Prawns and Mussels. It was supposed to have Clams, but only two shells were found. Linguini Ala Arrabiata, included Prawns and Linguini. All dishes were prepared well, the only drawback is the cold. All seating is outdoors along the water and as the cool breeze turned cold real quick. The food can get cold quick in the evening. Staff was cordial.

We decided to try Paluca Trattoria in Monterey and unfortunately, it was not a good experience. The food itself was just okay—nothing that stood out or made me want to come back. For the price and location, I expected more flavor and quality, but it was very average. The biggest disappointment was the service. From the moment we sat down, things felt disorganized. People who arrived after us received their food before we did, which was frustrating and hard to overlook. On top of that, I had to ask my waiter three separate times for bread, and each time he either forgot or didn’t bring it until much later. Something that simple should not be so difficult, and it set the tone for the whole meal. Normally, I’m a very generous tipper because I understand how hard restaurant work can be. But in this case, I didn’t feel the service deserved one at all. Being ignored and forgotten multiple times is not acceptable, especially when we were polite and patient. The only reason this review is 2 stars instead of 1 is because of the host. She was welcoming, kind, and friendly when we walked in, and that was the one bright spot in an otherwise disappointing evening. Sadly, the rest of the experience did not match her level of hospitality. Overall, Paluca Trattoria just didn’t deliver. Between the mediocre food, the long waits, and the inattentive service, it’s not a place I’d return to. There are too many great restaurants in Monterey to waste time and money on one that can’t get the basics right.

The starters — calamari and clam chowder — were excellent. Unfortunately, the main courses were a huge disappointment. The salmon linguine and the lobster ravioli were both very poorly prepared. One went straight to the garbage, the other sent me straight to the bathroom. Really unfortunate experience. Based on the food quality, I won’t be returning.

We went to Paulca for dinner and were seated upstairs right away because there was a private event on the ground floor. The place was loud, and upstairs seating meant we didn't get any attention, we had to go downstairs and ask for stuff we needed. We couldn't get their attention at all. Food was mediocre. Linguini alla arrabiata and sicilion meatballs, both didn't have enough sauce. We also got tiramius, and I don't know what they were trying to do with that. There were whipped cream dollops on all 4 sides, and chocolate syrup drizzled on the tiramisu. It was too sweet.

Friendly dust, excellent service and location. Unfortunately, I came away with a severe case of food poisoning that lasted three days; most likely from the tartar sauce or fish. It's all I ate that day so, I know it was from this restaurant. I'm the only one in our party of six today had fish and chips and the only one who got food poisoning.

Salvatore Piazza

We decided to try Paluca Trattoria in Monterey and unfortunately, it was not a good experience. The food itself was just okay—nothing that stood out or made me want to come back. For the price and location, I expected more flavor and quality, but it was very average. The biggest disappointment was the service. From the moment we sat down, things felt disorganized. People who arrived after us received their food before we did, which was frustrating and hard to overlook. On top of that, I had to ask my waiter three separate times for bread, and each time he either forgot or didn’t bring it until much later. Something that simple should not be so difficult, and it set the tone for the whole meal. Normally, I’m a very generous tipper because I understand how hard restaurant work can be. But in this case, I didn’t feel the service deserved one at all. Being ignored and forgotten multiple times is not acceptable, especially when we were polite and patient. The only reason this review is 2 stars instead of 1 is because of the host. She was welcoming, kind, and friendly when we walked in, and that was the one bright spot in an otherwise disappointing evening. Sadly, the rest of the experience did not match her level of hospitality. Overall, Paluca Trattoria just didn’t deliver. Between the mediocre food, the long waits, and the inattentive service, it’s not a place I’d return to. There are too many great restaurants in Monterey to waste time and money on one that can’t get the basics right.

Anibal Machado

The starters — calamari and clam chowder — were excellent. Unfortunately, the main courses were a huge disappointment. The salmon linguine and the lobster ravioli were both very poorly prepared. One went straight to the garbage, the other sent me straight to the bathroom. Really unfortunate experience. Based on the food quality, I won’t be returning.

ayush kalani

We went to Paulca for dinner and were seated upstairs right away because there was a private event on the ground floor. The place was loud, and upstairs seating meant we didn't get any attention, we had to go downstairs and ask for stuff we needed. We couldn't get their attention at all. Food was mediocre. Linguini alla arrabiata and sicilion meatballs, both didn't have enough sauce. We also got tiramius, and I don't know what they were trying to do with that. There were whipped cream dollops on all 4 sides, and chocolate syrup drizzled on the tiramisu. It was too sweet.

Kurt Willmon

Friendly dust, excellent service and location. Unfortunately, I came away with a severe case of food poisoning that lasted three days; most likely from the tartar sauce or fish. It's all I ate that day so, I know it was from this restaurant. I'm the only one in our party of six today had fish and chips and the only one who got food poisoning.

Terrible hospitality, terrible service and not great good. We went for a small dinner with a group of friends for 2 birthday dinners and it was the wrong choice. Once seated all attitude from the ENTIRE STAFF got cold bread and butter I mean stone cold, no water refill after having to ask several times, no straw when needed after asking several time, everyone's food came out at a different time by the time the last person got the food the first person was finished. I order a pesto sandwich that came with 2 drops of pesto. The only decent thing was my side salad. Also nothing special for birthday when asked. Absolutely do not go and give them your money. Way to expensive for the quality you get.