Nadya S.

We celebrated a special evening at Passion Fish in Monterey on August 15th with my friend who flew in from Texas. After a day of strolling around town, we wanted to treat her to a truly memorable meal—and this place delivered in every way. The restaurant was spotless, the atmosphere welcoming, and the staff struck the perfect balance: attentive without being pushy, deeply knowledgeable about both the menu and the wines, and so kind that you instantly feel at ease. The food was simply incredible. We shared several dishes, and every single bite—from appetizers through the mains—was full of surprising, perfectly balanced flavors. We’re all pretty spoiled when it comes to good restaurants, and lately I often feel disappointed eating out, thinking I could have made it better at home. But not here—everything was outstanding. Passion Fish left us delighted and grateful, and it’s a spot we’ll absolutely come back to. A perfect Monterey gem to share with out-of-town guests and celebrate life’s moments.

+2

Anny

Passionfish delivers an elevated yet approachable dining experience, perfect for a special night out by the coast. The vibe is warm and sophisticated without being stuffy -- think soft lighting, coastal charm, and a hum of lively conversation. Service was polished, attentive, and well-timed, with knowledgeable staff who are very professional with handling food allergies. Sea Scallop: Perfectly seared with a golden crust and tender center, paired with flavors that highlighted its natural sweetness. Spoonable 12-Hour Lamb Breast: Fall-apart tender, rich, and deeply flavorful -- pure comfort with a gourmet twist. Duck Confit: Crispy skin, succulent meat, and a beautiful balance of savory and slightly sweet notes. Panna Cotta: Silky, light, and delicately flavored -- a refreshing end to the meal. Mud Pies: Decadent, chocolatey, and indulgent without being overly heavy.

+4

Chuck Harrison

Fantastic food and service!! We had the Beet Salad, Duck Confit, and Scallops. All were very tasty!! We also had the Maple Bourbon Banana Bread pudding, which we ate before taking a pic! Highly recommended!!

+1

Sudheer S

It was our first time here, was recommended by a local. Went there on a weekday evening, and it was moderately busy. The ambience inside was nice, the host welcomed us in, and sat us at our table. Our server Paula took great care of us, and there was another server who took great care of us, with Paula whose name I didn't get. Now coming to the food, the Fried Calamari was great, as someone who tries calamari everywhere I go, it was really good, fresh, and melted in our mouths! The Duck Confit was another highlight, it was perfectly delicious, and the smoked chile potato cake that came with it was extraordinary, it was just so good!! The grilled shrimp was just okay. Overall it was a good experience, and would def recommend.

+4

Stefanie Brajcki

Cannot wait to come back and enjoy! Definitely gonna tell all my friends in LA to come on their NorCal trips! Not only was the food outstanding, but the service was also top notch! Great job! 💯

Jake Byman

One of the better meals we've had in the Central Coast area. I had heard amazing things, but even with that expectation we were blown away. The scallop appetizer was wonderful, the lamb was perfectly cooked, and the desserts were incredible (particularly the chocolate torte). Will surely be coming back!!

+1

Casey Giles

After two weeks of driving across California and trying countless spots, this was hands down the best meal we had. Every dish was fresh, packed with flavor, and beautifully presented—clearly made with care and attention to detail. The service was just as impressive. Our waitress was fantastic—knowledgeable, warm, and incredibly helpful with the wine selections. She really elevated the whole experience. What made it even more special was the thoughtful touch from the staff. They had read our booking notes and went out of their way to make our engagement celebration feel truly memorable. It was a perfect evening from start to finish. Highly recommended!

Jean Tsou

All their food was delicious. My family escpecially loved the fried squid. At most restaurants, the squid is served in a pile, but at Passionfish, the squid is beautifully placed around a pile of cilantro. My kids loved the buttermilk biscuit. I personally didn't eat it, but they said it was really good. The outer shell looked crispy, and they told me the inner part was very soft. For the entrees, I ordered a Rainbow Trout. The fish itself was really good. The fish had only salt and lemon on top of it. I really liked that they put the sauce on the side because I am the type of person that doesn't like a lot of sauce. Dessert I got the chocolate sorbet. The sorbet was made without milk, so the texture was very creamy. It was made with dark chocolate. Our server was welcoming and sincere. He earned five stars for service. The whole restaurant dominated a very calm atmosphere, with quiet murmurs. I will definitely come back here to eat if I can.🥰🥰

+5

We were welcomed by the nicest lady and gentleman. Our server was equally as pleasant and accommodating. I had the grilled shrimp with white Lima beans. While I was concerned about whether the Li…

We were welcomed by the nicest lady and gentleman. Our server was equally as pleasant and accommodating. I had the grilled shrimp with white Lima beans. While I was concerned about whether the Lima…

If you come here you absolutely need to try Nancy's biscuit it is absolutely delicious. If you want a lighter meal the sea scallops were delicious and light.

I loved this place, it was a perfect nice but not fine dining spot to enjoy fresh seafood. The wine was great and reasonably priced. The service was phenomenal. I will be coming here again next tim…

I loved this place, it was a perfect nice but not fine dining spot to enjoy fresh seafood. The wine was great and reasonably priced. The service was phenomenal. I will be coming here again next tim…

I loved this place, it was a perfect nice but not fine dining spot to enjoy fresh seafood. The wine was great and reasonably priced. The service was phenomenal. I will be coming here again next tim…

I loved this place, it was a perfect nice but not fine dining spot to enjoy fresh seafood. The wine was great and reasonably priced. The service was phenomenal. I will be coming here again next tim…

The food, service & ambiance here is still as fabulous as ever! We had the trout, albacore tuna, beet salad, yuzu panna cotta, chocolate truffle torte with passion fruit sauce, and a nice half bott…

The food, service & ambiance here is still as fabulous as ever! We had the trout, albacore tuna, beet salad, yuzu panna cotta, chocolate truffle torte with passion fruit sauce, and a nice half bott…

The food, service & ambiance here is still as fabulous as ever! We had the trout, albacore tuna, beet salad, yuzu panna cotta, chocolate truffle torte with passion fruit sauce, and a nice half bott…

Excellent service - Ron took great care of us. He helped us with wine choices - even admitted when he went to someone else because our food options were different in flavor profile. \n\nVery good t…

The food here was very good. It was a touch sweet for my palate, I do prefer if it was dialed back just a touch with a little more acid. But, just get some good wine and you will be fine I promise.…

Great food with interesting options. Attentive service. Wonderful atmosphere. Can't wait to come back.

Outstanding service and outstanding food. Wine prices are half what other restaurants charge.

Amazing dining experience. Upscale yet welcoming, unpretentious and very comfortable. Limited menu choices yet enough variety for every taste. The emphasis on freshness and quality is obvious. They w…

This was excellent restaurant highly recommend. The food was high quality and fresh. Lamb and fish courses were excellent. Service was outstanding and dessert was great.

This was excellent restaurant highly recommend. The food was high quality and fresh. lamb and fish courses were excellent. Service was outstanding and dessert was great.

This was excellent restaurant highly recommend. The food was high quality and fresh. Lamb and fish courses were excellent. service was outstanding and dessert was great.

We followed reviews of Passionfish and found it stacked up to its excellent reputation. We were staying in Pacific Grove and ate here on the last night of our vacation. We shared a crab and arugula s…

We had the lamb on stew veg. It was so tender and spoonable as advertised. The scallops were perfectly cooked. However the rice custard, soufflé like and blanched greens with onion marmalade were…

We had the lamb on stew veg. It was so tender and spoonable as advertised. The scallops were perfectly cooked. However the rice custard, soufflé like and blanched greens with onion marmalade were t…

Had a wonderful meal, even though I did not make the best choice for my main course. - The scallop appetizer was FANTASTIC, the crispy light artichoke-rice risotto cake that came with it was a…

The location is ideal! The service was top Notch by Paola! Professional and so friendly. The food was so fresh and tasty. We absolutely love the scallops, the tostadas, the butternut squash soup a…

The location is ideal! The service was top Notch by Paola! Professional and so friendly. The food was so fresh and tasty. We absolutely love the scallops, the tostadas, the butternut squash soup a…

Have been to Passionfish numerous times since we first discovered it nearly 15 years ago! We have NEVER been disappointed! There is a significant amount of seafood on the menu and it’s great! They …

Delicious. Everything was very good, and the recommendations were spot on from the biscuits to the crab salad. Consistently good food.

Best seafood place we have tried so far in PG. They take pride in their wine list. You may want to ask for a wine cooler when ordering a bottle of white wine, as that does not seem to be stan…

Returned again for husband's birthday trip and were very glad we did. Among us, we had the yummy biscuit, beet salad, halibut, trout and albacore. Each dish was uniformly excellent. Service was …

Favorite dinner location in Pacific Grove! Food is beyond compare and the wine list is quite incredible! We come here each year to celebrate our wedding anniversary! And we always have a memorab…

Everything about this place is exceptional. Relaxing atmosphere, decor, lighting and music. Phenomenal service, food and drinks. Absolutely outstanding in a classy subtle way. We just loved it!!!

We were visiting the area and wanted seafood - what a wonderful evening we had! We had ceviche, crab salad, tuna, shrimp, and scallops. Every bite was divine, but my favorites were ceviche and th…

This place is the absolute best! The food is exceedingly interesting and so fresh. The price for the food/wine/beer was really reasonable. I loved that some of the desserts were $5 or $6 (like p…

JJ Chen

Passionfish has been one of my favorite restaurants in Pacific Grove. It always has good dishes to select. I wish they still provide breads for dinner.

Sam Moore

I'm yet to give a 5 star review. This is as close as it gets. The California Fried Squid was a great start. The entrees were fabulous. The Roquefort ice cream was damn good. This place is a keeper. Thank you chef.

Elaine Mansour

Very accommodating and delicious! Went with my partner and while I love seafood, he has a seafood allergy which they were very accommodating to. Also we both have nut allergies that they made sure to accommodate for and take very seriously.

Vivian T.

Food is OK: Spicy fish stew - a bit too spicy for my taste, fish is tender Beets salad - Good and fresh Sea scallops - scallops are good, but the rice custard was very bland and dense, not much flavor Duck Confit - OK, meat was tender and can easily come off the bone Chocolate torte - Good, dense with intense chocolate flavor Wait time between soup and the salad was almost an hour, again wait time between salad and main course was at least half an hour. It took us 3 hours to finish the dinner. Had no reservation, walk-in on a Saturday night, waited for 30 mins. Overall, it's ok.

We tried this place because it was a lot of point on Open table. Turned out to be really good. Small quiet place. Will come back

Our anniversary dinner was lovely, French style a' la Carte entree'... perfectly cooked Icelandic Gar, delicate sauce and veggie garnish. The biscuit was so flakey, as other reviewers said. \nBy the …

Our anniversary dinner was lovely, French style a' la Carte entree'... perfectly cooked Icelandic Gar, delicate sauce and veggie garnish. The biscuit was so flakey, as other reviewers said. \nBy …

2.5 stars. I was not impressed by this place and was quite disappointed after how high the ratings are. First impression walking in was that it smelled of old fish, that really pungent unpleasant odo…

My partner brought me here for my birthday after a nice evening of staring at otters in the bay. The vibe is definitely retired bougie which I don't quite fit into but meant the ambience was very c…

Food was good, service was friendly but a little slow. Lots of good choices, specials were very good. prices fair too.

Spur of the moment reservation. We were able to get right in on a Friday night. The food and service very good. First time we had tuna just seared and pink inside. It was very tasty. The table…

Spur of the moment reservation. We were able to get right in on a Friday night. The food and service very good. First time we had tuna just seared and pink inside. It was very tasty. The table…

When we made reservations for our trip to Northern California and specifically the Monterey area, the number one restaurant reservation recommendation was for Passionfish, so we planned it as our…

Visiting Monterey and Passionfish was a real find. Rockfish from local waters was super fresh. The banana bread pudding was superb so save room for dessert. The people are really nice who serve and…

Aeis 32

It was an absolute blast spending a week in Monterey. Sadly, this meal actually let me down. I went Safe and ordered the house duck confit. Which was awesome! However the family and wife were incredibly disappointed. The seafood itself was fresh A+ on point. The problem was the pasta and clams was incredibly overpowered with herbs. No joke it was like slurping thyme. The prawns and beans plate... I mean the prawns were grilled perfect but pairing with an earthy bean side dish. Just didnt complement each other. It was a conflicting flavor. Now the dessert was perfect! Overall we enjoyed out meal. Sadly I can see no reason to go back. Even the recommended wine I choose did not match my duck at all. Good food. Good atmosphere. Money not being an object... sure but if you want a feast and an amazing experience... Honestly. Look further... Thanks!!

First customers in the restaurant. Had 5pm reservations. The food was good with the exception of the beet salad. It was mushy the beets were over cooked and it was a HARD pass. The buttermilk biscu…

We had dinner on a Friday evening, fairly late. Casual atmosphere. Definitely make reservations; the place was packed until about halfway through our meal, when it started to empty out. Atmosphe…

Sad to have to provide this review but I had the crab salad and bed of avocado was all brown and bruised, the fennel as hard should of been sautéed a bit til tender, the dressing on salad was o…