Cafe Fina

Maya Martín

The Ravioli of pesto with crab and spinach was the best!!! Staff are friendly and it's a nice place for a special occasion. I really reccomend coming here and trying different dishes

Sudipta Deb

Perfect date spot right on the Monterey Old Fisherman’s Wharf. Enjoy breathtaking views while having fresh seafood. You will be served with freshly baked bread and herb butter. We had dinner and got a cup of clam chowder which was very tasty and creamy. I wanted to try paella and they had a good variety of that. We got the traditional paella which comes with shrimps, clams, mussels, calamari, chicken and sausage on a bed of tomato based rice. Good portion size for two people.

Eliud Marquez

Lawrence was a great server. I ordered fish sandwich lunch special after whale watching and it was great. 5/5 Thanks Cafe Fina

Sal Belleci

I haven’t been to Café Fina‘s in a while, but every time I go, I get good service great food last night I had Send dab Tender and delicious with vegetables

My wife and I went to Cafe Fina to celebrate ) my birthday. Although we are local, we had not eaten on the Fisherman's Wharf before. Cafe Fina had good reviews, and we like both Italian food and fish, so we gave it a chance. We had a great meal. Our server Leonard (I think, it was an "L") was friendly and gave good advice about the menu. We decided to share two appetizers and a main dish. Leonard made it easy for us to share, bringing extra plates and utensils. I had a cupl of clam chowder which was thick and creamy and very tasty. My wife ordered crab cakes had got two large delicious cakes. Our main was the house special petrale sole which was a great piece of fish that was perfectly cooked with a light crust and a delicate cream sauce. It included wonderfully sautéed vegetables and light orzo pasta. It was plenty for the two of us after the appetizers. The wharf has the feel of a state fair, with a lot of people, lights and noise, but inside the restaurant it was quiet and attractive and easy to talk to each other. The desserts looked good, but we were full and happy so we will have to review them another time. Overall, we had a really high quality meal and experience at Cafe Fina.

By far, this is the best seafood restaurant in Monterey! We come here often and enjoy our meal every time. Fish & chips with a cup of the best clam chowder you’ll find anywhere is our usual choice, but the shrimp & crab ravioli is also excellent! Everything is served fresh and with care. Besides the food and great atmosphere, the service is outstanding. Special cudos to Roxanne! Her wit and charm as she’s serving us makes our experience there even better!

The pastas were immaculate! We also had the best server (I don’t remember her name but she’s an older white woman that was amazing at her job). I would dedicate go here again. Highly recommend!

Lily was such a great server! Attentive and so sweet and accomodating. Bianca pizza was superb, great Bloody Mary too! Come and try it out and ask for Lily dice she’s a wonderful server!

Amazing water view with sea lions at the rocks. The octopus with the balsamic glaze was amazing. We shared the cioppino, which was also awesome. Had a great flavor lots of seafood and plenty for two. The bread pudding was the top we had extra caramel and it was moist and amazing. All in all, this was an amazing find! Thank you.! Happy new year. Extraordinary service and friendly too!

Bryan Searcy

By far, this is the best seafood restaurant in Monterey! We come here often and enjoy our meal every time. Fish & chips with a cup of the best clam chowder you’ll find anywhere is our usual choice, but the shrimp & crab ravioli is also excellent! Everything is served fresh and with care. Besides the food and great atmosphere, the service is outstanding. Special cudos to Roxanne! Her wit and charm as she’s serving us makes our experience there even better!

Helene Onaga

We saw Cafe Fina features on Check Please, Bay Area and we’re not disappointed! We ordered a side of meatballs for a spotter - absolutely delicious! I have the pistachio pesto pasta with prawns and my husband how the iced grill. Seafood was fresh, and the part cooked to perfection! You don’t expect such wonderful food at a touristy destination. Enjoy!

Pete Torres

Amazing water view with sea lions at the rocks. The octopus with the balsamic glaze was amazing. We shared the cioppino, which was also awesome. Had a great flavor lots of seafood and plenty for two. The bread pudding was the top we had extra caramel and it was moist and amazing. All in all, this was an amazing find! Thank you.! Happy new year. Extraordinary service and friendly too!

Tyler Baker

My wife and I went to Cafe Fina to celebrate ) my birthday. Although we are local, we had not eaten on the Fisherman's Wharf before. Cafe Fina had good reviews, and we like both Italian food and fish, so we gave it a chance. We had a great meal. Our server Leonard (I think, it was an "L") was friendly and gave good advice about the menu. We decided to share two appetizers and a main dish. Leonard made it easy for us to share, bringing extra plates and utensils. I had a cupl of clam chowder which was thick and creamy and very tasty. My wife ordered crab cakes had got two large delicious cakes. Our main was the house special petrale sole which was a great piece of fish that was perfectly cooked with a light crust and a delicate cream sauce. It included wonderfully sautéed vegetables and light orzo pasta. It was plenty for the two of us after the appetizers. The wharf has the feel of a state fair, with a lot of people, lights and noise, but inside the restaurant it was quiet and attractive and easy to talk to each other. The desserts looked good, but we were full and happy so we will have to review them another time. Overall, we had a really high quality meal and experience at Cafe Fina.

Tommy Plato

Even though this restaurant is in a tourist area its a local owner who lives and breathes quality and service, he has his own 700 acre farm that he brings produce from every week. you can tell his staff cares as much as he does about hospitality and its amazing to find a gem that does it right in a town filled with tourist traps. We ordered Cioppino, Paella, Pistachio Pasta, and amazing Cheesecake with Blood Orange glaze. Truly unforgettable and one of those experience that gives you hope this world is still filled with people who take pride in their craft.

Jackson Everett

I had a great experience at this Italian restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf, thanks largely to the owner, Dominic. He was incredibly kind, welcoming, and clearly very knowledgeable about the food and menu. Dominic took the time to share recommendations and made the whole dining experience feel personal and memorable. You can tell he truly cares about both the cuisine and his guests

We were seated at a really nice spot with a view of the beach and seals, servers were professional and polite. Food was great too, especially the chowder. However, my issue lies with the pasta fina, I expected the sauce to be much thicker, it was much too watery for my liking, the sauce just didnt stick to the pasta and it tasted quite bland. The price of this place though expensive, is very reasonable and slightly cheaper than others at this tourist hotspot.

Me and my friend decided to go here because after we did the Monterey Bay whale watching tour, they said if we went here, we’d get a complementary appetizer with our meals, so we thought that was a good deal! We got the calamari, which was great as well as the margarita pizza and prawn scampi over angel hair pasta. My pasta was amazing! It had artichokes, shrimp, tomato, mushroom, and green onion, and a butter, garlic and white wine sauce. So delicious! And it was so big I could not finish it and literally turned it into 3 to 4 meals. They satisfy the window, so it was a great view of the water. And our waitress that took care of us was really good and really nice. I would go here again.

Mr. Z

We were seated at a really nice spot with a view of the beach and seals, servers were professional and polite. Food was great too, especially the chowder. However, my issue lies with the pasta fina, I expected the sauce to be much thicker, it was much too watery for my liking, the sauce just didnt stick to the pasta and it tasted quite bland. The price of this place though expensive, is very reasonable and slightly cheaper than others at this tourist hotspot.

Terra Scott

Me and my friend decided to go here because after we did the Monterey Bay whale watching tour, they said if we went here, we’d get a complementary appetizer with our meals, so we thought that was a good deal! We got the calamari, which was great as well as the margarita pizza and prawn scampi over angel hair pasta. My pasta was amazing! It had artichokes, shrimp, tomato, mushroom, and green onion, and a butter, garlic and white wine sauce. So delicious! And it was so big I could not finish it and literally turned it into 3 to 4 meals. They satisfy the window, so it was a great view of the water. And our waitress that took care of us was really good and really nice. I would go here again.

4.3. The fried calamari was fresh and delicious. Crab cakes were ok. Pistachio pesto shrimp pasta was good with al dente noodles but a bit expensive. I liked the Italian bread with butter and the Prosecco with pomegranate drink. The inside was pretty small facing the water but we sat on the patio and watched the tourists. Service was good. Lunch was over $100 for what I listed. Good but not amazing for the price.

MS Mill

4.3. The fried calamari was fresh and delicious. Crab cakes were ok. Pistachio pesto shrimp pasta was good with al dente noodles but a bit expensive. I liked the Italian bread with butter and the Prosecco with pomegranate drink. The inside was pretty small facing the water but we sat on the patio and watched the tourists. Service was good. Lunch was over $100 for what I listed. Good but not amazing for the price.

This is located at the Pier. There is a very bad foul smell as you walk towards to the pier and we later found out it was because of the mysterious anchovy flooded to the shore. A group of 10 of us had lunch here. We always came here for lunch when we attended a conference in Monterey. The food was all good and except the Paella. When our regular server brought this dish, it presented a foul smell like the outside. It was so strong that we really couldn’t touch the dish. I have never had such a strong smell of a Paella. Hence, 2 Stars deducted.

​I’d rate our experience at Café Fina a 3.5 out of 5. There were some definite high points, but a few things kept it from being perfect. ​The Wins: ​Desserts: These were the absolute stars of the show. We tried three different desserts and all of them "crushed it"—honestly to die for. ​The View: We had a table right by the window, and the view of the water was very nice and added a lot to the atmosphere. ​Pasta: We ordered two pasta dishes; both were solid and better than your average wharf food. ​The Downsides: ​Not Toddler Friendly: It’s worth noting that the restaurant isn't very accommodating for toddlers. It felt a bit tight/uncomfortable for a family with a small child. ​The Chowder: Being on the Wharf, expectations are high, but the chowder here was just average. ​It’s a good spot if you want a nice view and incredible sweets, but maybe not the first choice if you’re looking for the best chowder in town or traveling with a toddler.

Gavin Pathross

​I’d rate our experience at Café Fina a 3.5 out of 5. There were some definite high points, but a few things kept it from being perfect. ​The Wins: ​Desserts: These were the absolute stars of the show. We tried three different desserts and all of them "crushed it"—honestly to die for. ​The View: We had a table right by the window, and the view of the water was very nice and added a lot to the atmosphere. ​Pasta: We ordered two pasta dishes; both were solid and better than your average wharf food. ​The Downsides: ​Not Toddler Friendly: It’s worth noting that the restaurant isn't very accommodating for toddlers. It felt a bit tight/uncomfortable for a family with a small child. ​The Chowder: Being on the Wharf, expectations are high, but the chowder here was just average. ​It’s a good spot if you want a nice view and incredible sweets, but maybe not the first choice if you’re looking for the best chowder in town or traveling with a toddler.

Easily one of the worst meals I’ve had in a long time. The paella tasted off, the shrimp pasta was obliterated into bits and had no flavor, and even the bread was bland. The server was kind and did their best, but the walls were covered in flies, which said enough about the place. When we gave honest feedback, the owner came out immediately defensive, questioning where we were from as if that explained our opinion. He mentioned studying in Spain decades ago, but based on the food, that experience hasn’t stuck. He refused to comp the paella and claimed to comp the shrimp, though all he actually did was take 30% off the bill.

Same as a review below, we were recommended to this restaurant by a whale watch captain. The worst oysters I’ve had in my life, not fresh AT ALL, taste slimy and very weird. Restaurant has small flies everywhere.

Hunter Zyniecki

Easily one of the worst meals I’ve had in a long time. The paella tasted off, the shrimp pasta was obliterated into bits and had no flavor, and even the bread was bland. The server was kind and did their best, but the walls were covered in flies, which said enough about the place. When we gave honest feedback, the owner came out immediately defensive, questioning where we were from as if that explained our opinion. He mentioned studying in Spain decades ago, but based on the food, that experience hasn’t stuck. He refused to comp the paella and claimed to comp the shrimp, though all he actually did was take 30% off the bill.

Erika C

Same as a review below, we were recommended to this restaurant by a whale watch captain. The worst oysters I’ve had in my life, not fresh AT ALL, taste slimy and very weird. Restaurant has small flies everywhere.

I truly don’t understand how this restaurant is rated as the best Italian spot. While our server was genuinely kind and professional, everything else fell short. The food was mediocre at best. We ordered salmon and fish and chips—both were uninspiring and not remotely worth the price. The real issue, however, came with dessert. I bit into a large, sharp piece of hard plastic. This is not a minor inconvenience—it is a serious safety concern. I immediately showed it to the server, who called the manager. Her first response was, “I have never seen anything like that in my life,” followed by taking the plastic to the back. When she returned, she casually stated it had broken off a lid. There was no apology, no concern, and no acknowledgment of how dangerous this could have been. Accidents can happen. Dismissing them should not. $115 later - feeling disappointed and unsettled. Based on both the food quality and the handling of a serious safety issue, I cannot recommend this restaurant

Olga Ofsthus

I truly don’t understand how this restaurant is rated as the best Italian spot. While our server was genuinely kind and professional, everything else fell short. The food was mediocre at best. We ordered salmon and fish and chips—both were uninspiring and not remotely worth the price. The real issue, however, came with dessert. I bit into a large, sharp piece of hard plastic. This is not a minor inconvenience—it is a serious safety concern. I immediately showed it to the server, who called the manager. Her first response was, “I have never seen anything like that in my life,” followed by taking the plastic to the back. When she returned, she casually stated it had broken off a lid. There was no apology, no concern, and no acknowledgment of how dangerous this could have been. Accidents can happen. Dismissing them should not. $115 later - feeling disappointed and unsettled. Based on both the food quality and the handling of a serious safety issue, I cannot recommend this restaurant