I ate at this spot after getting back to Monterey pretty late in the evening having spent a full day driving south around the Big Sur area. Most restaurants had closed, but this kind of touristy one was open on the Fisherman's Wharf. I usually have grand reservations about eating at anything touristy, but there were a lot of excellent recent reviews for the place, and they list tons and tons of awards and accolades over time. So I figured why not?

It was actually a really good experience. Though it definitely is set up more for eating with groups or at least couples, I had a fine experience by myself. The restaurant is roomy and the seating is comfortable. My waitress was very attentive, and shortly after sitting down I had water and fresh bread in front of me to snack on. I ended up ordering a pasta dish that came with lots of different types of seafood. Clams, shrimp, salmon, and lobster tail!

All in all, each differenty component of the seafood was cooked spot on the money, nothing dry at all. The pasta bed it was on was also flavorful, with a nice rose cream sauce. I have no complaints, well done for a restaurant in a touristy spot!

Service was amazing! Our waitress was very attentive and quick. They even give you a rose after your dinner which is so sweet. We had the oysters which were fresh and tasted so good! And we had crab cakes and their famous clam chowder. Everything was delicious! This restaurant is right on the wharf with a view of the water which was really fun.

Located on the pier.

Make a resy! We unfortunately could not make a resy & came by on Friday night. Luckily, the wait was only 30 minutes & there are many souvenir shops to browse in while you wait.

The restaurant is nice & dimly lit. They have 2 levels & we sat upstairs & had a view of the water. I bet the views are gorgeous during sunsets. Our waiter was incredible! I wish I remembered his name because he definitely made our night amazing with his friendliness, recommendations & overall service. & he gave us a rose at the end of our meal! Thank you! The food was okay.

Clam Chowder: Delicious & creamy, a must order!
Oysters Rockefeller: These were meh. Very chewy.
Crab Ravioli: The sauce was bland.

The food is absolutely spectacular. The staff is great always so nice. not to mention the views. AMAZING! We love coming here.

Delicious food and amazing service! I ordered the Australian wagyu 10oz steak and it was delicious. The whole restaurant was beautiful and had an amazing view of the harbor. It had a wonderful view and had blinds for when it was too bright, that lifted after the sun went down. Wonderful place for a nice dinner and would recommend.

Outstanding food! But what really makes this place a 10/10 top tier experience is the service. If you are ever lucky enough to get Pablo as your server, you will never go anywhere else!!

Great food, great wine, great service. My wife and I came here while spending a couple of days in Monterey to relax. The quaint, exterior (whole fitting in with the rest of the wharf) belies a dining atmosphere that would rival most 5-star restaurants the world over. The food was brilliant, the drinks menu was extensive and the service was second to none. We shared the crab and calamari cowder to start and had our own, equally wonderful mains of cod and calamari. Followed by a complimentary (for our homeymoon) slice of cheesecake. I would highly recommend Old Fisherman's Grotto to anyone who wants a delicious meal with a local flair.

Classy Family Run Restaurant The owner & son came to our table to welcome us. They have had this restaurant in their family since the early 1950’s. They pride themselves on hiring top professionals for staff. We loved every waiter we encountered & ate here 3 separate times. I highly recommend the fresh caught halibut & delicious chowder. So scrumptious that we came back for the halibut a second time. Thank you to this wonderful family & how they have created a unique restaurant experience. We will sing your praises & return again.

We were greeted by the manager and seated by a window where we watched multiple sea lions frolicking in the water. We went at lunch time on a weekday so it wasn't overly crowded. My wife ordered a soup of the day (delicious) and shrimp tacos (three large tacos which were stuffed with shrimp). She couldn't eat all three, but enjoyed them. I had the lunch grilled combination platter which had salmon, shrimp, a scallop, and two fillets of sand dab. The sand dab was probably the most delicious fish I have had the pleasure of eating (beyond excellent!). The salmon and shrimp were also very good. The scallop was good. Our server did a great job. I would highly recommend this restaurant!