Montrio

I recently had the pleasure of dining at this wonderful restaurant with my mother, who was visiting from Croatia. It has always been our favorite place to dine whenever we visit Monterey, and our most recent visit only reaffirmed why. The highlight of our evening was undoubtedly the Osso Buco, a dish we both adore. It was prepared to perfection, with tender meat that practically melted in our mouths. And, of course, we couldn't resist indulging in their staple dessert, the Bread Pudding. It was nothing short of divine, a sweet conclusion to an already memorable meal. What truly made our dining experience exceptional, however, was our waiter, Chris. He was not only attentive but also incredibly friendly and professional. His warm demeanor and knowledge of the menu added an extra layer of delight to our evening. Thank you to the entire team at the restaurant for consistently delivering a top-notch dining experience. It's a place that holds a special place in our hearts, and we can't wait to return on our next visit to Monterey.

This is one of the best meals I've had in a while! I'm always a fan of sea scallops and risotto in their simplest form and sometimes feel that chefs try too hard. However, the leeks and roe really took this dish over the top! Additionally, the flourless chocolate cake is the creamy, "fallen souffle" style (vs the dense, fudgy kind)... And this is a rare find. 🥰 Finally, the crafty cocktail menu did not disappoint. I say at the bar but admitted the cute little red, barrel -shaped booths. I am traveling mostly packed for hiking. I failed to pack anything other than my trail shoes and felt significantly frumpy compared to most of the guests. However, the staff was nothing but courteous, attentive and helpful and the bartender helped talk me through some tough menu choices.

First meal @montriobistro, a very inventive, local, and fresh restaurant serving sustainable fish 🐠 Tonight was very busy, so service was not attentive 😌 We asked the server to split our check and he didn’t wanted to do it. I was busy talking and catching up, so I couldn’t take photos of all plates, but there were some crab cakes and pork belly for appetizers. And our friends also ordered the Halibut with risotto special of the night, as well as the Orecchiette 👌 The bread was warm and served with butter spread. My family enjoyed: 👌 Pan Roasted Branzino (Mediterranean Sea Bass) with stewed tomato, artichoke farro, chermoula sauce, preserved lemon 🍋 👌 Jidori Chicken with garlic herbs, roasted “under a brick”, served with potato gnocchi, roasted rainbow carrots, and natural jus 🎉 👌 Kids menu - Pan Seared Salmon with heirloom squash 👏 👌 Grilled Chicken breast with French fries (for the boys). 🍷Bottle of wine - “Educated Guess”, Napa County, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021, 14.5% 🍻Draft - East Brother Beer Company. #familydinner #michelinguide #michelinguidecalifornia #localfish #sustainability #montereybay #monterey #montriobistro #local #californiancuisine #californianbeer #californianwine #napawine #friendship #reunion #guests #kidsmenu #branzino #mediterranean #seabass #jidorichicken #heirloomsquash #farro #artichokes #eatsustainably #cheflife #pastrychefyana #michelinrestaurant #labordayweekend #finedining

I really wanted to give this place 5 stars. Just walking up to the building, the smell makes you prepared for deliciousness. The cocktails were creative ... brown butter old fashioned / miso harmony (mix the foam in if you get this). The appetizers were amazing. The Agnolotti had one of the best cheese sauces we've ever had and we ate it like soup after the (red) pasta was gone. Crab cakes has great flavor too. Sadly the entrees did not hold up and it was downhill from there. The Branzino was well cooked but needed a lot more if the lemon herb (chimichurri of sorts) to tie it together with the faro better. The duck was delicious but the sweat maple glaze was more like water and soaked into the forbidden rice too much sweet rice is an off flavor). The bok choy had awesome smoke flavor from it char on the grill. We'd definitely give Montrio a second chance if we ever back (for more of the Agnolotti)

Copied from my review on other platform: Good service and foods. The cocktail were very tasty and refreshing. We ordered short rib and wagyu as entries. The American wagyu wasn’t as good as Japanese wagyu but still well prepared. It’s side potatoes was very crispy. For the slow braised short rib, it was very delicious with rich flavor. However it became a little salty when you almost finish it. So I’d recommend add some sides to balance its taste other than the provided mashed potatoes. We also ordered oyster and onion soup as appetizer. The soup was delicious and oyster was fresh.