Passionfish

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Address:
701 Lighthouse Avenue
Pacific Grove, CA 93950

Neighborhood:
Pacific Grove

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Cuisine:
Seafood

Price: $30 and under

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Passionfish Details

Dining Style: Casual Dining
Website: http://www.passionfish.net/
Email: info@passionfish.net
Phone: (831) 655-3311
Hours of Operation:
Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:00PM - 9:00PM
Friday - Saturday: 5:00PM - 10:00PM
Payment Options: AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Seafood, American
Executive Chef: Ted Walter
Dress Code: Casual Dress
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Beer, Farm to Table, Gluten-free Menu, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Private Party Facilities: Passionfish offers two rooms available for private dining. One room seats up to 30 persons and another up to 60 persons.
Private Party Contact: Cindy Walter (831) 655-3311

Getting there

Cross Street: Congress Ave
Parking: Street Parking

A word from Passionfish

Passionfish offers a unique California dining experience with serious food and wine in a fun and casual atmosphere. The ever-changing menu features the freshest, sustainable seafood, slow-cooked meats, organic greens and delectable desserts, all complemented by an award winning wine list priced… nearly retail and well below what you've come to expect. Passionfish is owned and operated by Chef Ted Walter and his wife Cindy Walter. They are vocal advocates for sustainable seafood education and were the first officially certified 'Green' restaurant in Monterey County.Continued

Foodspotting photos

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Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerBest Overall
Diners' Choice WinnerBest Food
Diners' Choice WinnerBest Service

Diner Reviews

"The food was excellent, the wine list was even better, and the service was superb"
Dined on 4/20/2014
"Way too noisy, difficult to have a conversation over dinner. Too many children screaming. Too many odd fish on the menu rather than more common choices. Food was a little undercooked."
Dined on 4/19/2014
"Being new to the area, we enjoy trying a new restaurant each week. Passionfish proved to be a new favorite. We tried a crab salad, a catfish appetizer, and halibut entree. All were excellent. The staff was attentive and courteous. We will definitely return!"
Dined on 4/19/2014
"Every time we visit Monterey we make Passionfish on of the restaurants we visit. I have celebrated my birthday here on two occasions and the staff is always very attentive and acknowledges the specialness of the evening. The food is always amazing!"
Dined on 4/19/2014
"We went there for my husbands birthday dinner. Excellent fish dishes and dessert. Fabulous wine list...great wine prices. Go if you have an oppurtunity!"
Dined on 4/18/2014
"We eat here every time we are in Pacific Grove, and bring friends whenever we can. The food is excellent, the wine list fabulous and affordable, and the best part is their commitment to serving sustainable seafood. Thank you for being a leader in sustainability AND culinary excellence."
Dined on 4/12/2014
"Passionfish was recommended to us by several different friends. We will thank them for passing this information to us. The restaurant has informed wait staff and a really interesting wine list with many hard to find varietals sourced from many California wineries. The crabcake and asparagus fries appetizers were wonderful. The main course lamb breast was tasty and went well with the wine suggested by our server. Altogether a very nice evening."
Dined on 4/15/2014
"Passionfish exceeded our expectations! My wife and I had dinner here on the third day of a four day holiday on the Monterey peninsula, our previous dining at other restaurants had been exceptional. We were promptly seated and presented with menus and specials. The waitress answered our questions on the dishes and made a terrific wine recommendation based on our entree choices. Dish presentation was beautiful, food perfectly prepared. Great job all around, we will be back!"
Dined on 4/15/2014
"All dishes were perfectly prepared,great variety of choices.very extensive wine list .wines are fairly priced.waait staff very attentive and knowledgable.would recommend Passionfish as a top choice for dinner"
Dined on 4/15/2014
"Passionfish was recommended to us by friends who ate there on their anniversary. We also highly recommend it. Everything was delicious. I had a one of the best pasta dishes. The name of the tiny round pasta begins with "s"---it included small, tender pieces of wagyu beef. The sauce was very tasty but was very light. It was an incredible dish. My husband loved his ceviche and his crab cakes. Both had beautiful presentations. Passionfish was the first restaurant that we've been to that had a special "Food Allergy" menu. It included dishes that some patrons may have an allergic reaction to (I.e. Gluten, nuts, shellfish). Our server was very sensitive to my allergy to shellfish. Overall service by everyone was outstanding. "
Dined on 4/15/2014
"We enjoyed the food very much and were amazed at the wine list! A wine we discovered in France and couldn't fine here in the USA is on the Passionfish wine list. And we had an excellent, knowledgeable waitress named Candace. A very enjoyable evening!"
Dined on 4/14/2014
"We live in Sonoma and are spoiled with an abundance of good food. Passionfish was right up there. Our dinner was superb, service impeccable. When we are next in the Monterey Bay area it will be our top choice. Wish they were a bit closer! "
Dined on 4/14/2014
"Every dish was delicious, well explained. The coconut rice was a wonderful surprise side.The salad under the fried oysters was very saviory. The fried asparagus were generous, thick and sweet, covered with a basil aioli.The scallops and the rockfish were perfectly cooked and superbly flavored. Superb wines reasonably priced. No room for Dessert! Wonderful meal. Wonderful wine list priced at retai."
Dined on 4/14/2014
"We were told by various friends that this is THE place to dine in the Monterey area. We three disagree. It is so into fusion that it became art for art sake, rather than a positive dining experience. The appetizer was so spicy that it masked the delicate flavor of the fish. Trout was so heavily laden with basil that it was inedible. Salmon was bland and the vegetables were overcooked. Each of us had something that looked great on the menu and was a major disappointment. The server never came to ask how we were doing, so it wasn't until the end of the meal that we gave this feedback. The restaurant did remove the charges for two of the dishes, and for this we were appreciative."
Dined on 4/10/2014
"My husband and I recently spent our 50th wedding anniversary at Passionfish. We love it! White tablecloths, attentive (but not intrusive) attendants, perfectly gentle atmosphere, and outstanding food. What more can you ask from a top class restaurant? Please go--you will be happy!"
Dined on 4/13/2014
"Great food and wine, but was 45 minutes late being seated for an 8:30 reservation. This would not be so bad except there is very litte room to wait to be seated and a LOT of folks were waiting so it was very crowded and uncomfortable which made the 45 minutes seem even longer."
Dined on 4/12/2014
"Two out of the four dishes we ordered were failures. One was tasteless smoked trout ceviche (with no smoke or trout flavor, and an over-the-top portion of ginger piled on top), the other a crab cake awash on a sea of tomato/fennel "sauce" that managed to taste like neither. Real disappointment."
Dined on 4/11/2014
"I first dined at Passionfish on New Year's Eve with my boyfriend, and our experience was so fantastic that I had to take my mother here when she visited from MN. Our waitress over NYE was wonderful (shorter, with dark curly hair); I wish I could remember her name! She was knowledgeable, informative, and enthusiastic about the restaurant's approach to sustainable eating. She also recommended a local wine that paired really nicely with our food. You will not regret eating the scallop on risotto, basil-stuffed trout, crab & avocado salad, or bread pudding. SO GOOD. SO FLAVORFUL. I would make the drive from Palo Alto any day for this food."
Dined on 4/11/2014
"wow, the food here has really gone downhill. The wine list is still great with excellent prices, but not sure it can compensate for the poor food quality."
Dined on 4/12/2014
"Sustainable seafood, reasonably priced extensive wine list, superb preparations (not over cooked or over sauced). Consistently excellent."
Dined on 4/12/2014
"We have many great restaurants in the Carmel - Pacific Grove area but none better than Passionfish. We had out of town guests who are 'foodies' so we took them for dinner. They were incredibly impressed with our meal. We each had a different dinner entree and shared bites: Monterey rockfish, scallops, duck and 'spoonable' lamb. We just got back from New Zealand which of course is known for its lamb. The lamb at Passionfish was better than anything I had in New Zealand ! Passionfish proves that you don't have to give up anything to eat sustainably. They have been pioneers in the sustainable seafood movement."
Dined on 4/12/2014
"Our son and his wife recommended Passion Fish to us and we were not disappointed. We've eaten at many good restaurants in the Monterrey Bay area over the past 50 plus years and Passion fish is right at the top. Thanks"
Dined on 4/12/2014
"Wonderful menu and the food lived up to what we had heard, very helpful service and wine list was extensive and well-priced. Worth checking out in the Monterrey area."
Dined on 4/6/2014
"Everything was very pleasant, but I would suggest they put up a curtain to block the air flow between the door and the foyer. We sat halfway back in the dining area, but every time the door opened we were chilled. it wasn't overwhelming, but we finally noticed the link. The room temp was fine otherwise."
Dined on 4/11/2014
"Passion Fish is clearly one of the best restaurants in the Monterey/Pebble Beach/Carmel/Pacific Grove."
Dined on 4/10/2014
"When vacationing on the Monterey Penninsula we never miss the opportunity to eat at this fine restaraunt in Pacific Grove. This time we ordered a seasonal salad of aspargus and snap peas in a just barely there mint dressing. My husband ordered scallops and I ordered the rock cod in rum sauce with the coconut rice. The seafood was tender, sweet and perfectly cooked. The included sides complimented without competing with the fish. We love that Passionfish has a "retail" price policy on their wine list and you can actually afford a decent bottle or a glass of wine without breaking the bank. I love the restaraunts very simple but elegant ambience. Everything about Passionfish is in perfect balance."
Dined on 4/7/2014
"the food was wonderful. the service was great. server was very knowledgeable and helpful. highly recommend."
Dined on 4/7/2014
"The food was prepared and presented beautifully. I loved the asparagus fries and the honey goat cheese salad. The Monterey rockfish had a unusual and delicious rum sauce. The dinner prices were moderate. Our server was friendly , well informed and non-intrusive. Will definitely be back."
Dined on 4/7/2014
"The food was very tasty, very pure with a few simple flavors, without any camouflage. The result was very tasty food, but did not have the refinement of more expensive restaurants, but that is perfectly fine given the very reasonable pricing. The wine list was amazing: A great selection for a very good price for each bottle."
Dined on 4/5/2014
"Passion fish has been out go-to restaurant on the Monterey Peninsula for years. We could always depend on inventive fabulous dinners. Not this time. The crab avocado salad was heavy with an overly vinegary sauce. I had to return my talapia because it wasn't cooked. My husbands duck confit had an odd vinegary gravy. We were vey disappointed and wondered what has happened to our favorite restaurant ?"
Dined on 4/5/2014
"I have been to Passion Fish a number of times. I have never been disappointed. The food is fresh, creative, always delicious, beautifully presented and unique. I recommend this restaurant to any friends visiting Pacific Grove or the Monterrey Peninsula."
Dined on 4/4/2014
"Thanks for a great dinner. Wine list and specials were excellent and I highly recommend trying the dungeon cobb avocado salad. So many other good things to say, but just make sure you try this restaurant if you are in the area."
Dined on 4/4/2014
"Outstanding food served in a friendly and professional manner. The wine list is extensive and thoughtfully selected and priced at a level which makes BYOB totally unnecessary."
Dined on 3/30/2014
"Try the asparagus fries - they are not to be missed!"
Dined on 3/28/2014
"First-rate cuisine with an excellent wine list that is priced unbelievably low - I shake my head thinking of the additional revenue/profits the owners are forsaking by pricing their wines so low. If approached to be an investor, I wouldn't approve of it. As a customer, I love it. My family and I go to Monterey a few times every year and until this year always made sure to go to the Sardine Factory, until we finally had enough of the tired menu and ridiculous prices. We've had enough a place living off its reputation. From now on, our go-to choice for every trip to Monterey is Passionfish!"
Dined on 3/30/2014
"This is an expensive restaurant, but it is usually worth the money spent. The scallops were so tender, it was amazing. The catfish appetizer was so light it almost lifted off the plate. The sturgeon was good, but had a muddy taste. All in all a yummy special evening."
Dined on 3/30/2014
"Great service and the food was good. However, the sturgeon was "off" that night. We returned it, and they took it off our bill. The rainbow trout and tilapia were excellent."
Dined on 3/29/2014
"Food was ok but not as good as i remember from past. Was busy so maybe I'm in minority."
Dined on 3/29/2014
"We make it to Passionfish almost every time we visit Carmel / Monterey. Small menu, creative choices covering the spectrum of food choices. Great wine pairings. Wait staff always knowledgeable. Dinner for four, with ALL the courses - under $400. EXCEPTIONAL."
Dined on 3/29/2014
"I had heard this was a great fish restaurant, but found they have a lovely menu and a variety of options. My scallops were delicious; husband had the spaetzle and beef which I thought was creative but the beef got lost in the dish. One person enjoyed the tilapia, but the side dish was less than great - something like sauteed cucumber (?). The fourth person in our group enjoyed the lamb breast which was a combination of a variety of flavors and textures. The asparagus fries appetizer were wonderful as was the baked gorgonzola and curried greens salad. The appetizer, salad and scallops were the standout choices. The wines were very reasonably priced but relatively few Napa Valley wines. Helpful, polite, professional servers!"
Dined on 3/28/2014

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