The Restaurant at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Beautiful view of bay with delicious cuisine and outstanding service. Make a point of enjoying lunch almost every trip to the aquarium.

Visited the Aquarium for my birthday and was seated at a perfect table overlooking the bay. Great food and service !

Our server had great personality and knowledge of the dishes being served. The roasted Brussel sprouts were amazing and everyone in our party enjoyed their orders. It’s a bit pricey but supports the aquarium so we didn’t mind paying a bit more.

Amazing dining experience and definitely a highlight during our trip. We saw otters, seals and even Risso dolphins while dining. Our server Ray was great and the scallops and grits might have been the best ive ever had! Thank you!

I used to love this more upscale restaurant in the aquarium, but apparently the chef has changed. The menu provided average selection with a disappointing offering of fish and seafood. My poke bowl was nothing special with pre-made seaweed salad and avocado over rice. They should do better.

Blown away by food options, ideas, quality and taste. My request for bay window seating also provided.

The waiter did not get 3 of our 4 meals ordered correctly. But he was prompt to set it right. My burger ordered medium was raw inside.

The dining room is very ordinary except except for the views out the wind of the Monteray Bay which makes it worth going to.

The ocean views were spectacular and the restaurant was a lot quieter than the Cafe. A lot of school children were eating in the Cafe. The service was very good and the food was good. It was fairly expensive for lunch which we had, but you do get a 10% discount if you are a aquarium member.

Awesome view....nice quiet respite from the crowds. Great service, great food. Not cheap but worth every penny. The brussel sprouts were THE BEST I ever had.

Great location inside of the Monterey Bay Aquarium with beautiful views of the bay. Good service and wonderful food. A very nice place to relax after touring the aquarium.

Overall the place is amazing.
The host was very friendly and helpful he sat us right next to the window. The server was also very friendly and made sure we got everything we needed. We had a toddler with us and our server was able to get his food out very fast and bring the kid drink in a kid cup.
The food was also very good, nothing incredibly special about it. But the service is so amazing and spectacular that will definitely be going again.
Overall I’d say the aquarium and the restaurant hire and train the staff so incredibly well the they are generally happy to do their job.

Just lovely!!! The food was delicious and the atmosphere, even on a rainy day, was 5 star!!!

Delicious, clean food with a spectacular view. Love the small hidden atmosphere and will be back.

Always a special treat to have lunch at the Restaurant!

We may have gone into the meal still thinking it was Cindy’s Restaurant. We realized there were less fresh fish and avant-garde options. We still ordered heavily for two - two starters, a salad, two entrees with plans for two desserts. Starters and salad came at same time. Table full of dishes. Starters for four people it seemed. But good. Then 30 minutes in server started to consolidate plates because ‘entrees were on way out. We were still eating starters so it felt rushed. Granted, we were thinking two hour meal at Cindy’s but they could have waited to fire entrees til we had starters done. We could not eat all but still surprised server by ordering dessert. Overall - food was good and we will still make reservations here when we next make it to aquarium, the din of the cafe was stronger than before...a sharp roar. Granted it seemed there was less restaurant space and the lower prices meant most of the restaurant tables had young kids. Who were themselves screaming.

I did really miss the fine dining experience with heavy inspiration on sustainable and creative menu items and seafood variety.

The restaurant is definitely nicer than the cafe, with a small reserved area which is quieter with table service.
Unfortunately, the kitchen seems to be the same...
Every dish was mediocre.

The host will text you when your table is ready--love it. It's nice to be able to walk around and not have to wait for a table. Also love the 10% member discount. There were many entrees that were gluten free and/or vegan, a real plus. And one desert that was gluten free and delicious. We will definitely go back.

We’ve dined here twice now. Both times we ate when it opened: 11am. The benefit is that the noise level is lower than when the cafe next door is full.

We absolutely love the binoculars on every table. Our daughter spends most of the meal searching the bay for sea birds and animals. (Pro Tip: If you want a table directly next to the window choose an early dining time and book as soon as you know you’re going to be visiting the aquarium.)

We started with the deviled eggs trio appetizer. We thought all three would have Dungeness Crab from the description. Instead one had Dungeness Crab, one had a traditional chive topping, and one had a bruschetta style topping. (We thought the eggs were going to be topped with crab, chives, and bruschetta.) The egg filling was delicious. The toppings by themselves felt lacking. My favorite was the bruschetta surprisingly. I liked the crab but felt it needed a little seasoning.

I opted for a bowl of clam chowder for my lunch. The size was a little smaller than most bowls. The chowder itself was filling. It was flavorful with chunks of potato, salmon, and clam.

We’d definitely eat here again but we’d confirm what we’d be served.

Great dining area and amazing food. Really enjoyed the view and the service.

The entree we chose was excellent. We both had the scallops with grits and arugula. It would have been nice to have bread to go with it. Table was ok, we asked for a window table but was told the one available was for a VIP and only VIPs can reserve them, for the rest, it is the luck of the draw. I asked for sparkling lemonade; both sparkling water and lemonade are available but apparently they are unable to mix them together. I had an Arnold Palmer instead (lemonade and iced tea mixed together) and no refill was offered. A straw is also not offered but will be given upon request. An ok experience, it is a small room and we were scrunched between a party of 5 seated at a table for 4 and a party of six. People go for the view so the seating and service can skate by on the outstanding view.

I visited the Aquarium during a locals' promotion when entrance is free. I was looking forward to spending my savings in the restaurant because the menu was very attractive, a big reason I made the visit. The beet salad was uninteresting and the scallop dish was ruin by burying it under a huge handful of undressed arugula. The experience was a classic case of good ideas deflated by lackluster execution.

We had a great experience. Our server, Danny, went above and beyond and took great care of us. We were celebrating my daughter's first birthday and not only did he make us feel that our baby was welcome, but he brought her a water and, later on, a birthday cake! We had a great meal and a great day. Highly recommend the Korean steak bowl!

Obsessed with this restaurant! I’d always been curious about what it would be like to eat here, and I finally did! The food and views were amazing, the service was friendly and attentive, and I LOVE that the online menu shows the sustainable seafood’s journey from the ocean to your plate! I have a morning ritual where every morning, I exclaim, “Good morning! Good morning! Exciting day! Exciting day!” and when I exclaimed it from the outdoor deck of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, I just knew a part of my exciting day would be eating at the restaurant, and I wasn’t disappointed. It was a wonderful experience!

We had different servers through the meal (lunch), which was odd. It didn’t affect the quality of service negatively. - it was great. Our window seat was spectacular. What a view!

Best kept secret when visiting the aquarium. Away from the crowds, great ocean side views. Innovative menu, nice appetizer selection, ok wine menu. Very attentive wait staff. A lovely way to spend 1-1.5 hours.

The food was excellent...the service could have been better...the view amazing...hidden inside the Monterey Bay Aquarium...it’s not to be missed...

The best thing about The Restaurant (once known as Cindy’s Waterfront) is its location: Right inside the Monterey Bay Aquarium hidden and partitioned off from the aquarium’s cafeteria. You sit at beautiful large windows right over the water with a spectacular view of the bay. From this vantage, you can see an abundance of wildlife including harbor seals, sea otters, dolphins, the occasional whale, and all kinds of aquatic birds. It’s truly a wonderful place to sit, enjoy your meal, and enjoy the view. Speaking of meal, the food is usually very good; however, the menu can be somewhat limited (although changed frequently) and you may opt to eat in their aquarium’s excellent cafeteria instead. Still, eating at The Restaurant is a special experience that’s not to be missed, especially if you just want to get away from the crowd and noise generated by visitors, and just want to relax with a good meal and a glass of wine.

I had been here before before their remodel. Liked it better. My food was wonderful. My husband hated the menu and what he ordered. It was fish and chips. The fish was mushy inside as was the batter. I had the Charcuterie which I loved! Need to have more items on the menu.

With a reservation, we whisked past the waiting people and had a lovely table by the window, with binoculars. The food was excellent and service perfect.

The scene was great. The food wasn’t good. Had the fish and chips. The cost wasn’t fresh. Couldn’t even eat it.

The good was outrageous so good not to be believed. I got the scallops with grits. Don’t know when I had better scallops and the grits were the best. Would definitely recommend. I think they need to make the place look a little nicer though. The view is beautiful

nice view and good quality of foods! I would recommend friends to this restaurant!

The Food was fantastic! We took our 4 year old grandson. Being at the fussy eater age we were surprised when he ate so much he almost burst. Tasty chicken nuggets fries and a large bowl of berries and fruit. And then they brought a lovely vanilla ice cream we shared. We were seated in a side alley portion of the restaurant which I wouldn’t recommend for ambience. But for a small child it has a great view of the ocean. We also had gluten free requirements that they were able to meet. I lovely meal at the Aquarium.

Both scallops and fish undercooked. Very loud. Nice setting, very good service

Not a good value for the money. Only the view is worth it.

This was my first visit to the aquarium and the restaurant did not disappoint. The service was excellent as was the food and the view.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is always a treat. Even more so is breaking up the visit with lunch at the restaurant. The view is spectacular and the cuisine inventive. I would change my selection every time because the menu is creative, but I seem to be addicted to the scallops and grits, filled with great little vegetable treats. Excellent!

Overlooking the bay a wonderful experience in one the worlds great aquaria

I wanted to give top marks but no matter how much I tried to like it, things were just a bit off. First, one thing to know is that you have to check in at the desk in front of the buffet. Don’t go directly to the restaurant. The dining room’s best tables were filled with staff having business lunches. It hurt the ambiance to be away from work and see people going over files. They took the window tables so the only way to enjoy the view was to look through their seating area. On the good side, the Brussels Sprouts were phenomenal. They were fried BS leaves not the whole head so they were crispy and flavorful. Sadly that was the end of the good. The fish tacos were so bad that my friend couldn’t get the fish smell out of their mouth. It was more like bait. Yuck!! Ended up leaving the aquarium to buy mouthwash just to get the smell/flavor out. Hoping they don’t get sick.
Service seemed a bit rushed. We barely sat down and she wanted our order. When I told her I needed more time she went to my friend and asked for their order saying I should be able to make up my mind by the time she got back around to me.

All in all, I’m hopeful mine was a one-off experience so I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Good food and extraordinary view