Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
Sardine Factory, Monterey, CA
Award-winning

Sardine Factory

4.7 (5124)
$50 and over
Seafood
701 Wave Street, Monterey, CA 93940

Make a reservation

2 people
8:30 PM
Booked 77 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Romantic
Every city has that one can’t miss restaurant, where celebrities feel at home and every other guest feels like a celebrity. Since October 2, 1968, The Sardine Factory’s cachet has made dining in our historic Cannery Row setting a tradition for world leaders, sports heroes and entertainment icons. Our award-winning chefs prepare delectable creations of fresh, sustainable seafood and USDA Prime Aged Beef; winner of Restaurant Hospitality Magazine’s "Best Wine List in America" award. The Lounge’s live entertainment, Happy Hour and affordable menu are a casual alternative to our other dining rooms. Celebrating over 50 years under the same ownership and management! Voted "Best Restaurant in Monterey" by Monterey County Herald readers.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 5:00 pm–6:00 pm Daily 8:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (831) 373-3775
  • Website
    http://www.sardinefactory.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Benjamin Brandt
  • Private party facilities
    Whether a family gathering or a corporate event, our professional and warmly attentivestaff assists in coordinating each detail. The Sardine Factory offers three unique and elegant dining rooms which provide a choice of ambiance for groups from 12 to 220 and luncheon groups from 25 and up. Call us to get your event started! (831) 373-3775
  • Location
    701 Wave Street, Monterey, CA 93940
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Neighborhood
    Monterey
  • Cross street
    Prescott
  • Parking details
    Enter off of Wave Street ascending the driveway. Self park Sunday through Thursday with self park or valet service available Fridays and Saturdays. ADA Wheelchair entrance from parking lot.
  • Public transit
    MST stop less than 2 blocks away on the corner of Wave St. & David.
  • Entertainment
    David Conley at the Piano Tuesday through Saturday. David has been a professional musician since the age of 17. He has played in numerous bands, opening for various acts such as Steppenwolf, Black Oak Arkansas, Rick Derringer, Crash Test Dummies and more. Versatile and accommodating David takes and plays requests from Led Zeppelin to Elvis Presley to the Everly Brothers.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

Ask Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 5,124 people are saying

Sardine Factory reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • California Central Coast

    Romantic

  • California Central Coast

    Seafood

  • California Central Coast

    Most Booked

  • Monterey / Carmel

    Best Ambiance

  • Monterey / Carmel

    Great for fine wines

  • Monterey / Carmel

    Romantic

  • Monterey / Carmel

    Good for special occasions

  • Monterey / Carmel

    Seafood

  • Monterey / Carmel

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Sardine Factory is renowned for its "spectacular food" and "outstanding service." Guests rave about the "amazing atmosphere," with live music adding to the ambiance. The "wine cellar tour" is a highlight, offering an "incredible dining experience." Perfect for special occasions, the restaurant promises "unforgettable" meals in a "beautiful conservatory" setting.
5,124 Reviews

  1. Paul VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area63 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We have been enjoying The Sardine Factory for many years. Several dinning rooms to choose from. A piano man plays nearly every night. The food, wine list, cocktails are terrific with very professional servers.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Vickie VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I've been visiting the Sardine Factory one a year or when time allows, and it never disappoints. It has maintained the same level of service and quality all the years I've been there. I had an outstanding dinner once again. Thank you for providing such a beautiful and amazing restaurant.

    Is this helpful?

  3. John

    San Francisco Bay Area5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    First rate fine dining experience. Seating is varied due to many rooms with seating. Go when you want to splurge and enjoy it

    Is this helpful?

  4. Janis

    Sacramento / Sacramento Valley1 review

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Eating at The Sardine Factory was a bucket list item, and it did not disappoint. Made a reservation and got to sit in the conservatory (atrium) room - so beautiful! Got the early bird 3 course dinner (4:30-6:30) and had clam chowder, lobster tail, and Kahlua chocolate gelato (omg, best chocolate gelato!). Prawns sambuca also delicious and worth a choice! When we left, there was a piano player in the bar area playing great show tunes. Overall, the whole dinner was a fantastic experience!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Robert VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area61 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    From the time you are greeted and seated, you would think you were in the best restaurant in New York City. Since we are senior citizens and celebrating our anniversary, the waiter was very helpful in assisting us make the correct food choices. The room was the Conservatory was elegant and 95% of the guests adhered to the dress code which in California is unheard of! The Manager came to our table twice to make sure we were taken care of. Try it if you want excellent food and service! Prices reasonable. BTW.. the octopus was outstanding!!
    Sardine FactoryResponded 2 days ago
    Hi Robert — thank you for such a generous and thoughtful review. We’re truly honored you chose to celebrate your anniversary with us. It’s wonderful to hear that our team — from your server to our manager — helped make the evening feel special and seamless. We’re especially glad you enjoyed dining in the Conservatory and appreciated the classic atmosphere we strive to maintain. And yes — the octopus is a guest favorite for good reason! We look forward to welcoming you back the next time you’re in the mood for a memorable evening. Warmest wishes, The Sardine Factory Team

    Is this helpful?

  6. Anna Marie VIP

    Palm Springs / Palm Desert Cities130 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    The experience here is always good. The prices have gone up a bit but they do have an early dinner special. We didn't order that this time. The abalone bisque is always excellent. My husband had the pasta da Vinci and I had the macadamia nut crusted sea bass. Both were quite good. The bon bons for dessert are to die for: Chocolate covered ice cream with caramel dipping sauce and nuts.
    Sardine FactoryResponded 2 days ago
    Dear Anna, Thank you for your recent visit and for taking the time to review our restaurant. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your soup, entrees and dessert. The Bon Bons are so much fun, and very popular. We appreciate your patronage and hope you will visit us again very soon.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Joel VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    I struggle with my review of the Sardine Factory. On one hand, the food was amazing! Truly top notch. Loved the ambiance. On the other, service was poor. Despite not being busy, there were long delays between courses. Desert was particularly frustrating. We ordered ice cream and desert wines. The ice cream showed up but no wines. Literally 30 minutes later and with no updates from the server during that time, the server comes to the table and tells us they’re out of what we ordered. It just didn’t meet the expectations for a restaurant like The Sardine Factory.
    Sardine FactoryResponded 2 days ago
    Hi Joel — thank you for taking the time to share such thoughtful feedback. We’re truly glad to hear you enjoyed the food and ambiance, but we’re disappointed that our service didn’t match the standard we aim to uphold. You’re absolutely right — a delay like that, especially without communication, isn’t acceptable and doesn’t reflect the kind of experience we want our guests to have. We appreciate you giving us the opportunity to learn from this, and we hope you’ll consider giving us another chance in the future to deliver the full Sardine Factory experience. Warm regards, The Sardine Factory Team

    Is this helpful?

  8. Pablo

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The server was great, the ambiance was amazing and it was just overall better than expected. Would recommend!
    Sardine FactoryResponded 2 days ago
    Dear Pablo, We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your visit and thank you for your review. Your patronage is appreciated and we look forward to serving you again very soon!

    Is this helpful?

  9. Rick

    Los Angeles7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great time, haven't been in many years, hadn't changed, good an service was excellent.
    Sardine FactoryResponded 2 days ago
    Dear Rick, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had an exceptional experience at The Sardine Factory. Your kind words mean the world to our team, and we look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable visit!

    Is this helpful?

  10. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We love to come here when we're in town. The service is always fantastic.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Sardine Factory is rated 4.7 stars by 5124 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. California Central Coast
  4. Monterey / Carmel
  5. Monterey

Make a reservation

2 people
8:30 PM
Booked 77 times today
Google Map for Sardine Factory

701 Wave Street, Monterey, CA 93940

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Cross street
    Prescott
  • Neighborhood
    Monterey
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 5:00 pm–6:00 pm Daily 8:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Enter off of Wave Street ascending the driveway. Self park Sunday through Thursday with self park or valet service available Fridays and Saturdays. ADA Wheelchair entrance from parking lot.
  • Public transit
    MST stop less than 2 blocks away on the corner of Wave St. & David.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Benjamin Brandt
  • Entertainment
    David Conley at the Piano Tuesday through Saturday. David has been a professional musician since the age of 17. He has played in numerous bands, opening for various acts such as Steppenwolf, Black Oak Arkansas, Rick Derringer, Crash Test Dummies and more. Versatile and accommodating David takes and plays requests from Led Zeppelin to Elvis Presley to the Everly Brothers.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.sardinefactory.com/
  • Phone number
    (831) 373-3775
  • Private party facilities
    Whether a family gathering or a corporate event, our professional and warmly attentivestaff assists in coordinating each detail. The Sardine Factory offers three unique and elegant dining rooms which provide a choice of ambiance for groups from 12 to 220 and luncheon groups from 25 and up. Call us to get your event started! (831) 373-3775

Featured in

Discover
OpenTable
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Careers
  • Press
More
Our sites
Businesses
  • Restaurant Management Solutions
  • Restaurant Reservation Software
  • Restaurant Marketing Software
  • Restaurant Event Software
  • OpenTable For Restaurants
  • OpenTable For Restaurant Groups
  • Restaurant Resources
  • OpenTable Pricing & Plans
Join us on
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2025 OpenTable, Inc. 1 Montgomery St Ste 500, San Francisco CA 94104 - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo