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Sardine Factory, Monterey, CA
Award-winning

Sardine Factory

4.7
4.7
5023 Reviews
$31 to $50
Seafood

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 40 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Romantic
  • Great for fine wines
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

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 5:00 pm–6:00 pm Daily 8:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • 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.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Benjamin Brandt

What 5,023 people are saying

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
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • California Central Coast

    Romantic

  • California Central Coast

    Seafood

  • Monterey / Carmel

    Best Ambiance

  • Monterey / Carmel

    Hot spot

  • 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
Sardine Factory offers a "memorable culinary experience" with a "warm, inviting ambiance" and "impeccable service." Guests rave about its standout dishes like the Abalone Bisque and Lobster Ravioli. The Conservatory room is a favorite for its "spectacular" setting. Ideal for special occasions, it promises "exceptional" dining and a rich, historic atmosphere.

5,023 Reviews
  1. Elvira

    Orange County

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I had very nice dinner on my business trip to Monterey. Jennifer was very professional and friendly, food was excellent and atmosphere was very nice. Outstanding decorations inside. Would be perfect for romantic dinner as well. Highly recommend.

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  2. Kathleen

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great service , fabulous food. Very romantic dinning Will surly go back.

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  3. Loren

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The service and food exceeded my expectations. Our server Dylan was fantastic.
    Sardine FactoryResponded 3 days ago
    Dear Loren, Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your experience! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit overall, and we truly value your feedback, and we look forward to your next visit!

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  4. Theresa

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food and excellent service. Canolli is a must for dessert!
    Sardine FactoryResponded 3 days ago
    Dear Theresa, 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!

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  5. Charles

    San Diego

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    A Farewell Feast… That We’d Rather Forget This was supposed to be our grand send-off meal from the Monterey Peninsula, a culinary mic drop to cap off our time here. We had sky-high expectations, thanks to the glowing reviews from our wine-loving friends—who, in hindsight, were probably three glasses deep before the food even arrived. Rookie mistake on our part. Let’s start with the good: ambiance and decor? Absolutely nailed it. Presentation? Top-tier. Service? Flawless—our server earned every penny of that 20%+ tip, despite the kitchen’s best efforts to ruin the experience. Now, the food. Coming off a stellar meal at Chart House just days earlier, we were primed for something extraordinary. Instead, we got… well, let’s just say the abalone soup should come with a dental warning. Eating it felt like a workout for my jaw—tough, chewy clam-like chunks that had us questioning if we were on a seafood endurance challenge. Definitely not a plate pleaser. The $135 seafood tower? A visual masterpiece but a flavor letdown. The lobster tail was the only standout, while the rest ranged from “meh” to “did this come from a hotel conference buffet?” The surprise hit of the night? The unmentioned oyster Rockefeller—shame it wasn’t the star of the menu because it outshined everything else. To top it off, we were looking forward to the famed wine cellar tour, but alas, some corporate execs with deep pockets threw down $10K to rent it out for the day. Can’t say we were thrilled to have our grand finale derailed by a work party, but hey, money talks. All in all, it was a fitting farewell to a year in Monterey—where we’ve learned that online restaurant reviews are about as reliable as a used car salesman. Wine and vacation goggles make everything taste better, and we fell for it ourselves before moving here. Lesson learned. Would we return? Not a chance. But at least the service was stellar, and for that, our server got the full tip—even if the meal itself wasn’t worth the price
    Sardine FactoryResponded 3 days ago
    Dear Charles, Thank you for taking the time to review our restaurant. We’re sorry to hear you were disappointed with your experience at The Sardine Factory, and that the food fell short of your expectations. We will pass your comments on to the Management and Owners. We sincerely hope you will allow us to serve you again in the future.

    1 person found this helpful

  6. Danae

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    When you walk into The Sardine Factory it’s like going back in time. Love the diversity of ambience throughout the restaurant.
    Sardine FactoryResponded 3 days ago
    Dear Danae, 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!

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  7. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food and service was amazing! Will definitely be going back💗

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  8. Brenna

    San Francisco

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on February 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The mocktails were not great. Food was amazing. Service was fantastic. Birthday cake was carrot cake and fantastic.
    Sardine FactoryResponded 3 days ago
    Dear Brenna, Thank you for choosing The Sardine Factory to celebrate a birthday. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your delicious food, great service and memorable atmosphere. We appreciate your patronage and look forward to serving you again!

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  9. Tim

    Sacramento

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Abalone bisque was so delicious! Perfectly cooked rib-eye
    Sardine FactoryResponded on February 26, 2025
    Dear Tim, Thank you for your recent visit and for taking the time to review our restaurant. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your Abalone Bisque, it is a favorite, to be sure. We appreciate your patronage and hope you will visit us again very soon.

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  10. JasmineZ

    Hawaii

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I really love the vibe and the service at this restaurant. Their live music was super intriguing. They really took note of the the customers and send us anniversary dessert on the house! However, the price of the food is on the higher side of the area, while the taste and the portion of size may compensate on this. It is a great place for having a date but not a casual dinner.
    Sardine FactoryResponded on February 26, 2025
    Dear Jasmine, Thank you for choosing The Sardine Factory to celebrate your anniversary. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your delicious food, great service and memorable atmosphere. We appreciate your patronage and look forward to serving you again!

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FAQs

Sardine Factory is rated 4.7 stars by 5023 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 40 times today
Google Map for Sardine Factory

701 Wave Street, Monterey, CA 93940

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 5:00 pm–6:00 pm Daily 8:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • 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.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Benjamin Brandt
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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