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Portola Cafe
Rating Details »
Categories: American (Traditional), American (New) [Edit]
886 Cannery RowMonterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey, CA 93940
(831) 648-4870
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
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17 reviews for Portola Cafe
We got a bit of a late start heading to the aquarium and didn't want to spend a lot of time finding a place for lunch, getting there and waiting for a table. So, we decided that we would get something to eat at the aquarium when we got hungry. I tend to stay away from restaurants at theme parks, zoos, etc because they are never good, but eating at Cannery Row is usually more miss than hit, so I figured the restaurant at the aquarium couldn't be worse that what we would probably get otherwise.
To my surprise the food was quite good. I started with clam chowder, which was average but satisfying. It had quite a lot of clam in it. Then I had the grilled cheese with tomato gazpacho. The gazpacho was very good and great for dipping my grilled cheese. The blend of cheese in the sandwich was very tasty.
The service was pretty good too. I was thirsty from walking around and our waiter filled my iced tea like 7 times. And how can you beat that view, just awesome.
I am reminiscing about the view right now.
He is tall, dark and handsome....
Oh wait, not that view?
Well then....Monterey Bay is gorgeous! A very tranquil setting.
My "day date" here was impressive.
Our waitress was so gracious and friendly! She was personable and even shared in her background, having moved to California from Minnesota, with no regrets! =) The host was very accommodating even though we changed our reservation time a couple of times! Service= 5 stars!
The bread basket was like a breath of fresh air! Not your typical french loaf.... this was a variety of breadsticks and cheese-encrusted cracker-type breads. Delicious! The presentation of the foods here brings a smile to my face!
The house dressing was a tad bit too tart and acidic for my taste, but I still ate it =) Mixed greens with oranges and nuts. Had it been like a Michigan Cherry Salad, I would have been drooling!
Too bad they didn't have their ravioli dish, but I cannot complain with their quesadillas!! These are unlike any that I've ever had before! They reminded me more of empanadas. They weren't flat triangular tortillas with cheese and meat in between. These were rotund stuffed triangles. The insides remained a mystery until you cut them, which was like waiting to scratch off a lotto ticket! They were absolutely delicious! Small shrimp and guacamole with some shredded cabbage inside. My mouth waters just typing!
Bottle of Pinot Noir.
A bit pricey.
Intriguing company.
Unforgettable day.
I highly recommend eating at the full-service restaurant (versus the cafeteria style cafe). You get a spectacular view of Monterey Bay and all of the seafood is both sustainable and delicious. Surprisingly though, my favorite lunchtime comfort food is their grilled cheese. It's made with 3 different gourmet cheeses and is served with a gazpacho that makes for an excellent dipping sauce. Yum and yum.
Spectacular View, Oasis of Relaxation, Good Eats at the MBA
As the aquarium crowds start to bare down on top of you, slide on in to your reserved table for a quiet and tasty meal with a 5 star view. White tablecloths, fun binoculars and viewing guide at each table, pleasant waiter service made this a lovely lunch. Extra "bar" seating is also available past the bar and there is a secret bathroom here with no line of strollers. The large windows allow a long gaze out to the sea to drift from the harbor seals bobbing around the rocks, frolicking kayaks and diving sea birds in the winds.
Breadbasket had a mix of ordinary bread with these great cheesy thin crunchy bread sticks and a large cracked red pepper cracker with a slight kick.
Painted Hills Grass Fed Beef Burger Burger $16 - tomato, avocado, apple smoked bacon served with a huge pile of homestyle kettle potato chips enough to share with 2-3 people. I would order it without the dill relish and mustard next time as it was a bit overwhelming and once scraped off I could enjoy the super high quality bun/cheese/beef flavors all the more.
Three Cheese San Francisco Sourdough $15 - was a blend of fontina, gruyere and white cheddar cheese oily goodness on a perfect crunch of toasted bread. Just the right amount of butter on the bread. Served with a lightly sweetened strawberry vinaigrette on those field "weeds" salad.
Soy latte served in a tall glass was creamy, smooth and delightful way to finish off lunch with a view.
Senior year of college, my friend and I invented the mother of all grilled cheese sandwiches: a beauty of a specimen with a, I like to think, record-breaking seven cheeses. SEVEN cheeses, people! That is no joke.
Portola, on the latest incarnation of their constantly-rotating menu, puts forth a valiant effort of three cheeses, and in this case, quality far, far outstrips quantity. The cheeses melded together perfectly; the crunchy, toasty bread was the exact right choice. My only complaint regarding this dish is actually a common complaint that I have with most of the menu selection--the sides are usually, to put it mildly, odd. A little too pretentious for my taste. I mean, a strawberry frisee salad? Son, please. But on the other hand, Portola is a classy place, and I guess it just would not be the same to offer a choice of sides with a more plebeian bent.
Also a bit of a disappointment was my order, the fish and chips. I had thought maybe Portola was having an off day, but my precise words were going to be soggy and greasy--same diction as another Yelper.
Two pluses: the spectacular view and the Top Chef-worthy presentation of the cuisine.
Say whaaat. Did I eat at the same place as these other yelpers? Dined here last Saturday and was not impressed. Here's the gist of it:
Fish & Chips ($16.95) - two huge pieces of fish..while the fish was good..the batter was just soggy and greasy. French fries were nice and crispy at least.
Dungeness Crab Trio ($11.95)- - more like CRAP Trio. Came with ONE quarter size (literally) mini crap cake..which was okay...only good thing about it is they didn't overdo it with breadcrumbs. ONE dinky pinky-size (my pinky) crap spring roll..which was bitter and tasted funkdafied. And TWO dinky-sized part of a crap leg (the smaller calf-like part) breaded and fried..simple..nothing great. Crap Crap Trio has gots to go!! (I'll be posting a picture of this shortly)
Cheeseburger ($7.95 from kids menu) - smaller than a MCD's cheeseburger!! And worst of all..no lettuce..no tomato..no onion..no pickle. Just a bun and pattie w/cheese. My niece scarfed it down and was still hungry....
Grilled Cheese sandwich ($7.95 from kids menu) - how the *beeeep* do you mess this up. I could make one of these blindfolded with one hand behind my back. They freaken burnt my munchkin's sammie!! She was starving so she ate it anyway...
Also, there were tiny black particles floating around in our water...good thing I ordered Orange soda!!
Apparently, you also have to ask them for bread...what the heck is that!? For the prices you're paying..you shouldn't have to ask.
As for the view...ehh...saw one seal lounging on a rock...one boat..and one guy standing on what looked like a surfboard..rowing across the water....and murky seaweed filled water. Not impressed.
So glad we went. So great to be able to order freely knowing everything on the menu is sustainable. Was great for the kids too - they could see the harbor seals sunning and an otter playing. They provide binnoculars and a list of animals you can spot.
Regarding food:
- The asparagus terrine was amazing - presentation and taste!
- Kids choices were good and could be ordered with fruit
- Clam chowder was also good
Best part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, hands-down. Great service, REALLY QUIET, amazing views of seals and otters being the cutest things ever, REALLY QUIET, and very solid food.
Really relaxing place - I saw a lot of parents enjoying very big glasses of wine as their kids stuffed their faces full of ice cream and whatnot.
Pretty much every other museum or similar attraction should take note as people will spend serious coin in places like this to just be able to breathe, drink, and melt a little. Good stuff.
Oooops, meant to write this review sooner after our visit and lost track. We bought a two-day pass to the aquarium, and got hungry on the first visit. By that time, the wait for a table was nearly an hour, and the cafeteria option with a hunt for a table didn't look appealing. We got there earlier the second day (and the hostess remembered us - nice.) and got a table.
First off, I'm sure I was totally annoying in the aquarium, picking out the fish in the tanks I wanted to eat, and using their sushi names when I knew them. So I had to do a bit of shift when Portola's menu featured sustainable catches. OK. I can be PC, at least for good food.
Second, the attached restaurants to popular attractions can be questionable, so we were anxious about the Cannery Row prices. We were pleasantly surprised.
We didn't get a window table, but with the binoculars (despite the useful but awkwardly attached species guide), it didn't much matter. The waitron was hard to understand, but attentive.
The third time for fish'n'chips was a charm (first is in my Dolphin review; the desperation lunch at Bubba Gump was actually better; not gonna bother reviewing there, tho it didn't suck) - flavorful fish, light crispy batter. Very nice. I had the scallop special - perfectly cooked and seasoned.
Decent wine-by-the-glass selection to go with for lunch. We liked the place more than we thought we would.
PS - after more than 400 reviews, I'm skipping reviewing the aquarium itself, but if I did, I'd give it 5 stars. It's totally fun.
This is the perfect oasis from the hordes of screaming kiddies in the aquarium. Its pricier than other options and you may need to wait, but its worth it. Here's a few highlights:
1. Great view - the waves are almost crashing into the windows on rough days
2. Good grub (I recommend the fish and chips, but you could just go for the chips if you're feeling sorry for the fish ... we went here before the aquarium so there was no guilt)
3. Excellent service
4. QUIET, even the kids were quiet
Tip: if there's a line for a table, ask for a place at the bar. Its tucked away so easy to miss.
Ate lunch here with the family while visiting the Aquarium. I was so pleased to have a sit down restaurant as a choose while there... because eating the self-service fast food makes me a dull girl.
We were seated next to the window and the binoculars kept the little cheese busy throughout the whole lunch.
The food was amazing!!!
The best Lobster Bisque hubby and I have ever had. The Calamari was also very nice... fluffy and light batter not greasy. I tried the Salmon, the risotto was awesome but the Salmon was a little dry for my pallet. The Mr. tried the Crab Duo (I think is the name), he really liked it.
The Panna Cotta was delicious with a strawberry sauce and fresh strawberries.
Overall a great place to eat, great service, awesome food and they do have a very nice Vine list also.
I just returned from a delightful lunch at the Portola Cafe. There were three of us present and after looking at the menu and seeing so many yummy goodies to choose from, we decided to order several starters and salads.
First off, the wine list is very well-rounded. They mark the local wines & the organic wines, so I tried a local organic Chardonnay I had never heard of - the waiter recommended it and he was right, it was a good choice.
We had the Cypress Grove "Humboldt Fog" cheese & beet/asparagus salad & the caesar salad. Both were good. The Humboldt Fog was just a little too tangy for me - I would have preferred a chevre, but the beets & grilled asparagus were very good. I'm not a huge fan of caesar salads, but this one did not assault me with fishiness even though it did have anchovy filets.
I also had a cup of the clam chowder - it was very good. Probably some of the best I've had since leaving the East Coast. It is in the New England style.
We split the abalone, the scallop, and the calamari dishes. The Abalone itself is a 5 star winner. It was so tender and so flavorful...it literally melted in my mouth. I wish we had ordered a second helping. The scallop (do not misread - it is singular) was tasty, but the rice concoction it was resting on actually stole the show for that dish. I am still not 100% sure what was in it, but it involved bacon. The calamari was lightly battered and not tough & chewy, which happens all too often, in my opinion.
For dessert, one of my friends had the creme fraiche with, I believe, rhubarb "soup." It was so light & good, even though I would never have chosen it for myself. I chose the sorbet trio and was pleased. This trio included a mango, strawberry, & pineapple sorbet. Just the right way to end a fun lunch with a great view.
The service was great. We never felt rushed to order, to eat, or to leave. We definitely arrived before the bigger "rush," but it looked like most people opted for the self-service cafe and not the restaurant.
I would definitely recommend this as a place to meet some friends for a relaxed lunch. As a bonus, you get a pair of binoculars at the table with information about the different animals you may see. The restaurant is also committed to using sustainable seafood. For the quality of the food, I felt the price was within reason.
I had to laugh at Bill J's review because the same thing happened to us the first time we visited Portola Cafe....Which is not to be confused with the self serve cafeteria next door and the servers seem bothered by anyone that is not clear on this. Now that we are in the know-we look forward to our lunch here almost as much as the sights at the aquarium.
I have never had a disappointing meal and have tried some of the specials. I have found the fish to be fresh in what I ordered and the menu to be enticing with some inventive specials. Wine list is pretty good too.
I have (almost) always got a window table and the view alone makes the make the food, wine and whole experience better. We try to plan to eat before or after the crazy lunch rush to increase our odds of getting a window table...it's just that good.
This restaurant has long been a delight. I can remember when they served sourdough in the shape of a whale! They must have decided that wasn't sophisticated enough. The 'bread' selection now includes bread sticks, traditional soudough and crackers.
My husband and I ate there on Sunday, February 1st and they have continued to upgrade the quality and inventiveness of their food. My husband had Singapore Noodles and I had the Caesar Salad and Citrus Sampler. I LOVE samplers, I love the beautiful presentation and taste awakenings that they imply. This sampler was wonderful - crab, lamb and ahi tuna. The Caesar Salar was what a Caesar salad should be and INCLUDES anchovies. A plague on any restaurant that serves alleged Caesar salad without anchovies.
it would be worth recommending if they didn't have a view but they do so go.
we ate here during our trip to the aquarium. the view of the bay while eating was amazing. the food was good. i had the fish and chips and the husband had the burger. the batter was way soggy and a little nasty, but the fish was very tasty. the husband thoroughly enjoyed his burger. our waiter was very knowledgeable and attentive.
I really, really love this restaurant. I love it even more than the Monterey Bay Aquarium that houses it. The restaurant is on the ground floor at the back of the aquarium building, right in the center. It overlooks the bay and I saw several people on boats on the water. I could also see the distant shoreline. It was very pretty. They put a pair of binoculars on each table so people could look out into the bay. That was cool.
Half of the eating area is for the self-service cafe. Half is for the full-service sit-down restaurant. I ate at the restaurant. After a full morning of chasing my niece around, sitting at a nice table (with woven seatbelt backs) and being served delicious meal was so welcome.
The server (I think his name was Danny) was so helpful and professional. My nephew left a zone of food around him, but the wait staff did not show any frustration. They even brought him extra bread sticks because he was teething.
The honey-glazed fig souflee thingie was fab as was the artichoke tasting. Everything tasted so fresh. I asked to substitute veggies for crisps with my burger and there were no problems. Their bar served us wine and beer.
It was a great experience. I would love to go back.
We had visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium on numerous occasions. This time we decided to try the Portola Caf as we had never eaten there.
This restaurant has spectacular views of Monterey Bay. One can watch the seals, sea otters, birds and kayakers.
We wondered in from the deck and approached the bar tender asking how to get a table. He pointed at a middle aged lady. She had all the appearance of a seventh grade English teacher who had just spotted us sneaking into class late.
She approached us and demanded to know why we were in the restaurant and why we were not at the front (what front?). Then as though we were going to the Principal's office she marched us through the restaurant and through the self service caf to the Sea Otter exhibit. We turned around and marched back to the restaurant. Guess that showed us.
We were given the menus and the waiter was there instantly. He mumbled something about a special and disappeared. Had we none it was a 20 minute wait for his next appearance we would have ordered immediately.
Well after the reappearance of the waiter thing went satisfactorily. The food was ok. I do not like fish that has been through rigor even though American's seem to like that fish smell. But the food was not bad the cost between $15 and $20. They offered binoculars for viewing the Bay.
Restroom review.
Shares restrooms with the Aquarium there were basically clean. 3 out of 5 stars.
Some mysterious liquids on the floors and counters.
Paper towels.
Hooks and lock on the stalls.
No waiting.
