Way overpriced but service was awesome!
I stayed at Casa Munras for several days and ate here twice for dinner. The wait staff are friendly and attentive, for the most part. I had the half roasted chicken entree the first night. The white meat portion was a bit dry. The polenta served with it was barely lukewarm and very bland. The asparagus was "dry grilled", could have used some fat (oil, butter, that sort of thing). The 2nd night I had the grilled lettuce appetizer, which was quite good. I also had the pita with hummus and tapanade. But they brought this very fussy little dish with teeny portions of each, including oil with a bit of balsamic in it, I think. How this could have been shared with another person is beyond me, it really was barely enough for one person. For my entree I selected the short rib. It had a nice flavor but was a bit overdone, a little too hard around the edges. My waiter was not exactly on point the 2nd night. There was a four person table near me that got the lion's share of his attention. So I had to keep asking other wait staff for things like a fork, another glass of iced tea and the check. Sadly, solo diners often get overlooked.
My first time here, I think I've said wow about 17 times during dinner. The flavors are AMAZING. Tapas-style medjool dates wrapped in an exquisitely seasoned bacon, lamb albóndigas, paella, pulpa, and a host of other exotic meats and spices. One of my new favorite places on the peninsula!
Stayed Casa Munras for our 33rd wedding anniversary in mid May 2017.
We had stayed here several times over the years, and will continue to come back again. That being said, we always visit Esteban's while we are there as it seems like it's part of the Casa Munras establishment. Food is always great, prices are fair for the area. Staff is always very friendly. This visit, we had the opportunity to have "Lisdel" as our waitress on two consecutive days. She was outstanding. She suggested several places for us to check out while we were in Monterey. She was very friendly and was willing to spend time just chatting with us. Those types of connections far exceed what one would experience eating at the higher end restaurants on Cannery Row. (and we have eaten at the best). Would most certainly recommend, and would most certainly return.
I would have given the restaurant four stars as the food was good and the staff was great, but it was a bit expensive and not worth the price, so it gets three stars. Very clean and cozy with a fireplace and a view of the outdoor patio.
We were pleasantly surprised by the menu, the service, the quality, the taste and the value of Esteban. We have plans to go again with friends.!
I would recommend sitting outside by the fire pits if the weather is nice, it's a great atmosphere. The service was fantastic. Great drinks, I would recommend the basque burro. You have to understand that everyone has their own preference in food, spice, flavor. So i'll say that the food was excellent, others say it was bland, boring,etc. Try it yourself and find out.
Delicious tapas variety! The octopus and hanger steak were my favorite! Our server, Richard, was great at explaining the menu options and answering our questions. The pairing of their house Spanish red wine and the hanger steak was sublime! Too bad I was too full to try their desserts. I don't mind going back just to try them. Great place!