The 23 Best Restaurants In Monterey - Monterey - The Infatuation

"The dining room at Montrio, located in a former firehouse, is on the formal side—tablecloths, stemware, and multiple fork sizes at each place setting–but funky overhead lamps and cloud-like ceiling sculptures keep the vibe relaxed. The food is so good that it would be worth eating in any setting. You can’t go wrong with any of the steaks, the onion soup gratinée is intensely savory and cheesy—a near-perfect execution of French onion soup—and the lentil roulade, with chestnut stuffing, mushroom jus, beets, and chive oil, showcases a kitchen which gives just as much attention to vegetarian dishes as they do to meat. For a budget-friendly treat that still feels elevated, stop in on Tuesday nights, when they offer half-priced wines." - allison green, gabi moskowitz