Ben Palmer is a chef who won the Great British Menu Banquet in 2024. He is associated with The Sardine Factory and Yamas in Looe.
4
What a vibe! Each room we walked in was more beautiful than the next. We dined in the glasshouse - 11/10 recommend!
We ordered crab cakes, oysters, and cheesy bread for apps. For entrees, I had the lobster pasta and my husband ordered the miso glazed fish. We topped it off with cannolis which were delish.
Ultra amazing food. Gastronomic adventure! Perfection at it's best. Everything was timed perfectly. Dylan was attentive and courteous. Very friendly. The ambiance was relaxing and the decor was nostalgic. Pricey but worth it.
The food was exquisite. We visited during the happy hour time. We ordered blue cheese New York steak, Tuna crisps, crab mushrooms, Garlic fries, abaloni soup. All of our choices were great we ordered another set of blue cheese New York State. It was very good. The atmosphere is very nice. The music is great. I would definitely visit this place again. Our waiter’s name is Cristian. She was very attentive and when we told that it was our graduation celebration. He also brought us a complimentary carrot cake that was also delicious.
We came to Monterey to eat here and were super excited for an exceptional dinner. We cant eat like this all the time, so our standards and expectations were pretty high. The service was great, they greeted us by name and knew why we were celebrating. The staff did a great job of recommending dishes, wine, and chefs recs, and out food arrived with great timing and our glasses stayed full. I cant give the staff enough credit for the quality service. The food however left us a bit underwhelmed. We enjoys the oysters Rockefeller and the escargot, and the filet of Oscar was delicious. However, the clam chowder and abalone bisque just didnt meet our expectations, especially being in a restaurant on the coast. The abalone medallions were decent, as was the wild mushroom risotto, but we just felt there was something missing from the dishes overall. Add to that the enormous cost when we got the bill, and we felt like we paid a bit much for just an ok dinner. Again, the staff and service were great, but the food didnt leave us eager to return.
The Sardine Factory was exactly what I was searching for for my wife's birthday. We drove all the way from San Diego. The owner was there and treated us like guests of honor and made us feel special. Thank you to him, and Jimmy, and the two waiters and gentleman at the front desk who helped make it happen. The food was amazingly delicious, the lobster special was everything. Service was great, and the atmosphere in the dining area we sat in (atrium or observatory) was classy and semi casual, definitely a place to go to if you want to feel good. We had a memorable experience. 5/5, thank you!
