FANDANGO RESTAURANT
A MONTEREY PENINSULA DINING INSTITUTION

Looking for an elegant dinner on your trip? Take a drive to sleepy Pacific Grove to the family-owned Fandango Restaurant, renowned for award-winning cuisine conveniently located near Monterey and Carmel.

A favorite for locals and a must-visit for travelers, Fandango (named after the dance and not the web site) specializes in creating a unique and enjoyable fine dining experience, presenting a lunch, dinner and Sunday Brunch menu that features Mediterranean and European style cuisine. What started off in a modest home has expanded the size of a city block offering two stories of inventive dishes inspired from ingredients around the globe, including fresh seafood and hearty pastas, mouth-watering steaks and their signature rack of lamb.

During our visit for dinner, we sat in the front, original room, which offers an elegant and cozy setting. We started with the Six Escargot, served with garlic, herbs and butter; it’s decadent, yet so tasty.

The Paella Fandango, prepared with Saffron rice, seafood, spicy sausages, chicken, peas, green onion, red and green bell pepper, cooked and served in a skillet is highly recommended. It’s extremely flavorful and just perfect to share. And the aforementioned Rack of Lamb is another must-have dish.

The dessert selection can be overwhelming, there are just too many sweet options to choose from, but we went with the Profiteroles—cream puffs filled with ice cream garnished with chocolate sauce—they were delicious!

While Fandango is crowded, both in the restaurant and bar, step outside onto Main Street Pacific Grove and it feels like you’ve gone back in time, as this sleepy town shuts down early. Fandango is the big attraction in town, which is why we headed to Monterey only to race back to Carmel for a better time.

Fandango is a festive place, perfect for a romantic dinner, or a lively night with friends and family (dinner in their wine cellar would be an absolute treat) where comfort food and traditional, regional dishes come together in perfect symmetry.

Fandango Restaurant is located at 223 17th Street in Pacific Grove. Call 831-372-3456.