Great decor, I was hopeful for a great dining experience, but….. I reserved the Montrio Bistro for a business dinner party of eight. I was hopeful as I had read several positive reviews of the restaurant. Unfortunately, my experience was not positive and all in our party felt the same way. As I suggested the restaurant based on the reviews, the pressure was on me. Sadly, the experience was not good. First the service was wanting as our waitress was inattentive and seemed more interested in visiting with other employees than servicing our table. Our food was average and plates were served a little cold.

Location: The restaurant is located almost next door to the Marriott hotel in downtown Monterey on Calle Principal.

Décor: The décor is a positive in this review. It is eclectic, fun and interesting. As I was looking at a restaurant for a business dinner, I was impressed by the interior design and the cloud art that hangs from the ceiling. The restaurant’s overall decor is eclectic, artistic, and just fun!

Interior view of the restaurant and the decor

Menu: The menu was well designed and there were plenty of selections. However, some of our food was served at less than the ideal temperature and the steaks were overdone.

Service: The service was unacceptable. I had called ahead to mention that this was a business dinner. We had a winemaker in our party who is knowledgeable about wine. We also brought a few of our favorite wines. The waitress did little to assist with the wines. She did not stay on top of our table and we were often left to pour ourselves. This is not acceptable for a restaurant of this caliber.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere is very casual and relaxed. The patrons were dressed from business to casual.

Restrooms: The restrooms were clean and well maintained.

Final Thoughts: The overall experience was substandard. The dinner was quite expensive with the wine’s, cocktails, appetizers, and the entrées we ordered. Of course, when you spend this type of money you are hopeful the evening will be a success. We were all looking forward to enjoying our dinner, however with the service and food lacking, we left disappointed.

5StarTip🌟: Call ahead for reservations as the restaurant is quite busy especially on the weekends.

Montrio Bistro rates an Always5Star: 🌟🌟

**I was not compensated in any way for this post. My opinions are completely my own based on my experiences which I paid entirely for myself.

---