Best Italian Restaurants in Monterey

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Glass cases of towering cakes catch the morning light first—by 8am every stool is taken, locals slinging coffee while the grill crackles behind the counter. Rosine’s kitchen nails comfort classics: crisp-edged omelets, turkey dinners that reek of Thanksgiving, a club sandwich locals argue over with weird passion. Slide in before the lunch increase or you’ll queue onto Alvarado; skip dinner if you want quiet—the place stays loud and lit late.

434 Alvarado St, Monterey, CA 93940, USA

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Wood smoke hits you before the menu does at La Bicyclette. Candlelight skips across rustic stone while you elbow between couples at shared wooden tables. The kitchen nails French-leaning comfort—bubbling gratin, crackling-crusted flatbreads, anything that slides from the wood-fired oven on a cast-iron tray. Arrive at 5 p.m. sharp or expect 30-plus minutes of fog-chilled Carmel tourists hunting the same warm refuge.

Dolores St &, 2 7th Ave, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921, USA

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Vesuvio in downtown Monterey throbs with crimson light and the low rumble of classic rock; bartenders in rolled sleeves shake cocktails that spray sparks of citrus oil into the smoky air. Order the clam chowder served inside a hollowed-out sourdough boule, the briny broth soaking the inner walls like a tide pool. Grab the corner banquette early evening for front-row people-watching along Alvarado Street in Monterey's theater district.

6th Ave &, Junipero St, Carmel, CA 93923, USA

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Gusto in Monterey's Cannery Row pushes the warm breath of blistering pizza dough and garlic butter across a concrete floor flecked with copper shavings from the open kitchen. The rigatoni alla vodka arrives slicked in a blush sauce that snaps with crushed chili, each tube cracking between teeth. Order at the counter for lunch—once the Monterey tour buses unload at dusk, the line doubles past the vintage sardine signs.

1901 Fremont Blvd, Seaside, CA 93955, USA

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Osteria Al Mare hits you with salt air and the scent of charred octopus the moment you step through the sliding glass doors onto the pine-plank deck overlooking Monterey Harbor. Order the whole grilled branzino; its silver skin crackles under a squeeze of Meyer lemon while gulls circle above the fishing boats. Tables along the western edge face the sunset brushing Monterey Bay copper, waves slapping against the pilings where sea lions bark.

32 Cannery Row Suite H, Monterey, CA 93940, USA

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Il Tegamino has earned 4.5★ from 414 reviewers. A various cuisines spot worth adding to your list.

South side of Ocean Avenue between Lincoln and Monte Verde We are tucked in the Courtyard behind Cottage of Sweets, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921, USA

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Mezzaluna Pasteria & Mozzarella Bar has earned 4.6★ from 395 reviewers. A various cuisines spot worth adding to your list.

Mezzaluna Pasteria & Mozzarella Bar, 1188 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA

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