Fin + Field Restaurant and Bar

"We stopped in for an early dinner before seeing a show down the street. The restaurant's bar opens at 4:00 and they were gracious enough to seat us a little before 5:00, before the restaurant was technically open. Despite being part of a hotel, the space had a modern vibe independent of the Marriot with a noise level that felt lively without interfering with normal conversation. We were seated a little out of the way, but had very attentive service from our server. We had plenty of time before our show, and they accommodated our request for a more leisurely pace. Our server checked in on us multiple times and was quick to fulfill every request. Unfortunately, Fin and Field uses the server + food runner model, which means going through the who-had-what dance when the food arrives because the runner has no idea. Also, the runner had to relay requests for refills, etc, as they didn't seem empowered to fulfill them. Pricing is a little high, but within the expected range for a nice place right in the Monterey downtown—if the food is good. I ordered the grass-fed beef burger, which comes with french fries and nothing else. My fries were somewhat underdone, soggy and a little limp. The kitchen overcooked the burger, which was well-done without a trace of pink. The patty is about an inch thick, which is a lot of dry meat to get through. The burger comes with cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato, but no condiments that I could see. Some mayo, mustard and ketchup would go a long way to make it more palatable."

"Pretty good for a hotel....fish & chips was great! Clam chowder was the best Ever! The Burrata appetizer was amazing! Beef short ribs and chicken were Dry and tough. Beet salad was a disappointment. The server didn’t know much."