A Taste of Monterey Ocean View Wedding Reception
After couples book a wedding package with us, the question of where to host a wedding reception always comes up. Since the majority of our weddings include 50 or fewer guests, we had mostly recommended private and semi-private rooms in local restaurants on the Monterey Peninsula.
Recently, we were approached by A Taste of Monterey, a local venue overlooking the Monterey Bay that has been in business since we first moved to the area three decades ago. They have an excellent reputation for local wine tasting, gourmet products, friendly staff, and an amazing view of the ocean and out toward parts of Cannery Row and Fisherman's Wharf. After your reception, you are right in the heart of Cannery Row, so continuing the celebration at one of the local bars or music venues can be a great plan.
In a meeting with their owner, we decided that this space would be perfect for our wedding receptions. They were nice enough to offer our confirmed couples a discounted site fee (only when booked through us). They have a wonderful chef, an extensive menu of entrees and appetizers, and, of course, the best local wines (beer is available). A minimum of 30 guests is required for a private booking (fewer than 30 can be accommodated, and the venue will remain open to wine tasting guests weekdays till 6 PM and weekends until 8 PM and in those cases, since you are sharing the space, there is no site fee with a plated 3-course dinner starting at $99 per person (plus tax and gratuity - beer/wine available at an additonal charge)
The Chefs at a Taste of Monterey can create custom menus, but here are some examples:
Plated Dinner Classic Example: Salad (Traditional Greek Salad), Entree (Roasted Lemon Thyme Chicken in a garlic parsley wine sauce OR Roasted Prime Sirloin with caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms AND farm fresh mixed vegetables and gruyere mashed potatoes), Dessert (Chef's signature toffee brownies with raspberry sauce)
Plated Dinner Elevated Example: Salad (Caesar in edible Parmesan bowls with roasted red peppers and bouquerones), Entree (16 hour Cabernet braised short ribs & pan-seared local Wild Petrale Sole in an orange white wine sauce OR Quinoa stuffed bell peppers (Vegan option) AND gruyere mashed potatoes and Zucchini Provencale), Dessert (New York Cheesecake with cabernet blueberries or Chef's signature Toffee Brownies and "The Creamsicle")
Plated Dinner Premium Example (4 Course dinner): Passed Appetizers (Salmon Mousse Crepes and Local Wild Mushroom Melt), Salad (Caesar Salad), Entree (Prime Grade Ribeye Steak with Compound Herb Butter with Pan-Fried Local Halibut Cheeks in a Picatta Sauce served with roasted garlic and cheddar mashed potatoes and Local Zucchini Provencale), Dessert (Winter Apple Parfait)
Optional wine pairings are available for an additional fee. A Taste of Monterey loves food themes, so other than a local California Coastal, you can consider: Mediterranean, Latin American, Caribbean, Cajun, Asia/Pacific, Polynesian, or other regional areas of the U.S.
For appetizers, they have at least 12 seafood options (e.g., Spicy marinated prawns), 11 "land" options (e.g., Lamb Lollipops), Vegetarian (e.g., Edamame with shitake mushrooms), Salads (10+ options), and more. We've worked with a lot of restaurants, and a Taste of Monterey has been incredibly flexible (and friendly) to work with. In March, 2026, they were featured in Edible Monterey Bay, a local magazine highlighting the best of food and wine.
Contact Brian at [email protected] for more details (for the special site fee, you must contact us directly AND be in the process of booking a wedding package with us or already booked).
After couples book a wedding package with us, the question of where to host a wedding reception always comes up. Since the majority of our weddings include 50 or fewer guests, we had mostly recommended private and semi-private rooms in local restaurants on the Monterey Peninsula.
Recently, we were approached by A Taste of Monterey, a local venue overlooking the Monterey Bay that has been in business since we first moved to the area three decades ago. They have an excellent reputation for local wine tasting, gourmet products, friendly staff, and an amazing view of the ocean and out toward parts of Cannery Row and Fisherman's Wharf. After your reception, you are right in the heart of Cannery Row, so continuing the celebration at one of the local bars or music venues can be a great plan.
In a meeting with their owner, we decided that this space would be perfect for our wedding receptions. They were nice enough to offer our confirmed couples a discounted site fee (only when booked through us). They have a wonderful chef, an extensive menu of entrees and appetizers, and, of course, the best local wines (beer is available). A minimum of 30 guests is required for a private booking (fewer than 30 can be accommodated, and the venue will remain open to wine tasting guests weekdays till 6 PM and weekends until 8 PM and in those cases, since you are sharing the space, there is no site fee with a plated 3-course dinner starting at $99 per person (plus tax and gratuity - beer/wine available at an additonal charge)
The Chefs at a Taste of Monterey can create custom menus, but here are some examples:
Plated Dinner Classic Example: Salad (Traditional Greek Salad), Entree (Roasted Lemon Thyme Chicken in a garlic parsley wine sauce OR Roasted Prime Sirloin with caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms AND farm fresh mixed vegetables and gruyere mashed potatoes), Dessert (Chef's signature toffee brownies with raspberry sauce)
Plated Dinner Elevated Example: Salad (Caesar in edible Parmesan bowls with roasted red peppers and bouquerones), Entree (16 hour Cabernet braised short ribs & pan-seared local Wild Petrale Sole in an orange white wine sauce OR Quinoa stuffed bell peppers (Vegan option) AND gruyere mashed potatoes and Zucchini Provencale), Dessert (New York Cheesecake with cabernet blueberries or Chef's signature Toffee Brownies and "The Creamsicle")
Plated Dinner Premium Example (4 Course dinner): Passed Appetizers (Salmon Mousse Crepes and Local Wild Mushroom Melt), Salad (Caesar Salad), Entree (Prime Grade Ribeye Steak with Compound Herb Butter with Pan-Fried Local Halibut Cheeks in a Picatta Sauce served with roasted garlic and cheddar mashed potatoes and Local Zucchini Provencale), Dessert (Winter Apple Parfait)
Optional wine pairings are available for an additional fee. A Taste of Monterey loves food themes, so other than a local California Coastal, you can consider: Mediterranean, Latin American, Caribbean, Cajun, Asia/Pacific, Polynesian, or other regional areas of the U.S.
For appetizers, they have at least 12 seafood options (e.g., Spicy marinated prawns), 11 "land" options (e.g., Lamb Lollipops), Vegetarian (e.g., Edamame with shitake mushrooms), Salads (10+ options), and more. We've worked with a lot of restaurants, and a Taste of Monterey has been incredibly flexible (and friendly) to work with. In March, 2026, they were featured in Edible Monterey Bay, a local magazine highlighting the best of food and wine.
Contact Brian at [email protected] for more details (for the special site fee, you must contact us directly AND be in the process of booking a wedding package with us or already booked).
