Jeninni Kitchen + Wine Bar image

Jeninni Kitchen + Wine Bar

Restaurant Bar Cocktail bar Wine bar Mediterranean restaurant Tapas bar Small plates restaurant Tapas restaurant

Casual bistro offering Spanish small plates & Mediterranean meals with a large selection of wines. People often mention chicken, fries, good,


Address

542 Lighthouse Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950

Website

jeninni.com

Contact

(831) 920-2662

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.50 (259 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Thursday: 5 to 8 PM
  • Friday: 5 to 8 PM
  • Saturday: 5 to 8 PM
  • Sunday: 5 to 8 PM
  • Monday: 5 to 8 PM
  • Tuesday: Closed
  • Wednesday: Closed

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: chicken (7) fries (7) good (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 William C. 2 years ago on Google
    Had a really nice dinner here, with plenty of outdoor seating. We started with the ham + cheese plate, with nice serrano ham, great cheese, and excellent fresh bread. I had the fried chicken for my entree, which was fantastic -- the batter was light, crispy, and delicious. Service is very friendly, as is the owner. Good choice for a romantic dinner!
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 lakshmi s. 1 year ago on Google
    The food and service was great. Their recommendations were amazing. I really loved their dish called the bourride. It’s basically a seafood broth made with saffron. It has a rich creamy texture and finger licking good. We also ordered the lamb shank which was tasty as well. The lamb was crispy in the outside; tender and juicy on the inside.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Christopher Y. 2 years ago on Google
    Well plated dishes that taste just as good as they look. You'll definitely want to pick a few dishes because they travel well if you wish to eat them at a later time. They have a wide variety of alcoholic beverages to choose from.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Jessica W. 1 year ago on Google
    The food was amazing. I went with a party of 5 and we ordered half the menu to share family style. The mushroom risotto and the lamb shank were my top favorites. The atmosphere was also nice. The service was not. Our server was like, really sweaty for some reason. He looked disheveled and he spilled a drink on my friends placesetting. No big deal. He said "oops let me get you a new one" a new drink? A new placesetting? I dunno because he did not return with either. Also a woman, who I think is the new owner or manager, was helping place our dishes and it was an awkward angle so I helped her. She didn't warn me that the plates were incredibly hot!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ivy L. 4 years ago on Google
    Came here for dinner after spending the day in Monterey. This was such a pleasant surprise! All the dishes were very well done! The grilled octopus was sooo soft that we've never had octopus prepared this way and yet you'd still get the grilled/smokey flavor. The local sardines were also a surprise. With the interesting presentation and the toast, they worked so well. The gnocchi was so rich but without being overwhelming and I really liked how the corn gives it a different layer of texture. We also got the lamb shank and the meat was tender though it does not come off the bone and I think that was how it was intended. Overall it was a great dining experience.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Wyatt C. 3 years ago on Google
    Jeninni provides the experience you're looking for! The food and atmosphere is a completely FUN experience. The staff is so friendly and made our night so special. They've adjusted well to the COIVD era, building a beautiful patio area for outdoor seating, and each table is adequately spaced. Don't cook dinner tonight and treat yourself to this wonderful, safe experience!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ryan S. 1 year ago on Google
    Great food, wine menu, ambiance, service. Would absolutely come back. We didn’t make a reservation although for a Monday it was quite busy. We got the sourdough, cauliflower, fried chicken. Everything was fresh, thoughtfully layered with flavor (even the charred sourdough), and well seasoned.

  • 5/5 Gavin C. 2 years ago on Google
    Found this place on a whim, and I'm glad we did! Small and intimate dining area with large windows to allow us to see the setting sun and warm us up on the cooling early evening. Started with the chicken liver pate, mushroom soup, ahi crudo, and their eggplant fries. The reisling gelee on the plate brightened up the richness of the dish and the bitterness from the charred sourdough worked really well with the mousse. Our server mentioned that the eggplant fries was their signature app. Interesting texture of the fries as they came out, but started to become soggy and more watery as it sat at the table. The aioli that was served paired nicely and the lemon helped to cut through the oil. The octopus with romesco would be my personal choice for appetizer. Tender legs, but they could provide a bit sharper knife to cut the octopus. The crispy lamb shank was very very good, tender meat with a very flavorful and crispy outer crust as it was flash fried to finish. The za'atar spice blended with the slightly spicy broth really rounded it all together. The star of the show by far was the chicken torchon...with eight thick slices, more then enough for our four top sauced with roasted chicken jus poured table side. Fresh sauce vert sprinkled atop with a bed of soubise. The chicken was super juicy and tender rolled up with a nice and thin crispy skin. A definite must order! Will definitely make a plan to stop by again the next time I'm in town.

  • 5/5 Bailey T. 1 year ago on Google
    Outstanding service from Nick! Amazing food as well. This is not my first time eating here. I always get eggplant fries and the octopus and end with an affogato. I dream of these items when they’re closed or I’m not in town. I’ve had the chicken torchon before and that is also excellent!

  • 4/5 Thierry S. 2 years ago on Google
    Went for dinner. Had the moules/frites, mussels and fries. Nice different approach to the traditional French dish. Very tasty sauce with tahini. Well seasoned. Mussels were fresh and flavorful. The tahini sauce give a bit of gritty feeling. I would maybe pass it through a sieve before serving. Also, the fries should be in a separate bowl so they don’t become soggy. The pickled vegetables were very good. Wine pour is small, most likely not even 5oz. Very frustrating. Everyone knows reading my reviews that I don’t appreciate being ripped off by wine prices and/or quantity and this restaurant is no exception to that bad trend. Disappointing. The menu is not extensive but dishes looked good.

  • 2/5 kelly c. 1 year ago on Google
    We had the eggplant fries, they where greasy and limp. The cauliflower appetizer was not bad a bit raw for my liking but my husband thought it was good. I ordered the Caesar salad as my main and it was filled with bitter green and not a Caesar at all. I didn’t eat it, and complained to our server and was still charging. Over all it was an expensive not worth it meal. This was not our first time there. We always give a restaurant several attempts before criticizing a local place. We are not going back again.

  • 5/5 Jesse M. 1 year ago on Google
    By far one of the best restaurants in PG. The flavor of the food is exquisite and unmatched. Every item you order will blow you away so make sure to come back and try everything.

  • 5/5 Jose V. 11 months ago on Google
    Excellent food. Truly worth it and currently one of my favorite places in Monterey, CA. It has recently changed names from Jenni Kitchen + Wine Bar to The Spotted Duck. Menu still similar enough to before and there seems to have been little to no change in the food. Quality is still really high.


Call (831) 920-2662 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Halal food
    • ✓️ Comfort food
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Vegan options
    • ✓️ Organic dishes
    • ✓️ Healthy options
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Popular for
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Solo dining
  • Accessibility
    • ✗ Assistive hearing loop
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Catering
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Takeout
    • ✗ Delivery
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating

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