Intimate French restaurant with carefully prepared dishes and extensive wine menu. Be sure to book in advance for this popular spot for those who enjoy French cuisine. Worth a splurge. Everything is rich and delicious tasting. We enjoyed our selection of wine from Joyce winery.

Went to have our 10th year wedding anniversary dinner. Our waiter was super nice and knowledgeable. She suggested us a very good wine (probably one of the best wines we've had) to go with our dishes. We were seated right away when we got there, it was around 5:30pm. We were asked if we wanted still or frizz, we chose frizz (san pellegrino) -- NOT FREE! We then ordered our delicious appetizer (smoke salmon carpaccio with capers). Make sure you use the lemon zest it was bomb! The bread they served was fresh and delicious! I got pasta with truffles, and my husband ordered the cannelloni tartufi (it's a filled pasta with beef tenderloin, ricotta, truffle, and pink vodka sauce) so.good. ! We finished it up with a delicious chocolate sorbet dessert. French food never disappoints. The ambiance is great! We never ran out of wine in our glass. Our waitress was very attentive, i wish i got her name. She deserves a raise! Overall, we had a great time. A must try! P.S. i had a great time doing my own fancy food plate art. 😉 the last 4 photos are the real plate. 🙂🙃

Dishes executed very well....we enjoyed all the dishes...worth a visit if you are at Monterey

I have been a customer of Bistro Moulin for several years. I travel to Monterey Bay three or four times a year. During my stays Bistro has been a favorite location to dine. The owner/chef was very friendly and of course and Excellent cook. Excellent food and outstanding service was the trademark. The ambiance was romantic, perfect low lighting and French decor. The entrees always delicious no matter the choice. My Favorite appetizer was the escargot, served very hot and cooked in an amazing sauce. Always cleaning the dish with the bread! I would go there so often I was given a gift card from my family. Although the name of the restaurant is the same, Bistro Moulin, the ownership has changed. After the change I noticed the food was not quite the same. The escargot was not as meaty and the sauce not like before. Before when you would take a bite you're struck with an amazing flavor, now no amazement. I had the rib eye and it was over cooked, ordered medium rare and it came a little more then medium. Knowing the ownership change I asked if I could use my gift card. The server stated she had to ask the owner, later returning indicating they would not honor the card. At first, I thought, ok its new ownership and paid the $233 check. But after returning to my hotel room I got to thinking. The new owner kept the name, I am sure to have the old clientele return. This would be a great way to keep the cash flow. If that was the case they should honor the gift cards so the old clientele(myself)would remain a loyal returning customer. The incident upset me to the point I decided to write a review on a link sent to me from Bistro Moulin. I voiced my displeasure with the fact the gift card was not honored. Within two hours of my post the owner telephoned me. He explained to me that the gift card was purchased from the old owner and that the old owner should have given refunds to customers that had purchased cards, not him. He also stated, if he honored the card he would be losing money and he is not in the business to lose money. I explained to him he was using the same restaurant name to bring back the old clientele, thus making more money. And by honoring the card he would have a repeat customer who would always return and he would make even more money. He disagreed, stating again he would be losing money. I believe in any business there is always going to be some, "give and take," its business. Well, according to him, he's about making money. We did not come to any agreement, I told him I disagree with his logic and there are many other quality restuarants in Monterey where my business would be appreciated. He became frustrated and hung up the phone. After reading this I am sure your thinking my food review is going to a bit bias. The food is not the same as the old Bistro Moulin. After my experience with the owner, if he were to offer to honor the gift card ($300) I would not return. Fortunately, there are still restaurants where its reputation and customers are important. Old Fisherman's Grotto, on the Wharf is one.

I have fond memories of this restaurant (and the sushi place that was here before, that I used to go to I was a child) and I went back to Bistro Moulin for the first in 10 years recently. Unfortunately, our service was sub par. We didn’t get served bread or the special complimentary appetizer from the chef that the other tables received. Also, when we asked for bread shortly before the food arrived the waitress seemed to be aware we didn’t get bread and begrudgingly brought some as the entrees were arriving. The canelones were good, the appetizers good. The steelhead trout was unimaginative and not what I expected and tasted like the typical salmon i make once a week at home - I would not recommend as it costs $50. Would recommend Gusto, Café Rústica or Patria, in Salinas as they have the same quality of food and are a lot cheaper and don’t have waiters that serve some tables bread and complimentary appetizers and do not do so to other tables.

Owner and chefs have changed and place was remodeled - painted white. Appetizers were good. Entrees were ok and pricey. Exceptional service! Super attentive staff. Cute, but no longer has the rustic feel.

We loved it when it was the old owner and now also the new owner from Capri. On a Friday night we arrived to a bit of a noisy upbeat full restaurant we had reservations and were seated at a window. We ordered a salad to shares, gnocchi appetizer with delicious cream sauce that you’ll want to save to dip your bread and French fries in. My main corse was moules and Frits. Partner had the stuffed pasta shells with sirloin etc. shared a desert pistachio cake on the lighter side. We were stuffed and everything was delicious. The server had suggested a great French Chablis. It quieted down towards the end of our meal. Yum we’ll go again

Very enjoyable meal just outside Monterey center, worth the short taxi ride or 30min walk. Pasta was excellent, wine choice was also very good. Would recommend 👌

Great food and great wine! We were able to snag a table without a reservation. The gnocchi with rock shrimp was divine, as was the cacio e pepe. Great wine list as well!

Very delicious and delicate food! the dessert is super great😆

Service, from the maître d', server and other waitstaff was enthusiastic and incredible. The busser assigned to our table was extremely attentive, and deserves to be recognized even more. She (and her coworkers) ensured that water was always filled, knew exactly when to help pack our leftovers, and was always there when needed. Together with our server, they made the meal such a delight. Portions were large too: i had the French onion soup, shared Pate, and had the carbonara main. The pasta itself would've been enough for me, and I'm someone who can wolf down an awfully large amount of food. Ambience was what you'd expect but these days may not get from a "bougie" restaurant: white tablecloth, flowers on the table, proper silverware etc. One minor knock: they ask if you want sparkling or still, without proffering tap (the more eco+cost friendly option) unless asked.

This was a divine experience. The restaurant is small but I never felt cramped in, despite there being quite a few other diners there. The food was delicious. I will be going back without a doubt.

A wonderful little French restaurant! Cute atmosphere and an intimate feel for dinner. Everything from the complimentary crostini with the carrot tapenade to the berries and profiteroles we all so good. Their cheese charcuterie board was wonderful with the best brie and Roquefort cheese! My husband enjoyed the baked beef tenderloin cannelloni. We would definitely come back and enjoy another meal!

All of the food was amazing. I highly recommend the pork cheek. It’s more tender than regular pork. I would go early, or make reservations long because they are often fully booked up around dinner time. The one time I successfully walked in, it was at 4 pm.

We stumbled across this place for dinner and it was fantastic! We love French food and hadn’t found too many French restaurants during our time in California so far so this was a real delight. The food was delicious and the place had a very homely vibe to it :)

Out of this WORLD dining experience! My hubby and I went to Bistro Moulin and Monterey for a anniversary celebration. Bridget, our server, was amazing - her wine pairing suggestion with our veal entree and french onion soup/spinach gnocchi appetizer was perfect! Her recommendation for our dessert - the tiramisu - was also spot on. All of the flavors and textures of the food was divine - this was probably one of my top dining experiences of all time. I can't wait to go back!

Excellence service! Staff is friendly and the food is super. 4 of us tried different main courses and all enjoyed our dinner. I left my scarf after dinner on Sunday. They close on Monday and Tuesday. I had to go back to work on Tuesday so I thought I'm going to miss my scarf forever. I called on Wednesday, they found my scarf and they are willing to mail it back to me for free. I got it back on Friday. Owner is really friendly and really care for the customers.

Main dishes were good, salade wasn’t absolutely not special at all. The support/and or barback checks don us more then the server. With long food wait times with no checks. 2 stars cause the entrées are good! I wouldn’t recommend tho!

Very good onion soup. Duck confit was ok. Service was excellent. Pricing was shabbily deceptive. Never saw fine print at bottom of menu saying prices reflect 4% cash discount. Bill was presented with credit card prices even though server did not ask how we were paying.

Best meal and experience we had while in Monterey area. Spinach gnocchi is a spiritual experience. I have been reborn. Overall great service, charming ambiance, and amazing food.

Had an amazing dinner here. I highly recommend the Filet Mignon and their French Onion Soup. One of the if not best restaurants in Monterey.

Really great ! The hostes was a super nive guy (the server not much). The wine was great. The onion food was perfect. Same with the sea Bass. The bread was good but the olive oil should not be served as it is of a very low quality.

An absolute find!!! 10/10 stars for the food, service and ambiance!! Osso Bucco like you wouldn't believe!!

Food was delicious and I really enjoyed their wine selections. The owners and staff were incredibly nice and gracious when I accidentally lit a napkin on fire by dropping it into the votive on the table. Will definitely return next time I'm in Monterey.