Paluca Trattoria

The weather was fantastic on Monday so we really wanted to find a place with outdoor dining and a view of the water. A lot of the restaurants had a view of the water but no outdoor dining so we decided to give Paluca’s a try. Our server was very friendly and helpful, he adjusted our umbrella so we could all have shade, gave us generous tastings of a couple different wines to help us make our selection and even topped off our wine glasses for free. My hubby and I both had the sand dab special which was lightly breaded and pan fried and served over either pasta or a mixed greens salad. The fish was perfectly seasoned and cooked, over the salad it was the perfect, nice light lunch for a warm day. Everyone in our party finished every bite of their lunch!

We came here one night and absolutely fell in love! It is such a cute little place, the staff is very friendly, and they make you feel at home. My boyfriend got the lobster ravioli and they were the best ravioli that he ever had and I got a pancetta pasta that was excellent. We will definitely be returning!

Got a great seat outside with a nice view of Monterey bay. Got the bruschetta with Shrimp appetizer and it was delicious. For dinner, had the chicken pesto and the pesto was mild and the noodles were cooked wonderfully. The owner Sal helped serve the food and our waitress was very good. Will definitely come back when we are in Monterey again.

Loved it!!! Super friendly waitress made us feel at home. Owner/​manager personally checked on us and accommodated our needs. Food was fabulous. Cant wait to go back.

Lunch at Paluca Trattoria has become a family tradition after the Big Sur Half Marathon. The food is always spectacular and if you’re lucky, Sal might tell you a few stories about his childhood in Sicily. He is a true foodie and his personality so well-​suited to Chef and Restaurateur. Treat yourself to this local favorite on the wharf.

Sal is the BEST. All his food is prepared fresh and delicious. Wonderful seafood, caught local in the Monterey Bay. Atmosphere is gorgeous and rustic at the same time. Sal offers both dining inside and alfresco. He has a great wine list to boot!

The spinach gnocchi was so delicious! And the service was great! Sit outside, it’s a great view of the water!

What can be said about the food that couldn’t also be said about the last Adam Sandler movie? Pointless, tasteless, and a complete waste of money. I had the amazingly bland lobster ravioli. To get so little flavor out of such great ingredients is a true feat. When I told them that it was bad or bland, I was reminded that it was lobster… as if that meant anything.
I was also told by the chef/​owner that I’d still be paying full price for it. Awesome.
The hot chocolate my kids got was warm milk with a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
All in all, a terrible eating experience that I will never wish on anyone. Avoid at all costs.

Great food and service. Has the grilled prawns bruschetta and smoked salmon panini. Was able to have dogs on the patio.

Enjoyed a lovely Al fresco lunch here this weekend. I’m always wary of restaurants in tourist locations, but everything about this restaurant from the location, to the food, and service was fantastic! There was only one server when we were there, but she handled all the tables efficiently and with care! She was awesome! We had a bottle go their house Pinot Grigio which was recommended by our server and it was perfect for the warm day. I had the shrimp pasta with cream sauce and it was fantastic– sauced just right with perfectly cooked linguine. I recommend this restaurant for a great meal with a fantastic view, food, and service!

Always good food here, & the staff are great.
Try the smoke salmon panini, it’s really good.

Beautiful outside seating with a great view. Bruschetta had a good strong flavor and topped with mounds of fresh tomatoes. The garlic fries were solid; not overly oily. The Pesto Calamari was a nice unique dish. The flavor was very good but there was almost a bit too much pesto because it became a little soggy. The wine poor was a bit light compared to other restaurants.

Our group of 12 was accomodated with amazing service, outstanding food, and stunning ambiance. Although small, the restaurant is located on a corner so there are no bad seats, several stunning sights. We can’t wait to return!

My group of 3 went on Sunday afternoon and didn’t have to wait. We got a nice seat on the deck. Such a great atmosphere. What I loved is that they weren’t peddling their food like some other restaurants farther down the wharf.
The food was very delicious. I had a spicy linguine pasta with giant prawns. It was great! My husband has their ravioli special spinach and artichoke and loved that as well.
A great gem amongst the average touristy spots on the wharf.

Un très bon restaurant, dans un cadre magnifique.
La serveuse que nous avons eu été très très gentille, nos plats de pâtes étaient excellents, rien à dire, je conseille !

While the pesto calamari appetizer was flavorful and fresh, the service was inconsistent and the fact that there is no hostess caused some frustration. The salmon special that came with the spaghetti with olive oil and garlic was quite sparse and my son’s carbonara appeared to have been reheated which resulted in an oily finish. The taste was also bland and the pancetta was dried out. Overall not billed as expected in afraid.

This place was small & cute! It had a nice deck seating! The food was good, my dad really enjoyed the clam chowder, without the bread though because he says they give you more chowder that way! lol the fried shrimp was a decent size, overall we really liked it.
The price wasnt too bad either:
Clam chowder
Fish & Chips
Fried Shrimp & Fries
Kids Chicken Tenders & Fries
Corona
Lemonade
Coke
Total $ 54
Oh! & they only had one girl waiting tables, she did a good job considering it was just her! would def go back and try the rest of the menu!

With all the restaurants down the wharf advertising and claiming their chowder to be the best, I really just wanted something different. Something other than seafood that is. So I gave this place a try. It’s small and simple, nothing fancy inside imo, but relaxing out on the patio on a nice sunny day.
The hostess/​waitress was pleasant and considerate of our dog. She took our order and gave my mutt a bowl of water. Very cool!
I ordered their special:
~ Spinach and Artichoke Ravioli — A pretty good blend of sauce and soft raviolis! Nothing spectacular, but still delectable.
~ Fish & Chips ($ 13.95) — This was wild Alaskan Cod with Anchor Steam beer batter. A house-​made tartar sauce and fries. It’s not like the fish’n’chips in Ireland, but these were pretty decent. Large and crispy! The tartar sauce was decent too. Didn’t care about the fries too much.
On the side, for $ 4, we were given a plate of bland chicken chunks for my dog. Thought it was complimentary, until I saw the bill. No big deal. The good service made up for it.
They’ve got a lot on the menu, so I wouldn’t mind trying something different next time.
Tips:
— They’ve got gluten-​free pasta. You just have to ask.
— Relax to some great background music. Sinatra baby!

I felt overwhelmed with so many restaurants to choose from. However, I love how this one is tucked away around the corner. It felt less crowded and more intimate than the other places we walked by.
I absolutely loved my dining experience here. The food was great, the atmosphere was romantic, nice music in the background and the waitress was wonderful. I could have spent all night talking to my fiancé there. It just felt like a magical place to come talk about everything under the sun.
No need to dress up but a nice summer dress would fit if you wanted to. Only problem is wearing heels on the dock. My heels kept slipping between boards. I wore jeans with heels that night and felt just right. It can get a bit breezy so bring a sweater or light jacket.

Not sure why I’ve never reviewed Paluca. This is where I go for a meal on the touristy wharf — great view, great service, great food. Need I say more?
OK, maybe a bit. The menu is somewhat limited but I like that — it does not try to be all things to all people. Many of the ingredients are sourced locally. Sal is humble and charming. A couple doors down is Ben’s coffee shop (great crepes there too) — also humble and charming — and they may be seen in and out of each other’s businesses. They are friends and do a lot of charity work. Nice people, good places to patronize.
Did I mention that the food is plate-​licking worthy? Well, it is.

Visited Monterey on the drive down from SF and of all the places on the Wharf, we decided on this this restaurant as it had a nice variety of foods on the menu.
We ordered Bruschetta for the table to start. There were four pieces, very delicious! I split the Lobster Ravioli ($ 19.99) with a friend, the ravioli was good. The capers were a great addition as the sauce alone needed seasoning, the capers were they only thing to provide a bit of salt or acidity.
My other friend ordered the Smoked Salmon panini which I tried a bite of, and it was also good. There was tomatoes, lettuce, a bit of cream cheese, pesto, some carmelized onions in there.
I give this place a 3 because it was good, I just felt some of the dishes could have used a bit more seasoning and a bit more flavor.