Binoculars are set on the tables alongside the stemware, a practical necessity when the dining room sits directly over the Monterey Bay. To reach Coastal Kitchen, you enter the Monterey Plaza Hotel and descend a flight of stairs, leaving the lobby’s bustle for a space that feels suspended above the water. The layout is deliberate: tables are arranged so that every seat faces the floor-to-ceiling glass, ensuring the view isn’t reserved for a lucky few near the window.
Under Executive Chef Michael Rotondo, the kitchen operates strictly on a tasting menu format. There are no à la carte options for dinner. Instead, the menu shifts entirely every three months, tracking the micro-seasons of the peninsula’s agriculture and seafood. As of early 2026, guests choose between a standard multi-course menu or a more extensive Chef’s Selection, both of which lean into contemporary Californian technique. You might encounter wood-fired black cod, local abalone, or Wagyu loin, depending on the current rotation.
The atmosphere is hushed and deliberate, geared toward slow pacing and conversation. A sommelier-curated wine pairing is standard for most tables, designed to track with the specific acidity and richness of the seasonal ingredients. Between courses, the room’s attention often shifts collectively to the water, where sea otters and kelp beds are visible just beyond the glass – hence the binoculars. While dinner is the primary focus, the kitchen also opens on Sundays for a three-course prix-fixe brunch.
Coastal Kitchen
