Best Farm To Table Restaurants in Watsonville

This is the best restaurant in the Bay Area and has been for decades. Our recent meal supported this belief.

All of our food (5 dishes) was excellent. Bar service was longer than usual but it was Christmas Eve. Our server was busy but we did not feel ignored at all.

Sat outside so noise level was low. Heaters were available for customers. Food was good and my table shared a few bites/starters. Ordered two rounds of espresso martini’s at $25/glass. A little pricy considering the plates were $18-$20. However, service was great. Friendly and engaging staff made the evening enjoyable. I live close to the restaurant, so will come back (sans the martini) but if I lived in San Jose, Parkside would not be top of list or recurrence. I gave Parkside a high score because I enjoyed my dining experience.

Wow, what a DELICIOUS meal we enjoyed tonight. From the PICKLED VEGETABLES, the LITTLE LETTUCE SALAD, to the my DUNGENESS CRAB TAGLIOLINI, the food was on point. All four of us enjoyed our respective entrees. There was a small snafu with our second round of drinks, but the EXCELLENT ATTENTIVENESS of the manager, Sarah, quickly and happily resolved everything. Our wait staff was very attentive too. We will definitely be back for dinner again and we were thrilled that CAMPER delivered…AGAIN.

What is a 3 star Michelin Restaurant? According to the Michelin guide: A three-star restaurant is one that offers “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey.” My wife and I travel over 2500 miles each year to celebrate our wedding anniversary at nowhere else other than the Coastal Kitchen with Chef Michael Rotondo and his wonderful staff. From the initial warm and friendly greeting from Conrad the Maitre D’ Hotel and Sommelier you will be experiencing a 5 course tasting delight never to be experienced anywhere else on the Monterey Peninsula! Chef Michael makes it a point to welcome each guest table before dinner service to ensure they are ready for culinary experience like no other and ensures there are no allergens to affect their tasting experience. For an additional charge, each course will be paired with an exceptional wine to highlight the nuisances of every dish. Rachel our wine server had extensive knowledge of each wine served and made the pairing so much more enjoyable. Jesus and Eli our food servers were always on point and added to the attentiveness of the entire staff! We truly appreciated the attention to detail and the quality of the food served at every course. The Basque cheese cake was off the chart! The French Laundry was an icon of the Napa Valley in its day but the new rising icon of the Monterey Peninsula is the Coastal Kitchen! Thank You Chef Michael and the Monterey Plaza Hotel for a wonderful 3 star Michelin dining experience! The Coastal Kitchen truly offers exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey!