Fandango

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Over Four Decades of European Hospitality on the Monterey Peninsula

Fandango has been a fixture of Pacific Grove dining since 1983, when restaurateur Walter Georis transformed a charming house on 17th Street into one of the Monterey Peninsula's most enduring destinations. The name fits: like the spirited dance, the restaurant has always been vibrant, welcoming, and full of character.

The story deepened in 1986, when Pierre and Marietta Bain purchased the restaurant and reopened it with Pedro De La Cruz — formerly Executive Chef at Club XIX at The Lodge at Pebble Beach — leading the kitchen. The Bain family brought with them centuries of hospitality tradition: their family has operated the historic Grand Hôtel Bain in the south of France since 1737. That lineage shows in everything from the warmth of the service to the careful attention given to the wine program, which earned Fandango a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence — a recognition the restaurant has carried with pride.

A Menu Rooted in French and Mediterranean Tradition

The dinner menu is a confident survey of European classics, anchored in French technique and broadened by Mediterranean and Southern European influences. Starters include a traditional Onion Soup Gratinée, escargot with garlic and herbs, and house-cured salmon with red onion and capers. The Paella Fandango — saffron rice with seafood, spicy sausage, chicken, and bell pepper — speaks to the restaurant's willingness to roam across the continent without losing its footing.

Main courses range from a filet mignon with green peppercorn cognac sauce and Duck à l'Orange with classic bitter orange sauce, to the Osso Buco Fandango, a shank braised in veal stock, Madeira, and tomato served over saffron rice or pasta. The Couscous Lamb Shank Algerois — semolina, lamb and vegetable stew with North African spices and harissa — adds a southern Mediterranean note that broadens the French-leaning menu considerably. For dessert, a Soufflé Grand-Marnier and Crème Brûlée anchor the sweet course in unmistakably French territory.

The wine list is extensive, spanning sparkling, white, red, and half-bottle selections — a natural complement to a kitchen this classically inclined.

A Space That Has Grown With Its Guests

Over the years, Fandango has expanded thoughtfully, adding dining rooms, private event spaces, and an upstairs dining area, all designed to preserve the intimate European character of the original house. Private spaces range from the Alcove for up to 10 guests to the Upstairs room accommodating up to 60, making it a practical choice for everything from small celebrations to larger corporate gatherings.

For the Bain family, the measure of success has always been the guests who return year after year — and who have made Fandango part of their own traditions along California's Central Coast.