Cindy’s Waterfront

We had lunch here a few days ago. We didn’t have reservations but we went early at 11am and no one was in the restaurant yet. It was a nice quiet space to enjoy the scenery and some wonderful food. We had the clam chowder soup, tacos and fish and chips. Everything was delicious. Our waiter was wonderful. I was unsure about which wine I would like, and he let us try a few and then poured me a big glass of the one I finally settled on. It’s definitely nice to get some downtime in an otherwise, very busy and awesome aquarium.

Great burger. Mediocre fish taco. Worth the extra money over the café if you want a more relaxing meal.

We participated in the Member Dinner on April 2^nd, and I was extremely disappointed. The food was bland (sweet pea soup, olive oil poached asparagus, chicken, and dulce de leche shortcake), and the service was awful. Not enough help which made the food come out cold, plus they added a 18% gratuity. I love the aquarium, so the night was fun, but I’m not sure if we will do the dinners again.

We had lunch here today. Alan made 12:30 reservations and we were led to our table by the hostess. The restaurant is a smaller enclosed space w/​in the café. It’s a place where you can sit down and have table service. The café is larger and set up cafeteria style. This week is spring break and the Aquarium is crowded w/​families w/​small children and they tend to gravitate toward the café. It’s wonderful to see so many little ones so excited to see the otters and other marine life, but we wanted our lunch on the peaceful side.
Our table was a two top by the window, giving us a lovely view of Monterey Bay. On the ledge outside the window a couple of seagulls groomed themselves and napped. There’s a pair of binoculars on each table to be used to check things out that are at a greater distance. We looked over the menu and our server, Danny Z. made several suggestions. We decided to share a cup of the clam chowder to start. We were brought a basket of bread w/​butter. I decided on the curried chicken salad and Alan decided on the fish and chips. We both ordered iced tea to drink and I was delighted but unsurprised when they came w/​paper straws rather than plastic ones. The Aquarium really walks the walk when it comes to environmental stewardship.
The soup arrived w/​two spoons and we passed it back and forth between us. It was terrific, thick w/​o being gummy, fuller of clams than of potatoes and very tasty. We both really liked it. My salad was excellent, a generous portion of warm curried chicken w. raisins, some bacon and assorted other crunchies over mixed greens w/​a quartet of endive leaves to add a hint of bitterness. Delicious. Alan’s fish and chips came w/​no added salt, accompanied by tartar sauce, malt vinegar and catsup that he requested. The taste I had of his fish was perfect, lightly breaded w/​a crispy exterior and soft, flaky cod interior. So good w/​malt vinegar. It was a delicious and satisfying lunch.

I made a reservation a couple of days ago and forgot to ask for a window seat, so I asked when I arrived (early) at the aquarium. Later when I arrived at the restaurant for my time, they went out of their way to get me a window seat. I appreciated the effort. I had my heart set on a dish they frequently serve, but apparently more in the summer, so they didn’t have it (shrimp & lobster roll). I was bummed, but then learned that one of the daily specials was scallops. I LOVE scallops! These were first of all the largest I have seen, and second, very probably the best I’ve ever had. They were perfectly broiled, and delicious. The dining room is pleasant and the service reasonably attentive. The price wasn’t unduly high considering how much I enjoyed my meal. I will definitely be returning, and hope I can try the lobster roll next time.

Before the makeover of this restaurant, «She”-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed and I loved to eat here often, but no longer. The chef, cuisine, and atmosphere have changed… and not for the better. Last month was the first time we found nothing compelling to eat and left without ordering.
If the view is important to you, go. But keep in mind that the food in most restaurants with great views is mediocre.

This is really a hidden gem on Canary Row. We’ve been to Cindy’s multiple times with (and without) kids. Each time, the experience has been excellent.
The menu is reflective of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s desire to promote sustainable fishing practices.
What you get: A relaxed environment with amazing window views of the bay, a reasonably-​priced menu, fantastic service, kid-​friendly menu, conveniently located inside the aquarium.
HINT: Make sure you call ahead for a reservation. Seating is limited and fills up quickly on weekends.

I have two of Cindy Pawlcyn’s cookbooks and I was excited to have a taste of Napa in Monterey. Monterey County is really coming up as a Food & Wine destination and Cindy has the famous Mustard Grill. The café is at the place setting sustainable fish standards for the entire U.S.
Phew! That’s a lot of pressure for a little café.
Every time I visit the aquarium, it is either for an event (like the Member Picnic Night) or friends and family prefer a more affordable meal, or they want to do a venue outside of the aquarium. So, even though I know who Cindy is and have an aquarium membership, I only tried it for the first time in Dec. 2015.
The verdict is: I’ll be back. I should have tried it a long time ago. They have a new chef (even though they’re still using the Cindy’s Waterfront name), and it’s unclear how much influence Cindy still has with the new food and menu. But what is clear is that this is a pretty cool place to do lunch.
It’s a good idea to make a reservation, even on a weekday. I came here without reservations twice and had to wait. They text you when your table is ready.
I had the lobster roll the first time. The bread is toasted with garlic flavor and the lobster salad inside is not too watery or fishy and it’s topped with plenty of avocado. Comes with a side of homemade potato chips. I’ve always wondered why more places don’t do homemade chips. Started with a cup of decent chowder.
The second visit, I went with the fish and chips. I know, not very imaginative. But I wanted to see how it compared to Peter B’s. PB’s is still the king. Cindy’s Waterfront version is good — not overly greasy. They serve with a huge portion of coleslaw and again, not too watery. I wanted to try something different so I had brussel sprouts leaves as an appetizer. They were delicious! Fried crispy and sprinkled with bits of what tasted like house-​made bacon bits. It was too much in quantity and pungency (tasted like greens) to finish the whole appetizer, but I’m sure it’s meant for sharing. Finishing touch was an organic ice cream dessert. It’s called a daily parfait and came overloaded with strawberry sauce, just the way I’d make my own. Garnished with a thin peanut brittle, the flavors went together for a perfect finish to the meal! Others might not like the fact that it came with so much sauce because it completely overwhelmed the ice cream and caused it to melt quickly. Came with a large cookie that they’d be better off skipping. The brittle garnish was just right, the cookie was too hard to bite into and large enough to be its own dessert.
So two above-​average meals with creative touches that don’t quite hit the 5-​star mark worthy of Napa or Cindy but probably the way it was envisioned, because after all, the aquarium sees visitors from the entire world and the café should serve food that stays within a certain amount of ‘everyday appeal’. So I wouldn’t expect or want the chef to change.
They do server periodic member night dinners and I’m almost positive that the member night dinners probably venture into the 5-​star area.
I’m not done checking the place out-​I may have played it too safe with lobster roll and fish and chips. They currently have a duck burger looking very similar in description to Backstreet Kitchen’s duck burger! Short ribs, Squash and Cauliflower Tostada and an interesting-​looking Arctic Char Club tell me that the spot may actually hit 5-​stars when you order something other than fish and chips! It’d have to be soon, the menu has changed since my first visit so they probably update frequently.
I heard a rumor that they might open to the public. I hope they don’t. I like the exclusive feel to it being only for aquarium members.
One more thing to add, there are a lot of reviews here that are really for the cafeteria, which is good but more casual. Someone should go in and flag them, and ask Unilocal to remove them or post in the right business… the average star count for Cindy’s would go up.

The boyfriend and I had our first mini 1 day roadtrip getaway lunch here. Also to celebrate his birthday.
Our reservation was literally not ready until the minute of the reservation. Punctual? On time? I have no idea. There were 2 other parties in there, I have no idea why our seats weren’t ready before then since we were about 10minutes early. My selection wasn’t available and so I was really sad and had turned over to the fish tacos. Surprisingly not bad. Our waiter was really nice about it though. We had gotten the window front seating since we requested it upon reservations. I would’ve been really sad if they hadn’t given us those seats seeing that there were open tables everywhere by the windows. My boyfriend was happy with his food. They seem kid friendly and binoculars are provided at each table so you can look out at marine wild life from your window during your meal!
The food was really just okay though, nothing memorable. If you come here for the aquarium, come here for the aquarium is really all I can say.

On a weekday at 11:30am I ate at Cindy’s Waterfront. It was not crowded when we arrived. We were fortunate to be seated at a table next to the large windows facing Monterey Bay. The view is beautiful. Binoculars are on the table so you can look for Monterey Bay wildlife. From the view of the Bay, to the food, and service this was a top notch lunch.
The server recommended the catch of the day, which was a black cod (sablefish). The fish was like butter and the paired greens, potato hash with prosciutto, and sauce were terrific. Even the complementary bread and olives were delicious.
The servers were friendly and seemed to take pride in knowing that the food and ocean views were stellar.
Note: this is the restaurant, not the buffet café that ravishingly hungry acquarium visitors may tend to wander into. Ask the host/​hostess at the kiosk to be seated in the restaurant.

A lovely escape from the terribly behaved children running rampant throughout the aquarium. It’s a great place to find a bit of peace and quiet and enjoy the views with other civilized adults. The food is great and the experience is such a big upgrade from the other cafeteria style food option. Be sure to get reservations in advance and request a table near the back window. Breathtaking view and an all-​sustainable menu. I highly recommend the fish & chips. Also important to note that they have an impressive wine menu.

Today we had our lunch there, had the worst discriminating service that ruined the day for me and my family. I have not yet met a person who has been rude to my toddler — (Yes my 2 year old son) and was very unfortunate to meet one here.
There is this lady who supervises all the helpers. She almost snatched the high chair from our table when I requested repeatedly that I needed it for my toddler. She was arguing with me that where were other kids in the restaurant that needed high chairs and why he can’t sit on the regular chair. Totally appalling. She wouldn’t stop and kept talking back that if he could stand on the chairs he doesn’t need a high chair. I literally had to grab the high chair when she almost took it back.
We couldn’t have left any faster.
Never witnessed such cheap, rude & disgusting behavior towards a toddler. Never returning here again.

Date: 8÷11÷2015 Time: 11:05 AM 61° Partially cloudy with a little sunny sky
A ride on a tour bus from Alameda to Monterey took almost three hours. My husband and I did a brief walk around the aquarium before heading to Cindy’s Waterfront Restaurant/​Café. We were hungry for lunch.
The hostess offered us a choice of either dining in the restaurant or going to the café to pick up whatever our hearts desire and pay the cashier for our food. Café was crowded with people and their children — basically cafeteria-​style dining. The lines were long. I rather not stand, waiting for indecisive people trying to figure out what they want for lunch. We chose the restaurant, which was secluded and away from the noisy crowds of tourists. Actually we were the first ones in the restaurant. The hostess escorted us to our table — window seats with a view of the Pacific Ocean.
Ambiance: Fine dining with some of the tables and chairs next to window. A set of binoculars is at each table for whale watching, stainless steel place settings, white parched cloth napkins, wine goblets, etc. Natural sunlight coming through for a pleasant and relaxing experience. Entrance to dining area has lovely floral arrangement and a very artistic wall mural.
Service: Excellent, prompt and attentive. Our waiter, Danny, was outstanding and friendly. He was indeed accommodating, making sure we were content and truly satisfied with the food and service.
Specialities: Appetizers, salads, pasta or risotto, seafood, sandwiches, limited dessert selection. Wine, beer (draught or bottle), few cocktails, Peets coffee and express, cold beverages (Coke cola, juice, iced tea, lemonade).
Even though the food was pricey, it was delicious and worth the value.
Eats and beverages: Grilled oysters with Japanese BBQ sauce, dungeness crab cakes, Pacific shrimp and lobster roll with crispy potato chips; blood orange margarita and an Arnie Palmer.
Grilled oysters: oyster was on the small size, yet flavorful. (3.5 stars)
Dungeness crab cakes: two crab cakes, crunchy coating, not greasy, moist, topped with lemon crème fraîche. Accompaniment: an arugula, corn, shaved fennel salad. (4.5 stars)
West Coast Shrimp & Lobster Roll: item is not on the menu. The waiter recommended this sandwich. Oregon pink shrimp meat combined with chunks of lobster meat and lemon-​tarragon mayonnaise, topped with sliced avocado, in a toasted split tip roll, along with CP’s Dad’s homemade chips. Great recommendation by the waiter. (5 stars)
Blood orange margarita: Patron tequila, agave syrup and triple sec. Not strong and overbearing. Nice balanced margarita. (4 stars)
Arnie Palmer: decent, but I had better elsewhere. (3.25 stars)
Overall, it’s a five star for ambiance, food and service.

After spending a good 3 hours on the road to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we were really hungry and wanted to eat right away. After looking into the main dining room, I decided to make the decision to eat at their restaurant which we knew was a bit on the pricier end. Howeer once we got sat and saw that there was hardly anyone in there, we basked in the near solitude and enjoyed the nice view.
Our waitress was a really nice lady from Michigan and she gave me a thumbs up for the UM shirt. I ordered the crab and shrimp roll and the fiancé ordered fish and chips. The crab roll was nice and toasted and also included some nice fresh pieces of avocado (win!). The crab/​shrimp wasn’t drowning in mayo like I’ve had at other places and was seasoned just enough to not overpower the natural seafood taste. The roll also came with homemade super thin sliced potato chips. While slightly greasy, nothing a little natural sea salt couldn’t taste better!
The fiancé’s fish and chips were just alright in my opinion. I’ve had better coating on fried fish.
The service was really top notch, our water glasses were refilled, when we asked for condiments, they were brought out quickly, etc.
I’d definitely dine there again.

Need an upscale meal while at the Monterey Aquarium? Stop into Cindy’s, Get away from the general crowd and have a seat before the large windows. Watch the boats and the water while your food comes.
The food is delicious! The service is on point. I reccomend the Grilled artichoke and the hamburger. The Fish and chips are Ok, but the batter was some what heavy, even if the fish was tender and flaky.

I was so excited to try this spot for our Mother’s Day lunch… after all, what could be better? Cindy’s inside the aquarium was a win-​win!
Table was ready at noon… I guess I should have asked for a window… because from the center of the room it was challenging for our little ones to use their binoculars… they did manage to get close to the windows as a table cleared. What a cool thing… they had a card attached showing the various wildlife they might see.
Staff was very friendly and attentive. Food was a bit slow, hence the 4 stars. Olives drinks and bread arrived quickly.
Menu is great for young and old. Wine list was creative and the mom’s both found something to love.
I of course went for the Fish and Chips. The fish was wonderful but I think it was cooked and set under lights for too long as both the breading and fries were soggy. Sad…
Kiddos liked the generous buttered pasta… simply huge.
Overall Cindy’s was good, but I would appreciate less soggy fish… perhaps not serve the table of 6 all at once? Still better than other places we had gone to close to the aquarium, and I would return for sure.

Instead of bread, a plate of Spanish-​style olives glisten in olive oil and fresh herbs whet your palate for a great meal.
Monterey Bay Calamari, red onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, and thinly-​sliced lemon sliced are served «frito misto» with a basil-​lemon aioli. The batter is very light, similar to tempura. The fried lemon slices are surprisingly good and refreshing. Rating: ⁵⁄₅
Hail Caesar, the Classic Caesar is made with a dressing of egg, garlic, anchovies, tossed with chopped romaine, croutons, and topped with shredded parmesan. The dressing is creamy, but needs more anchovy, and garlic in the mix. The romaine lettuce is fresh and crisp. The croutons are light and crunchy. Rating: ³⁄₅
Best-​Ever Clam Chowder has a slightly sweet flavor. The consistency is a little thin and not as creamy as one might expect. It also needs more clams. Rating: 2.5÷5
Special of the Day: Grilled Octopus served atop cassoulet. The octopus is grilled to perfection with chargrilled flavor on the outside and tender, sweet on the inside. Cassoulet has a good flavor but has the consistency of bean soup versus a thick, rich cassoulet. Rating: 4.8÷5
End your meal with the Campfire Pie. It is toasted marshmallow fluff, fudgy chocolate, almond ding, and Oreo cookie crust. First off, it is huge! The toasted gooey marshmallow fluff towers over the table like a Baked Alaska. Together with the melted chocolate, buttery Oreo crust, and crunchy almonds, it will remind you of the best s’mores you’ve ever had. It’s sinfully delicious! Rating: 4.8÷5

Had a yummy lunch alongside a beautiful view! Made reservations just in case, arrived a half hour early and was seated right away! The servers were very friendly! Food was AWESOME. I had the «best Clam chowder» and seriously, it was literally the best. Some chowders I’ve had were too thick or watery, or potatoes would be too overwhelming, but the chowder from Cindy’s hit the spot. After that I had the Avocado Crab and Shrimp roll! It was really good! Very filling and worth every penny!
The place isn’t too big, just a few tables, so I’d try to reserve a table on
or call just in case.

The food at Cindy’s Waterfront won’t change your life but you’ll get solid, unpretentious eats for those visiting the aquarium. The $ 18 Lobster Crab Roll was pretty good and so were the $ 19 Monterey Bay Fish and Chips. The potato chips and coleslaw are decent sides. Grab a beer and ask for a table by the window.

Noelle’s Unilocal Notebook 2014
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Inside the Monterey Bay Aquarium there are two eateries
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Cindy’s Waterfront:
and Cindy’s Café:
Unfortunately, reviews for both Cindy’s Waterfront and Cindy’s Café reviews have fallen under Cindy’s Waterfront– when they are both different eating areas and different menus.
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Our Dining Experience
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For my son’s first birthday, my aunt purchased a family membership to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for us. After a full morning at the aquarium, we decided to just eat at the aquarium. There were two choices– Cindy’s Café and Cindy’s Waterfront. There was an extremely long line for Cindy’s Café. When we went to the hostess desk of Cindy’s Waterfront Café, there was a 60 minute wait. I didn’t want to eat in the cafeteria style dining area of Cindy’s Café, so I placed our names down for Cindy’s Waterfront Restaurant. It crossed my mind to walk over to the Intercontinental Clement with my family of three (where there would be a shorter wait), until a woman with the same name «Noelle» cancelled her reservation for her party of 16. That cut our wait to 30 minutes.
We were promptly seated within 30 minutes at Table 13 with a water front view. The wait staff were hesitant in letting us park our Orbit Baby Double Helix Stroller (in single mode use) but the space was able to accommodate which was a relief as I didn’t want to leave our stroller where I couldn’t see it.
Our waitress was friendly and prompt throughout our lunch service, taking note of my food allergies.
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Our order
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My hubs had the organic grilled chicken breast sandwich which consisted of Mary’s free-​range chicken, Hobbs’ applewood-​smoked bacon, Point Reyes blue cheese spread, avocado, toasted potato-​pepper roll. I had the All About Adult Grilled Cheese which consisted of regular fries and organic tomato soup, house-​cured pickled vegetables. My son had the children’s grilled cheese and fruit. For dessert we had the Key Lime Tart.
The food was mediocre at best. My hubs grilled chicken was borderline bland but the Hobbs’ bacon (which I buy locally at Zannotto’s Willow Glen Market in SJ) was the only saving grace to this sandwich. The adult grilled cheese had slivers of cheese inside which was barely palatable, the organic soup was decent. The Key Lime Tart had a tasty filling but the meringue extremely grainy and wet. Overall, the cost wasn’t anything more expensive than say the Cheesecake Factory, Nordstrom Bistro or any other sit down restaurant that I’ve dined at in the SF Bay Area. I wouldn’t recommend Cindy’s Waterfront Restaurant to any family and friends.
Noelle’s Notes
The view was spectacular, the food was overpriced for being underwhelming.