Local terroir with an ocean view to match
North Fremont / Beachfront · Monterey · American, Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Lantern Room at Monterey Beach Hotel’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You open the list and Monterey County stares back at you — not in a defensive, provincial way, but in the best possible 'we actually know where we are' way. A hotel restaurant leaning this hard into hyper-local producers is not something you expect, and it earns immediate respect. The Pacific is right there through the window, the list matches the zip code, and someone clearly gave a damn.
The list is built around Monterey County AVAs and the broader Central Coast, with producers like Caraccioli Cellars, Wrath, Ghostwriter, I. Brand & Family, Common Thread, Stirm, and Odonata doing most of the heavy lifting. There's a loose international thread for guests who won't go regional, but the heart of the list is very much local. The depth isn't enormous — this isn't a 200-label cellar — but what's here is curated with intention rather than assembled from a distributor's catalog. Gaps exist in old-world representation, but that's almost beside the point when Odonata and Stirm are on the same list as a Caraccioli sparkling.
An estimated 10 to 16 pours puts the by-the-glass program in solid territory for a hotel restaurant — enough to build a full meal around without repeating yourself. Glass prices running $14 to $22 feel high but are defensible given the coastal real estate and the quality of producers represented. We'd push staff on what's rotating; a list this locally focused should be cycling seasonal pours more aggressively.
I. Brand & Family 'La Marea' Albariño — $14-$18/glass (est.)
Albariño and a bowl of Saltspring mussels in lobster coconut curry is one of the better no-brainer calls on this menu. I. Brand farms thoughtfully in the Arroyo Seco AVA and this bottling punches well above its likely price point — saline, citrus-driven, and built for exactly the seafood-forward kitchen happening here.
Stirm (local producer)
Stirm is flying under the radar of most diners who reflexively order Pinot or Chardonnay. Rob Stirm works with unusual varieties and sites across the Central Coast, and finding his wine on a hotel list is genuinely surprising — the kind of bottle worth asking staff about before you default to something familiar.
Massa Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Lodi Cab at a Monterey beachfront seafood restaurant is a bit of a head-scratcher. Nothing wrong with Massa in the right context, but you're paying hotel markup on a bottle that doesn't belong in this lineup, and you're in a region full of better options. Order local or don't order Cab.
Caraccioli Cellars Cuvée Sparkling Wine + Saltspring Mussels in Lobster Coconut Curry
Caraccioli's sparkling wine is made in the traditional method from Santa Lucia Highlands fruit — high acid, fine bubbles, serious structure. It cuts through the richness of the coconut curry broth and lifts the brininess of the mussels without fighting the heat. It's also just a great excuse to drink Monterey County bubbles while staring at the ocean.
The Bottom Line
The Lantern Room is what happens when a hotel restaurant actually tries — a locally anchored wine list, a sommelier in the building, and enough interesting producers to make the steep markup sting a little less. Send a friend here if they love Central Coast wine; warn them to skip the Cab and lean into what this coast actually grows.
· Monterey · Brewpub / New American
Alvarado Street is primarily a brewery, and the wine list knows it — it's compact, unpretentious, and priced without gouging. But it also has enough Central Coast credibility (Comanche, Curran, Le P'tit Paysan) to surprise you. If you're in the group that wants wine while everyone else debates hop schedules, you're covered and you won't overpay for it.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Carmel Valley · Monterey · Californian / Fine Dining
Lucia has the bones of a serious wine program — sommelier on staff, strong regional identity, and a setting in Carmel Valley that practically demands a good bottle. We just can't verify the specifics well enough to point you toward a particular pour or call out the markups with any precision. Go in expecting a deep, well-kept list with hotel-restaurant pricing to match, and let the sommelier do the heavy lifting. It's worth the conversation.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Monterey · Wine bar
If you're rolling through Monterey and want something more interactive than staring at a laminated wine list, The Wine Experience is a legitimate detour — especially for anyone curious about what the Santa Lucia Highlands and San Benito County are actually producing right now. We'd send a curious friend here without hesitation; we'd just tell them to skip any expectations of a formal dinner and lean into the tasting-room energy instead.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Acceptable
Carmel-by-the-Sea · Monterey · Continental / Fine Dining
Anton & Michel is the kind of room where the wine list serves the occasion rather than the other way around — and for a special-occasion dinner over beef Wellington or rack of lamb, that might be exactly what you want. We'd love to get a full look at current pricing before giving this a stronger endorsement, but the Central Coast regional focus is a legitimate draw for anyone who wants to drink local in one of California's best growing corridors. Go for the room, stay for the lamb, and ask your server what's drinking well off the list right now.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Monterey · Wine bar / Tasting room
De Tierra is a focused, fairly priced producer tasting room that makes a real argument for Monterey wine without inflating the ego or the prices. If you're driving the 68 corridor or wandering through the peninsula, this is worth a stop — just go in knowing you're here for one winery's story, not a deep-dive across regions.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Monterey · Wine Bar / Bistro
A Taste of Monterey is exactly what it advertises — a tight, local-first wine list that doubles as a crash course in what the Central Coast can do with white grapes. Pricing is honest, the regional focus is genuine, and the Wrath Falanghina alone is reason enough to pull up a stool. If you're eating along the Monterey waterfront and want something more interesting than a tourist-trap wine list, this is worth the detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Rice Village · Houston · American, Seafood
Start with the Simonsig Chenin Blanc ($16 for 6oz, $55 per bottle) or the $70 Mâcon-Bussières, and look at the October Bordeaux page if you're ordering seafood. Confirm vintages and prices when you order, since the list is linked as 10.07.26. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or retail markups.
Scott's Addition · Richmond · American, Seafood
Lillian is the rare spot where the wine list is more ambitious than the address suggests — a focused, France-and-Italy-forward program with legit producers, a knowledgeable floor lead, and bottle prices that don't feel punitive. Send a friend here, tell them to sit at the counter, order oysters, and ask PJ what's open.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
River North · Chicago · American, Seafood
Terrace 16 earns its Wine Spectator badge and delivers a respectable, California-and-France-focused list in one of Chicago's most dramatic dining rooms. Just don't expect to be surprised — the wine is as reliable as the skyline view, and nearly as expensive.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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