Bar Sebastian

The Bayside Bar & Grill is a great place to go for a casual meal with friends or family. The food is decent, the prices are a bit high, but the view is amazing and the service is friendly.

Fun place and spectacular views, we mainly had wine and watched the view while were were staying there each night. Get one of the chairs right at the window. A lot of locals seem to come in and sit at the bar and eat so it seems legit. The burger was amazing.

I am glad that I found this place! It has great views of the bay, good drinks and good food! Also, they do not mind if I bring my dog!! What else do you need?!

A hotel lounge that has had no choice in so many changes of ownership over the past few years, it's hard to keep track anymore. But I waited to try this latest version, called Bar Sebastian. Finally, after a few colleagues (both with completely different tastes) have come over and over, I decided to check it out on Concourse weekend to avoid the crazy crowds in Monterey. I had been a previous customer off and on throughout the years but avoided it altogether after coming a couple years ago and being completely turned off for so many reasons. It's safe to come back again. And the best news is the long-time bartender is still here. Her influence is seen on the bar menu, as some cocktails have the same recipes as before. She reminds me of a sitcom character (Roz from Frasier), and we've had many interesting conversations. Atmosphere: The remodel is nice. As usual, most places install too many high-tops for a shorty like me in a wheelchair and there aren't enough tables to sit at to eat. There are plenty of seats but arranged like a lounge, rather than as an eating establishment. You know, with little side tables so that you have to hold your plate over your lap and hope food/sauce doesn't make a nosedive for your clothes. Food: From the bar menu only, we decided to share. There is a Mexican theme - though they proport to be a Spanish tapas place. (?). I think maybe it is a tapas place in the sense that the dishes are small and can be shared. Nearly every menu item is Mexican in nature except for the chopped salad and the three sliders. Don't expect huge portions. Quite the opposite. For example, the scallops dish is $17 and consists of two scallops. So we opted for the nachos instead and the tuna tostadas. Between the two plates, it was enough for two females but some might need more. Nachos were just nachos. The queso fresco was a little too heavy and the meat was all plopped in one area, so the chips got soggy quick. Also, they needed oomph. Salsa or maybe jalapenos. They aren't bad and I don't think there's a way to keep the sog away unless you separate all the ingredients ... The tuna tostadas were cutely presented and tasted great. I'd order these again and not share. They have a poke feel to them. So the food is good, but pricey. This is a Joie de Vivre establishment, so that's not surprising (in our area, Bernardus Lodge and Carmel Valley Ranch are also Joie de Vivre so now you see why the $$$). But I like that it has a theme to the menu and I have a feeling there are other items that are just as fun as the tuna tostadas. Dessert: meh. I ordered the cheesecake to share and can taste the European/Spanish flavor they're going for but it wasn't spectacular and cost $9. And nothing else jumped out at me from the dessert menu. But then, when have you ever seen a hotel lounge with really good desserts (other than Esteban, at Casa Munras, which has outstanding desserts)? Dessert is more of an afterthought and if you drink, you're better off sticking with a cocktail or dessert wine after dinner here. Which reminds me, the coffee is good. Drinks: I don't drink anymore but I recognized the names of the drinks from before and I do have experience with this particular bartender (the female, long-time employee who looks like Roz), and she can concoct a good cocktail and remembers people. Bottom line: The remodel hasn't improved the experience for me because I can't do high-top tables. And eating from your lap is just plain not comfortable. So not four stars from me (It is 3.5 so I rounded it up to four on my yelp review) BUT I'm coming back. For the dolphin show, the killer ocean view, the charming service and the pricey appetizers.

Great service and best selection of food on the menu! Girlfriend and I stayed at the hotel and Sam served us THE BEST drinks! Absolutely incredible and he was very friendly too! Definitely deserves more than 5 Stars!!