California Seaweed Festival in Monterey: Where to Have Dinner After a Day at Custom House Plaza

Where should you eat after the California Seaweed Festival in Monterey?

Montrio, at 414 Calle Principal, is the downtown Monterey restaurant closest in spirit to the California Seaweed Festival. It's an easy walk through Old Monterey from Old Custom House Plaza. The festival wraps at 5 PM on Saturday, October 24, 2026, and Montrio's doors open at 4:30. It's a certified green restaurant, ranked among the five greenest in Monterey, and selected by the MICHELIN Guide in 2026. The ocean-minded order: the Fish Sticks made with local rock cod, the blue cornmeal Rainbow Trout, the daily Catch of the Day, and an Ocean Strike cocktail tinted with blue spirulina.

What is the California Seaweed Festival?

The 7th annual California Seaweed Festival is billed as the largest seaweed festival in North America. It moves to a new spot on the California coast each year, and in 2026 it lands at Old Custom House Plaza next to Fisherman's Wharf. It runs Saturday, October 24, from 9 AM to 5 PM, and it's free. Expect talks and panels on art, science, and sustainability, hands-on activities, seaweed tastings, local vendors, marine science exhibitors, live entertainment, and photo opportunities with mermaids. Details are on the See Monterey festival listing.

Dress for the coast. Late-October evenings by the bay turn cool once the sun drops, so bring a layer for the walk over.

Why does a seaweed festival belong in Monterey?

Monterey Bay's kelp forests are among the best known in the world, and the waters off downtown are protected as part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Healthy kelp means healthy fish, and that connection is the reason sustainable sourcing matters so much on the Peninsula. Montrio buys seafood from suppliers who can say where a fish came from and how it was caught. You can read more about that in how Montrio chooses the Catch of the Day.

What ocean-minded dishes should you order at Montrio?

• Fish Sticks: local rock cod, salmon roe, and Montrio's own tartar sauce. It's a starter, not a kids' plate, though the kids will want some.
• Rainbow Trout: dusted in blue cornmeal and served with a tri-colored warm potato salad, saffron aioli, and haricots verts. Crisp skin, delicate flesh, and a sunny saffron finish.
• Catch of the Day: sustainably caught fish and seafood, chosen as the chef's daily inspiration. It changes with what's best that morning, so ask your server what came in.

For a dish-by-dish look at the kitchen's seafood, see Montrio's sustainable seafood guide, or browse the full dinner menu.

Is there a cocktail that fits the theme?

There's one built for it. The Ocean Strike is a clarified gin cocktail with blue spirulina, Italicus, lemon, citric acid, and rosemary. Spirulina is a blue-green algae, so after a day of seaweed talks it's the obvious toast. One dollar from every Ocean Strike goes to local soccer charities, which makes the second round easy to justify.

What makes Montrio a good fit for a sustainability-minded crowd?

The green credentials go well past the menu. Montrio is a certified green restaurant, a designation that covers energy, water, waste, and sourcing. It also holds The Last Plastic Straw certification, and water is poured on request rather than by default. The produce is local and organic where possible, and the stocks and sauces are made from scratch in the kitchen of a restored 1910 firehouse. It's a big part of why Montrio is regularly named among the best restaurants in Monterey.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Montrio from Old Custom House Plaza?

It's an easy walk through Old Monterey. Montrio is at 414 Calle Principal in downtown Monterey.

Is the California Seaweed Festival free?

Yes. According to the official listing, it's a free, family-friendly public event.

Does Montrio serve sustainable seafood?

Yes. Montrio is a certified green restaurant committed to responsibly sourced seafood, and the Catch of the Day changes daily.

What time does Montrio open on Saturday?

Montrio opens at 4:30 PM and serves dinner until 10 PM on Saturdays.

Make the bay the theme of the night — reserve your table at Montrio, or call (831) 648-8880.