The Bench

Good cocktails, good food and a great wait staff makes this place worth the extra cost.
Cocktail
Trigger Finger= excellent
Thai One On= excellent
Strawberry Moscow Mule= excellent
Lavender Lemon Drop= excellent
Food
Portobello Fries= Yum!
Bread Balloon= Great
Burger with smoked cheddar, egg sunny side up and thick bacon = Get your butt there and try it!

We went to the Bench today during our vacation in Pebble Beach. I didn’t have high expectations because I thought it was a tourist trap with a beautiful view but the food and service would be sub par (I know, shameless golf pun).
It started out so-​so. We had our little bichon frise, Rosie with us so we wanted to sit outside and the first hostess seemed annoyed. I decided she was annoyed with her job generally, not us and overlooked this. Her coworker was fine and seemed more pleasant. We waited for the table a few minutes in the bar area. They have a rule that your dog cannot be carried in the restaurant. I’m not sure why, but when my husband picked Rosie up he was abruptly told by the bartender that dogs have to be on the floor. I will add that Rosie is well behaved, doesn’t bark and doesn’t bother other people unless they want to pet her and then she’s happy to get attention. The bar was empty except for us so if the dogs on the floor rule has something to do with other patrons not liking dogs off the floor it was irrelevant but whatever, at least dogs are allowed.
After we got to our table things improved dramatically. The view is lovely as expected. Fernando waited on us and he was perfect — just enough attention but not too much. The food was great, we had the shishito peppers, the bread balloon, falafel salad and mushroom pizza and everything was delicious. My favorites were the peppers and bread balloon (served with the best cauliflower and baba ganoush dips). My husband enjoyed his margarita. For dessert we had the strawberries with balsamic glaze and ice cream which was yummy. The strawberries had a crumble crust on them that tasted like brûléed brown sugar and the balsamic glaze was tart– so good!
All in all I would give 4.5 stars so I rounded up. I would go back if I’m back in Pebble Beach.

Amazing dinner with family, overlooking the 18^th green. Salmon, flatbread margharita pizza, mac&cheese and wonderful desserts. Highly recommend! I’m sure there are 1k pics of the scenery, so I won’t add; needless to say the views are worth every penny for this experience.

Pebble Beach, The Lodge, 18^th Hole, 17 Mile Dr.
* 3 Seating areas and all with same perspective.
— Indoor Bar Seating
— Covered sun room, indoor patio area.
— Outdoor patio with 2 types of seating. Tables for private parties and fire pit seating — communal seating as determined by staff, makes sense.
* It was supposed to be 66 degrees turned out to be 75 and felt like 80. Incredible weather.
* Margarita Pizza (they call it flatbread) it was weak. No substance. I think more cook time would have solved that.
* Balloon bread — Pretty cool and tasted fine. The hummus was ok but the standout was the tampenade.
* Excellent German Reisling by the glass.
* House Bottled water available — superuser didn’t ask if preferred fizz or no fizz. No biggie for me.
Service — Adequate, friendly and not stuffy at all given then stature of the place.
* Forgot a clothing item, called next day to confirm if they have. As a result they do and will be mailing the item 5^th star.
* Note — The Bench is named after an actual bench on the property. Up to you to get the full story.

The bench is a small restaurant on the priory of a golf course/​hotel on 17 mile drive in Pebble Beach. I came here the other night to celebrate a friends birthday. We called ahead to make a reservation and we got a reservation but we were told we couldn’t reserve the outside patio which was a bummer.
It is quite tricky to find this place if you are coming for the first time but the staff in the grounds is more than willing to help direct you.
When we finally found our way to the bench we were greeted by Bri who was very friendly and helped us rework our reservation. Thankful it was a slower day for them and we were able to get a table outside for an additional 30 minute wait. Which worked for my party because we were waiting for everyone to arrive.
While we were waiting for our table we stopped by the bar to grab a drink. We all ended up ordering new the same drink which was the Lavender Lemon Drop. It was definitely delicious. It was topped with fresh lavender. I was slightly disappointed because in other pictures I had seen a flower of the lavender and my drink just had a few leaves.
After we got our drinks, our table was ready outside. We got seated at a fire pit table where the fire pit was broken and our flame was extremely low. So that was disappointing. At the beginning of our evening we had a server named Marissa and by the end of the night it had switched to Vincent without any transition or acknowledgment to the switch. A nice feature of this restaurant is that they offer complimentary blankets to guests who are seated outside. You will definitely want to ask for them because it gets chilly. But be careful when sitting outside because some of the chairs smelt like pee and a few of them were wet. Not sure why they were wet but it wasn’t fun to sit and eat dinner on a wet chair.
The view is probably the best part of this restaurant. It was breath taking and so relaxing. They’re food is mediocre and nothing extremely special. There isn’t a variety that appeals to everyone in my opinion. I probably would only come back for ONE drink and to enjoy the view.

********************* 1508 **********************
I attended Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival every year and always come here. Beautiful view, great wine list, and tasty bite over the firepit. The service is always wonderful here. One of my favorite spots in Pebble Beach.

This is such a great spot. excellent food service. then again this is PB people should have very high expectations. My folks went there the. other day. guess what they did they ate food there guess what else they did. bring home leftovers and of course i am on the Seafood diet. I see food i eat it and i eat 4 sure when of extra super duper yummy yum yums quality, if in PB go here 4 sure enough said…

Great Burger, Awesome view! Good service.
A little construction, but it didn’t interfere with lunch or the view.

Unbelievable views and food better than expected. Worth the wait for an outside table, just shop around while you wait. We got the chicken sandwich and a pizza. Could have sat at our table for hours and enjoyed the view.

Great Restauraunt all around, only issue I have is with their pasta menu. Definitely a go to place while visiting pebble beach

I was taken here for dinner and I absolutely loved every dish we ordered. When you first arrive you must pass through an attended gate. After driving to yet another gate the second attendant will direct you to the valet in front of the hotel, parking is complimentary. The restaurant itself was a little tricky to find. It’s located downstairs overlooking the ocean and the 18^th hole.
Upon entering there is a roomy bar with several bar tables. A huge flat screen is hung against the wall for entertainment. Each of the outdoor tables have their very own fire pit to keep you warm. It looks super cozy and intimate. We, however, were seated inside next to the many windows.
We started off with some cocktails before having our entrees. My boyfriend had the sweet revenge and I tried the bench warmer. His contained cognac, which I’m not a big fan of, but the drink itself was actually delicious. It had a hint of cinnamon that lingered long after I took a sip from it. My favorite was the bench warmer because of the tequila. It was mixed with some type of chili giving it a slight kick.
For dinner I went with the grilled swordfish and my boyfriend had the herb marinated steak. The grilled swordfish was seasoned perfectly. I enjoyed the forbidden rice even more. The aioli they used gave the entire plate an amazing flavor. I literally cleaned the entire plate off.
The herb marinated steak was juicy and tender. This was a bit surprising since it was ordered medium well. However, the chef figured out how to cook this to perfection. The steak comes sliced on a bed of potatoes along with cabbage and leeks. Definitely worth every penny!
Now for dessert, we ordered the s’more! It was melted chocolate goodness. They serve it on a cast iron with ice cream on top. I literally could not stop eating this until every last crumb was devoured!

OMG the best food and drinks. View is amazing. what a wonderful experience.

The newest of the restaurants at Pebble Beach. The chef is amazing with a very creative menu. I ordered a vegetarian dinner which had squash, kale, asiago cheese, and amazing spices. The atmosphere is great for special occasions, a post golf dinner with friends or family, or simply to hang out at a great bar.
The view is the showstopper, the historic 18^th green of the Pebble Beach course with the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean. Frankly, I think I gave the restaurant a 4 star because it would be a tall order for the food to match the view. Mama’s Fish House in Maui is the only restaurant I’ve been too with a view as good, but Mama’s food is better at this point than The Bench.

You cannot beat the location. The food, however, can be, by the restaurant just upstairs.
For the price, we all had average crispy chicken sandwiches. Nothing really stood out — no wonderful favors or anything. It was just ok. Pricey as well for just being okay.
I recommend the brunch upstairs instead.

Views, views, views, and more views! That’s the real reason you come here (if you weren’t already driving the 17-​mile stretch or playing golf on the nearby course). We initially sat outside on comfy seats with our own fire pit. It was a windy day and a bit too cold for me, even with the snuggly blankets they generously provide, so we moved inside. The inside ambiance is simple but sophisticated and of course you can still see that beautiful view. Service was impeccable and food was great! We didn’t eat much as this was more of a drink stop before our real dinner. Some highlights:
Lavender lemon drop (⁵⁄₅ stars): light, refreshing, and perfect combo of sweet and tart. I’m in love.
Bread balloon (⁵⁄₅ stars): you might be thinking, as I was, it’s just bread how good could it be? But oh it’s good! It’s comes as this giant balloon (hence the name) that you kind of deflate and then break apart. The bread is warm, perfectly soft in places and crisp in others, and seasoned with delicious Zaatar (a Middle Eastern spice). Add to that the two Mediterranean inspired dipping sides it comes with and we couldn’t get enough.
Winter spice gnocchi (3.5÷5 stars): a big comforting bowl of winter with the pumpkin spice, truffle pecorino, and roasted pumpkin seeds. The flavor was delicious and unique, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the gnocchi. It couldn’t been fresher and cooked better.
Overall if your plans bring you to 17 mile drive, I definitely recommend visiting here for casual drinks and apps or a nice dinner. And definitely try to sit outside! The outside is where the 5 stars are at!

Very pleasant surprise.
I had heard that the view was nice but was even more pleasantly surprised to find that the food was so good.
We had the
Burger — Love the fresh greens and the homemade bun/​muffin. Meat was delicious and the fries were fresh cut potatoes (in and out style)
Bolognese — Hard to make this dish not delicious but they did a fantastic job keeping it that way. Packed with flavor and hard not to love.
Mac n Cheese — Awesome! Love the texture and the creamy sauce at the base. Will order this every time we go.
Pork Sandwich — Full of Flavor. Delicious.
Service was really great and I can’t wait to go back. 20oz Hop Nosh IPA was well priced too!

Went to dinner tonight. Walking in at 8. It was super slow. Took a few minutes to be greeted then When sat down the hostess told me I would be served and I waited over 5 minutes without out even having my drink order taken so I went to the bar and said I would like to sit here because no one even took my drink order while I was waiting. I was having a tough night so everything was intensified and the bartender was friendly. Hoped for an apology but that is ok since service was good. Margaret was a great bartender and shared a little about herself too. I was craving the couscous salad which is only given for lunch and Margaret checked and the chef said he would make it even though it is the lunch menu. One of the chefs was super friendly boxing my food for me. All in all I will return especially for the lavender lemon drop a little pricey but so good!!’ $ 15.08

Disregard the person who gave this place a bad review because they are «premier and elite» and thought it was awful that the wait staff had tattoos (read other reviews they left — hateful). The wait staff here is amazing, and the food is absolutely fantastic. If you think you are too good to be waited on by people with tattoos, take yourself somewhere else. I didn’t even see any waiters with tattoos, and I wouldn’t care if they had them.
Now, on to the food — incredible. The chef highly recommended the falafel, something I never eat and even worse because it is vegan and gluten free. Well, let me tell you, it was the best thing on the menu. Absolutely delicious. I also had the roasted beets, Brussels sprouts, pork buns, balloon bread, roasted strawberry dessert, and lemon drop. It was all exceptional, but that strawberry dessert was TO DIE FOR. I cannot possibly recommend that any higher. The lavender lemon drop was the best I’ve ever had, and I just moved here from the SF Bay Area, so I have plenty of fine dining experiences under my belt.
The view is the best. While I did not sit outside I can see why people want to sit there so badly. This place is wonderful! Check it out and you will not be disappointed!

Pebble Beach shops & restaurants are pretty much the only food stop along the scenic 17 mile drive, and ‘The Bench’ is one of the more casual options. This is handy to know, because the Café closes at 2pm. So it’s pretty much your only semi-​casual option after lunch (although, the Tap Room wasn’t exactly exclusive either, just covered in wood-​paneling).
The food is contemporary American with a good selection of flat breads. We split a short rib flatbread and duck fat potatoes among 4 people as a mid-​day snack. It was all quite delicious. The beer selection is small and interesting, and the cocktails are moderately creative. Everything is priced a few dollars more than what might be charged at an equivalent restaurant in South Bay, but not terribly far off.

This restaurant is phenomenal! Fire pits outside and ambiance to die for. My server Justin was off the charts amazing. He knew every item on menu and how it was prepared. He anticipate my every need and brought me a blanket when the sun went down. I will be back!

Great place by a popular golf course. In fact, when we were here, there was a match going on with a couple of big golfers (no Tiger lol) Food was limited to some appetizers and pizza because they were getting ready for dinner. What we got was delicious. My only complaint, we sat outside and the crows are EVERYWHERE! Great experience though.

Absolutely amazing experience. Celebrated our one year anniversary here. It was perfect.
1.) View –check
2.) Food –check
3.) Service –check
Try:
Shishito Pepper; Herb Marinated Steak; Baked Strawberry dessert!
*tip* You must pay $ 10 in order to drive into the 17 Mile Dr.

View = Stunning
Service = Great
Food = Meh
The Boys and I ate lunch here this weekend, and while we enjoyed the stunning view and the service, the food was just ok. I had eaten Brunch at the Lodge before (and I highly recommend it!) so I had some high expectations… maybe the kitchen just had a bad day.
B had the burger with avocado and a side salad, and S and I had the fried chicken sandwich which came with potato salad. The burger was good but nothing special. The fired chicken was not really what we liked. When you bit into the sandwich, out came some lovely hot grease. Not pleasant, and the lemon aioli made the whole sandwich taste like Chinese Lemon chicken on bread. Definitely not the best chicken sandwich I’ve had.
The service was very friendly and attentive and the view of the 18^th green and the water was amazing. Perhaps we will give this place another shot and just order different dishes.
Iced Tea Rating: 4 stars. Lots of black iced tea and the VIEW!

The menu is delightfully simple. I ordered the mussels as my main dish and they were spectacular. The broth had an elegant amount of zing and the garlic toast, which I’m still dreaming about, complimented it perfectly.
Surprisingly, this restaurant stands on its own apart from its desirable location and views. Delicious food, great service, and stiff drinks puts this little spot on my list of places to take visiting friends/​family from now on.

Update– total opposite experience only a few days later. My husband was wearing a straw fedora and the hostess Corinne, asked him to remove it at the bar as we waited for our table meanwhile, two other people wearing hats at the bar were not asked to remove theirs? Then we get seated outside and I have to watch someone feed their dog table food with a fork??? Seriously? My husbands hat is offensive but fork feeding a dog is acceptable? Six other dogs (not being fork fed thankfully) were seated at tables. Seriously? I’m over this.
Isela our server was the saving grace. She was very attentive, respectful and helpful.

Who knew that you could just waltz right in to Pebble Beach, walk outside, and have a drink on the 18^th green? We certainly didn’t and luck would have it that we stumbled on to one of our favorite memories of our PCH trip. We decided to do the 17 mile drive after our whale watching trip got cancelled. We stopped in at Pebble Beach to get some souvenirs and one of the shop keepers mentioned going in and checking out the 18^th. We’re soooooo glad we did!
We went downstairs to «The Bench,» and requested an outdoor spot by the firepits since it was a chilly day. We were right on the edge of the restaurant so had uninterrupted views of the 18^th and the glorious ocean ahead. Our waiter was prompt and attentive; our drinks barely got below half full and we were asked what we would like nice. I had lovely French rose while hubby had yummy scotch. And we relaxed. And enjoyed. And just took it all in.
Absolute perfect place to stop in for a quick drink, although I gotta admit the flatbreads looked really amazing. Prices are CA prices so actually weren’t too crazy expensive for the quality of the item received ($ 11 for a French rose is pretty on point).
Great service, great food, amazing views = a must stop on the 17 mile drive!