Press Releases
Sardine Factory Honored with 2025 Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNA) 'Gold' Award of Excellence
The world-renowned Sardine Factory in Monterey, Calif., proudly announces its recognition as a 2025 recipient of the Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNA) 'Gold' Award of Excellence. This prestigious honor places The Sardine Factory among an elite group of eighteen of the finest restaurants in North America.
Introduced in 2024, the DiRoNA 'Gold' Award of Excellence represents the pinnacle of achievement in fine dining, distinguishing restaurants that exceed the already stringent standards set by the DiRoNA Award of Excellence. Restaurants honored with this designation are selected for their outstanding menu, impeccable service, exceptional wine and cocktail programs, and superior dining ambiance.
The Sardine Factory has been a DiRoNA Award of Excellence recipient every year since 1993 and was one of the inaugural recipients of the 'Gold' Award in 2024. This distinction underscores the restaurant's unwavering commitment to culinary excellence and world-class hospitality.
"Receiving the DiRoNA 'Gold' Award of Excellence again in 2025 is an incredible honor for our team," said Ted Balestreri, The Sardine Factory co-owner and CEO. "Our dedication to providing an extraordinary dining experience remains as strong as ever, and we are grateful for this acknowledgment of our commitment to quality and service."
The DiRoNA Award is granted only to North American fine dining establishments that pass a rigorous, anonymous inspection process conducted by a panel of distinguished culinary experts. The evaluation follows a seventy-five-point criteria developed in partnership with Cornell University, ensuring that only the most exceptional restaurants receive this coveted honor.
This year's distinguished recipients of the 2025 DiRoNA 'Gold' Award of Excellence include some of the most renowned dining establishments across the continent. For a complete list of honorees, please visit www.dirona.com.
About The Sardine Factory
Established in 1968, The Sardine Factory is known for its impeccable service, wonderful décor, extraordinary wine collection, fresh locally grown produce, delicious sustainable seafood, and USDA prime beef. Over the years The Sardine Factory has hosted celebrities, movie stars, sports legends, and public figures from all over the world. The restaurant was also one of the locations for the first film directed by Clint Eastwood, Play Misty for Me. The Sardine Factory has received virtually every culinary, wine list and service award possible in the industry, including the Wine Spectator’s Grand Award, Restaurant Hospitality's Best Wine List in America, voted the Best Restaurant in Monterey by readers of the Monterey County Weekly, Monterey County Herald, and Carmel Pine Cone newspapers, named Top Ten Most Romantic Restaurants on the Central Coast by Open Table, in addition to many other honors and awards. For more information, please visit sardinefactory.com.