I am a huge fan of the restaurant at the Ventana Inn at Big Sur. It is south of Monterey but if you are driving up the coast anyway you could go a bit less far for lunch. I have always found the food there to be outstanding. The views are stunning, it is about a thousand feet up from the coast at the edge of a redwood forest. They have fireplaces inside but if it is warm you can sit outside and at some times of the year there are hummingbirds flying around. It is one of my favorite places anywhere.