je

We've been going there since 1965. Food has gotten better and the wine list, although pricey, has been definitely upgraded and improved. I think at least half of the experience of going to Nepenthe is the drive down the coast from the Monterey area if it is a good day. Sit outside - the atmosphere is better I think.

elnap29

Nepenthe is definitely worth a stop whether you eat there or not! It is such an interesting place, reflecting a true California time and place. Besides, it has history! I think John F Kennedy was kicked out of there (before his presidency) because he wasn't wearing shoes. At least stop to look around and have a glass of iced tea (or hot chocolate if it tuns cold).

Bill44

We ate there three years ago. Interesting place with great views. Food was good, but a little pricey. If I recall correctly, there weren't many other options for a meal in this area. I would go back.

JackOneill

I haven't read all the responses, but I'm sure I'll be somewhat redundant. The best time to go is at twilight, but everyone else knows that so there could very well be a long wait for an outside table.
The food is okay given that it's probably one of the few restaurants in the general vicinity.
The last time I was there (a few years back), there was a bit of an "attitude" exhibited by nearly everyone who worked there.
Regardless, my wife and I always manage to find time to swing by there when we're at Big Sur.

leavingsoon

Terrible staff attitude! I heartily agree. After our third identical ridiculously rude experience, we have dedicated ourselves to letting people know that they are the rudest possible place to go.

Listen to iamq and go elsewhere. I would not spend another cent there and regret the business I ever gave them over the years.

StuDudley

leavingsoon.

If the OP takes your's & iamq's advice & goes to Post Ranch Inn instead of Nepenthe - she'll REALLY discover what "high" prices are. Maybe the food is spectacular so PRI is not "overpriced" (a subjective description), but except for the views, it is a different type of experience.

We've probably dined at Nepenthe 30 times, and I don't recall "attitude" or rude service. In the 70s it was really "laid back" so often service was slow - but everything was slow back then (perhaps that was better).

Stu Dudley

NewbE

We have received terrific service every time we've been to Nepenthe--as in, notably warm, friendly service, no attitude whatsoever.

For those of you who insist that it's "pricey", I have a few questions: how much did you spend on lunch there, and where else in the area did you eat lunch, and how much did you pay there?

iamq

The views from PRI are far superior to those at Nepenthe. I don't get all the gushing about the view at Nepenthe. I do love the history and the architecture of the place though. Those parties there must have been wild!

Anywho... this debate gets started each time Nepenthe is brought up and gets old fast. Personally, I cannot imagine going back over and over again, but there you have it. One person's opinion stacked up against a flood of differing views. Oh well. Do I loose the contest?

momplaygroup

Thanks everyone for your advice! I think since this is our first time in California and we may never go back, we'll stop by the Nepenthe restaurant. Thanks again! It's nice to see how passionate people can get over travel ;-)

cigalechanta

Years ago I stayed at the Ventana Inn. THAT was expensive.

Gemstone

Cigalechanta, if you think Ventana's rates were high years ago, you ought to take a look at them now!

OP, good decision to stop by Nepenthe. We just returned from a week in Big Sur and as we're prone to do, one of our first stops is to hit Nepenthe in the off hours to get into that "old Big Sur state of mind." We like the appetizer menu and always order a glass of local Santa Lucia Highlands pinot noir and this time, a Navarro Gevertz, both of which you don't find everywhere.

My husband and I love Nepenthe's views of the stack of piney Santa Lucia mountain ridges running right into the Pacific ocean. We experience "nepenthe" (no worries) when we go there. Lunch, yes, dinner, not for us.

We also like lunch at Post Ranch's Sierra Mar. We were lucky to find it warm and sunny there, so we ate out on the patio, which has a more limited view than the dining room, but felt fresher, especially at our table under the shady arbor.

I have to say, I prefer the views from the edge of the front patio at Nepenthe to the view from Sierra Mar. Also, the views from Ventana's outside decks are great--each place has a different perspective, but they are all outrageously beautiful and a great way to experience Big Sur.

cigalechanta

Gemstone, the staff at Esalon would come at night for drinks. Is it still there?

Gemstone

Yes, C, Esalen is still there. I have always wanted to do the baths, since they have quite a history -- they were there before Esalen was, only in a more rustic form. Aparently the baths at Esalen have been completely re-done.

One of our servers in Big Sur told us that as soon as they finished their dinner shift, they were heading down to Esalen to do the baths, so it's still a tradition with the locals. It sure sounded tempting....

jtrandolph

Do it.

Sit at a table at the edge of the patio facing the ocean.

This is not about quality of food or staff attitude, in my opinion. Relax, eat a sandwich or a salad. Watch the view.

I have a strange feeling that some of the people who responded ate at the "lower" part of the restaurant and did not climb to the top of the cliff for THAT restaurant.

andrew8

Stu Dudley,
Could not have said any better myself.

Iamq,
I totally agree with your view point regarding PRI's having a better view than Nepenthe.

tuscanlifeedit

I wouldn't go to BS without a stop at Nepenthe. I am not generally one to talk about vibes, but there is a vibe there that I connect with. I have had some very pleasant meals and experiences there. It is special to us. But I think you gotta have a little bit of old hippie in your soul...

Read Richard Brautigan's A Confederate General From Big Sur as your vacation reading. Helps put you in the mood; I swear I saw the general loping down the highway, playing a flute.

trippin

Nepenthe, Ventana and Post Ranch Inns all have wonderful ocean views. If proximity to the ocean is important to you, PRI's Sierra Mar view is virtually ON the water, although it is more than 1100 feet above sea level. The view from the dining room is akin to sitting on a deck chair aboard the QEII, looking out to sea. Coastline views improve from the deck and gardens but still fall short, in my opinion, of the vistas seen from other vantage points.

If you want magnificent, sweeping coastal vistas with mountains and redwood forests rising
eastward from the beautiful, rocky shoreline and ocean , then Ventana and especially Nepenthe offer some of the finest coastline views anywhere on the planet.

These are some of my favorite places in the world.

kimamom

Sierra Mar @ the Post Ranch Inn has excellent food and amazing views, we have only had dinner here. Cielo across the street at Ventana also has beautiuful views and great food and service. ***kim***

Gemstone

LOL, Tuscan, and I'll bet you won't be the last one to see him. The "vibe" is real and it can be felt all over the area, if people will take some quiet time to become aware of it.

One of my favorite books for reading while staying in Big Sur is Ghosts of the Big Sur Coast by Randall Reinstedt, especially the stories of the things called "dark watchers" of the Santa Lucia mountains. John Steinbeck's mother first saw them. John Steinbeck and Robinson Jeffers both whote about them in their works, as did many other long-time BS residents, who sometimes reported a feeling of being watched.

The original Mrs. Post (Post Ranch), a full-blooded local indian, knew about them too, as well as how to access the gold deep in the mountains, hidden away from the white man. Many of these stories are based on fact, but are they true? -- you decide. At the least, the stories will add more meaning to your Big sur trip.

Good description, trippin.

SAB

NewBe--Pricey is in the eye of the beholder and the fact its prices are comparable to others in the area does not make it less pricey for some. If you are a traveler who is unaccustomed to $12 hamburgers you could view that as pricey. Please recognize that not all travelers have the same budget. I recommended a stop at Nepenthe to some family friends some years ago, and I received indirect feedback that although they loved the view, they were shocked by the cost of lunch for a family of 4. I had failed to recognize that the prices I took for granted, were not something they were prepared for. Like Bill for a few $ more I prefer the food and ambience at PRI, but that is after many visits to Nepenthe. I still recommend a stop for first time travelers but I do let them know that it might be a bit pricey.