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The Monterey Bay area is a culinary paradise. The surrounding waters are full of fish, wild game roams the foothills, and the inland valleys are some of the most fertile in the country—local chefs draw on this bounty for their fresh, truly Californian cuisine. Except at beachside stands and inexpensive eateries, where anything goes, casual but neat dress is the norm.
Simple in appearance yet bold with its flavors, this Japanese–California seafood restaurant is one of Carmel's most inventive eateries. The warm, wood-lined dining room is broken up into very private booths.
Local artwork features prominently at this petite, romantic café in a tile-roof cottage. Featuring organic produce from area farms, the seasonal Italian menu might include wild-mushroom risotto; bouillabaisse; marinated chicken with apricots, currants, and olives; and roasted beet salad with wild arugula, goat cheese, and pistachios.
Whether you're in the mood for an orange-olallieberry muffin, a wild rice and chicken salad, or tri-tip on garlic toast, this bakery-deli's varied menu is likely to satisfy. Munch on your lemon meringue tartlet or chocolate brownie on the shady patio, or dig into the daily blue-plate dinner—teriyaki grilled skirt steak with edamame-shiitake sticky rice, perhaps, or roast turkey breast with Chardonnay gravy—amid the whirl of activity inside.
Chef Kurt Grasing draws from fresh Carmel Coast and Central Valley ingredients to whip up contemporary adaptations of European-provincial and American dishes. Longtime menu favorites include fresh farm-raised abalone, a savory sausage and seafood paella, and grilled steaks and chops.
Part of a complex that includes art galleries and an events venue, the Haute adds bohemian character to the seafaring village of Moss Landing. The inventive Latin American–inspired dishes include shrimp and black corn enchiladas topped with a citrus cilantro cream sauce, and roasted pasilla chilies stuffed with mashed plantains and caramelized onions.
Chef-owner Kericos Loutas personally sees to each plate of food served at this romantic, unpretentious French restaurant. Order the pan-roasted duck breast or the pork medallions with wild mushrooms or white wine sauce; or, if you can't decide, choose the three-course prix-fixe dinner.
Authentic Italian fare made with fresh local produce lures diners into this cozy, modern-rustic restaurant. Nearly everything is made in-house, from the pizzas and breads baked in the brick oven to the pasta and the vanilla-bean gelato.
Casual yet stylish and always packed, this seafood restaurant is removed from the hubbub of the wharf. The bartenders and waitstaff will gladly advise you on the perfect wine to go with your poached, blackened, or oak-grilled seafood.
Breakfast here gets constant local raves thanks to familiar favorites such as a dozen kinds of omelets and pancakes options that range from blueberry to cinnamon-raisin-pecan. The lunch menu has good soups, salads, and sandwiches.
Sophisticated yet unpretentious European-inspired California cooking is the order of the day at this intimate and stylish bistro, whose seasonal menu might include such items as seafood risotto or crispy duck breast in a pomegranate reduction sauce. The creative concoctions poured at the slick marble bar include whiskey mixed with apple and lemon juice or tequila with celery juice and lime.
This cheerful, white-walled storefront serves traditional dishes from Mexico and Latin America, with an emphasis on fresh seafood. Excellent red and green salsas are made throughout the day, and there's a large selection of beers, along with fresh lime margaritas.
When it's nice out, sun pours through the big windows of this cozy restaurant and across tables on the porch; when fog rolls in, the fireplace is lit. The American menu changes with the seasons, but grilled lamb chops atop mashed potatoes are often on offer for dinner, and a grilled calamari steak might be served for lunch, either in a salad or as part of a sandwich.
Chef Fabrice Roux, who hails from France, worked at lauded Parisian restaurants for more than a decade before coming to Carmel Valley to wow diners with his contemporary takes on traditional French-Mediterranean cuisine. The eclectic menu, with mostly small and large plates meant for sharing, focuses on local ingredients procured that week—perhaps crispy duck leg confit, tuna tartare, or braised wild-boar bourguignon. Order sandwiches, beignets, and French-style egg dishes for brunch and lunch. Save room for house-made desserts like Meyer lemon cheesecake and crème brûlée.
To get to this romantic spot overlooking Soquel Creek, you can take a cable car or walk the stairs down a steep, fern-lined bank beside a running waterfall. Dining room options include the rooftop Redwood Room, the wood-paneled Wine Cellar, the creek-side, glass-enclosed Greenhouse, the Fireplace Room, and the airy Garden Room.
This cozy neighborhood restaurant serves one of Carmel’s most popular brunches every day, plus dinner several nights a week. The eclectic seasonal menu focuses on elegant comfort food with an international flair—options vary, but might include caviar with crème fraiche and kettle chips, shakshuka, chilaquiles, or poke bowls for brunch and soft-shell crab with fava bean puree for dinner.
Fun, dressed-up American favorites—a little something for everyone—are served in this renovated early-1900s stone farmhouse several miles east of town. The kitchen cranks out everything from Cajun-spiced prawns to meat loaf with marsala-mushroom gravy to grilled ribs and steaks.
This family-friendly spot serves sandwiches, pizzas, and homemade soups at lunch, but the best meal is breakfast (good thing it's served all day). The menu offers six variations on eggs Benedict and all kinds of crepes.
Chef and restaurateur Rich Pèpe heats up the night with this lively trattoria downstairs and swinging rooftop terrace, the Star Bar. Pèpe's elegant take on traditional Italian cuisine yields dishes such as risotto made with local seafood, spicy Calabrian sausage, and lobster reduction sauce, crab ravioli, and velvety limoncello mousse cake.
In a lively contemporary space with a patio in the heart of Soquel Village, VinoCruz offers more than 50 wines by the glass, with a focus on Santa Cruz Mountains but also other California and international regions; it also has local cider and beer on tap. Nosh on artisanal burgers, tacos, flatbread pizzas, salads, and cheese and charcuterie plates.
This local hangout—decorated with wagon wheels, cowboy hats, and lassos—serves terrific hearty breakfasts, including oatmeal and banana pancakes, eggs Benedict, and biscuits and gravy. The lunch menu includes a dozen different burgers and other sandwiches.
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