I am planning a trip to Carmel in April and am looking for some good spots to eat. Any suggestions??
Thanks.
What’s the name of that place in Monterey to which I’ve never been that is a board darling? Allocated wines at a nickel above retail – that sort of thing.
Passionfish, technically in Pacific Grove.
-Al
Jerry,
I guess I can’t help you. The two best restaurants we enjoyed the last time we were there no longer exist. I was kinda disappointed when I searched the web to get links.
If you go north to Pacific Grove/Monterrey, I recommend Fandango’s. I haven’t had a bad meal or bad service there over the span of 30 years.
That be it. Thanks Al.
Is everyone there for the winelist, or is the food great too?
Grasings in downtown Carmel on California St. Great food and wine list with reasonable prices for the quality. Last year while attending the AT&T I enjoyed fresh red abalone for dinner, amazing.
Cheers…
I haven’t been for several years, but I find the food to be good, particularly if you stick with the seafood, but not exceptional. Also, a lot of the great deals on the wine list are heavier reds, which don’t play to the strength of the menu. Again, I haven’t been recently so I don’t know how/whether the list has evolved.
-Al
Andre’s Bouchée in Carmel village and Pacific’s Edge in Carmel Highlands. Neither are cheap but they both have outstanding wine lists and kitchens to match.
Post Ranch Inn.
IF you are heading down to Big Sur, check out Big Sur Bakery. The restaurant at Bernardus is pretty good as well.
I was there a few weeks ago and the food was excellent across the board. While the wine list is most interesting for reds, there are also a lot of nice white options. We went with a Pegau blanc that besides being very tasty went very nicely with the food.
If you’re talking about Marinus, I’d recommend caution there. Quite expensive but not performing up to the level I would expect at those prices.
You could try the Cachagua General Store. It’s a little out of the way but the drive is beautiful and the food can be a home run.
Drive down the coast to Big Sur and have lunch at Nepanthe and dinner at Post Ranch Inn. At Nepanthe, get the ambrosia burger while sipping a wine from a VERY fairly priced list.
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Check out “Belle” in one of the little mall areas off Ocean. Fantastic soup/salad/sandwich items for lunch. Not big on atmosphere - pack it up and take it somewhere scenic.
For fresh local fish try the Monterey Fish House. Great prices and happening place for the locals. Its on Del Monte Ave. in Monterey. You won’t be disappointed with the food and drinks. Opt to eat at the bar to be included in friendly conversation…
any updates for Carmel/Monterey ?
Passionfish still a solid choice ?
Looking for lunch and dinner reco’s for family that will be spending the day there.
In Monterey Bistro Moulin has been a very good when we visited there.
Its been a while but in the many times we’ve been…
In Big Sur, Nepenthe is great for the view and the food is pretty good. The Post Ranch Inn and its restaurant (Sierre Mar) are fantastic but so are the prices. Big Sur Bakery is also fun. The Park Hyatt Highlands Inn’s restaurant, Pacific’s Edge has a great view but, also prices to match. And recently I’ve heard some varying reports on both food and service.
In Carmel, we usually hit Casanova for lunch. We’ve also liked Grassings before, too. Fandango in Pacific Grove is a lot like Casanova if you are in the area. We had one of the better meals we’ve had in the area at Aubergine in L’Auberge in Carmel. Small place so reserve early.
We’ve had some fantastic meals at The Bernardus Lodge but they’ve re-concepted the restaurant so I can’t help there. If you are looking for some great cheeses and somewhat limited but good wine selection I highly recommend The Cheese Shop in Carmel (Carmel Plaza) is great as is the staff.
The food at the Inn at Spanish Bay (Roy’s, Peppoli) is pretty good though I’m not sure its worth a special trip, but watching the sunset there (like a lot of places in the area) is fun.
Have fun. One of our favorite areas to visit.
JD
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Aubergine in Carmel is one of the best restaurants in the USA. Just spectacular.
Marinus at Bernardus is spectacular as well, and highly underrated. Worth the short trip inland. Can compete on the national level.
Sierra Mar at Post Ranch is stunning, and not just for the view. Good food and great wien list.
I love Casanova and La Bicyclette (owned by the same people and quite similar) for rustic food and solid wine. I ate one table over from Schwarzenegger at Casanova a couple years ago.