Top Restaurants in Carmel

The Power Juice and Food Company

This is a great place to grab a quick bite and relax while shopping at the Village. Place your order at the counter after choosing items from a chalkboard menu on the wall. You can eat indoors or at a table on the patio. The menu includes items from burritos to baked potatoes and herbed sandwiches to wheat grass cocktails. In addition, you can order fresh juices, smoothies, steamed rice with bananas, and more. Try a bagel with hummus.

A.W. Shucks

This small oyster bar serves award-winning clam chowder and oysters, as well as burgers, sandwiches and salads. For an appetizer or unusual shooter, try the Stoli oyster shooter: a shot of Stoli with a floating oyster. A house specialty is the chowder bread bowl. Although this place is small, it does offer a cozy seating arrangement at the long bar or at one of the elevated tables and chairs. The bar serves beer, wine and cocktails.

California Market Restaurant

Gaze down onto the rocky coastline while dining on Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad or Basil Cured Salmon at this breezy, upscale-casual eatery at Highlands Inn. The cuisine is typical of contemporary Californian comfort food. The menu features thin-crust pizzas with inventive toppings, specialty sandwiches and salads, and fresh seafood. The wooden porch is a scenic spot for lunch during warm months, and the cozy indoor dining area is perfect for rainy nights. The service is friendly and helpful.

Allegro Gourmet Pizzeria

Prices are low and the menu is lengthy at this laid-back California-style pizzeria. Start with a stuffed artichoke, and move on to a hand-tossed pizza or classic Italian entree. Vegetarians will be pleased at the selection of salads and veggie items, while dieters may want to take the opportunity to dine on a low-fat pizza or one of the spuntino (light meals). Save room for dessert. There is something to tempt every palate. A decent selection of draft beer and wine by the glass is available.

Katy's Place

Claiming to have the largest breakfast menu on the West Coast, this traditional country kitchen is popular with everyone in Carmel, and it has been around for almost 20 years. On the menu you will find several types of waffles and other gourmet breakfast edibles, served all day long. There are even 10 different Eggs Benedict dishes. Many repeat customers constantly flock to this legendary place, and the service is downright spectacular.

Piatti

A meal at this restaurant will have you feeling like you're at a local eatery in Italy. The patio, which is a mélange of olive and oak trees in true alfrescan fashion and adorned by the seasonal live creek, helps recreate the Italian feel. The menu adds to it with different delicious dishes of anitpasti, insalate, pastas and wood-fired pizzas. Pesto, Tomato, Crisp Romaine, and Mozarella Cheese are four mouth-watering types of panini that the restaurant serves. All ingredients are seasonal, so you can expect a different taste each time.

L'escargot Restaurant

L'escargot opened its doors in 1958, and today chef-owner Kericos Loutas carries on the hearty, Country French cuisine. Tucked away in a residential neighborhood, you will enjoy a warm and homey atmosphere. You can choose from a bistro or three-course set menu, allowing you to order a variety of dishes and eat as little or as much as you like. Start with a Caramelized Onion and Sonoma Goat Cheese Tart, followed by a Fresh Pear salad, but be sure to save room for the Fresh Petrale Sole. An extensive wine list is provided, featuring many Monterey and California Coastal wines.

Carmel Bakery

Carmel Bakery has been around to satisfy a sweet tooth or to provide a light meal since 1906. It is right in the middle of the busy Ocean Avenue; the enticing display of pastry in the window calls everyone in for a treat. The cannoli is to die for. Scones, shortbread, danishes, biscotti and pretzels are also hugely popular. Not a desert lover? They also have soups and sandwiches. Carmel Bakery is sure to have something to put a smile on your face. -Hoiyin Ip

Citronelle

Located in the Carmel Valley Ranch, Chef Michel Richard offers an innovative cuisine prepared by using local ingredients. A wide variety of cocktails and daily special drinks complement the delicious food at this restaurant. Citronelle, located in the newly renovated lodge of the hotel, is the signature restuarant of the Ranch. You are sure to get a unique dining experience in a very relaxed and casual atmosphere of the restuarant.

Little Napoli

Known as “Carmel's Little Italy” by locals, the 'Little Napoli' restaurant will surely remind you of Italy by serving you with the best traditional Italian cuisine. The place has a very comfortable atmosphere and will surely give you a feeling of being home, with its hardwood flooring , a fireplace and Italian music being played in the background. Come here and relish over some pastas and seafood specialities, with fresh pizzas and garlic breads. And not to forget the restaurant also offers a huge list of Italian wines and French Campagne. So get here for a perfect dinner date.