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Big Sur + Monterey restaurants
With the exception of some stellar standouts, namely Marinus and L'Auberge Carmel, the dining scene on the Monterey Peninsula is pretty lackluster. At most restaurants, the trick to a good meal is to order simply: If something sounds too ambitious, it usually is. In Carmel, classic French is the dominant paradigm. People here dress for dinner (most men wear jackets), but they eat early. There's usually only one seating—everyone wants a table at seven o'clock. Locals head home to curl up fireside, snifter in hand, by nine. In Monterey, the scene is generally more casual (think khakis and denim), driven primarily by tourist-oriented seafood restaurants. Always call ahead for reservations, especially for a late-evening table; many area restaurants close early on slow nights.
Hidden behind a gas station, this comfort food spot's only view is of a pretty cactus garden (and, okay, a big Shell sign pointing into the sky). But the...more
If you've spent the day hiking and you'd rather not change clothes for dinner, head to this family-run roadhouse. There's not much in the way of decor: Plain...more
Breaking ranks with the intimate French restaurants that for decades have defined the Carmel dining scene, Luca serves stellar trattoria-style Italian cooking...more
Seafood's the thing at this tiny Cal-Asian spot, down a flight of stairs from street level. The space feels Japanese, with low ceilings and lots of dark wood,...more
Chef Christophe Grosjean took over the reigns from Walter Manzke in 2008, but the culinary wizardry that made L'Auberge one of the Central Coast's top tables...more
Styled after a French country café, La Bicyclette serves hearty European comfort food in a tiny 30-seat dining room, perfect for a romantic evening without...more
Formerly the Monterey firehouse, Montrio is the sexiest dining room on the peninsula, with cool metal sculptures, high ceilings, and a good-looking crowd of bon...more
Perched 800 feet above the Pacific on a spectacular promontory (once owned—at separate times—by Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth), this place has been a...more
Chef Ted Walter and his wife, Cindy, have stacked up an impressive number of awards for their humble little restaurant in Pacific Grove, the seaside town just...more
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