China Delight Restaurant

Locally sourced ingredients

•$$

Locally owned & operated

Wonderful grill spot in the heart of downtown Carmel by the Sea. The staff was attentive, the…read moreprices aren't cheap but you get what you pay for. I had a nice steak, my wife had the curry, and we were both delighted. Very filling portions and unique flavors. Highly recommended.

Restaurants in tourist areas often get inflated reviews. People are on vacation, in a good mood,…read moreand not always judging the food very critically. Carmel-by-the-Sea has plenty of highly rated restaurants with fairly average food, and Pangea on Ocean Ave felt like one of them. The kimchi dumpling soup, artichoke chicken, and stuffed mushrooms were all fine, but nothing special. The service was good, the staff were attentive, and the ambiance was pleasant. What really bothered me was that every glass of water came with a plastic straw, even though we did not ask for one. In 2026, most restaurants use paper straws or provide straws only by request. Plastic is forever, breaks down into microplastics, and contributes to pollution in our water and environment. Plastic debris also harms marine life, including sea turtles. If Pangea serves even 100 customers a day, that could mean around 36,500 unnecessary plastic straws a year. Pangea on Ocean Ave should switch to paper straws and provide them only when customers ask. Average food I can forgive. Needless plastic waste is harder to overlook

Dinner in the best way!

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Great place to gather!

Flaherty's Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar

Food was amazing and our service by Rudy was excellent. Rudy gave us the best recommendations and…read morewe enjoyed every bite! Finished our meal with a delicious dessert. Warm Bread pudding was perfect with homemade vanilla bean ice cream. Ambiance warm and perfect!

The staff was really friendly and accommodating! It was our friend's birthday and one of the…read morewaiters gave us a discount and a free birthday dessert. It was very sweet. They made sure we had everything we wanted without us having to ask from sparkling water to tap water to extra bread to a seafood free menu. The clam chowder was delicious and the oysters were filling. We wished they were a little brinier, but they really hit the spot for us. The flourless chocolate torte for dessert was absolutely amazing--fudgey and rich and made in-house. Would recommend if you stay for dessert so glad we were able to. Even though we were a bigger group they found a table for us right away. We were sat in the alleyway where there were air heaters and it was very cozy and cute such a lovely evening breathing in the beach air while we ate.

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A W Shucks Oyster Bar And Cocktails

4.1(1.3k reviews)

•$$

Great fish and chips , we passed on the chips and had a salad instead. Conveniently located in the…read moremiddle of all the shops, we sat right at the bar and enjoyed our meal. Spicy bloody was delicious too! Service was very good and we had a front row seat to watch the chefs in action . Definitely recommend checking out Aw Shucks!!!

Food is absolutely awesome…read more All the oysters were fresh and had good taste. The Fish & Chips were good too. Mark was the best. Hope to come again!

It fills up at the bar, but service is always fast!

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Vibe

PortaBella

4.3(1.5k reviews)

I want to start off by saying this is my first time here but it will NOT be my last, I truly…read moreappreciate their supportive staff. Their food overall is amazing! The restaurant is tucked away in carmel by the sea the atmosphere, the vibe - is immaculate, it's such a hidden gem I can't believe i have never been here! Strongly recommend

Took a day trip to Carmel and popped in to PortaBella on a Sunday for lunch…read more Touristy spots can be hit or miss so I was a bit worried, but the food here was phenomenal! I had the Linguini Ai Frutti Di Mare and it was perfect. The house-made noodles were the star-- chewy and thick-- plus the lobster cream sauce was decadent. The ambiance was nice and service pretty good as well. I would like to come back to have their pasta again!

Smoked Salmon with Pistachio Herb Goat Cheese Salad

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Ambiance

Flying Fish Grill

4.4(1.1k reviews)

Fish You Were Here A…read moreJapanese fusion fish-centric restaurant located in Downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea, it has had the same owners since 1975, when it was FKA "Shabu Shabu" before receiving its current moniker in 1993. The Good: * We loved the location--down a set of stairs into a dimly lit, cozy space. * And speaking of cozy spaces, we love that every table is its own private booth. Nothing is more annoying than having to dine with strangers just inches away, in my opinion. * Service was, uhhh, interesting but passable. We actually liked the dude who was following up behind our server, as he seemed like a really cool guy with definite opinions on the food. * Make sure you order their unique take on chips and salsa! Their fried wonton wrappers paired with a deliciously unique ginger pico de gallo were fantastic. * The Fried Fish Cakes (a daily special, so they might not always be on the menu) were delicious and full of flavor. * We both loved our entrées; my Black Bean Halibut was cooked perfectly--tender and flaky--and I loved the funky fermented black bean sauce. Carissa is still talking about her Almond Sea Bass weeks later, so 'nuff said. * The Warm Tempura Banana Sundae was a bit odd but worked in a weird way. We normally skip dessert unless it's something unique, and this certainly fit the bill! The Meh: * Reservations are handled the old-fashioned way: via telephone. * No outdoor dining. The Ugly: * While being underground is part of their charm, as mentioned above, it is definitely not ADA-compliant. So if you or anyone in your party has difficulty traversing stairs, this probably isn't the place for you. Conclusion: Fantastic date-night spot with great service, ambiance, and food. Highly recommended.

This was another fantastic meal during our short overnight trip. We had reservations for another…read moreplace but we weren't feeling it. So we went here instead. And I'm so glad we did. The décor and ambiance is so cool. Plus since we arrive early, we were pretty much alone for most of our meal. And the service was very good. The food was unique and tasty. The chips and salsa were an interesting take and I'm glad John ordered it. I ordered the almost sea bass and it's a dish that I continued to think about for hours and days afterwards. It was so good and interesting! I tried John's dish but mine was far superior. Another highly recommended restaurant!

Inside seating

Warm Tempura-fried Banana Sundae

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Hot Ozeki ($11/Lg)

Mission Bistro

Perfect for a special occasion! I came here after I proposed to my now fiancée and the staff were…read moregracious hosts and made a warm atmosphere for us to celebrate the occasion! They really went above and beyond to make us feel special. The food was delicious and they have a great selection of wine to choose from. I can't say enough nice things about this place and how they created such a wonderful memory for us - we cant wait to come back and celebrate our next milestone!

Was trying to book a brunch place for outdoor dining and landed here from Google Maps. Oddly there…read morewas no brunch, and they seated five of us inside with our two dogs at a 4-person table, so it was very tight. However, Mission Bistro really made up for it with the food quality and service: Medium and medium well burgers cooked excellently, unique uni and shrimp pasta, birthday dessert of vanilla ice cream with granola that paired really well with the mango sorbet, flexibility in swapping fries to salad, servers trying to pass dishes around the dogs, etc. Even though it wasn't what we anticipated, can't say we didn't have a delicious meal. (Caution: Some online photos of the menus are very outdated.)

Crab + Pea Risotto

Heirloom Leaf Salad

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Tree House Cafe

4.3(1.4k reviews)

1.3 mi

Great little place in Carmel! Dog friendly which was awesome. My wife and I shared the Dolmas, Clam…read moreChowder, and Treehouse Burger. Dolmas, speechless, wow Skip the chowder, in my opinion. Less of a chowder, more of a soup. Treehouse Burger so tasty. Their take on a smash burger... must try Service was quick and friendly. Attentive as well! Will be back!

I do really appreciate Treehouse is dog-friendly and they were kind to provide a water bowl for my…read morepup. The patio ambiance is very nice, but other than that, the food was so basic and mediocre with not a lot of taste. I don't understand why this cafe is on so many vegetarian guides when the veggie options are actually kind of limited (hummus, lentil soup, etc.) and not very good. I don't understand the hype. Seems like other restaurants in Carmel have way more interesting and tasty vegetarian options.

Entrance of the restaurant

Bolognese Pasta

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Complimentary baklava

Nora’s Carmel

4.7(282 reviews)

What a wonderful hidden gem. Tucked away between galleries this restaurant exemplifies fine quality…read moredining and service that leaves you with the feeling of being fed by a loving family. We had the charred broccolini , fig Flatbread and fantastic pasta. Layers of flavors to each bite. Highly recommend

Yes, yes and yes!! Too bad I was only allowed to leave 5 stars. The second you arrive to see a…read morepatio with full tables and great looking food, you know you've made the right choice. Very friendly staff, delicious food and wine at reasonable prices, and warm inviting atmosphere made for a special evening all around. We'll be back for sure. I recommend reservations.

Cozy & intimate ambience - from corner table

Kale Salad

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Creme Brulle' Waffle

The Grill On Ocean Ave

4.1(125 reviews)

•$$

We stopped in during our first trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea and were pleasantly surprised. The fish…read moreand chips were pretty good--different than I expected, maybe cause of the oil they use for Mediterranean food or something? Still tasty tho. The surf and turf fajitas were solid, and everything seemed fresh made which I really appreciated. The tandoori shrimp appetizer was what I was most excited about but honestly, it let me down a bit. I'm a big fan of tandoori and use the seasoning at home a lot, but these had kind of a burnt bitter flavor, maybe the seasoning got a little over toasted on the grill? Not terrible, just not what I hoped. The place itself was super clean. Like really clean. Dining area was spotless, staff was warm and kept our drinks full without even asking. Bathrooms? Immaculate. Even had air freshener on the shelf for a little spritz after taking care of business. Respect. All in all, it was a nice meal and we enjoyed the experience. Would def go back next time we're in town.

On a day trip from San Francisco to Monterey we stopped in Carmel By The Sea on our return for…read moredinner. This spot caught our attention so we gave it a try based on the menu that was posted outside. The place is small and will hold a max of 49 people. There were two guys that handled the service and they were very attentive. We ordered the spinach artichoke dip ($17) as an appetizer that came with pita bread. It was served piping hot and was provably the best I've had. We then ordered the bacon cheeseburger ($27) and fish & chips ($25). They were both good and came with fries which unfortunately were not hot. We were pressed for time so didn't try any of the desserts.

Picture of the an appetizer

Chicken & Bacon flatbread

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Shrimp and sirloin Steaks

Dametra Cafe

4.5(4.8k reviews)

1.5 mi

Dametra Cafe is a pan-Mediterranean restaurant right in the downtown area of Carmel. We passed by…read moreone evening and it was completely full with a line waiting outside. So we decided to stop by for lunch the next day after a nice hike along the beach so we were quite hungry, which is a good thing because the servings are quite hearty. The meal started with some very nice bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Along with a couple glasses of local sparkling wine. I ordered the lamb kebabs and my partner ordered a Greek salad. The lamb kebabs were served with s Greek salad, rice pilaf, Tzatziki sauce and warm pita bread, The Greek Salad was also served with Tzatziki sauce and pita bread. I have to say that all elements of the meal were over the top excellent, down to the wonderful Tzatziki sauce. It was a fabulous meal. We were too sated to order a dessert and were brought a couple of small pieces of baklava to finish the meal. Service was warm and professional. Highly recommended!

Dametra Cafe is a Mediterranean restaurant in Carmel-By-The-Sea. There's street parking nearby and…read moreplenty of indoor seating. The ambiance inside is eclectic, charming, and comfortable, good for small groups of 2-4 people or a family. The service was a bit slow, but our waiter was kind. They brought out the bread first, which paired well with the oil/balsamic mixture. Then, we ordered the Dametra Royal Combination, the Greek Combination platter, and the chicken shawarma sandwich. The Royal combination platter was good for sharing and gave me the chance to try all the appetizers that I was craving. The tzatziki and hummus were my favorite thing on the table overall. However, the dolmas were a bit too salty and the spanakopita was a bit soggy. The combination platter had well cooked lamb and a salad with hummus and pita. The lamb was a bit bland, but had a tender texture and was a sizable portion. The chicken shawarma sandwich was also a bit bland and difficult to eat since the outside was too hard. However, the waiters gave us free baklava when they saw we didn't really finish our meals. Overall, the prices were expensive, but the portions and ambiance were good. If you're looking for a Mediterranean meal while at Carmel-By-the-Sea, Dametra is a good option.