Greeting upon arriving was very warm. Waitress Gabriella was very polite and helpful. With a shellfish allergy the staff was very accommodating. Food was fabulous. Definitely a warm friendly environment. Will definitely be back. read more

Excellent food Great Service. We attended as a party of 6 for dinner and had a great time. The menu and wine list is tight but enough. Great night thank you read more

This was the first time at this highly over rated restaurant. The food was ok to good, (we had the clay pot); but the filth of the place made that a moot point. The table was sticky, and when we pointed it out to the waitress, she made a really dumb remark, about that being just "because of constant swabbing." If you had a flashlight to see the floor, you would truly be grossed out with the filthy rug. The bathroom was also a disaster. If you are charging $31-$39 dollars for most entrees, then you should have at least a halfway clean place; the cleanliness of this place did not meet that criteria. I will not return, because the food was not worth the filth. read more

Tony was our server and he was excellent. Food was fantastic. We had the almond crusted sea bass - Wow! Melts in your mouth. I'll be thinking of it until I return again. The crab cake tower-- it is a MUST! Full of crab-lots of flavor and depth - was sad I had shared it with my hubby . Must make a reservation. This place is worth dining. Only drawback I saw was it's a little challenging to get to- the steep stairs leading to this place wouldn't be easy for all to navigate. read more

Exceptional meal at any time, but in the middle of a pandemic, and while we were evacuated due to wildfires, well, I can't say enough. I had the ahi tuna, it was perfect. It was lightly seared and melted in my mouth. My wife had the halibut. She said it was the best she's ever had and even licked the plate clean. Finished with the creme brulee. Had to fight with my wife to get a taste. Service was attentive and timely. Wonderful, wonderful. read more

Like my fellow Yelpers, I would best describe this cuisine as "Asian fusion", heavy on the fish. And I can honestly say that in my 6+ years going here (probably 20 or so times total) I've never had a bad (or unoriginal!) meal here. I don't get down to Carmel as much as I used to, but when I do I always make sure to visit The Flying Fish. UPDATE: the last time I went here (in Sept) I DID have a bad meal here. Boo! Both the food and the service seems to have gone downhill. Oh well... read more

While hard to find, this place is totally worth it. Very friendly staff attend to a small, cozy dining room and served us 2 wonderfully cooked pieces of fish. End your meal with the tempura banana dessert. Just do it. So, so good. read more

This was a great find! Food was delicious and service was really good. We all loved the fried wonton chips and salsa. I think the waiter had to refill our bowl three times. The tuna tartar was a little bit under seasoned but had good flavor. I like the extra crunch with the cucumber and the toasted bread. For entree and dessert we had the lobster, shabu shabu, seafood pasta and banana tempura. Everything tasted fresh and great. Definitely will go back. read more

My husband and I spent our anniversary at Carmel last Saturday. We found this place on yelp, we had a great dinner in this restaurant. The food was really good and also the service is awlsome! We told the waiter it's our anniversary dinner, at the end of dinner he brought us very tastey vanilla chocolate icecream for free, and keep saying " happy anniversary!" It's really really sweet! We are sure we will go back to that restaurant again someday soon:) read more

We went to Carmel to celebrate my husbands birthday but didn't have any dinner plans. Once we checked into our hotel we did some research on yelp and decided on The Flying Fish. The name does not do it justice! We walked in about 7:15pm but the man at the front desk said he would not have anything available until 8:45pm. It was one of the only places that had lobster on their menu so we put our name in and went to walk around. Lesson here - make reservations! We were so glad we waited because from the moment they seated us it was fantastic! The Won Ton chips with ginger salsa are amazing...and I am so not a salsa person! For an appetizer we ordered the California crab avocado tower. It was pretty good but not quite as big as we had thought...which was ok because we wanted to leave room for our dinner anyways. For dinner we both ordered the steak with a side of lobster which was 9oz and to die for! Juicy, flavorful, moist, and seasoned to perfection on both! Since it was my husbands birthday they gave him the sundae with tempura bananas which was Delish and I ordered the sorbet. That night the sorbet was mango, passion fruit and coconut. It was full of flavor, super refreshing and appeared to made in house. The place is extremely small (again, make reservations) but everyone was very nice and service was excellent. This will definitely be on the agenda the next time we are in the area! read more

Not a sushi house.. Wonton "chips" and salsa were very out of place at a Japanese restaurant, but very good. California roll tower appetizer was very good, but could have used more avocado Shabu shabu hot pot: very good Expensive!!! But will come back when we want hot pot and are in Carmel read more

We came back for Flying Fish Grill after 5 years and if we ever go back to Carmel, we will definitely eat at Flying Fish Grill. Their deep fried wanton skin and tomatoes ginger salsa is something you die for! With 2 of us, we just finished 1 basket within 5 mins. It's that good! Service was excellent, they even let us packed the 2nd basket wonton skin and salsa home. Don't get me wrong, their entree are very good as well. read more

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The wonton chip and salsa was tasty. The sea bass was alright. The scallop and shrimp dish was okay except for the scallop wasn't quite cook, and my mom couldn't eat them. The pasta was the worst. I didn't expect such thin pasta in very soupy sauce. Same thing the scallop and some of other sea food stuff in there weren't quite cooked. I know it's not good to over cook it either but it was too raw up to the point that It was hard to eat. I think maybe they should ask us how well we want our dishes to be cooked just like people would do for the steak. The fried banana and ice cream wasn't that great either. read more

Food is amazing!!! Can't go wrong with anything on menu, and if you need guidance the staff is wonderful and very friendly :) read more

It's a nice place inside service was good and the almond crusted Seabass was amazing have a good wine selection and prices a little bit too expensive but this is Carmel read more

Flying Fish Grill - Japanese Near Me - Carmel, California

Had a wonderful experience! I had the California Crab Tower as an appetizer, which I loved! The main course of Almond Sea Bass was also great. Ate every bite! Didn't have room for dessert, but I u deer stand the Carmel flavored tempura bananas are to die for! Just couldn't eat another bite! Flying Fish is definitely a place I would recommend and would go back to again and again! read more

Flying Fish Grill - Black bean halibut - Japanese Near Me - Carmel, California

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1.The appetizers are much better than the main courses. 2.Recommend onion beef roll,panfried oyster. 3.Dont recommend halibut which taste like Chinese fish and overpriced abalone. 4.Service is excellent! read more

This is one of the best seafood restaurants I have been to in my life. Let me put some context: I am a foodie, I only eat seafood and eggs, I have lived in 4 countries across the globe and travelled extensively in the US and to other countries, I eat lunch out 6 times a week, and I eat dinner out 5 times a week. Basically I only make breakfast. I have tried many restaurants, and this just made my #1 spot on my list. Everything was magnificent: from the warm gentle friendliness of the owners and hosts, to the well thought out, cozy, warm, immersing decor, to the attentive, humble service, to the best salsa and chips in the world, to the selection of sake and drinks, to the incredible calamari, the swooning ahi tuna - the best ahi tuna I have ever had, to the exquisite yin yan salmon. I just wish I lived close enough to this place to come on a weekly basis. I think I fell in love with life in that place. If you are in Carmel, and you don't visit this place..... Shame on you, or more like poor you. Trust the reviews, don't have expectations, allow yourself to just experience this at least once and see for yourself. read more

Excellent, was a bit skeptical that the location was adjacent to the outdoor malls . They only serve beer and wine which is okay because the selections were great. We had appetizers fried calamari with nice dipping sauce. I had the almond glazed sea bass over smashed potatoes and green beans. Price points for most entrées were high 20's to 30 & Service was great and timely between drinks water replacement and food to table Seating looked to be maximum 4 / table so not easy for a big group. I will come back read more

Best meal we had during our entire trip up the California coast! We ordered the artichoke and California tower appetizers - the crab was so fresh and the dipping sauces for the artichoke were soooo good! Then for dinner the Alaskan Cod and Seafood Pasta were perfect. Enjoyed every bite, didn't want to leave. Great atmosphere and nice waiters. read more

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What a culinary treat! Great take on Japanese seafood cuisine! Incredible food! We had the calamari appetizer which is the best calamari we have ever had, followed by the California tower also great, and finished with the yin yan salmon. The salmon was to die for, the lime cream sauce is the best sauce I've ever had! The wonton chips and ginger salsa are a great addition to any meal! For dessert we got green tea ice cream, a refreshing treat! Service was also great! read more

With the dining experience generally being upside down during this COVID pandemic, we didn't know what to expect despite the place being recommended by our hotel, and a little off the beaten path. What a great surprise. The food was delicious, Asian-influenced, expertly prepared. Everything we ordered pleased. Our server made great suggestions and was attentive enough. The California Tower consisted of California roll ingredients in a tower, a tower of sushi rice, topped with fresh Dungeness crab (could have been a tad more generous), then avocado, ginger on the side. Salmon was perfectly grilled atop arugula and some pearl couscous. Tuna was also great. There were three birthdays being celebrated. I want to go back! read more

Amazing food and atmosphere. Hidden in the little town. Super small and intimate setting. The chips to start and salsa was incredible and the appetizers (especially the California roll) were to die for. The fish was super fresh and paired very well with the flavors. The desserts ( banana sundae and macha tea sundae) are a must have. The servers were lovely to chat with and made my family and I feel very at home on our vacation. Would recommend to anyone who loves amazing food! read more

Flying Fish Grill - Japanese Near Me - Carmel, California

I'm not one to usually write reviews but we were overtaken with the food and service during our stay in Carmel. We ordered the sea bass and parchment halibut and they were probably the best fish entrees we ever tasted. The combination of flavors for both dishes were extremely complimentary to the fish. The sautéed julienned vegetables were the perfect side dish with the fish. Christina, our server made our dinner super with her service and suggestions. This suggestion from the locals was "spot on". The owner Honza also checked in with us to be sure we liked our dishes. Great food and experience. read more

We had a wonderful dinner here. Tempura appetizer fresh and hot. I had the abalone special which was delicious, and a generous portion. I haven't had abalone that good in years. My husband had the almond sea bass, also very good. Service was excellent. read more

This place is a little hidden gem tucked down off Carmel's down town streets. The food was wonderful. We really enjoyed the atmosphere, but the service was what truly set them apart. We had a great time with the staff and it made this a memorable experience. I definitely recommend! read more

Had baked oysters, shrimp and curry soup as appetizers. Both delicious. Also, had the seafood clay pot. The broth was a bit bland but overall everything was delicious. It is $70 for 2 people and honestly, it was WAY too much food for us. We could have done w/o the apps. I would definitely go back to try their other entrees. read more

The staff at this restaurant are amazing!! It was a super busy hour, but they were able to accommodate our bigger party! It was also my friends birthday and they gave us drinks in the house!! The sushi was so so yummy and we finished it way too quickly! Would come back just for the service but stay for the delicious food! read more

Super people..nice table cooked shabu shabu..knew their Sake well and brought sample to try...

The food was very good, Yin Yin Salmon, wild not farmed. Portions and service very good, wine prices and selection good. The atmosphere could use an update, hard to find below street level, very dark. Overall likely we would return. Our server was very attentive, but not overly so. Small place, loud and crowded. Mostly seniors and families, not a hip vibe. One reviewer said romantic, I would not describe it as romantic. read more

The host (guy with an accent and earring) is an asshole. Guy is on a complete power trip and turns away guests rudely when they don't have a reservation. I actually showed up with a reservation and was left standing for 30 minutes while he deflected and was rude. Food is completely below average and below your standards. I would say move on and there are other great restaurants in Carmel and even down the street. For me, this was an easy pass for the second time around. Do not frequent this restaurant. read more

Fantastic...the food, the service...would highly recommend. Pricing is not over the top and they have a very fine wine collection also at reasonable pricing. The food was fantastic and beautifully prepared. Our waiter Rich was awesome. Friendly, conversational and knew the menu extremely well. Can't wait to go back! read more

We have not been to this restaurant before. The menu looked appealing so we went for it. We were greeted nicely and after a short wait we were seated. The wait person was very pleasant and made some helpful suggestions. We started with edamame which was sautéed in olive oil, garlic and shallots. OMG! Amazing! I had the black bean halibut prepared in parchment paper. The taste was exquisite. I ate a lot of the meal with chopsticks so I could savor every bite. I expected a good meal. The meal was not just good. It was superb! This is on my A list for Carmel. You need to eat at this restaurant! read more

We just finished four nights in Carmel, dining at four top rated restaurants. On our last night we dined at the Flying Fish Grill. It was clearly the highlight of our stay. It was the top recommendation of most of the locals we talked to, and they were right on. With any great restaurant, picking out the meal choice from many outstanding choices is often a challenge, as it was at the Flying Fish Grill. The Ahi, Yin-Yan Salmon and sea bass stood out in the recommendations we received. We usually don't order the same entree so we can share a little from each other's plate, but neither of us had had sea bass recently, so we both ordered it - a GREAT decision. Best meal either of us has had in a long time. - nothing more to say. For appetizers we enjoyed the tempura shrimp and calamari - both excellent. The calamari can get rubbery if left too long before eating, but when first served - it was as good as we have had - so enjoy it early. read more

This place checks all my boxes: great food, great service, & great ambiance! We especially love the almond sea bass, cioppinno, ahi tuna, oysters, calamari! The desserts are good too! read more

Have gone to this place once every few years since the early 90's. Gotta say it was either a lot better the first few times I went, or perhaps I've become more discerning... Biggest complaint is that it's gone too far away from it's Japanese restaurant roots, while at the same time not being a true "fusion" offering. What's featured on the menu isn't even really fusion, but rather just some so-so fish dishes with a few token Japanese items such as a sub-par CA roll and an undercooked Niku/green onion "maki". Fusion should be more about combining two cuisines, not compromising on both... Used to go for the Shabu-Shabu, which although still on the menu, has been relegated to a parenthetical offering (e.g. each table used to have a built in burner, but now they plop a propane contraption on top). Definitely not going to go back anymore since my last two times were more for nostalgia than anything else. My trips to Carmel are few and far between, and I'd rather branch out and find some better options in the Japanese/fusion arena. read more

I was first introduced to The Flying Fish Grill many years ago and have been coming back a couple times a year ever since (I would come more often, but it's a bit of a drive). As many reviewers have already noted, the ginger salsa and wonton strips are AWESOME - and free! I always order the same entree - grilled salmon. While the name is bland, the salmon is anything but. The ginger-soy glaze is so good that I even eat the vegetables - no small feat. My wife typically orders the yin-yan salmon or almond seabass which are also very good. For dessert, the creme brulee with fresh fruit topping is excellent as is the warm banana sundae. The ambiance is intimate and serene while the staff is respectful and knowledgeable. The bottom line is that you can't go wrong eating here provided you can find it. There is a single staircase the leads to the entrance underneath Patisserie Boissiere in Carmel Plaza. read more

It was good! Not fantastic, but good! FOOD: My wife had the salmon, and I had the halibut. The halibut was on a pastry thing of some sort that didn't do much for the dish. My wife seemed to like the salmon though. A nice wine selection. We didn't get appetizers or dessert, so i can't shed any light on these items. Service: They kind of left us alone the whole night. I think we might have been in-between someone's shift, because the waiter changed at one point and never changed back. They were out of touch for most of the meal. This is why I didn't give them 4 stars. Location: Really nice location. It's right in one of my favorite parts of Carmel. Overall, if you're in Carmel and love seafood, this is definitely worth a shot but not a must-go. read more

Thank you yelpers. On a trip to Carmel I wanted to try some place new. Yelp helped me find this place. Small, sorta hard to find gem. The interior was surfaced in wood paneling, very cool. It was a bit warm in there though. We had the calamari which was perfectly crispy and fresh. I had the almond sea bass minus the mashed potatoes. Good, not fantastic. I recommend it for setting, service, and fresh seafood. Need to try other entrees. read more

So good. Husband ordered the AhiTuna Pepper Seared, which honestly was average... He wouldn't order it again. I ordered the almond crusted sea bass which was so amazing and the broth it was served with was yummy! I ate every bite. Fish was cooked perfectly. Service was awesome. We didn't have reservations but the owner had us wait to see if someone didn't show up for there time, and sure enough they didn't show up so we were seated (Next time make reservations!) Would eat here again while in Carmel. read more