By far the best in Carmel. Do not miss it. Best cuisine, best service, best everything !

Came here last Wednesday (somewhat randomly) and am SOO glad I did. The food was outstanding. So savory and delcious, excellent service, and you get 1/2 off of a bottle of wine on Wednesdays. I ordered the duck cooked two ways, and my husband ordered the Chicken with Madeira Cream. They were both outstanding... though next time I think I will order the chicken because the Madeira cream sauce was heavenly. Highly recommend. read more

OMG amazing little French restaurant in Carmel serving hearty French cuisine. So in love with this place. We started with foie gras terrine which is creamy and melt in your mouth. Paired with fig jam and brioche toasts. Delicious. Also had the duck and pork pate. Again delicious. Has more texture than most pate but just amazing. The frog legs Provençal had the best sauce. We ate all the sauce with an extra basket of fresh baguette. The frog legs were done extremely well. Not chewy at all. The chicken with black truffles were so rich and creamy. Huge portion of half a chicken! The veal medallions had a wonderful mushroom sauce. Amazing. The petrole sole was delicious with the caper and pepitas. Haven was our server and was super attentive. He kept his cool even though there were a couple tables of wine snobs and a rude French man. Overall will definitely recommend and will for sure come back. read more

This restaurant was average at best for me but I did have high expectations based on the Yelp reviews and lofty prices. It's a charming place but the food was disapppoinitng. I know country French well as I lived there years ago. But the salad was drenched in dressing, the food was excessively rich with heavy salt and butter that overwhelms and makes you feel sluggish. This was not fine dining but I did notice the restaurant was full. I think it's for larger people who are not all that health conscious so it just wasn't a good match. Also, all of us found the well-rehearsed waiter very annoying. He talked too much and was making the whole experience about his feigned graciousness or acquired manners and it just felt odd. I won't go back as there are many other good choices in Carmel. read more

This summer I arranged to have my Rehearsal dinner for my wedding party at L'escargot. Let me first say that I was married at the Carmel Mission and my reception was at a members only private golf club in Pebble Beach, so the location of the Rehearsal dinner was not taken lightly. The chef, Kericos Loutas was very personable and accommodating during the planning of the event. He helped my wife and I determine a wonderful menu which ended up being a perfect blend of the most amazing tastes. The staff worked very hard to keep the champagne, cocktails, and wine flowing. The intimate romantic setting (which I have experienced many times on many formal dates with my wife) was perfect. I can tell you that the caramelized onion tarts were in high demand, the sea bass was light and melted in your mouth, and the steaks were cooked to everyones specific desires. Finally our trio desert was a perfect finisher - the creme brulee is my favorite! Thank you L'escargot for helping me make the most special weekend of my life a complete success!! See you soon! read more

Yesterday I was still working even on Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, but finally we could reach so so nice French in Carmel, near Monterey :) Escargo was so cute and good taste. Also rabbit and creme brûlée were fantastic!! We will definitely come here again. read more

Pretty good for French Bistro, if you stick to the classic you will probably have a good meal, the service is also pretty good, the wine list better, overall a little dated but fine for classic bistro fare. read more

We live in Carmel and Escargot is our favorite restaurant. It is intimate, delicious, and always a great experience with both food and staff. Kerry, the owner/Chef makes sure that every meal is wonderful! He cares about each meal prepared, takes no shortcuts....and makes sure every meal is delicious. We enjoy evenings there by ourselves, and when we have guests in town, we always dine at Escargot. Dino is lovely and Kerry will never disappoint....They always make it a special evening. The Garners read more

Every year during the Monterey car weekend I eat here. I must say it is my favorite place, excellent food quality and preparation, service friendly and attentive without being intrusive. Wine selection is great as well. I need to point out the mussels as appetizer, the seafood entrees, and the zabaione dessert, among other great things. I love eating out and enjoying quality food, I definitely recommend this place.. read more

One of the most exceptional meals we have ever had. Snails is a must have for a starter. They have multiple preparations, we had them on mushroom caps. Don't miss the duck 2 ways and the grilled lamb. Dino gave us great service and the wine list is excellent. read more

Six of us had the culinary experience of a lifetime having dinner at L'Escargot in Carmel last Saturday. Every dish was beautifully prepared and presented. The rack of lamb was so tender and delicious. My friends especially loved the sand dabs. The veal medallions were to die for and we also enjoyed the halibut. I think Chef Loutas is famous for his crème brûlée. One thing I appreciated was that even though the restaurant was full, it was very quiet and we could enjoy our dinner conversation. The service was outstanding - it's definitely my new favorite restaurant. Rosa C. read more

I loved the ambience of this little place: civilized and quiet, a throwback and the food was decent: we had Carmelized onion goat cheese tart; French onion soup gratinee: duck pork pate with whole grain mustard pickled veggies cornichons; rack of lamb with roasted potatoes in duck fat and veggies. The tart a tad greasy and the soup was fine, though it lacked the requisite sweetness, the flavor a bit flat and also too salty. The pate was way too grainy and dry, not creamy and unctuous as the dish calls for. The lamb was by far the best thing about our meal. It was cooked perfectly medium as we'd asked for. It was a bit overpriced for the quality and if we'd had more time, would've researched a better place to go to. The service, though polished and professional, I found to be supercilious and a bit condescending. I would not go back, especially not with a million other French restaurant in Carmel. Btw, the place is hidden among a bunch of other storefronts, and hard to find, especially given that the places in Carmel have no street numbers, so allow extra time to find it, if this is your first visit. read more

Had a very nice dinner! Both service and food was bar none exceptional. Husband had the beef Wellington and I had the pork loin piccata. Can't go wrong. Would go back in a heartbeat! read more

L'Escargot just might be my new favorite restaurant in Carmel. Dino is a gem. I'm shocked at the reasonable prices for the farm to table quality of the food. Simply delicious. We will see you soon Dino. read more

Our server/head waiter, Dino, really made this experience worth a new write-up. The food was great; nicely balanced flavors and cooked to perfection. However, it was Dino who made the dinner memorable by guiding us through the specials, the appetizers, and the wine list, to make a very nicely balanced meal paired with a nice wine. Great experience. read more

Seriously. I could have stayed in San Francisco and went to any one of the French restaurants here. I would have spent the same amount, had BETTER QUALITY food (dishes here were subpar) and would have gotten service without overhearing gossip in the kitchen for not ordering dessert. WTF. SERIOUSLY. read more

Everything from the French Californian Caesar salad down to the Salmon with pepito seeds was wonderful. You walk into a french country side restaurant that welcomes you in the best of home town feelings, with a wait staff that is highly trained and also extremely welcoming. It is the best of French cuisine with a truly Californian twist that will please the french gourmet to the Californian foody. It is 100% apparent that the ever humble and amazingly talented Chef Kerry knows what he is doing and how to happily encourage his staff to follow his direction. read more

Love this cozy French restaurant. We go there monthly for the wino Wednesday. Wonderful taste French cuisine without the typical price tag. Owner/ chef has his protective hand on each plate. Just wish they had an actual French champagne but that's a minor point. Even have a private room worthy of a private party. Staff knowledgeable and very friend which makes the entire dinner just that much better. Go! read more

Amazing! Took my family here for Father's Day and it was an excellent experience. From booking the reservation to our last sip of wine. Dino is an awesome host and made us feel so welcomed right away. The food is delicious and memorable. I highly suggest this restaurant to anyone. read more

The service and food could not have been better! But parking is a huge problem. Having said that, the staff immediately told me to park in their driveway. Problem solved. It's a wonderful restaurant with great ambiance and food. read more

It is not hard to see why L'Escargot has been a Carmel favorite for decades. Extraordinarily good food the likes of which I haven't tasted since I lived in Lyon. Kudos to the chef for putting Mouclade on the menu as a daily special. It is a classic and one of my favorites. The beef Wellington and boysenberry and blackberry cobbler were also a delight . The discounted wine on Wednesdays provides extra incentive if you're looking for a mid-week dinner spot. read more

Just had a great dinner. Dino, our waiter was awesome and very attentive. Will definitely be back. Duck was exceptional and the soup of the day rocked. read more

Great dinner, great service! Duck, Chicken, and Scallops are outstanding. Our server was personable and very attentive to our needs. Can't wait to go back! read more

Came back here on Wednesday the 21st while we were in Carmel for our anniversary. If you are in town on any Wednesday you can't beat half off all bottles of wine for wino Wednesdays. It's a great chance to have something new you may not try normally. I ordered the frog legs and my wife had the sweet breads. Both were as good as ever. They ran out of one of the specials, quail two ways with foie gras, so I ordered the leg of lamb and she the roast chicken. The lamb was tender, juicy and perfectly cooked. While the breast of the roast chicken was a bit dry the leg/thigh were fantastic and who doesn't like crispy skin? I hope I can make it back down this winter and indulge in the cassoule. read more

We went there last night based on reviews from Yelp. The food was very good and the service was as well. We were there on the later side and the only other couple there was getting a little too cozy (get a room!) during dinner. But we got the prix frie menu, from which we chose the pate, onion appetizer, rib eye and coq au vin, chocolate dessert. All were very good, nicely prepared. The waitress mentioned that most of their clientele are locals because they're a few blocks away from Ocean avenue. I'd encourage other visitors to give it a try - good food, good value. read more

Set 3 course dinner for $29 is great value for an excellent little restaurant.

That's a coincidence. I just wrote a completely unrelated review and this restaurant randomly shows up. I recognized the photo: I have been there with my wife (without the kids!) each time we are in Carmel JUST for their mussels, or to be more precise: the sauce. I have actually asked the chef what went in it (vermouth and garlic among others) , and reproduced it at home. Great romantic little place with great food... read more

We spent Labor Day weekend in Carmel and hands down this was our favorite restaurant. I had the pre fix menu while my husband ordered off the full menu. We were both extremely happy with our meals. I asked the waiter which fish he preferred and I was thrilled with the Idaho Trout that he recommended. The goat cheese and onion tart was very tasty. Good cocktails, nice wine and a pretty dining room. Service was excellent. Friendly, attentive, and funny without being intrusive. We would absolutely go back here if we are in the area again. read more

What an amazing dining experience my husband and I had tonight at L'Escargot! We were the first patrons to enter this cute and delightful French restaurant with a 5:30 reservation, and was greeted by the most personable and knowledgeable server, Dino G. He graciously directed us to select whichever table we'd like, and immediately made us feel at home. He helped us order, selected my wine, and even provided a little history on the restaurant and food. We had the sweetbreads and escargot for appetizers. At Dino's suggestion, we dived into the sweetbread first with its delicate flavor. OH MY GOD were the sweetbread plate lickin' , out of this world, good! If you are ever lucky enough to dine at L'Escargot, you must get the sweetbread. Next we tasted our escargot, and sure enough, they were just as tasty as many reviewers said they would be. We both also ordered their prix fixe dinner. I had their cauliflower soup, petrale sole, and creme brûlée (for an additional cost as creme brûlée was not part of the prix fixe dinner) for dessert. My husband had their pate, bison short ribs and brownie with ice cream for dessert. I couldn't stop remarking about each and every blissful bite. Furthermore, Dino added to the brilliance of the chef's cooking by knowing exactly when to show up with suggestions, refills, questions, etc. He even comped me my delicious coffee at the end. We walked away dancing (me literally dancing) as nothing pleases us more than a fantastic meal with superb service. The chef is to be commended as the creations out of his kitchen is a one man show, and Dino needs to be recognized as one of the best servers in America! Thank you L'Escargot for an unforgettable experience in beautiful Carmel! read more

The soup was amazing, worth a trip just to have some more. We had a bison rib dish that was very good and a coque au vin was good (first time we had this dish so not great judges), but the potato sides were yummy. For dessert we had chocolate brownies, but don't let the name fool you, they were subtle and rich and served with ice cream to give a perfect end to the meal. Definite thumbs up! ps this took place in Nov 2011. read more

I took 2 friends there. One from Paris, and the other who had lived in France for a while. We had the best meal! Everything was to die for. The waiter was enthusiastic, knew the menu, made excellent wine and food recommendations! A great wine deal on Wednesday! Will definitely be back! read more

Awesome food and friendly service! Had a great time and half off wine Wednesday made for a crazy night. Thanks for the wine recommendation. We bought another bottle the next day. Worth every penny! read more

We had our 25th anniversary dinner in the private room - our guests were very impressed by the meal. We have been coming to the restaurant for many years, we were confident our anniversary party would be a success. Special favorites include the cassoulet, mussels with shallots, (appetizer), chicken in black truffle madeira cream sauce and the creme brulee. read more

My wife and I have eaten at L'Escargot a number on times and it has always been excellent. We have partaken of the price fix and chosen separate. On 10/23/18, we had another delicious meal. I chose the veal medallions with mushrooms in a reduced sauce. Just fantastic. I can refresh my memory now for a few weeks with just one thought of our last visit to Carmel, CA. read more

An outstanding dining experience with incredible food. The only thing that keeps me from giving the restaurant five stars is the coq au vin - a bit on the bland side. That said, everything else was fabulous. The escargot was incredible (good thing considering the restaurant is named for them!!) Like all good escargot should, these had incredible flavor and were tender and delicious. We love garlic and these did not disappoint! The cassoulet was amazing. It was presented in a clay dish with panko bread crumbs on top and was hearty, delicious and incredibly satisfying. Our waitress was awesome - attentive but not overbearing and very knowledgeable about the food and wine. Moreover, the chef came out and spoke with us as we were finishing and wanted to make certain that everything met our expectations. If you are in Carmel - this is a "can't miss!" read more

Celebrated wife's pre birthday dinner. People there very friendly and service very attentive. Food was very good and not overly priced. The escargot was excellent and reminded me of my moms!!! Had the steak and frites (again like my moms) which was very good and she had the sand dabs, which were light and tasty. This place was recommended to us from a local lady that works at Tiffany's and she was spot on about this place. Very quaint and good. We both enjoyed it and would go back. read more

We ate dinner there on Aug. 25. The food is very good, quantity is good. Neither are better than many other good restaurants in the Carmel area. We have eaten at many and have returned to many. My wife loved the look of the restaurant. French food is not near the top of my food list. We ordered the Sand Dabs; escargot and frogs legs, etc. do not interest me. What stood out was the service. I noticed the other parties were all drinking wine. My wife ordered a glass. As I do not care for wine, ordered an iced tea. She was served immediately, I had to remind the waiter after the appetizer and just before the meal about my iced tea. The waiter returned rapidly to refill her glass and seemed hurt that she did not want more. From my decades of eating in restaurants, gourmet to dive, non-alcoholic drinks are refilled without charge. They never offered a refill. I guess they only refill when they can charge. Early on, I quietly asked one of the staff if they would light a candle during dessert for my wife's birthday. It was a milestone. I was assured they would. That same person avoided eye contact with me the rest of the meal. Maybe they thought we were bumpkins and not their type of customer. The dessert came and no candle, nothing. I did not want to make a scene. My wife loves to celebrate her birthday. The check came and my wife noticed two charges of $3.00 each. One was to not put on croutons and one was to put the salad dressing on the side. She brought it to their attention. They apologized profusely, claimed it must have been an error in their computer and had never happened before. They removed it. I've never seen a program suddenly charge for something like this but... If you like to drink wine and you like food that is as good as anywhere in the Carmel area, you could enjoy L'Escargot. Maybe I should have ordered in French. As for us, there are many other easily comparable restaurants within a very short walk. read more

This is our favorite restaurant in Carmel. Food is great. Particularly recommend the Petrale Sole, Lamb Chops, any Veal preparation, short ribs and Creme Brulee. The staff are friendly, efficient and unobtrusive. The chef/owner, Kerry Loutas, is interested in making every customer a friend and a repeat client. Highly recommend! read more

Excellent food and great service. Froglegs in the lemon reduction and the two way duckling both great choices. Can't wait to return

We went to celebrate a birthday at at L'Escargot and it was great! Make sure you make a reservation on weekend night; the restaurant was full. I got three-course dinner. I chose Salmon, Goat Cheese Tart, and Homemade Brownie...Wondeful! We also ordered Duck as our waiter, Dino, recommended. Delicious...Dino mentioned that they have Duck or Rabbit on menu and I am looking forward to try it another visit. For sure, I recommend this place if you are looking for tasteful meal with a great service. The owner and the chef - Kerry Loutas - makes magic food! read more