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    Lighthouse Bistro

    4.7 (118 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

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    LIGHTHOUSE BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Touristy
    Happy hour specials
    Dogs allowed

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    Restaurant interior
    Joseph L.

    After a full morning exploring near the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we were running on empty when my daughter found Lighthouse Bistro just a couple of blocks away--and it could not have been a better discovery. From the outside, it's unassuming with a bit of sidewalk seating, but step inside and it completely transforms. Crisp white tablecloths, each topped with a single flower--simple, elegant, and welcoming. You immediately get the sense that care goes into everything here. The menu is described as "Global Cuisine," and it absolutely delivers. * The Roasted Beet Salad with Chicken was outstanding. My daughter took a the owners dressing recommendation --He assured her he'd redo the dish if it wasn't perfect. * The Caprese appetizer with heirloom tomatoes and balsamic was fresh and beautifully balanced. * The Nepalese dumplings (we chose chicken). Easily some of the best I've ever had. The dipping sauce--bright, herbaceous, likely cilantro-based--was next level. Truly unforgettable. Ralph was present, engaged, and genuinely invested in the experience. It shows in both the food and the atmosphere.

    Pasta with clams
    Maria O.

    This unassuming place is on a busy street near Cannery Row. There's parking on the street and we found a parking spot right in front of the restaurant. We arrived around 5 pm on a Wednesday and were seated right away. It's a small restaurant so it's good to keep this in mind if you have a large group. It took a minute to get menus and our drink order in but we weren't in any hurry. Staff were friendly and the area was very clean. I ordered the linguine with clams, which was an excellent choice. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the clams were delicious. There's a variety of dishes to choose from so it would be a great choice for anyone looking for a good meal.

    Crab ravioli, the one bite I got was delicious.
    David A.

    Do yourself a favor: eat here. Last night's dinner got a long five start review on Google. Today is lunch .. we came right back formore. Eating here makes me want to have a foodie's terminology. My lamb skewers we cooked to perfection, medium leaning medium well. Tender, flavorful. Steamed carrots and broccoli lightly seasoned, with flawless rice. International flavors, delicate and diverse. The people working here love their work which is such a nice thing to find. They take interest only owners can, genuinely caring about the experience for their guests. Worth every penny. Then, baklava: not too sweet, starts with one set of flavors and finishes with other delicious flavors. Beautiful white tablecloths under clean glass.

    Pomegranate Chicken
    Oren H.

    What a freaking gem. The wiener of this place is a special soul with a heart of gold. I read some reviews and wanted to eat there but I noticed I would be arriving close to closing but closing was at 8 pm so I called to make sure it was correct and the owner Ralph answered. I asked if they close at 8 and he said yes they do and asked what time I would be arriving. I said it would be right around that time so I will come another time. He insisted for me to come and he would stay open and that is exactly what he did and was so happy to do it. Then I asked for his recommendation. He gave me a few option one of which was the Pomegranate chicken. I ordered that and the crab ravioli because why not. He stayed for me let's splurge. Both were delicious. The table across from me could not stop raving about their food either. So great to have good food and amazing kind and friendly service. Great atmosphere all around. I will definitely be back when I am down there again.

    2 Eggs Any Style
    Lindsay C.

    Nice restaurant, amazing staff and good food! My friends and I found this bistro after we couldn't get in at the wave street cafe. I got the 2 eggs any style and thought it was really good, it was a solid breakfast. My two friends went with got the Belgium waffles and said they were ok and compared it to a complementary hotel breakfast waffle but it was really small. Paying 18$ for one waffle with a few berries is crazy. This place is definitely not known for their breakfast but I will go back on day and give lunch a try.

    Laura M.

    A hidden gem! The food was delicious and the service was amazing in every way. They don't even serve breakfast on weekdays, but insisted on letting us order from the breakfast menu because the kids wanted it. We were so appreciative! Seriously, the food was incredible. We ordered: chicken and waffles, French toast, lighthouse burger, and hummus with handmade pita bread. Yummy!! Our server was so nice and attentive and lovely. The ambiance is adorable and the music is great tokWe loved this restaurant and will be back for sure! Thank you, Lighthouse Bistro!!!

    Joyce T.

    Came here with a group of 6 on Thursday evening. For starters we had hummus, fried artichoke, calamari and baba ghanough, all were good. We shared vegan pasta and grilled salmon, they were so nice to split into two plates for us. We also had a cheese pizza. The entree were all great. We were told that the restaurant was newly opened and have a quick chat with the passionate owner. A little surprise from the restaurant- baklava home made by the owner's wife, it's great and not too sweet like the normal one. We have a great time.

    Came here on a whim, the place we planned to go was closed. The owner was very friendly and kind and took good care of us. The food was very yummy, wish we tried some more adventuresome things but enjoyed the chicken picatta. Fresh clam pasta was delicious along with greek and beet salad. Great ambiance and not too busy with good music. Thank you! :)

    Chicken Alfredo
    Andrew B.

    I'm so glad we have this modern restaurant in our neck of the woods. It's beautiful designed to be elegant, we felt like we were in Italy with the music and the interior feel. The owner well very kind and provided great detail in the specials and proposed the chicken momos on the rainy cold day. Best momo's I've ever had. Not even kidding. The food here is amazing. My wife opted for the sand dabs and I the chicken Alfredo. I'm again not even kidding both dishes were amazing and full of flavor. This is what Monterey was missing, a place that actually has flavor in there dishes. We will definitely be returning and plan on spreading the word of this amazing restaurant.

    Hummus

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    1 year ago

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    Sunil S.

    Thank you, Jason, for the wonderful feedback. Please visit us again.

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    Sunil S.

    Thank you for Dining with us. See you soon again

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    Sunil S.

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    5 months ago

    Good service with over priced food. MSG kind of food. Taste ok and you will regret afterwards

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    5 months ago

    Great food, eclectic menu with food options for everyone, great service and the best baklava we have ever had!

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    4 months ago

    Amazing food! Amazing service! The vibes were great and the restraint was super clean. Never felt better, I highly recommend.

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Delicious food. Great service. Pomegranate Chicken, Breakfast Omelet, Mai Tai's. Beautifully prepared by (Mando's) chef.

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    Page 2 of 3

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    Paprika Cafe

    4.4(1k reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    What an amazing little hidden gem. This place is the real deal. Very authentic, and very…read morethoughtfully cooked. The man who made our food was making it to Order and he had been running this business for over 40 years! The service was excellent and it felt very personal. The food was absolutely delicious! Everyone in our party completely agree agreed that they loved everything they ate. There were two omnivores, one vegan, and one vegetarian. And the vegan baklava! What an incredibly unique and special treat to find baklava vegan! Absolutely delicious! I'm a huge fan of spanakopita, but I haven't been able to eat it for a long time because I'm the vegan in the group and when I said something about that out loud, he said he would make me a special vegan spanakopita! Right there! Made To Order! This man is amazing. Seating is very limited, so several of the people we saw that came behind us got their food to go. I think most people there need to expect there would be a little bit of a weight and that seating is very limited and it's outdoors. Although the outdoor seating does have covering. All the people in line, waiting for food seem to have no problem waiting for it because they knew it would be worth it. And honestly... Considering the line of people we saw behind us (10-11?) and the fact that there were three ahead of us... no one really had to wait very long at all! It was really impressive how much he could get done by himself. The next time you're in Monterey, California, you definitely need to check out Paprika. I only managed to get one photo of my plate of food because I was too distracted by deliciousness to remember to take photos of anyone else's food. And obviously, by the time I remembered to photograph the baklava.... Several pieces seem to be missing.

    This place is a must try, and is truly a one of a kind dining experience…read more First off, the Owner Christophe is a one man operation. He is the one who will take your order, cook your food, clean off your table , and ring you up at the end of your meal. While that is admirable , it doesn't exactly make for a an easy fast dining experience from a customer's point of view. If you decide to eat here, plan on a bit of a wait. Let's talk about the food . My son and I both ordered the beef kafta kabob plate with rice, salad , human and pita bread. Ok , there was not one thing on this plate that stood out as being the best of anything that I have tried. However, the combination of all flavors combined made for a very enjoyable dining experience. My only small complaint is that there wasn't a ton of food for the money. Don't expect to take any leftovers home. All things considered, I am glad we tried this place. Christophe has built himself quite the following over the last 30 years , and has perfected his recipes. If I am in the area, I will definitely be back.

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    Paprika Cafe - Outdoor seating

    Outdoor seating

    Paprika Cafe - Insanely delicious vegan baklava

    Insanely delicious vegan baklava

    Paprika Cafe - Outside of Paprika cafe

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    Outside of Paprika cafe

    Dametra Cafe - Panna CottaG Northern Italian dessert of sweetened vanilla cream pudding. Served with raspberry sauce. 15

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    4.2 mi
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    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!

    My wife and I had an early dinner today at Dametra. We've been looking forward to trying this…read morerestaurant with the favorable Yelp reviews and the locals feedback we've heard since we moved to the area. Our experience was pretty good, with some highs and lows. Here are a few of my observations: We arrived to a restaurant half filled. We were greeted warmly and seated in the section where all the tables were filled to make it easier on the service team. Tables were pretty close together...a little too cozy for my taste. Our server took about 5 minutes to greet us. Since we had plenty of time to look over the menu, we went ahead and ordered our appetizer, main, and two glasses of local Folktale sparkling rose. The sparkling wine was not chilled properly. Hmmm...that's a poor start to our meal. Food: we started with the flaming halloumi (5/5). Great flambé service to the table. Crispy edges and salty mild cheese. Great start to the food. For our entree, we shared the Greek combination plate (4/5). The grilled chicken was moist and flavorful. The gyro meat was overcooked and dry...but had decent flavor. The taziki and hummus were very tasty, as well as the rice. All in all, the food was pretty darn good. Service: pretty disappointing to be honest. Besides never checking back with us after our appetizer and entree was delivered, I had to ask twice and flag our server down to get some red pepper flakes. There must have been a shift change, as a new server checked on us as we were finishing our meal. We appreciated our new attentive, proactive, and friendly server helping us at the end of our meal. The surprise and highlight of the meal was the complimentary bite of baklava (7/5). More cinnamon than I'm used to in a very good way. Loved it! Not sure I'll be back to Dametra anytime soon. However, I would absolutely stop in for a plate of that baklava! Amazing!!

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    Dametra Cafe - Inside

    Inside

    Dametra Cafe - Istanbul Kabab $36.95 .skewed charbroiled ground beef mixed with tomato and seasoned with Turkish spices . Greek salad

    Istanbul Kabab $36.95 .skewed charbroiled ground beef mixed with tomato and seasoned with Turkish spices . Greek salad

    Dametra Cafe - Vinegar and olive oil dispenser

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    Vinegar and olive oil dispenser

    Yafa - Grilled Octopus

    Yafa

    4.2(1.2k reviews)
    4.0 mi
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    Delicious and unique mediterranean meal…read more I ordered the Mishmish chicken and lamb shank freekeh. The freekeh was delicious, with nuts mixed in as well. Lamb shank was very tender, super good with the roux. The Mishmish chicken had a sweet apricot sauce which complemented it very well. I would come again if I'm ever in Carmel! Super delicious and a gem.

    If I could give 3.5 stars, I would. Our experience at Yafa was okay, with some things very good and…read moreothers poor. The good: the Greek salad was fresh and had a tasty dressing. The baba ghanoush was delicious: smoky and the exact right texture. The less good: making a reservation was a challenge although I finally realized one could do it through yelp. The table was wobbly - although the waiter did fix it (why not stabilize tables before a customer asks?!). I ordered a glass of white wine and was given an empty glass only. Then the owner arrived and asked if I wanted another glass, not realizing that I hadn't been given the first one. The. The owner brought over a small carafe and poured it so aggressively that it splashed on the table and me. The lamb kabobs were cooked to the temperature we asked but the meat was TOUGH. It was well seasoned but the way the meat was cut for the kebab resulted in pieces with a lot of inedible connective tissue. The tzatziki was good and the rice was flavorful. So, overall a mixed bag. The place definitely is cute and has some charm. It just needs more attention to details.

    Photos
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    Yafa - Fried artichoke hearts.

    Fried artichoke hearts.

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    Homemade pasta with lamb/beef meatballs and the best light but rich sauce... it was truly amazing.

    Lighthouse Bistro - mediterranean - Updated June 2026

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