I was at a conference in Monterey and wanted yummy Mediterranean food. Did my Yelp research of course and decided on Paprika Cafè. It's shockingly small. No indoor seating so we decided to take back to the hotel. The aromas in the car nearly knocked me over. Smelled so good. The food was ok, not great. It does not make my list of all time favorite but it was adequate for work travel. But I will say the vegan baklava was AH-MAZING! I will return for that! read more

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The best hole in the wall in Monterey, Best Lebanese food, The owner makes the best food, Always so fresh and delicious. They have a cute outside patio that looks lovely at night. (Perfect for a date night) the couple nights I have taken to go. But never disappoints Every dish always comes out perfect. Don't forget to get your fresh baklava and they do have Vegan options Christof thank you for all the good food always thanking care of everyone great service. read more

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My wife and I were cruising around Monterey looking for a healthy options for lunch so that we could splurge calorie-wise on dinner and came back here. It was a Friday, so there were not many people here for lunch. Understandably the owner kept the main dining room closed, which leaves three small tables in the front outside to dine on--which is fine. But the space is pretty cramped, and we had to step aside twice while placing our order so that some diners could exit. No big deal, but it felt a little like we were in a sitcom. Speaking of funny, the owner definitely has a sense of humor. Just after we placed our orders my wife realized she ordered the wrong thing (a plate instead of a wrap). So she asked if she could change her order and the owner quickly said no. While we were looking at each other with that "what is this guy's problem" look he started laughing. He got us. Greek salad wrap: 5/5. Surprisingly delicious. Fresh ingredients combined with a wonderful dressing. read more

TDLR; the best hole-in-the-wall Turkish spot that, to the most pleasant surprise, is an Michelin star restaurant! -- We were looking for a light lunch post Monterey Bay Aquarium fun. We decided to go to this Mediterranean Turkish spot with 4.5 stars as we a big Mediterranean enthusiast. It is such a hole-in-the-wall spot; we almost missed it. There's plenty metered parking right out front. We didn't even know if it was open at first because no one was at the ordering window. Turns out, the guy was in the back cleaning up. He's actually a one man show who's been running the spot for 28 years!! The window is a little wonky with the cut out being so low but adds humor and charm to the experience. There's plenty vegetarian and meat options consisting of appetizers, plates, and wraps. We order the falafel plate, tzatziki w/ 2 pitas, and lemonade. Everything homemade and delicious! Apparently, his thing is the spicy lemonade (on top of everything else)! It's a quaint space. Outdoor seating on the patio for 6 people, intimate and cozy. The salad was refreshing, hummus was creamy, falafel was delicious-- and that was just the plate. Pita was hot and fresh and tzatziki had the perfect amount of cucumbers. He even through some homemade baklava for us on the house! It was SO good we kept shaking our head in disbelief. At that point, we were searching for why everything tasted so good; only to find "Michelin 2019" postings on the windows. Such a pleasant surprise. Highly recommend and would definitely come again. read more

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Lovely man. Delicious Lebanese food- falafel is fried fresh and isn't dry at all. For another commenter who mentioned the food wasn't warm, middle eastern food is generally served cool. Truly a gem. read more

This is a very unusual place it is an apartment complex where the bottom front two apartments have been made into businesses. The one on the left is for Paprika Cafe, though I would not call it a cafe. You order at an exterior window, and there is no indoor dining and only three tables with chairs in a patio area. The gentleman that you place your order with is very nice and you have to return to the window to pick up your meals when he rings a bell. The food was okay we ordered Garlic Chicken Plates and the portion size is good. Overall, two things stand out as unique at this shop: 1) the Garlic sauce has paprika added to it, which we really like and we have not found that in any of the other middle east places we have tried (which is a lot), 2) Cashew Baklava which was very mild and was give to us complimentary! read more

Paprika Cafe - Garlic Chicken Plates and complimentary Cashew Baklava - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

The food was to die for. Of note, it's a Michelin 2019 restaurant. Baklava *chefs kiss! Highly recommend!

I walked up to their to-go counter for lunch and decided to stay and enjoy my meal on their patio. Everything sounded delicious. The friendly man at the window helped me pick the spanakopita plate that had a bit of everything. The food was really delicious. Spanakopita tasted homemade. Falafel was flavorful and not dry. The humus was creamy. Dolma was tasty. Tabbouleh was citrusy. Pita was good. I would definitely eat here again when visiting Monterey. They have so many flavors of baklava it's worth to take some home with you! read more

I love this hole in the wall. The owner is super nice and made wonderful recommendations. I love their spices and gf options. There's only one parking space up front. I recommend you to be on the lookout for residential parking. read more

My husband and I went here on a friend's recommendation. We ordered at the window and he told us to take a seat, it would take a little time to make our food. We sat on the patio for an hour. He had closed his window so I knocked on the door. When I asked how much longer our food would take, he made it clear that he forgot about us. He asked us what we ordered, he could "make it real quick." My husband already started to walk away. He tried to get us to stay but I reminded him that we had already been waiting an hour on his patio and we left. read more

A quaint little place for your Mediterranean food cravings. No wonder it appeared on the Michelin review. It's heart warming to see good food paired with caring service. The man making the meals genuinely cares for the customer. We had falafel wraps and they were delicious. Dolmas were fresh too. read more

The star of the show is definitely the garlic chicken. The sauce it comes with was great on everything it touched with the combo plate. The gyro was good, but a little drier than I'm used to. The outdoor seating is definitely cramped and I had to wipe down the table myself. The setting made the experience slightly lacking in that I didn't feel as relaxed while dining. The place is run by one guy who was very friendly and thoughtful in how he served us knowing we wanted to share the couple items we got. I would definitely go back but stick to the garlic chicken every time. read more

This place is a gem, with the best Mediterranean food in the Monterey area. Great vegan selection too!

Alll of the food was cold and I think he used Trader Joe's falafels. And it was expensive.

Amazing food - a must for us when we are in the Monterey area. The owner makes everything from scratch, so he can always ensure my wife, who has celiac, can get her order adjusted to be gluten free. But please don't tell my wife that the baklava, which isn't gluten free, is absolutely delicious. read more

Food was good, their hummus was delicious and their chicken was a bit dry but very flavorful. Would order again if I could and everything was seasoned perfectly read more

if you just saw all the fish at the aquarium and their sentience was freaking you out too much to eat at bubba gump's, this might be the place for you. the owner chased us down a whole block to return our credit card that we forgot so we owe him pretty much everything. the food was delicious. the turkish coffee was heavenly. the outdoor patio was quaint. standard one man band and I wouldn't change a thing. read more

Mediterranean cuisine seems to have a big following (especially among tourists) in the Monterey/Carmel area, and Paprika Cafe is a decades-old, unassuming, cozy restaurant offering simple but tasty Lebanese food! On our visit, the place was a one-man show, and the owner was full of personality--kind, funny, yet curt. Since the place seemed to be understaffed, he actually turned away multiple customers during our time there! My pick from the menu was the baba ghanouge and falafel combo plate, which also came with hummus, spinach salad, and dolmas. All of this was served on a disposable blue paper plate, alongside a basket of chewy pita bread, which was perfect for scooping up the dips. The falafel were nice and crispy and dressed with a light tahini sauce, and the hummus and baba ghanouge were both very garlicky. I also tried the Kafta Kabab Greek Salad, which were grilled minced lamb/beef patties served over spinach, cucumber, tomato, olives, and feta, along with a tahini dressing. And to end the meal, the owner brought us complementary pieces of homemade baklava, which were far less drenched in honey/syrup compared to other versions I had, so you could really taste the phyllo dough and the crushed pistachios! Overall, Paprika Cafe was a fun and memorable experience thanks to the owner. The food was tasty but the prices were high for the portion sizes. Three stars for the food and value, but an extra one thrown in for the hospitality! read more

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Truly a highlight of our trip! Open on Christmas Day. We walked the beach and bike path and came across Psprika Cafe! Great service and excellent value for price. So delicious!!! read more

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As others have indicated, the baklava is good, and the gentleman at the counter was nice, despite being alone and overworked. Falafel and hummus were bland, spanakopita unmemorable, the spinach salad was basically a pile of spinach with not much else. Standing in line for 20 minutes in the cold to pick up an order placed on the phone well ahead of time wasn't great. read more

Let's just start with this: I don't usually like Lebanese food because the ones I've had are always too sour to my likings. But I enjoyed everything at this little hole in the wall place. There were a lot of vegetarian/vegan options on the menu. I ordered the Loubiya and baba ghanouge. They were both really good and refreshing. I also tried the spanakopita my friends ordered, it was really good as well. We also got their vegan pistachio baklavas, I couldn't eat it because I'm currently on a soft diet, but my friends said it was really good! The person that took our order (the owner?) was very friendly as well. It was only until we ordered that we realized they received Michelin! Well deserved! Looking forward to going back when we are in the area again! read more

Paprika Cafe - Vegan baklava - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

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Business is primarily takeout with a few small veranda tables in front. Excellent food!

A Mediterranean restaurant on Lighthouse Avenue, Paprika Cafe offers a wide selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian entrees. During our stay in Monterey, we placed a take-out order from Paprika Cafe. When we arrived to pick up our food, we were surprised at how empty the restaurant was especially during prime dinner time. We ordered a gyro on pita and a garlic chicken combo plate. After taking a bite, we agreed that we have had better gyro before. Meanwhile, the garlic chicken was very flavorful albeit a tad dry. The hummus, however, was delicious and made for a delicious dip with the pita bread. We also had a chance to sample the baklava, which the restaurant operator kindly packed for us on the house. Paprika Cafe may be the best in Monterey but nowhere close to the best Mediterranean food we've tried. read more

Paprika Cafe - Garlic chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

Excellent food, quick service, and great ambiance! Loved the food choices, especially the vegan baklava! Will definitely come here again - he was so affectionate with my daughter! read more

I highly recommend Paprika Cafe! You will not be disappointed. All dishes are amazing. Whenever we are in the Monterey area we are sure to visit Paprika at least once. I am especially appreciative of the owner's understanding of Celiac and gluten cross contamination issues. The owner is also the chef and makes everything from scratch so I know my meal will be celiac safe. read more

Delicious, fresh, authentic. We ordered a Turkish coffee, baklava, gyro and chicken salad.

I haven't had food from here in over ten years and it still tastes as good as I remember! I also wasn't expecting to get free baklava but I guess if you spend a certain amount, they give you some as a special treat. They're delicious, too, and I typically don't care for baklava. The texture is really nice n crispy but not messy. Both the falafel combo and chicken/kafta combo were a hit, the baba ghanoush was smooth and lemony, and there's a ton of fluffy pita cut into triangles. read more

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Very nice hospitality from a family run business. Garlic chicken was a little too strong for my taste but schewerma was great!

Stop and eat here! Ignore the no bathroom sign & the no indoor seating. The food is amazing! Everything fresh, one cook prepares all the food. The flavors are so good. Their is a tiny private patio you can sit at or order take out. You order at the window and he prepares the food. We are so glad we stopped and will be back. Delicious and affordable! Thank you so much read more

Paprika Cafe - ! - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

The gentleman working was just so kind. I ordered a combo plate, but because I'm gluten free, couldn't have the pita. Instead, he surprised me with a dolma! Star-eyes emoji! I really wish I could rate the food higher. My meat was rather dry and crispy, but not in a Santa Maria BBQ way... regardless, the platter, itself, was yummy. I was disappointed, but maybe I just got some bits of older meat. I'd try it again for sure. read more

Paprika Cafe - Schwarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

As someone who almost never orders Mediterranean food I had just an "ok" experience from Paprika Cafe ordering the Spanakopita and Falafel combo plate. The tabouli (seemed to be a quinoa salad) was very fresh but was a bit too acidic for me personally. Hummus was solid and thankfully not overly oily at all and the pita bread was light, airy and homemade-tasting. I really enjoyed the crunchy texture of the falafel nuggets but they lacked flavor. The spanakopita looked oddly similar to a quesadilla and I was underwhelmed with the size portion of them. The filling inside had a ratio that heavily favored the spinach and the overall flavor was too tangy for me. The dolma filling tasted very similar to the spanakopita but was less tangy making it much more enjoyable to eat. I also wished they put the tahini or tzatziki sauce on the spinach salad which needs it more rather than putting it all on the falafel. To recap everything on this plate -Hummus and Pita=Good -Tabouli=Ok -Falafel=Ok -Spanakopita=Needs Work -Dolma=Good -Spinach Salad=Ok read more

Paprika Cafe - Spanakopita and Falafel combo plate (vegetarian). - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

AMAZING food. My goodness. I forgot what I ordered but it was all DELICIOUS. The hummus, green beans, pita, spinach, falafel.. authentic and tasty and healthy. What gets better than that?! I saw it was classified as a Michelin star restaurant. I think that's says a lot. Not much seating but people finish up quickly and you don't have to wait too long. Also the walnut home made baklava was the best I've ever had in my life. Order that with some ginger lemon herbal tea and BAM. Your tastebuds will thank you. So yeah. Come here and support a small business and feed your body something it will thank you for. read more

will work for vegan baklava! my friends and i were driving home from lunch when one of them announced a sign reading Vegan Baklava. i immediately turned the wheel to the right and parked. what a rare treat!! i went a little bonkers and got one of each kind of baklava, but i'm so glad i did. Apricot, Coffee Walnut, Cashew, Pistachio, Walnut flavors all handmade. while we waited for some tea, the owner gave us a few samples of fresh baklava he was making. amazing. 10/10. can't say enough nice things and can't wait to come back and try the rest of the menu. read more

Paprika Cafe - the outside of the restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

Outstanding! Sadly, we were the only customers the entire time we were there (perhaps because being the Monday after Mother's Day, fewer people dine out). Service was exactly as others have said: The owner is as friendly as they come, but in a down-to-earth, real human way, not the fake friendliness that you sometimes run into. But the food was just as wonderful. I had the (Garlic) Chicken & Shawerma combo. (All the chicken dishes are garlic chicken, even though the menu doesn't always state 'garlic'.) My husband had a Garlic Chicken wrap, plus a salad ($5+ more, but worth it). The ingredients all tasted very fresh, and adding garlic to the chicken is a stroke of genius. Everything was tasty, and the meal was topped off unexpectedly (but apparently, commonly) with a piece of Baklava each. We usually don't like Baklava because they're often oily, syrupy messes that feel as if they can give you diabetes if you don't have it already. But not these; they're sweet, but not unduly so. And they weren't wet, moist blobs at all. They sell a container of 12 pieces (6 cut in half) for $8, which seems like a bargain compared to the $2 or $3 for each piece we've seen elsewhere for the syrupy globs. read more

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The food was incredible and all homemade fresh. Flavors were unreal. The owner was very friendly and made the experience wonderful. The meal made our day! Would definitely recommend. There is no indoor seating but a fun patio. read more

Paprika Cafe - Gyro Pita, Spanakopita, Falafel, french fries - Mediterranean Near Me - Monterey, California

Amazing food, owner was so friendly and helpful, not many seats but great little patio. We loved it!

We ate here yesterday and got the garlic chicken and baklava, it was so delicious! I would highly recommend. There's a small patio to sit and enjoy the downtown view. It was authentic food with such great hospitality! read more

Five stars because this spot is perfect for what it is. What is it? A slamming hole in the wall Mediterranean joint with delicious homemade food. They are Michelin rated and it's well deserved. We tend to get the combo plates of garlic chicken and beef shawarma. Every thing is cooked perfectly and the sides of rice salad and hummus could not be better prepared. This is a a one man take out show at the moment and he revealed his secrets to us: "No one touches my food, I am the only one who cooks. " We will certainly be comming here in the regular as I can never get enough solid Mediterranean food! Quick tip: if you spend 40 bucks or more you get a free 11 piece baklava box! Homemade and some of the best I have had! read more

Take out only spot with a little patio if you need it. Excellent baklava. I had the gyro greek salad which was tasty and different than ordinary fast food Mediterranean fare. As the name suggests, lots of paprika! Partner enjoyed her wrap. Definitely authentic and has a Michelin recommendation from 2019. Would have liked to try more! We ordered dolmas and did not receive them - oh well! read more

Small family run business with big flavor. With recent Michelin mention for good reason. Everything was bursting with flavor and tasted so fresh. The garlic chicken was zesty with a creamy sauce. I would eat the hummus off someone's foot! The spanakopita was crispy, salty with the cheese and bright with the greens. Even the simple side salad had a lot of oomph in the dressing. It's currently walk up only with no inside dining so we walked to a nearby spot and ate in the park. The area is perfect for a park picnic. We also enjoyed the cashew baklava (which they ship btw) if you get a hankering for it. It's a little pricer but makes sense for the area and quality of the food. read more

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