Solstice: A Funky Snapshot of Big Sur's Soul…read more Big Sur is a special place. It is ready to celebrate you when your soul is singing. It will also sit with you when your soul is grieving. Its beauty lies in its simplicity. Come as you are, and the redwoods and beaches and sky and mountains will embrace you. And when you're hungry, check out Solstice, whose food captures Big Sur's spirit. I have been coming to Big Sur for years now with my wife, and we have come to celebrate life's highs and mourn the lows. We recently went to celebrate a special day, and in our online hunt for dining, my wife found Solstice. It looked like a new place--we hadn't seen the name before--but its straightforward menu looked worth trying, so we made a reservation for dinner Sunday night. If we could have made reservations for our entire trip, we would have. Full confession: I am no foodie, despite growing up in San Francisco and having access to some dynamite restaurants. I'm just a regular dude who likes yummy food. When dishes feature foam or a bunch of words I need to Google, I lose interest. I don't want a dictionary to know what I'm eating. So Solstice's simple menu really spoke to me. "Sweet Water Ranch Pork. Summer squash, mint, fermented honey." Cool. I know all those things. I'll cut straight to the most important part: The food was top-notch. My wife and I elected to go a la carte instead of the set menu. She got the salad and salmon; I got the squid/pork belly and pork loin. We shared the bread. The bread was warm and soft, and the crust featured a delightful crunch. I could have crushed a whole loaf. My wife had it with olive oil, I generously slabbed mine with butter. Excellent. My wife was a big fan of the salad, noting its freshness and how the pistachios in particular stood out nicely. The squid was just the right amount of bounce, and the pork belly had a delightful sweetness and meatiness to it. And as for the main course? Solstice hit it out of the park. My wife said the salmon featured an excellent crispiness to the outside while the meat was similar to lox--that delectable, rich salmon flavor. And the pork? Each bite was exquisite: the meat was the perfect moistness, giving you that melt-in-your-mouth feeling that make you want to dance, while the outside had a crust had a satisfying light crunch to it. I'll put it this way: Solstice's pork loin is my benchmark for what pork loin should be now. A lot of places have really delicious food and the restaurant experience is great--but ultimately, I won't remember it after a few months. I am going to remember that pork and will get it again when we come back. (Also, a big shoutout to our waitress, who asked if we had any food allergies or requests--in doing so, my wife got her salmon without the sauce, which made the experience even better.) As for the ambiance, you enter Solstice and you just feel like you're going to have a good time. The music is fun, the layout is inviting and funky, and they have a lounge where you can just chill with a cocktail. Whether you want to go for a date or a night out with your friends, Solstice will provide the good time. As someone who loves Big Sur, I am happy that a place like Solstice has entered the scene--it is much needed. It captures the funky vibe of the California coast so perfectly. I wish them success and can't wait to visit again. Come as you are, and you will leave Solstice happy.

My girlfriend and I randomly stumbled upon Solstice while celebrating our anniversary & 4th of July…read moreup in Big Sur. We were greeted by the head chef & co-owner who made our experience truly magical. Tim & his team have created such an amazing & fun environment and the food absolutely rocks. It's not what you'd expect when coming to Big Sur, but I couldn't recommend it more because they expertly craft the menu day in and day out.

After taking my pup to the beach, we decided to have lunch here at Toro. We were promptly greeted…read moreby the hostess and seated immediately in their pleasant patio area. Our server James was amazing. He had great knowledge of the menu and recommended a sushi roll they had on special. He was even super cool with my dog, Cash. I had the Tuna Togarashi roll, along with some nigiri. Sushi was delicious, and it tasted fresh. My boy Cash had the chicken & rice bowl off their dog menu. He scarfed it down in seconds! I was expecting a generic sushi experience, but got great food, impeccable service, all while sitting in a beautiful patio area. I will definitely be back in the near future, and so will Cash!

Our second time dining at Toro in Carmel-by-the-Sea was just as enjoyable as the first! We sat…read moreoutside on the patio, and the weather was absolutely perfect. We've made reservations through OpenTable both times and have been seated quickly. We started with a salad, edamame, and cocktails while enjoying the beautiful setting. Our server was attentive, and the service throughout the meal was great. I ordered the Tuna Togarashi roll, which had shrimp tempura, avocado, and snow crab on the inside, topped with tuna togarashi, unagi sauce, and green onions. It was absolutely delicious,fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. My husband is vegan and tried the shiitake mushroom and kappa maki rolls. While they were fairly basic veggie rolls, they were good and met his needs nicely. Overall, Toro is a great spot for fresh sushi, attentive service, and a relaxing atmosphere. We'll definitely be back the next time we're in Carmel!

I guess you can say that I am as much of a regular as I can be, considering I live 2 1/2 hours…read moreaway. I can't get enough of this restaurant! Between the amazing people who have become friends over the years to great home cooked meals and atmosphere (the ocean is practically across the road), I cannot get enough of this place! This trip I took a longtime friend with me and although it's been two days since we were there, she's still saying how impressed she was. She was absolutely floored that they use real butter and the portions were huge. In fact the portions were so big that I couldn't even finish half of my food! And I was HUNGRY! LOL Maura and her brother (which I apologize I can't remember his name) both helped us. Maura sat us and we spoke for a quick minute, and her amazing brother served us. I can't believe it don't recall his name! But everyone there is AWESOME! I was tempted to get the super fresh salad, but decided instead on the clam chowder (as did Alicia), and the salmon was perfectly cooked. The veggies were so fresh and flavorful and the rice was exceptionally fluffy and seasoned perfectly. Not to mention the garlic toast was next level. I can't wait to get back over there! Their blueberry pancakes are calling my name! Trust me, if you want a good old fashioned stick to your bones diner, this place right here checks all the boxes! Plus it's pet friendly, if you choose to sit on the patio!

Love the convenience of this restaurant across Glen oaks where we got complimentary donuts and…read morecoffee/tea for being hotel guests. And the beautiful interior giving cabin vibes plus a warm cozy fireplace. Lots of indoor and outdoor seating and clean restrooms. Loved sitting by the big windows looking at the trees. FYI When dining in you have to grab your own utensils and water and condiments. Their breakfast was delicious. I got the veggie scramble with avocado. And an oat latte. It was strong.

When we checked into the lodge, we asked about dinner at the restaurant. The hotel manager said he…read morehad no idea if the restaurant was serving that night "they tell me nothing" is a quote. We approached a server and were told that since they were catering a wedding, they would be offering their lunch menu. We were totally OK with that. We were a party of 10 - 5 adults, a pregnant woman and 2 preschoolers. The server was friendly but the service sucked. We asked for the kids meals ASAP but they arrive after the adult meals and that was after a 50 minute wait. I ordered the hikers pasta with and additional order of chicken ($8.00) which equated to exactly 9 bite-sized pieces of overcooked under seasoned poultry. The pregnant woman and the youngest child were so exhausted they left before finishing their dinners. There are so few restaurants in the area, it's a shame this one is so poor.

Service was great, but dinner food was mediocre at best. The seared ahi tuna was cooked all the way…read morethrough. Not rare at all. The mash potatoes were luke warm. My asparagus was cooked to the point of being just remnants of the vegetable. Like cooked to a crisp. And for the prices!?! Ridiculously overpriced. The breakfast was much much better. Great ice cream too.

Fantastic food! Second time eating here and have not had a single bad thing off their menu. Their…read moreice cream is great too. Ambiance 5/5 Service 5/5 Hands down recommend.

What an incredible experience! I can't even think of the words to describe its warm charm. In a…read morestrange way, I can envision Jack Kerouac enjoying the bar here. In my opinion, it's a Big Sur oasis (not that Big Sur needs any sort of oasis!). The Rockfish tacos rocked my socks off!!! The service was off the charts. Sunnie, our bartender extraordinaire, was funny, attentive and just a very warm spirit! Would I come back here again? Heck yeah!!!

I stopped in for breakfast to fuel my drive back to San Francisco. I was met as soon as I walked in…read moreand offered any open seat. I sat at the bar, although they have very nice outdoor seating. I got a breakfast burrito. It was very well prepared and presented. Also, very big and satisfying at a very good price. In this area there are not a lot of options. This place is a great choice to get high quality food at a fair price. The restaurant is on the side of the road that doesn't have direct river views. But they are surrounded by a beautiful forest offering lovely views to enjoy while dining. Overall I recommend stopping in, especially for a delicious breakfast.

Super friendly service,charming atmosphere, and good food…read more We randomly stopped here while driving thru and lucked out with this beautiful restaurant. The servers were so nice and attentive. The buttermilk pancakes were the best dish we had. The salad came with a nice variety of veggies. The burrito was huge and came with a lot filling: meat, veggies, beans. There is only one restroom and it was a very busy day with a long wait. A great option if you're cruising thru Big Sur.

Found this gem on Yelp while traveling through Big Sur and holy moly! So glad we stopped!…read more We were driving an RV, which made the stop a bit tricky, but luckily we were able to park at the far end of the lot since no cars were using it. We made sure to be quick since a worker outside said, "'make it snappy!" We ordered the chicken strips and fries, pastrami sandwich and a custom sandwich with turkey, cheese and veggies. All were very good! I didn't get photos of the chicken because my kids devoured it. There were also some Big Sur souvenirs and other items for sale in the store. You could tell it was a local spot, which made it feel like you were from the area when talking to others in the store. It was a nostalgic kind of ambiance! If traveling in the area or you're a local who hasn't visited yet, I highly tell ed you do so soon! We went in a weekday so it wasn't too busy, but I can see the lot filling up very quickly in the weekends.

Rating: 3.5/5 If…read moreyou're looking for a quick bite, this spot offers a variety of custom-made sandwiches, breakfast burritos, baked goods, as well as souvenirs and more! My husband and I shared the Big Sur Hipster sandwich which was meaty and fulfilling. We got one of the premade ones and it was hefty and perfect for sharing. Overall, it was a solid sandwich but it would've been better if the bread was toasted/warm but nonetheless it was still good cold. I also tried their choco chip banana bread crumb top coffee cake with espresso glaze, but as good as it sounds it was underwhelming and wasn't as moist as I would've liked. Overall, it's a convenient stop when in Big Sur for a quick bite, drink, or souvenirs!

We accidentally found the place because it's right next door to a great massage place. The food was…read morebomb though. We're started with breakfast and it was a ten out of ten. I ordered an omelette with the mezcal margarita. Then we went back for dinner and it was just as good. I had a salad with beets that changed my life! So fresh. So flavorful. For my meal I ordered the short rib and y'all the food was so good!! Just trust me. It's next door Taboo, from the beach, if you're planning to attend there. Breakfast not photographed

What started as a stop to charge my Tesla turned into one of the best side quests of our trip. We…read moreended up at Sur House because it was the closest restaurant to the Tesla Supercharger, and I'm so glad we did. The views are absolutely breathtaking, the restaurant is spotless, and even the restrooms were immaculate. You can tell they take pride in every detail. The service was exceptional. My son is a very picky eater and pretty much only eats salmon and Wendy's nuggets. Even though salmon wasn't on the menu, the staff went above and beyond to make it happen for him, seasoned simply with salt and pepper and cooked extra well done. He loved every bite. That level of customer service is hard to find. The food was outstanding, the staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating, and the general manager was genuinely kind. They were even hosting a private event, yet still found a way to make room for us and made us feel completely welcome instead of rushed. This unexpected side quest ended up being one of the highlights of our drive along the coast. Amazing food, incredible service, unforgettable ocean views, and a team that truly cares about its guests. I would absolutely recommend Sur House to anyone in the area, and I'll definitely be back the next time I'm driving through.