Only bar open late in Carmel where the younger generation hangs out…read more Highlights: - Open spot for a drink past 10pm - Fun music Midlights: - Just bullet ginger $18 Lowlights - Have $25 cover and a rope for a line like it's a Vegas club - Packed later at night

The lady bartender gets 5 stars. She was professional, funny, and made very good cocktails!…read more But the rest it? 2 stars. The other FOH staff acted like our presence was a huge inconvenience. I'm not saying lick your clients bums, but ffs maybe try some remedial niceties and practice neutral facial expressions in the mirror. We opted to eat elsewhere.

fun place to lounge and enjoy the music! lively!…read more it gets BUSY in the evenings and weekends. hard, very hard, to find a table. i came, saw no seats, left for dinner, came back after to wait for a table. still waited a long time pretty sweet spot for a date. food is good.

Cool spot for a drink in downtown Carmel. 3.5 stars…read more Highlights: - Nice space at night with hanging lights and fire pits Midlights: - Lots of old school Britney Spears playing Lowlights: - Can get crowded and run out of seating - Didn't care for the old fashioneds and tried 2 different ones

Best place to spend your time in Carmel (between golfing & gallery hopping)…read more If you want to feel local-ish, go here. I drove hundreds of miles for this place. (You should too.) Parker (the owner) is the real deal--passionate, witty, sometimes sarcastic, and genuinely fun. The cozy bar is surrounded by ever-changing photos, art, and laugh-out-loud signage. Stories live here: wall to wall, corner to corner, and everywhere in between. Locals and travelers exchange stories, play dice or cards. The drinks are beautifully basic--three ingredients, one of them ice. No fancy nonsense--just premium pours, neat or on the rocks. *And now the gut punch: they're being forced to close the same month they're celebrating their 100-year anniversary. The new building owners don't seem to care about the character and legacy of Carmel, the devotion of a fourth-generation owner, or what it means to lose a place that's thrived for a century. It's heartbreaking--for locals and travelers alike. Go while you still can. Last call, and cheers to everyone who's loved this place--"where everybody knows your name." XX

If you're looking for a good chill vibe, come here! We…read moreended up coming when the power came back on due to the tree falling into power lines barely came Back on but we were greeted by Parker who was so kind and had such hospitality. They had power out for a few days but were still so Chipper They serve beer wine and cocktails Everyone was so warm and friendly Parker had such a romantic vibe going on with all The candles on his bar So sad to hear he will be relocated across the street but so glad we got to experience this bar here while it's still in this location My mom and I loved the bathroom due to how good it smelled funny note but we love meyers soap and Parker had it ! Parker is such a character and such a vibe He has a few cats and a dog which were unfortunately not at the bar but def shows his true character as a pet dad. Can't wait to be back and visit the new location. What a Christmas 2025 this was. This is also a pet friendly bar! (: Thanks for such a great vibe our first Xmas Parker You're such a great host!

Bud's Bar in Carmel completely exceeded our expectations. The dimly lit, sophisticated atmosphere…read morecreated the perfect setting for a relaxing evening. It felt elegant and intimate without trying too hard, which is exactly the charm you hope to find in Carmel. Every detail, from the ambiance to the drinks, made the experience memorable. Brenda was absolutely wonderful and gave us some of the best service we've had in a long time. Friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. We left already looking forward to our next visit.

$28 for French fries... Not sure if this is attempting to be a deterrent? But feels criminal. Small…read moreportion, lots of Parmesan, not any noticeable "truffle"... Service was a bit somber or not very positive and upbeat Ambiance was beautiful and quaint

Great fish and chips , we passed on the chips and had a salad instead. Conveniently located in the…read moremiddle of all the shops, we sat right at the bar and enjoyed our meal. Spicy bloody was delicious too! Service was very good and we had a front row seat to watch the chefs in action . Definitely recommend checking out Aw Shucks!!!

Food is absolutely awesome…read more All the oysters were fresh and had good taste. The Fish & Chips were good too. Mark was the best. Hope to come again!

Stopped in on a whim while passing through Carmel and so glad we did. The ambience is fantastic,…read moredimly lit with great music and TVs everywhere, the kind of place I'd love to come back to and watch a game. Service was excellent. Our waitress Rachel was great and took good care of us. We ordered the French dip (added Swiss, onions, and mushrooms) solid sandwich, though it could've used a touch more salt. The real star though, was the fish and chips. Genuinely some of the best I've ever had. Lightly battered, flaky, perfectly cooked. The vibe lands in that sweet spot of upscale casual without crossing into fine dining, comfortable but elevated. Highly recommend if you're passing through Carmel. We'll definitely be back.

Lunch after a beach walk was just what we were looking for. Walk in and find a seat. Music and…read moreambiance brought a nice vibe the whole time we were here. Food is tops. The fish and chips is the ultimate meal. The burger was savory, soft and creamy just he right amount. It perfectly paired with the Talbott pinot noir they recommended. The only comment is make is the amount of French fries that were served with the burger. The plate was a lot larger looking because a sparse amount of fries was served alongside. Maybe add a little more next time just to balance it off. The servers/bartenders knew their stuff. They provided what they could in terms of what was popular and well liked. They said both items we ordered were the most popular. The fish and chips have won best fish and chips 3 years in a row. I would agree with this since I usually am not wowed with this dish. I couldn't resist ordering a dessert. The applied tart with vanilla ice cream was so satisfying. Overall service, food quality and experience was very good. If return over and over again for this same food and experience. If I could give 10 stars I would. Carmel and Brody's is a new destination.

WHAT CAN I SAY…read more This meal was PHENOMENAL (*'o'*) I never had Chapulines before but the texture was unlike anything i could've imagined. the flavour was mind-blowing too. It was fun to snack on them and eat them with the CHIP and dip. The Habañero carrot sauce was far superior to all the salsa. HIGHLY recommend it to accompany ur dinner. The Mole was so rich, and chicken so tender and juicy. The interior is quite cozy! Defo like here, but parking took over an hour so just beware what time u go and when

Cultura was such a vibe! We chose to sit outside by the fireplace, and the ambiance alone made the…read moreexperience feel special. Quick service still happens outside when your af Carmel by the Sea! The drink drinks were flowing and I was going! Every drink was so adorable. It made me want to try all of them. I love it when effort is put into making my drink. The chips and salsa are always a must! Fresh and Flavorful. While I didn't love the specific entrée I chose, everything around it really stood out. The potatoes and asparagus were absolutely Devine. Everyone else at the table genuinely enjoyed their meals, which says a lot about the consistency of the kitchen. Must stop by for outdoor fireplace setting.

My husband is a huge Doris Day fan. On the bucket list was to visit the hotel and Terry's…read more We had to stop in for a cocktail. Sat at the bar with our dog. Jacob was our bartender. Husband had the espresso martini. Described as "awesome and very good ". I had the Mai tai. Perhaps the best I have had on the mainland. This one and perhaps one other compared to the Islands. The ambience of the lounge is definitely Doris Day era. Ceilings painted to appear like drapes. Every other song or so was a Doris.

This should be a slam dunk. You're in the historic Cypress Inn (Doris Day's legendary dog-friendly…read morehotel), you have a gorgeous patio, excellent location, and built-in clientele. And yet somehow, Terry's manages to squander all of it with terrible food. To be fair, our server was sweet--a nice girl who was clearly trying. But one kind server can't make up for what was coming out of the kitchen. We played it safe and both ordered the chicken piccata. Big mistake. What arrived was one of the most depressing plates I've seen in a while: basic-béarnaise sauce dumped on top of chicken. Not piccata. Not even close. Just... butter sauce on chicken. This is a meal I'll be thinking about for a long time, and not in a good way. It's genuinely sad to see a restaurant with this much going for it just completely blow it. Cypress Inn deserves better. Carmel deserves better. Skip Terry's and eat literally anywhere else.

Best cocktails + dinner with friends in the bar with Kevin! It's what Carmel nights are all about!read more

Grasings is a very good fine meal option for Carmel with great menu that doesn't remain static. It…read moreshines as a singular Carmel restaurant when the town is moving towards too many restaurants owned by two groups that have turned into tourist food traps serving less than average food. However, the differentiator at Grasings is the bar and that differentiator's name is Kevin. If not for Kevin, we would still frequent from time to time but with Kevin we go in at least once weekly. Kevin and servers like Kevin are solid gold in Carmel and ensure 5 star ratings for atmosphere and service. When you find them you never have a bad experience in fact you are guaranteed a great experience. The menu caters to all, carnivores, seafood, steaks and vegetarians - love the veggie burger! Great place to meet locals and tourists, especially if Kevin is working. We admit that when we walk to Grasings and find that Kevin isn't working, we find another venue. That isn't a knock on Grasings but rather a nod to Kevin.

Found yourself in Carmel-by-the-Sea and looking for a laid back sports bar with great service, a…read morefun atmosphere, live music, karaoke, and games? Look no further than Links! Links is one of my favorite spots in Carmel, and is one of the places regularly on my list whenever I go back. Carmel-by-the-Sea isn't necessarily known for the bar scene, but Links offers an excellent option for anyone looking to extend their night and keep the fun going! They have a pretty extensive menu of food and drinks. The food is pretty standard bar fare, but with no shortage of options. The drink selection is quite varied as well, with a good selection of beers on tap. Service has always been exemplary when I've been here - the staff is friendly, fun, and have the gift of quickly remembering their return visitors, which really makes Links feel like a welcoming spot. Food and drinks come out quickly, and my beer glass was rarely empty without the staff coming up and offering another round! Links also has several large golf simulator areas, where you and your friends can practice your swing while playing a number of games against a large virtual projector screen. Add on top of all this the regular rotation of live music and karaoke, and you've got an excellent sports bar that should be on anyone's list who's looking for a fun, casual, energetic sports bar in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Thanks for all the fun times, Links!

Great spot in Carmel if you need something active to do besides sitting in a bar! They have golf…read morestimulators and board games! Great for big groups and kids. They also have karaoke and trivia night on some nights.