I was visiting Monterey and found this place in downtown. Great sushi joint! It was surprising to…read moresee the massive variety of options on the menu. There were far too many things I wanted to try... next time! I settled on choosing the sashimi bento combo with miso soup. The hamachi, salmon, tuna, and octopus were fresh and the soup hit hard. The people were really nice too. Would come back again and try something new!

Cozy sushi spot that offers both prepared and made to order dishes. I stopped by on a Monday…read moreevening and the small space was decently filled. I snagged a window seat. I ordered the #120 which came with 4 pieces of Lobster roll and 4 pieces of nigiri for $20. The fish and rice were both super fresh, I really enjoyed it. The cashier was also super friendly. I would for sure return for a quick bite.

4 stars I was…read moreexpecting tourist trap levels of quality, but that is not the case. In fact, I think it's a bit better than the Yelp score of 3.9. The sushi was very fresh and the bento box was of a reasonable value. Though I still think the prices are a bit elevated because of its location. $19 Bento: chicken and squid: squid was perfectly cooked. Chicken was fine? Tempura was typical but good. $6 Mackerel: fresh and mild $8 Yellow tail: really delicious. Can eat again.

hibachi is always a fun experience with the interactive chef. service was overall fine, but the…read morefood was just okay. it was a great value and i was satisfied with the size of my plate. however, i felt like the fried rice, steak, and shrimp needed a lot more salt and flavor. i was also not a fan of the cucumber cooler; it had an odd taste to it similar to cardboard (weird). it is a very cute spot right up on the water with an upstairs view. i'd come again but would need to try different items.

Just moved here and the locals suggested. Was not disappointed. Friendly staff and food was pretty…read moreJapanese-ish

A small mom and pop restaurant located just off Cannery Row! Me and my friend visited yesterday for…read moredinner after spending all day at Monterey Bay Aquarium. It wasn't busy, so we were able to be seated immediately. They have 3 TV screens playing, but the restaurant is actually fairly quiet overall (which I usually prefer bc it's better for table conversation). I ordered a dinner bento box, which comes with miso soup, rice, salad, and 2 meats. For me 2 meats, I got chicken teriyaki and a California roll (8 pcs). I really liked the miso soup and California roll! I wish I had gotten a different meat besides the chicken, but it was still pretty good overall. My friend ordered 2 sushi rolls and they were cutely decorate with mini umbrellas! When we got the check, they served us almond cookies and they were really good! Shout out to our server who was really nice and dealt with our shenanigans! The food was served fairly quickly as well, so we were happy with that. Would come back again!

Been here a couple times while roaming the wharf because we love the little outdoor balcony…read moreoverlooking the ocean! Such a calm and beautiful spot to relax for a little. The coffee is delicious. Our latest order was a lavender latte and it's got a great flavor. We haven't tried their pastries yet, but they have some available if you need a snack, as well as Marianne's ice cream. The inside of the cafe is nice too! There's plenty of tables to sit at and they have board games to play. Been here a couple times while roaming the wharf because we love the little outdoor balcony overlooking the ocean! Such a calm and beautiful spot to relax for a little. The coffee is delicious. Our latest order was a lavender latte and it's got a great flavor. We haven't tried their pastries yet, but they have some available if you need a snack, as well as Marianne's ice cream. The inside of the cafe is nice too! There's plenty of tables to sit at and they have board games to play.

The staff seemed super friendly and were able to get my drink out quick despite it being a busy…read moretime. The ambiance was quite interesting. You're hit with the smell of ramen the moment you walk in and it's a bit loud. I ordered to-go so I can't say much about the dine-in experience but it was nice that they had seating both inside and outside. I got the Mango Matcha Latte with soy milk which was great! The purée was sweet but not overly sweet and balanced out the matcha. I'm not a matcha snob so I can't tell you if it's high quality but I loved the color and it tasted rich. My only complaints are that the matcha was a bit bitter and this drink was $10. They charge $1 for soy or almond milk substitution so keep that in mind if you don't drink cow milk! Overall, I think it taste great but I feel like it should be around the $7-8 range instead of $10-11. This is definitely a touristy area so I was expecting higher prices.

I'm a local and pass by this spot all the time, so I was excited to finally stop in for dinner and…read moreit definitely didn't disappoint! Everything we ordered was delicious, from the side dishes to the kalbi. The kimchi was so good I couldn't stop eating it, and the fish cake and sweet, crunchy radish were just as tasty. The kimchi kalbi was so flavorful and so tender. The ramyeon was delicious, especially with the mandu added in, and the chicken bowl had great flavor too. I definitely recommend giving this place a try, and I'll definitely be coming back whenever I'm craving Korean food. The atmosphere is nice and cozy. It's a smaller space, but it feels welcoming. The service was excellent as well. I believe the owner was there cooking while we were dining, and he seemed very friendly and kind, chatting with customers and greeting regulars who stopped by. Overall, it was a great experience!

Ugh, I really wanted to love this place because I LOVE Korean food. The food looked so good, but…read moreunfortunately the experience was really uncomfortable because of what was happening with the staff. The manager (?) and a waitress were arguing and actually screaming at each other in front of everyone in the restaurant. It was so loud and uncomfortable that it honestly ruined the experience for us. We ended up asking for to-go boxes only about 5 minutes after our food came out because we just didn't feel comfortable sitting there with all the arguing happening around us. It's a shame because the food looked really good and I was excited to try everything! Also, fair warning: their spicy seasoning is REALLY spicy.

I'm from Southern California and already planning my next trip to Carmel. I visited in November…read more2025, and this spot is at the top of my list to return to. The ambiance was exactly what you hope for--quiet, warm, and inviting--and the staff couldn't have been more friendly. But the real standout? The food. Absolutely over-the-top delicious and deeply satisfying. My husband and I shared the homemade tomato bisque with quiche, a tuna mixed greens salad, and clam chowder. I'm still thinking about that soup and salad--my mouth is watering just writing this. Please keep this place thriving--I want it waiting for us on our next visit!

The good: Hand made potstickers... yummy. We got a plate with 11 dumplings, with a nice vinegar…read morebased dipping sauce, and a spicy doing sauce. Great flavor. The bad: Nearly $20 Panini with no sides. The pastrami panini tasted fine, bread was nicely roasted. Had some romaine and sliced tomato in there too. I think the panini could have done without the lettuce and tomato inside the panini, and instead should have come with a small side salad or chips. For $50 for lunch with no drinks, I still left feeling a bit hungry. So many other options for more hearty food eats at this mall. Next time, we might just stop in for an afternoon snack of the potstickers.

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 went back for the Seaside roll & the salmon lover roll. It's so good. :)…read more The seaside roll was fried shrimp tempura with albacore , lemon and some bright orange sprinkles. It was good . The salmon roll had a lot of salmon. It was also so so good. Yay

For a cold night, hot black or green tea is available. If you can't stand the heat of soon dofu,…read morethey will water it down but that's not the same (I wish they offered to crack an egg in to dilute the spiciness instead). Their bulgogi was the dish I enjoyed the most. There was no wasabi inside the nigiri that was part of the Half and Half combo. They don't have dolsot bibimbap for dinner.

If I could give 10 stars I would! I can't put this amazing experience into words!…read moreWe ordered Oak Grilled Oysters, BBQ Artichoke, Cioppino, and Squid Pasta, and every single dish was of outstanding quality. Just like in Italy. No matter what you order, you can't go wrong. It's a little bit far from the beaten path, so I thought it might be a hidden gem, but I was wrong. The place was packed, and when we left, there was a line stretching all the way out the door. I really recommend here!

The ambiance and service here is amazing! All of employees are super kind and friendly. Upon…read moresitting, we were given a basket of bread and butter. The bread wasn't toasted so I was skeptical but it was actually very tasty because the outside had toasted sesame seeds on it. We ordered the fish and chips as well as their cioppino. The fish and chips were good! It wasn't the best I've ever had just cause I usually prefer cod but I think they used a different fish. The cioppino though was so delicious. It was extremely flavorful, the broth was not overally seasoned, it was perfect. There was lots of seafood too - such as clams, octopus, squid, mussels, shrimp and fish! I loved dipping the bread in it too.

Such a cute little spot- love their garden outside. It can get really chilly at night so bring a…read moresweater or can wait for a table inside. All employees were super nice! Street parking and small parking lot. We got the Bangkok Duck and the Shrimp wonton soup. - The duck was so good- the sauce was sweet enough and enough tart to balance. Love the perfectly steamed veggies. 10/10 would order again! - the shrimp wonton soup was a clear broth- beautifully seasoned. The wonton was decent and good amount of veggies! For dessert - we got the mango sticky rice. Perfect in season mango. The cream was very good with the blue sticky rice!

My food from zab zab has been lacking lately. I've been coming here since I was in college and it…read moreused to be my favorite Thai spot. Now-- not so much. For the pad Thai, the noodles were broken and the sauce was very one note. My tom kha fried rice was really yum, though the portion felt small for the price. Unfortunate. I will definitely have to give it one more try, but after 2 negative experiences, I'm skeptical.