Carmel-by-the-Sea Restaurants

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Carmel is filled with so many great sounding restaurants it was hard to choose where to dine out when we had one night only. We decided to go to the latest place the locals seemed to be raving about (well in the Carmel magazine in our hotel room anyway), Cantinetta Luca.

This is a modern Italian restaurant and bar, apparently more San Francisco style than Carmel. The large restaurant was full and I think we were very lucky to walk in and get a table without having made a reservation.

Favorite Dish: Cantinetta Luca specialises in antipasti, and cure many of the meats on the premises. After reading this on the menu, we decided to start with the Artisan and House Made Salume, along with some Caseficio Gioia Burrata Cheese and some bread. The generous servings were well presented and loved most of the meats, which went so well with the cheese (which was up-sold to us by our helpful waitress).

For main course we had the Tagliatelle, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Organic Peas and Pecorino Toscano Cheese and the Grilled Baby Octopus, Salame Calabrese, Broccoli and Potatoes (starter size). Both dishes were very flavoursome and plates were cleaned. We shared a Chocolate & Hazelnut Tart for dessert.

Tommy's Wok is situated down a little hidden alley in Carmel-By-The-Sea, less than a block off of Ocean Ave. I don't know anyone who has been here and not enjoyed their meal. The food is fresh and the restaurant offers nice selection of traditional Chinese dishes as well as Dim Sum during lunch hours.

The dining room is small, but the service was great and the waitresses knew a lot about each dish. Take=out is available and the restaurant delivers within Carmel-By-The-Sea.

On our last dim sum trip we ordered the Pork Buns, pot stickers, Sesame Seed puffs and the waitress suggested the Shrimp dumplings. Everything was excellent. The Dim Sum dishes are $3.25 or $4.25 depending on what you select. We plan on returning for dinner sometime soon!

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Every time I end up in Carmel I find a new favorite restaurant... hence the name of my Carmel pages, "Carmel-by-the-Taste" rather than Carmel-by-the-Sea. My newest favorite Carmel restaurant in Tommy's Wok, a tiny Chinese place in central Carmel. I have been wanting to try this place ever since I heard they had dim sum for lunch, and I finally had a free Saturday where I could get out of bed early enough to try Tommy's Wok.

We arrived in Carmel around 1pm and quickly found parking. I forgot where the restaurant was located so we stopped at a magazine rack and found the Carmel tourist brochure with the street map and restaurant listings: Mission between Ocean and Seventh Streets (don't forget Carmel doesn't have street addresses!). There we found Tommy's Wok, tucked down a tiny little alley precisely as indicated on the map.

We were immediately seated at one of the restaurant's maybe 10 tables, back by the kitchen. They started us off with house green tea (when will American places learn to serve complimentary beer?). We looked over the menu for about 2.3 seconds before deciding on dim sum. Our first item we attempted to order was the onion pancakes, but there were out; bad start! We then ordered the mixed dumplings and the shrimp stuffed tofu off the $4.50 dim sum menu and the sweet sesame mung bean puff and the BBQ pork buns off the $3.50 dim sum menu.

Our service began with the expensive dishes; the shrimp stuffed tofu was unbelievably flavorful and tasty, certainly the best part of our meal. The sesame puffs were also interesting and flavorful, but a little too chewy and annoying. Our next dish, the mixed dumplings, was spectacular, with four different concoctions of flavorful mixtures. Finally, we ended with the king of dim sum, the BBQ pork buns; they were slightly sweet and flavorful, like I remember from Hong Kong. Our total bill for two was only $15, amazingly inexpensive for Carmel.

This is an outstanding little restaurant!

A delightful restaurant, noted for its famous scones and homemade pies. Built in 1927, the historic Tuck Box symbolizes the uniqueness and charm of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, the scones are the highlight to a meal of Eggs Benedict or a Shepherd's pie. The recipe at the Tuck Box for scones is from northern Scotland and is light in texture when compared to the traditional English delight.

Favorite Dish: The Tuck Box has daily specials and being there on a Saturday, one can be treated to the famous Tuck Box English Pot Roast, steeped in herbs and red wine, served with mashed potatoes. Yummy!!!

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Hola is spanish for hello and this restaurant got me at Hola.

Entering the wide open bar area and having the aroma of freshly made margaritas and in house home made tortilla chips fill your lungs is enough to make an ol'gourmet cry.

A brightly lit and colorful interior sets the mood for this unique mexican restaurant. Great food and great drinks make a great mexican restaurant and hello, this is the place, Hola.

Favorite Dish: Crab enchilladas are my downfall. Put a margarita in one hand and a fork in the other and what do you get. Ole! A very happy diner.

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The moment you see the front door, you are aware that this restaurant is going to be a gourmet experience. The ambience is upscale and the service is impeccable. Yes, I know this is a beach town, but I still wore a jacket. It fits the mood of the interior. Dinning at Anton & Michel is a true gourmet delight and I was not disappointed with the selection of dishes that I sampled. A reflection pool sits outside beyond the tables and the floor to ceiling windows. A wonderful open feel and reflects the town of Carmel. Charming.

Favorite Dish: The filet mignon was glazed with a perfect reduction of sauce bordelaise. Tender to the touch. The rack of lamb was tasty and cooked to perfection, medium-rare. A local Carmel Valley red wine completes the menu.

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A.W. Shucks is my new favorite restaurant in Carmel. A prime location on Ocean Avenue, a great little interior, and awesome seafood, what more could you ask for?

Located on Ocean Avenue right in the center of Carmel, this might be the best restaurant spot in town. A.W, Shucks is a quick little stroll from about 50 art galleries, not to mention the other little shops and restaurants. Its only minor inconvenience might be the lack of nearby parking options.

Inside, this is what any good bar should be. A beautiful hardwood bar sets the scene, and they make the best of their small location with about 10 high-top tables of various sizes and stools. The table tops are a unique slate tile, and the front of the bar a nice copper sheeting. Even better the oysters are on display at the entrnace, and the cooking area is right in the front of the restaurant next to the bar. Half of the maybe 16 bar seats are regular drinking bar seats, while the other half are at the oyster bar. The most interesting feature is the hidden entrance to the restrooms that blends right into the back wall. Its only problem is the three small TVs that are not the best for sports viewing.

Meals here are tasty, well priced, and simple but fresh. We had a dozen oysters ($19) that included three types of flavorful shell fish: Chesapeake oysters from the Chesapeake Bay, Hood Canal oysters from Puget Sound in Washington, and Effingham oysters from British Columbia. To go with our oysters, we had the fried seafood platter ($17) with shrimp, octopus, a tasty whitefish and fries. Sauces included vinegar, cocktail sauce, horseradish, and a mild tartar sauce. Absolutely wonderful food! Other options on their menu include cioppino, seafood chowders, crab cakes, seafood appetizers, and burgers.

Open daily 11:00 to 8:30.

After an afternoon of wandering the streets of Carmel, my friend and I were ready for a beer and a snack. We spotted A.W. Shucks, an Oyster bar, saw some TVs playing a baseball game and headed in. The restaurant is small, with a long bar and about 7 or 8 high-top tables. The feel is relaxed and fun, not the stuffy sense you're used to in Carmel.

Our waitress was very friendly and we ordered a dozen oysters on the half shell ($19) and a fried seafood platter with calamari, shrimp and fish ($11). We each also had a beer form the fairly extensive beer selection, which range in price from $3.75 to $5.00.

I'm a big oyster fan, so I was quite happy when our plate came. There were 3 types on hand (Chesapeake, Effingham, and Hood) and we had 4 of each. They were fresh and served on ice.

I look forward to heading back to A.W. Shucks. It's the first place I've found in town where I'd like to simply "hang out".

Favorite Dish: Oysters on the half shell. Get a dozen for $1.50 each during happy hour.