Burgeoning Food & Wine Scene

With its array of first-class restaurants, acclaimed executive chefs and award-winning wineries, as well as available tours and a weekly, year-round farmers' market, Carmel-by-the-Sea is clearly evolving and emerging as one of the West Coast's top destinations for food and wine discoveries. The restaurants feature a full range of international, regional and local cuisines, all benefitting from the unparalleled bounties of the nearby Salinas Valley and Monterey Bay.

Pack Your Appetite for California's Food & Wine Paradise

Carmel-by-the-Sea packs so many intriguing, enticing and downright extraordinary restaurants into such a small walkable village, that you can easily stroll past Michelin Star restaurants, 50-year-old Carmel Classics and inspiring new restaurants all on a single street.

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It's a dining destination that continues to surprise and delight even the most discerning foodies, yet offers a range of unique bistros and gourmet fast casual restaurants that give you endless dining options.

If it feels like this town has more than its fair share of world-class restaurants, it's absolutely true. In fact, Carmel-by-the-Sea has more than 60 restaurants all within walking distance from your Carmel hotel or inn.

The Best of Land and Sea

Top-rated chefs have been drawn here for decades because of the endless stream of premium ingredients from fertile coastal valleys and the rich ocean waters of Monterey Bay — all within minutes of this whimsical, coastal hamlet.

Nearby you will find California's only in-ocean abalone farm at Monterey Abalone Company, which operates underneath Monterey's Commercial Wharf. The neighboring Salinas Valley's agricultural richness is known the world over. And vineyards and organic farms dot Carmel Valley's slopes. This abundance of agriculture and aquaculture is what chefs and diners dream about.

Michelin Star-Studded

The Michelin Guide's star rating is the most prestigious, and rare, honor a restaurant can receive. Carmel-by-the-Sea holds two Michelin Star restaurants — Chez Noir and Aubergine.

The village also has other restaurants recognized by Michelin, including Yafa, whose reasonably priced Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine landed it on Michelin's Bib Gourmand list.

Whether you dine in Chez Noir's intimate setting and experience Chef Jonny Black's exquisite recipes or take in the legendary tasting menu at Aubergine, where Chef Justin Cogley crafts refined dishes that have received two prestigious Michelin Stars, you will certainly agree that that level of culinary notoriety has elevated Carmel dining to the pinnacle of creativity, craft and service.

Crown Jewel of Monterey County Wine Tasting

Carmel-by-the-Sea is a top-rated wine destination with 17 tasting rooms - all within walking distance from your hotel or inn. In fact, Monterey County is one of California's largest premium wine regions, and Carmel-by-the-Sea is the place to taste the county's award-winning wines. Our tasting rooms are friendly, casual, and you'll often meet the winemaker.

Around the World in One Square Mile

French bistros, Italian ristorantes, Middle Eastern delicacies, Japanese specialties — it's all here in such close proximity that you can enjoy a vast world of taste in a single trip.

Duck into a welcoming Irish Pub at Brophy's Tavern, savor fresh-caught sushi at Sushi Heaven or Akaoni, taste the flavors of the Mediterranean and Middle East at Dametra Café or Yafa,sample unique and delicious Oaxacan recipes at Cultura, or explore the French, Italian and classically California dining spots throughout town.

With this many choices, deciding on the perfect spot might be the hardest decision of the evening. Don't be afraid to ask innkeepers, Carmel locals and shop owners their favorite place to dine. You'll find them more than happy to share their secrets.