The owner/chef greeted us. Wow! Best omelet ever. Even toast was perfect. Halibut citrus salad with mango salsa was perfection. Great service. read more

This place has really good food and amazing service. A little pricey for me, but a nice treat every once in awhile. I'll be back.

Stopped in for a late lunch after visiting several tasting rooms in the area. We were able to find a seat in their back garden area. We split a pizza and a salad as we just needed something to hold us over until a late dinner. The staff were super friendly and the mushroom pizza hit the spot! Would have loved to have given dinner a try. read more

Was in Carmel for a romantic weekend away from LA and decided to give this place a try. Really cute outdoor seating and the nicest staff. Also, some of the best pizza I've ever had! There was a bit of a hold up on our food and the manager not only came by to apologize, they also provided us an additional appetizer and no charge for our meal. A very sweet gesture that meant a lot to us. I highly recommend giving this place a shot. read more

Excellent lunch spot, with great service, interesting dishes, and good local wines. Mussels were awesome, pear salad outstanding, and lots local wines. read more

Excellent. A true culinary gem. We have dined at the Corkscrew Cafe on many occasions and the food and service have always exceeded our expectations. We have also introduced several friends to the restaurant and they have always raved about the menu, food, and service. Everything we have ordered has been excellent, whether it is the hamburger, pizza, charcuterie and cheese plates, and other luncheon fare. We are grateful for the Corkscrew Cafe's commitment to high quality farm fresh ingredients and their ability to craft superb dishes using them. A great find and a must dine choice in the area. read more

Stopped on a beautiful day, but decided to eat inside rather than out. Sat by a window with a nice breeze. It was a little more quiet inside...all the other guests were going out to the patio. Easy, relaxing, comfortable. The chile rellano was incredible, one of the best meals I've had in a very long time. The sauces were perfect. Sometimes with different sauces and flavors, a dish becomes a big gray mess. This was perfect...all of the flavors distinct and enjoyable. I'd stop hear any chance I had. I'd go out of my way to stop here. read more

Our waiter deserted us. Twice. Two hours for a salad and pizza is unacceptable. Charging $7 for bread is just not good marketing. The tip-sheet describing the wonders of their wood fired oven was silly since most of the bread crusts and one of our two pizzas were clearly burnt. Maybe it was just a bad night but next time we are going back to Rustica. read more

Local here. Just had dinner. Signature Risotto is dead and more like a warmed over macncheese. For $23. Plus glass of wine, put me at close to $35 for a drop in, end of day dinner Coulda done better elsewhere. What happened? I never had a bad meal before... Love this place and want to see it be all it can be. read more

My husband and I visited for dinner. The restaurant had a good ambience. Our waitress was amazing - best service we have received in a long time. She was friendly and gave great recommendations. We started with the peppers for our appetizer - they were phenomenal. I ordered the salmon which was thicker than what I'm used to which came with delicious vegetables. My husband ordered the halibut which he enjoyed with his glass of malbec wine. For dessert, we had the flourless chocolate cake with a scoop of ice cream--was delicious. We would definitely recommend this place. read more

Very nice, great food, creative plates, service could have been a little better, but was not bad.

Despite food poisoning from the mussels and a spitefully over-cooked burger, I will still give it two stars for the other wonderfully tasting food and (mostly) friendly service. First let me mention that I'm a former waiter at a first-class restaurant, and I also definitely know the difference between rare, medium rare, medium, etc. I also want to mention that the host was very nice when seating our party of 5, and that our primary server (short haired female -- sorry I forget her name) was also very nice & friendly. Now the bad: I'm 99.9% certain that our one case food poisoning came from the mussels, although there's no way to tell for sure. I also know that things can happen in the kitchen and standard practices can be overlooked. (For example: Were some of the mussels open before going into the pot, indicating they were already dead and should be tossed?? You can tap them to see if they close, but in a fast-paced kitchen, sometimes things are overlooked and you figure anything 'bad' will be killed during cooking. Generally, that's true, but you can end up with over-cooked mussels.) But I digress... I can chalk-up bad shellfish to fate, and I wouldn't have bothered writing this review if it wasn't for the crap below. Now the worse: A burger was ordered "medium" for my 20-month and 6-year old. It came out between rare and medium rare (but closer to rare). If it were for me, I could have eaten it, but since I'm feeding a 20-month old, I asked the runner (not our server), "Could you please cook this burger some more? I had asked for medium." She curtly said, "Oh, you want it more than medium?" (Implying the bloody mess in front of was medium [bloody is a dramatic exaggeration; everything else is factual.]) I snarkily responded, "If that's medium, then I would like it medium-well to well." My mistake for being a bit snarky, but I was off-put by her suggestion that the 95% red interior was "medium". (For the record, the runner had long dark hair.) In hindsight, I'm not surprised that the second burger I received was literally burnt to a crisp. I had to trim off the black bottom to get edible portions to my kids. Since I was a former waiter, I knew that was no way I was going to send the burger back a second time -- lest I wanted something worse than a burnt burger. I may still go back, since the other four dishes we ordered were great. But, I would leave the kids at home and stay away from the mussels. read more

We (two couples) went to Corkscrew last Tuesday for lunch based on the recommendation by a worker at the Monterey visitor center. The restaurant is part of the Guernier winery. We sat in the outdoor patio in the back and had a very nice lunch.We shared two pizzas and two salads. Food was excellent. Only disappointment was with the charge for the wine. When we ordered the wine the waiter gave us two wines to try without telling us the price. I selected one and he came back and said it was $56 a bottle (first he had said $54 but then he came back and told us he had made a mistake ). I mentioned the menu said on Tuesdays they have a no decorking fee policy (normally $20) if you bring your own bottle.He said we could do that.However, we opted not to do that even though we had a bottle of wine in our car. The disappointment came when we finished and, as we were leaving ,we noted that the same wine we had was being sold in the store for $39. So we could have bought the wine at their store, bring it in to the restaurant, and save $17. We felt we had been had and that the waiter should have offered us that option. So,if you are there on a Tuesday watch out for the price of wine!! read more

Apparently this is now under new management and a new chef. Very disappointed that some of the previous menu items are gone--croque Monsieur sandwich no longer listed and prices are higher. Still a nice spot for outdoor dining but it has gone down a notch read more

They state their hours for dinner are until 9pm. I showed up for dinner at 8:40pm and they said that they would not make a pizza for me - this was in spite of the wood-burning oven blazing away. No reason given, very abrupt answer 'no', without any apology provided by the hostess. There were other diners who seemed to have recently finished and paid their bills, so I suspect they arbitrarily had decided it was time to go home early. Did not make a fuss, as who wants to demand to eat at a place where they have decided you are not welcome, in spite of entering their establishment well ahead of closing time. So,I guess make sure you arrive by 8:00pm, or don't bother. read more

Have been coming here for years. The bottom line? We are local retirees living on a limited income. We have so loved coming for the half price pizza between 5-6 PM. Now that offer has been discontinued. So, last week at Corkscrew, two drinks (a wine and a lemonade), two rather skimpy beet/apple salads and one shared Ricotta pizza for the two of us came to $62. This week we went to Cafe Rustica around the corner. We enjoyed nearly the same meal: two drinks (a wine and a lemonade), two huge butter lettuce salads and one shared Dynamite pizza. Guess what? It came to $45. Love both places, but why pay $17 more at Corkscrew for basically the same meal that we had at Cafe Rustica? Please, folks at Corkscrew, we love you but you are making a mistake for us locals and retirees. Go back to the half price pizzas from 5-6 PM. The place is normally quiet then anyway, so you should be glad of the patronage. We will come back if you do! read more

The nice decor and the pizzas are the only good thing about this place. Service terrible. We wanted 4 Stella beers, they only had 2 cold; wanted Ranch dressing, not available; wanted a 2nd tall glass of lemonade, only had enough for a very small glass; had to ask twice for a glass of wine; never came around to check on refills or any other need. Very disappointed. Would not recommend. read more

Terrible service. Food was luke warm. Was completely neglected and had to get up numerous times to ask where our drinks/aps/food was. Won't be coming back here. Save your money and time. read more

Had a delicious lunch with a friend today. The garden area is beautiful and the food was great!

What a happy, chance encounter. I took a backroads route from Highway 101 to CA-1 and the California coast; a longer detour than I expected but as I drove from Greenfield (Monterey Valley) to Carmel I took in the beauty on both sides of Monterey county "discovering" Carmel Valley along the way. I took a chance on a restaurant that looked appealing: Corkscrew Cafe. What a great find. Indoors and out, the seating is comfortable and the atmosphere perfect. From the friendly welcome at reception to paying the bill this restaurant hit on all cylinders. I tried the Arugula Salad: a simple masterpiece. And then the Mussels, prepared with Green Garlic, Belgian Ale, Coriander, and Citrus, were cooked perfectly. My tastebuds would have preferred a little more citrus, but nevertheless when Sarda, my server, asked me if I needed a straw to finish the broth, I actually gave it some thought. A glass of Cowgirl Chardonnay complimented the dishes very nicely. Although a 15+/- mile drive from the coast, if you're traveling up or down Highway One, take a break and drive to Carmel Valley. The beauty is out of this world. And so is Corkscrew Cafe. read more

After a long day of wedding site visits for my bestie, we were given the recommendation to come here for a late lunch. Such a cute spot. Ambiance is amazing and food was tasty! We shared chicken salad sandwiches, Meyer lemon pizza, mushroom pizza and sweet potato fries. Meyer lemon pizza hands down was the best!!! So yummy, we're planning on duplicating it for the bridal shower! And the bake so much fresh bread, they have samples for you to taste, sooooo yummy, wish I woulda got a loaf, next time for sure. read more

Came over to this place after visiting the cute wine tasting place across the street. Restaurant was about 1/4th full with tons of in and outside seating available. It was 5:45pm. They told us if we didn't have a reservation we could not be seated until 7:45pm. Pretty silly way to run a business. read more

One of our favorite places to eat in the Valley. Super cute décor and an interesting menu. We always have the meyer lemon pizza but all their items are good. They're open all day so a great place for a late lunch when other restaurants are closed. There is outdoor seating as well as inside. The one negative is the service is sometimes spotty. read more

Great service. Wonderful wines. Great oven coal oven. Lovely indoor seating or outdoor Great menu many choices I will be back in my travels read more

We really love this place... now our last visit here I said we were going to get a steak at Wills Fargo and yet we fell right back into this place if simply by the design of a higher being.. fine ... we love the little patio and the service is always good... we met some people sitting next to us who's dog kept biting the servers.. 3 were bitten.. I approached one of them annoucing a was a personal injury attorney and would assit him in any legal battle... I was joking of course I really was trying to get the attention of the man who's dog already snipped 2 other waiters... the woman with him was supposedly a realtor from Virginia and we started talking ... she then wanted some pictures with me which my wife took and in the middle of this the woman steals our bag of wine on the ground.... Oops my bad.. The servers noticed her with the bag on the way out but thought nothing of it till we asked if they saw it.. management came to our table and gave us the bottle that was stolen... awesome peeps.... will be back .. again and again... read more

Super great time! Celebrated my wife's **st birthday (censored). Arrived at 8, had a great bottle of 2011 Georis Merlot (delicious, I mean would you go to a killer brew pub and order a Coors Light?), shared a Caesar and the roasted garlic app with the baked goat cheese and house baked bread. Wife got the roasted tomato pizza and I got the amazing Halibut fish of the day (so fresh, so perfectly cooked). Great food, great value, great service. What more do you need?! Obviously a very talented chef - this is a must try! read more

Heaven is wine, food and friends on the patio. We always come back. Never had a dish less than great. Plan on spending a long time just enjoying. read more

My boyfriend and I visited Carmel Valley just for the night and our AirBnB host suggested Corkscrew Cafe. We decided to check it out and ended up having truly one of the most incredible dining experiences ever. We decided to share several courses - starting with the cheese plate (awesome!). Our waiter Chris was phenomenal - so attentive, friendly, and did an awesome job pairing several wines for us. We also ordered the shishito peppers and pear salad for starters, then got the fish of the day (wild caught king salmon) which was served over a saffron leek fondue with sautéed tomatoes and spinach. All four of these menu items were absolutely perfect!! We were beyond impressed with everything!! For dessert we went with the summer peach cobbler which was definitely the "icing on the cake" if you will :) We couldn't believe how perfect the whole experience was, and ended up being there for nearly three hours overall! Can't say enough good things about Chris - great guy. Looking forward to telling people about this little gem and hopefully visiting again in the future! Thanks again! read more

Fun place with attentive service and good food. I liked the mahi mahi sandwich and heard the people at the table next to me swooning over the Brussels sprouts. read more

My boyfriend and I had a wonderful experience at Corkscrew Cafe last weekend. We have been there before and the food is consistently good. The salmon and short rib entrees were delicious. We enjoy the local wines (Georis is great!). However, this experience was exceptional due to the first-class service. Under the guidance of Maitre De, Christian, the staff was friendly, gave excellent suggestions, and seemed to genuinely enjoy working there. Thank you many times to our server, Andy, and Christian for a wonderful dining experience. We look forward to our next visit!! read more

Went to The Corkscrew for dinner on a quiet Friday night. We were the first guests at around 6.30pm, by 7.30 we counted about 10 guests. Service was attentive, we ordered a salad, salmon and seafood paella. Quality of food and presentation was excellent. Very pleasant ambiance. One small glitch: I used a debit card and added a tip to the cost of the meal. The next day I checked my bank account and noticed that about $5 more were added and charged to me. The $5 does not bother me but once I sign the chit, including a 20% tip, why change the total? Having said all that, we would go for a return visit. read more

This review bums me out to write. We used to live here from 2012-14 and this was one of my all time favorites. Great pizza, beautiful appetizers and salads ( oh the killer roasted garlic) breads baked in house. I could go on and on. This is where we went here the night before our wedding, always my top recommendation for where to eat in the valley when we had company. I'm back in town as was so excited to hit up my old favorite, but like the country singers say you can't always go home again. Menu looked different, some staples still there (and the return of half price pizza from 5-6 so it's not all bad) but I asked the waitress and she said there was a new chef. I asked if there was any way to get the old roasted cherry tomato pizza (a order every time staple of mine, a margarita with lots of roasted tomatoes, roasted cloves of garlic and fresh basil) and she asked what was on it, so I guess they've had staff turnover too. No problem that happens. But she said it didn't sound like that was something the had in the kitchen anymore. Didn't actually check. Really personally heartbreaking for me. I was there for the pizza.... On to the food I actually ate. Roasted garlic was lovely but I felt the bread wasn't what it once was. Tuna Tartar, very creative but I've had others that I enjoy more. The waitress has suggested Meyer lemon without prosciutto as I was looking for a vegetarian option. My husband raves about it with the prosciutto, without it it really didn't wow me. My parents has the faro risotto which was good but maybe a little fussy. Overall I left disappointed. I get there's a new chef but I miss some of the menu staples ( the burger is gone too) and I feel that some of the new additions are a little fussy and overdone. It's missed some of the old provincial charm for me. If you've never been before you'll probably enjoy it, if you haven't been in a while, you'll miss what it used to be. At least I do. read more

A bit pricey but I enjoyed the food. PIzza is a nice thin crust. Service was average.

This is my favorite restaurant in Carmel. The garlic bulb, onion rings and mussels are great. Incredible ambiance!

I love this place. The food is great, the bread is so fresh and the most important thing is the service of Christian Pineda is outstanding. It is our second time we come and he makes us feel like we are in family and that's the way every restaurant service should be we greatly recommend it. read more

We had a great lunch on their delightful patio. They also have a separate patio for folks with dogs. The service was great, our server Sarda was very helpful answering menu questions. We ordered the roasted garlic appetizer and it was amazing. You can tell this spot really cares about the food they serve. We will be back! read more

We went there for dinner on Thursday, June 26, and loved it! Had the Caprese salad and the tomatoes were so fresh and tasty it was like they walked outside and picked them. My wife had the sausage pizza and declared it one of the best she's ever had. I had the short rib and it was fork tender and succulent. The service was very good and would recommend this place to anyone! read more

from location to service to food, when in Carmel Valley go to Corkscrew Cafe! With 3 friends and 2 miniature dachshunds, we visited Corkscrew Cafe for lunch on Saturday. This was the first time any of us were there. I don't know where to start, so I will start with the food. We all loved our food: Banh Mi sandwich, fish tacos, tomato bisque, arugula salad and of course, cobbler for dessert :) So you will not be disappointed, and expect to be very pleased, with the food. But, what blew us all away was the service. Things that are disappearing at even high end restaurants are here. No one's plate was removed until everyone had finished (this used to be the norm, but has, unfortunately, been disappearing at most restaurants (including 4 star restaurants in new york.) But not at Corkscrew! well done! And when the food was served, multiple folks came out with the food so we were all served at once (again, something that is not as common as it used to be, but really adds to the experience.) In terms of service, though, I need to give a special shout out to Adam. I would like to buy stock in his company! From start to finish, he was top notch. Checked in when appropriate, always had a good recommendation or comment on the menu choices (which were all great,) very clear our experience was what was important to him. I can't say enough good things about Adam. He is a gem and an asset to Corkscrew. But service was top notch from A-Z. Perhaps its because of the casual vibe of Carmel Valley, I don't know. But this was a knock-your-socks-off experience that I won't forget and will come back here every time I am in Carmel. Once again, thank you Adam and everyone else at Corkscrew Cafe. You are the best!!!! read more

The food has gone downhill. The enchilada is no longer on the menu, but it's been around for awhile and like many restaurants become complacent and tired. read more

Quant, European feel cafe. I had the burger which was delicious and my wife had the mushroom pizza - also delicious! Hers was a paper thin, crispy crust and my burger so so juicy and tasty. Service was fantastic! If you're out for winery visits, grab lunch here. Great place! read more