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    Paprika Cafe

    4.4 (1k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Paprika Cafe Photos

    PAPRIKA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Paprika Cafe

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    1/2 of wrap
    Rand E.

    Cute hole in the wall next to a motel serving Lebanese cuisine and baked baclava treats. We decided to eat in their small outdoor space... cute but a bit chilly and noisy from street traffic. The food was ok. Had the lamb and beef kafta wrap and the Loubiya combo plate. Both were ok. The sample of homemade baclava was the hit though!

    Wayne K.

    5/5 would recommend anyone to come try it. Food was great, we got the garlic chicken (5/5) and the mixed plate (4.5/5). This is worth a stop on your trip, it's quite the experience.

    falafel plate & garlic chicken plate (comes with pita bread)
    Angel H.

    Food was great! The owner said he is the only one who cooks for his own establishment. He also told us he invented the sauce that was on top of the garlic chicken, which was really good! At the end he served us some of his baklava that was on the house. The baklava was delicious and he has vegan options as well! The seating is cute since its outdoors on a patio. What a great experience with great food!

    Spanakopita and Falafel combo
    Monty H.

    Such a cute little place, had lunch on the outer deck which was refreshing. Owner is very kind and welcoming, he really cares about how you enjoy the food. Also got the pistachio baklava which is amazing, he even let me sample before buying. Might become a regular here.

    A sample of bakavla
    Dexter F.

    I have driven past this place for years and personally this is my first time here. I ordered up the lamb and beef kafta plate. It came with a spinach salad with a nice balsamic vinaigrette, fresh hummus, basmati rice and sliced pita bread. The meal came out on paper plates with plastic utensils. This is literally a one man operation. The owner/chef preps all the food and takes the orders as well. The cafe is permanently a takeout window only and they have a small outdoor patio that can seat about dozen or people at best. Most people seem to be ordering it to go.

    Garlic chicken
    Kilsis J.

    This place is small, you order food and then when ready you pick up at the window. There was plenty of street parking when we went for lunch. The portions are small, the food was okay. The customer service was great. We got a gyro and chicken garlic plate.

    Vegetarian combo
    Luna K.

    As someone from Lebanon, Paprika Cafe was a wonderful taste of home. My partner and I passed by the restaurant during our trip to Monterey, and I was drawn in by the big banner advertising vegan baklava. I was able to catch the name of the cafe and looked forward to coming back there later on our trip. I ordered a vegetarian plate with baba ganoush and falafel for pick up, and the owner, Christophe, was very friendly and personable on the phone. I could tell he was a very warm person. When we got there, I saw that it was a booth situation and customers could pick up their orders from the booth and then sit outside. The set up was warm and enclosed, so we decided to eat our food on the patio. Christophe had my order ready to go and was accommodating enough to add a couple items on to the order even though the cafe was going to close in 30 minutes. The vegetarian combo was delicious, served with warm pita bread and refreshing tabbouleh. The baba ganoush was smoky and creamy, and the hummus was the perfect consistency. I could tell that the food was made with love! My partner also loved his garlic chicken wrap and started eating it right away even though he had already picked up food from somewhere else and had been planning to eat the wrap later Christophe was such a sweet man and took the time to chat with us and make us feel at home. We overheard him talking to a few other customers and he was so friendly with them as well. We really enjoyed getting to talk to him, and it was great getting to connect with him about Lebanon. He was kind enough to make some Turkish coffee and really went above and beyond to host us. We would love to come back to Paprika the next time we're in Monterey!

    Yummy for the Tommy

    Fresh food reminds me at home Falafel soft from inside and crunchy Hummus and pita yummy Baklava pistachio great I like to go back again and try the rest of the baklava Mint lemonade make my day The owner very friendly, He offered to me free Turkish coffee

    The baklava misunderstanding...

    Not sure where that Michelin write-up came from... We saw the sign passing by and remembered our friends telling us about the place in awe. So we approached - it was right after lunch, we did not order any food; moreover, we're not big on paper plates and plastic. Despite the rude "no bathroom, so don't ask" sign, we decided to go for a Turkish coffee. To our surprise, the owner came back with what seemed to be a bucket... the explanation (a bit rude as well) was "Americans like it like that". The price - $7.10. Really? Sure, the sign says 8oz (a real one should be no more than ~2oz), but how about the rather awful taste... 80/20 chickpeas vs coffee?! It's not that we don't know the matter - my grandma used to make it daily, and I loved to help her as a kid with the old manual grinder, try a sip, etc. The concoction we got at Paprika had nothing to do with that, unfortunately. Sorry if I'm to offend anyone who raves about this place, but the café seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding; the setting is extremely odd, you can order food but not go to the bathroom, the owner is rather rude, they don't know much about the Turkish coffee they sell, there is no way to order a single piece of baklava, unless you pay $13 for 6 of them, and so on. And why "vegan baklava" - it's made with butter after all! Good luck with further Michelin adventures...

    For the past 12 years, we try to make yearly trips to Monterey. Two places we always go to are Paprika and the aquarium. Notwithstanding the food, which is awesome, but the owner (Christophe Hamade) is super friendly and loves to talk to our son (5 years old). Once, we arrived on a day (Tuesday) that they're closed. The owner, who was there to prepare for a private catered party, told us that he wasn't open to the public, but said we could order the dish he was preparing for the party. Needless to say, we took him up on the offer. As for the food, it is a Michelin-rated restaurant. My wife and I are vegetarian, and the menu is vegetarian friendly. The baklava is to die for. We particularly love the coffee baklava. We also recommend the spinach pies, falafel, loubiya, and baba ghanouge.

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    3 months ago

    Just saw my review is from almost a decade ago. Still fabulous, and our little one loooooves it too!

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    1 year ago

    Great food at a great location in Monterey. The kids ate every bite! Try the falafel with garlic sauce!

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    Dametra Cafe

    4.5(4.8k reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$$

    This is my first visit to this Turkish/ Mediterranean restaurant. I am very impressed. It is highly…read morerecommended by friends . At the front entrance there was many awards from the Monterey county and The Carmel Pine Cone . The ambience is full of vibrant colors and pretty roof decorations and lamps . Bright yellow table clothed with light blue embroidery. Great serve with the waiter and the manager lady checked on every table during lunch. We were seated promptly with our reservation. Tried their Turkish coffee which was full of aroma of the spices and very rich . I absolutely love it ! The Gyro was filled with lots of meta with cream cheese and salad . It tastes excellent. Price wa $20.95 . We also ordered the Istanbul kabab with charcoal boiled ground beef skewers , served over rice pilaf with lavash bread . It was seasoned with tomato and Turkish spices with a side salad . Portion was big and we got a to go box for the left over. Food was absolutely delicious. We were too full to order the dessert and the manager gave us dessert on the house . Highly recommended this restaurant and would like to comeback to try their lamb shank and paella . The bar counter lights up in an old world mysterious way , filled with their many wine collections .

    I don't understand all the hype but the food was bland and the service was slow. When your water…read morecup doesn't get filled at all kinda slow. Complimentary bread tasted a bit undercooked. The clam chowder - creamy and mediocre at best. Probably where they earn the one star. Frutti di mare- seafood was overcooked and the soup/sauce tasted like boiled sink water. Cheese bread was not bad. Lamb shank- tasted like a hungry man microwaveable meal. The green beans look and taste straight out of a school cafeteria. The shank was tender but had 0 salt and the gravy was just watery as well. Was gonna ask for salt but there was no waiter to be found. Overall the Resturaunt was busy and pretty nice inside but I wouldn't see myself coming back again.

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    Dametra Cafe - Inside

    Inside

    Dametra Cafe - Istanbul Kabab $36.95 .skewed charbroiled ground beef mixed with tomato and seasoned with Turkish spices . Greek salad

    Istanbul Kabab $36.95 .skewed charbroiled ground beef mixed with tomato and seasoned with Turkish spices . Greek salad

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    Vinegar and olive oil dispenser

    Paprika Cafe - mediterranean - Updated May 2026

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