Came here with my husband for the first time. To my husband it is the second time and he can be…read morehard to please AND we both feel beyond satisfaction with this place. The pasta with the lamb is so fresh and amazing, while the basic spaghetti and meatball I order is a GOAT. The service is amazing, very attentive, and the atmosphere is free of complaint. Would totally recommend this place to anyone visiting the town!

I'l Vecchio hosted our fashion show last Sunday with 50 guests. Everyone raved about the…read morerestaurant. The food was just exquisite from the hors d'oeuvres to the main dish with the fabulous homemade pasta and dessert. it is the absolute best Italian restaurant that I have ever experienced. The owners and staff are so welcoming and friendly. The seating is very comfortable and the restaurant is nice and spacious and great ambiance. Everyone had the best experience ever. I recommend this restaurant very highly. Marita Johnson-Marita's Boutique

Amazing Food. Great Service. Authentic Italian! Had Sea Bass Special & perfect view of the water &…read moremarine activity.

The service here is absolutely amazing! The views are stunning and the food is out of this world!…read moreWe started with the oysters and they were fresh and delicious. We then ordered the Cesar salad and the waiter heard us talking about how we loved the anchovies and brought us over extra! We each ordered one of the amazing specials and my fish with truffle ravioli was DIVINE!!! They also have a fabulous wine list and amazing desserts. The cannolis are made in house and sooo good! There is plenty of parking in the lot. The bathrooms are pristine. The ambiance of this spot is just stunning! Perfect for a romantic date night and it has that quaint, high end, intimate Italian restaurant vibe that truly makes you feel like you're on a getaway in Italy. I can't recommend this place enough and I am very excited to go back and try more of their delicious dishes!

If I could give this place 6 stars I would! We went for our anniversary and they made it so…read morespecial! The food, service and ambiance were all incredible. 10/10 experience all around! Whether you are going for a date night, special occasion, or just because, this is the place to go!

The ambiance and ocean view were truly stunning, coupled with delicious fresh food, while the stall…read morestaff, particularly Sal the waiter, were incredibly friendly and professional. I highly recommend visiting the Old Fisherman Grotta, an excellent location for spending family time.

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR... get in your car... make a U-turn on Ocean and LEAVE Carmel. If you want the…read morebest Italian food on the Monterey Peninsula, this is your place. We've been coming here for years and I've never, not once, been disappointed. Everything about Mezzaluna is amazing. Mezzaluna's a fairly small restaurant so I always book a reservation. They have a smallish, but very nice, lounge area if your table isn't ready or you're just showing up for a drink. Their staff is beyond friendly and their bartender knows how to make a cocktail. The prices, in my opinion are very reasonable and the portions are what you'd expect. I RARELY, if ever, take home leftovers but this is one of my few restaurant leftover exceptions. I almost always get Rigatoni alla Buttera and my wife the Al Nero con Vongole but not always. Everything we've ever had on the menu is amazing. All the pasta is made fresh in house, and you can taste it. I've eaten at every Italian restaurant in Carmel, and sure Taylor Swift didn't eat here, but I'm glad she didn't. I want this place to be sucessful but I also want to keep this gem out of the Hollywood spotlight. This place stand on its own without needing that kind of notoriety. Restaurants like this let the food, which is what their, they're for do the talking. A few small notes for those who may not have dined here before: 1) Outside seating is right next to highway 68. So that's not the most "awesome" outdoor dining experience, but it is what it is right, but worth a note. 2) The parking lot can be a bit crowded so depending on the night, plan a little extra time to possibly have a small walk if the lot's full. 3) LOCAL/HACK! They have an awesome wine list (for in house dining or to take home). Their prices are VERY VERY good. BUT, the cool thing is if you bring a bottle of wine, and buy one from them, they will waive the corkage fee for that one bottle.

Mezzaluna has been in operation since 2019. How have a missed this amazing restaurant?! The…read moreinterior is inviting with the dim lighting which gives the place a hipster bistro vibe. Love the wine displays dividing up the seating. Service is great! Our waitress was super kind and courteous. I liked how she gave her opinion on what we ordered. That tells you she's tried everything! The pacing of our food was perfect, giving us time to enjoy our appetizers before our dinner entrees arrived. They also didn't skimp on warm bread and olive tapenade. It was so good! But don't eat too much because their dinner portions are big. We ordered: San Vitor: My beautiful handcrafted pineapple cocktail. Delicious. Smoky. Strong. Clam Chowder: Omg! The presentation was amazing!! The chowder can stand all by itself with its flavor and real clams in shells - but with the bone marrow? Stop!! I die! Polpo Alla Griglia: Cooked perfectly with fantastic flavors. The sauce had kick! The potatoes were cooked well. Honestly, it was difficult to decide what to order for dinner because everything was described so deliciously on the menu. I wanted to try them all. The biggest hit was that their pasta is made in-house and cooked right! We ordered: CAPPELLACCI DI GRANCHIO - Excellent dish! It was a hit according to my hubby. Also recommended by our waitress. Filled with real crab and lots of it. RAVIOLI DI MAIS - simple corn ravioli but so wonderful. The corn filling was sweet yet savory. PAPPARDELLE CON BOLOGNESE DI MAIALE - Fantastic! It's like eating a fancy lasagna with amazing flavors. That burrata on top was so creamy. I had the special which was salmon and mushroom on green pasta. I don't know what it was called exactly but it was fabulous!!! The mushrooms sang, the flavors were well-balanced, and the pasta was cooked to perfection. For dessert, we shared the Flourless Chocolate Cake with a scoop of Pistachio Gelato. I died a second time during this meal. What a fantastic way to end our fabulous meal! I need to return and try more dishes. Seriously. Is it too soon to come back the next day?

It was great there, the pizza was really good. Vanessa gave us nice service and the place is pretty…read morefancy and my pasta was great. By the way my age is 10.

Home Slice A locally…read moreowned Italian restaurant that's been in operation in Seaside for over ten years (ca. 2015). Gusto is one of the few truly scratch-made Italian restaurants that specializes not only in pizza, pasta, and sauces, but also features an old-school brick, wood-fired pizza oven. Hell, they even make their own mozzarella! They have not only caught the eye of locals and Yelpers, but have also managed to earn a recommendation in the current Michelin Guide. The Good: * Private parking lot, as well as street parking. * Fabulous service from Alex! * Prices are very reasonable considering the food quality. * Local beers on tap. * Strawberry Prosciutto Salad (seasonal special) was fantastic! Who knew strawberries paired so perfectly with salty, cured prosciutto and pistachios? This might not be on the menu all the time, but if you see it, get it! * Complimentary focaccia was unbelievably soft and delicious. As if it couldn't get any better, their olive tapenade served alongside it was equally delicious, making for an unbeatable duo. * The Margherita pizza is the ultimate test of a pizza restaurant--and they passed with flying colors! It's so simple that if something isn't right, it'll be easy to spot, but everything from the homemade mozz to the slightly charred crust and the delicious sauce made this the perfect pie. I give it a score of 3.14159265359...! The Meh: * Meatballs were a touch too tough and could've been a bit more tender. They were still fuçking delicious, so honestly, who cares? The Ugly: * Despite the name, Seaside isn't the most glorious place, and this location is downright sus AF. Conclusion: Maybe one of the best meals so far of 2026. If you have any doubts about coming here, relieve yourself of them and get down here posthaste.

It's been five years since being able to return back to this amazing Italian spot and it was…read moreexactly how we remembered it. Our first visit was for our honeymoon and this visit was with our toddler and we were slightly nervous to bring him but it was so lovely and that made us feel right at home! All the food items are incredible, fresh and that home cooked Italian feel with class! Can't wait to come back again and hopefully not wait another five years! Definitely make a reservation as well, this spot is only open from 5-8:30 on the weekends!

It's always special when you visit a place with expectations and end up discovering your new…read morefavorite restaurant. The quality and flavor at La Mia Cucina are truly unmatched.

Best lobster ravioli!!! We saw this place after YEARS of…read moregoing down the wharf and went in for drinks but told ourselves we had to come back and try the food. Tonight we did and we're sold! From the staff and ambience to the food, we're fans. I had the lobster ravioli and Caesar salad, best lobster raviolis, like I was actually eating lobster, absolutely delicious. Hubby had the chicken pesto sandwich which I'm assuming he enjoyed because one second it was there and I snagged a bite then it was gone! Dad had the meatball pasta, very tasty he said but the silence coming from the table said it all. Everything was so good, we'll definitely be going back. Beautiful water and boat view too and quiet.

We recently had dinner here. Visiting the area on vacation, we didn't realize the wharf was is a…read morecliche tourist area. The nearest parking was about two blocks away. We booked a reservation and table was ready on time. Our table for two was in an odd location, right next to the stairs. The stairwell landing area was eye level to me. It's not exactly an enjoyable meal when peopl's feet are passing your face the entire time. Our waiter was friendly and accurate but seemed to disappear at times. The food was good; I had the smoked salmon linguini. Overall, the experience was fine but I don't feel the need to return.

great vibe and food.Got pizza and breadsticks which were both good and had loved the ambience.read more

Food was delicious, we finally sat down at this place after my last review I gave it 4 stars 3…read moreyears ago but this place definitely stepped back up that bonus star back. Service was fast pace and quick they don't skimp around when it came to ordering our food. It did take a little long for waiting for our pizza to come out and be on our table. Maybe it was the timing when we went we ordered around 6:45 then came to our table at 7:30. Some stuff asides that long wait the ambiance is what you expect this place is booming and everyone sitting down and eating pizza or what you ordered. It's definitely a great spot if you're looking hungry in Monterey. Come here. But again be prepared that it might take a while for your food to come to the table.

Every trip to Carmel deserves a dining experience at Little Napoli. If you are a lover of Italian…read morefood...THIS IS YOUR PLACE!!! Nestled in the heart of downtown Carmel, once you are parked, walk into this vintage rustic restaurant with nods to Frank Sinatra. They have seating indoor and out as well as a beautiful fireplace on those colder days. Our server was witty, engaging, and exceptional! We ordered truffle gnocchi, garlic bread, pear & Gorgonzola salad, and margarita pizza. Their portions are perfectly sized to share...which we did. We always leave here happy and satisfied and know you will too! Bravo Little Napoli!

Little Napoli was disappointingly mediocre across the board…read more The meatballs: $14 for FOUR tiny meatballs. That's just criminal pricing for what you get. The pizza: We ordered a straightforward Margherita, which should be impossible to mess up. Somehow they managed. Just... not good. The whole experience felt like a restaurant coasting on Carmel's tourist traffic rather than actually trying. I suspect this is a symptom of what's happened to Carmel post-COVID. They got high volume of tourists, small pool of service industry workers, and restaurants that know they can get away with overcharging for subpar food because people will come anyway. It's sad to see. Carmel used to be a place where you could count on quality. Little Napoli felt like a tourist trap that happens to be in a beautiful town.

My husband and I visited Cibo today after being drawn in by their eye-catching, mouth-watering…read moreChristmas menu. A young man standing outside invited us to take a look at the menu--at first we declined, but something pulled us back, and we decided to give it a try. We're so glad we did. We were the first guests seated and were welcomed by a wonderful server named **Garret**. From the start, he was charismatic, friendly, and absolutely hilarious. He offered us garlic bread (though it wasn't available during happy hour) and soon brought out our two pizzas: one pepperoni and one prosciutto with arugula. Both were delicious. The crust was thin, flavorful, and perfectly cooked--not crunchy, just right. Garret was not only attentive but also great company. We were visiting from Seattle, and he went out of his way to suggest local places for us to explore, which we really appreciated. The restaurant itself is beautiful and was decorated so nicely for Christmas, creating a warm and festive atmosphere. Between the amazing food, the lovely setting, and Garret's outstanding service, our experience at Cibo couldn't have been better. We highly recommend trying this restaurant--and if you're lucky enough to have Garret as your server, you're in for a fantastic experience.

Went here for their breakfast. The place was absolutely dead inside. We were the only ones there…read more Waiter was attentive with good service. The free water is gross, tastes like it's from the tap. We ordered the Huevos rancheros and the French toast. For drinks we opted for the vanilla latte and the cappuccino. The waiter then returned and said they are out of vanilla syrup. He went to kitchen and found some. He then returned and said they are out of beans for the huevos rancheros. They asked if we wanted another egg instead. I declined. The latte and cappuccino was really good. The French toast was mediocre and not worth the price. We opted for fresh fruit on the side and received a bowl of cut pineapple and blackberries that were not good. I can see why this place was empty on a Saturday morning. Not sure how they can be out of food for their breakfast items with only a few options to choose from. Don't think we are planning on returning.