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    Yafa

    4.2 (1.2k reviews)
    Open 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Waitlist - Yafa

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    Yafa Reservations

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    YAFA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Romantic
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Yafa

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    Mishmish chicken and kabobs
    M W.

    We visited for a casual dinner and overall had a pleasant evening, but the food fell short of expectations. The dishes lacked bold flavor -- not as vibrant as what we've loved at Rumi's Kitchen in Atlanta -- and kabobs vegetable were undercooked. Service was friendly.

    Grilled Octopus
    Derek C.

    Small little place tucked in the corner of Carmel. Carmel sadly is really dark place at night with not much streetlights, so had some trouble finding it in general without a map. The place itself is quite small, but the service is unmatched. The waiter promptly gave us recommendations, checked on us, and always ready with water or beverages. Due to how small it is, it can get quite rowdy as well depends on the patrons, so don't expect a quiet night. Off to the food review!! 5/5 - Grilled Octopus - Was hesitate on ordering this, but saw it was their number 1 app, and highly recommended. To my surprise probably the best tasting dish of the night. Tender, and easy to cut into. Lemon adds that nice acidy with the herbs and greens makes it a perfect way to start the meal 3.7/5 - Chicken Kebab - I felt the chicken was a bit dry for my liking. The two sauces does help the issue, but doens't resolve it. The garlic sauce was great, and was given more when asked. My partner liked the dish but i think it could have been better. 4.2-5 - Lamb Chops - One of the better lamb chops I've had. Cooked perfectly medium to medium-rare as I asked. Tender with each bite and no game-y flavor at all. Tried to keep myself from grabbing it by the bone, but hard not to as not sure how to get all the meat off perfectly without a knife. 4/5 - Hummus Labanese - Hummus with some charred lamb piece in it. Great tasting dish, the charred meat added a bit of smokiness that can't be matched and with the smoothness of the hummus and pillow soft and warmth of the pita it can't be beat. Definitely thought there could be a bit more pita bread, but the flavor is amazing.

    Joyce Z.

    When our original dinner plans in Carmel Valley fell through due to bumper to bumper traffic, we turned around and headed over to Carmel By the Sea and discovered this charming Mediterranean eatery. I almost always get octopus when I see it on the menu as I have yet to master it myself. Their grilled octopus appetizer was tender and flavorful and a perfect starter. Followed it up with the specialty kebab kafta skewers and I could not say no to the fall of the bone tender slow roasted lamb shank special with Gold Yukon mashed potatoes. That lamb shank was so good and such a generous portion, I recommended it to the neighboring table and they got one to share.

    Beirut Pistachio Pudding
    Valerie G.

    This place is a little home in the wall, small room, great vibes and ambiance. Service is good and quick. But the food is definitely the star. Each of our dishes were phenomenal. There were so many depths of flavors in each thing we ate. I never mind having to add salt, but salt can't replace a lack of flavor. There was none of that here. We indulged in the mezza plate and octopus to start, we each got an entree, most of which was from the list of specials. For dessert, we loved the chocolate cake! We tried the pistachio pudding but we wouldn't recommend that unless you love a floral taste - it kind of reminded us of sunscreen.

    Hieu H.

    Came here with my coworker since there was nothing by Ft Hunter Liggett. Although it gave me a lot of date vibes, we went there just for dinner since we were hungry and let me tell you... it was worth it!!! I had the prosciutto board along with the lobster ravioli and I never had a ravioli taste like that! I literally do dishes this in less than 5mins! This was definitely expanding my taste buds for sure!!! However, the GuideMichelin app needs to rate this a $$$ instead of a $$ as I didn't think its was going to be pricey as I thought. Lastly, the service was exceptional. The waiter explained to us the different dishes in the beginning in detail and also had attention to detail. Whenever we ran out of water, he would refill it for us every time without asking and checked in with us every time! Overall a 10/10!

    Sue R.

    Food was great! The chicken was superb! The meatballs were delicious! Dia was very accommodating to our dietary needs!!

    Specialty Kebab with chicken
    Emily C.

    I've been coming to Carmel 1-2x a year for many years. Every trip I try and branch out and try a new restaurant. On this trip, I decided ti try Yafa as I was craving a Greek salad. The restaurant is charming!! It's small and not noisy like many restaurants in Carmel. The service was great! Angelo really knew the wines and I loved the Greek red he recommended. It's one of the best red wines I've had in a long time and I never would have tried it had he not described it so perfectly. The Greek salad was delicious! The lettuce was crisp and fresh and tossed with the perfect amount of dressing. The chicken on the kebabs was cooked perfectly. I loved that the kebabs came with two different dipping sauces. I wish I'd had room for dessert as they all sounded amazing and I'm a huge baklava fan. Next time, as I will definitely eat at Yafa again when I'm back in July.

    Lamb skewers
    Esther W.

    Made a reservation for a weekend night, dinner with my husband, and we both were very impressed and delighted by the service and quality of the food. The vibes inside were also very homey and friendly, very warm. We each ordered glasses of wine which we thought were very delicious. My husband ordered the Kafta Meatballs which he said were delicious, and I ordered the lamb kebab skewers. The lamb was flavorful and juicy although I believe that if my teeth were weaker, this would have been hard to chew. I would definitely recommend making a reservation here for a date night after a day of browsing Carmel.

    Tiffany S.

    Amazing fresh baba ganoush! Loved the pulpo appetizer, and shrimp. The pulpo was seasoned so well and loved how tender it was. It was my favorite! For entrees we ordered the mama's meatballs and the lamb shank - omg everything was so flavorful and delicious! There was a good rotation of people going in and out- this place seems popular and for a good reason. Would love to come back and dine again if I'm in the area!

    Mama's Kafta Meatballs
    Karlee J.

    This place was wonderful and accommodating to our group of 9 with 3 little kids! The hummus was a perfect starter! I personally loved my chicken kebabs, and my husband loved his salmon! Reasonable price for the area (this is Carmel after all). Reservation was easy to make and adjust via Yelp app. The rest of our group tried a variation of the mishmish chicken, pear salad, and meatballs. All were phenomenal. Will be coming back here again, if in the area. We came on a Saturday at 5:30 and the restaurant is starting to fill up! So recommend a reservation . Lovely atmosphere and service was great!! The pictures speak for themselves!! Wow!

    Kyle M.

    The service at Yafa was exceptional. I went with my wife on a slower night and I believe I was served by the owner of the restaurant. He was attentive and knew the menu very well. I have not eaten much of this food type before so the menu recommendations were helpful. We had the prosciutto appetizer as well as Lamb Shank and Lamb Kebabs. The food was very good. I'm not a big fan of lamb but the lamb was tender and fell off the bone. the tzatziki sauce was amazing and I could have drank it. I would go back here again. The only call out is don't order still water its $9, just drink tap water. I thought this was a solid bang for your buck experience.

    Baba Ghanoush (top) and Vegetarian Dolmas with Tzatziki (bottom)
    Devon B.

    This was the most homey dinner I have ever had. The owner/waiter was Greek and was so fun to interact with. He had great recommendations for food and wine. The food was all delicious and the little house the restaurant was in made the experience even better.

    The E.

    Had a highly enjoyable meal here. Not the typical lebanese food I'm used to, but a more homemade version. The octopus is a must. It was crunchy on the outside without being tough on the inside. The marinade/sauce for it was complex. The main courses (chicken and lamb) were refined and had that "comforting" quality to them. I found out at the end of the meal that our waiter was the owner. He was kind and informative. Will go back next time I'm in Carmel.

    Beirut Pistachio Pudding

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    Ask the Community - Yafa

    Are dogs allowed?

    If you ask nice and have well behaved dog.

    Is this restaurant open on Nov 23rd or Nov 24th?

    We're closed Christmas Day & Thanksgiving Day only.

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    Dametra Cafe

    4.5(4.8k reviews)
    0.2 mi
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    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 .

    Dametra Cafe is a Mediterranean restaurant in Carmel-By-The-Sea. There's street parking nearby and…read moreplenty of indoor seating. The ambiance inside is eclectic, charming, and comfortable, good for small groups of 2-4 people or a family. The service was a bit slow, but our waiter was kind. They brought out the bread first, which paired well with the oil/balsamic mixture. Then, we ordered the Dametra Royal Combination, the Greek Combination platter, and the chicken shawarma sandwich. The Royal combination platter was good for sharing and gave me the chance to try all the appetizers that I was craving. The tzatziki and hummus were my favorite thing on the table overall. However, the dolmas were a bit too salty and the spanakopita was a bit soggy. The combination platter had well cooked lamb and a salad with hummus and pita. The lamb was a bit bland, but had a tender texture and was a sizable portion. The chicken shawarma sandwich was also a bit bland and difficult to eat since the outside was too hard. However, the waiters gave us free baklava when they saw we didn't really finish our meals. Overall, the prices were expensive, but the portions and ambiance were good. If you're looking for a Mediterranean meal while at Carmel-By-the-Sea, Dametra is a good option.

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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

    Dametra Cafe - Vinegar and olive oil dispenser

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    Vinegar and olive oil dispenser

    Paprika Cafe - Vegan dolmas

    Paprika Cafe

    4.4(1k reviews)
    3.9 mi
    $$

    What an amazing little hidden gem. This place is the real deal. Very authentic, and very…read morethoughtfully cooked. The man who made our food was making it to Order and he had been running this business for over 40 years! The service was excellent and it felt very personal. The food was absolutely delicious! Everyone in our party completely agree agreed that they loved everything they ate. There were two omnivores, one vegan, and one vegetarian. And the vegan baklava! What an incredibly unique and special treat to find baklava vegan! Absolutely delicious! I'm a huge fan of spanakopita, but I haven't been able to eat it for a long time because I'm the vegan in the group and when I said something about that out loud, he said he would make me a special vegan spanakopita! Right there! Made To Order! This man is amazing. Seating is very limited, so several of the people we saw that came behind us got their food to go. I think most people there need to expect there would be a little bit of a weight and that seating is very limited and it's outdoors. Although the outdoor seating does have covering. All the people in line, waiting for food seem to have no problem waiting for it because they knew it would be worth it. And honestly... Considering the line of people we saw behind us (10-11?) and the fact that there were three ahead of us... no one really had to wait very long at all! It was really impressive how much he could get done by himself. The next time you're in Monterey, California, you definitely need to check out Paprika. I only managed to get one photo of my plate of food because I was too distracted by deliciousness to remember to take photos of anyone else's food. And obviously, by the time I remembered to photograph the baklava.... Several pieces seem to be missing.

    This place is a must try, and is truly a one of a kind dining experience…read more First off, the Owner Christophe is a one man operation. He is the one who will take your order, cook your food, clean off your table , and ring you up at the end of your meal. While that is admirable , it doesn't exactly make for a an easy fast dining experience from a customer's point of view. If you decide to eat here, plan on a bit of a wait. Let's talk about the food . My son and I both ordered the beef kafta kabob plate with rice, salad , human and pita bread. Ok , there was not one thing on this plate that stood out as being the best of anything that I have tried. However, the combination of all flavors combined made for a very enjoyable dining experience. My only small complaint is that there wasn't a ton of food for the money. Don't expect to take any leftovers home. All things considered, I am glad we tried this place. Christophe has built himself quite the following over the last 30 years , and has perfected his recipes. If I am in the area, I will definitely be back.

    Photos
    Paprika Cafe - Outdoor seating

    Outdoor seating

    Paprika Cafe - Insanely delicious vegan baklava

    Insanely delicious vegan baklava

    Paprika Cafe - Outside of Paprika cafe

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    Outside of Paprika cafe

    Yafa - mediterranean - Updated May 2026

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