RESTAURANTS there’s much more to choose from here—there’s spicy Hunan preparation, aromatic Szechuan style and a lengthy list of vegetarian offerings. Whatever you like, this is a place to feast (may we recommend sharing so you can try it all?) and again earns Weekly readers’ vote. And say yes to all the sauces. BEST RESTAURANT - BIG SUR Sierra Mar 47900 Highway 1, Big Sur (800) 527-2200, postranchinn.com/dining Sierra Mar is the kind of place where the chefs behind the scenes are most definitely using kitchen tweezers to play Operation with nasturtium flowers. That’s the kind of precision it takes to pull a dining experience off like Sierra Mar. The restaurant isn’t just a place with beautiful food and breathtaking views; it’s a meal that embodies Big Sur in its most refined sense, thanks to Executive Chef Il Hoon Kang and Chef de Cuisine Jason Woodall. Their tasting menus vary by what’s in season, but here’s a hint: They pride themselves on precision and consistency, but also their ongoing partnerships with local purveyors such as Ad Astra Bread Co., The Cheese Shop in Carmel, Brokaw Farms in Soledad, and Monterey Abalone, to name a few. BEST RESTAURANT - CANNERY ROW The Fish Hopper 700 Cannery Row, Monterey (831) 372-8543, fishhopper.com Go fish—for casual seafood fare with a view of Monterey Bay from Cannery Row, that is. The Fish Hopper’s location and approachable menu make it a favorite of locals and tourists alike. The restaurant features fresh-caught seafood, steaks and locally sourced produce. The seafood dishes are just what guests are fishing for—crab Louie salad, sesame-crusted ahi and panko-crusted sand dabs, to name a few. It’s why for the past few years, readers have called it the best restaurant on Cannery Row. BEST RESTAURANT - CARMEL 7th & Dolores Seventh and Dolores, Carmel (831) 293-7600, 7Dsteakhouse.com We know you probably didn’t intend to cosplay a Hungry Hungry Hippo on your nice steakhouse dinner, but you presumably don’t come to Carmel’s 7th & Dolores to pick at your salad either. Gregory and Madigan Ahn, the visionary duo behind Folktale Winery, teamed up with head chef Raymundo Jimenez and took everything that is truly great about a classic steakhouse and synthesized it into a comically small one-page menu in a modern cathedral-like space. But that’s all 7th & Dolores needs to be to excel. Dryaged and hand-cut rib-eye kissed by bordelaise or brandy peppercorn sauce (by the way, you can order a literal flight of sauces here), are on the same page as lighter appetizers like charred octopus, oysters on the half shell and tuna tartare. It’s all just enough to make a dining experience exquisite. BEST RESTAURANT - CARMEL VALLEY Cafe Rustica 10 Del Fino Place, Carmel Valley (831) 659-4444, caferusticacv.com Cafe Rustica is just that, as rustic as a weathered village cafe somewhere in Europe. Indeed, one can imagine Cézanne sitting at one of the tables, using the space as a backdrop for his The Card Players paintings. Sit indoors or out and enjoy simple pleasures, such as herb-roasted half chicken, rigatoni baked in a wood-fired oven, pizza margherita or escargot baked in garlic. It’s as if you have been transported to the Old World and all its charms. BEST RESTAURANT - FISHERMAN’S WHARF Domenico’s 50 Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey (831) 372-3655, domenicosmonterey.com Operating a dining spot on Fisherman’s Wharf can be as challenging as a game of Catan. Everyone is essentially vying for the same resources: local diners, tourists’ dollars, seafood, while claiming the best staple foods—clam chowder, shrimp 94 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2025 montereycountynow.com/bestof ’08-’25 Thank You Voted Best Indian Restaurant by the Weekly readers 18 times! DOWNTOWN MONTEREY 565 Abrego Street (831) 641-0610 Lunch Buffet 11:30am-2:45pm, Dinner 4-9pm SCOTTS VALLEY 6 0L0u6nLc ha M1 1 :a4d5raomn a- 2D: 4r 5i vpem#, DD i (n8n3e1 r) 74 1: 33 0- p5 m5 9 4 APTOS L u n2 0c h7 S1 1e:a3 0Rai dmg-e2 R: 4o5apdm( 8, 3D1i)n6n8e5r- 40 :63100p m LOS GATOS 1L3u3 nNc h. S1a1 :n3t0aaCmr u- 2z: 4A5vpe m. ( 4, 0D8i)n8n2e7r- 44 p3 3m9 * Mention or with this ad. Valid until 12/30/25 NOTHING LESS THAN OUR BEST ambrosiaib.com M CB O O E N U S T N T E T O R F Y E Y 1S0P%ECIAL OFF* O pReens edravi layt ifoonr sl ur enccohma mn de nd di ne nd e. r .
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==