Restaurants Pork loin with mashed sweet potatoes feels like the perfect autumn day. The Hungarian Beef Goulash is like a warm hug from your grandmother. All of this in the blissful warmth of Carmel Valley. What could be better than that? A day at the circus? No—there’s no comparison. BEST RESTAURANT - FISHERMAN’S WHARF BEST RESTAURANT - MONTEREY Old Fisherman’s Grotto 39 Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey (831) 375-4606, oldfishermansgrotto.com Restaurateur Chris Shake may be the greatest showman of Monterey’s food scene. Across the wharf, his The Grotto Fish Market features barkers offering samples. But the main attraction (opened by his legendary father, Sabu Shake), Old Fisherman’s Grotto, reigns supreme. Despite the demands of a high-traffic area in a world-famous tourist destination, Old Fisherman’s Grotto consistently highlights everything great about living by the sea, plus the generations of fishing knowledge. They’re still serving warm bowls of cioppino and chilled trays of Dungeness crab, plates of sandabs and the obligatory surf ‘n’ turf—not to mention the bucket list clam chowder. And that’s enough to win two coveted prizes from readers. BEST RESTAURANT - MARINA Salt Wood Kitchen and Oysterette 3295 Dunes Drive, Marina (831) 883-5535, saltwoodkitchenandoysterette.com Variety and quality are key to keeping an audience entertained—particularly when they’ve seen balancing acts before or have grown used to the abundance of fresh produce and seafood. Salt Wood Kitchen and Oysterette offers that bit extra, with three different ambiences to choose from: a dining room, a lounge and bar and breezy patio. But what is a circus without a fireeater? OK, so you don’t eat fire here, but the chef and his team do cook over flame. And with access to the bay and area farms, ingredients are fresh and seasonal. BEST RESTAURANT - NORTH COUNTY Phil’s Fish Market 10700 Merritt St., Castroville (831) 633-2152, philsfishmarket.com Fried food is the name of the game at Best Restaurant for Take-Out, Best Chinese | Tommy’s Wok ’26 10 Delfino Place | Carmel Valley 659.4444 | caferusticacv.com Thank you so much! Pet Friendly Patio Lunch 11am–2:30pm Fri-Sun Dinner from 5pm Closed Mondays ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05, ’06, ’09 , ’10, ’11, ’12 Best Restaurant in Carmel Valley ’25 ’24 ’13, ’14, ’15, ’16, ’17, ’19, ’20, ’21, ’22, ’23 96 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2026 montereycountynow.com/bestof
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