Foray

Visiting Foray Restaurant in Carmel was the highlight of a recent trip. The food was absolutely amazing, ..... every single bite was outstanding. The food presentation and service was top shelf. The desserts were wonderful and the meal finished off with an excellent coffee from Alta. Simply terrific and memorable.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

You MUST get the chicken entree. It is incredible. Wonderful atmosphere, great service and delicious food. Perfect for a special occasion.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

5-star service and ambiance. 5-star bread and house-made butter. 5-star kale salad (which is amazing, because kale is gross). Take away a star because a 55-day aged Waygu striploin ($125) should be melt-in-mouth tender, not tough like boiled shoe leather. Take away another star because a dish described as “ MONTEREY BAY SPOT PRAWN CRUDO—3 year tamari, half moon bay wasabi, fukushu kumquat” ($14) should be more than a single prawn the size of your middle toe dipped in some fancy ingredients with a little flower stuck in it.

Great family owned business in the heart of Carmel. Unbelievable cuisine and service. A must visit!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I can’t recommend this restaurant enough while in Carmel. Chef Michael Chang and his wife Caroline have created a warm, welcoming, and very memorable dining experience with fresh dishes and imaginative cocktails.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great menu.
Warm, friendly atmosphere.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My Fiance and I went to Foray for a little celebratory dinner. This place did not disappoint at all. Ambiance was amazing - very clean, minimalist, very California. Our waiter was great and helped us navigate the menu - we went with the dry aged fish and Kale salad. Next time were getting the dry aged beef. We enjoyed every single bite. Couldn't recommend it more. We will be going back

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had a very enjoyable meal there. The food was delicious, service discreet but attentive and the restaurant itself is elegant.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Monterey Bay Red Abalone Rissotto

Wow, we've now gone on 2 different occasions and have loved it each time .. looking forward to returning when we are back in town!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Menu and service are excellent! Owners are lovely.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Sorbet, Scallops

What a Gem Foray Restaurant Is!

We visited Foray without any expectations, and we were absolutely blown away. The restaurant is tucked away off the main street, a bit apart from the others, but it’s definitely worth finding!

From the starters (we absolutely loved the scallops) to the main courses, everything was divine. The owner's wife came by to check on us a couple of times during our meal, ensuring we had everything we needed. The service was attentive but not overbearing – just the right balance.

The dishes were full of flavor, and we left feeling incredibly satisfied and happy that we took a chance on this hidden gem. As locals, we’ve tried most of the restaurants in the area, and over the years, some of our favorites have declined, as they tend to cater mostly to tourists. You can definitely tell when a place is more focused on attracting tourists than providing an authentic dining experience.

Foray, however, was a pleasant surprise! The menu is thoughtfully curated, with unique dishes that aren’t overwhelming. It’s clear the owners are focused on quality rather than trying to please everyone with an over-complicated menu. Foray has truly nailed it.

We’ve been back a few times now, and it has yet to disappoint. In fact, we believe it deserves a Michelin star!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Delicious. The ambiance is wonderful if you're looking for a quiet meal.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Biggest scam we experienced.
This place is definitely on another level of embarrassment... Bad service , bad food , and the portions a joke ... Don't go here

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

A Total Disaster – Not Worth the Hype or Price

Foray in Carmel-by-the-Sea gave us one of the worst dining experiences ever. What was supposed to be a special farewell dinner for our 80-year-old grandmother and a Chinese New Year celebration turned into a complete disaster—frustrating, disappointing, and unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.

False Advertising

Foray’s high prices, elegant menu, and beautiful food photography promised a Michelin-level experience. Reality? A complete letdown. The best work here was done by the menu writer—dishes sounded incredible but were executed terribly.

Service – Neglectful and Slow

From the start, service was atrocious. We waited over an hour before even being asked about drinks. When we ordered, the cocktail and tea for Grandma were forgotten. Our child’s request for a non-alcoholic drink was ignored.

The wine service was a joke—our $60 half-bottle of Pinot Noir tasted like a cheap $10 bottle. The sommelier lacked knowledge, and the wine list seemed randomly assembled.

Food – Overpriced and Mediocre

Oysters ($24 for 4) – Served warm, without ice, vinaigrette, or lemon. Took 50 minutes to arrive.
Spot Prawn Crudo ($16 for 2 shrimp) – A raw shrimp tossed on backyard greens.
Bread & Butter ($18) – Arrived 1 hour 40 minutes late after three reminders.
Cheese Plate ($28) – Served too late to pair with the bread. Contained a tiny cheese selection, a dot of honey, fig spread, and pea-sized carrots—the smallest I’ve seen in 44 years.

After two hours, all remaining dishes arrived at once:

Lobster Soup ($29) – Tiny portion, three dice-sized lobster pieces drowning in oversalted brown sauce.

Abalone Risotto ($43) – Overpowering cheese flavor, chewy abalone, too salty.

Roasted Scallop ($28) – Just one scallop with edible flowers and roe.

Black Cod ($66) – Overpowered by mushroom sauce, drowning the sea urchin yuzu emulsion.

Total Chaos & Mismanagement

Service was non-existent—servers walked past without acknowledging us. Dessert wasn’t even offered. Other tables waited 40-60 minutes per dish.

With 10 servers and 5 cooks for a 60-seat restaurant, it still felt like a disaster. Staff was more focused on ironing tablecloths than serving guests.

Final Verdict: A Waste of Time and Money

Foray is all style over substance—fancy descriptions, terrible execution, abysmal service, and outrageous prices.

I’ve hosted private dinners with my wife that ran smoother than this.

Avoid at all costs—plenty of better restaurants in Carmel actually care about their guests.

1/5 Stars. A complete disappointment.

Dear Foray Management, prove us wrong. I eat for a living and have never had to write such a harsh review. The price-to-experience ratio feels like white-collar crime.

Thanks for reading my honest opinion.

The full uncut Review on my Instagram page
@J3SS3F4RR3LL

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

First rate. An excellent mood, well-served with professional relaxed service. Interesting wine list and cocktails.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Truffle