This is our second vIsit to Il Grillo during our visit to Carmel-By-The-Sea. Food is very authentic Italian. Very good food and great staff. You will not be disappointed.
Hayley B.
Cute little restaurant with a great patio and heaters. Staff is very attentive and knowledgeable. We had the grilled octopus which was out of this world. Then we had the spaghetti pepe with a side of Brussels sprouts. All were delicious! We went for our anniversary and they gave us a creme brule on the house which was so tasty. Thanks for the awesome dinner!
Denis Nek
If you are Italian home made pasta lover like me you can be dissatisfied with carbonaraSeafood is fine not considering the price
Jamie Gall
Cozy, quaint, great food!
Jamie G.
Absolutely loved our meal! Try the burrata and the chicken. The restaurant is pretty cozy which adds a nice romantic touch to a date night. New favorite in Carmel.
Kat K.
Amazing little hole in the wall with off the charts amazing, italian food. Had the polenta with fonitna sauce, truffle and duck egg, the brussels sprouts, the bolognese and pasta special with white truffle. Everything was on par with meals I have had in Italy in recent years. Highly reccomend, but definitely have a reservation, this place is TINY.
Patrick Hanley
Intimate single room, with a significant amount of background noise. Amazing bruschetta! Great pastas. Staff did a great job helping with wine selections and even running to their sister restaurant a block and half away for getting an additional bottle.
J G.
We travel and enjoy Italy very much. This is my review : Blindfold me and take me to this restaurant. Serve me bread, wine, appetizers, pasta, dessert and coffee. If I was jet lagged, I would have been totally convinced that I was back in Tuscany or Umbria. Good service, congenial host. Nuff said.
Get off the beaten track of pretentious Italian ristorante and try this little mom&pop for amazing hand-crafted meals and very personal service.
Daisy S.
My husband and I had the best dinner at Il Grillo! They cook everything from scratch, so be prepared to wait a little bit, but don't let that steer you away because it's so worth it. We ordered the Octopus and the Polenta (it's a side) as an appetizer and it was heavenly. The pasta was so fresh and delicious too. Overall, the quality of the food was phenomenal. Emanuel, the owner, really cares about the quality of his ingredients and makes sure to cook as his customers order. It's hard to find a restaurant like this nowadays. Him and his team are very hospitable and he is such a cool and friendly guy! I highly recommend trying this place out. Just an fyi, this place is on the smaller side, so having a reservation would be recommended. Also, it's a little hard to find. I guess in Carmel they don't have the address number on most buildings, so keep your eyes peeled!
Robert Greenwalt
Good Italian wine list. Nice food.
Jules
Carbonara was perfect
anthony stone
Informal Italian. Great food, fresh local produce. Interesting wine list. Friendly service. Will return.
Its no longer in business
This is our second vIsit to Il Grillo during our visit to Carmel-By-The-Sea. Food is very authentic Italian. Very good food and great staff. You will not be disappointed.
Cute little restaurant with a great patio and heaters. Staff is very attentive and knowledgeable. We had the grilled octopus which was out of this world. Then we had the spaghetti pepe with a side of Brussels sprouts. All were delicious! We went for our anniversary and they gave us a creme brule on the house which was so tasty. Thanks for the awesome dinner!
If you are Italian home made pasta lover like me you can be dissatisfied with carbonaraSeafood is fine not considering the price
Cozy, quaint, great food!
Absolutely loved our meal! Try the burrata and the chicken. The restaurant is pretty cozy which adds a nice romantic touch to a date night. New favorite in Carmel.
Amazing little hole in the wall with off the charts amazing, italian food. Had the polenta with fonitna sauce, truffle and duck egg, the brussels sprouts, the bolognese and pasta special with white truffle. Everything was on par with meals I have had in Italy in recent years. Highly reccomend, but definitely have a reservation, this place is TINY.
Intimate single room, with a significant amount of background noise. Amazing bruschetta! Great pastas. Staff did a great job helping with wine selections and even running to their sister restaurant a block and half away for getting an additional bottle.
We travel and enjoy Italy very much. This is my review : Blindfold me and take me to this restaurant. Serve me bread, wine, appetizers, pasta, dessert and coffee. If I was jet lagged, I would have been totally convinced that I was back in Tuscany or Umbria. Good service, congenial host. Nuff said.
Best chef in Carmel 2019. Great small plates.
Restaurantji Recommends
Get off the beaten track of pretentious Italian ristorante and try this little mom&pop for amazing hand-crafted meals and very personal service.
My husband and I had the best dinner at Il Grillo! They cook everything from scratch, so be prepared to wait a little bit, but don't let that steer you away because it's so worth it. We ordered the Octopus and the Polenta (it's a side) as an appetizer and it was heavenly. The pasta was so fresh and delicious too. Overall, the quality of the food was phenomenal. Emanuel, the owner, really cares about the quality of his ingredients and makes sure to cook as his customers order. It's hard to find a restaurant like this nowadays. Him and his team are very hospitable and he is such a cool and friendly guy! I highly recommend trying this place out. Just an fyi, this place is on the smaller side, so having a reservation would be recommended. Also, it's a little hard to find. I guess in Carmel they don't have the address number on most buildings, so keep your eyes peeled!
Good Italian wine list. Nice food.
Carbonara was perfect
Informal Italian. Great food, fresh local produce. Interesting wine list. Friendly service. Will return.