50 Best Dog Friendly Restaurants Carmel By The Sea

“What an exceptional dining experience. The creativity of the menu was a highlight, along with the locally sourced ingredients. Throughout, the ambience and service were cozy, elegant, and charming. Chez Noir is a restaurant with a clear perspective and warm authenticity, which makes it feel profoundly special. One of my all-time favorite restaurants, and I can well understand why it has garnered such acclaim! This was the perfect spot to celebrate our 20th anni.“

“Simply delicious—the flavor and variety of the pizzas are spectacular. The crust is thin and delicious, just like in Italy. I highly recommend the garlic bread; it’s like a slice of heaven. Plus, they offer gluten-free pizzas, which meant my nephew visiting from Argentina could eat happily. We really enjoyed dining here with my family from Argentina; it is highly recommended and a place to return to again and again whenever you visit Carmel.“

“The service is always great and the food is so good and fresh. We’ve been there multiple times to listen to music and it’s been really good. Enjoyed Ryan Sesma last night. Highly recommend! 😊“

“We had very nice anniversary dinner at Stationaery. We sat outside, since we still do not feel comfortable for an indoor seating due to pandemic. The evening was cool, but heating lamps made it comfortable for longer and leisure meal. Both food and service were excellent. We highly recommend this friendly restaurant and will be back for sure🤩“

“Beyond amazing. Service ambience and food was impeccable“

“This is one of the most unique and exciting restaurants in Carmel. Amazing cocktails and the food is both creative and authentic. Wine list is great too! Never disappoints.“

“We enjoyed cocktails and wine at Bud’s during our stay at LaPlaya last weekend!“

“Amazing food and service. If you need gluten free options then this is the place! GF garlic bread, pasta, and more. soooo good!“

“We love De Tierra Vineyards! The wines are amazing. The Tasting Room is in an adorable cottage that is so appropriate for enjoying wine in Carmel. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable about the wines. They even host live music on Sundays. We love being a part of the De Tierra Wine Club!“

“Reba's Bakery is such a delight! I ordered confetti cookies last year and this one for my daughter's birthday (this week) to celebrate at school. They were absolutely perfect. Chewy, soft in the middle, and rich with flavor. The kids really enjoyed them! I might have saved a few for myself :).

Mike called me the day before to communicate the exact time they would be ready for pick up the next day. The service is always friendly with the finest baked goods.

Thank you Reba's!
Ali. S“

“Always a wonderful experience. We went to celebrate my birthday, and it was just right. Two of us had the duck, the others had beef bourguignon and the lamb. Everything was seasoned and prepared to perfection. The prices were lower than we expected for such a nice place. It's still under only the second owner since it first opened in the early 1960's. Not sure any other restaurant in Carmel can beat that!“

“Amazing food with first class service. In a word.... WOW!!!“

“one of the best in Carmel...“

“Nice place to have family gatherings..very nice restaurant and foods they serve..“

“A cozy and lively place with high quality food and very pleasant vibe. This is not the first time I come. I have tried a couple of dishes here before (e.g. schnitzels, fondues, goulash soup, sand dabs, geschnetzeltes) and they are all excellent. I came today at odd hour (after 2pm) so I took a picture with no crowd.
Service is excellent and friendly. Comfortable environment.
A must-go place every time I visit Carmel.“

“Great food, wonderful service and awesome atmosphere!“

“Wow. Truly excellent beers. We tried four different styles and every single one was on point — clean, well-balanced, and full of character. It’s always impressive when a brewery shows this level of consistency across styles. We also had the chance to meet the owner, who is also the brewer, and that made the experience even better. Super friendly, passionate, and clearly dedicated to the craft. You can really taste the care behind each beer. Great atmosphere, welcoming vibe, and top-quality pours. This is exactly the kind of place you hope to find when you’re out exploring — outstanding beer and genuinely great people. This place is a true gem. If you’re in the area, don’t miss it. Definitely worth the stop — we’ll absolutely be back. 🍻“

“My wife and I were just looking for a quick grab-and-go coffee in the area and stumbled upon this place. Wow—we were so impressed! The coffee was excellent and the service was outstanding. Highly recommend stopping by if you’re in the neighborhood!“

“One of our favorite places breakfast. We're never disappointed by the food or the staff.“

“Highly recommend!! We had a 90th birthday dinner for my mom with 11 people. Everything was superb! Outstanding service, excellent food and drinks. Outside terrace is pretty and even allowed our 2 dogs. Superb! Thank you to Z and the wonderful staff, everything was perfect!!!👍“

“Amazing food with even more amazing service. Highly recommend for your special night out!“

“Love this place. But depending on staff, welL? Signature burger requested as rare. Severed like leather. Gets reserved tables requests wrong most times. Beet salad with two tiny beets? Not good. Still, a strong recommendation.“

“We are regulars here! Everyone is really kind, food is amazing and they make you feel like family. Best sushi on the peninsula in my opinion. You pay for quality and that’s what you’ll get every-time. Every friend we bring only has great things to say! Truly worth it and a great date night!“

“We been coming to Alvarado Street Brewery & Bistro for years now, and the food has consistently been some of the best I’ve had in Carmel. Great quality, great atmosphere, and it’s one of those places I always look forward to coming back to.“

“The Pocket in Carmel-by-the-Sea serves beautifully prepared seasonal dishes, with standout fresh seafood and inventive small plates that showcase local coastal flavors. The intimate atmosphere is cozy and elegant, making it ideal for a romantic dinner or special celebration, whether you choose the warm indoor seating or charming patio. Service is consistently attentive, warm, and thoughtful from start to finish. The quality of the food, curated wine list, and overall experience make it a true gem in Carmel—absolutely delightful and highly recommended.“

“Loved the food, Teo our server was exceptional. Cozy yet romantic. A must to enjoy when in Carmel.“

“We celebrated our anniversary there and had the BEST time. Faisal always makes you feel like family. The food and music are the best!!!“

“Folktale is such a dreamy location, experience, and vibe. I was not a wine drinker before my first visit. Three visits later, I became a member and stop in at least once a month (sometimes more, oopsies). Their wine educators are the absolute best humans ever. They are all genuinely excited about giving you the best experience and so helpful if you, like me, have no idea what you want.

They've been doing construction on the inside/restaurant so I haven't been in there yet. In the meantime they have a Wine Garden outside with amazing views of the vineyard and mountains. Folktale, if you're reading this, DON'T CLOSE THE WINE GARDEN EXPERIENCE!! It is the literal best thing ever! Especially with the live music.

Overall amazing place, amazing staff, they are dog friendly. And yes, you can bring your kids and babies. There is shade, or sun if you want. Yes, they have food. It's perfect for bookclub, Bachelorette, birthday drinks, or 12 o'clock day drinking with your husband because the kids are in school and mama needs a night off, Carl!

So grab your kids, grab your wives, and pick me up too on your way to Folktale, friends!“

“Super cool spot with a lot of local shops! Food, spa, coffee, wine, everything!“

“We had a great time at Galante Vineyards Tasting Room! It was our first ever wine tasting experience, and we greatly benefitted from the great service of the tasting room - we were fortunate to have the place to ourselves for much of the evening, and were guided through our tasting by Patrick, who was very helpful, friendly, and an enjoyable guide to talk to about wine, the history of the town, or just about anything. He gave us insight into the history, growing conditions, and flavors in each wine, and we were able to try a good variety of a few whites, some reds, and even a delicious dessert wine. We do not have much wine-drinking experience, but we thought all the wines were great, very drinkable, and some truly stood out, like the chardonnay, the dessert wine, and the Blackjack Cabernet Sauvignon, so we had to get a few bottles as well. This combination made the wine tasting a true experience, and very worthwhile even for a few wine amateurs.“

“Such a beautiful spot wow! Great food and drinks! Their soft serve ice cream is so good! They have a beautiful garden you can walk through. Fun for kids they have swings and a cute little maze in the garden! Dogs are welcome on the grass area/picnic, not the garden though.“

“Absolutely fantastic food! My wife and I stopped in for lunch yesterday, and I had the Wagyu sandwich—it was incredibly flavorful and easily one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in a while.

Of course, I had to try a bite of my wife’s Cobb salad, and it was just as impressive. It was so good that I came back again today specifically to order the Cobb salad for myself!

Everything has been fresh, delicious, and thoughtfully prepared. When a place is good enough to bring you back the very next day, that says it all. Highly recommend!“

“I cannot recommend both Shale Canyon wine tasting room and Nora’s Carmel enough. While celebrating a birthday last weekend, we stopped in the tasting room before dinner and were greeted with the warmest welcome by Janice. She, along with the staff at Noras, made our experience 5 stars through and through. Both establishments are a must while you’re in Carmel.“

“Jeffrey’s has the best food 🥘 and it’s very reasonably priced.“

“Felt right at home as soon as we walked into this place. Both the manager and the gentleman who helped us were wonderful. They expanded our horizons from our typical palette. Ended up leaving with a bottle of their sparkling rose which we normally don’t lean towards at all! It was so refreshing yet dry and definitely hit the spot during the warm day. The bar was spacious and the outdoor dining area had a nice cool breeze. Good ambience is key and this place definitely has it. We will be back when visiting the area again🍷“

“Wonderful customer service and the Zin was wonderful!!! 👍🏻“

“Amazing wines and a tasting room that is the best in Carmel!“

“Great service, great ambiance, great food!“

“Amazing food. Amazing atmosphere and wonderful service.“

“I was super impressed with these wines! I thought for sure it was going to be more about movie themes but I was completely wrong. I can’t believe how much vanilla they packed into Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. Gonna need to order more from here!“

“Excellent food and great service and good live music.“

“An unexpected highlight of our recent visit to Carmel! Warm, welcoming, fun vibe, great food. There are places one just doesn't insist on veggie options. 🤫“

“Delicious freshly prepared donuts with sn amazing variety of glazes. The also have beignets and an assortment of drinks and beverages.“

“I came here for the first time today and wow!!! What a unique atmosphere and energy. Diego the host originally greeted us and Rowena was our bartender/server. Only thing that upset me was we don't have this place back home! There clam chowder was amazing!“

“yummy food and great atmosphere my sliders were epic and the wine choices were great,Andrew was really attentive thank you“

“My wife and I had a wonderful time during a day-trip last Sunday, 4/12/26. Our server did a great job of attending to our every whim and request! The ambience was fantastic and even though it rained a little, moving into the bar area was another experience in itself. We can't thank em enough for giving us such a memorable experience!“

“The Quail has gone above and beyond my expectations and I’ve only been here 3 hours!! The service is amazing and the grounds are exquisitely perfect!! The suite is probably the nicest room I’ve ever stayed in. I am in love with this place. Don’t even want to leave to go anywhere else! I highly recommend!!“

“Really fun spot and super friendly staff.“

“This is a Real Gem a few tables, clean, nicely decorated, the food is always fresh and sources from great places, seasonal, from appetizer to main course Amir and his team are very attentive, friendly and patient. Nice wine list, the home baked bread is so tempting you can't stop eating. The meat and seafood is so fresh and cooked to perfection. A locals secret place always a pleasure to return“

“Best coffee in the West“