13 Best Pizza Restaurants near Carmel Valley

“The pizza here was very good. The pizza was deep but the dough was still crispy and not soggy or greasy. The bread sticks rocked too. I had never had ranch as a dipping sauce for bread sticks before coming to California, but now I'm a believer! Service was excellent.“

“My wife and I were searching for wineries in the Carmel Valley and stumbled upon the Corkscrew Cafe, located about 12 miles east of Highway 1 along Carmel Valley Road. While I’m not certain of any formal affiliation, the restaurant serves wines from the neighboring Georis and Cowgirl wineries.

The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating, and we opted to sit outside to enjoy the beautiful weather (a perfect 69°). We were seated at a table for two next to a small water feature and pond. The atmosphere was excellent—ideal for a late lunch or early dinner. Because we were seated behind the restaurant, traffic noise from Carmel Valley Road was minimal and pleasantly masked by the gentle sound of the water feature.

We ordered a bottle of Georis Cabernet Franc to share. It was an approachable, well-balanced red—full-bodied without being heavy, smooth on the palate, and dry enough to pair nicely with food.

For appetizers, we chose the Calamaretti Fritti and the Bread Service. The calamaretti arrived with both a light tartar sauce and a cocktail sauce.

The bread service was excellent. The bread arrived in two pieces, each roughly four inches square—almost flatbread-like, but thicker—with an open, lacy crumb and a well-burnished crust, each piece approximately an inch thick. It was served with an outstanding olive oil dipping blend of balsamic, chili flakes, parmesan, garlic, and basil—a perfect pairing.

For our main, we shared the Margherita pizza, topped with traditional sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil, and cherry tomatoes. The pizza had a thin crust and measured about 12 inches in diameter—ideal for sharing. The slightly oven-roasted tomatoes were a standout.

Of course, we had to top off the visit with a shared lave cake and vanilla Gelato.

We were very happy to have found this little gem and will definitely be back. Service was excellent—attentive without being intrusive. Highly recommended.“

“We celebrated our Mom's birthday with the whole extended family in late July with a dinner at Lucia. It was an amazing evening from start to finish - a beautiful table in the inside/outdoor space at the front of the hotel, warm and impeccable service led by Donice who made the whole evening incredibly special, and fabulous food. We all left incredibly happy, especially our Mom who was so delighted. Thank you!“

“This is honestly the best pizza in Monterey, everything’s really balanced and it’s worth the price. I got the curry veggie pizza, it’s the perfect blend of Indian food and pizza! I don’t know how to explain to you in words how good this is. It put my faith back in pizza.

Dietary restrictions: The curry veggie is vegetarian, I didn’t ask if the cheese was vegan.“

“Take out best pizza 🍕 trust me 🇮🇹“

“This is a hidden (unfortunately) gem. If you know pizza (and no offense, many Californians don't) this is the best in the area, hands down. Great crust, fresh toppings and the standout that so many places here get wrong is the sauce. Perfect flavor profile of herbs, richness and a hint of sweetness. Beers on tap and other Italian foods (the calzones are on my list to try) are available. Please support the best pizza in the area!“

“Beautiful restaurant absolutely wonderful service, wait time wasn't too bad and the food was soooo amazing and filling !! a must try if you're in the area“

“Yes it was amazing. Friendly atmosphere and really polite staff“

“Always amazing. Great food and service. 👏🏼 my favorite“

“If you have children, and don't mind noise, a lot of noise, you might like Angelina's. A LOT of kids teams were also there which is nice, but when there is already excess noise, it makes it tough. It was so loud my husband and I had to lean across the table and almost shout to hear eachother. Food was ok, not good enough to make a special trip for. Service...about 80% self serve, and had to chase down someone if we ever needed anything.“

“This was such a pleasant experience. My son and I have gone to a different Mountain Mike's that's closer to our house. But this location is so much brighter, cleaner, and more open. The salad bar and pizza buffet areas are clean and plentiful. No question this will be our go-to location from now on!“

“Enjoyed the company, food, and atmosphere 😊“

“The ladies here are always so nice and welcoming. Every once in a while, when they're busy, they get a little annoyed when you wait to ask for napkins and peppers. But I brush it off to them just being busy. Their pizza has gotten better over the past couple years honestly. That's the only reason for leaving this review.“