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.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Colette Manning
Great stop for lunch! Highly recommend the beet salad and fish tacos!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adriana Avila
Awesome food. Great spot for lunch in walking distance to some great wine tasting areas.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Merry “Merrycyclist”
This California casual cafe does things right. Just a few miles from Carmel by the Sea, it is worth the drive to this snug stylish stucco restaurant with fire-roasted pizzas and spacious outdoor courtyard. We are particularly fond of the Meyer Lemon with proscuitto. This time, though, we ordered the seasonal fig pizza and seasonal salad, both of which were divine. We’ve always experienced excellent service (over more than a dozen visits.)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andrew W
Stopped by Corkscrew Café in Carmel Valley and ordered the Salad Pizza — easily one of the best things on the menu. The crust had that perfect wood-fired char, crisp on the outside but soft inside, layered with mozzarella, burrata, roasted red peppers, and thin prosciutto. The fresh arugula and shaved Parmesan on top gave it a bright, peppery bite, and the drizzle of spicy honey tied it all together. Beautifully balanced between rich and fresh.
Enjoyed it with a glass of local white wine on their charming patio — olive trees, and valley sunshine made it the perfect lunch setting to hang out. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mike Hays
Me and my son went me for the first time his second the pizza,fish tacos,and cheese board was so good
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Julie Nelson
What a wonderful place. The food was delicious. The staff was friendly and generous. And the atmosphere was warm and comforting.
X. Zaragoza
Loved the food and service! I will definitely be returning!
Chad Ely
We went for lunch. The Meyer lemon pizza is definitely interesting, but not for me beyond the first slice
This was a nostalgic lunch for a dear friend of mine. Everything was great, food, drinks, service 😋🥂👍 #Friendship #LunchDate #GoodTimes
Meg Coleman
This was up until now my favorite restaurant in the area, went for my birthday, when we walked in we saw the pizza chef kind of scraping the char off a pizza and we're like oh dang ... Fast forward and one of the pizzas we ordered was charcoal on one side, you can see where they tried to cut off some of the crust... Bizarre that they would serve it, I was going to send it back but no one ever did a check on our table and I gave up. It kind of ruined wanting to go back there for me : (
Kylie Snyder
Delish Beautiful patio out back
Steven Hansen
Had the mushroom pizza very good. Great spot for lunch. Great surroundings, great atmosphere
Theresa Houseman
Please know that I am a cook and a food connoisseur. My friend and I dined at Corkscrew Cafe last evening. We were blown away! Every dish we ordered exceeded expectations! It was a perfect party of palatable joy! A friend of Christina's had recommended the Meyer's Lemon Prosciutto Pizza. Serious magic on the tongue!!! And the crust... I normally don't eat the crust of a pizza. I devoured every bit. My favorite pizza is a margarita pizza. We shared. It was every bit as delightful as the Meyer's lemon! I'm a calamari snob. HANDS DOWN the BEST calamari on the Monterey Peninsula! Tender, light, fresh Monterey Bay calamari. And they are brilliant enough to serve it with both tartar sauce and a delightful cocktail sauce. You MUST experience the PEAR SALAD! We delightfully sipped LaMarca Prosecco during our meal. The servers were friendly and caring. The pizza cook a genius! We asked if we could bring fresh gluten-free pizza dough and if they would use it to prepare a pizza for Christina's daughter next week. They are happy to accommodate! It definitely without any hesitation is worth the drive into beautiful Carmel Valley!!! I can't wait to go again and again. I have to try their pasta with Bolognese and their short rib...♥️♥️♥️
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.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great stop for lunch! Highly recommend the beet salad and fish tacos!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Awesome food. Great spot for lunch in walking distance to some great wine tasting areas.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This California casual cafe does things right. Just a few miles from Carmel by the Sea, it is worth the drive to this snug stylish stucco restaurant with fire-roasted pizzas and spacious outdoor courtyard. We are particularly fond of the Meyer Lemon with proscuitto. This time, though, we ordered the seasonal fig pizza and seasonal salad, both of which were divine. We’ve always experienced excellent service (over more than a dozen visits.)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stopped by Corkscrew Café in Carmel Valley and ordered the Salad Pizza — easily one of the best things on the menu. The crust had that perfect wood-fired char, crisp on the outside but soft inside, layered with mozzarella, burrata, roasted red peppers, and thin prosciutto. The fresh arugula and shaved Parmesan on top gave it a bright, peppery bite, and the drizzle of spicy honey tied it all together. Beautifully balanced between rich and fresh.
Enjoyed it with a glass of local white wine on their charming patio — olive trees, and valley sunshine made it the perfect lunch setting to hang out. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Me and my son went me for the first time his second the pizza,fish tacos,and cheese board was so good
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
What a wonderful place. The food was delicious. The staff was friendly and generous. And the atmosphere was warm and comforting.
Loved the food and service! I will definitely be returning!
We went for lunch. The Meyer lemon pizza is definitely interesting, but not for me beyond the first slice
Max & Familia are the best
Restaurantji Recommends
This was a nostalgic lunch for a dear friend of mine. Everything was great, food, drinks, service 😋🥂👍 #Friendship #LunchDate #GoodTimes
This was up until now my favorite restaurant in the area, went for my birthday, when we walked in we saw the pizza chef kind of scraping the char off a pizza and we're like oh dang ... Fast forward and one of the pizzas we ordered was charcoal on one side, you can see where they tried to cut off some of the crust... Bizarre that they would serve it, I was going to send it back but no one ever did a check on our table and I gave up. It kind of ruined wanting to go back there for me : (
Delish
Beautiful patio out back
Had the mushroom pizza very good. Great spot for lunch. Great surroundings, great atmosphere
Please know that I am a cook and a food connoisseur. My friend and I dined at Corkscrew Cafe last evening. We were blown away! Every dish we ordered exceeded expectations! It was a perfect party of palatable joy! A friend of Christina's had recommended the Meyer's Lemon Prosciutto Pizza. Serious magic on the tongue!!! And the crust... I normally don't eat the crust of a pizza. I devoured every bit. My favorite pizza is a margarita pizza. We shared. It was every bit as delightful as the Meyer's lemon! I'm a calamari snob. HANDS DOWN the BEST calamari on the Monterey Peninsula! Tender, light, fresh Monterey Bay calamari. And they are brilliant enough to serve it with both tartar sauce and a delightful cocktail sauce. You MUST experience the PEAR SALAD! We delightfully sipped LaMarca Prosecco during our meal. The servers were friendly and caring. The pizza cook a genius! We asked if we could bring fresh gluten-free pizza dough and if they would use it to prepare a pizza for Christina's daughter next week. They are happy to accommodate! It definitely without any hesitation is worth the drive into beautiful Carmel Valley!!! I can't wait to go again and again. I have to try their pasta with Bolognese and their short rib...♥️♥️♥️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loading...