This neighborhood favorite features primarily local and organic ingredients and is a great option for a casual breakfast or lunch in Carmel-by-the-Sea. You can also stop by for a pressed juice from the juice bar or to pick up a cheese plate for a beach picnic.

Down the road from Earthbound Farm’s original 2.5-acre property, the Farm Stand is a great place to stop for organic sandwiches, soups, salads and frozen yogurt. Tours of the farm are available and fun for kids.

This charming spot in Carmel-by-the-Sea serves Italian comfort food from the Panzuto family kitchen. A labor of love, the restaurant was opened by two brothers in honor of their mother’s passing. The seating on the terrace is worth the wait. Closed Wednesdays.

For foodies, splurging on a meal at the award-winning gourmet restaurant at the Bernardus Lodge is a must. The dining room is elegant, the wine cellar has been given the Grand Award by Wine Spectator and the innovative food can be sampled a la carte or in elaborate tasting menus. For oenophiles, there's a dedicated wine room for a special meal (the lodge also has a winery that produces its own Monterey County wines, including an acclaimed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir). If you come for a lengthy dinner, complete with wine pairings, it's best to check into the lovely, 57-room lodge and spend the night.

Its menu may not be breaking any ground, but Nepenthe has such spectacular ocean views of the Big Sur coast, it remains a must-visit for lunch. Be sure to visit the wonderful, whimsical boutique on your way out.

This bustling restaurant at the Inn at Spanish Bay features an excellent, eclectic menu by Roy Yamaguchi, a James Beard Award winner and pioneer of Hawaiian-fusion cuisine. Fresh seafood is the star here, but there are plenty of meat and vegetarian options as well.

Set on a sprawling property, the so-called Clint Eastwood restaurant is Carmel's most famous dining destination. The actor "saved" an old dairy farm from being bought and turned into a condo complex in 1986 and today the restaurant has a perfectly bucolic setting, with sweeping views of the Santa Lucia mountains in the distance. The often-changing menu is elevated farm-to-table. During the day and on warm nights, there's a beautiful dining patio.

This casual Cannery Row restaurant is a good spot for dinner after a visit to the Monterey Aquarium.