Carmel is one of the most beautiful places, we drive down to Carmel at LEAST six times a year. Carmel is super dog friendly and has many beautiful hiking trails and yummy restaurants.
Vesuvios, Restaurant
Our favorite restaurant in downtown Carmel is Vesuvios, they have a great happy hour and an awesome roof top seating area with fire pits.
http://chefpepe.com/restaurants/vesuvio/
Affina, Restaurant
Affina, located in downtown Carmel not only has amazing food and great service but also has live music. When walking into the restaurant there is a beautiful white piano, while you eat a delicious meal you are serenaded by the sweet sounds of a grand piano. I am a huge fan of Poutine, which is hard to locate on menus. Affina has some amazing Poutine, the fries and gravy are mouth watering.
From Scratch
If you are looking for a breakfast spot, From Scratch is the place to go. EVERYTHING on this menu that I have tried so far is perfect. They have a wide selection of food to choice form for vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters. This place was featured on the T.V show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and if you like brisket, their biscuit, brisket dish is out of this world.
https://fromscratchrestaurant.com/
The Candlelight Inn
Located right in the middle pf downtown Carmel, you can walk to all your favorite restaurants and bars. They have a large fireplace out front where we played card games and sipped wine. In the rooms they have a large jacuzzi type tub and in room fireplaces. The beds are comfortable and the rooms are spacious. This is definitely our new favorite place to stay.
https://www.candlelightinncarmel.com/
