Best Restaurants in Big Sur & Pebble Beach
If you find yourself near the Lodge at Pebble Beach, there are a number of dining options that will leave a mark in your vacation memory scrapbook.
For me, some of my favorite travel moments occur around food -- when a meal and atmosphere (and if I’m lucky, my child) just synchronize and click, it can make for a magical evening. Here’s the quick run down of my favorites:
- Breakfast: Stillwater overlooks the 18th hole at the Lodge at Pebble Beach. We arrived early with Claire, ordered the banana pancakes, and only then realized this was the calm before the storm: no golfers had made it yet to the 18th hole, and no tourists surrounded the green with clicking cameras. So...we made a run for it! While the pancakes cooked, we snapped some family photos on the 18th hole. When we rushed back to eat our meal, the banana pancakes did not disappoint!
- Lunch: If you haven’t yet left the Lodge at Pebble Beach, head down to The Bench for your next meal. It also overlooks the 18th hole, but has more of patio-fire pit atmosphere, rather than a formal restaurant. Order up the butter gem salad with tarragon dressing, chili lime steamed mussels, and Claire’s favorite was the mac and cheese (I will admit, it was dang good). If you're going to spend the day along Highway 1 instead, head to Big Sur Bakery for some baked goods/snacks/salads, or to Ventana Restaurant for a heartier lunch.
- Dinner: Drive down to the Inn at Spanish Bay for a meal at Roy’s. The patio adjacent to Roy’s was lively, and the perfect spot for pre-dinner cocktails. There are firepits all around, and a Scottish bagpiper appears every night to play. We loved sitting outside, where we ordered creative and delicious sushi dishes.
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