On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: Restaurants
Court of the FountainsMon-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Mon-Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Loading...
I'm being gracious with the four stars. Yep, just as others have pointed out, the decor is very dated. Yep, as others have pointed out, the restaurant appears to be in decline. However, the service was attentive and the food was good. Went with waiter recommendations - lamb chops and kobe short ribs. Lamb was generous, the Kobe ribs were too fatty. (yes I know by definition...) Ok fine. Appetizer and salad were middle tier. The reason I didn't give this restaurant three stars is because it was like dining at a favorite aunt's house, where everything is lovely. But the food is OK. Four anniversaries that night. Seems like that kind of place. Dint get me wrong, it was a nice experience, if you go in for 'nice'.
Guidance: Foodies steer clear unless you want nice. They have an outstanding wine collection - Good reading, bring your own and pay the corkage, if you have to. Food is certainly adequate, not exceptional.
Very pleasant. How about that.
People thought this was:
I generally don't do well with dated decor, but this Anton & Michel's more than makes up for it with excellent food and service.
Some suggestions:
Ask for a window seat when making a reservation.
For appetizer, order the lobster spring rolls--stay away from the wedge salad.
For dinner, try the braised short ribs and/or the filet mignon--it is a very big slice of meat for a filet.
For dessert, the tiramisu is yummy and comes with a scoop of ice cream!
If you get there early, you can chill at the bar/lounge area and have a beer while watching a game.
People thought this was:
My husband and I celebrated our anniversary here recently. We had a gift certificate and fell in love with the place! The service was impeccable, the food was outstanding and the staff was amazing! We splurged on 4-courses and my husband would have licked the plate clean if permitted?!? He loves his rack of lamb that much!
The regular menu is pricey for us, but totally worth it for special occasions. They also have a "Sunset Special" that is a 3-course prix-fix dinner with Caesar, lamb and dessert for only $25!! That is unheard of!
So cute. Guys, take your ladies here, please. Every girl should be treated to a romantic dinner at a place like this once in awhile :)
We came here on Valentines Day weekend and loved it. First of all, Carmel is just an amazing little town... and Anton & Michel is right in the middle of it. Beautiful restaurant. Great fountain outside. Be sure to ask for a seat by the window.
The food is just as awesome as the ambiance. Simply delicious. What else can I say?
Highly recommended!
People thought this was:
My valentine and I capped off an afternoon stroll through Carmel's boutique filled downtown with dinner at Anton & Michel. We highly recommend Carmel as a romantic day trip for the folks in the Bay Area.
We had rather early reservations at 6:30, but we ended up staying until 9:30 - the parking garage across the street closes at 9:30 otherwise we would have stayed for a bit longer. To say the least, we had a wonderful time.
The food is straight up old fashioned French fare with friendly and attentive service. Our waitress provided excellent suggestions as we were reviewing the menu. We had the mushroom raviolis, Caesar for Two, Lamb Chops for her and Short Ribs for me. The lamb chops were excellent. We had it prepared medium rare - chef's recommendation. When they arrived, the chops looked very rare, but if you like it medium rare it was perfectly prepared. Ah, so tender and juicy. The Short ribs are tasty and the potatoes accompanying the short ribs were wonderfully seasoned.
They have an extensive wine list and is moderately priced compared to Bay Area standards. We had the David Bruce 2006 Petite Sirah, which paired perfectly with our flavorful lamb and beef entrees.
As other posters have mentioned the Caesar is made table side, and its purpose is both an advertising tool and an entertainment value, but at least you can dictate what is going into the salad. I'm confused why other yelpers complained about the salad preparation since the wait staff can accommodate to your preferences during the preperation. In addition, we had the Banana Foster for dessert which is also made table side. We got a kick out of the pyrotechnics involved during the preparation, but it fell a bit short upon tasting it.
My only other complaint is the table arrangement. The tables were crammed together like a can of sardines and lessens the romantic atmosphere. Nevertheless, we were able to have a wonderful experience.
People thought this was:
This place has me a little bit torn when I write this review and I will tell you why... I have to say that my boyfriend spoils me when it comes to restaurants because he has taken me to so many "5 star restaurants" that it may have skewed my review of this place. We probably go to one bi-monthly but it adds up. We live down in Orange County and we have eaten at many nice restaurants down there, not to mention we hit up the Eiffel Tower Restaurant in Las Vegas a lot. When we read the reviews about this place it said it was the "#1 Most Romantic Place in Carmel/Monterey". I repeat!!! "#1 Most Romantic Place in Carmel/Monterey" Wow. If this is the most romantic place I feel bad for the Carmel and Monterey area in that respect. Not that the place is bad, I've just seen much, much, much more romantic!!! That statement kind of raised the bar! Walking into this place I had high expectations ;)
We came here for our anniversary. The decor is OK, kind of old style but not Carmel cute kind of old. When you walk in the doors look really nice and the entrance is unique. Past that it was like a light pinkish color with some decorations that I can't describe. Service was good. I expect that at these types of places your server should go out of their way to be your server not just: "What would you like to order? Would you like anything else?". These are the types of places that they can be a little more personable. Most places in this category do that, they would ask what we are there for, tell us Happy Anniversary, etc.. Our server was a minimalist. There was a man (perhaps owner or manager?) going out of his way to say good bye and he came by to ask how we were doing, which was our only sign of the place being personable. The out of the window scenery was of some fountains. One was a pool like thing with some spouts of water coming out of it, another was a lion on a wall spitting water down below it. The place is nice. There's nothing breathtaking about the interior or about the views. It's just a nice place.
The food - excellent!!! I had the Seafood Fricasse (or something like that), and it was phenomenal. The Lobster and scallops were to die for and the Smoked Salmon inside of the ravioli was enough to make me eat it slowly so I could savor the flavor. My boyfriend had the linguini special, his was even better than mine (I didn't know how that was possible) but it was. The food was absolutely delicious. For dessert I had an apple strudel and ice cream which was pretty good. The chefs did not fall short by any means!
All and all, this was a good place to eat and the food is delicious. If you've eaten at other nice restaurants before don't go in here thinking it's gonna blow your socks of romantically... there are just much more romantic places. I would recommend this place if you want good food and a nice restaurant. I myself probably wouldn't go back because if we went to the area again I would want to try another place, but it's a nice place to take a date to! If I lived in the area I would go back.
People thought this was:
I'll say the decor has developed a rustic charm over the years perhaps? I like the fact that I'm in Carmel, and somehow I feel like I'm not in California sitting in the place. Hard to explain, but I'm not going to classify it as a negative. The space is small with a nice bar area, quaint.
A very good Belgian endive salad, with a wonderful sea bass special and duck. A nice touch with couscous and ginger chutney cinnamon sauce. We passed on the flaming desserts for their tiramisu. All in all a flavorful meal. May I recommend Duckhorn's Sauvignon Blanc in any meal...period.
There are other newer, finer dining establishments in Carmel, but A&M holds its own.
People thought this was:
Well I picked this restaurant cause it was voted #1 most romantic restaurant in Monterey/Carmel area. Well I wouldn't go that far as to say it's the most romantic. It is a very nice place, the service I would say was above average. The food, OMG...I cannot even explain the food. Thier Seafood Fricasse and thier Seafood special were amazing! Overall this is a great date restaurant...I wouldn't say it's the most romantic place, but a great place to go and enjoy some phenomenal food.
People thought this was:
"Yesterday's news" hits it on the head for this spot. It's been a long time since the loftier heights when it still had the original owners. The reviews below mention its supposed "romantic" aura. The interior is redolent of the 1980's. If you are JR Euwing perhaps you might think of romance. I've always thought cafeteria myself. This spot hasn't glowed with dewy mist since Carmel's hey days back in the 80's.
People thought this was:
I went here for Valentine's Day with my boyfriend and his mother and her boyfriend and their friends. After a long, long day at the At&t pro-am golf tournament at Pebble Beach which absolutely gorgeous we were ready for a great dinner.
First, the place is beautiful and a bit hard to find but it's located in the beautiful and historic Carmel by the Sea which is absolutely gorgeous itself.
Our waiter, made our dinner well worth the visit considering we are from the Bay Area, which is two hours away. The food was exceptional which was the prime new york state from the pre-fix menu they had made specially for Valentine's Day. I started with the shrimp bisque and ended with the chocolate mousse.The entire dinner was just amazing! We had a great view of the courtyard which is even more beautiful at night.
I can't wait to go back!!!
I have been coming to Carmel for fourteen years, and somehow had never eaten at Anton and Michel's before this year. A girl friend and I decided to give it a shot one night and walked in and were able to be seated without a reservation which was nice (but it was a wednesday night). Being two young ladies, when dining without my father we had sometimes been waited on poorly, the waiters thinking that we didnt have enough money or sense to tip well, but thankfully at Anton and Michel's we were treated very well.
We had a delicious meal.. I had the best duck i've ever had with a wonderful rhubarb chutney and cinnamon couscous. Then we finished up with the Banana's Foster! What a fun treat right at our table.. and amazingly delicious.
People thought this was:
This is a very good place to take a date. The place is very romantic. The walls are adorned with original oil paintings, the service is excellent, and the food is above average.
The menu is kind of old fashion, the dishes are far from exotic. And the deserts are a throw back to the 60's. Where else can you get Banana Foster or Cherries Jubilee prepared right at your table.
People thought this was:
Lovely. Most romantic place in Carmel; infinitely better than the vastly overrated Casanova's, which hasn't been the place to go since Reagan was in the White House.
At A&M, the service is wonderful, the wine list terrific, and if you can call a day in advance, they are very good about accomodating vegans. Worth the expense.
People thought this was:
I found Anton & Michel by wandering through the 'Courtyard of the Fountains' one evening when I was in the area. The courtyard rules! Set behind the restaurant away from the street it's gorgeous to look at. If you're seated in the restaurant you can hopefully get a seat by the big window that overlooks it.
The restaurant itself is very kitschy (and I don't mean tasteless kitschy I mean cool kitschy!). Which I love. Pastel decor, oil paintings, bananas foster or cherries jubilee flamebeed right by your table. It's classy but it totally reminded me of a fancy restaurant my parents might have taken me to in the 70s... not sure why but it just felt like that. I love that though! Maybe it was the older crowd and the oil paintings etc but it just had that vibe for me. It's definitely romantic and has that gorgeous view so don't get me wrong I really liked the ambience. There's a nice little lounge area in the restaurant as well. Service was also A+.
As for the food, delicious! We had lamb, kobe beef short ribs and crabcakes. Top notch! The food was melt in your mouth good (mmm, picturing eating the ribs right now...). Sure it's not a cutting edge menu but it's definitely excellent food. They're planning on updating their menu this fall. I highly recommend eating here though... I'm planning on having my rehearsal dinner in their 'fireside room' so I definitely love the place!
Anton & Michel is perhaps the most elegant of downtown Carmel's restaurants. We tend to come here for special occasions - special visitors, Christmas Day dinner, things like that. My mother loves to sit in the back room, at one of the garden tables overlooking the fountain. Everything is delicious and fresh, so you can't really go wrong, but I'd especially recommend the ceasar salad, made tableside.
If you enjoy Anton & Michel, the same family owns quite a few other restaurants in town - Village Corner, Portabella Restaraunt, the Grill on Ocean Ave, and others. Each restaurant has a bit of a different vibe, but Anton & Michel is by the far the best of the lot.
[A question, for future diners: do you think some of the servers' accents are fake?]
People thought this was:
Depending on your date A&M is either the sweetest restaurant in the most romantic city in California, or a high-maintenance waste of your precious life.
So famous, other restaurants advertise that their chef used to understudy here. The one who made it so, Max Muramatsu, has now moved on. Food is mannered, mid-priced (by fine dining standards) and french-ish, e.g. seafood pasta in a rich broth, warm spinach salad, flaming crepe desert. A wonderful belgian endive salad; lamb pot pie tasted great but the lamb itself was overcooked and not tender and the sauce had too much corn starch by a factor of several.
On a sunny afternoon a window table against the "fountain court" is magical -- you can see happy birds in the fountain, children with balloons, dogs, shoppers hauling purses and dresses out of GBG's next door. The decor is dainty white tablecloth yet frayed at the edges -- the bright sun reveals stains in the walls and linnen, the fussily folded napkens are not straight or perfect, bathroom fixtures are cheap and mounted.
It can be sparse and lazy for lunch, jampacked at weekend dinner. Other patrons, all far older or perhaps aged before their time, carried on noisily above the smooth jazz and classical about where the best spa is, society gossip, and other rich people things.
I have returned again and again with new lovers to compare, to wash from permanence of memory the one who started and ended it for me. It almost works. So choose carefully.
People thought this was:
Honestly, I was disappointed with the whole experience. But 2 good points are the hostess and the atmosphere. Fine dining it is not, the food is mediocre on that scale.
The food was too highly priced, when it tasted more like comfort food. The waitstaff did not give us water, we had to ask for it. Then he gave me an dish that I did not order, but I didn't I make a fuss. But then, he charged me for the one I originally ordered and when I brought it to his attention, he didn't even apologize but insisted that I ordered the other dish. Yet why was I priced for my original order.
Terrible service from the waitstaff, food not at all fine dining quality. We were going to try their other restaurants, but after this experience, we are crossing off the whole family of restaurants. I would give it 1 star really but took into account of the environment and hostess.
People thought this was:
What a lovely setting...it's like someone's home with a beautiful garden and a wading pool. The food is delicious and the service was tip-top....I highly recommend to save room for dessert otherwise you are missing the best part!! They have cherries jubilee and crepe suzette....all prepared at tableside...and so is their caesar salad...which you can tell them the level of spiciness you like!! (some like it HOT!!) haha
if you are in the neighborhood..make sure you check them out!
As another reviewer stated, it's definitely the most romantic place in Carmel, and one of the best restaurants in the entire Monterey area-a feat in and of itself. The only other French restaurant that stands out is Fresh Cream, but I prefer Anton & Michel because it lacks the pompousness of the Fresh Cream crowd, and the servers are among the best I've ever experienced. I really enjoy being remembered, regardless of whether it's been a week or a year since my last visit. Now, on to the food. It's for the most part typical French fare, as should be expected, but it's skillfully prepared, and I have no complaints with regard to the prices they charge. A personal favorite is the Caesar salad prepared tableside from scratch.
People thought this was:
Anton & Michel is an elegant french bistro in the heart of Carmel. It has a neat little back room that looks out to the tiniest little courtyard surrounded by ivy-covered walls, with a fountain and reflecting pool and two little windowed sheds. One of the sheds is a tiny art gallery, the other an upscale miniature shoe store! Really quaint, pleasant dining experience.
People thought this was:
Anton and Michel is one of those standby restaurants that never fails to impress you. I always ate here when I lived down the street, and I still remember it fondly. The waiters were older gentlemen, and very professional without being snobby. I always ate their Chicken Marsala (sp?) and Chicken Jerusalem, although I don't think they have them on the menu anymore. It was the only place I ever took my mother for lunch or dinner when she was in town, and she's the pickiest Korean mother you'll ever meet. It's a wonderful place for some solid food.
People thought this was:
Decided to take a drive down to Carmel on Saturday, good time of the year to go..not many crowds as in the summer.. It was lunch time and Anton & Michel didn't look too crowded so we decided to check it out. Wasn't terribly hungry but wanted a little bite to eat and some wine. We ordered two appetizers...Lobster Roll ($13) and a Castroville Steamed Artichoke ($10), both very good! We had a half bottle of Cakebread Chardonnay to go with it. The restaurant seems to be a french one altho the lunch menu didn't seem like it..Very nicely decorated inside and our server was very attentive.. Would like to go back again sometime for dinner.
People thought this was:
9/5/08
Stopped to have lunch here again while staying in Carmel with our dogs.
Still great food and service!
12/18/07
These folks know how to treat customers with dogs!
We were staying in Carmel for several days and took our boys here for lunch. We sat out on their patio by the fountains. They servers brought water for our companions right away.
They have an extensive/impressive wine list. It's nice that they have several varieties available in half bottles. Ask your server for the wine by the glass list. This list is constantly changing.
I started with the soup of the day, roasted garlic Yukon potato. Out of this world. My husband had the special of the day. This contained clams, scallops, lobster and prawns. It was served over a bed of homemade pasta. It appeared to be a pesto sauce. The dish also contained mushrooms. The seafood was not tiny unidentifiable portions. They were large pieces that needed to be cut with a knife. I had wild mushroom ravioli off of the starter menu. After the cup of soup, I'm glad I chose that serving size. I had 5 good size sun-dried tomato ravioli which was enough. Again, very flavorful. We will definitely come back to this restaurant. The wait staff were very attentive. The manager, John, was very friendly. A very pleasant dining experience!
People thought this was:
Charming restaurant in the heart of Carmel. The service was impeccable. Upon entering the restaurant, the owner asked all of our names and remembered every single person. You could not ask for better service. The food and desserts are particularly impressive. Also, the salads run 'aplenty here - the seared ahi salad had a generous portion of fish with sesame seeds and perfectly spiced ahi. Try the Bananas Foster - it will not disappoint! Don't forget to ask for the table directly in front of the fountain. It's a very pretty view. I zoned out on my party a couple of times.
I have only been here once, but would not hesitate to go back. My wife & I ordered the chateaubriand for two and it was excellent. the vegetables that came with it were perfectly cooked as well. Don't miss the table-side made Caeser Salad either. The service was wonderful, the server was tableside for a very long time carving and serving to ensure that our dining experience was top rate.
This place came highly recommended from our waitress at lunch and after doing some research here on Yelp, we decided to give it a shot! We had 7:30 reservations for a Friday night and the place was dead - although it still took a good couple of minutes for the matre'd to even notice us at the front door. We were seated inside with a great view of the fountains. I ordered a cosmo and was very disappointed to find it lacked enough vodka and had too much sugary-sweet "cosmo mix". My boyfriend had purchased a bottle of wine from a local wine shop and was pleased with his selection (later I was too - glad to get away from the sugar concoction they called a cosmo). We ordered the Cesar for two --- wow, can you say too much dressing?!?! If it had about 2/3 less dressing we would have been pleased but to me the salad was almost inedible. I ordered the fish special - blackened sole which was great. My boyfriend ordered the oven roasted pork tenderloin. He was a little hesitant about it - and as it turns out, he should have been! He sent it back because it was as dry as shoe leather! So, he opted for the filet mignon - good choice one would think ..... When it arrived it was piping hot (and as any good chef of beef knows, you need to let it sit for a few minutes so the juices have time to redistribute). After taking a few bites he asked me if I would like a piece ... I took it and understood almost immediately why he asked. It was was too tough for a filet and the mushroom ragout that came with it was full of vinegar. Of course, it wasn't bad enough to send back (especially after already having sent one back) but when the manager came and asked us how everything was we told him! He was gracious enough to comp. my boyfriend's meal and the corkage for the wine. For the money, I'm sure you can find something better!
Very nice restaurant with excellent food and service. Elegant and romantic, but the decor as a bit old school. Everything we tried (french onion soup, carmel valley salad, wild mushroom ravioli, sonoma free range chicken) was delicious. The service was perfectly paced - not at all rushed - just enough time to relax and enjoy each course, but never left wondering if where your server went.
People thought this was:
Expensive food, but not fresh. The fish was really chewy (frozen) when cooked..but the sides were great (ceasar and steam veggie). The people were really nice..and the manager was great too.
Welcome to the Fifties! Seriously. This is the restaurant where your dad took your mom for her birthday. And your grandfather took your grandmother. It is "French" -- as fondly remembered by GIs who fought in the war (WWII). It is a wonderful place to bring your parents or grandparents for a special meal. Definitely save room for the crepes suzette or cherries jubilee, which they flame perfectly at the table. Enjoy the old world service. Enjoy the food -- which is fancy comfort food ... nothing to shock the palate. Bring a well-behaved child without concern -- though be careful, because they will solicitously refill his Roy Rogers (or her Shirley Temple) until s/he's consumed enough maraschino cherries and sugar to bounce off the walls. Great place for a nostalgic evening, Boomers.
People thought this was:
Carmel, CA
Category: American (New)
Carmel, CA
Category: Italian
Carmel, CA
Category: French
Carmel, CA
Category: French
Carmel, CA
Category: Greek
I'm not particularly fond of France, or the french…
I'm an Oakland girl now, but after years and years…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
These are restaurants that will make your date…
