Village Gem Restaurant - Carmel-By-The-Sea (CA)

5 /5 Meghan Anders: We stumbled upon this rather hidden away restaurant by hazard, having exhausted other options. We were game for anything by that stage, so fortunately we settled in for what turned out to be a memorable meal. Although it was a cool night, we did the traditional Carmel thing and ate outside, under the gas heater, with blankets provided. The food was all excellent, and we were extremely well looked after by the friendly and knowledgeable waiter. It is perplexing that the place was almost empty and I hope that turns around for the new owner because they are doing a splendid job. I ate the lamb cutlets with polenta and a delicious sauce, sticky and rich. At the table we also had the salmon (pictured below), the Berkshire pork schnitzel and a gorgeous bottle of local wine. Highly recommended.

4 /5 Hana McTaggart: Really delicious meals, attentive and pleasant service, nice relaxed and classy atmosphere with melodic jazz or piano music, really lovely and relaxing. 4 stars only because we had to wait for the entre quite a bit - this was for dinner (starters arrived quite fast). If you have plenty of time and want to enjoy good wine and nice evening, this doesnt have to be a problem, but wouldnt recommend to parents of young kids. Perfect spot for a romantic date or a catch up with someone you have a lot to catch up on :). Also fair to say this was July 4th evening and the restaurant was packed - the entres might be faster on normal nights. We had crab cake, soup of the day which was tomato with white beans, artisanal bread, grilled chicken breast, and todays special - black cod. I also had the lemonade. All meals and drinks were really delicious and also really light and healthy, we felt great afterwards. Would definitely come back some time when we have plenty of time for dinner. Thank you for the great experience!

5 /5 Brittany Sena: Adorable little place! Amir was a fantastic server!! The food was great. Highly recommend the artichoke, meatballs, bread, meat and cheese board, and NY Strip.

5 /5 Justin Mentink: Wow! Place was recommended to me and exceeded all expectations! Had the lamb and my wife had the seafood stew. Both were incredible. The broth on the stew was rich like bisque. So good! To cap it off we had the cheesecake and it was like no other cheesecake I’ve ever had. Texture was light and fluffy, while the flavor was like the best cheese you’ve ever tasted. Have to have it!!!