Corkscrew Cafe

We had our kids in town, so we made reservations, we all shared 2 pear salads which were amazing, we ordered a Meyer lemon and prosciutto Pizza, fish tacos and I had the mussels which were excellent, everyone loved there meals.

Would have been perfect except for three very loud women who were really annoying.

We come here often for lunch in the garden. The food and service are always excellent as are the Georis wines. This was a birthday lunch on a beautiful day. We enjoyed the roasted pear salad, a Meyer lemon pizza and the mussels. Also because our main courses didn’t arrive at the same time, our kind waitress gave us a free dessert! Terrific Creme Brûlée! Can’t wait for our next visit.

Amazing pizza! Second time we’ve come! The food is amazing, great service, gorgeous setting! Highly recommended!

My favorite place for 10 years until this weekend. No more wine flights, minimal food options, small portions, and crappy service. So disappointed and so sad, that this place, I once called a gem, is somewhere that I’ll probably never go to again.

We go a couple of times a month on Thursday Nights as it is 1/2 off a bottle of wine under $100.00, I usually get the Mussels which are to die for, my wife will either do steak Frites or pasta, we also share a pear salad which is excellent as well.

We chose this restaurant based on the recommendation of our Airbnb and the menu. They had 3 entries we were interested in: Mussels, Trout and Fish Tacos. When we got there, we were told that they don't serve Trout anymore and they were out of mussels (it was 6:30). I chose the fish tacos; my husband and one of the other guests chose the hamburger - medium. When the hamburgers came, my husband's was rare and my friend's was well-done...REALLY how can you mess up on both hamburgers. They were removed and came back decently cooked. My fish tacos contained lots of breading and little fish - very disappointing. The real kicker was considering the name of the restaurant, "CORKSCREW", their wine list was very limiting. They offered NO Cabernet Sauvignon. The two reds the server suggested I try were not good at all. Believe me, I am not a wine snob - I just wanted a decent full bodied red. In conclusion, I would not recommend this restaurant.

I would not recommend them for Brunch. Anything else is fine. There is no "brunch" things on the menu. Not only that, there are only three entrees. We wondered why we were the only ones there at 11:30 am on a Sunday.

Awesome, Excellent... We love the restaurant and always comeback...

We have been going on date night on Thursday as it is half of a bottle of wine under $100.00, we usually share a pear salad (to die for), & I usually get the mussels (so good) & my wife gets the steak frites (very yummy).

We were vacationing in Carmel Valley and chose this restaurant because it was across the street from a tasting room we enjoyed. When we walked in, we noticed the cool-looking pizza oven at the front of the restaurant and my wife asked the chef about the type of pizza he was making, which he told her was his favorite of the pizzas. After we were seated, we ordered an heirloom salad and the type of pizza the chef had recommended moments earlier. The server, who was quite pleasant, told us that the heirloom tomatoes were not good and they were not serving that salad, so we switched to a pear salad instead. A couple of minutes after she left our table, our server came back and told us that the kitchen was too busy with pizza orders and they were no longer serving pizza of any sort. Literally, every other table that we could see had pizza, but she was adamant that we could not order one. We were displeased, but carried on and ordered different items. My wife went to use the restroom and was waiting in line by the front desk, when she overheard the manager say to a different server, “okay, table 51 can have pizza.” My wife asked what the system was and why some tables were allowed to order pizza while others were not. The manager snapped at her that the chef was very busy, but that they would be resuming pizza orders in five minutes. Then the manager said, “[g]o back to your seat” and you will be able to have pizza. My wife explained that she was actually waiting for the restroom and hadn’t come to the front desk to complain at all. She had only asked because she observed this odd system of pizza-ordering privilege. Being told by the manager of the restaurant to “go back to your seat” was too much for us. We cancelled our orders, left and walked around the block to Cafe Rustica, where they promptly served us an excellent heirloom salad and a pizza.

Save yourself the trouble and just go to Cafe Rustica instead.

My Wife and I have been going here on Thursday night's as it is half off a bottle of wine under $100.00, we split a pear salad, and I get the mussels and my wife get the steak frita, all are amazing.

All very good as usual.

However, I'd say the trout was only fair. Preferred your salmon when on the menu.

This was my first visit. I felt the prices may a bit high but large portions and and the food was very good. I was most impressed on the service, from the young lady that sat us at our table to our server. The gentleman that served us was professional, pleasant and had a very eager to please attitude. I will be back and I would recommend your restaurant to family and friends.

Such an adorable setting and we loved the food!

Girls night out!! Everything was excellent as usual - my favorite spot in the valley.

Very cozy and casual environment and the food was amazing, from Pizza, salads and the steak!

We were at this restaurant over the Labor Day Holliday. We didn't receive food for almost an hour! And, they were out of bread! Our wine came about 30 minutes after we ordered. Everyone else there was in the same boat. They said they didn't anticipate they would have that many diners. Over Labor Day? Really? Only one chef and short on wait staff. We have been there before and like it so came back. Hope the a one time snafu!!

We waited 1:40 minutes for 2 of our entrees and then told the 3 rd entree was going to be another 10 minutes.
We never got bread at our table because they ran out.
We asked for the manager but she never came to our table.
One of us is diabetic and delay in eating is a problem.
Upon leaving we were told they were short in the kitchen.
Other guests were equally upset about the delays.
We have been to this restaurant many times and never experienced anything like this!
There were no apologizes given. We will not be going back.

Overcooked steak,marginal fish tacos and far too chatty server. Better for lunch than dinner.

The décor and lighting were terrific and reminded us of being in the European countryside. our food was delicious and the presentation was excellent. Besides everything else we received excellent service from Taylor. she was charming, knowledgeable and attentive. we were enchanted by her. It is rare that the server makes you want to come back.

Corkscrew consistently makes me proud. I love bringing visitors to the area out to the valley and Corkscrew is my favorite go-to! Love the outdoor seating, the fresh menu choices...always good service too (friendly and helpful) Never have had a bad meal. I highly recommend!!

Love this little restaurant. Outside seating is lovely, food is wonderful, servers are very friendly. Bread is to die for...one of my favorite lunch spots when visiting Carmel!

My husband enjoyed the sausage pizza with crispy crust and we could watch it being made from our great table for lunch. We shared a nice arugula salad and a glass of Prosecco. My fish tacos had some good enjoyable features but I prefer unbreaded fresh fish instead of deep fried breaded cod, so I was a bit disappointed with the preparation.

Perfect back patio setting. Weather was perfect and food was yummy. Our server was so darling with a great personality. She truly made our dinner fun and wanting to go back the next night.

Always a favorite for lunch before wine tasting! Great wine list, pizza, salads and specials!

Really a nice place for an excellent but casual dinner in Carmel Valley. Beautiful to sit outside when the weather is right. We recommend highly.

Our salads were delightful, and the service was good. We were a bit taken back by having to order bread separately, that's a 1st for me, but maybe I don't eat out enough.

The outdoor setting was charming and warm sunshine a nice respite from foggy PG.

Been to Corkscrew many times for lunch. Always good.

Stopped in for lunch before doing some wine tasting in the area. The food is excellent as are the wine choices. I highly recommend this place if you are in the Carmel Valley area.

Fabulous outdoor dining garden. The presentation of each dish is as wonderful as the taste. It is worth the short drive and is located in an area full of local wine tasting rooms. A must stop in the heart of beautiful Carmel Valley!

I have been to this restaurant many times over the years and it has never failed to deliver an absolutely delicious meal. I bring new people and they are always so impressed with the quality of ingredients, the creativity and the actual presentation and food itself. Love love love it!

Sat on the patio with our dog and toddler. It was so lovely they were both entertained and well behaved. Our server was truly a delight!

Corkscrew Cafe in Carmel Valley Village is a taste of excellence. We loved being seated en plein aire, outdoors, in a setting that could be in France or Italy. Superb trout, mussels, arugala and beet salads and a an incredible Ollaberry tarte were, from the first taste to the last, memorable. The Prosecco that bubbled with gentle flavor perfectly matched our choices from a menu of ultra fresh and great variety for those who appreciate delicious. Service, outstanding! Reservations honored. We shall be back. Locals are we, however anyone visiting will return home with fond memories of their afternoon or evening at the Corkscrew Cafe.

Wonderful setting, food was great. Service was A+. Family from out of town were so impressed. Another fabulous evening at Corkscrew! Thank you!

Sunday night after the Fourth of July holiday. The menu was very limited, there were no specials, and they food they did serve was mediocre. The fish tacos were very good, but the other items we were served (pizza and mussels) were blah and uninteresting. Service was friendly and efficient. This used to be a great spot for locals and now it seems to be relying on the reliable tourist traffic we have in Carmel to keep the doors open.

The worst service that I have experienced! Had to go the hostess and ask for someone to wait on us! No one came for 20 minutes, so we left and went to Rustica!

Wonderful birthday lunch! Perfect atmosphere, great service. Thank you Bo!

This was my second visit to this restaurant and it was as wonderful as the first time!

Food was really good. Not many kids choices though.... I think it's more geared towards middle aged yuppies/wine enthusiasts. Parking sucks during the weekend. Overall good experience.