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- American Food
- Restaurants near Downtown
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2. Big Sur Lodge Restaurant
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Whenever you stumble in from the trail, the Big Sur Lodge Restaurant will be there to welcome you with open arms.... read more
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- Cuisines:
- Local Traditional
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3. Big Sur Bakery
- Big Sur Bakery and Restaurant is located in an old ranch style house in the heart of Big Sur. We bake our bread each morning, using a wood-fired... read more
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- Cuisines:
- American
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4. Big Sur River Inn
Popular with everyone from families to bikers, the River Inn is an unpretentious, rustic, down-home restaurant that has something for all tastes....
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5. Deetjen's Big Sur Inn Restaurant
With the feel of an English farmhouse -- white-painted wood walls, wood-burning stove, dimly lit old-fashioned lamps, country antiques -- this...
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6. Big Sur Center Deli & General Str
- Big Sur Deli is the perfect place to stop along Highway 1 to pick up a picnic lunch to fuel up for the trail or long drive. Freshly made sandwiches,... read more
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7. Cielo Restaurant
Like the resort, Ventana's "heaven" restaurant is a woodsy but extravagant place to dine alfresco at lunch or for a romantic dinner. The airy cedar...
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8. Big Sur Roadhouse
- Big Sur Roadhouse Restaurant has a home-away feel, due in large part to the roaring fireplace that's constantly stoked and the warm hardwood interior.... read more
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- Cuisines:
- Latin American
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9. The Restaurant at Ventana
- The Restaurant at Ventana serves award winning cuisine in an awe-inspiring setting. The restaurant's warm, rustic interior opens onto its legendary... read more
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- Cuisines:
- Californian
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10. Sierra Mar - Post Ranch Inn
- Overlooking the Pacific Ocean with a spectacular view of the California coast, the award winning Sierra Mar Restaurant serves world-class cuisine... read more
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The Best of NileGuide
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Chances are, if you're camping in Big Sur, most of your meals will be cooked on a small camp stove or an open fire. But if you're just passing through this beautiful region or looking for that first delicious meal in civilization after sleeping on the ground for a few night, Big Sur has a number of restaurants to whet your taste buds.
Nepenthe, an obvious and well-deserving Number 1, is Big Sur's most famous eatery. Hollywood's elite, including Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth, who owned a cabin on Nepenthe's property, used to frequent this mountainous restaurant to escape the glaring eye of fame. Nepenthe has maintained that private vibe, but now its spectacular views of a wooded valley and the ocean, and its exquisite food, draws in the crowds. Nepenthe is the epitome of subtle excellence.
Big Sur Deli takes the Number 6 spot because you don't always want to sit down to a full three-course meal while your traveling. Picking up a few sandwiches and snack food is sometimes the perfect option when traveling. Thanks to Big Sur Deli, you can pick up your meal and chose where you want to enjoy it.
Number 8, the Big Sur Roadhouse, is very off the beaten path, an edible oasis in the woods. The Roadhouse goes to great lengths to serve the most local of ingredients, supporting farmers from places nearby places like Watsonville and taking foliage and fauna right from the surrounding areas. Big Sur Roadhouse believes in serving the best of local ingredients in creative and interesting ways.
Certain eateries, like the Lucia Lodge and Redwood Lodge, are elegant eateries but nothing quite distinctive enough sets them apart to make it worth including on the list. Diners often complain of paying too much at these two, as well as The Whalewatchers Café. Big Sur doesn't have the largest number of restaurants, but sticking to this list will definitely help in picking out that perfect meal.
