Romantic Nightlife in Carmel

Many will tell you to travel to Monterey for the livelier nightlife, but Carmel has its own set of bars and nightclubs. And they're not just restaurant bars serving drinks passed closing, but a whole breed of kick-up-your-heels and loosen your tie hangouts.

Jack Londons Bar & Grill is a Carmel staple. Lively and large, Jack Londons serves simple yet succulent bar food in huge helpings. Matching the menu is a wide range of beers and cocktails to enjoy (responsibly, of course) and ample TVs to watch your home team. Overall, Jack Londons has the most inviting ambiance of any bar or nightclub in Carmel, and therefore take the Number 1 spot.

Number 5 on this Top 10 is Caraccioli Cellars, a just-opened wine tasting room that's already a crowd and critic pleaser. Owned and operated by the Caraccioli wine-producing family, the Caraccioli Cellars is a "lively-but-loungey" wine bar with an excellent selection, knowledgeable staff and tasty small plates and appetizers to pair with the spirits. Caraccioli Cellars is on its way to becoming a Carmel favorite.

Sade's presence on this list as Number 9 might surprise some local Carmelites who see this Top 10, but for the traveler or even local who's never been here, they might want to rethink their preconceptions about dive bars. Sure, it's more hole-in-the-wall than romantic hole-up, but Sade's offers great service, consistent drinks and lively company every night. A no-frills kind of bar, Sade's welcomes one and all to pull up a bar stool and have a drink.

Carmel has its share of higher end hangouts. And while places like the Piano Bar (Number 4 here) are great places to have a drink and enjoy some entertainment, there are plenty of good times to be had at less reputable watering holes in the city. Cheers!