Carmel's Bistro Giovanni

No matter where you sit, every space feels intimate. The staff was very knowledgeable regarding the food and drink menu and was able to spontaneously suggest items to our liking. We sat inside but exited through the outside dining area which felt cozy and intimate as well. The food was super fresh and prices were very reasonable for the uber quality. Brian, of La Renaissance Jewelry, recommended this place and actually secured a table for us. The locals know what they are talking about. We plan many future visits to Carmel-by-the-Sea and will always make Bistro Giovanni a preferred dinner spot!

Came here for dinner with my boyfriend after looking over the extensive menu. We were torn between a couple of restaurants and ended up here. The well-dressed gentleman with the fedora seated us in the back of the restaurant. It was busy on a Monday night, but by the time we were ready to order, quite a few tables were paying their bills. It was surprising that the service was slow. The table next to us placed their order while we were deciding on food. We had not even been asked drinks yet. We were not told the specials but had overheard cream of mushroom soup being the soup of the day, and I believe a fish dish of some sort. We finally placed our order and drinks. I had requested a water with lemon. Drinks came out minus the water. The appetizer arrived. The limoncello drink was so-so for $18. Not to my liking, it was more on the floral side than sweet and sour. The crab cakes were delicious, a little more sauce would have been perfect, but we made do. Veal parm and the ribeye. I omitted the blue cheese butter, ribeye was cooked perfect. Tender and tasty. The garlic mash with chopped truffles in the middle was a tad over powering. I'm not sure if the garlic was boiled with the potatoes or added in raw or if it was granulated, but garlic breath was eminent. Luckily, the steak was on the underseasoned side due to no blue cheese butter, it helped the potatoes along. The sautéed spinach would have been better without the undercooked shallots found in between. They needed a tad longer before the spinach was added. We didn't get a dessert, but we headed out after that.

Very delicious and very polite and nice service. I can’t say anything bad. Everything was just fine. These self made tortellini’s were just in the point! I would have wished for more, but still delicious.

Casual, yet still had old school elegance kinda vibe. The crab cakes were perfectly seasoned, calamari - not really my thing - were good as well. Main courses were excellent!

My wife and I finally had the chance to try Bistro Giovanni in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea—something we’d been meaning to do for quite a while. The restaurant is located on San Carlos Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues. If you’re unfamiliar, downtown Carmel doesn’t use standard street addresses—instead, everything is routed through a central post office (which, ironically, does have an address, ha!). We started with a bottle of Liberty School Cabernet and an appetizer: the Burrata Prosciutto. The dish came with a generous portion of burrata (about 3 to 4 ounces), tomatoes, a portion of prosciutto, crostinis, and a basil-balsamic vinaigrette. It was very tasty overall, though I had one minor critique: the dish only came with four crostinis—definitely not enough, so we had to ask for more. Still, a flavorful and satisfying start. For our entrées, my wife ordered the seabass special, which came with a nicely portioned filet, mashed potatoes, and grilled vegetables. I went with the lasagna, which featured traditional Italian sausage. Both dishes were very good—hearty and satisfying. My lasagna was flavorful, though I felt it could’ve used just a bit more seasoning or punch. While the portions looked modest (see pics), they were surprisingly filling. For dessert, we shared the panna cotta—a lemon-vanilla custard topped with raspberry sauce. The texture was somewhere between flan and crème brûlée. I really enjoyed both the flavor and consistency, though my wife wasn’t quite as into it. Service was attentive without being overbearing, and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. Overall, we really enjoyed our evening and would definitely return. The menu offers a wide range of options, so we’re already thinking about what to try next time. Recommended!

Great Food, Great Service & Great Atmosphere! They create many fresh classic dishes which are cooked and presented properly. Do not hesitate to visit Bistro Giovanni. A favorite in all of Carmel and Monterey Bay! 02/20/25 - Back again and another delightful experience! A+ 08/29/25 - Back For Anniversary: Crab Cakes, Garlic Bread, Chicken Marsala, Chicken Piccata, Pasta Carbonara, Chicken Florentine Ravioli, Chianti, Topped off with Tiramisu & a cup of coffee. Everything was insanely delicious. Grazie per il cibo delizioso. Non vedo l'ora di tornare.

The food here was Delicious! Service was truly awesome! Brought my dog Tofu with us for dinner too! They took pictures with our camera for us. Truly a wonderful establishment! I had the Chicken Marsala. My friend had Veal Piccata. She loved her dinner...as did I. We had an appetizer Frito Misto Combo - was amazing. We were so full, yet wanted dessert! Chocolate Mousse was yummy! Iced tea was great too. I definitely recommend eating at Carmel Bistro Giovanni.

Food was amazing. Wine was amazing. Service was amazing. Cocktails and wine were amazing. Thank goodness I could walk back to my hotel room instead of drive.