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L'Escargot - Carmel, Carmel, CA

L'Escargot - Carmel

4.8
4.8
1258 Reviews
$30 and under
French

Make a reservation

2 people
11:00 PM
Booked 13 times today
  • Charming
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
Nestled in a residential neighborhood on Mission Street, three blocks north of Ocean Avenue lies a slice of “Old Carmel”. Originally founded in 1958 by Yvan Nopert and his family, Chef – Owner Kericos Loutas carries on the traditions of superb Country French Cuisine and personalized friendly service. A local favorite for casual fine dining in a romantic atmosphere, L’Escargot offers visitors an alternative to the “tourist experience”. The menu changes frequently, as do the specials. A three-course prix fixed Bistro Menu is offered nightly.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    French, Mediterranean, Basque
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Wed–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (831) 620-1942
  • Website
    http://www.escargot-carmel.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Kericos Loutas
  • Location
    Mission at 4th Avenue, Carmel, CA 93921
  • Neighborhood
    Carmel
  • Cross street
    4th Ave
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wheelchair Access

Featured in

Menu

Appetizers

  • Caramelized Onion and Sonoma Goat Cheese Tart$18.95

    Field Greens, Olives, Toy Tomatoes, Balsamic Vinaigrette

    • L’Escargot Duck and Pork Country Pate$19.95

      Cornichons, Olives, Tomato, Dijon Mustard

      • Frogs’ Legs Provencale$23.95

        Garlic, White Wine, Lemon, Butter

        • Veal Sweetbreads$24.95

          Vol a Vent Madeira Cream and Wild Mushrooms

          • Classic Escargot in the Shell$23.95

            Garlic-Parsley Butter

            • Escargot in Mushroom Caps$23.95

              Garlic Butter and Bread Crumbs

              • Hand Cut Pommes Frites$8.50

                • House Cured Olives Mix$9.50

                  Soups

                  • French Onion Gratinee$16.95

                    • Soup du Jour$12.95

                      Salads

                      • Parisian Red Butter Lettuce$14.95

                        Toy Tomatoes, Cucumber, Garlic Croutons, Dijon Vinaigrette

                        • Romaine Hearts$16.95

                          Shaved Parma Cheese, Garlic Croutons, Caesar Style Dressing

                          • Mixed Greens, Fresh Pear, Ricotta Salata, Pecans$18.95

                            Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette

                            Uncategorised

                            • Bread Service

                              First Basket Gratis then 5.00 per Basket

                              Last updated: September 22, 2024

                              What 1,258 people are saying

                              Overall ratings and reviews

                              Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

                              4.8
                              4.8 based on recent ratings
                              • 4.8Food
                              • 4.9Service
                              • 4.5Ambience
                              • 4.4Value

                              Noise • Moderate

                              Loved For

                              • California Central Coast

                                Romantic

                              • Monterey / Carmel

                                Best Overall

                              • Monterey / Carmel

                                Best Food

                              • Monterey / Carmel

                                Best Service

                              • Monterey / Carmel

                                Great for fine wines

                              • Monterey / Carmel

                                Romantic

                              • Monterey / Carmel

                                Good for special occasions

                              Review summary

                              AI-generated from verified diner reviews
                              L'Escargot in Carmel is cherished for its "amazing food" and "outstanding service." Known for French classics like Beef Wellington, cassoulet, and escargot, the menu offers "wonderful" seasonal specials. The ambiance is "calm" and "charming," making it a "perfect" spot for special occasions, with attentive staff enhancing the dining experience.

                              1,258 Reviews

                              1. Stanley

                                San Francisco

                                33 reviews

                                5.0

                                33 reviews

                                Dined 1 day ago

                                1. Overall 5
                                2. Food 4
                                3. Service 5
                                4. Ambience 4
                                This one of Carmel’s hidden gems and well worth seeking out. If you enjoy French inspired cuisine you will find it here. We started with friendly banter and recommendations from our server. We ordered the Escargot on mushrooms. Excellent. We split the special Cassoulet with duck confit. It was also wonderful on a cold evening. The service was just right.

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                              2. Sheila

                                VIP

                                Sacramento

                                42 reviews

                                5.0

                                42 reviews

                                Dined 2 days ago

                                1. Overall 5
                                2. Food 5
                                3. Service 5
                                4. Ambience 4
                                This is our “go to” restaurant. Excellent food and service. Our best dinner on this trip to Carmel. Shawn was our server. He was knowledgeable, friendly and efficient. We have been going to L’Escargot for 50 years and it’s always consistent.

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                              3. Paul

                                VIP

                                Sacramento

                                5 reviews

                                5.0

                                5 reviews

                                Dined 7 days ago

                                1. Overall 5
                                2. Food 5
                                3. Service 5
                                4. Ambience 4
                                The service and food were very good. The sole was cooked to perfection as was the mushroom soup. We were well taken care of by the wait staff

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                              4. Dave

                                VIP

                                San Francisco

                                74 reviews

                                4.0

                                74 reviews

                                Dined on January 5, 2025

                                1. Overall 4
                                2. Food 4
                                3. Service 4
                                4. Ambience 4
                                L’Escargot was pretty good. Sean was engaging and great with wine and food suggestions . The place was busy so we waited a bit but he was apologetic and got to us as quickly as he could so it wasn’t irritating. We had a nice Sancerre he recommended. We started with escargot in mushroom caps which was ok. The parsley sauce was a tad salty and overpowering. Next time I’d try the classic butter in the shell version. We enjoyed the warm bread and a simple butter lettuce salad. The cassoulet was the star of the show. Perfect for a cool Carmel evening. Very hearty with mild sausage and generous amounts of duck confit. We split the order and were pleasantly full. We will be back to give the sole a try. A very enjoyable evening!

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                              5. lewis

                                VIP

                                San Francisco

                                27 reviews

                                5.0

                                27 reviews

                                Dined on January 5, 2025

                                1. Overall 5
                                2. Food 5
                                3. Service 5
                                4. Ambience 4
                                Excellent food and service. Warm, caring, and professional staff. Very comfortable dining rooms. It always has interesting specials, and when compared to other fine dining spots in Carmel, it offers very good value. It is our number one choice for special occasions, but it's too good to just leave for special occasions.

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                              6. Raymond

                                San Francisco

                                28 reviews

                                5.0

                                28 reviews

                                Dined on January 1, 2025

                                1. Overall 5
                                2. Food 5
                                3. Service 5
                                4. Ambience 5
                                Thank you for providing an excellent and outstanding New year's Eve dining experience.

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                              7. lewis

                                VIP

                                San Francisco

                                27 reviews

                                5.0

                                27 reviews

                                Dined on January 1, 2025

                                1. Overall 5
                                2. Food 5
                                3. Service 5
                                4. Ambience 4
                                Always special. Excellent food, outstanding service-great specials. Extensive menu. Only suggestion would be to expand wines by the glass to include some premium wines. Highly recommend this fine restaurant.

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                              8. Nick

                                VIP

                                San Francisco

                                4 reviews

                                3.0

                                4 reviews

                                Dined on December 23, 2024

                                1. Overall 3
                                2. Food 5
                                3. Service 5
                                4. Ambience 5
                                Delish but overpriced food! Amazing service and wine list too!

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                              9. Gregory

                                San Francisco

                                46 reviews

                                5.0

                                46 reviews

                                Dined on December 21, 2024

                                1. Overall 5
                                2. Food 5
                                3. Service 5
                                4. Ambience 4
                                Spectacular food. Wonderful setting. Perfect service. It is a Carmel Highlight.

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                              10. sue

                                VIP

                                San Francisco

                                4 reviews

                                5.0

                                4 reviews

                                Dined on December 20, 2024

                                1. Overall 5
                                2. Food 5
                                3. Service 5
                                4. Ambience 5
                                Always amazing 👏 oldest restaurant in Carmel. Beef Wellington was one of the Chef specials tonight

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                              FAQs

                              L'Escargot - Carmel is rated 4.8 stars by 1258 OpenTable diners.

                              Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

                              Make a reservation

                              2 people
                              11:00 PM
                              Booked 13 times today
                              Google Map for L'Escargot - Carmel

                              Mission at 4th Avenue, Carmel, CA 93921

                              Additional information

                              • Cross street
                                4th Ave
                              • Neighborhood
                                Carmel
                              • Hours of operation
                                Dinner Wed–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
                              • Price
                                $30 and under
                              • Cuisines
                                French, Mediterranean, Basque
                              • Dining style
                                Casual Elegant
                              • Dress code
                                Smart Casual
                              • Parking details
                                Street Parking
                              • Payment options
                                AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
                              • Executive chef
                                Kericos Loutas
                              • Additional
                                Banquet, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wheelchair Access

                              Featured in

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