Dining at Ventana:
I had two meals at the bar in the dining room. Service was great, warm & friendly servers, nice wine list and a fantastic roasted squash entree one evening. I also enjoyed breakfast on the stunning patio on two mornings. While the dining was good - relative to the rest of the Ventana experience, I would say they do hospitality and style better than they do food.
Deetjen's:
Located at the Big Sur Inn, Deetjen's is on the non-coastal side of Rt. 1 in a completely bohemian bungalow style compoud. Very eclectic and quirky with a lot of soul. Breakfast was good.
Big Sur Bakery:
Lovely little spot with out of this world baked goods and a nice dinner menu, too. Warm, hospitable and the gardens are fantastic. Loved it. Reservations are recommended for the evening and we made it to breakfast before a really long line formed!
Nepenthe:
Fantastic! We ate on the enormous terrace for lunch, with views of the mountains and a very laid back family friendly vibe with kids playing around outside. Dinner was a different atmosphere, dimly lit, moody, with large candlesticks on every table and a gorgeous fire pit. Like all of Big Sur, service was friendly and spot on.
