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Exterior - Carmel's Bistro Giovanni, Carmel, CA

Carmel's Bistro Giovanni

4.8 (2439)
$31 to $50
Italian
San Carlos & 5th Ave, Carmel, CA 93923

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A photo of Carmel's Bistro Giovanni restaurant

Carmel's Bistro Giovanni

4.8
$31 to $50
Italian
Carmel

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 24 times today

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
An artful, romantic setting with an international wine list and amazing cocktails.
Try some of our specialties: the "Mamma Mia" features mouth-watering meatballs with pasta and southern Mediterranean-spiced sauce, Veal Osso Bucco, Lamb Shank, steaks, and a plethora of seafood including halibut, salmon and sand dabs! For our gluten-free guests, we can also provide gluten free pasta and bread.

*Patio availability depending on weather. We do have plenty of heat lamps but do not have covered tables outdoors. Please understand this when booking.

* For parties of 6 or more and special events we require a credit card to hold your table with a 24 hour cancellation policy, $40 per person will be applied to your credit card for late cancellations and no shows. We will hold your table for 10 minutes. Parking is all street parking, walking or Uber is recommended.

*We have a $30 corkage fee for a standard size bottle (750 ml.) 2 bottle maximum per table.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Daily 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress Code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Fernando Aguilera
  • Catering
    We can accommodate large or group to go orders. Please reach out to the restaurant directly at 831.626.6003 for pricing and availability. <br /><br />We currently do not offer off site catering.
  • Private party facilities
    We have a semi private back room available for up to a party of 24. We can accommodate private groups on our patio, or reserve the whole restaurant for your group. For inquiries please email cbistrogiovanni@gmail.com
  • Delivery & takeout

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Carmel's Bistro Giovanni.

4.8

4.8
(2439)
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • Monterey / Carmel

    Best Food

  • Monterey / Carmel

    Best Value

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Carmel's Bistro Giovanni offers a "wonderful Italian dining experience" with "excellent food and service." Guests rave about the "cozy ambiance" and "friendly staff," making it a "must-go-to" spot in Carmel. The restaurant is praised for its extensive gluten-free menu and "delicious pasta dishes."
2,439 Reviews
  1. wendy

    California Central Coast2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a wonderful experience at Carmel Bistro Giovanni! Service was wonderful, food delicious, and ambience very pleasant. You can't go wrong with this as a top choice for dining.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Patrick

    San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Nice vibe on a Sat. night. Greeted well. waitress was good, timely and polite. The food was mediocre: Frito misto was kinda boring. One of the artichokes was cold on the inside and the sauces were bland. The caeser salad was pretty bad, no flavor. Looked and tasted like a hand full of Costco romaine was thrown haphazardly on a plate. We ate it but underwhelmed. The mains were decent. Osso Bucco good, fettuccini with shrimp was fine and lasagna was a bit better that the previous two. We passed on dessert. One real bummer was having the plates taken away while one person was still eating.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Brenda

    San Francisco Bay Area6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Giovanni's is our favorite place in Carmel! The food is always good and their flourless chocolate cake is to die for! We will definitely be coming back soon.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Jan

    Orange County4 reviews

    2.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Artichoke was soft and squishy with no flavor , min shrimp & scallops sauce was runny, disappointed! For the price definitely not worth it!

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  5. richard

    San Francisco Bay Area30 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 16 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great place for any occasion speacil or every day. Always high quality food and service prices are very reasonable

    Is this helpful?

  6. Theresa

    California Central Coast1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 15 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food, ambiance, Server. We will be back.

    Is this helpful?

  7. CynthiaM

    New York City5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 11 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fabulous meal! Truly authentic pasta and incredible service

    Is this helpful?

  8. Marc

    California Central Coast24 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 10 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always the best food, service, atmosphere. Our happy place in Carmel.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Sandra Gold

    San Francisco Bay Area7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 10 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The perfect Italian restaurant!!! Classic, delicious food in a wonderful atmosphere for a reasonable price.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Paul Gold

    Houston12 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 4 October 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food and service was fantastic, thank you Gladys for taking care of us! A little more noisy than I was expecting but overall a fantastic experience.

    Is this helpful?

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Daily 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress Code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Fernando Aguilera
  • Catering
    We can accommodate large or group to go orders. Please reach out to the restaurant directly at 831.626.6003 for pricing and availability. <br /><br />We currently do not offer off site catering.
  • Private party facilities
    We have a semi private back room available for up to a party of 24. We can accommodate private groups on our patio, or reserve the whole restaurant for your group. For inquiries please email cbistrogiovanni@gmail.com
  • Delivery & takeout

FAQs

Yes, Carmel's Bistro Giovanni can accommodate dietary requests (they offer gluten-free pasta and bread), and note their party policy: for groups of six or more they require a credit card to hold the table with a 24‑hour cancellation policy.

Carmel's Bistro Giovanni feels warm, cozy and romantic, hand-painted murals, background Italian music and intimate seating create a welcoming, homey dining room, with the back tables sometimes quieter.

Dogs are welcome on the patio, guests report the restaurant as pet-friendly and enjoying the heated exterior patio tables when dining with their dogs.

Yes, Carmel's Bistro Giovanni offers a patio (available depending on weather) with plenty of heat lamps; guests have enjoyed dining outside next to the heat lamps.

Casual dress is the guide, comfortable, nothing formal expected, though many guests still dress up a touch for anniversaries and special evenings.

Yes, Carmel's Bistro Giovanni is frequently chosen for anniversaries and romantic evenings, with guests praising the intimate atmosphere and celebratory service.

Guests commonly describe the portions as generous and satisfying, several reviews note generous or big portions and leaving comfortably full.

Saturday nights are a lovely choice, one guest described a Saturday night birthday with a romantic atmosphere and the owner checking on tables.

Yes, the outdoor patio is dog-friendly; several guests mention being welcomed with their dogs and enjoying the heated patio seating.

Carmel's Bistro Giovanni is nicest early in the evening, arriving when dinner opens (around 4:00 pm) often feels much quieter, while later dinner times fill up and can be quite busy.

Yes, families dine here regularly: guests report bringing children of all ages and the staff are welcoming and accommodating, making it an easy choice for family dinners.

How FAQ content is generated

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. California Central Coast
  4. Monterey / Carmel
  5. Carmel

Make a booking

A photo of Carmel's Bistro Giovanni restaurant

Carmel's Bistro Giovanni

4.8
$31 to $50
Italian
Carmel

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 24 times today
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