Reservations open · Tonight at 7pm · 4 seats left (831) 555-0419 · Lincoln Lane, Carmel-by-the-Sea
Driftwood Kitchen + Bar Carmel-by-the-Sea · est. 2019
A warmly lit restaurant dining room with exposed wood beams, candlelit tables, and an open kitchen visible in the background.

Coastal cooking, wood-fired warmth.

A sixteen-seat restaurant on Lincoln Lane. Local fish, dry-aged meats, and a wine list built around the Monterey coast. Reservations recommended.

Reserve a table View the menu

A wood fire, a wine list, and a sixteen-seat room.

Driftwood started in 2019 with a single Hibachi grill on the back patio of a rented bungalow on Lincoln Lane. Chef Mariella Vasquez and sommelier Theo Park spent six months building the wine list before the first menu was written, and that ordering still shapes how the kitchen cooks today.

What we serve changes with the season and what the Monterey coast is doing. What doesn't change: everything is wood-fired, everything is local, and every table gets the same menu.

"We don't have a freezer. We don't have a microwave. We have a wood fire and a fish boat that comes in at six." - Mariella Vasquez, chef & co-owner
16 Seats total
4 Signature spaces
112 Wines on the list

Four ways to sit with us.

Each space has its own menu pacing, its own music, and its own light. Pick the room that matches the evening you're after.

01 · Dining room

The main room

Eight tables, exposed-beam ceiling, candlelight at night, the kitchen in earshot. Where most of our regulars end up.

8 seats
02 · Patio

The ocean-view patio

Heated year-round, open to the coast. Best at golden hour, weather permitting. Slightly louder, much looser.

12 seats · heated
03 · Wine bar

The wine bar

Eight stools, the full list open, lighter bites only. Walk-in friendly on weeknights. First-come, first-served.

8 seats · walk-in
04 · Chef's counter

The chef's counter

Six seats facing the hearth. Tasting menu only, single seating nightly, book out two months ahead.

6 seats · tasting menu

Lincoln Lane, between Ocean and 7th.

Half a block from the beach, behind the cypress. Look for the string lights.

The restaurant

Address
Lincoln Lane, between Ocean & 7th
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921
MondayClosed
TuesdayClosed
Wednesday5:00pm – 10:00pm
Thursday5:00pm – 10:00pm
Friday5:00pm – 11:00pm
Saturday (dinner)5:00pm – 11:00pm
Saturday & Sunday (brunch)10:00am – 2:00pm
Sunday (dinner)5:00pm – 9:00pm

Getting here

Lincoln Lane is one block inland from Ocean Avenue. Street parking is free after 6pm. From Highway 1, take the Ocean Avenue exit and head west, we're four blocks past the post office on your right.

If you're staying in Carmel, walk. If you're coming from Monterey or Pacific Grove, allow 15 minutes for parking on weekends.

Reservations

Released six weeks ahead, Mondays at 9am. The chef's counter books out in minutes on release morning. Set a reminder.

Reserve a table

Reserve a table.

We confirm by phone within four hours during service. For tonight or same-day, please call us directly.

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