Chez Noir serves up Michelin-starred, seafood-forward French bistro fare in a cozy Carmel setting with warm service and creative cocktails.
5th Ave between Dolores and, San Carlos St, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921 Get directions
$100+ · Menu
"A restaurant in Carmel-By-The-Sea recognized for its chef, Jonny Black, who is a semifinalist in the Best Chef: California category." - Dianne de Guzman
"Chez Noir, co-owned by Monique and Jonny Black, offers a seasonal, seafood-centric menu inside a space with retro brass fixtures and custom art. It has gained attention and a Michelin star, making it the town's second starred spot."
"At the Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant Chez Noir in Carmel-By-The-Sea, some of the most stunning bites are served at the very start when palates are primed for flavors that fire on all cylinders. The restaurant from hospitality pros Monique Black and her husband chef Jonny Black occupies a gorgeous building that feels lived in even though it is an entirely new build. The move is to arrive for an early dinner and bask in the dining room’s immaculate golden hour glow while enjoying a well-crafted cocktail with a few small nibbles. Among the parade of amuses, including chilled and grilled oysters and delicate toasts flanked with local anchovies, was grilled Monterey abalone." - Eater Staff
"Winning a Michelin star within a year after opening in October 2022, Chez Noir showcases local seafood-centric cuisine from chef Jonny Black, whose pedigree is from two three-Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurants: Atelier Crenn, where he was executive chef, and Quince, where he was chef de cuisine. His Monterey abalone skewers bathed in abalone liver butter on a bay laurel skewer (dubbed “swoon-worthy” by the Michelin Guide, whose inspectors called it one of their five favorite dishes in California) were so popular, they’re now an extra bite for everyone." - Sharon McDonnell
"Everyone from the local dog walker to the Silicon Valley techie has heard about Chez Noir, the buzzy restaurant that’s racked up big-deal awards since opening in 2022. And it’s worth the hype. The husband and wife who run the place quite literally invite you into their home (they live above the restaurant), creating a stay-as-long-as-you-please atmosphere in the intimate dining room that looks part coastal California, part Parisian cafe. The $150, four-course tasting menu changes daily, showcasing seafood-centric dishes like tender abalone skewers lightly seared in liver butter, or a farm tomato panzanella paired with Baja mussels, local squid, and guindilla peppers." - allison green, clara hogan
