The Cottage - Carmel-by-the-Sea

We have always enjoyed dining at this restaurant! The food is consistently delicious, although we were surprised to find a significant increase in prices since our last visit in September 2021. Our usual bill, including tip, has gone up from $40 to $60. It was disappointing to discover that the owner no longer accepts credit cards, and instead there is an ATM machine that charges a $3 fee for cash withdrawals. Not everyone carries cash these days, so this change in policy was frustrating. Additionally, it seems misleading for the menu to advertise that Visa and Mastercard are accepted, only to be unable to use them when it comes time to pay.

We went to brunch on a Saturday and originally planned on going to Village Corner, but they were closed. The staff at the Cottage restaurant greeted us warmly and had a table ready for 2 as soon as we arrived. It was quite busy and other groups had to wait a bit longer. That day, they informed us that their credit card machine was not working, so they were only accepting cash, but this wasn't a problem for us. We ordered a ham eggs benedict, an omelet, and Kathy cakes, one with berries and another with chocolate chips. I also had a grapefruit mimosa since they were out of the other juices. The meal was enjoyable and filling. The atmosphere was cozy and family-friendly.

I ordered 2 scrambled eggs, hash browns, and an English muffin. The eggs were delicious but the hash browns had no flavor and were inedible. The English muffin was burnt. I didn't want to complain so I ate the eggs and most of the muffin. My husband had French toast, orange juice, and coffee, which were all good.

The Cottage has delicious breakfasts. We had the Crab and Spinach Eggs Benedict with potato fries. Great coffee. Service was superb. Cozy and friendly atmosphere.

During the last day of our recent Carmel visit, my wife and I enjoyed breakfast at the Cottage Restaurant. We had heard good things about this restaurant and were eager to give it a try. It did not disappoint! We started off with coffee and I ordered a Mimosa. My wife ordered an omelette. The Cottage Restaurant has a selection of ingredients that can be added to the omelette; one can choose three ingredients and any extra over three are $1.25 each. My wife chose the cheddar cheese, bell peppers, and mushrooms. The dish came with cottage potatoes and she ordered toasted sourdough as her bread selection. I chose the breakfast burrito. As with the omelette, one can choose three ingredients, and I chose cheddar cheese, ham, and bacon. The burrito also came with cottage potatoes. The portions were generous and we were both pleased and full! Service was great, not too intrusive, and the staff was very friendly. Recommended for a hearty, tasty breakfast. Apologies for the somewhat blurry menu pic.