Il Grillo

Excellent food nice atmosphere in a cozy spot. Knowledgeable and friendly service. Extensive wine list-local and Italian varietals. Reasonable prices. We shared the octopus and sausage appetizer-adequate for two. The pork chop main was delicious and large portion. Pasta with short rib ragu was very good and also a substantial portion for one.

This was not my first time visiting Il Grillo. It wasn't my second or third time.... this place keeps me coming back with outstanding food. Although I don't remember how many times I have been here before, I will remember this meal for some time. Our starter was a spread of bruschetta with a couple different toppings. Tasty! For our main courses, we chose a pasta "alla Matt" that was custom made for us as my friend wanted something off the menu. The pasta was amazing and the sauce had a light tomato base with green olive, basil, capers and small pieces of cheese. Fantastic fusion of flavors and super fresh. Next was a pork chop that was one of the better pork chops that I've ever eaten. Perfectly cooked and a perfect cut of meat that was seasoned with salt and pepper I believe. I've been fortunate to travel around the world this year and eat some memorable meals. This will be one of my favorites!

I did ample research before arriving to Carmel so that my culinary experience there would be the best it could possibly be. Il Grillo had phenomenal reviews, but none of these reviews could ever amount to the experience I had there. The manager, Jay, was a class act. He treated us extremely kindly and was a pleasure to get to know. The food was incredible. We ordered the squid ink risotto and the papardelle bolognese, and could not put our silverware down. This place is, according to the locals, a hidden gem that they do not like to share, but I could not help but write a review to commend Jay and the kitchen for their stellar service.

This is a wonderful out-of-the-way place for dinner. While the place and its menu are small, the dishes are just amazing! We had a bean soup and a salad with a peccorino vineagrette dressing as starters. Both were tasty. Ziti with a bolognese sauce, a bison burger with porcini mushrooms, and a cacciucco were all fabulous. The octopus in the cacciucco was just so tender. Finishing off were a limoncello cheesecake and tiramisu. The entire meal was divine. Bravo il Grillo!!!