Top 5 Restaurants in California’s Central Coast

According to Rusty Tweed, the best Central Coast restaurants are hidden away in old-world towns, like the quaintly-named Madonna Inn. While every room is unique, the bakery is especially noteworthy for its pink champagne cake. It’s a decadent dessert that’s covered with chocolate shavings and covered with layers of whipped cream and Bavarian cream. A trip to the Madonna Inn is not complete without stopping for dessert.

The Central Coast is also home to excellent seafood, and each city has a specialty. Pismo, for example, is renowned for its clams, while Santa Barbara is home to some of the country’s best spot prawns. But land-based fare is also plentiful on the Central Coast, with Santa Maria-style tri-tip and Solvang-style aebleskivers.

The first rule of real estate is location. The Central Coast offers the best of both worlds: Michelin-awarded restaurants, and tried-and-true favorites. Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll be able to find it in this compilation of Central Coast restaurants. And with so much to see and do, you’ll never run out of things to do! The best part is, the Central Coast is only a few hours away from San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Pismo Beach is known for fresh seafood, particularly clam chowder, but don’t miss Brad’s Seafood Restaurant, which is considered the best restaurant in town. It also serves up a tasty Tri-Tip Sandwich. Despite the small size, it’s hard to resist the irresistible taste of this local delicacy. In addition, the town’s restaurants are open 24 hours a day.

Rusty Tweed thinks that dungeness crab is the prized crab in the state, with waters down to Santa Barbara. It’s tender, meaty, and best enjoyed in crab cakes, crab legs, and crab louie salad. In Carmel, you’ll want to visit Flaherty’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar, where you can enjoy a delicious Dungeness crab cocktail appetizer.

A Santa Barbara restaurant that celebrates seasonal produce is the Lark. Located in the historic Santa Barbara Fish Market building, Lark merges farm-to-table philosophy with a family-style approach. The outdoor courtyard is as convivial as the restaurant’s interior. In addition to its indoor dining room, the Lark also offers an extensive wine list. Guests can sample an extensive menu of classic California dishes and cocktails in a casual atmosphere.

Ember is another fantastic Central Coast restaurant, featuring a 100-bottle wine list that features wines from the area’s San Luis Obispo County vineyards. Ember’s staff is eager to please and seem eager to please customers. The restaurant’s focus on the wood-fired grill honors the region’s long tradition of wood-grilled meats. The menu changes monthly, depending on seasonal produce. Don’t miss the chance to enjoy one of the many outdoor patios.

The city of San Luis Obispo is just 20 minutes away from Pismo Beach, and it is a great place to enjoy a meal. The Splash Cafe is a PCH institution, serving some of the best clam chowder in the state. Every travel brochure features the restaurant on its cover, and it is worth stopping by. And, it uses 100% butter.

The Ragged Point Inn in San Simeon offers panoramic ocean views and farm-to-table cuisine. Located on the edge of a cliff, this is the perfect spot to catch the sunset. The restaurant serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner daily. If you come early enough, you can sit outside on the patio and watch the sunset while enjoying your meal. Rusty Tweed feels that you’ll also have the option of enjoying a cocktail or two at the cliff-side Cavalier Coastal Kitchen.