After a very long drive up and down the coast from San Francisco starting at 5:00 AM and stopping in Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel and Pfeiffer Beach, we were tired and just needed a nice dinner before our drive to Yosemite. I chose Nepenthe because of a good experience I'd had before with my sister some years ago. I thought... More

Arrived Friday about 5:30PM to see the sun set on the ocean. A quick Internet search would have told us sunset was about 8:30. And, at least in June, from this angle the sun doesn't set on the ocean but through the trees very near the shore. We ate at the wooden bar on the dinner side and the view... More

Super efficient restaurant, boring and expensive food, and unbelievable views (on a clear day). If you are fogged in, you may want to see if there are less expensive options.

Tripadvisor research led us here and on such a stunning day it was a perfect spot to bird watch and enjoy lunch. Loved the design of the space and the way it wraps itself around the panoramic views. Delightful stop on our pacific highway road trip

Driving along the Pacific Coast Highway, we stopped at Nepenthe Restaurant near the southern edge of Big Sur for lunch. Great view. Lots of outdoor seating overlooking the coastline. We had French Dip that was dry, had only a hint of horseradish and some left over ketchup in the basket from a somebody else's meal. Showed it to the server... More

Absolutely unbeatable location, setting and views. Service at the restaurant somewhere between forced friendly hipness and veiled disdain. Pushy about menu choices, rushed. I tried to state my desire and felt like i had to fight for it. Food quality good-ish, but not stellar by any means (lunch) of course the fries were great - can't mess that up!! Surprisingly... More

What a view! I hope heaven is this pretty! The vegan sandwich was awesome and our waitress was a delight.

We had spent the day driving the PCH from Carmel to Big Sur . We saw Nepenthe on our drive and knew we had to check it out. There is a "counter" (think beautiful wood counter) all the way around the edge of the deck at which we were able to sit and enjoy a very tasty dinner with stunning... More

Stopped here after a morning hike for lunch. Food is fresh and thoughtful, views are amazing. Service was slightly kooky, as if everyone was high. It is Cali, after all.