Casual, corner cafe serving Mediterranean & Middle Eastern plates in warm, homey surrounds. Based on 518 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.3 stars. Price $$
✔️ Dine-in ✔️ Curbside pickup ✔️ No-contact delivery
Address:
Junipero St &, 5th Ave NW, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923
Phone: (831) 624-9232
Social Profile: 
Hours
| Friday | 5–10 PM |
| Saturday | 11:30 AM–2:30 PM, 5–10 PM |
| Sunday | 11:30 AM–2:30 PM, 5–10 PM |
| Monday
(Labor Day)
|
5–10 PM
Hours might differ
|
| Tuesday | 5–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 5–10 PM |
| Thursday | 5–10 PM |
Menu
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Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
Order and Reservations
Reservations: opentable.com
Reviews
Samih Amer
I would give this place a 4.5 stars. The service was very friendly and helpful. I ordered the Lebanese Hummus and the Rack of Lamb. I think the Hummus was way too small of a portion for the price. As an individual it’s fine, but for sharing it’s not enough. The Rack of Lamb was cooked perfectly, the mashed potatoes were very good, the spinach was bland and mediocre. Could have had a better side other than the spinach.
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Diane Weiss
My husband and I shared the babaganoush appetizer and grilled artichoke salad which were both specials and were delicious. The butternut squash ravioli and chicken kebab entrees were superb. The evening we were there, the owner was the host and waiter for the whole restaurant and he did a great job keeping up.
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Ludovica Lama
Food is good, nothing special though.
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Claudia K M
Been here twice and the food were delicious. I enjoyed the lentil soups, salad and the mixed grilled they offered. The Baklava were excellent!!
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Brandon Cohrs
Delicious meal in cozy, quaint town of Carmel. I normally think seafood when dining on the central coast, but this Michelin recognized establishment garnered my attention. I started off with artichoke hearts, gnashed on a Yafa Salad and completed my dinner with New Zealand Lamb Chops. Awesome and exquisite. Check it out next time you’re in town.
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Julius Schultheiss
I don’t know what they gave the Michelin testers but this place has nothing to do with any other Michelin bib gourmand places I have been to. This food is more comparable to a cafeteria dish.
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Brittani B
I don’t normally review, but this place was so perfect I had to! We made reservations online for birthday dinner, we were a little bit early for our reservation time but still got seated right away.
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A Colaco
This is our second time dining at Yafa. The food is tasty — which is why we returned. Sad to see they got rid of the parklet space (outdoor dining spots) — the restaurant is a bit crowded inside and the outdoor dining allowed you to feel more spread out (even though it was on a downhill slope). The hummus is delicious — wish they had gluten free pita; the table said the regular pita was amazing. The grilled octopus was good — flavors were there, texture was a bit chewy, rather than charred, for us. The pear salad was perfect for summer — great texture and combo of feta, walnuts, field greens, and pears; didn’t even need the dressing. Other folks enjoyed the lamb ravioli, salmon entree, and the lamb/beef kabob — all the dishes are highly recommended. The one thing that impacted the meal is that the restaurant seemed understaffed (which we recognize is a problem these days) — it seemed there were only two people helping with tables (plus greeting station) — beverages took a while and water was never refilled. May seem like a petty complaint, but it is is part of the overall experience, especially when you are paying $30-$50 per person for a meal.
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K Fox
We had a great time here. The service was great
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Christian
I highly recommend their seafood pasta. Seafood were perfectly cooked mixed in creamy tomato sauce. Hummus is on the spot and halibut were well seasoned. Beef and lamb kebab is a little bit dry.
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