Mission Bistro — Restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea

The grill, toasted bread and arugula!

The good… The buttered sourdough bread toasted on the grill was good. Simple but nice touch compared to the typical basket of bread and butter.

Now the bad…. Except the afore mentioned food highlights, the use of salt is over the top at this restaurant. It started with the calamari, which was sent back and came out the same… salty! The server admitted salt level couldn’t be changed when he said it was premixed, likely code word for pour frozen pre-made calamari out of the bag into fryer - put back into freezer. It wasn’t bad, at least not fishy smelling, but too salty.

But the salt didn’t end! We asked the server to tell the kitchen staff not to overly salt our mains. Can you guess what our mains tasted like?

Let’s start with the swordfish from the bottom of the stack. The mashed potatoes - not heated, and too salty. Oops the sauce under the potatoes…. SALT and more SALT, inedible. Again the mushrooms on top the potatoes… even more salt. Now finally the swordfish…. Not salty, but instead gross, fishy smelling indicating either not fresh or improperly cleaned prior to cooking. Inedible was the conclusion after sampling. Note to “chef,” swordfish shouldn’t grossly smell fishy. My spouse wouldn’t even allow me to taste the fish - yeah that bad. I can confirm the temp and saltiness of the mashed potatoes. Not even amateur execution, simply pathetic cooking.

Now to the other meal - steak frites…. Likely preseasoned, frozen fries, cooked well but overly salty. But they are fries, which could receive a pass on slighty high salt except for the known salt heavy hand already in the kitchen. And the steak…. Not too salty, but then good steak benefits from a bit extra salt. Too bad our tongues were reeling from a trip to lick the Bonneville Salt Flats! And as for good steak, not so much…. The steak had no taste and was dry. I guess that’s why there was a small container of port sauce on the side. A note…. The steak is precut by the “chef” which not only covers for him not paying attention to the requested cook level (which they got right) but also allows a taste test. Note to “chef,” likely best to pour the sauce (if good) over the dry steak to cover up the lack of taste and dryness. I couldn’t even get to try the sauce due to the disaster the restaurant wants to call lunch.

To end the meal which we only had one bite each, we asked the server to take the food away and bring us the check. Then he came back and asked what was wrong but didn’t want to listen to the criticisms. I asked for the check a second time to pay. Then proceeded the typical denials in the kitchen as the staff gathered behind with the “chef” even walking to an area to see who sent his “perfect” food back. Note to staff: Patrons can see you when you do this in your restaurant - it ain’t professional. And a real chef would have the balls to come out and listen to genuine criticisms from customers, especially a new “chef” from what the recent reviews indicate.

Another minute plus of waiting for the check that didn’t come. I actually had to walk most of the way to the kitchen to get the server. Then in front of 3-4 of his colleagues, I asked for the third time to get the check. I actually had to raise my voice to a stern tone and remind him that I was asking for the third time and that we would simply walk out if we didn’t get it immediately. That’s when the server said that we didn’t need to pay and wished us a happy rest of the day. Talk about a huge waste of food due to incompetent cooking. Simply don’t eat at this place if you want to prevent food waste… Unless you only order the toasted bread and pick out the arugula from in between the...

Mission Bistro is a culinary gem that deserves every bit of the compliments it receives. From the moment you arrive, the hospitality and refined warm ambiance sets the stage for an unforgettable dining experience. Chef Matt has truly outdone himself with a menu that highlights both creativity and quality.

The curry mussels are an absolute must-try; they are perfectly cooked and bathed in a rich, aromatic broth that’s impossible to resist. Each bite bursts with flavor, showcasing the freshness of the ingredients. Make sure to get extra bread is to soak up all the extra broth.

The heirloom salad is a delightful surprise, featuring vibrant colors and textures that create a refreshing contrast to the other dishes. The combination of butter lettuce, ricotta salata, rainbow radishes, and a balanced vinaigrette elevates this dish to new heights.

For the main course, the swordfish is flawlessly prepared—tender, flaky, seared and seasoned to perfection. It’s complemented beautifully by excellently prepared eggplant and cauliflower, with a perfectly made romesco tying in all the natural flavors.

Finally, the pistachio sponge cake is the perfect ending to an incredible meal. Light and moist, it offers a unique twist on a classic dessert, deconstructed with two flavors of fresh sorbet, streak of toasted marshmallow, toasted pistachios and freshly cut strawberries infused with rose water.

Owners Shahine and Nada have created a welcoming atmosphere that feels both intimate and lively. Their passion for hospitality shines through in every detail, making each guest and four legged friend feel special. They delight in getting locally sourced high quality ingredients, fresh seafood and a fun experience.

Mission Bistro is a must-visit for anyone looking to indulge in exceptional food and warm service. I can’t...

On Monday April 29th, we had been on the road for over 6 hours. After checking into our bed & breakfast, we wanted to find somewhere nearby for dinner. We initially tried a restaurant we had eaten at before as they had a dog friendly outdoor patio, but were unfortunately told that they had a 1 hour wait even though there were not a lot of customers. They did not even bother putting down our names, and we just left.

Fortunately, I had bookmarked Mission Bistro already and wanted to eat here as well so we walked over. They also had tables outside and my husband asked if we could sit outside since we had our dogs with us. To our surprise, they told us that we could bring our dogs inside if we wanted. We started off with sparkling water for everyone and our server brought a bowl of water for our dogs. The interior has an open kitchen, nice wood details, and pop of color with the cushion and all the artwork.

My mom ordered the Swordfish (grilled Pacific swordfish, romesco, roasted cauliflower & eggplant, almond, Nicoise olives), my husband ordered the Beef Cheek Pappardelle (braised Australian Wagyu, fresh egg Pappardelle, Big Sur Chanterelle mushrooms, Grana Padano Cheese), and I ordered the Steak Frites (Teres Major cut of shoulder, demi glace, crispy frites).

Overall, it was actually my birthday and glad we ended up here. Everything tasted wonderful and we got awesome service from the staff.

As we were walking back, we had to pass the initial restaurant who told us they had a 1 hour wait, and when we looked, they were still pretty empty. We would have still...