What to order at Akaoni

Must order
Sushi from the day's fish list, called out at the counter.
Editor tip
Seats are few and hours are short; call ahead, and remember lunch only runs Thursday through Saturday.
CuisineJapanese sushi
Price$$$
NeighborhoodMission Street
HoursLunch Thu-Sat 11:30-13:00; Dinner Tue-Sat 17:00-20:30
Last verified

Must order: Sushi from the day's fish list, called out at the counter.

Why locals love it: No online booking, minimal signage and a 90-minute lunch window three days a week keep this Michelin Guide-listed counter a local secret.

Tip: Seats are few and hours are short; call ahead, and remember lunch only runs Thursday through Saturday.

Location

Address: Mission St & 6th Ave, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921

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More hidden gems in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Il Tegamino ★ 4.5

Italian$$$Ocean AvenueDinner 17:00-21:00; closed Mon-Tue

Il Tegamino hides in Carmel's Court of the Golden Bough off Ocean Avenue, a small family-run room cooking Italian comfort food behind a candy shop.

Order: The night's baked tegamino, the namesake pan dish.

Why locals love it: You enter through a courtyard tucked behind the Cottage of Sweets candy shop; from Ocean Avenue there is almost nothing to see.

Tip: Find the courtyard entrance tucked behind the Cottage of Sweets; the room is tiny, so book before you plan the rest of the evening.

Ocean Ave between Lincoln & Monte Verde, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921

Windy Oaks Carmel Tasting Room ★ 4.3

Wine bar$$Lincoln StreetMon-Thu 12:00-18:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-19:00; Sun 12:00-18:00

Windy Oaks pours its estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on Lincoln Street in Carmel, a quieter tasting room a block off the Ocean Avenue current.

Order: The estate Pinot Noir tasting flight.

Why locals love it: It pours on Lincoln Street, a block the wine walk crowd rarely reaches; most visitors never leave Dolores and San Carlos.

Tip: Fridays and Saturdays it pours until 19:00; the Lincoln Street location keeps it calmer than the Dolores Street rooms at weekends.

Lincoln St between Ocean & 6th Ave, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921

Cottage of Sweets ★ 4.0

Market$Ocean AvenueMon-Thu 10:00-20:00; Fri-Sat 10:00-22:00; Sun 10:00-21:00

Cottage of Sweets has candied Ocean Avenue in Carmel since 1959, hand-making fudge in an ivy-covered cottage stocked with imported licorice.

Order: A quarter pound of house fudge, cut from the slab.

Why locals love it: Tourists photograph the ivy-covered cottage without realising the fudge and chocolates are still made by the shop's own confectioners.

Tip: The house fudge and chocolates are made by the shop's own confectioners, and the licorice shelf is imported from around the world.

Ocean Ave between Monte Verde & Lincoln, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921

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