Foray - Restaurant in Carmel-By-The-Sea - NEC San Carlos Street &, 5th Ave, USA

Absolutely fantastic experience, from the service to the cocktails to the food. Owners Caroline and Michael have done a phenomenal job of creating a welcoming restaurant with top-notch, Michelin-worthy food. I had the tasting menu with wine pairing, along with a cocktail and a couple of oysters from the happy hour menu to start, and every dish was wonderful. Probably my single favorite dish was the saltwater roe trio (adding California sturgeon roe to the duo on the regular menu) -- generous helpings of roe with lime creme fraiche in delicate nests of crispy potatoes. The roasted scallop was also next-level, and the abalone was the most tender abalone I've ever had. The space feels elegant but homey, and has been thoughtfully designed acoustically -- a welcome change from many modern restaurants with echoing surfaces and deafening volumes. I can't wait to return, and I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough!!

Amazing experience. The restaurant has been opened for a year. Made reservations just a few hours before our seating. The location is quintessential Carmel. Service was spectacular from the moment we arrived. The food was at another level. Everything we had was well done, seasoned and nicely presented. We had the artichoke small plate, the lyonese salad, an Alaskan King Salmon and the chicken. All plates are 5 star recommendations. We went with cocktails for our libations. The lavender cocktail was excellently executed. The passion fruit cocktail could be improved. I mentioned this to the waiter, but they did not do anything to fix this part of the experience. Perhaps an area of improvement. Overall, awesome place and highly recommended.

Only great things to be said about this restaurant. My wife and I chose Foray tonight as the place to celebrate our Big Sur elopement earlier today. Boy, am I glad we did! We were greeted by a friendly host, and promptly seated at a table that was beautifully decorated with fresh flowers and candlelight. We felt very welcomed and comfortable throughout the night. Our server, Ernesto, was so friendly and informative. He walked us through the menu and answered any and all questions we had. The food - wow. This genuinely might have been the best dinner I’ve ever had. I did splurge and get the 55 day aged strip loin since we were celebrating, but my goodness. Everything from the artichoke confit small plate, to the kale salad, to our main courses were all incredible. If you are looking for a place worthy of spending a magical night, Foray is where you need to go!

Chef Michael and his lovely wife Caroline really made our first year wedding anniversary extra special and we so appreciated ALL of the attention to detail. They made us feel like VIP’s. There is no other restaurant like this in Carmel in terms of the professional service, the amazing FOOD, hand crafted cocktails, and superb wine list. It is absolutely exquisite. The decor is fresh, new, on trend, and something Carmel by the Sea has needed for a very long time.

I can confidently say that Foray was one of the best meals I have ever had! We arrived during happy hour (5-6pm) which is an excellent deal. All small bites were 50% off and drinks were $12. We ordered all of the small bites and were blown away by all of them, but especially the oysters and saltwater roe duo. We then ordered the duck egg brown butter brioche which was not only baked to soft perfection, but also paired with a delicious butter made in house. For mains, we ordered the kale salad, crab raviolo, tartar, and dry aged salmon. The salmon and tartar both were top contenders for the best of each I have ever had, and overall, I was thoroughly impressed by every dish. The drinks were great too- especially the espresso martini. Overall, I felt that the price fairly reflected the quality of the food and the experience. I will definitely be back!

Foray is my absolute favorite dining experience in Carmel, for any occasion. It’s a welcoming big-city foodie experience in our charming small town. It’s true, as some people say here; it’s not as cheap as your typical restaurant, BUT Foray far surpasses any typical dining experience in every way! Most importantly you get what you pay for at Foray, in unique high quality ingredients with skilled and artful execution by Chef Micheal and his fabulous crew! Almost completely organic, locally foraged or sourced, local small farm quality, and so thoughtfully and tastefully prepared and paired. I recommend this restaurant to everyone I know and their expectations are always exceeded. Every cocktail I’ve ever ordered was amazing, the Carmelcito is my favorite! I’ve cocktail waitressed for the better part of a decade, so I’m picky and know how rare it is to find truly delicious and quality signature cocktails. The kale salad is a local favorite and created to perfection, saltwater roe are such great little bites, artichoke heart confit and candy cap butter brioche are SO yum, and the special way they prepare the chicken is the juiciest I’ve ever had in my life. My boyfriend loves the 40-something day aged tenderloin. Caroline and the staff are so friendly and attentive and I love that everyone explains what is in each dish upon delivery, Ernesto is so clearly passionate about food and service and is the BEST at explaining the dishes. You guys, Foray is MUST TRY when visiting Carmel. And how lucky, if you live here!!

Thanks to a small accident, we had the honor of going to dinner at this wonderful place. @forayrestaurant There are not enough words to describe what a fantastic experience my husband and I had. The place is very cozy, the employees are like family. Ernesto our waiter was incredible in explaining every detail of the dishes before ordering and after ordering. All the dishes were incredibly delicious, without exception. Ernesto talked about each dish like saying a poem and talking lovingly about food. The chef came out of the kitchen to greet us and thank us for being there, his wife Caroline was also very attentive, welcoming and polite to us. The bartender prepared a non-alcoholic drink for my husband and I that was delicious and very refreshing. All the desserts were Fantastic!! For me this place is the best place in my life where I have enjoyed eating like a Queen! With my king! I highly recommend this place!!. . . .

Foray in Carmel California is a culinary gem. The use of amazing produce sets it apart from the competition as does the fantastic cooking of the classically trained chef Michael Chang. The menu is full of exciting and unique dishes and is currently at the level of a one star. To be clear this is not the classic “holiday restaurant “. In fact it reminds me more of the establishments that I used to frequent when I lived in Mayfair London. If you are looking for a menu of “deep fried everything” this is not the place for you. If you love true fine dining then you will love Foray.