Mundaka

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Address:
San Carlos Street
Carmel, CA 93921

Neighborhood:
Carmel

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Cuisine:
Spanish

Price: $30 and under

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Mundaka Details

Dining Style: Casual Dining
Website: http://www.mundakacarmel.com/
Email: info@mundakacarmel.com
Phone: (831) 624-7400
Hours of Operation:

Dinner: Su-W 5:30pm-10:00pm

Dinner: Th-Sa 5:30pm-11:00pm
Payment Options: AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Spanish, Basque, Californian
Executive Chef: Brandon Miller
Dress Code: Casual Dress
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Dancing, Entertainment, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine, Wine Bar
Private Party Facilities: We offer private and semi-private dining in various rooms depending on the size of the group
Private Party Contact: Gabe Georis (831) 624-7400
Entertainment: Mundaka Provides a variety of live music and DJ entertainment. Sunday-Wednesday nights we have dinner hour music from 7pm-9pm. Thursday-Saturday is late night DJ from 9:30pm-Midnight
Specifics are available on our website calendar: www.mundakacarmel.com

Getting there

Cross Street: Between Ocean Ave & 7th Ave
Public Transit: Monterey Peninsula Transit Bus Stop is located right out front on the sidewalk.
Parking: Street Parking
Parking Details: Parking is available on the street as well as in the Wells Fargo Bank parking lot adjacent to us after 6pm

A word from Mundaka

Mundaka is a Spanish style tapas restaurant in downtown Carmel, CA. It is the result of great friendships, a love of food and wine and music, and a long term romance with Spain and its culture. Open in March 2009, Mundaka continues to evolve daily with the creations of our chef Brandon Miller, and… the musical musings of all our talented contributors. Mundaka aspires to be the hub for all that is tasty, fun, artistic, creative, and cultural in Carmel-by-the-sea. We look forward to seeing you soon.Continued

Foodspotting photos

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Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerFit for Foodies
Diners' Choice WinnerGood for Groups
Diners' Choice WinnerNeighborhood Gem

Diner Reviews

"I've eaten at tapas restaurants in the Bay Area over the last couple years, but never have I found one that replicated the foods I so love in Barcelona. If you don't have a reservation, don't even try to get in! The food was great. They are always packed, which is probably why the service is a little slow, but then it does lend to the whole ambiance of being in Spain."
Dined on 2/21/2014
"Excellent Spanish tapas!! Bacon wrapped dates were terrific, as was Cauliflower gratin, and Lamb & feta burgers. There are so many more things that looked good, one could keep going back and finding new things. The waiters are so friendly and helpful! They are very busy, so probably need more staff. The Rioja wines are fantastic!"
Dined on 2/21/2014
"Geat find in Carmel....we had early reservations, and with only a few people there, we received incredible service. Everyone here was so nice, knowledgable and helpful. The small plates were delicious and unusual....and being small plates we tried several. The fried garbanzas went great with our margarita and beer, we also ordered the Bombas (fabulous), the lamb burger with shoestring fries, and the duck confit. It was more than enough food. We will definitely return the next time we're in Carmel."
Dined on 2/17/2014
"Marvelous Yes a Spanish restaurant that evokes memories of our trip to Barcelona from the tapas to the paella. When visiting Carmel you cannot go wrong."
Dined on 2/15/2014
"Very cute little place with good food. We will be back!"
Dined on 2/14/2014
"This is a tapas bar....... A good one. Everything you would expect, nothing more, nothing less."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"It took two hours to get four dishes. Our dishes were served to other people who didn't order them and staff said here enjoy these on us yo the other people. Brought us the wrong bill three times. Kitchen couldn't make several items but couldn't explain why or offer other options after waiting over an hour. Our drinks were never brought to us after asking at least seven or eight times. Waiter couldn't remember our order and came back three times to ask us and had it wrong each time. Water never refilled. Over all negative experience."
Dined on 2/7/2014
"You could walk by Mundaka and not know what you are missing. The food was wonderful and filling. The house made sangria was delightful. The service was great. Not a single complaint. Enjoyed everything about our dining experience."
Dined on 2/3/2014
"This is a must for us with any trip to Carmel. The food is always good with very intriguing preparations . The staff is always helpful and treats you as if you were members of the family."
Dined on 2/7/2014
"My husband & I spent over $150 just on food & we were still hungry. We actually went to another restaurant for more food afterwards. The drinks were good, but when I think of Tapas, I think of reasonably prices small bites. The prices don't match the portions here."
Dined on 1/25/2014
"I always enjoy going to Mundaka. It is my first choice for Carmel restaurants and I am a local who dines out often. The ambiance is great along with the food AND their hours go later than most restaurants in the area. Though they always seems busy, I have never had to wait more than 5-10 mins for a table."
Dined on 1/24/2014
"I lived in Spain for 20 years and am always on the lookout for Spanish food restaurants to take me back and bring back memories. This usually ends in disappointment because the chef always feel obligated to try and improve on perfect dishes (or have never really been to Spain to learn how they should taste). Mundaka does a pretty good job of replicating a Spanish dining experience. The food is pretty authentic and the ambiance is nice with small tables for couples and larger family style tables for larger groups. We went on Friday and enjoyed live Spanish acoustical music. The bar is nice for having a glass of wine or beer with some tapas. Bottom line, Mundaka is the best Spanish tapa restaurant I have found in the Monterey Bay area."
Dined on 1/24/2014
"Seasonal, rotating menu ensures you will want to come back, but don't expect your favorites to be on the list every time."
Dined on 1/18/2014
"Friends came in from out of town and I made a reservation at Mundaka, prior to going to the Sunset Center for a performance. We had a wonderful, delicious meal - and great service from a very attentive, well-informed server. We'll be back!"
Dined on 1/18/2014
"The draw for me was the mandolin player, Dave Holodiloff. He is an amazing musician and entertainer. He got the crowd involved and made it a very special evening. I found the food OK but not amazing. You need to be ready for a "tapas" genre menu. The wine was good, but there is not an extensive selection. The server was attentive and knew the menu and wines well. The atmosphere is cozy and friendly. It is a great neighborhood location. They need to work on menu selection and presentation of food. The duck confit just came on a small white plate, nothing special. The butternut squash/potato item did not taste fresh. This is a fabulous chef who should be able to improve on these items."
Dined on 1/12/2014
"Fun place but food was mediocre at best. And there wasn't a Spaniard in sight."
Dined on 1/11/2014
"Food was good but service was way too slow. Waited over 20 minutes for our first drink. Food courses were slow as well. The food was tasty and we would consider a second chance."
Dined on 1/11/2014
"Mundaka was wonderful, highly recommended. We dined there New Years Eve and it will be a very special memory, lovely ambience and entertainment, wonderful tapas, friendly and engaged service, great all around. We'll definitely return."
Dined on 12/31/2013
"The food was good, the service was attentive & friendly, the ambience is lovely, but best of all, it is a fun experience. Make sure to order the PORRON to drink your wine and ask for a lesson. This is fun with a group of friends, but it is also a good way to break the ice if you are on a date. Adults & kids alike enjoy (although the kids drank the limonata, not wine). Yummy food and a dining adventure. It is a unique experience and nice to do something a little different. We make a point of going here each time we visit Carmel."
Dined on 12/30/2013
"We tried Mundaka because we'd seen a December article in the SF Chronicle that made it sound like it offered something different in both food and ambiance from the usual run of Carmel restaurants & that turned out to be true. We came on the Saturday night of Christmas week & were glad we'd made a reservation, as the restaurant was crowded with people having a good time, as we ourselves did. What made the evening work for us was the great service & the diverse crowd: the diners at the next table were a late middle-aged couple like ourselves whose company made for a lively evening. The food turned out to be less important than the overall ambiance: we tried a number of tapas dishes, enjoying some & thinking others were just ok."
Dined on 12/28/2013
"They need to figure out who their clientele is. Very mixed them to extent there was one. Carpeted floor? Ugh, yuck. Makeshift bar area with cardboard partition was sad but indicative of the poor quality, watered down drinks that were served. Overall service was poor, waited a long time to receive water and place an order just for drinks. The food was so so, not worth going back for and certainly not remarkable as tapas bars and restaurants go,"
Dined on 12/27/2013
"Kudos to Gabe and the staff at Mundaka! We went in for a 7:30 reservation last Saturday to celebrate a bit and they went out of their way to make it a great table full of the noise and energy that is Mundaka. The drinks were a bit pricey but great. The food however was spectacular. It was our first time having the Paella and it was awesome. Overall this one is a must dine if you have one night in Carmel as you'll get 5 star food, service and ambiance. You'll need a reservation and pay a little more than the average Carmel restaurant but you'll love every moment of it."
Dined on 12/28/2013
"Our table for 2 was awful. We sat at a table shoved into a corner, at right angles to each other. I sat in the aisles and spent the night being banged into by the wait staff because of such limited space. My wife could not get close enough to the table because the pedestal blocked the chair legs. I watched an older man struggle mightily to get into his seat (behind my wife) due to lack of room - it was painful looking. Our appetizers were excellent, especially the fried garbanzos. The sangria was sour. The paella rice was very, very greasy. Worst of all, the shrimp was very mushy. Gross. Very disappointing dinner - We have eaten in many/most places in town and this was one of the very few times we were unhappy with our meal."
Dined on 12/28/2013
"We ate outside in a courtyard beautifully decorated next to a garden of flowers. There are only a few such tables. I'm not sure groups larger than four would be comfortable outside. We got there when Mundaka opened and although no others ate outside, the inside quickly filled up. We took advantage of what others had commented on and ordered croquetas, bomba, boquerones, pato, coliflor, pasta, and flan with a waiter recommended Spanish Muscat. We took home a croquet, 1/4 of the bomba, and half of the colifor. We thought the portions were great, enough for four to share, but not so large that two were prevented from sampling. I look forward to returning and sampling other Spanish wines."
Dined on 12/26/2013
"The food was delicious, innovative, and authentic. The server was great. We ordered all of our tapas together and the food came super quick. It would have been better staggered to give time to savor each dish. The tables were on the small size for multi-plates. Fun and easy!"
Dined on 12/26/2013
"We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner ... the recommendations from our server were spot on! We'll definitely be back."
Dined on 12/23/2013
"This tapas restaurant bar is one of the only restaurants with a relaxed, youthful energetic feel. Always something unique happening. On this last visit they were projecting Lawrence Of Arabia on the wall in memory of Peter O'tool. Last visit some belly dancers showed up for a great performance. The Sangria was excellent! Four tapas and a glass of Sangria with my wife and we were down only $50. That's pretty good for Carmel."
Dined on 12/20/2013
"Our experience at Mundaka was fun. There was plenty to entertain including the live entertainment and the showing of a Clint Eastwood movie on the wall (appropriate for Carmel). The food was creative and good. We didn't want to leave."
Dined on 11/26/2013
"Wish Mundaka was open when I lived in Carmel! It's delicious with great service and loads of energy! A must dine for locals or when visiting. Enjoy!"
Dined on 11/29/2013
"Waiter overwhelm with with customers. Forgot two of our orders. Very loud and chaotic. Too bad as have eaten here before and enjoyed it. Would not return."
Dined on 11/29/2013
"We love Mundaka!! It is a fine dining experience and we really enjoy the atmosphere. We will go there often...Prices are high, but I think it's worth it mostly"
Dined on 11/23/2013
"Third time there, surprisingly poor service and turn around from order to food served. Had to cancel a third round when they told us 30 min after ordering that the order wasn't put in. Sad thing is that food was on the bill, they took it off after teliing them but disappointing."
Dined on 11/23/2013
"Went to Mundaka expecting the wonderful food we have had in the past.While I know tapas are "small plates" this was better termed " minuscule plates". The food tasted great, but splitting dishes four ways meant a teaspoon of food each.Even the bread came out as half of a roll, split four ways.The vibe is friendly and service was attentive.I did love my teaspoon of truffled fried garbanzo beans.But I went home and ate a hummus on toast sandwich because I was still hungry.A glass of white Spanish Chardonnay was twelve dollars.So the bill for four was $150.I just think the prices have increased and the quantity has decreased to such a level we will not return."
Dined on 11/23/2013
"Charming little restaurant tucked away among shops in Carmel. Two of us ordered several plates and shared except I ate the entire plate of white anchovy with crisped garlic coins. Fresh, perfectly served, and not to be passed up. Cold duck breast, outstanding; traditional tortilla yummy; amazing shrimp in creamy sauce we mopped up with bread. Next time it's definitely Charlie's raw goat cheese trio for dessert. Food for the foodie with outstanding service and a charming environment adds up to a lovely evening out. It's a taste and linger cafe, on the expensive side but with no pressure to get up and leave. I will go back often and bring friends from out of the area to show off Monterey Bay food."
Dined on 11/7/2013
"Not sure if their involvement in a new room was the reason, but our service was very distracted. We got there at 6:15 on Wednesday night. Sat for 20 minutes before someone brought water or asked us about anything. The tables are very close (and maybe why a new room being added?). It wss difficult to have a private conversation. The food, however, made up for the discomfort and distracted service. Be sure to get the bacon- wrapped figs stuffed with goat cheese, sardines and garlic, cauliflower with gruyere cheese. I liked the sangria but didn't love it. I would return but hope the other room is open and the waiter is more attentive. Be sure to make a reservation before going. Locals flocked to this place."
Dined on 10/30/2013
"We had the paella. It was wonderful. The chef came out and spoke to us about the dish and his plans for a new dish with sanddabs. Our waiter was very personable and caring. We will definitely go back."
Dined on 10/27/2013
"We have been to Mundaka before and really enjoyed it. We are just 3 blocks from the restaurant. This time my husband and I were by ourselves to enjoy an evening of talking and enjoying each other. We had the Duck confit. To die for. I will come back just for that. Having the small plates with delicious wine is perfect for us. My husband loves the lamb slider and fries. The bravas are wonderful and the cauliflower is wonderful. Dessert was sherry that the chef picked and we had a sweet to go with it."
Dined on 10/25/2013
"We had been to Mundaka before and realized when we came back with friends on a Friday night for a relaxed celebration that it is much more busy and VERY LOUD on Friday (perhaps all weekend). The food is still awesome, but at times we felt our waiter had forgotten us (our first round of tapas had run out pretty quickly, and before we were able to put in our second order, our paella (which we were told to put in early because it takes 40 minutes) arrived. And it was crazy loud - very difficult to have a quiet adult conversation. Otherwise, still love the food - it is really as good as we have had in Barcelona. I just probably won't come back on a weekend night."
Dined on 10/18/2013
"There were a few bumps like the bartender taking forever to acknowledge us, our table not being ready for at least 20 mins, and many of the dishes that we ordered were out if, however our waitress and the manager made up for it all. The service was great once we were sat and each dish that wee were able to get was delicious. The wine by the glass is a great bargain and a healthy pouring. The manager ended up feeling bad for us and bought our entire meal, that is service! We are looking forward to returning for the delicious food and great service. It does get busy so be sure to have a reservation."
Dined on 5/26/2013
"this restaurant has not only outstanding food but the service is just as Outstanding. there is absolutely nothing that I can say that will give you the true experience unless you go there yourself and take part in the wonderful variety of choices of tapas and simply marvelous service. The atmosphere is quiet and charming. their menu and enjoy the total experience? it was just marvelous?"
Dined on 10/11/2013

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