Nicolas Cocina de Herencia

Name: Nicolas Cocina de Herencia
Address: ocean avenue & Mission St suite 111, Carmel, CA, United States, 93921
Telephone: (831) 574-8802
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.5

4.5 (379)

$31 to $50

Mexican

ocean avenue & Mission St suite 111, Carmel, CA 93921

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 16, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 21 times today

About this restaurant

Great for creative cocktails
Good for groups
Good for special occasions

Reservations are not needed but are recommended, Walk ins are Welcome.

The newest creation from the owners of the beloved Villa Azteca in Downtown Salinas (Salinas City Center), the eatery honoring the Alvarez family patriarch will open Summer 2023 in Carmel Plaza. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant will have indoor dining, bar seating and a small outdoor space, serving specialty Michoacán dishes as well as other Mexican favorites, incorporating three generations of family recipes.

Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Mexican
Hours of operation
Lunch Daily 11:00 am–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(831) 574-8802
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Andres Becerra & Susana Alvarez

Location
ocean avenue & Mission St suite 111, Carmel, CA 93921
Neighborhood
Carmel
Parking details
Private Lot
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Wine

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What 379 people are saying

Nicolas Cocina de Herencia reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.3Service
4.6Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

California Central Coast
Innovative
California Central Coast
Good for groups
California Central Coast
Lively
Monterey / Carmel
Innovative
Monterey / Carmel
Good for groups
Monterey / Carmel
Hot spot
Monterey / Carmel
Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Nicolas Cocina de Herencia in Carmel is celebrated for its "incredible food" and "fantastic service" in a "gorgeous setting." Guests rave about the authentic Mexican cuisine, especially the "delicious" bone marrow shrimp and enchiladas. While some note service inconsistencies, the overall experience is enhanced by the "beautiful ambiance" and "creative drinks."

379 Reviews

P
Pattie
California Central Coast1 review
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Everything was amazing and we will visit over and over again
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K
Kimberli
New York City2 reviews
4.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
The menu features a range of (real) Mexican favorites and delivers beautifully with an emphasis on the delicious, well-balanced sauces that make each dish. The service was professional and kind but with long gaps where empty glasses were left on the table and nobody checking in. (The restaurant was not busy at the time.) This is definitely an area for improvement to match the price point and food quality.
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M
Mark VIP
San Francisco Bay Area16 reviews
4.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Excellent meal…authentic food and terrific cocktails.
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C
Clay
Unspecified1 review
2.0
Dined on July 6, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 4
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
I’m sorry to say that our third visit was not a charm. Toilet clogged up in bathroom had to be brought to the attention of management, who really wasn’t that glad to receive criticism or remedy the situation. Given that the toilet was about to spill onto the floor, one would think the manager would have been grateful and quick to fix. Service was lacking considerably. We had to ask for more service pieces and silverware after the appetizer was removed and the main course was brought out. The waitperson dashed off so quickly after serving the course that we sat 5 minutes waiting another waiter to request silverware. The drinks were offered initially to the table but took two requests to passing waitstaff to get a second round. Overall, I can only think that the management was away for July 4th and the second team wasn’t up to the task.
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M
Marita
California Central Coast5 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 4, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I have been wanting to try Nicolas Cocina since I first new about it. A family gathering was the perfect reason. The food and ambiance were fantastic. It’s a little on the pricey side- especially the drinks. I would also suggest more vegetarian options.
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K
Karen VIP
San Francisco Bay Area1 review
5.0
Dined on June 29, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Incredible food and staff in a gorgeous setting. Everything we ordered was delicious. Can’t wait to go back.
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L
Linda VIP
San Francisco Bay Area12 reviews
3.0
Dined on June 29, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
Took forever to get drinks and food! I think they forgot about us!
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A
Anna VIP
San Francisco Bay Area19 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 21, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great dinner. We were a little concerned there might be aervice issues based on recent reviews but had absolutely no issues. Esperanza was a delight. The food was excellent and loved the interior. When in Carmel we will come back
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P
Pamela VIP
San Diego2 reviews
2.0
Dined on June 19, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
We had a reservation. There was a large, loud, obnoxious party at the table near us and our waiter had trouble getting to us ( we waited over 25 minutes and then flagged down the hostess so she finally sent him over). He got my husband’s order wrong and was reluctant to send it back- actually talked him into keeping it (said it was better than what he had ordered). All the reviews we read raved about this place so we were quite disappointed.
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C
Carolyn VIP
South Carolina21 reviews
1.0
Dined on June 17, 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 3
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
We had eaten at Nicola’s the last time we visited Carmel and liked it, so we decided to go again this trip. We waited a while for our waiter, but were given water and menus, so we were okay with that. We ordered chips & guacamole, along with margaritas. When they arrived, we told the waiter we were going to chill for a bit before we ordered. Our waiter never returned to take our order. Someone finally came by to remove our empty guacamole bowl and we told her we just wanted our bill. We paid it and left very disappointed.
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FAQs

Nicolas Cocina de Herencia is rated 4.5 stars by 379 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 16, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 21 times today

Google Map for Nicolas Cocina de Herencia

ocean avenue & Mission St suite 111, Carmel, CA 93921

Additional information

Neighborhood
Carmel
Hours of operation
Lunch Daily 11:00 am–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Mexican
Dining style
Fine Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Private Lot
Executive chef
Andres Becerra & Susana Alvarez
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Wine

Phone number
(831) 574-8802

Nicolas Cocina de Herencia

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Ask Concierge
AI Beta

Menu

What 379 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Nicolas Cocina de Herencia restaurant rated?

Is Nicolas Cocina de Herencia currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information