Pepe's Vesuvio

Italian Cuisine seen through the lens of the Pèpe Family, who came from Napoli, stopped in Hoboken, and settled in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

The Vesuvio menu tells the Pèpe family’s story through food with fantastic wood-burning Neapolitan pizza, classics like Eggplant Parm, and a rotating carte that highlights in-season produce from California farms, homemade ravioli production, and delicious experiments from the new gelato machine.

On weekends, Vesuvio erupts. Youths line up beside red velvet ropes, waiting for space at the rooftop Star Bar. You’ll find something rare in Carmel at the downstairs bar—folks who live here. Locals keep coming back for inventive cocktails like the Vesuvio Sour, made with Angel’s Envy Bourbon, Amaretto, Passionfruit Syrup, and a float of Napa Valley Cab; or maybe it’s the award-winning McSuvio burger that’s drawing them in. It’s hard to pinpoint one thing because it’s everything — but the townies are here and they are loving it.

The dining room is more laid-back. Couples chat with neighboring tables and compare notes on what to order from the extensive, ever-evolving menu. If you haven’t tried the Truffled Gnocchi, you must. Fried Artichoke Crochette are an insider favorite, as is the grilled heirloom artichoke, from Scattini Farms in Castroville.