Casanova Restaurant in Carmel By The Sea captures the feeling of those charming country inns you find scattered through France and Italy—the kind of place where you can imagine staying for weeks. The dining room has that intimate, lived-in warmth that makes you want to linger over every course, but what makes it genuinely useful for traveling with a dog is the outdoor patio, where your dog can sit right alongside you while you eat. You’re not relegated to some back corner or made to feel like you’re bending the rules—dogs are actually welcome here, and management has clearly thought through how to make it work.

The menu leans European, built around whatever’s fresh and local. You’ll find solid pasta dishes and seafood prepared with real care, the kind of cooking that doesn’t need to shout about itself. The kitchen sources from Monterey County’s abundant ingredients and handles them respectfully rather than turning dishes into ornate productions. The patio itself offers pleasant views and the general charm that makes Carmel feel distinct from everywhere else on the coast. That separation from the indoor dining room still keeps you connected to the restaurant’s energy and scene, so you’re not eating in isolation.

If you’re staying in Carmel for a few days with your dog, this is the kind of place that actually enhances a visit rather than complicating it. You get a real meal, your dog gets to be part of the experience, and you’re sitting outside in one of California’s prettiest small towns. The restaurant sits right in Carmel’s walkable downtown, so you can easily explore the surrounding Ocean Avenue galleries and shops before heading in, or take a post-dinner stroll through the neighborhood’s residential streets. The combination of decent food, genuine dog-friendliness, and location makes it worth planning around rather than just stumbling upon. Call ahead during peak season to secure a patio table and confirm their current policies.