376 Ocean Avenue · Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel BakeryCalifornia’s oldest bakery, on Ocean Avenue since 1899.
Breakfast, sandwiches on our own focaccia, giant pretzels, pastries, gelato and coffee.
Open daily 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. Breakfast until 2:00 pm. 831.626.8885
Awards
- Best BakeryGolden Pine Cones, voted by Carmel Pine Cone readers
- Best CoffeeGolden Pine Cones
- Best Place for Ice CreamGolden Pine Cones, for our gelato
- The most visited business in Carmel-by-the-SeaAccording to Visit Carmel
Before you come in.
- Where
- 376 Ocean Avenue, between Dolores and Lincoln. Look for the pretzel sign.
- The line
- On mornings and weekends, there is a line out the door. It moves fast.
- Inside
- A few seats. Credit and debit cards only, no cash.
- Gift cards
- Buy an e-gift card, good at both bakeries.
- In Monterey
- Carmel Bakery at Portola Hotel. See that page
Since 1899
Older than the town.
The bakery opened on Ocean Avenue in 1899, before the village was built up in 1902 and before the town incorporated in 1916. We have baked in the same spot ever since. The whole story
A Carmel Bakery birthday cake
Ocean Avenue, late 1930s
Ocean Avenue, 1921
Alligator bread, 1958
Menu
What we bake.
Giant pretzels, Italian-American pastries and cookies, coffee, breakfast, sandwiches on our house focaccia, and gelato made fresh in house daily.
Pretzels, pastries and cookies
We bake throughout the day, and we sell out.
- 7:00 amDoors open. Breakfast and the morning case.
- AfternoonWe keep baking, so the afternoon case is not the morning case.
- By closingPretzels, croissants and other same-day items are made to sell out. Biscotti keep for days.
Follow us on Instagram: @carmelbakery1899.
Lobster tail
Pistachio cannolo
Bear claw
Black and white cannolo
Almond croissant
Pecan roll
Raisin walnut danish
Salt pretzel
Black and white cannolo
Almond croissant
Pecan roll
Raisin walnut danish
Chocolate pretzels
Chocolate chip
1899 shortbread
Chocolate shortbread
Thumbprint cookies
Black and white cookies
Rugelach
- Giant pretzel4.85Salt, seeded, everything or Parmesan
- Sweet pretzel4.85
- Pastries6.05Lobster tails and cannoli
- Butter croissant3.50
- Almond or chocolate croissant4.05
- Bear claw4.05
- Danish4.05
- Raisin walnut danish4.55
- Cinnamon roll4.25
- Pecan roll4.75
- Scone4.05
- Muffin3.50
- Donut2.35Large 2.85, specials 3.25
- Large cookies3.95Including the chocolate chip, our best seller
- Small cookies2.05
- Iced cookies4.25
- Shortbread3.75Including the Established 1899 shortbread
- Chocolate shortbread3.85
- Biscotti4.05Grandma Celia’s recipe
- Almond horn4.05
- Rugelach2.50
- Macaroon3.95Chocolate macaroon 4.05
- Brownie4.50
- Cupcake5.50
- Focaccia slice3.25
What is in the case changes through the day. Seasonal items are priced at the counter.
Grandma Celia’s biscotti.
Grandma Celia was our great-grandmother. We still bake her original recipe, more than a hundred years old and unchanged.
Coffee and a pretzel
We brew Pèpe Coffee, our family’s own certified organic coffee, roasted weekly in small batches in Carmel Valley.
The beans come from Central and South America and Sumatra, from farmers who use sustainable practices. The Pèpe espresso blend tastes of dark chocolate, roasted cashews, honey and spice, with low acidity.
With it, a giant pretzel. Four kinds: salt, seeded, everything and Parmesan. Ask for a dip.
| Espresso drinks | S | M | L |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cappuccino | 4.85 | 5.35 | 5.85 |
| Latte | 4.85 | 5.35 | 5.85 |
| Vanilla latte | 5.60 | 6.10 | 6.60 |
| Caramel macchiato | 5.60 | 6.10 | 6.60 |
| Mocha | 5.60 | 6.10 | 6.60 |
| White mocha | 5.60 | 6.10 | 6.60 |
| Caffè americano | 4.10 | 4.45 | 4.75 |
| Flat white | 6.50 | 6.80 | 7.10 |
| Espresso | Single | Double | Triple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso shot | 2.90 | 3.20 | 3.50 |
| Espresso macchiato | 4.10 | 4.55 | 4.95 |
| Coffee and tea | S | M | L |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh brewed coffee | 3.10 | 3.55 | 3.85 |
| Au lait | 4.05 | 4.55 | 4.95 |
| Hot tea | 3.25 | 3.55 | 3.95 |
| Chai latte | 4.95 | 5.35 | 5.85 |
| Matcha latte | 6.05 | 6.55 | 7.05 |
| Hot chocolate | 4.55 | 4.95 | 5.25 |
| Vanilla steamer | 4.45 | 4.95 | 5.25 |
| Hot apple cider | 4.45 | 4.95 | 5.15 |
| Caramel apple cider | 4.95 | 5.25 | 5.45 |
Iced drinks and add-ons
Iced16 oz
- Iced latte5.35
- Iced caramel macchiato6.10
- Iced americano4.45
- Double shot over ice3.20
- Iced coffee3.55
- Iced black tea, unsweetened3.35
- Iced black tea and lemonade3.85
- Italian soda3.95
Add
- Espresso shot1.65
- Oat or almond milk1.65
- Extra cup0.55
- SyrupsVanilla, caramel, hazelnut, almond
Breakfast
Served 7:00 am to 2:00 pm
Locally we are known for our breakfast burritos. They are especially popular with the local surfers. Order ahead for pickup, Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 1:40 pm.
Breakfast burrito
Breakfast sandwich
Ham & egg croissant
Avocado toast
Smoked salmon toast
- Breakfast burrito or bowl10.75Scrambled eggs, cheese, potatoes, peppers, onionsAdd sausage, bacon, chorizo, veggie or combo: combo adds $1.50
- Breakfast sandwich10.75Scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheese, chipotle aioli, choice of protein, on our focaccia
- Ham & egg croissant10.75Scrambled eggs, ham, Swiss, herb aioli, arugula
- Smoked salmon toast10.055-seed bread, burrata, tomato, capers, dill, pickled red onion
- Avocado toast10.055-seed bread, pickled onion, sun-dried tomato, arugula, everything seedsAdd turkey $3, bacon $4, egg $3, salmon $5
- Açaí bowl10.75Granola, banana, blueberry, strawberry, honeyAdd peanut butter, coconut or passion fruit $2
- Greek yogurt, fruit and granola7.75
Sandwiches, salad and soup
Sandwiches on our house focaccia, baked fresh daily
Sandwiches, breakfast and coffee drinks: order ahead for pickup Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 1:40 pm, or call 831.626.8885.
Cubano
Italian hero
Mortadella
Porchetta Romana
Meatball sub
Caprese
Turkey & Swiss
B.L.T. croissant
Hot
- Cubano13.10Porchetta, ham, Swiss, Dijon aioli, pickles
- Meatball sub13.10Fresh mozzarella, parmigiano
- Porchetta Romana13.10Sliced pork belly, fontina, pistachio pesto, red onion
- B.L.T. on croissant10.50Bacon, arugula, tomato, Pèpe Bumba Calabrian chili aioli
ColdOn our focaccia, with arugula
- Italian hero13.10Ham, mortadella, spicy salami, provolone, sun-dried tomato pesto, peperoncini
- Mortadella13.10Mortadella, burrata, sun-dried tomato pesto, pistachio pesto
- Caprese13.10Roasted red peppers, mozzarella, burrata, Pèpe Bumba Calabrian chili, herb aioli
- Turkey & Swiss13.10Sun-dried tomato pesto, herb aioli, pickled red onion
Salad, soup, wrap
- Tortilla soup10.95Chicken tortilla soup with housemade tortilla chips
- Caesar salad7.25Add chicken $3
- Chicken caesar wrap10.75Romaine, parmigiano, anchovy caesar dressing, spinach tortilla
- Quesadilla8.95Fajita veggiesAdd chicken $3, smashed avocado $3
Gelato, made fresh in house daily
Flavors rotate with the season. Often in the case:
- Stracciatella
- Pistachio
- Chocolate
- Strawberry sorbetto
- Mint chip
- Strawberry cheesecake
- Key lime pie
- Bananas Foster
- Peach mango
- Heaven
- Pumpkin spice, in season
- Peppermint, winter
- Piccolo6.75
- Medio8.50
- Affogato6.99
- Affogato, double8.65
- À la mode8.99Apple pie, brownie sundae or warm chocolate chip cookie, with gelato
Pistachio
Chocolate
Down the stairs
Get a glimpse down the stairs of our baking team hard at work.
Brushing the pretzels
Cutting the cookies
Shortbread dough
The round cutter
Come see us.
376 Ocean Avenue. Open 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Online orders: Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 1:40 pm. Breakfast, sandwiches and coffee.
Reviews
What people say.
From Yelp reviews, word for word.
“A visit to Carmel isn’t complete without stopping at this wonderful bakery. Expect a line, but trust me, the wait is worth it.”
Candy C., Yelp review, March 2026“We absolutely loved the pretzel, it was very soft and tasty! We went back to the bakery the same day just to get more pretzels.”
Lili A., Yelp review, August 2026“These may be the best pastries I’ve ever eaten. The lobster tail was so crispy, the science of which I cannot comprehend given the delicious and abundant cream inside.”
Gabby F., Yelp review, February 2026“We stopped by and picked up breakfast burritos and a BLT croissant and both were delicious.”
Connie P., Yelp review, March 2026“The coffee here is really good! It is very fragrant and has the perfect strength in flavor.”
Stella S., Yelp review, June 2026“There is a reason that this family pastry shop has been there for ages!”
Suzie C., Yelp review, August 2026
Gift cards
Carmel Bakery e-gift cards.
Buy online. Good at both bakeries: Ocean Avenue and Portola Hotel.
Use it for breakfast, coffee, sandwiches, pastries or gelato.
Opens our Toast gift card page.
A Surfabout story
Every year we donate gift cards to the Carmel Surfabout, the local surf contest. Some of the younger surfers once started making copies of them and coming in for burritos before their morning sessions. The cards we donate to the Surfabout are harder to copy now.
Since 1899
The oldest bakery in California.
In Carmel’s earliest days the center of town was three businesses: the bakery, a grocery, and a stationery store that was also the post office. The bakery was the first. To our knowledge, we are California’s oldest bakery still in its original location, and the oldest business in Carmel still where it started.
Fritz Schweninger built the building as a bakery and lived upstairs with his family. In the early hours he climbed down a ladder to start the bake. That ladder is still in the building. He gave the shop a wide door that draws you in and a big window that people still stop to photograph. The building is redwood. It survived a fire in 1923, and the char is still on the original redwood upstairs.
Five families. We are the fifth.
Four families have owned the bakery since Fritz Schweninger. In the 1980s, Richard Pèpe, Chef Pèpe, was a baker at Wishart’s Bakery, also on Ocean Avenue. When he had the chance to buy Wishart’s, a friend told him, “No, you should buy the other one.” So he knocked on the door of Carmel Bakery. The owner, Hector DeSmet, said no. He planned to pass the bakery on to one of his daughters. In 1986 Richard bought Wishart’s instead.
Two years later, Hector DeSmet knocked on our door. “My daughter doesn’t want it,” he said. Richard and his fiancée, Sandra, bought it, and our family has had the bakery since 1988.
Christian and Gian started working in the bakery at 10 and 12. Gian was too short to see over the counter, so he stood on a bread crate to help guests. The two brothers run the company today, with the help of Jose, our long-time store manager.
Self-proclaimed #1 employer of Carmel High School students. Work with us.
From the archive
Our old ads in The Carmel Pine Cone.
Bread, rolls, cakes and pies, baked on the premises. Back then the phone number was 331.
1920
1923
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
376 Ocean Avenue
Our first street address.
Carmel-by-the-Sea never had street numbers. Directions went by landmarks, and mail still goes to PO boxes. So the bakery never had an address.
In 2026 the city began adding numbers so emergency crews can find buildings. We were given 376 Ocean Avenue, one of the first numbers in town.
Only 127 years late. Finally, we will be able to receive packages.
The Carmel Pine Cone ran the story on its front page, and Monterey County NOW covered it.
Visit
Hours and address.
- Hours
- We open at 7:00 am every day. Closing moves with the season, so check here before you come.
Hours by season Now 7:00 am to 8:00 pm - Address
- 376 Ocean Avenue, between Dolores and Lincoln
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921 - Breakfast
- 7:00 am to 2:00 pm
- Phone
- 831.626.8885
- Online orders
- Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 1:40 pm, for pickup. Breakfast, sandwiches and coffee drinks. Pastries, pretzels and gelato are in the case. Order ahead for pickup
FAQ