For as long as I can remember driving along the Pacific Coast Highway back in the early 90's (I was a passenger then, mind you!), Nepenthe has been here. It has always piqued my curiosity, but not enough for us to pull over and do some investigating. Also, back then, I was at the mercy of another driver... AND we always had a schedule to keep (LAX-SFO-LAX). No time for dilly-dallying.
And then this book entitled "1000 Places To See Before You Die" came out and lo and behold, Nepenthe is in there!
It still took at least a decade after that before I could finally visit Nepenthe. I am grateful it is still there, and I am grateful that I finally did.
Nepenthe provides two different dining options: Nepenthe Restaurant and Cafe Kevah. As you probably already guessed, Cafe Kevah is more casual and is great if you're driving through and just want to grab something quick.
If you are driving through but have no time restrictions, then you should try Nepenthe. There is a waiting list to get seated. IN the meantime, you can while away your time at their outdoor patio which has the following
- Ping Pong Table (Table Tennis)
- Fire Pit
- The sculpture of Nepenthe's standard, the Phoenix.
- Bleacher seating to maximize the number of people that can enjoy the incomparable Big Sur views.
- Wrap-around patio so you can enjoy the view even more - coz then it's not one-dimensional.
OK, you're right, Big Sur is just so big no matter where you stand at Nepenthe, it would appear to be one-dimensional. But you get a slightly different view. I promise. We saw the horses from the retreat property at the bottom of the cliff from the "front" of the restaurant...
Or you could kill time by going to the gift shop one level down. The signal for the restaurant buzzer is likely to reach you there too.
While waiting, I noticed that majority of the patrons are European families with smaller kids. I don't know if it's a seasonal thing and really has no impact on whether or not you should visit. It was just an observation...
Speaking with the workers, I was able to learn that Nepenthe has living quarters for the workers. It is limited, therefore not all workers can live on-site, but they can put their name in on the waiting list for when one opens. Most workers are there for life, though, so really, more often than not, the only time a lodging vacancy opens is when a worker passes away. Or moves away.
Speaking of lodging, Nepenthe is NOT and inn. I'm not gonna lie, I was low-key disappointed.
When we drove in the driveway, I thought that was it in terms of parking area, so we rushed to park into the the only parking spot available. It turns out, if you keep driving, there will be two more levels of parking area available for your parking convenience. Ta-da!
Did I mention the fantastic patio? I did, already? Well, it is fantastic!
In case you're wondering, the food was great and not cheap.
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