I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the atmosphere in here. There wasn’t a lot of smiling going on. Was it posh? Trying to be upmarket? Or simply a trendy place I happened to stumble into?
The good thing was that it was open later in the day, so we managed to eat after 2 p.m. Everyone seemed to be ordering the wood‑fired pizza, which is exactly what I wanted too. Don’t overcomplicate it in California—if there is one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s not to order something that ‘sounds’ high-level on the menu. Nine times out of ten, you’ll be disappointed, as the standard often can’t carry overly elaborate dishes.
The dining room is small and compact, and so are the pass and the kitchen. This would definitely test your workspace as a chef and reminded me of what my tutors used to say: “Work clean.” Well, yes—when you only have a tiny square in front of you, it’s hard to make it dirty!! In my opinion, the space here is too small to work in without feeling claustrophobic. But then again, it’s not my restaurant.
The pizza took a while to arrive, probably because everything wasn’t brought out at the same time—my fault, as I didn’t specify that the salad should come with it. We ordered a simple green salad, but it arrived loaded with tomatoes, which I didn’t particularly fancy. Still, it wasn’t bad for a quick health fix.
The pepperoni pizza wasn’t the best I’ve had, dough‑wise. It was average and basic. On the plus side, for anyone with a gluten intolerance, they do offer a gluten‑free dough (a thin‑style crust). It’s your lucky day.
We were simply passing through Carmel‑by‑the‑Sea, which led us into La Bicyclette. It did its duty as a quick lunch stop, but if you asked me to come back for dinner, I wouldn’t feel the need—unless I happened to be right around the corner. Even then, the ambiance and overall feeling didn’t give me much urge to return. And if you don’t like cramped spaces, this place would be unbearable.
