A jet-set weekend in Carmel

GETAWAYS • Monterey Peninsula

Carmel-by-the-Sea doesn’t seem like the most convenient choice for a weekend jaunt, but the twice-daily LAX to Monterey route on United gets one there in 40 minutes flat, well worth it if the destination is Chez Noir, which opened late last year downtown in a white clapboard house. A recent dinner was spectacular, featuring a multi-layered seasonal tomato terrine, passion fruit-topped grilled oysters, and a stellar cocktail list. The restaurant, which already has a Michelin star under its belt, just shifted to a prix-fixe menu (with a handful of raw bar add-ons).

You’ll need a place to stay: Le Petit Pali has two cute, stylishly renovated properties in the heart of downtown. For oceanfront cliffside views, consider the old-school, elegant Tickle Pink Inn. –Kira Fisher

→ Chez Noir (Carmel-by-the-Sea) • 5th Avenue, between Dolores and San Carlos • Tock.