Nepenthe Restaurant (48510 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA)
Nestled in the hills above Big Sur is Nepenthe Restaurant and café. Once an infamous bohemian hang out, famously patronised by Henry Miller, Steve McQueen, Kim Novak and the like, some remnants from those days can still be found in the form of its nightly lit hilltop fire and its heavenly “Ambrosia” burger (we tried the veggie burger option but th
e recipe for the original can now be found online here). Its illusive history may be, to coin a phrase, a thing of the past but what does anchor Nepenthe to a form of timelessness is its mesmerising view (which unlike neighbouring resorts such as the Post Ranch Inn, you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy). On a clear day, you can sit in a sunlit canopy watching blue jays and woodpeckers branch jump above your head while the sea mists roll gently inland in the valleys below.
