Entry No. 27 — the Monterey file — filed under: rooftop bar
Star Bar at Vesuvio
An upstairs rooftop bar at Vesuvio, the Italian restaurant at 6th Ave & Junipero across from Devendorf Park in Carmel-by-the-Sea. The Star Bar takes no reservations — entirely first come, first served — and on weekend nights youths line up behind red velvet ropes waiting for space. Open daily from 4pm.
The story
Carmel-by-the-Sea is usually defined by quiet courtyards, strict zoning, and early bedtimes, which makes the Star Bar an unexpected roost. Perched on the roof deck above Vesuvio—Chef Pepe's Italian restaurant at 6th Avenue and Junipero Street, across from Devendorf Park—it sits right at pine-canopy level in a town where open-air elevated bars are almost non-existent.
The setup operates on a simple principle: zero reservations. While the dining room downstairs handles standard dinner service, access to the open sky upstairs is entirely first-come, first-served. That policy creates one of Carmel's strange evening scenes—on weekend nights, a crowd waiting for open space lines up along the stairs behind red velvet ropes in a village that otherwise shuns nightlife conventions.
What it's like
Escaping the queue requires simple timing: show up right at the 4pm opening on a weeknight for happy hour. You'll climb the stairs to find gas fire pits blazing across the deck, which you'll need—even on bright coastal afternoons, the Monterey fog rolls in fast, so bring a sweater. Grab a spot around a fire pit, order wood-fired pizza and Italian wine sent up from the kitchen below, and settle in as the evening light drops through the pine trees over Devendorf Park.
The move: Go on a weeknight for the 4–6pm happy hour, claim a fire-pit table, and split wood-fired pizza and Italian wine as the last light goes over the pines — no reservations taken, first-come only.
- 📍 Carmel-by-the-Sea
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 6th Ave & Junipero St, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Barmel — Just a block away, you can slip from Vesuvio's roof into another tucked-away courtyard bar filled with decor from legendary Sausalito madam Sally Stanford.
- La Playa Carmel — Take a four-block stroll south after drinks to see the 1905 stone mansion built by painter Christian Jorgensen and the Ghirardelli family.
- Tor House & Hawk Tower — Head a mile south to Carmel Point before your evening drink to explore the granite tower poet Robinson Jeffers built by hand out of sea boulders.
Good to know
Do I need a reservation for the Star Bar?
No. The Star Bar takes no reservations and operates entirely on a first-come, first-served basis.
Where is the bar located?
It's on the upstairs rooftop of Vesuvio restaurant at 6th Avenue and Junipero Street in Carmel-by-the-Sea, directly across from Devendorf Park.
What should I wear?
Bring a warm sweater or jacket. Despite the outdoor fire pits, Carmel gets chilly quickly once the sun drops.
What time does it open?
The Star Bar opens daily at 4pm.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: chefpepe.com · horizoninncarmel.com · seemonterey.com
last checked: 2026-07-20