MICHELIN Guide’s Point Of View

Nestled inside the luxe Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, Navio is blessed with a classic northern California setting. Whether you’re fresh off the course or arriving just for dinner, settle in with a ruby-red Sassamanash punch before admiring the emerald-green links and crashing surf. Golden sunsets are ripe for romantics, but you’re almost as likely to find families with young children as lovebirds here. Just like the coastal décor that is both polished and casual, this kitchen takes classic Americana and ramps it up. Seafood is underlined-diver scallops with a red wine sauce and boudin basque atop seared pear circles are particularly good. But that spaghetti alla chitarra, punctuated by the delicate sweetness of Dungeness crab, is an absolute show-stealer.