Carmel-by-the-Sea may be all of 1 square mile, but this tiny seaside town now boasts two Michelin one-starred restaurants.

In fact in July, when Chez Noir became the second restaurant to receive that coveted honor less than a year after opening, the entire crew from long-time star-holder Aubergine walked over, toting a hefty Jerobaum to offer hearty congratulations.

This family-owned, fine-dining jewel of a spot may seat only 36 in a dining room not much larger than some folks’ living rooms, but it’s long been held in high esteem. In fact, when a friend dined there months ago, she spotted none other than Eric Ripert, chef-owner of New York City’s Michelin three-starred Le Bernardin, ensconced in a corner banquet with his family, savoring the fabulous Monterey coastal cuisine.

The accolades are not surprising when you consider that Chez Noir is helmed by Executive Chef-Owner Jonny Black, whose impressive credentials include cooking at Michelin powerhouses Per Se in New York; Quince in San Francisco; and Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, where as Dominique Crenn’s first executive chef, he oversaw all her restaurants. Most recently, he was the executive chef of Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur. His wife, Monique Black, worked in the front of house at Quince, and at Coi in San Francisco.

The cozy, romantic, French bistro-styled restaurant is in a former Craftsman house, where the couple and their kids live upstairs. Out front is a 22-seat brick patio, but it is not covered, meaning if it rains, you’re out of luck as outdoor reservations are cancelled and refunded.

In October, the restaurant changed to a $125 prix fixe menu in the dining room, rather than offering an a la carte menu (still available at the snug bar). An optional wine pairing is $75. There are four courses, with a choice of items for most of them.

There are also a few supplemental dishes to tempt at the start, should you wish to add them.

As you get settled in, a gift from the kitchen arrives: a riff on a classic Basque gilda pintxo with tender squid rings and tentacles threaded onto skewers with olives and anchovies, and garnished with zippy salsa verde.

It’s a powerhouse of brininess and umami that jolts the palate alert and goes especially well with any sparkling wine or cocktail at the start, such as the pretty-in-pink Plum Sour ($17), a tangy and bracing blend of vodka, amaro and Meyer lemon with a rosemary garnish served up in a coup.

From the additions section, my husband and I fell for the chilled Kishu oysters (two for $12) finished with finely diced, crunchy Basque peppers, gin, and olive oil; and the voluptuous grilled Morro Bay oysters (two for $12) whose passion fruit-chili butter sauce was tangy-fruity like a tropical barbecue sauce.

Dinner also includes surprise snacks at the start. That evening it was crostini topped with skate with cod roe mayo, almost like the world’s most elevated tuna salad; and grilled abalone skewered on sorrel branches, and glazed with the abalone’s liver melded with butter. Whenever I’ve had abalone before, it’s typically been sauteed or breaded and fried. Hands down, grilling is my absolute favorite way to enjoy it now. It renders the abalone tender and smoky, and lets its natural sweet sea flavor shine through.

For the first course, there was a choice between two salads. Since my husband and I both love sweetbreads, which aren’t found often on menus, we both chose that one. The golden sweetbread nuggets were as crisp as the best fried chicken. They formed the foundation for pristine chicories and breakfast radishes. In a clever twist on the classic veal tonnato, the veal sweetbreads were garnished with creamy, anchovy–and caper-laced tonnato sauce made with not any tuna, but bluefin that upped the rich flavor.

The prix fixe always includes a housemade pasta course, and the current one is a stunner — a raviolo with sweet honeynut squash puree and a hen egg at its center. Cut into it to let the oozy yolk flow onto the sweet caramelized cippolini onions and chanterelle mushrooms with their apricot-like notes. It’s autumn personified. Monique Black almost brought second plates of raviolo to our table, and let me tell you, for one long moment, I was tempted not to mention the mistake to her because I would have happily eaten another helping of this incredible dish.

The pasta comes with the restaurant’s signature brioche-a-tete, one large burnished brioche to share that’s deeply crusty on the outside and so airy within. Tear off a hunk and smear with the Stepladder cultured butter, and travel to carb heaven.

For my main course, the restaurant was kind enough to eliminate the mussels from the dish of Monterey black cod, owing to my allergy. That omission didn’t take away from the dish, which spotlighted the silky fish with textbook crisp skin in a vibrant green, garlicky, grassy, and peppery Mediterranean pistou alongside the last of summer’s tomatoes.

My husband opted for the rich and succulent beef short rib crusted “au gratin” with grated horseradish, cheese, and chives, and served atop root vegetables and mushrooms.

With only two dessert choices, we had to get one of each, of course. You expect the chocolate tart to eat heavy, but it’s surprisingly light and silky due to the filling of just-set chocolate sabayon. It’s served with a quenelle of Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream perfumed with a lovely floralness.

The gorgeous mille-feuille is composed of two of the crispiest pastry sheets (just take a look at the distinct flaky layers) sandwiching fresh raspberries and creamy almond praline. Of course, it will shatter and fall apart at the first forkful — a sign of just how flawless the pastry is.

Before the check arrives, a plate of canneles is set down. Their exteriors are deeply mahogany and crunchy, giving way to a custardy interior with an almost flowery honey taste.

As you leave, you’re bid good-night with individually-wrapped chocolate chip cookies. It’s a final sweet gesture from a restaurant that definitely makes leaving very hard to do.