Nails By the Sea

These ladies are great! I only get the chance to come in about once a year when I’m visiting my grandmother, but they remember everything and make a very personal experience.

Very few times have I gone into a nail salon out-​of-​town. This was the BEST choice! I was on my honeymoon, and they fit me in within 30 minutes. Very nice ladies, fixes my nails that another salon had done a very poor job on, and let me sit as long as I wanted to wait for my husband to arrive so we could walk around the town. Even though their waiting room was small!
Great job, gals. If I’m ever in town again, I may chip a nail on purpose just to come into your salon. :)

I live in town and the first time I went there I was less than impressed with my fill. The manicurist said almost nothing to me, probably because she was keeping up a running conversation in Vietnamese with the other manicurist. I had to interrupt her so I could explain that I have sensitive skin and to be careful when working around my cuticles. I may as well have been talking to the wall … I was nicked twice and walked out with two fingers that had red, swollen cuticles. I swore I would never go back. Fast forward a few years, my regular manicurist was out of town, so I thought I would give this place another chance, mainly because they’re so conveniently located. What a mistake! I walked out in pain from the damage inflicted on my cuticles, and when I returned the next day to show the manicurist that seven of my fingers had nicked, bloody cuticles and the skin was red and swollen, she looked at me and said, «Sorry», then walked away. I guess this is one of those instances where it was my fault for giving them a second chance. And incidentally, I didn’t know they offered a «locals discount» because they sure didn’t offer it to me. Anyway, I wouldn’t go back if they paid me. Inept, incompetent, and downright rude … plus it took ten days for my cuticles to heal. OUCH!

I have tried them all and Nails by the Sea is without a doubt the best. Wendy, her lovely mother and Tina are always so warm, friendly and professional. I feel so comfortable and welcome there. They all do a beautiful job and have been so accommodating for last minute appointments. Thank you! Nancy C :)

Do not look anywhere else!!! Nails by the Sea is the best in Monterey County! I have been to many nail salons, but this one takes the cake! Not only are Tina and Wendy kind and accommodating, but the color choices are extensive and the mani pedis last forever. This is the only salon that I trust for last-​minute special events as I know that I will never be disappointed! I have gotten countless mani pedis here and not once have they let me down! ¹⁰⁄₅ stars!

First time here today… After going to another carmel nail salon 2 weeks ago, I noticed my acrylic nails were lifting. I made an appointment at this salon this morning… Tina and Wendy took me in. They were both very personable and repaired my acrylic nails. Wendy’s mother was sweet and I was given a cup of water. The ladies at this shop treated me with respect and I felt warmly welcomed.

A wonderful salon for locals as well as visitors. Their manis and pedis really last well and the accompanying massages are terrific. The atmosphere is warm and friendly.

Carmel by the Sea is about making great friends, and the lovely ladies at Nails by the Sea have made me feel welcome since the first time I had my nails done when we arrived in Carmel. Wendy and her staff do an excellent job with my french manicures — just the right width, and my pedicures last over a month. Best of all I have met many interesting people and made a very good friend while getting my nails done. Truly the nicest, most interesting men and women in town end up at Nails by the Sea!

Accepted walk ins and took me right away. There isn’t a sign that said cash only, so I had to get my husband to run and get some cash.
I had a manicure and pedicure (48 $) and was excited to be ready in time for a wedding. They did a horrible job with my nails. I don’t know if it was the base coat or the polish was old, or what, but my nails didn’t make it to today. (This was done yesterday) there are chunks (bare nail, no polish) missing from the nail tech not polishing my nails fully, the paint was still soft even though I spent too much time in the dryer, and overall super sloppy.
I could have done a better job, and I should have fixed my two nails myself instead of paying this much for a mediocre job. This place got the two stars because of the walk in availability and was clean.

I stopped into this nail salon on a whim after getting engaged on a wonderful trip to Carmel. The engagement was a total surprise and I needed a quick gel manicure for my unsightly, chipped nails. I thought nothing could bring me down from cloud nine, but WHOA, this incredibly rude staff came very close.
My manicuist huffed and puffed the whole way through my simple manicure (and I’m not picky by any means). Between labored sighs, she took phone calls and continued to do my nails with the phone on her shoulder. At this point, I realized this wasn’t going to be a pleasant experience, but at least I would leave with a manicure fit for my new engagement ring.
But then I pulled out my Visa to pay for my rushed, unpleasant manicure and you may have thought I’d committed a crime. The manicurist scowled at me with disdain and ordered me to, «call my husband and tell him to bring me money.» Ok, there was probably a ‘cash only’ sign that I hadn’t seen on my way in. If I’d seen it, I would’ve used an ATM before sitting down. However, I live in a major metropolitan city where credit cards are the norm. If your nail salon wants to avoid paying taxes and card processing fees, that doesn’t entitle you to be rude to your customers.
As if being scolded like a child weren’t already embarrassing enough, when I asked where the closest ATM was located, my manicurist simply pointed her finger up the hill. She then told me, in front of the entire nail salon, to write all of my information on a piece of paper, as if I would attempt to skip out on paying for a $ 30 manicure.
Needless to say, I found the ATM (up the hill) and met up with my fiancé. After telling him how terribly they treated me, he went in to pay them so I wouldn’t have to deal with them again. Never one to care what people think, he had a little fun with them and tried to pay with his card again before presenting them with cash.
I did notice they treat their regulars well, but if you’re a tourist… find somewhere else if you expect to be treated kindly!

Squeezed us in while we were passing through town.
Nice people and great color selection.

I love almost everything about this place, except for the fact they don’t take cards. I went here with my friend for an early bday pedi and I would have spent more money, but then realized they don’t take card.
Besides that flaw, I like this place. It’s very cute, not a large nail polish selections, but what they have is opi and Essie. The message chairs are out of this world and the workers spend a long time pampering you. The lady helping me even took of my super chipped nail polish on my hands for free. If I was a local, I would for sure come back!

I have had both a great and decent experience here. What I appreciate is the engaging, and friendly nail technicians. The prices are fair too, & considering this salon is the generally pricey Carmel by-​the-​Sea, this is a plus. I got a standard gel-​mani. The first time my nails turned out flawless, the second time they were a little messy; maybe the technician was having a bad day. I’ll likely return.

AVOID THIS PLACE
Worst manicure I’ve ever had. The polish was applied so thick it never dried. Their colors were all old and thick nd they had none of the new colors, to choose from and for $ 50 mani/​pedi I expect fresh nail polish.
But even worse than this, they filled a pedicure chair for a man and he sat with his feet in the water for 10 min before leaving (he decided not to get the pedicure after all) and instead of draining the water and cleaning the bowl, they left it full and when the next girl walked in, they told her to sit in the chair with the old water and just turned on the jets. It was disgusting
I will NEVER go back and I live in town

My family has come here on multiple occasions, and my Mom is almost a regular. We came with a bunch of people before my sister’s wedding a few years ago and more recently for my bachelorette party a couple weeks ago. We have always been treated when great respect and they have been so wonderful about letting us bring snacks and drinks so that the people who are waiting can still hang out and enjoy themselves. We had an appt at 11am for 8 girls– almost all mani pedis– and they got us out of there by 1pm! That’s nuts. And no one felt rushed or like they didn’t get quality manicures. It was such a great experience, thank you!

$$CASH ONLY$$
Thrilled I found a nail place in Carmel!
I had a mani/​pedi, and they did a great job. I love the extra time spent on my leg massage, complete with a hot stone rub! The place is a bit expensive ($ 48 for both) compared to prices I normally pay for that combo in SF ($ 28 — 30) but you have to expect it in Carmel. It’s a treat and was well worth it in the end.
They take their time, which some people don’t know how to appreciate… so remember to sit back, relax and take in the easy going Carmel lifestyle!

Decided to pamper by myself with manicure and pedicure so I wandered down to the Nails by the Sea, as it’s a block or two just off of Ocean Ave in Carmel.
Pros:
*friendly staff
*cleanliness
*stone massage standard with pedicure
Cons:
*rushed manicure and pedicure
*one person started pedicure, but was finished by another
*only did one layer of gel nail polish on hands
*toe and fingernails are already chipping, 2 days later
*cash only
*constantly answered the phone during both my procedures
It was just not a good experience, I have far better manicure and pedicures that did not feel rushed and the polish lasted for weeks after.
I would not visit again and wish I could get my money back.

This place is cute! It’s right off the main street in Carmel where you will find a ton of wine tasting rooms, restaurants, cafes, and cute shops. The owner, Trang, is very friendly and speaks english. The others seem to not speak English but are very kind and know what they are doing. They’re very thorough and they do a good job. We thought they were going to charge us $ 45 for our pedicures but turned out to be only $ 30. We were surprised by how well they did our pedicures for the 30-​minute selection!
They do have a limited selection of colors — most of them are in the red category and they don’t have much else. They have 2 – 3 shades of other colors but if you’re looking to try something new you may not find it here. They have wonderful massage chairs that you get to sit in while you are getting your feet soaked which was phenomenal considering I’ve had a slew of bad massages recently. These chairs were worth it! If we were ever in the area again we would definitely come back.

I pass by there almost everyday for work, but have never gone in until today. I got a pedicure. It was a relaxing experience. The pedicure comes with wet towels and stone massage. A big perk! I accidentally messed up my color as it was drying, but they were so nice and fixed it right away. All of the ladies were very friendly. I will be a regular.
* If locals become regulars you know it will be a good experience.

1 star for getting a group of 6 in last minute. They said they would move around appointments to accommodate us the next day.
On arrival, we were rushed. Some of my party were 5 minutes late and I was told to call them, that the salon was too busy for them to be late. Ok…
I had the fastest mani/​pedi ever and both done at the same time. Not much massage, no hand soak. She pushed back the cuticles and it was painful.
I asked for a flower (it was for my wedding and I wanted a flower) and she frowned and instead put a layer of glitter polish on my ring fingers.
Not even 8 hours later, my polish is already chipping on my hands. I will need to get them re-​polished tomorrow before my wedding. My friend’s polish isn’t even completely covering her nails.
People were walking in with their own nail polish and tools. One customer was even removing her own polish. Not normal.
I would stay away from this place. I came because of the good reviews but nothing 4 or 5 star about this place. Definitely not worth the $ 230 for all of us to have mani/​pedis.