Nepenthe’s Phoenix: Bohemian Bliss in Big Sur
Nepenthe is an ancient Greek word meaning an elixir for sorrow, literally, a “drug of forgetfulness”. And sorrow you will indeed forget when you see the jaw-dropping panoramic view of the Big Sur coastline at this iconic restaurant. Nepenthe started out as a very simple cabin in 1925, located downhill from the log house where writer Henry Miller lived. Orson Welles bought the cabin as a gift for his new bride, the movie star and World War II pinup girl Rita Hayworth. Unfortunately, the relationship failed, and the Big Sur cabin was abandoned. After Welles and Hayworth divorced, Bill and Madelaine “Lolly” Fassett, with five children in tow, purchased the cabin and 12 acres for $12,000. They employed Rowan Maiden, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, to create Nepenthe. Redwoods hewn from area canyons and hand-made adobe bricks were used. Nepenthe opened in 1949 with an open terrace design so that people could enjoy drinking, eating, reading poetry and dancing under the open sky.
Nepenthe became a place for creative expression and bohemian culture for people who enjoyed living freely and had disdain for traditional societal propriety. According to “Nepenthe Big Sur Stories and Folktales” (see Nepenthe Stories), visitors arrived from all over the world; “vagabonds, poets, artists, lovers… when there were fewer people on the coast, when nights were longer and days lonelier, Nepenthe was a place to gather”. Famous visitors included Henry Miller, Anais Nin, Man Ray, Ernest Hemingway, Joan Baez, Kim Novak, Steve McQueen, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. The latter two performed scenes for the 1965 film, “The Sandpiper”, at Nepenthe. Even today, Nepenthe continues to invoke the spirit of the previous beatnik and hippie cultures.
The Phoenix Shop opened in the 1960s, featuring gifts and local artwork, pottery, books, candles, clothing, hand-knitted hats, and jewelry. Café Kevah opened in 1992 above the gift shop and offers a great place to grab brunch.
When you first enter the Nepenthe terrace, you see a five-foot-tall rising phoenix with bronze feet, the symbol for Nepenthe. This was created from a huge live oak originally growing here. When it died, sculptor Edmund Kara transformed the tree’s trunk into this amazing sculpture.
If you visit Big Sur and want to check out Nepenthe, one caveat is that they are crazy busy on the weekends. It is not unusual to find the parking lot full and cars parked for a half mile down Hwy 1! If you are able to get seating, I recommend the outdoor counter overlooking the beautiful view (except on foggy days such as in this photo!)
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Hours are as follows:
Nepenthe – open daily 11:30am -10:00pm
Café Kevah – open daily 9:00 am-4: 00 pm (weather permitting)
Phoenix Shop – open Daily from 10:30am-7:00pm
Note that they do not take reservations unless it is for a large group.
Nepenthe is located on Hwy 1, about 30 miles south of Carmel, near the Ventana Inn and Post Ranch Inn. You will see the Nepenthe sign on the west side of the highway. Make sure to check road conditions before you go, it is easy to do. Go to the CalTrans website here caltrans.ca.gov and enter 1 (the highway number) then search. Or you may phone 800-427-7623. Wishing you beautiful vistas, peace, love & happiness!
One Comment
Jay Slupesky
Interesting post! I didn’t know that movie scenes had been filmed there! Now I want to watch that movie just to see the Nepenthe scenes.