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    ALTA Bakery & Cafe

    4.2 (963 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

    ALTA Bakery & Cafe Photos

    ALTA BAKERY & CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - ALTA Bakery & Cafe

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    Chocolate mousse
    sanjana m.

    Food mid. I have high expectations with croissants. It was not crispy at all but the flavors were there. Need to try more of the menu though. Also only two current coffee flavors vanilla and lavender ... place had a line out the door, hype or stellar food, who knows ? Handicap accessible Chocolate croissant 3/5 Glazed donut 4.5/5 Ambiance 5/5 decorations so cute Service was 5/5 staff was so nice and sweet

    pistachio-rose swirl & raspberry sweet bun
    Karen N.

    if there is one thing i ate from monterey bay that i'll be thinking about all the time now, it would definitely be the salmon croissant from ALTA !!!! i had heard so much about ALTA bakery from online itineraries for monterey bay, and i think this place definitely lives up to the hype! there was a pretty long line out the door, but it moved by really quickly and efficiently with the pastries! the drinks do have a bit of a wait tho, and i personally would not get them again since my bf and i didn't enjoy either the watermelon mint matcha or the cinnamon latte. all you could taste in the watermelon mint matcha was watermelon LOL and the latte didn't taste like anything special. i would skip out on these and just enjoy the pastries. speaking of the pastries, every single one was soooo yummy! my clear favorite is definitely the salmon croissant, which was so perfectly flakey and crispy and buttery with a good amount of cream cheese and smoked salmon inside. i also loved the everything seasoning crust on the croissant that went well with the salmon. 10/10, will be dreaming about it all the time now. i also really enjoyed the raspberry sweet bun, which was so soft and pillowy and had a nice tanginess from the raspberry! the pistachio-rose swirl was also really yummy and reminded me of a cinnamon roll in texture, and it was pretty soft and not too sweet. overall, every pastry was a banger and i would love to try the other ones if i'm ever in town again!

    Special Sandwich
    Katie B.

    Absolutely stunned!! We were took excited to take pictures before eating!! Special Sandwich: 10/10 This sandwich was amazing. Definitely worth the two hour drive. It had freshly cooked bacon to perfection, butter lettuce, the freshest tomatoes, an aioli sauce, on perfectly toasted sourdough bread. Would 100% get it again and I hope it's not seasonal because everyone should try this sandwich!! Flourless Brownie: 8/10 It definitely is a flourless brownie the texture of it is almost like fudge. It melts in your mouth instantly, there's not really much of a structure to the brownie. If you're a texture person this might not be for you as it's not a traditional brownie it's extra gooey. However, absolutely love the flavor of it. It's a rich chocolate flavor with powdered sugar on top. As a dark chocolate lover this was pretty good!! Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips: 6/10 It's nothing too special, it was more on the dry side but still strong banana flavor! Overall experience: 9/10 Customer service wasn't the greatest while waiting for our sandwich we didn't really know we had to wait, where to wait, and when I changed my mind on a pastry someone gave me a face. However, the ambience of the restaurant and food made up for it. I loved sitting outside, an amazing way to sit down and have a chat.

    Almond croissant
    Celina F.

    Holllyy. The best bakery I've ever had! & I'm that person that sees out bakeries everywhere I go! - get there by 10:30/11 for the best baked goods! - try: fruit tart, almost croissant, chocolate croissant Cute, homegrown, very nice staff!

    Flourless chocolate brownie
    Suzie C.

    Cute cafe with delicious options. The staff was really friendly, the vibe was definitely there. If I stop again this way, I will Definitely get another matcha a dessert!

    Megan S.

    Came by in the afternoon and got one of the last slices of chocolate cake. Was expecting something dense and rich but somehow got fluffy and light and rich. Was delicious! We ordered the croissant sandwich which was full of layers and flavor with pickled shallots and layers of meats and cheese. We enjoyed this so much even though I don't like shallots! The tomato tartine came out while we were purchasing and so glad we added that in. Amazing bursts of flavor!

    Linda L.

    We always stop by this bakery / cafe when we're in town. Love their pastries and coffee. Theres a cute little patio in that back that looks like a small vineyard. Sometimes there's a line outside on the weekend but it goes by super fast. Patio is also dog friendly. I would recommend this cafe to those visiting the Monterey area!

    Jackie O.

    Some of the best espresso I've had in a minute! Passing through town for a wedding and received a recommendation for ALTA. Wait was about 15 minutes at 9am on a Saturday, but the line moved quickly! My partner and I ordered the salmon croissant, quality was amazing & not just your average coffee shop pastry. We also both prefer strong + well done espresso drinks. My partner orders a quad shot over ice and I typically get an extra short iced latte, so we are able to really enjoy the taste of the coffee. The quad shot was incredibly smooth. It's how I wish every coffee tasted! My xs latte was perfect as well, espresso was perfect with a bit of oatmilk. ALTA exceeded my expectations! Back patio was an unexpected bonus, such a beautiful seating area!

    Display
    Abby C.

    I visited at the recommendation of a friend. I was headed to Carmel and decided to stop for breakfast. There was quite a line early Saturday morning. It didn't look like it died down which is awesome for this business. I believe I waited 20-30 minutes in line before I reached the display case. There were so many delicious things to choose from, it was a challenge to decide! I opted for a croissant sandwich, a blue corn cookie, and some sweet treats for the beach. I also ordered a seasonal latte, I believe it was cherry chocolate with oat milk less sweet. There's a nice outdoor seating area with many tables in chairs. Since the weather was nice we decided to stop and eat for a bit. The ambience was very nice and calm. The food was delicious and their house made pickles were fantastic. They were crisp, fresh, and complimented the turkey sandwich so well. The blue corn cookie was very interesting and reminiscent of a tortilla chip. I'd definitely come back here if I were in the area.

    Toan D.

    Super charming place set inside the historic Cooper-Molera Adobe (1827) , the space has a California - European vibes. Inside and outside seating. The pastries are legit!. Made in house fresh daily. The savory mushroom, spinach, and cheese Danish hit the spot for me. Rich, buttery, flaky and satisfying Yogurt parfait was clean and fresh, no sugar overload. Coffee is straightforward and well executed. No need to overcomplicate it. Yes, it gets busy. There was a line but it moved pretty quickly. Afterwards, take a walk around the grounds of Cooper-Molera Adobe and take in the historic beauty of the place. Happy Eating!! 39

    Buckwheat cookie
    Ethan W.

    Charming bakery and cafe with plenty of outdoor seating in the back connecting garden Nice flaky, buttery dough on their pastries. Latte was decent, not too bitter or acidic and it was creamy They try a lot of variations for pastries, both savory and sweet! The savory danish was really tasty and there was some pickled / citrus component that added more depth and made it super interesting to eat! The salmon croissant was alright, had a really nice flaky crust but the filling tasted kinda gamey , would've been nice to have another component to balance it out. Cookies were niceeeee the buckwheat choco cookie had nice amounts of sea salt and was like a brownie texture on the inside. Choco chip cookie was thin and crispy on the outside with chocolate blobs spread around, quite sweet though There was a line going out the door but only had to wait around 15 min!

    Croissant and iced latte
    Maria O.

    This sweet bakery is located in on a corner close to the downtown area. The building is inside a historic adobe and has seating inside and out in the back. We came on a Thursday around 11 am and the place was busy. The hardest part of coming into this place is to choose what item to have because all of them look fantastic. I decided on a plain croissant and an iced latte. Both were fantastic. We sat outside and enjoyed the music and beautiful surroundings. I can't wait to go back and try some more delectable items

    10 am the hype is real.
    Kevin O.

    ITS COFFEE ALRIGHT. The hype is real. The line wraps out the door. The smell is strong and the wait is long. They are limited to a few flavors and lack any signature drinks. But they have just about all you can extract from an espresso machine ie latte cappuccino, americano. My latte was steamed properly and I got an extra shot in my large vanilla latte. The only issue was they forgot the vanilla, but I didn't mind just adding it in later. The blue corn cookie was interesting. A mix of corn bread and a sugar cookie. Would eat again. In all it wasn't bad, but for an hour wait anyone would be neutral with their experience here.

    Outdoor Area

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    1 month ago

    Overly priced and hyped. Line gets long and wait wasnt worth it. Too bad Pavel's is PG closed. Id get in line for that

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    5 months ago

    Everything is excellent!! Even the display case is eye candy! I could eat here everyday

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    ALTA Bakery & Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - ALTA Bakery & Cafe

    Any gluten free pastries?

    Sadly, no. They had a GF goat cheese frittata. It was delicious!

    Will you be open on Christmas?

    They are closed on Christmas.

    Is there parking nearby?

    Yes at Trader Joe's or street parking next to Alta.

    Anything gluten free?

    Gf pizza

    Do they use Oatly oat milk?

    I believe they make all of their own milks. The oat milk was delicious.

    Is this cafe dog friendly?

    Yes, they are dog friendly!

    Do they have vegan options?

    Yes! The Avocado Toast is fabulous

    Are there gluten free options? And I saw in a review there are no dairy alternatives, is that correct?

    View All 9 Questions

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    Bookworks

    Bookworks

    4.3
    (482 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Coffee shop & bookstore all in one location! My family and…read moreI were visiting from out of town and in search of some coffee. We ordered and iced and hot Mexican mochas and they were delicious! I appreciated them having decaf espresso as an option as well for those of us with caffeine sensitivity. The bookstore in the back had so many options, including kids books! My son had a great time looking at their options while we waiting for our coffee to be made. There was plenty of seating both inside and outside which made it easy for us to snag a spot and enjoy our coffees while enjoying the nice day!

    Drinks are okay, not the worst but not the best I've had. My friends who are locals love this place…read moreto work from so that's a plus but the few times I've visited, service was hit or miss. Sometimes they've been lovely and bubbly, but for some reason this one blonde staff member never seems like she actually wants to help. I had some questions on summer specials since "refresher" doesn't tell me much and she kept telling me about other drinks instead and being super short. The whole interaction still only had to have taken 2 min with only one person (who had been there for a bit already and seems local/older) behind me. Yet the minute I paid, even though I apologized for the questions and tipped, she loudly and passive aggressively said "sorry for the wait" to the next person right in front of me and they both laughed right in front of my face. I read the other review of the person who said they'd been here a bunch and usually loved it and then had a bad interaction and are also not like the "usual" demo of PG - I am also a person of color who was made to feel the same way. Such a shame what one bad impression can leave. Multiple comments about this has to be more than a coincidence... I would come back only maybe if this person wasn't working but not going to go out of my way anymore

    Photos
    Oatmeal cookie, pumpkin bread, macadamia nut latte, lavender honey latte
    Oatmeal cookie, pumpkin bread, macadamia nut latte, lavender honey latte
    Inside seating
    Inside seating
    Coffee shop

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    Coffee shop
    Troya

    Troya

    4.0
    (585 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    This is it. Varied and various choices to indulge from. Staff was able to help me curate a half…read moredozen of their classics. I was lucky and he also let me try the dried fruit candy and it was the best. They offer boxes of all different sizes and styles so you can take back a gift. You cannot leave without bakalava, i was able to enjoy some with ice cream ghardelli and it made for an amazing combo. Just stop by before your aquarium trip or walk to the beach. Parking is abysmal but if youre able to walk by you have to take some home. There are seating options but they are rather tight but quite the experience considering the vast decor.

    Wow!! Ok I was on a quick 24hr turn around road trip from…read moreOC up to Monterey, I needed coffee, I love sweets, I have never had Turkish anything. Omg the chocolate and other baked goods were delish!!!! I really felt like I was in Turkey, the decor, the music, the staff.... I think there were all family... once I entered they were so happy nice and willing to share the history behind the baked goods and coffee. One of the lady's there ( I think owner) over heard I ask my wife about coffee in Spanish and she corrected me, have some in-site and left me wondering.... Yes I had the tiny cup of coffee and it was worth it. Strong bitter tasteful, I could have had about 3 Thank you for the experience and knowledge and next time I'm in town I shall stop by and order more pastries!!!!

    Photos
    Back area where coffee is prepared and seating.
    Back area where coffee is prepared and seating.
    What we bought
    What we bought
    Traditional Turkish coffee

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    Traditional Turkish coffee
    Revival Ice Cream

    Revival Ice Cream

    4.4
    (1.6k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    My husband and I were walking by and noticed the long line outside Revival Ice Cream. We figured…read morethere had to be a reason for the hype, so we decided to check it out. We waited about 20 minutes to get inside, but once we reached the counter, the ordering process was quick and efficient. The shop itself is pretty small, but there's outdoor seating if you want to enjoy your ice cream nearby. They had so many unique flavors that it was hard to choose! I ended up getting the Kids Cookie Dough, and it did not disappoint. It was perfectly sweet and absolutely packed with cookie dough pieces, every bite had some. My husband ordered the Apple Pie flavor, and it was just as delicious. The balance of cinnamon and apple was spot on without either flavor overpowering the other. Now we understand why there's always a line. If we're back in the Monterey area, we'll definitely be stopping by again!

    Tried the famous Bee's Knees and I totally get the hype! The crunchy bits of honeycomb complimented…read morethe creamy ice cream so well. It's a unique flavor that just works, but I do think the honeycomb got overly sweet as I kept eating. My boyfriend also got the Milk & Cookies. The cookie bits were soft and chocolate-y and there were also soft melty bits of "milk" that were so tasty! I originally got a mini scoop of their daily flavor: apricot black tea. However, this tasted like under-ripe apricot with practically zero tea flavor. I get that it's like a natural organic ice cream but it was kind of sour. They're nice enough to swap your flavor if you don't like what you got, but they don't do samples. I was able to replace my apricot black tea to bee's knees! The line was so long on a Saturday around 9PM. Think we waited around 25 minutes. There is minimal seating inside and outside the shop, but you can always take your ice cream to-go and walk around downtown! Overall: 4.1/5

    Photos
    Double scoop of dairy-free Bee's Knees and Apple Pie with gluten-free waffle cone
    Double scoop of dairy-free Bee's Knees and Apple Pie with gluten-free waffle cone
    Bees Knees with Toasted Marshmallow topping
    Bees Knees with Toasted Marshmallow topping
    Bees Knees

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    Bees Knees

    ALTA Bakery & Cafe - cafes - Updated July 2026

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