We had a fantastic brunch on the front patio. The wait staff was very nice and prompt. They were very accomodating for our two little kids. The food was great, much better than your normal cafe. I will definitely go back when visiting the area again. read more

Service was fantastic on a very busy Saturday. The oatmeal is one of my very favorite items on the brunch menu. I never miss it when is I am in town. However, I have yet to order something I did not enjoy. Sure wish we had something like this in my home town. read more

Just okay, though really overpriced. The Crispy Chicken Avo sandwich, sounds good but just doesn't work. The flavors didn't blend well together. The Vegetarian sandwich, it was pretty simple. At $11 a pop you might have thought it would have more than one very thin slice of cheese. The service was decent, read more

Just had dinner and it was divine. Large menu, great drinks and deserts. The main meal was mediocre but the service was a+. I'll go back again. read more

Well, we've been wanting to give this cafe a try for a long time as we enjoy the Bistro next door so much and are never disappointed there. Upon arrival for lunch we noticed that seats were full inside and out but that the wait staff (obviously shorthanded) were being rushed beyond their comfort level and therefore ours as well. We were hastily greeted and were told we would be seated in 5 minutes. After being ignored and not seated for 25 minutes and with 2 tables available inside and 2 outside we decided that was enough so we left. I don't think we'll be back. Too bad because this is in a fantastic location and a little attention from management as to better organize their staff and properly greet and treat their customers will go a long way in the success of this cafe. read more

Yum! We have only eaten here twice for breakfast in the Cafe part. It is small and noisy but we love the breakfast. Both times I have ordered the AuGratin Scramble which is so delicious. Can't wait until it is warm enough to sit on the patio. read more

Came here at 5pm for dinner and ordered the veggie dinner burrito ($8)Husband ordered ribs and fries ($17). Was informed I couldn't have the burrito as they were all made early by the morning cook and now they didn't have any left for dinner. Apparently the evening cook was busy preparing other food for the main part of the restaurant and the server told me she knew how to make them but it wasn't part of her job to do so. I asked if the evening cook knew how to make it and could he please make me one. She disappeared into the kitchen and totally ignored me when she came out, leaving me wondering if I was in luck. I looked at the cashier who indicated it could be done..... Whilst I was paying, a cook came out with a plate of fries and ribs with a confused look on his face saying to the cashier "are these yours?" she shook her head. I didn't think they were part of my order as I'd only ordered it a few seconds before.....but they were. So my husband tucked in and had almost finished when my burrito finally came out looking like a flattened panini. I was hungry and the food was hot - what more can I say? As I looked around the place I noticed one of the servers asleep in the corner and also saw a plate of uncovered scones on the counter. Seriously I wish I had spotted these uncovered scones when I first walked in, as I would have walked straight out again. I asked the cashier why they were uncovered, (you know.... open to flies, people breathing, sneezing, coughing, touching them). She said she didn't know but said they were covered at night. Do you know what! I know why they weren't covered.... because none of you give a damm about your customers or the quality of your food. You didn't even bother smiling at me or greeting me when I walked in. Food overpriced - staff miserable and disinterested. read more

Love this place...both dressy & casual restaurant choices. Great food, fun bar & bar bites & fine dinners. Great place to celebrate a special that special occasion. Can accommodate large groups in private rooms. read more

Long overdue on this review. Elizabeth, Thomas & the Bittersweet team did a magnificent job of handling 40+ family & guests from around the country who came to celebrate my wife's surprise milestone birthday party late last July. The perfectly-sized private room, table settings, drinks, food, desserts and service were over the top! We'll do it again when we hit another milestone. John Hill read more

Food was good, however reason for poor review is due to service! Our server Danielle was very nice and personable, but the hostess and barista were so rude and unwelcoming that we almost decided not to dine here. If it hadn't been that my fiancé specifically wanted the hot and crunchy avo sandwich we would've been out the door. They made us feel like we were a nuisance and just in their way. They sat us at a dirty table and said she'd be right back to wipe it off which never happened. Extremely dissatisfied! read more

This was the most overpriced, terrible food experience I've ever had! My girlfriend and I went there for dinner- it was one of the nicer sounding dog friendly spots in the area. Our server was great- very friendly and responsive. But the food was really disappointing. The only halfway decent thing we got was the polenta triangles with chanterelles. But it was drenched in a too sweet sauce that was supposed to be white wine but tasted like teriyaki. She got the vegan burger that tasted like a burnt rice patty. I had a pesto pizza that tasted no better than frozen Tombstone. We had a total of three beers. Our bill was $82!!!!! A ridiculous amount of money for food that was seriously lacking in good flavors, freshness, and creativity. Never ever going back. We ate at Burger the next night and had amazing made-in-house veggie patties! read more

Service is horrible. Took them forever to even notice I was waiting to be seated. Place was dirty. They don't clean tables often. Waitress was not friendly I would say rude. Took a long time to order and get food. Food was over cooked. Won't be coming back read more

Overpriced for the quality of food. Service was slow and staff was not very accommodating. Don't plan to come back.

Lovely outdoor patio, friendly staff, and tasty food at reasonable prices, especially their daily "recession busters." I've been here both for breakfast and dinner, and the food is always better than expected. It's becoming my new favorite! read more

Went tonight (Friday) had a wonderful time...I must say that having a dog friendly porch large enough to handle 2 Greyhounds was an awesome start...Service was as good as it gets...I had the grilled chicken Cesar salad and my friend had a burger...All was great...We will certainly be back... read more

While I think yelp can be unfair to some owners,it can also serve to help others and perhaps let owners know when they have a problem in hopes they might fix it,particularly for owners in denial of what they perceive their establishment to be. Having enjoyed some wonderful dining experiences during the bistros better years, when the bistro was in its peak years and what it is now, it is just not worthy of the high end prices asked . The Culinary skill of Chef Thomas is undeniable ,however your only as good as your weakest link and the weak level of culinary skills from others in the back of the house is clearly evident. Two exact plates, the portion sizes and ingredients different, one has far to much salt while the other lacking. This tells me my food was not tasted while being made. Perhaps a cook with flat taste or a cook who smokes unable to taste proper salt levels immediately after a smoke break. I noticed several claims of long wait times for service which I personally do not mind if the food is properly prepared. I understand what happens when the back of the house is suddenly flooded with orders and the delays that can take place. Chefs might miss a plate and have to rush one out and perhaps a whole order gets misplaced and has to be rushed. Shit happens under stress so I can fully understand, but still If I'm paying absolute top dollar gross errors like the vast difference in salt in two of the same dishes is just not exceptable. Wine wise Bittersweet selection is nice however some selections seemed a bit beyond the typical mark up for the variety and winery. A few were marked up quite beyond the normal mark up and the corkage fees the same as many of the nations finest bistro's. Overall It just seems like the ownership wants top dollar at the upper end bistro at the same time runs so many side shows which thoroughly distract the concept. Sports bar,breakfast brunch cafe,an outside seating bistro the fine dinning and banquet facility? What happend to the Roman empire when it spread itself to far and thin? Answer it collapsed. Sadly so did the Bittersweet Bistro. Seems like the side shows to keep the finer bistro afloat financially however the distractions are severely hurting the efforts of the upscale bistro format. Once you go big its nearly impossible to go small then expect big again. would love the bistro to prove me wrong and return to its former glory. read more

Heard so much about the place, thought I would try it. They were advertising a special $5.00 breakfast that turned into 12.00. They don't mention you have to purchase a drink for 5.00 or coffee for $3.00. The food was also so so. Cold and it wasn't very busy, so I' m not sure why. Tried to sit outside, but the patio faces the parking lot and the car fumes were unbearable. Rather eat elsewhere. The bar in the main restaurant is still okay. But they are way overpriced. read more

I have been here several times on my visits to the area and Bittersweet never disappoints! The breakfast/brunch I delicious! Great coffee, great Bloody Marys, and great service. This is always a must for us when visiting! read more

Great good, Friendly service and accommodating for little ones. The potatoes were perfectly seasoned and eggs were fluffy and made to order. We will definitely be back when visiting Aptos. read more

Love it!. My husband and I went out for a date night last night. This restaurant delivers a complete package. From the friendly bar service, the wonderful food to the beautiful ambiance. I highly recommend this place to all my friends. read more

delicious breakfast burritos, pretty good coffee, and the sunday times! this place is a great neighborhood joint. the food is good, though they are heavy on sweet pastries (vs savory), they've got pretty good healthy eating options and things are pretty reasonably priced. we always stop on our way home from seascape. read more

Came here a year ago, all I remember is it was super busy food was average and service was poor. Decided to try again, I was happy to see it wasn't packed like last time. We sat inside the cafe next to the door to the bar. Our waitress came right away, brought our coffee, water and took our order. It took a while for our food to come, we finished our coffee, then the water. Meanwhile the 3 other tables with guests were getting service, like coffee and water. Finally our food came but it was brought by a cook , put on the table and poof he was gone. I got up and asked another waitress for coffee and Tabasco , she brought it right away. We finished our food when our waitress magically appeared and brought the check along with coffee. We put a credit card in with the check immediately and waited, and waited. I finally took it to the front and gave it to someone and waited about another eight minutes while they took it somewhere in the back. The omelettes were really good but the service really poor which I don't get because they weren't busy. read more

Good thing the server was great... The simple french toast breakfast took 45 minutes to arrive at the table. The server apologized but the restaurant made no effort to compensate us for the inconvenience. They could have comped the meal or at least given us free juice, or fruit bowl, or.... This is the second experience where they don't seem to care so I will not return. read more

We dined here for lunch last week and what a pleasant surprise. The pulled pork was smoky and yummy, salad with fresh chicken was delightful. The star of the day was that amazing chocolate mousse dessert. All 3 of us shared it and it had an intense chocolate flavor, not too sweet and the shell the mousse rested in was light, buttery and crunchy...a true work of art. We'll definitely return. read more

Bittersweet café tries to be hip and casual. They offer a reduced price for breakfast until 11AM. But don't order drinks or your bill will skyrocket. If not busy it could be very enjoyable. Go on a weekend and plan on camping out for several hours. It's not as snobby as the main eatery, but runs a close second. Never tried lunch. Looks good on paper. read more

This is my second time here . was not my choice as my first visit sucked. Alas this visit sucked also ! I ordered a cobb salad and asked to have it dressed in the kitchen. yuk ! talk about unappealing . It had romaine that was brown on the edges , three whole grape tomatoes, one egg cut in half, a hunk of avocado , a little blue cheese and fake bacon bits ! Talk about a lazy chef !!! The ingredients are supposed to be diced! I was starved so I ate it, but it was barely edible. Service was ok until we ordered, then it was a 30 minute wait for the food. and don't get me started on the dogs ! Again not my choice of a place, next time I'll wait in the car ! read more

My wife and I went here Wednesday morning. We both ordered the $6 dollar special which consisted of a waffle, two eggs to order and 2 peices of bacon. Service was slow and it was about 10:30 am. The waffle came out cold enough that the butter would not melt, no help from the syrup it was room temperature. Flavor was almost like eggo. Eggs were cooked fine. The bacon was over cooked and crumbled quickly. Never once did the server ask about product or replenish our liquids. In fact when they began clearing our table we again asked for water and waited another 3 minutes for the water. read more

I took my mom for her 75th birthday this week. We were quickly seated inside because Mom felt it was too chilly outside for her. It was quite full in both areas. Servers were polite and friendly, but either there were not enough for the number of patrons or they were not well-trained. Many mistakes were made. The food was good and my mom was delighted, but I don't know if I'll go back, due to disappointment. Here are the things that disappointed me: 1. I ordered iced tea, but had to ask for sugar, since there was none on the table. 2. Discovered with my first sip that it was COLA and not iced tea. The extra sugary drink had made me extremely thirsty, but all the servers were out-of-sight, so I had to wait to flag down one to ask for water and a replacement tea. Ugh. 3. The sandwiches we ordered seemed to take a long time to be served, but no server came to check on us or apologize, which always makes one feel better while waiting. 4. Both lunches came with fries, but there was no salt, pepper or catsup on our table, although I could see it was on all the other tables. Again, I had to wait to flag down another server to ask for these items. 5. The server brought us the bill without asking if we wanted dessert, which I had planned to order as a birthday treat for my mom. Again, I had to find another server for the dessert menu. 6. The original server came to our table with a chocolate dessert on his tray and said, "I just heard from the hostess that it's your birthday, ma'am. I'm so sorry I didn't know before--Happy Birthday!"...and then he walked away and served the dessert to another table! He came back to take our dessert order. It took over 20 minutes to arrive and we'd already been there 1 1/2 hrs just for lunch. 7. I thought maybe he'd comp the $4 dessert I ordered for mom because he'd forgotten to ask if we'd wanted dessert before bringing the bill, but no, he redid the bill to add our dessert. I only tipped him 15%. Any one of those items above, if it was the only thing that happened, I'd have overlooked it and excused it as a result of being too busy. But taken all together... On the brighter side, a very nice lady (perhaps the manager?) answered my mom's questions about the history of the restaurant and showed us to the newly transformed beautiful lounge area of the Bittersweet Bistro (dinner restaurant next door.) We were quite impressed and my mom said she wants to go back with my dad. read more

Went with a friend after having a massage. We sat outside on the front patio. There were sweet dogs with their owners at other tables. My friend had the Greek Goddess omelette. I had the crunchy chicken and bacon benedict. We both started with a bellini - prickly pear for her, passion for me! DELISH! My benedict was different and yummy. Judging from my friends plate, I think she liked her omelette. Thankfully we were able to keep our water glasses full by asking any passing waitstaff for fill ups! I would love to come again for dinner at the adjoining Bittersweet Bistro. The bar inside looks amazing and I am to understand they have music on the weekends! read more

Had a wonderful breakfast on the patio this morning. We were greeted by a very friendly waitress. The food was great, the lattes nice and hot. read more

Had the best breakfast here with my son & grandson! The only problem was so many delicious sounding items to choose from! I chose the Shrooms Omelet. Amazing! Can't wraith to go back next time we're in town. read more

Came here last Saturday for brunch. For the price, you can do better, but it's not bad. Our pizza, sandwich, and soup turned out alright. Although the pizza was too heavy and made us feel bleh for the rest of the day. They have a menu for dogs, so we felt bad that we left ours at home. Waitress forgot my coffee, which was the first thing I asked for; but she did manage to get a plastic cup with cap and straw for our daughter without our asking. read more

3 stars for excellent food. I was delightfully impressed by the chicken and waffles dish! The Belgian waffle had bits of bacon in the batter, and two full slices on top. The homemade blackberry sauce was super good, and a nice compliment to the crunchy chicken. The chicken was sliced thin and was moist, but the best part was the crunchy almond coating with bits of black sesame seeds. Totally delicious!!! Our waitress seemed distracted and didn't offer us water the entire time. In fact we only had one glass between the two of us. And she wasn't friendly, and didn't seem to even try to be. I can understand why people would like this cafe since it is dog friendly. But for someone not bringing a dog, but two sleeping kids in a stroller, I seemed to be more of an inconvenience to the staff and fellow customers. A few customers around me were very rude. Also, I could smell the dogs around me, which is totally gross, and there were dog-water bowls that were spilled under our table. All in all though, I liked the food so much that I want to come back to the actual restaurant and sit in their patio dining area. It looks lovely!! read more

One of our favorite breakfast/brunch spots in town! I love the scrambles, especially the Cheesy Pig and their Bloody Mary menu is fun and always a reason to return. You can come in uggs or heels and feel like you fit in ether way! read more

Beware! Bait-and-switch! The Cafe website said $10.75 for burger, etc. and when I arrived the cost was now ~$16! The manager would not honor the website price without a huge argument, ruined my appetite. read more

Sophisticated lunch menu. All of the food was high quality. Loved the burgers as well as the Caesar salad and calamari. And the outdoor seating is dog friendly. read more

Have had lunch there several times, and each time I leave wondering why I tried. Our last trip we had to ask for everything twice. I mean everything. Table for two, place setting for one. Water please. Wife would like a straw. UH, any water? Thanks how about a straw? Can I have a fork yet? Where is the salad we ordered? Oh thanks for the explanation that you put it on a separate ticket. Hey that lady at the back of the cafe is getting pissed because she cannot flag down the waitress and wants to pay. She gets up walks into the cafe, and comes out telling her dining companion there is no one around. My food was OK but considering the price point, I would expect better food and WAY better service. read more

Wow! We just found another favorite restaurant!!! The food was fantastic the desserts were to die for. My wife and I shared a chocolate mousse and it was more than enough. Great friendly staff and a very great restaurant experience. read more

First rate from greeting to end...we've been here in Aptos for years but had never been to the Cafe...well that all changed this week when we went twice in 2 days!...great smart and happy staff and just superb food-wonderful omelets and scrambles...plus it's dog friendly, so our retrievers will be going to breakfast next time...Bravo Bittersweet-our new favorite! read more

This is one of our favorite places for breakfast. The food is great and there is rarely a wait. I am not a pancake person-but I will gladly scarf down a homemade Bittersweet pancake. They are fluffy and cooked to perfection. Sometimes we order one to split as a breakfast dessert. My favorite breakfast dishes are the traditional benedict (but with chipotle hollandaise) and the arti avo au gratin scramble. My boyfriend always gets the southwestern benedict which is also awesome. Only complaint is that they tend to under cook the eggs on the benedicts-so I have learned to order accordingly. read more