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    Counterpoint Coffee

    4.1 (213 reviews)
    ModerateCoffee & Tea
    Closed 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Counterpoint Coffee Photos

    COUNTERPOINT COFFEE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for working
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Counterpoint Coffee

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    Menu March 2026
    Stephanie K.

    What a gem of a coffee shop! Loved how cozy it was in there and the overall vibes were comfortable, positive, energy. The drink menu is expansive and they have a great selection of your classic drinks as well as more unique beverages. My personal "litmus test" for good coffee shops is a mocha, and Counterpoint delivered! The espresso was smooth, not burnt, and the chocolate elevated the flavor and balanced the bitterness without being overly sweet. My girlfriend got the pandan latte and she said it was the best drink she'd had in a long time (and she drinks coffee daily!) Wish we could have stayed there longer, it's the perfect place to curl up with a good book or get lost in deep conversation with a close friend.

    Iced Honey Latte
    Kevin W.

    My chronically exhausted millennial body needed some liquid energy. It's a hard life when the energy from the iced latte from brunch was cancelled out by the champagne and heavy brunch foods. While supercharging my card in this questionable looking complex in Seaside, I passed by Counterpoint Coffee and thought to myself - that's a good idea for the 2 hour drive back to the Bay. Upon entering, thus is definitely a space for everybody, but most suitable for gangs of artists, creatives, coffee connoisseurs, and whatever the Gen Z version of emo kids are. The menu was very simple - strictly coffee, teas, others, and vegan items, though I think they reconsidered at one point and added syrups so one can have some enjoyment with their liquid brown brewed bean water. The iced latte with whole milk and honey syrup was quite good. San Francisco proper pricing, for sure, but this place definitely would fit in an eclectic SF neighborhood. Service was okay. They definitely matched the patrons energy. They spoke cool youngster speak for the patron before me and code switched to overly friendly millennial 'don't want to bother you but TY SO SO MUCH'. Glad they have this as an option, since the only other coffee shop was a deli or Starbucks. Not sure if the value is there, since it doesn't taste like an SF Coffee - which SF always makes sure it hits in the EXACT way 95% of the time.

    David M.

    The pandan breve flat white was the best thing that happened to me all day. It was amazing! Staff were kind and interactive, the place was dark and cozy with a few spots to comfortably sit for a while and read a book or chat. Will return!

    Venus L.

    My husband and I were on the way back home and needed a coffee break to refuel. We were lucky to get to Counterpoint Coffee before they closed. The inside is a vibe and the vinyl collection on display was enough to make my husband geek out a bit. I opted for their ube latte and my husband got a regular latte. Both drinks had good flavor and we were happy with our pitstop. Service wasn't overly friendly, but they were efficient and we did come right before closing time so we were happy.

    Coffee
    Jose G.

    Man...we were just passing by Sands City and tried to find a coffee place that we have not tried and wanted to try Counterpoint. Good call. The crew are super nice and personable! Plus the coffee we ordered were amazing. Definitely will come back of we pass by again.

    Americano, iced with vanilla syrup and milk. Ham.and cheese with spinach panini
    Miguel W.

    Stopped by here real quick on a weekday and the coffee was great. Got an iced americano with some vanilla flavoring. Also ordered the ham and havarti panini and a chocolate croissant for my little one. The staff were very nice and it had good vibes. They were playing music from records which I thought was pretty cool and the location was close to our hotel. Will be returning in the future. Parking is out front but can be found on side streets if needed.

    Iced chai latte
    Daniel S.

    They serve pastries from Lafayette Bakery at The Barnyard. Which in my opinion, makes the most buttery croissants and best tasting anywhere on the Monterey Peninsula. Instant 5 stars.

    Inside space
    Emily C.

    I'm always researching and seeking out the best coffee places when I travel. Counterpoint checked all the boxes for an amazing place to get coffee to go or hang out. The place had a very cool, chill vibe. The owner has a vast vinyl collection the music playing was perfect for the early morning hour. They have a small food selection but there's something for everyone. The drink selection was awesome but I stuck to my usual Americano, and it was strong and delicious. I plan to go back tomorrow and might buy some beans to take home. Highly recommend!

    Hot Ube Latte w/ Almond Milk
    Karenhope T.

    3.5 IMO. Cute cafe with alternative, rocker-ish vibes at the end of Broadway. Large space with seating areas to sit and chat or study. There is an extensive wall of records that you can ask staff to play maybe (I didnt personally, but there was a sign to ask staff about them). Drinks we got: - Matcha Rosewater Lemonade: 2/5 the matcha was overwhelmed by the rosewater, but my husband liked that the Lemonade wasn't too sweet. - Espresso Tonic: 5/5 solid drink, hard to mess up. - Ube Latte (i got mine with almond milk instead of oatmilk): 3/5 tasted mote like fruitloops than ube but it wasnt bad. Just not a strong ube taste that I was expecting. I rated a little higher than I was initially going to even though I didn't love my drinks because of the cozy vibes, convenient location, effort in serving different drink selections. I'm from this area and it's nice to see more new and creative Cafes coming to Seaside.

    Ube latte and Matcha Pandan latte
    Marylynn M.

    We were ready to just drink normal coffee during our 4-day stay in the Monterey/Big Sur area but this spot popped up on Yelp and ooooh la la. We got their seasonal drinks of Ube latte and Matcha Pandan latte and were very satisfied. I typically love croissants and decided to try their almond croissant. Okay, so I wasn't expecting it to be now MY FAVORITE ALMOND CROISSANT as of February 2025. It just beat my latest favorite in Canada. Lol Definitely a must try!

    Avocado toast on sourdough

    High quality food, coffee, ambience, and service. The sourdough bread from Ad Astra Bread Co for the avocado toast was perfect Would absolutely come back again.

    Bree G.

    This was a sweet little find on my way down to Carmel. I appreciated the interior aesthetic and thought the record player added a nostalgic touch. I ordered a half-caff latte which was foamy and delightful. Definitely would go back and recommend.

    Honey Oat Milk Latte
    Julia V.

    This spot has really good coffee and baristas who clearly know what they're doing. Every drink I've had here has been well-crafted, and the attention to detail really shows. One thing I've always wondered though, is what coffee roaster they use. I keep forgetting to ask, but it would be nice if they displayed that info somewhere-- I think it's something coffee lovers would like to know. Note: I was excited to see ube and pandan syrup flavors on the menu-- and as a Filipino, of course I had to try them! Both were delicious, and it's great to see a local coffee shop offering unique, culturally inspired options. Ambiance: The vibe here is definitely unique. It is dark and a bit edgy, but it still feels inviting. It's a cool spot to work remotely or get some schoolwork done. I also think it's a nice touch that they serve wine and beer-- perfect for when your coffee buzz fades and you're easing into the afternoon. If I had to make a few suggestions: I'd love to see a bit more variety in the food offerings. And while the drinks are great, they do feel a little overpriced--I usually spend around $8 for a latte, which is a couple dollars more than other local spots. Overall, this place has a lot going for it--skilled baristas, creative flavors, and a cool atmosphere. So if you've ever been contemplating on coming here, just do it.

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    23 days ago

    The pandan latte is 10/10. I tried the ube latte but the pandan latte is really good. Ambiance is relaxing. Staff are friendly.

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    2 months ago

    Nice selection of music to relax to, good for studying, and chatting. Servers were super nice and the coffee was tasty.

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    7 months ago

    Great music, great ambience, and great service. The lattes and matcha are delicious. The dough for their bagels is also amazing.

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    Page 1 of 6

    Counterpoint Coffee Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Counterpoint Coffee

    Is every bread item stale?

    How is their wifi and are they OK with people studying/working on their laptop for several hours they buy a few things during that time? :))

    Yes, I have worked there and not had any problems. The only issue is that parking near there is only for 2-hours.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    2.4 mi
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    Stopped by Captain + Stoker and really enjoyed it. The matcha latte was DELICIOUS, best matcha yet!…read moreI subbed oat milk and a little vanilla sweetener and it was perfect. Service was quick and friendly, and parking was super easy with plenty of open spots nearby. When I got there there was no line at all, but by the time I left there was a line out the door, which definitely says something. I didn't try the food this time, but everything coming out looked amazing. Looking forward to going back!

    I've always enjoyed coming here. The coffee is consistently great, and that's one of the reasons I…read morecontinue to return. Today's visit was disappointing. I ordered two avocado bowls and requested that two eggs be added to each bowl, for a total of four added eggs, which the cashier repeated back to me to confirm the order. I understood there would be an additional charge for the eggs. Unfortunately, when I got to my destination and opened the containers, each bowl only had one added egg, even though I was charged for a total of four added eggs. The avocado bowls are already on the expensive side, so it's frustrating to pay for something that wasn't provided. I immediately tried calling the café so I could speak with a manager and have the issue corrected, but my call was disconnected, and I wasn't able to reach anyone. I understand that mistakes happen, and I appreciate that the cashier entered the order correctly. My frustration is with the order not being prepared as requested and not being able to reach anyone to resolve the issue. I hope the team can be more attentive to verifying orders before they leave the kitchen and ensure customers have a reliable way to contact someone when there is a problem. I enjoy supporting this business and genuinely hope this feedback helps improve the customer experience.

    Photos
    The ordering counter.  Still nostalgic
    The ordering counter. Still nostalgic
    Iced matcha latte
    Iced matcha latte
    Iced Matcha Latte w/ extra matcha shot, oat milk ($7.50) + Shaken Sesame w/ espresso, housemade black sesame syrup, milk ($6.75)

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    Iced Matcha Latte w/ extra matcha shot, oat milk ($7.50) + Shaken Sesame w/ espresso, housemade black sesame syrup, milk ($6.75)
    The Butter House

    The Butter House

    4.5
    (2.4k reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    this place was definitely one of my bf's and my favorite meals in monterey since everything was…read moresuper yummy! we came here on a thursday morning and the place was crowded but there was no wait. also, the waitresses were so kind and attentive despite it being so busy, continuously asking us if we needed anything else or refills for water. much appreciated !!! foods: - lumpia: came out HOT and crispy! we had to cut it to let it cool down, but it was really good and crunchy and paired well with the sweet and sour sauce! it can get a bit oily, and we did see a bit of oil just pooled on the plate, so i'd probably limit to just one if you're not a big fan of oily foods. - pork belly fried rice: the pork belly was crispy and savory and paired so well with the fried rice and egg! the fried rice has bell pepper in it, which surprised me bc i'd never eaten that combo before, but i still enjoyed it! this was my bf's favorite dish and he kept talking about it the rest of the day LOL - lemon curd & blueberry pancakes: i absolutely LOVED this !! i'm usually not a big fan of sweet breakfast items, but this one was perfectly not too sweet and the lemon curd added such a nice tanginess that helped cut through the sweetness. i also loved how the pancakes were filled with blueberries and had more blueberries on top, so there was no skimping! we were surprised that we finished it all bc we usually don't eat all of our pancakes, so that really says how yummy it was hehe.

    I was down in Monterey house sitting for a month so wanted to try a local spot for brunch with my…read morewife for our 10th Anniversary celebration weekend. The reviews are great. Maybe a little too great because the experience left me wondering if they were all posted by a marketing agency. The photos on the reviews are all a little too perfect imo. Conspiracies aside, the food was awful. I just don't get how this many people could share amazing post after amazing post and jive that with my in person experience. We ordered the corned beef hash. It needed salt. How?!!! Plus they basically only used beef and potato?! The menu said it had peppers and onion so when we asked, they brought some out on the side?!! Terrible. I mean it made it taste a little better but it was still not good. Then, the "lumpia" was more like an oil soggy egg roll. Too oily to even eat because literally it was dripping oil. So gross. Clearly someone not from the lumpia making culture made these. I do not recommend this place at all. Even the coffee was terrible. Only saving grace and the second star comes from the fresh squeezed orange juice. Delicious but come on ... smh ... does not save this place at all. Sorry, I really wanted to like this but this was my experience. Hopefully it was just a weird day.

    Photos
    Croissant Breakfast Sandwich with sausage patties, fried egg, cheddar cheese and house made aioli.
    Croissant Breakfast Sandwich with sausage patties, fried egg, cheddar cheese and house made aioli.
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    TBH Benedict
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    ALTA Bakery & Cafe

    ALTA Bakery & Cafe

    4.2
    (959 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$

    Very cool and hip cafe in old town Monterey. I think it is in a historic building as it totally…read morelooks like a Spanish Mission era type of building. Super open and airy, there's a separate room off to the side with some haphazardly laid out tables and seats. The main retail area is pretty busy with people lined up placing orders/waiting for an order, or people fixing up their coffee drinks. Now even though I took my goods to-go I had to go out to their patio to find a restroom. That outdoor area is totally cool, totally out in the open but you're like in a square inside a fort, surrounded by walls, so you can't see any street action. But you're totally open to roam in here from the street. Next time I'm in this area, I'm definitely gonna make time to chill on that patio. Cold Brew ($6.50/5*) Perfect to my taste, smooth and mellow on the roast. Pricey for a small cup but this is a touristy area. Banana Bread Slice ($5.25/4*) Very thick slice. Super soft yet moist in the center but firmer and more well done on the edges. Pretty dark in color, maybe some cocoa powder went in but there were also tiny hits of dark chocolate throughout. Mild natural banana flavor, wished it were stronger but that's me. Blue Corn Cookie ($5/5*) Never had a cookie like this before but I was pretty impressed. Kinda like a cornbread but made into the texture of a good cookie, so it was crisp and buttery on the bottom and moist and chewy in the center. All whilst having a pronounced corn meal flavor and texture. Major props for exposing me to something new that I enjoyed immensely. Went great with sips of black cold brew. Most other things in their pastry case seemed a tad fancier than most other regular coffee shops. I'm just glad I was able to run into and choose a more special cafe to end my beautiful trip out in the central coast.

    if there is one thing i ate from monterey bay that i'll be thinking about all the time now, it…read morewould 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!

    Photos
    Inside the cafe
    Inside the cafe
    Chocolate strudel
    Chocolate strudel
    Mixed berry strudel

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    Lupita's Bakery

    Lupita's Bakery

    4.2
    (136 reviews)
    0.4 mi
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    My husband and I clearly fell in love with this place. We were back in our hotel room and needed…read moresomething sweet. I punched in bakery and this place caught my eye instantly. I love pan dulce.. As soon as we opened the door I was in Pan Dulce heaven. We selected a few, enough for the evening and for the morning with coffee. Conchas were amazing, not dry at all. We also had blueberry muffins for the morning and those were moist and tasty. We ended up going the next evening for a refill as we were headed back to the Bay Area the following morning. Welp, it was sooooo good we went again in the morning. We had to share with our family. We went three days in a row!! I look forward to my next trip out there!

    2 stars Just ate an…read morealmond croissant made by Lupita at a marina coffee shop. It is nothing like a traditional almond paste croissant that you can expect to find in Paris. Everything about it was wrong. The dryness of the bread, the apparent lack of butter, the use of powdered milk, the overly sugariness of the almond paste itself. The marina coffee shop used to carry an almond croissant from another bakery, which I was really looking forward to. So when I bit into this one, I was immensely disappointed. Taste is subjective so I can't say that it's terrible, but I really wanted to throw out the remainder of what I was eating.

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    Our beautiful rose decorated, sea & sand themed wedding cake. Vanilla with raspberry, absolutely delicious
    Our beautiful rose decorated, sea & sand themed wedding cake. Vanilla with raspberry, absolutely delicious
    Torta de milanesa con quesillo
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    The spread!!

    Counterpoint Coffee - coffee - Updated July 2026

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