We drove an hour to try this Pasticceria and we are glad we did and will be back. We felt like we…read morewere in Italy enjoying the best pastries, pizza and cafe late ever. The owners, two brothers from Italy are professional trained chefs. It is definitely a must visit cafe.

5/5: The rhum baba is perfection. Get it. It's a cocktail in pastry form…read more 5: Chocolate covered zepole cream puff 5: Regular zepole cream puff 4: The chocolate covered cake with a layer of orange 4: Big cream puff with a Coffee choux cream. 2: The pistachio gelato is way too sweet. All I can taste is sugar. This might be ok for little kids who like super-sweet stuff, but it's cloyingly sweet for anyone over the age of 18. 2: The chocolate bombe uses very mild milk chocolate mousse. It is lacking the intense bitter chocolate flavor and complexity that I'm looking for. 2: Tiramisu: The espresso layer is too mushy.

I no longer live in the area, but I go to Gayle's every time I come back…read more The food is excellent and there's always a line on weekends and they have a good system that deals with the crowds. Only issue is probably the parking. There's a lot but I grab whatever street parking I can to get in and out easily. Some of my favorites foods they offer all of the time: - chicken enchiladas (fresh or take home to cook) - fresh kale salad - sandwiches - deviled eggs And then save room for dessert--they have a super bakery. They made the best toll house chocolate chip cookies but now they've morphed that into a "brookie" (brownie and cookie hybrid) that is my new favorite.

Walked in not knowing anything about the spot and was completely blown away!!! The selection was…read morevast across the board, and the system of service through tickets was organized superbly. A must go if you are in the Capitola area. There is surely something for everyone in Gayle's.

Their bread is amazing Their staff is amazing. They do…read moreanything to help you out. Their prices are reasonable And so thankful for what everything they do.

Pretty good. Generous portions. Need to serve Peroni beer. Good setting. Nice breeze. Planniing to…read morereturn soon.

Stumbled upon this place on the last day of our trip. Bummer as I would have come back for another…read moremeal. Don't wait! Come check out this place for a very satisfying and delicious meal! The broccoli quiche and the lemon tart are our winners! My daughter loved her cheesecake too! Service was great!

Oh la la. This place is absolutely amazing at producing outstandingly delicious traditional…read moredesserts. The berry cobbler is insane. Their lemon meringue tart is so good. The bread is fantastic. We love Companion but this place may supersede them for our family. Wow wow wow.

We came here for a quick breakfast before a hike! I ordered the tomato pesto croissant and it was…read moreSO good that we went back in line to snag another one lol. The croissant was sooo buttery, the pesto was very garlicky, and the tomato tasted fresh and vibrant. The employees were very kind. They also have a broad selection of breakfast items here that I'd come back to try. Tons of seating indoors and outdoors, and a large parking lot to top it off!

This was my second visit and I decided I really needed to rereview it!…read more My first visit was during Covid. They were open but I think items were limited at the time and we were still masked up. My experience then was less than stellar but honestly, I think we were all still on edge. For this visit, we stopped in before heading home to pick up some pastries for a light breakfast. It was around 10 am and it was bustling. Clearly it is a popular spot but the line moved fast. We ordered ham and cheese croissants, an almond croissant, cinnamon roll with raisins (you can get them without as well) and an apricot pocket. Everything we tried was delicious and I mean DELICIOUS. The pastries were buttery and flaky and I am craving another almond croissant as I write this, lol. We didn't want to order any hot food since we were about to hit the road but they also sell breakfast sandwiches and burritos and it smelled heavenly in there. It is a little cramped with a few small tables but there is also a patio with a kind of wild garden which was very charming. I can 100% see this being a must stop for us whenever we visit Santa Cruz!

I just ate a piece of Beckmanns Cherry Pie! OMG the Crust!!!…read more Its the best crust ive ever had. I love it and want everyone to know that they should give it a try. Yummy

Great bread, can not recommend online ordering alas. Moved from Bay Area, so I ordered online since…read moreI was missing my favorites. Order arrived Friday at 12:50 pm, missing one of my wheat sourdough's. ( ordered 4, received 3). Sent email at 1:04, ( complete with photos of products received and packing slip, double checked final charge to see if i was charged for all 4, I was. tried email from order form, tried the contact us link/form on website, tried to call the direct phone line Monday morning and left messages. Update: Tuesday morning, got an email they are sending a loaf out.

An OK place to get coffee and a pastry here in the Santa Cruz area. Definitely a bit dingier and…read moredarker than most coffeeshops, with some concerns about cleanliness - tables were sticky and there was food and crumbs on the floor around my chair before I sat down. Coffee and pastries are decent, although the pastries are priced pretty expensive. Lots of activism and messaging by the coffeeshop, which can be a plus or minus depending on your proclivities.

Donnie Darko!! This…read moreis what makes the surrounding towns/ Santa Cruz unique. Living in SF we wanted to find something different and unique. We appreciated this corner coffee shop and the vibes. We even came back the next day just for Donnie Darko - if you enjoy iced coffee this is it! One of the cons of this drink is it comes only in one size; apparently a specific formula or proportion of ingredients. Would come back to this town just for this amazing coffee!

I love this place! The sandwiches are seriously affordable in a time where everyone is charging so…read moremuch for so little. The location is convenient, up from the beach. Sandwiches are made in a timely manner. And everything is good! This time I tried the Big Dipper and loved it. I probably could've split it with someone if I got a side, it had some size to it and was well portioned with meat, cheese and fresh veggies. You can eat inside or outside OR you can take it back to the beach and have the best setting possible. I will be back again and again- love this place.

Food: 5 stars. Service: 3 stars…read more The food was excellent and made the visit worthwhile. The staff, however, came across as a bit cold and unfriendly. I get that it's beach time and things move at a different pace, but being a little nicer to customers and visitors would make a big difference. Hopefully next time the service will be as good as the food. EDITED - Saturday, June 20, 2026 I'm updating my review after reading the owner's response. First, I want to clarify that the response appears to be a copy-and-paste message aimed at people leaving negative reviews. If you had actually read my original review, you would have noticed that I never complained about the food, the wait time, prices, staffing, or anything related to the quality of the business itself. In fact, I enjoyed the food and had no issue waiting. I visited on a Thursday, and the café wasn't packed. The owner was clearly working hard, and I respect that. However, when I walked in and said hello, I was completely ignored. There was no greeting, no acknowledgment, and no sense that my business was appreciated. That was the only reason I left a 3-star review in the first place. The response talks about staffing shortages, minimum wage, food costs, and the challenges of running a small business. I understand all of that. Running a business is difficult. But those challenges don't really address the point I was making. A simple "Hi," "Welcome," or even a quick smile costs nothing and goes a long way. I also don't think customers should be made to feel responsible for business challenges such as labor costs or rent. Those are realities of ownership that every business owner has to navigate. That said, after thinking about it, I'm changing my review from 3 stars to 5 stars because the food was genuinely good, and I do support small businesses. My hope is simply that future customers are greeted with a little more warmth and appreciation when they walk through the door. One final thought: when someone leaves a critical review, it may be worth responding directly to their experience rather than posting a generic response. Sometimes there's valuable feedback hidden inside reviews that aren't really about the food at all. I wish you and your business success, and I genuinely hope you continue serving great food for years to come.

They have variety of pasties, desserts and breads but my favorites are the Bolillo with cream…read morecheese and jalapeño! The best I've ever had. The bread was crunchy in the outside and soft in the inside. The amount of jalapeño and cream cheese was so well balanced. They also have the best tamales in town! Staffs are all nice and accommodating. Store is clean and has plenty of parking space.

On our way home, we had pre ordered 2 dozen tamales to take home. They only make it fresh, no…read morefrozen. We enjoyed the chicken green sauce (the favorite) and pork red sauce over the next few days and froze a 1/2 dozen for another time. You should ask for them in a tray if you order that many, otherwise you have to take 4 plastic bags home. The cost came to $100+ with the tax but they're big and delicious.

Their ready-to-go sandwiches on baguetttes are outstanding! Absolutely worth the price---beautiful…read moreingredients, fresh bread, and spicy spreads (horseradish mayo, etc.). Buy all 4 varieties for your day and you will not be disappointed.

I came here with my mom on a Fri and Sat morning. Fri it was not too crowded and Sat it was very…read morebusy. The pastries were delicious and I love the vibe here, it's very comfortable and everything is made fresh in house. I got their fritatta which was yummy. I also purchased their lemon meringue pastry which was yummy. I did not try their coffee. My mom got a morning bun which she said was very good and she also tried their bread and butter.