Five stars for the location alone. Huge patio overlooking the bay. I ordered a raspberry iced…read morelatte. Not too sweet but I wish I could taste the coffee a little more. I should have asked if their syrups are made in house and/or the brands. I did not get a chance to try any food items but they sounded delicious! Service was very kind, casual, and patient! Their website is awesome by the way! Very coastal zen.

2.5 stars I've had…read moremuch stronger coffee even with two shots of espresso so I was surprised with how milky and weak my large white mocha macchiato was at 3 shots. It took the cashier a while to type in my order in the system which is fine but I was surprised that the order was put in for hot instead of iced. Then for the barista to say "seriously?" and rolling his eyes when I told him that I asked for iced, I understand that was at the situation and of course not at me. All that, only for the coffee to not be good anyways. Disappointed and cannot recommend this place.

Decided to try this place for lunch since they recently expanded their food options. I had the Lox…read moreBagel accompanied by a white needle tea. The bagel was a toasted everything bagel topped with cream cheese, lox salmon, pickled red onions, green onion, and dill. It was crispy, creamy, and oh so tasty. It made for a perfect lighter lunch option. The white needle tea was refreshing and went well with the salmon. They have many specialized, high quality tea options. This cafe is part of Wave Street Studio, which is also a venue that hosts a variety of events. The outdoor seating space is very pleasant, surrounded by plants with background music playing, a bubbling fountain, and offering some games like chess or mini billiards. The employees are very professional accommodating. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here.

Waffle was nice and crispy, with lots of fruit. Made fresh to order! The gentleman who made my…read morewaffle I would have guessed was the manager/ owner, obviously seasoned knew peoples names..but Coffee was a let down but I don't think it was this places norm the worker told me if was his second day. So ‍ If I was a local I would go back and try again

It's delicious! If you're in the area, I highly recommend trying it. We stayed in Carmel but came…read morehere specifically to eat and it was fantastic. I recommend the gala yogurt, and pistachio cake.

The new gold standard…read more Alta is the new gold standard by which I will unfortunately be judging every bakery from now on. Get there early or prepare to wait in line--the secret is very much out. And deservedly so. The staff is exceptionally friendly, the setting is wonderful, and somehow the food tastes even better than it looks, which is an accomplishment considering the artistry coming out of the pastry case. Alta occupies part of the historic Cooper-Molera Adobe complex, and its back garden may be one of the loveliest places I've ever eaten breakfast. Passionflowers tumble over walls and trellises, potted plants and mature trees soften the courtyard, and shade sails make it an incredibly pleasant place to linger over coffee and pastry. It feels less like café seating and more like breakfast in a particularly lovely California garden. And then there's the food. I came back two mornings in a row. The first day's quiche was ham and roasted pepper; the second was cheese and mushroom. Both were outstanding. The egg filling had this almost impossibly silky quality, with a beautifully browned top and crisp, buttery crust. I found myself deliberately slowing down because I genuinely wanted to savor every bite. The pistachio-rose swirl was exceptional: delicate, flaky layers with honey, pistachio and rose playing off one another without becoming cloyingly sweet or perfumey. It's the sort of pastry that reminds you what laminated dough is actually supposed to be. The maple-bacon swirl was the only thing that didn't quite reach the same stratospheric level. The flavor was good, but the rendered bacon fat seemed to fuse some of those beautiful layers together during baking. At most bakeries I probably still would have called it very good. Alta had simply set an absurdly high standard for itself. Then a table beside me ordered the smoked-salmon toast, I saw it arrive, and resistance became pointless. Warm, hearty, thick-cut bread topped with crème fraîche, radish, pickled red onion, greens and a genuinely generous amount of smoked salmon. A triumph. Even the pistachio-honey latte was a dream. I can't rave about Alta enough. My only complaint is that I didn't have more mornings in Monterey to work my way through the rest of the menu. It was one of the culinary highlights of the entire trip and is now my benchmark for what an excellent bakery can be. Alta, you have ruined lesser bakeries for me. Five stars. No notes. Except: make more pastries. I have unfinished business.

Been here a couple times while roaming the wharf because we love the little outdoor balcony…read moreoverlooking the ocean! Such a calm and beautiful spot to relax for a little. The coffee is delicious. Our latest order was a lavender latte and it's got a great flavor. We haven't tried their pastries yet, but they have some available if you need a snack, as well as Marianne's ice cream. The inside of the cafe is nice too! There's plenty of tables to sit at and they have board games to play. Been here a couple times while roaming the wharf because we love the little outdoor balcony overlooking the ocean! Such a calm and beautiful spot to relax for a little. The coffee is delicious. Our latest order was a lavender latte and it's got a great flavor. We haven't tried their pastries yet, but they have some available if you need a snack, as well as Marianne's ice cream. The inside of the cafe is nice too! There's plenty of tables to sit at and they have board games to play.

The staff seemed super friendly and were able to get my drink out quick despite it being a busy…read moretime. The ambiance was quite interesting. You're hit with the smell of ramen the moment you walk in and it's a bit loud. I ordered to-go so I can't say much about the dine-in experience but it was nice that they had seating both inside and outside. I got the Mango Matcha Latte with soy milk which was great! The purée was sweet but not overly sweet and balanced out the matcha. I'm not a matcha snob so I can't tell you if it's high quality but I loved the color and it tasted rich. My only complaints are that the matcha was a bit bitter and this drink was $10. They charge $1 for soy or almond milk substitution so keep that in mind if you don't drink cow milk! Overall, I think it taste great but I feel like it should be around the $7-8 range instead of $10-11. This is definitely a touristy area so I was expecting higher prices.

OKAY! If you're looking for a quick snack and you have a craving for empanadas -- COME HERE! They…read morehave a sweet little bakery with the yummiest short bread cookies filled with dulce de leche (WOW - super yummy); I had an incredible shredded beef empanada which was served with a tiny cup with a tiny spoon of chimmichurri sauce on the side and WOW, It just hit the SPOT. Bonus that the back patio is super cute, quiet, sunny, and DOG friendly. It's super calming with a little water fountain with water drop sounds. A perfect stop in for a snack on sunny day in Monterey! (Also plenty of street parking)

Paraguayan snack place along the main strip in PG/Monterey. Plenty of empanada options, local…read morebeers, plenty of bakery goods. A solid stop w/ the family for refueling. Family friendly. Street parking only. Staff is OK, a bit stand-offish and cold, but it's world cup season so I'm sure they were dealing with crowds and a busy summer weekend. Decent amount of seating indoors with tables and high tops. Prices are a bit on the higher side.

What an adorable little place, with cute atmosphere! The…read morestaff was all super friendly from the cashiers to the baristas. The coffee was smooth, I applaud their ability to flawlessly whip a thick foam on non dairy milk and even decorate the top, oh and also their cups are so darn cute! I will definitely be back next time I'm traveling to Monterey.

We were in town for a street festival. We wanted to start the day with some coffees…read more This location is right on the main street. So there was a line. The barista s kept the line moving. Good thing I pre read the menu. When I got to the front, the barista said what do you want. Not the most polite greeting. But I truly understand that this was not a normal day. So I quickly explained what we wanted. The coffee was good. A nice smooth roast. Because of the crowds, I didn't get to look around. Is it just me, or has coffee really gotten expensive.

HUGE fan of this place. their croissants are always so delicious, and their coffee is good too. so…read moremany tasty pastries and they're always fresh beautiful location but not very many seating options

Holllyy. The best bakery I've ever had! & I'm that person…read morethat seeks out bakeries everywhere I go! Super cute decor inside & such nice welcoming staff! - get there by 10:30/11 for the best baked goods! - try: fruit tart, almost croissant, kouign-amann & rectangle shaped filled cream puff pastry (forgot name but incredible, in top R of last pic) Cute, homegrown, very nice staff!

A CAFE AND A BOOKSTORE, ALL IN ONE PLACE?!! I couldn't run fast enough! No, seriously... I was the…read moredorko running to the door. Haha. And then I tasted their banana cream latte (a special), and it was as dreamy as its name! Mm mm good! Walking around the bookstore while waiting for my order and then after my coffee break was a perfect way to spend an afternoon. Bookworks is a 'must visit' in Pacific Grove if you're in town. And if you live in the area, they have a large self seating area where you can easily stay to read, study or work.

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

I don't come here enough. This place is so delicious and the staff is phenomenal! Today I came in…read moreand ordered a bacon/egg croissant and a white mocha. I probably asked too many questions, but they were so sweet and kind and answered everything I asked with a smile. Unfortunately, the wrong customer had taken my drink, and they had to make me another one. I totally didn't mind waiting though. Thank you for being here and hiring excellent staff and always being so tasty. I need to come more often for sure! 10/10 recommend.

This used to be my favorite bakery in Monterey. Their almond croissant was amazing, and they were…read morethe only place around that made a simple ham and cheese sandwich that reminded me of the ones I had in Paris. Something has definitely changed. I don't know if it's new ownership or a change in management, but this visit was incredibly disappointing. I paid $14.95 for a ham and cheese sandwich that had just two slices of ham, two slices of cheese, and what tasted like day old bread. It was dry, underwhelming, and nowhere near the quality I remembered. It's disappointing to see a place I loved go downhill. I really hope they can get back to what made them so special. Very simple but high quality ingredients.

Such a cute amazing shop! Stopped by while staying in Monterey, the smell drew me in. I was able to…read morepurchase the essential oil that they had in the store, phenomenal scent! The lovely girl who helped us gave me some sweets that I later consumed- I will be back for those again Thank you for a lovely experience!

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!!!!