The food was great, I had never had that good of an eclair. Also the staff were great,extremely…read morenice and welcoming.

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!

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!

I love how friendly the staff is, even if they're super busy. I enjoyed their regular croissant and…read morea kouign aman. Both were so good! The croissant is brilliantly flaky full of crispy layers. It was buttery and light too. The kouign aman was such a great sweet treat on the go. I split it with a friend because it was pretty big for just myself. But I loved it. Highly recommend if you're in the area!

These pastries were out of this WORLD. I don't remember the exact ingredients, but I got a savory…read moredanish and some kind of berry pain suisse. The danish was my favorite. It was the perfect way to end my trip in Monterey. The line was a bit long, but they were efficient and it moved along pretty quickly. It's very nice and clean inside, and it was really cool to see inside their open kitchen! The menu probably changes a lot, but the staff is super friendly and can tell you exactly what's in each pastry. Shoutout to the cashier who we found out from a quick chat graduated from UCSB the same year as me!

I had a delicious cherry croissant and clam chowder bread bowl at this cafe. My boyfriend…read morethoroughly enjoyed the free hot coffee they had at this location! The cherry croissant was perfectly buttery and flaky, with the acidity of the cherry adding just the right kick to this breakfast pastry. I was initially hesitant on getting the clam chowder at a bakery and was thinking of getting it at a seafood restaurant on Cannery Row, but the reviews were glowing and the price was reasonable. I'm glad I took a chance on it, because the bowl was chockful with clams, potatoes, celery, and a briny creamy seafood broth base. The ambiance in this bakery is great- there's a beautiful wall mural on the back wall of this bakery and lots of inside seating. Don't miss out on this spot!

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.

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.

Oh Pavels! How dear you guys are to my heart…read more If you are in pacific grove on a Saturday do yourself a favor and wake up early and head down to pavels. Open one day a week...sold out by noon. Truly deserving of all its praise. If you want to do Pavel's right, get the berry danish. Yes you can get the cream cheese berry but if you want the true fall in love experience, get the berry danish. Trust me. The sheepherders bread is to die for. I always get a few loaves. Slice it up and put them in the freezer for my avocado toast in the morning. The salami sandwich is also a must. Never have I ever had a sesame seed baguette be so soft. Other than that, you really can't go wrong here... it's a sweet community of people that lineup in the morning. Locals and travelers that have found this hidden gem. Anybody with a negative review about them being open only one day we're having a line in the morning needs to learn how to enjoy the simple things in life. Pavels is an experience. A true joy to get to enjoy. BRING CASH THEY ARE CASH ONLY:)

Cash only! Traditional establishment with large pastries…read more - Muffin : was a blueberry flavor that day, very soda bread scone tasting. Enjoyed the crumb top and plentiful berries! Very moist - Berry danish : the pastry itself was a little chewy for my taste, but overall not bad!

This review is for the Carmel guided bike tour. Our guide was Leslie who was very knowledgeable and…read morelively which made the experience memorable. She was also very helpful and patient in setting us up with the proper equipment and going over the functionality of the electric bike before the tour. Having been to Carmel and 17 Miles before I had not expected much, but experiencing it on the bike with a guide was much much better and rewarding and enjoyable. I highly recommend this tour! My wife and I had a blast! And don't worry about not being able to handle the heavier electric bikes over the hilly terrains, you'll get use to it and the boost from the electric motor makes the climbs simple!.

this cafe was on every tiktok and instagram reel that i had seen for carmel-by-the-sea, so i had to…read moretry it for myself while in town! my bf and i came on a friday around 11 AM, and the line was out the door with a lot of the pastries already sold out. we got the almond croissant and apricot danish, and both were pretty yummy and filling but nothing outstanding. the real stars of the show were the drinks! i got the kiss of carmel, which was a nitro cold brew with caramel & raspberry cold foam, and my bf got the pink mist matcha, which was a rose matcha latte. both drinks were so yummy! the kiss of carmel had a really good and smooth coffee, not too bitter or acidic, and the caramel syrup and raspberry cold foam added a nice sweetness that didn't overpower the drink. the pink mist matcha had a really good rose flavor that could be really strong if you don't prefer floral drinks, but we both really enjoyed how it flavored the matcha. the cafe has a really cute and vintage-like interior, and there are a couple of seats around, but it gets so crowded inside that it's a bit hard to find space. it's also in downtown carmel, so parking is super hard to get, but i think this place is worth it! overall, i would probably skip on the pastries myself but would definitely come back for the drinks!

Delightful cafe, with delicious pastries, cute tables outside and friendly, helpful staff!…read more We got here a bit later around 11 am so we definitely missed some of the popular items like the ham and cheese croissant. I will try to come earlier and see if they have it next time! I was in the mood for savory not having eaten breakfast yet so the quiche was calling me. This was my first time here and many people ahead of me in line were ordering them. Truthfully I'm not really a quiche person but this one looked divine. Maybe because instead of a slice of quiche it was my own little quiche. It was so savory, flavorful with the perfect balance of goat cheese and tomato! (I got the goat cheese & tomato flavor obv). They also heated it up for me! It was delicious and the crust so flaky. I also got an almond croissant because I love me some almond filling. This too was delicious! It was really cool to try their style of almond croissant which is a flatter style--flaky and moist and crisp. My hubby got the apricot pastry and it was also so good! I am ready to visit here again the next time I'm in Monterey! Hopefully I can snag a table outside this time because it's such a cute outdoor space to eat after getting your pastries.

Been here many times ... Actually EVERYTIME we are I. Monterey!…read more But ... Disappointed this time AND many other times because there were no mention of when they are closed. Just remember, call ahead and follow Instagram Here are their hours for Jan Why? You guessed it, this place is sooooo good that they can afford to NOT WORK and still do well. A must visit when in Monterey.

Wonderful food and pastries and the best Lavender Fog coffee I've ever had!! Forgive the bite out…read moreof the burrito and as simple as it looks every bite of food here is homemade. I am beyond impressed, the owner even mills her own flour. i will definitely make this a regular stop.

Their Key lime pie is the best we've ever had! Can't wait to go back and try it again.read more

Excellent little Paraguayan snack bar!!…read more I saw this spot while scrolling thru Yelp's nearby function and curiosity of their yerba mate and empanadas brought me in. I was still feeling kind of sick but wanted something hot to drink so I ordered a mate latte with oat milk. I also had one of their beef empanadas to take away so I could eat it later. Mate latte was great and definitely would get this drink again. They also have a smoked mate drink and I would definitely come back to try this too! You have to like yerba mate to fully appreciate this drink. The mate latte is kind of a light version of what mate is like. Maybe start with this first to prepare you for traditional mate. If you get traditional mate, be prepared to have your mouth jolted and doing jumping jacks, its definitely stimulating and I love it! Later when I reached my destination, I ate the beef empanada with chimichurri sauce provided and it was delicious! After I polished it off, I had wished I brought a few more to take with me. But, at $9.50 a piece, they aren't cheap, so keep that in mind. They also have other Paraguayan/South American offerings here and I was so tempted to get a mini alfajor as it was eyeing me in the display case that said EAT ME (like Alice in Wonderland), but I did not give into this, but I so wish I did!! I will definitely come back here again and again when visiting Monterey! A true gem and next time, I have to check out their secret back garden too!

K this was not our first pick but we wanted to go to 1st awakening which is half a block away but…read moretheir wait was 2 hrs so we stumbled upon this cafe and we were lucky to. No long wait times. Outdoor seating in the back patio. The empanadas are sooo good. Best ones that I've had. So crispy and filled with vegetables and soy. The soy croquettes were so tender and creamy. We are vegetarian so that's what we got. got. I wanted to go for more seconds.