Oh me, oh my! If you…read morecheck my reviews, you'll find LOTS of ice cream spots in my history. I'm a glutton for a creamy, frozen ball of deliciousness. Polar Bear did not disappoint. Ate lunch in the area but had to grab some scoops from the oval spot. I ordered the thin mint and chocolate/peanut butter double in a waffle cone. It was ice cream perfection! The mint was fresh and tasty with HUGE chunks of chocolate and the peanut butter/chocolate was deep and rich. The waffle cone added a nice crunch overall. The employees were friendly, fast, and helpful in answering questions about ingredients and allowing a few samples. Shop is small but was walk through so the layout works well being on the corner or a busy intersection. Highly recommend Polar Bear Ice Cream - like, seriously, you have to stop here!!

Great experience at Polar Bear Ice Cream, as the staff were kind, patient and helpful and the…read morelocation is convenient and easy to find. The menu has a good range of flavors and you can sample and try any that you might be interested in. My mom got the lemon sorbet after sampling a blackberry flavor and a honey lavender one. I opted to skip the samples and choose one of my go-to flavors - thin mint, which was delicious. It was such a refreshing treat! The shop also has some seating and chairs where you can sit and enjoy your ice cream. The prices were pretty reasonable and while we ordered junior scoops, the portion size was larger than expected. Definitely recommend!

The best candy store I have ever been to stunning. our family has been there so many times the…read moreowner knows our first and last names. it's so cute and fun. It's the best you guys should visit it like right now.

Lots of Candy, yet came for the Chocolate! The Ambiance of the shop is Small & Intimate with the…read moreChocolates near the checkout counter. Was in town visiting and now will make the time to come and get more Chocolate! Service was straightforward as you mostly select the Candy yourself, yet the Chocolate must be served by a Worker. Highly Recommended if you are a Chocolate lover! Crème Brûlée & Pistachio were my beautiful selections!

As someone who yearns for a stellar vacation coffee, this place nailed it! Both the brown sugar and…read morecinnamon iced latte and the london fog were fantastic.

Cute coffee shop with a wonderful view!! This coffee shop…read morelocated in the Capitola Village is up stairs from margaritaville. Great selection and flavors!! Something for everyone! Was the perfect way to get a 'pick me up' to keep shopping the local shops. Serve was so fast and friendly! Don't miss out.

Years later we still try to come here whenever we are in downtown Santa Cruz. It is not cheap, but…read moremy goodness is it luxurious! I was so full from lunch so I shared a small handmade waffle cone with their rich and vegan dark chocolate sorbet covered in their homemade marshmallow fluff and torched to perfection! My spouse ordered an espresso milkshake with their vanilla bean ice cream. It was the perfect birthday treat!

Sometimes, the best adventures are the ones you don't plan. While hunting for a parking spot the…read moreother day, the family and I happened to stumble upon a fantastic local spot called The Picnic Basket. Intrigued, we decided to step inside and check it out. The building has a wonderful setup, functioning like a mini marketplace with charming little shops nestled inside. The one that immediately caught our eye, of course, was The Penny Ice Creamery. Right off the bat, I loved the aesthetic of the shop. The design is nice, simple, and wonderfully understated--nothing is over the top. It has a clean, minimalist vibe that makes you feel instantly welcome and lets the focus stay right where it belongs: on the treats. While the rest of the crew decided to sit this round out, my son and I eagerly stepped up to order. My son went with a classic scoop of Vanilla Bean. To say it was a hit would be an understatement. He kept talking about how delicious it was and just how good the flavor tasted. I decided to try the Chocolate Toffee Swirl. The chocolate base itself was rich and tasty, though I do wish it had a bit more of that crunch--it could have used a heavier hand with the toffee, as the pieces were a little sparse in my scoop. One thing worth noting is that they feature a curated, rotating selection. While everything they make is fresh, the menu is on the smaller side, so you do have to choose from what's available that day. I'd love to see them expand the menu a bit in the future because I'd definitely be curious to try more of their creations. We ordered the "kid scoops," which turned out to be good portions. Being a supportive dad, I naturally stepped in and finished the rest of his vanilla bean--and I can officially confirm his review was fairly accurate. Overall, The Penny Ice Creamery is a cool little shop with good treats. If you find yourself exploring the shops inside The Picnic Basket, it's absolutely worth a stop to cool down with a scoop. Have you been to The Penny Ice Creamery yet? What's your favorite flavor combo? Let me know in the comments below.

My husband and I combine our morning Capitola walk then share a "Big Turkey" sandwich and sit on…read morethe benches in the Esplanade to eat. It's one of my favorite sandwiches (from anywhere). The service is great. The price is great. The portions are great. The owner is very friendly. I've lived in Capitola a long time and have seen places come and go. I hope he sticks around. Tell a friend!

Review time!!! Is there nothing this fabulous cafe can't do?…read morePizza!!! Hot fresh dough,full of flavor with the tastiest ingredients and toppings. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes!!! 5 Stars We ordered two types of pizza and both tasted uniquely different.

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.

My in laws live in town and I try and visit here at least once whenever I come for a visit. I like…read moreall the ice cream, but I am partial to the dark chocolate and the salted caramel together. I also like fruity flavors as well.

I was craving ice cream and so glad The Penny Ice Creamery had a vegan flavor. I had the vegan dark…read morechocolate ice cream and it was delish! They have both indoor and outdoor seating.

I stopped by Sugar Bakery with my dad on our way up to Santa Cruz. After seeing videos online, I…read moreneeded to partake in the crunchy fruit cup! I arrived around 1:30 PM on a Saturday and the line was about five people out the door. We were only in line for maybe 12 minutes before we were at the counter, they still had over 30 fruit cups in the display counter and might have been hiding more in the back. $35 and cold, the crunch on these were phenomenal. They nailed the flavor, I was worried things would taste artificial but everything was made with real ingredients- there were chunks of mango falling out of the center. There are a few tables inside. Phenomenal through and through. We had our share in the parking lot and put the rest in the cooler for the beach!

I like this little business in Capitol. The bakery looks cute. we try to support the small…read morebusinesses in Santa Cruz. I am a regular customer who buys macarons, honey cake, cookies. They no longer bake custom cakes. This surprised me just Well, since they state on their page that they make cakes for birthdays, weddings, and other celebrations... They took orders for cakes--or rather, you could place an order in advance. The service has become very meager. Prices High--above the level But the taste of the cake isn't the same anymore--it's not what it used to be. I am disappointed in this bakery.

They only have one vegan (gluten-free) option; Chocolate chip that features chunks of chocolate…read morechips, it's a plant-based take on the classic cookie - one that I can personally enjoy. The cookies themselves are ENORMOUS. They are presented very well, with packed information ("maybe stored in an alright container for up to a week: for optimal freshness and flavor, freeze ANY cookies you don't plan on eating immediately!"). I ordered a loot of cookies to share, along with peanut butter and oatmeal raisin. If you buy them in bulk you can save money. A thousand perfect recommend this place, make sure you get here early (if you can) some of their most popular cookies sell out fast. Thank you, and I look forward to my next visit.

Supppper yummy, great service, and welcoming ambiance…read more As soon as I walked in, I was met with the comforting taste of freshly baked cookies. They had quite a variety of different cookies and the staff was nice when asked questions. I tried the peanut butter and Almond Joe cookie. Both were delicious but the Almond Joe was superb! It's a combo of chocolate and nuts which give the cookie a really nice texture. It was buttery warm, soft, but also chewy. So good.

Inside an arcade. Well made coffees with some donuts and drinks, very eclectic. The shop keeper was…read morevery nice, but the spot is pricy. Extra $1.25 for oat milk is ridiculous. Should've gone to the other spot around the corner with good coffees, pastries and better prices. Thoughtless moment. Update: yes, alt milks are extra, but usually $.50, not $1.25. It was only Oatly, which is $1-2 per half gallon than regular milk.

This spot is a local gem and a must try! They source their coffee locally which has great flavor…read moreand is noticeably very strong. The owner super friendly and also owns Left Coast Sausages next door. Definitely worth checking out.