Alas, I thought I reviewed this last February 2025 after visiting, but I did not! This is a lovely little cafe located in the Asilomar Conference Grounds. The staff is friendly. They serve drinks, sandwiches, and snacks. If you are staying on the grounds, you'll likely make at least one stop here daily. There is a nice view toward the Pacific Ocean as well, but to see it you'll have to get a bit closer to the shore. The staff was nice and helpful. Jovel was always a friendly presence. It's been a year since I stayed at Asilomar for a conference, but this was a welcoming cafe. read more

Short stroll from the beach, the shop has plenty of food and beverage options. Service is quick and friendly. Muffins and latte are excellent! read more

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I have a caramel macchiato and it was delish. Someone ordered a panini and it was huge, I can't wait to try one .

Fantastic place. Love the view. Blueberry muffins were absolutely amazing. Service with a smile.

Best mocha in PG. Fun selection of food, bites, and pastries. Friendly staff. And yes, the ambiance and views!!

Oh boy, breakfast panini at Phoebe's café while sitting in front of a roaring fire. Yes, I mean a real wood fire, in a huge fireplace. My wife and I share the ham & egg panini. I like to put a little ketchup on it, she doesn't. It comes with a little fruit cup. Depending on season, the fruit cup can be excellent, or the melon can be a little under ripe. Still, you are there for the ambiance of the great meeting hall, with its piano, free billiards, and, as previously mentioned, the great fireplace. We like to take the number two bus from old Monterey to the Asilomar Conference Center, have our breakfast, including a latte, and then walk back along the ocean to home. It's about 6 miles, mostly on a very pleasant seaside trail. The trail goes right past the Monterey Bay Aquarium, so you could time your walk to get there just as it opens. From there, during the summer, you could take the free trolley back to Monterey. Would you'd prefer being there for sunset, they often have music in the evenings, and Phoebe's has very good reasonably priced wine, beer, and the staff make a pretty good margarita? When it is warm, sitting outside is quite nice. If it is cold, which is often in Pacific Grove, there is that lovely fireplace. read more

Service was prompt. The sandwiches were great and worth the prices. The coffee was okay. This coffee shop has great potential. Its location is relaxing and ideal. I would come back again. read more

Super yummy food, Jovel was super nice and attentive while doing 10 things at a time. The Coffee is Delicious and You're in Monterey Bay! What more do you want! Oh yeah, Pool Tables to Enjoy! read more

Purchased a reasonably edible premade veggie sandwich here. We didn't linger, but the chairs looked inviting for an afternoon's read with a cup of tea. read more

This is a short walk from the beach. It's located in the Asilomar Conference Grounds. I got a great iced caramel macchiato and got to use a clean bathroom. read more

Located in Pacific Grove, Phoebe Cafe is one of the best kept secret of this town. Everything here is good - guest service, the quiche, wine selection, the crowd and wow! even their electronic menu display is good! I highly recommend as a must visit when you're in Monterey. read more

Phoebe's Cafe - You can pick anything from their menu and it will be awesome! - Cafes Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

First let me say this place is in a hotel. Then by 9am they sold out of almost everything. If it wasn't bad enough the lady at the counter didn't understand my accent mind you I lived in CA for 10 years, never had this issue. read more

This review is for the Sunset Music Series. They've changed things up a bit for this season. The event is now near the firepits with a lot of seating at picnic tables and four or five fires, a glass wall to block the wine and hosted bar. The chef is grilling up specials that change every week. This is my second time this summer and I am going to come back as often as I can. Specials like Beef Medallions, Watermelon salad, Flatbread, Corn on the Cob, and of course their signature S'mores kits. The acts are top-notch and free to watch. Local favorites like Mark Banks, Andrea Carter and Taylor Rae. I heard Taylor Rae for the first time tonight and now I'm going to watch her website for performances. She's like a cross between Stevie Nix and Norah Jones. We have an abundance of talent in the area and not enough places to see the acts. If you don't want the entrees of the week, you can purchase something from the cafe like cheeseplate, garden salad, etc. If you haven't been to this event yet, it's a must-see. Every Fri. through Aug. and I think the first week of Sept. People know about it and even on a cloudy and chilly night like tonight, there was a crowd. read more

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I was in town for an event. I was meeting some colleagues at this cafe. It was a comfortable and pleasant location. The coffee was pretty good. The staff was pleasant. Not much more I can say. I just had a cup of coffee. I can recommend it, that's for sure. read more

This is a cafe inside a meeting hall in what used to be a summer camp nestled in the woods. We drove around for a while trying to find it, and then we walked to the dining hall and had to turn back. It turned out to be a little corner of a giant meeting hall that kind of looked like the lobby in The Shining. Rather than staying in the cafe, we took our hot chocolates and wine to the hall and chilled out on the leather couches and easy chairs for hours. Hours! It was so much fun hanging out in this massive living room. My friends and I wandered in from the beach, but the majority of the people there seemed to be gathering for some senior citizen conference. Cool! There were pool tables and a piano if you're into giving surprise concerts. The Pinot noir is TOP. The food was a bit expensive, but it's a literal lodge in the woods, what else do you expect? The pastries were bigger than the average human face. Yum. Loved it! And the views were beautiful too! read more

Phoebe's Cafe - Wine - Cafes Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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Nice little spot if you are staying at Asilomar Conference Grounds! They have quite a large coffee selection. read more

Phoebe's Cafe - Coffee and Tea Menu - Cafes Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

As one reviewer said, if you are at Asilomar Conference Grounds then Phoebe's is fine and the State Parks are trying to do the cafe justice in their own state park, limited, mind. There is much better in downtown Pacific Grove to be had- please see my other reviews for advice. This is NOT a destination spot for the food! Romance, intrigue, freezing from the beach, warm fireplace, the beautiful, historic setting and the BAR is why we all go to Phoebes. This small cafe is set in Asilomar's historic early 1900's lobby, the Hearst Social Hall, and has indoor and outdoor seating. A dog on a leash outside is fine which makes it a nice coffee or drink spot as it is next to Asilomar Beach. Asilomar beach is a half on leash and half off leash beach. it gets very confusing for the dogs... Several buildings on these grounds, as well as the setting for Phoebe's, were designed by Julia Morgan at the behest of Phoebe Hearst, mother of William Randolph Hearst. Julia Morgan also designed Hearst Castle. If you like Early California Arts and Crafts History this building is worth the hard brie and meh service to come see after a nice hike at the freezing cold beach, sometimes 4th of July! Yes freezing cold 4th of July. Bring a sweater. The holiday season is a nice time to come after a beach walk for hot chocolate or coffee. The temperature will be about the same as 4th of July and the last few years the chefs from the conference center dining hall have been making and displaying gingerbread replicas of some of the historic buildings in the lobby next to Phoebe's. A fun, free thing for little kids to see. read more

Phoebe's Cafe - beautiful sunset view from the patio of Phoebe's Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

The two stars are mostly for the management. They need to have more staff working. I've heard that Aramark (the concessionaire at Asilomar) is cheap, but this really showed it. It's the go to place to get a hot drink and a snack in the morning if you are staying at Asilomar - and as such, there is a long line it's all the two people can do to keep up with making lattes, heating up sandwiches, severely no up oatmeal, and ringing people up. A third staff person in the morning would make a huge difference. The staff who were working were friendly and working hard, but there was just too much to do. Also, the food is nothing to brag about. My cinnamon roll was standard, but the bacon breakfast burrito was definitely sub par. My uncle couldn't even finish his ham quiche - too dry. They do serve Peet's coffee - which I always find to be solid. They also have a full bar and local beer on Tap - so that's a win. As well, the social hall is a fun place to hangout and eat and there is also seat outside with heat lamps. read more

Not cheap, not always fast, but recent visits have been very satisfying. Yesterday we enjoyed a nice, strong iced coffee, a mozzarella & tomato panini with delicious home-made pesto, and a "smore" cookie made with Golden Grahams cereal, chocolate, and marshmallows. The sandwich was accompanied by a very tasty salad made from quinoa, pinto beans, peppers, etc. with chili spices. We enjoyed this at a table on the deck, overlooking the grounds and the Pacific Ocean. Not a bad place to linger for a while. Tip: They have a full (or reasonably full) bar! read more

Phoebe's Cafe - Mozzarella panini with delicious quinoa salad - Cafes Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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This simple cafe opens early, with excellent coffee from an espresso machine, and a limited selection of breakfast items (oatmeal, paninis, quiches, sticky buns, muffins), mostly pre-made and heated for service. There is a little seating in the cafe, but most patrons either sit outside on the terrace looking toward the dunes, or inside a large room with comfortable couches and chairs and often a blazing fire. The real fun is getting there , with the best approach (on bike or foot) from the Asilomar State Beach across the dunes on a boardwalk. Always great views, usually rather cold early mornings, even in summer. read more

I love this cafe because the food is great! But sometimes I get a miss order.I usually take a walk in the morning.I can walk along the reck trail because it's really close to my house. and it it leaves me right next to Asilomar and when I get to the cafe I love having a little morning treat my favorite's are vanilla steamed milk and blueberry or a chocolate muffin. read more

They were pretty busy when we came in (I think it was at a little after 8 AM, prime breakfast time), and there was only one person working, so there was a predictable small wait. I got a caramel macchiato, fruit and yogurt parfait, and a smores bar. The coffee was delicious. The parfait was, too, although I couldn't figure out if I was supposed to have asked for the granola or if it was just missing. The smores bar was rock hard. It was pretty tasty, but would have benefited from being warmed up a bit. I tried a bite of my boyfriend's fig panini. it was reeeally salty, but not terrible. If you need a meal I'd advise exploring the town to find other options, but if you're hanging out in the lobby for whatever reason and want a quick snack, I'd recommend checking this place out :) read more

Very unfriendly staff. I waited five minutes before the lady behind the counter acknowledged. Then she said was "Hello" and stared at me as if I was inconveniencing her. Food here is overpriced and has been sitting out all day. I ordered the chili and it was flavorless. $10 to eat bland chili with plastic utensils out of a paper bowl - feels like I'm at the airport! I couldn't enjoy my meal because another employee was hammering something outside for 30 minutes. On hotel grounds, I expect higher quality food and service. Asilomar can do much better than this. read more

Phoebe's Café has been a staple during this phase of writing. How can you beat a Harry Potter-like Lodge next to the ocean? The staff is friendly and the manager seems pragmatically efficient, which is code for someone who could use a little more joy. The café menu is adorably unpredictable, which may be part of the café's central charm. They regularly run out of breakfast items. Conversely, they don't provide all breakfast items until over an hour or two after they open. The same could be said about items in the evening. But I keep coming back because of the convenience of the café with a fireplace in a cozy ambience that is conducive to writing. When I stopped expecting consistency, I started enjoying everything so much more. I think of the café as a place that reminds me to slow down. read more

Every time we stay at the Asilomar Conference Grounds, we always get a glass of wine or cocktail here and drink it on one of the chairs close to the fireplace in the Social Room before we turn in for the night. They have bottled beer, beers on tap, wine by the glass and a few cocktails to choose from. They also have snacks, breakfast and lunch items. You do have to pay a much higher price for sandwiches and such here, but you are paying for the convenience. For lunch, we ordered a Turkey and Brie Panini and a Cheese Plate. The cranberry relish in my panini went well with the Brie and came in a multigrain bun. They also gave me a side of quinoa salad with red beans with a light dressing. It was fine. My husband had the cheese plate which came with three cheeses--Cheddar, Gouda and some kind of Blue. You can choose from 6 different kinds of cheese. Also included are 2 different kinds of nuts, dried fruit and crackers. Both meals were pretty hearty so you will not leave the place hungry. You can choose eat your meal inside the cafe or Social Hall or outside on their expansive deck on Adirondack chairs and listen to the sound of waves as you're eating! The sun had come out by the time we got our stuff so we chose to enjoy it outdoors. We will go back tonight and have a nightcap before we sleep and enjoy the roaring fire in the Social Room! read more

Wasn't too happy to be told that my gift certificate, that clearly stated "Phoebe's Cafe" couldn't be honored. After having to wait for the (nice) barista to get authorization to honor the gift certificate, we were told we could not purchase alcohol. No where on the gift certificate did it say "excludes alcohol". It actually came with a flyer for "Wine & Nights" on Fridays. We arrived at the cafe around 2pm to find their selection was very limited. We were told once they're out, that's it, which is unfortunate because they stay open until 10pm. read more

Come here with a book and don't expect anything fancy. Just a simple cafe with a beautiful patio and ocean breeze. Heat lamps and fire pits to keep you warm. The lodge with it is beautiful and smells of burning wood fires. Warm and cozy and a great place to pause for a moment. read more

AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!!!! The mocha tasted like straight milk, the egg sandwhich was disgusting (the bread was stale and egg looked old and weird) and everything was overpriced. It's definately worthit to leave the lodge and go find some food somewhere else. Don't make the mistake I did of eating here!!!!! read more

Phoebe's Cafe - This was the contents of the breakfast sandwhich.....looks so gross and smells even more gross....also it was $6 what the heck???? - Cafes Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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TOTAL WASTE OF TIME Slow & surly service (take note management the woman shouldn't be in a role that interacts with the public) made even worse by the fact that the entire dog friendly outdoor seating area is closed. On the upside we had a fantastic lunch at the Pebble Beach Market instead. read more

It's a basic cafe with pre-made stuff. Nothing special... except for the setting. Plus they have beer. Prices are, as expected, high. This otherwise nondescript location ends up being a nice visit if you're in the area but definitely not a destination by itself. read more

We had coffee and some muffins only here but it has a great view and nice people at the bar. Lovely place

We still love the place and all of the things I said still stand. The two things I want to update you on our that one of the two stellar employees named Kevin is no longer there. Additionally they have raised their prices dramatically especially in the area of alcoholic beverages and that is one of the big draws for me. Drinks went from nine dollars to $13. Still a great place just not as affordable as it used to be. This is not the fault of Asilomar corporation but of the vendor Aramark. read more

I've only ever get coffee and coffee drinks here so that's what the three star rating is based upon. They've always been decent, but compared to other places the only thing that makes this exceptionally-good is the proximity to Asilomar if one is staying there. The panini always sounds so good, but are pre-made sitting in the case all day, and out of my price range when I can get an amazing bagel or sandwich From the bagel bakery down the road on forest. Otherwise good coffee (3-stars for Pete's) nice to get before a night time walk on the dunes. read more

Phoebe's Cafe - Sign at entrance to cafe - Cafes Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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A great place to hang out, especially on a cold day, with the fireplace roaring and unlimited firewood stacked alongside.