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!

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!

I'm visiting from Florida and Just left the coffee shop and we truly enjoyed our coffee and…read moredessert! Our barista Andrea was sweet and amazing! This young girls's customer service was so nice! it was a pleasure! Thank you and I pray you have a wonderful future!

I had the hot mocha latte with almond milk. I typically like my coffee and drinks more on the…read morebitter side so I was pleased surprised when I tasted it and it was more bitter than sweet. I think of Mocha as sweet so I'm very happy that it was how I like my drinks. I would 100% come again and I recommend everyone to try their hot mocha latte!!

Coffee, pastries, books? It was heavenly. The coffee was delicious here, we were on a tight…read moreschedule, or else I would have enjoyed a day in here. Service was quick and friendly, it was busy, seating is limited. I recommend going to the back to enjoy the books first, then grabbing a coffee. Food and drinks are NOT allowed in the back by the books.

We found ourselves with some time to kill in between meetings on a trip to Monterey. This place…read morelooks cute and my husband and I are both readers so we decided it would be a no-brainer to stop by. The bookstore section is kind of small, but it is nicely decorated and organized. There's a large children's section that I appreciated and the plethora of plush puppets was something I had never seen before. They had several items that were gift varieties like candles and stationary and crayons, etc. It's attached to a coffee shop so if you wanted to grab a book pay for it and then grab a coffee, you could actually sit and read for a bit.

What a sweet place! Beautiful and great oat milk latte…read more Gorgeous courtyard with pond and a turtle greeted us. The concrete bench that wraps around pond is HEATED! Happy buns!! In the room next door the owner was selling CDs and Vinyl for a dollar each, an added bonus. Picked up a few records... ;) Great little surprise stop! Don't miss it.

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

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!

Pleasant and inviting place near my hotel. I've a standard morning meal and Plumes Coffee House…read moreprepared my breakfast to a tea... coffee actually but you get the reference. Rather comfy wooden chairs at a dozen tables and a recliner leather chair and couch. Music is pleasing without toning out conversation. Not being from Monterey, I observed several locals, then even more locals, so indicator is that Plumes has solid clientele for good cause. Staff are pleasant in manners and efficient in their jobs. Prices decent for really good smoothie, two eggs, coffee and steel cut oatmeal. Big windows views of boulevard scenery and historic architecture. Plumes is clean and tidy without being a sterile chain coffee house. Decent variety of coffee, and pastries look tempting... maybe a treat after a long run. Plumes is a cozy, casual vibe worth your dimes, times and appetites.

3 stars $9.75 Tuna…read moreon multi-grain: solid, tastes like homemade. It's not plentiful buts at least affordable.

This is it. Varied and various choices to indulge from. Staff was able to help me curate a half…read moredozen of their classics. I was lucky and he also let me try the dried fruit candy and it was the best. They offer boxes of all different sizes and styles so you can take back a gift. You cannot leave without bakalava, i was able to enjoy some with ice cream ghardelli and it made for an amazing combo. Just stop by before your aquarium trip or walk to the beach. Parking is abysmal but if youre able to walk by you have to take some home. There are seating options but they are rather tight but quite the experience considering the vast decor.

Avoid this establishment. Not only is it overpriced, but the owner is incredibly rude and hostile…read more They have a sign stating "No PUBLIC Restrooms,, (implying paying customers could), after sitting down and spending $50 on coffee and pastries, I politely asked to use the restroom as a paying customer. The owner flat-out said no with extreme rudness. When I reminded him that I was a paying patron, and his reply could have been more settle he took off his glasses, stepped up aggressively, and snapped, "NO Restroom!", When I told him his behavior was uncalled for, he had the nerve to claim I was the rude one for mentioning how much money I had just spent. The owner has terrible manners and zero customer service skills. Don't waste your money here.