The truffles!!! Such a variety and quality Also the pasta…read morerosettes are fantastic I've definitely ripped off the recipes and make versions of them at home . David is a very sincere and kind person so that really carries through Bravo and brava to the staff

This place has the 3 Cs: Cute, Charming, and a whole lot o' CHOCOLATE!!!!!…read more Chocolate pies, cakes, gelato, sundaes, cocoas, cocktails, cafes, pastries... Chocolate in downtown Santa Cruz is the place to go. There is a charming outdoor patio with flower beds and striped awnings, reminiscent of old Paris. Or you can opt to sit indoors for a moody, romantic vibe. Since I was there for a dessert date with my little one, we chose to sit outside. Water was served in a wine bottle (cute detail) and little shapely glasses. The Parisian feel continued with the round tables and small chairs as well as the neon-lit signs. The menu was vast with savory dinner and lunch items, wines, cocktails, an entire page of hot cocoas and mochas.... and of course an entire section dedicated to chocolate desserts! My daughter and I shared 2 desserts: a chocolate soufflé layered with chocolate cake and cherries and dulce de leche cake. The service was swift and friendly, and most importantly, the cakes were decadent! They were perfectly moist and weren't too sweet. We both thought the Dulce de Leche cake was our favorite because we could taste the cake more and the subtle vanilla hints were nice. It paired well with my tea. What a great addition to Downtown Santa Cruz! [Beware: I noticed only one of our two menus denoted food allergens! So if you have food allergies, make sure you ask before you order.]

THIS LOCATION HAS CLOSED!! Business has moved to Richmond CA, but you can still order & get great…read moredeals at drinkCACOCO.com!

What a treat..........I thought. I tried ALL 3 amazing Cacoco products at the VegFest in Santa…read moreRosa and was blown away. I had to buy all 3. NOT a cheap option but couldn't decide. Well, after having saved them for that "special occasion" was I surprised........and DISAPPOINTED. I had so carefully keep them in a dark pantry and guess what..........they had all solidified to the extent that I had to take a hammer (weight) to chip off pieces so I could make my "special" sipping treat. The taste was still good but the process was a major turnoff. A $15 hunk of chocolate was not what I expected. Something needs to be happen with this product OR it needs to be sold one box at a time and used quickly. :-(

Place beautiful feels super earthy open space very lovely. Staff they good definitely a busy spot…read more They do have outside seating as well. I ordered Tiramisu latte it was delicious not sweet just right about of sweetness. If you like a lot of sweetness this might not be your drink unless you ask to be more sweet As for parking that's a bit tough since all street parking also meters in place and only take coins. I did see a public garage a block away for those plan stay there for a longer time Definitely a place to checkout

First off, the ambiance is stunning, I love the natural light and all the plants in the shop…read more There's plenty of seating and the interior is very spacious. I ordered their signature latte and enjoyed it! It was the perfect amount of sweetness and I got my caffeine fix. If you're looking for a good coffee spot to relax at in Santa Cruz, definitely give 11th Hour Coffee a visit!

We go here whenever we go to the wharf . Its firstly one of the few places that has skim milk for…read morea latte . Yes the have plant based whole milk etc . So i love the option. The fudge is out of this world . They ice cream is of course unbeatable and the staff is always nice

It's been a while since Ive had taffy. This definitely the best spot to get it on the boardwalk. My…read moretoddler got to see the taffy being pulled. She definitely loved the bubblegum flavor. Stop by for a quick and nostalgic treat.

My goodness!! The toasted marshmellow fluff was absolutely delicious and the perfect touch to my…read moreice cream. It was light and paired with a cone it's like smores! We got the Brown sugar oat with walnut ice cream, I also really enjoyed the bitter caramel, which really was bitter but perfect for people who don't like too sweet of an ice cream. Quinn was the employee who helped us out, she was so sweet and accommodating! She gave us recommendations convinced us to get the marshmellow fluff which we are grateful we tried. Thank you Quinn!

this place was the go to back when I used to go to college in sc. we loved enjoying a scoop after…read moredinner or a night at the bar. every time I come it's great and nostalgic in the best possible way. the menu is rotating with seasonal and local flavors and it's exciting when I visit to see what's new. all the flavors this time were delicious. I was personally not the biggest fan of the grape (it tasted more raisin than grape) but my friend quite enjoyed it!

While revisiting the Santa Cruz Wharf and Pier, my daughter, our friend, and I decided we needed a…read morelittle sweet treat to keep us going, so we stopped at Marini's. My daughter and I both went with the cookie dough ice cream, and it was SO good. It wasn't just little pieces of cookie dough either--it had big chunks of chocolate mixed in, which made it even better. Our friend got the almond mocha and loved it as well. We both got the fun cones that were dipped in different chocolates, which looked as good as they tasted. I went with the basic plain cone, and honestly, it was perfect too. It was such a nice little treat to sit in the sunshine, enjoy our ice cream, and watch the sea lions barking and playing in the water. The shop is cute and has plenty of other things you can purchase, but we were mainly there for the ice cream. One thing I will mention is that there wasn't anywhere inside to wash your hands. After walking around the pier and touching everything, we definitely could have used a sink! There is a bathroom nearby, but we didn't think about using it until after we'd already ordered. The staff was kind enough to give us a cup of water, so we went outside and did our best to clean our hands that way. The service was great, the ice cream was delicious, and we were told that everything is made locally, which I always love supporting. Overall, it was the perfect little sweet stop while enjoying the wharf and watching the sea lions. Definitely worth grabbing a scoop if you're in the area!

Towards the end of the Santa Cruz pier is Marini's. They offer a candy shop, ice cream, smoothies…read moreand a host of other treats. My friend indulged in a milk shake and I tried the chocolate cinnamon ice cream. They hand dip their cones so of course I had to get a waffle cone, which is one of my favorite things. The pier is a fun place to walk. Please come and create your own adventure.

We came here for a quick breakfast before a hike! I ordered the tomato pesto croissant and it was…read moreSO good that we went back in line to snag another one lol. The croissant was sooo buttery, the pesto was very garlicky, and the tomato tasted fresh and vibrant. The employees were very kind. They also have a broad selection of breakfast items here that I'd come back to try. Tons of seating indoors and outdoors, and a large parking lot to top it off!

This was my second visit and I decided I really needed to rereview it!…read more My first visit was during Covid. They were open but I think items were limited at the time and we were still masked up. My experience then was less than stellar but honestly, I think we were all still on edge. For this visit, we stopped in before heading home to pick up some pastries for a light breakfast. It was around 10 am and it was bustling. Clearly it is a popular spot but the line moved fast. We ordered ham and cheese croissants, an almond croissant, cinnamon roll with raisins (you can get them without as well) and an apricot pocket. Everything we tried was delicious and I mean DELICIOUS. The pastries were buttery and flaky and I am craving another almond croissant as I write this, lol. We didn't want to order any hot food since we were about to hit the road but they also sell breakfast sandwiches and burritos and it smelled heavenly in there. It is a little cramped with a few small tables but there is also a patio with a kind of wild garden which was very charming. I can 100% see this being a must stop for us whenever we visit Santa Cruz!

Their ready-to-go sandwiches on baguetttes are outstanding! Absolutely worth the price---beautiful…read moreingredients, fresh bread, and spicy spreads (horseradish mayo, etc.). Buy all 4 varieties for your day and you will not be disappointed.

I came here with my mom on a Fri and Sat morning. Fri it was not too crowded and Sat it was very…read morebusy. The pastries were delicious and I love the vibe here, it's very comfortable and everything is made fresh in house. I got their fritatta which was yummy. I also purchased their lemon meringue pastry which was yummy. I did not try their coffee. My mom got a morning bun which she said was very good and she also tried their bread and butter.