Go somewhere else for a special night out. Soooo disappointing. This was once a gourmet place I loved. Now it's mediocre and way overpriced and pretentious. Food was nothing special, drinks weak, waitress bored. Dessert was good. Go for dessert only. read more

We go here alot because ? Anyway food is not great and servers are quirky The appetizers are over priced and their corking fee could kill a horse read more

We were there as a party of six. Everything was fine as we were seated at a very nice table, then the party of 30 showed up right next to us and we could hardly hear a word any of us was saying at our table. The service was great but two of the dishes were not prepared correctly. One of the steaks was undercooked and another one over cooked . read more

The two stars are for the quality of the food and the over all ambience. I really want to love and rave about this place but after last night I just can't. We decided to treat ourselves to the Taco Tues. Special and ordered 3 Tacos for $8 and 4 taquitos for $10. I must say that the food was amazing. We ordered a stein of beer and a Foo Foo cocktail off the happy hour special menu. The check came and my friend pointed out that they had charged us the wrong price for the cocktail -$13 instead of $9. I know it's only a $4 difference but hey that's $4 towards the tip right? So I pointed it out to te server and he apoligized and said he would take care of it. Well he came back and told us that we ordered the wrong drink and that the manager said there was nothing they could do about it. I was shocked considering we had specifically pointed to the drink listed on the happy hour menu and that it was clearly their mistake. I am a small business owner in Aptos and I personally go out of my way to make sure my clients are happy and well taken care of and I guess I'm just expecting the same kind of treatment in return. Well unfortunately they have lost my business over this. I guess it is called Bittersweet for a reason. read more

The service at bittersweet is horrific! My friend arrived 15 minutes before and was sitting outside in the patio area, no one approached him during that time. I arrived and asked if anyone had come to the table he stated no. I tried to wave down one of the staff that kept running around the patio no such luck. Went in to the hostess and found out we needed to come to the hostess to get seated. That was fine, but at least one of the staff could of come over and let us know. Next we finally get someone to take our order. The drinks and food came fine and were fine! Then we informed the waiter we were going to be stepping away from the table and not to clear our drinks. Guess what we come back and our table is cleared. Waited 15 minutes for anyone to come back around to our table and no such luck. I went inside to tell the hostess what had transpired. Well 10 minutes later out come new drinks. Well the new beer is less than 1/2 full and when it was taken it was 2/3 full. What kind of establishment is that stingy that it just does not give another full beer since they accidently took it in the first place. We finish the drinks and no one ever comes out to give us a check. In I go to get the check. I hand the credit card to the waiter as he promptly takes off. I check the bill and we are charged for the 1/2 full beer. Hang on this is insane. I let the hostess know and he comes back with a corrected charge with out the beer. That is good I sign the credit card receipt and off we go. So I chalked up the night to the fact that this place has rarely has good service unless you are in the bar and at the bar! So now for the reason I am writing the review.. guess what I check my credit card account and they charged me for the beer and original amount not the one I signed. This is rather suspicious and I am going to contact the credit card company. As the credit receipt I signed was for a lower amount. Not sure whether I should contact the law enforcement regarding the issue, so they can determine whether it was a mistake or a known issue with this merchant. read more

Okay, 2 separate visits resulted in 2 very different experiences...these were back-to-back nights during the holidays 1st night (friday) was amazing. the place was packed, they were only seating at the bar because there were parties going on in the restaurant. We (3) managed to get a bar table and had the best waitress. the food came out within reason and our service was excellent! Great drink recommendations & just fun all around. The next night (Saturday) was a disaster. There were no parties going on so the whole restaurant was available...except to us. I decided to invite our favorite dinning couple since I had had such fun & good food the previous night. We get there, ask for a table and are told that the wait will be 25 mins. We agree to wait but in the bar so we can get drinks. We get a table at the bar and then begin our wait. 25 mins later we go to check and are told to wait another 20 mins. We go back to our bar table and continue on our 2nd round when the bar staff asks us if we want to order food, we so no because we want to do the 'formal' dining in the restaurant and are waiting for a table. another 20 mins go by and we check again, the hostess says any minute and she'll come get us. We wait another 20 mins without even a check from the hostess (they never once came to see how we were doing) and decided to ask our bar waiter if he can get us our table in the restaurant as we've been waiting an hour now and are starving. He comes up short and we decide to order @ the bar. Our order ended up wrong and the food was not good at all, luke warm, bland, overcooked veggies, etc. We were VERY upset with this experience because we had originally told the hostess & her manager that if the wait was going to be more than the 25 mins we'd just order at the bar, after the entire fiasco & $180 later, it took us 1.5 hours to finally get some food even though other people were being seated the whole time we were waiting to get a table. Awful, Awful experience. read more

The food is decent, but overpriced, and the service is horrendous. The only reason why I am giving two stars is because I've been here many times before, and everything used to be great, but the last few times it was so-so, and this time it was the last straw. Greasy food, dishes late, no busing service, soup arrived after we already ate the main course, just terrible. Not worth the money they're charging. They do have a nice wine list, but the food and service are horrendous. Avoid. read more

I went with a friend for drinks.We ordered specialty drinks that were horrible! The appetizers were just as gross. I paid $35 for an appetizer and 2 drinks on a Friday night. The service was very unfriendly! WHAT A RIP OFF. read more

I don't normally post on Yelp but my experience at this restaurant was so incredibly poor, that I feel that I have to as a public service. We came with a large group and waited for our food for 2 hours. Service was so incredibly slow and poor - our waitress never came and checked on us, and we had to flag her down to order and to ask for simple things such as water and bread. We would wait at least 20-30 minutes to order each part of the meal - there were at least 5 empty tables near us and no one was walking very fast, so the restaurant was not very busy. We were all very polite, tried to be understanding and flagged down people when we could. The worst was yet to come - when a member of our group went to the manager to discuss our experience, the manager discussed it with her staff and promptly told us that there was no issue and therefore she could not do anything for us. In fact, while this was happening, the same manager was more interested in checking out the place settings for EMPTY tables than noticing that it was taking us forever to get our food and that we were having issues getting service. She also would not make any eye contact with us while we were having issues and walked around with her head down. The experience was so poor that I don't even remember the taste of the food!!! I'm friends with many folks in the food service/restaurant industry...and I know that there are many things that go into operating a restaurant, and that mistakes can happen. However, the service at this restaurant, was, without a doubt THE WORST I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED IN THE BAY AREA. I'm not joking. Don't ever, ever, ever, come here. It's the worst. read more

Food was decent, nothing special; we had to wait almost an hour for it after it was ordered. The restaurant wasn't very busy, nor were any other events going on tonight to overwhelm the kitchen, so the wait was unprofessional. The hostess apparently forgot to tell our new server we had been seated too, per our server. The most pathetic part was that they had a folded piece of paper that said 'Happy Anniversary' on it, that was the extent that they went out of their way KNOWING ahead of time that it was out FIRST ANNIVERSARY as was made known during the reservation. They didn't even comp one of the TWO desserts we bought. The server screwed up our drink order, then the correct drink when it was finally brought out was in a cracked martini glass! Food was WAY OVERPRICED for the ambiance, service was sub par. This place has gone way downhill. Looks like the owner/chef needs a new line of work, or his wife who runs the front needs to consider the same. Definitely not going back and will be telling all of our family and friends about it too. read more

Ugh! This isn't my day for food, apparently! Mediocre service, long wait. Hot chocolate was basically brown water, no flavor whatsoever. If you like uber sweet order the over the top (not in a good way) chocolate pancakes. Huevos Rancheros had no flavor, it was bland and not satisfying. The Shoomer (spinach, mushroom) omelette was decent, nothing to get excited over. No one in my group is satisfied, it's very disappointing. The tables weren't set with napkins or silverware, just a quick wipe down. We had to ask for condiments and had to be specific on what flavor we wanted for our jam. I would not come back here to try something else! It's shocking to hear my family say they would of rather had McDonalds for breakfast! read more

Bar is always busy. Service in dining room is painfully slow so I only now sit in the bar area. I like the bar staff typcially and they always try and chat with you a little even if they are busy. Very lively atmosphere and I love the half sized entrees. My only complaint is the slowness of greets and sometimes food takes a little time to come out, but again-I don't think it's the kitchen-it's the service. Last time a guy next to me sent his wine back and they had the gall to charge him for it. He said it was bad, but they still charged him. I have never heard of this...so that I felt was not customer service friendly. Despite the service challenges-it's a good choice in the area. Food is pretty decent and the bar selection is great. Very busy, very lively, fun. read more

This is really a 3 1/2 star rating when all is said and done. The normal restaurant food is pretty good and the service is adequate but it is a bit pricey; 3 stars. So we decided to try the Recession Crusher deals served in the bar at the extended happy hour. They varied from okay to good, still 3 stars, until we went for Taco Tuesday. Three upscale flavorful tacos for $7. There were 3 types of tacos, so two of us shared one order of each and some drinks from their skilled bar. These were very good, especially the Tilapia tacos with their spicy salsa; solid 4 star. So call it 3 1/2 stars overall but make it a good night and try Taco Tuesday in the bar! read more

We arrived excited about having our Anniversary dinner out. The waiter never offered a review of specials, only one vegetarian option on the menu, and he actually had to look for that. We had to ask for the bread that ever one who came after us was having. Our dinner came while we were having our salad. With absolutely no room on our table, the waiter simply took our salad. My dinner was completely revolting: undercooked risotto that literally gagged both my husband and I with the overwhelming fake garlic. Inedible. The woman beside us also could not eat her dinner. Anniversary dinner ruined. Never. Again. read more

Rude staff (especially the manager - is she related to the owner? She needs some help in understanding customer relations at a reputable establishment). I've been a regular since they opened on the Westside more than 25 years ago. My husband proposed to me there. I will never go back. The food was mediocre at best, and one dish was so bad we had to send it back. read more

a couple nights ago, i went in to get a to-go order. when i got inside nobody greeted me. i then said hi to the hostess that was standing right in front of me and asked her if i could order. she told me the kitchen closed at 9pm. i looked at my phone and saw that it was 9:03PM. geez woman. 3 freakin minutes. only if the owner wouldve seen this happen read more

The food and service are pretty awesome here. My only concern was lack of parking and the restroom with no soap!

Who do they think they are not allowing kids in the lounge? You are a restaurant in aptos, you either cater to the growing families and future customers or you slowly loose your customer base. Luckily there are great new restaurants in aptos emphasizing family dinning with great service. We used to come here twice a week after sports practice or games and often met up with others. Sometimes the weather is favorable to sit outside, but if it is foggy I want to sit inside. Sitting in the fine dinning area or the three low seats in the bar is unreasonable suggestion. What are we in the south in the 1950 ' s practicing segragation! I want to feel welcome at a restaurant so my family and friends will go down the street to to spend our money. read more

Bittersweet used to bring it when they were a small establishment in Santa Cruz...but since going big time things have slipped. The Halibut in parchment is decent, the deserts are always good. The service is hit or miss. read more

Sweet...then bitter...and really not worth it... A few weeks ago on the patio was wonderful, little Chef's Bites menu, doggies and kids, decent waitress. We had a great time with 6 friends so I suggested this place to our Supper Club...mistake, mistake...our party of 9 sat inside and it was full-on AWFUL. There were 2 other groups in the main area totaling perhaps 20 and they were so loud, literally shouting at each other. The staff should have parked these yahoos a private room or at least stuffed their mouths with food. We arrived at 6:30 and it was EIGHT before we had anything besides bread at our table and then what arrived was slopped on the plates and unimpressive. $14 salad was wilted and warm, $33 Mahi was plopped on steam-table potatoes au gratin and any "basil-parm crust" had slid into goo. The owners must not have much restaurant experience, there was no addressing the hard sound-bouncing surfaces with even a table cloth, the food was a sad, thoughtless joke and for all the servers they had floating around, they should be spending the money in the kitchen. I left $150 lighter (for 3 diners), a bad headache and an aversion to Bittersweet. read more

My lady and I went to Bittersweet on a recommendation by someone who enjoyed their experience sitting at the bar hanging with the locals. We looked at the reviews and we were a bit suspect, but in the end we decided to give it a shot anyway. We wanted to sit at the bar and there was plenty of room with a good atmosphere. That's where things started from good and were pretty much all downhill from there. We were first approached by a young waiter who seemed pleasant and helpful. He asked if we wanted a drink and we both ordered a cocktail. I ordered an old fashioned and my lady ordered a vodka martini. When asking what kind of bourbon did the bar have, he mentioned they had "simpleton." I looked over at my lady and she asked, "Templeton?" Maybe a red flag???? I also ordered a "dozen" oysters and decided to wait to order our food. Best decision we made while there. The drinks took about 15 minutes to get delivered and I could see them sitting on a tray waiting for our waiter to get them to us. Meanwhile the bartenders didn't have much to do, but they sat there. He came back twice asking if we wanted to order food. The first time we asked for water and told him we weren't ready to order yet. We got the water fairly quickly, but when asked if we wanted to order food the second time I told him I would like to get our drinks before ordering. Five minutes after asking they were delivered. Probably the worst mixed drinks we have ever had. The Old Fashion tasted like orange flavor and had very little bourbon taste to it. The Vodka martini tasted like water. It was almost as if the bartender added soda water or some other liquid to water down the taste of the cocktails. My lady wanted to send them back, but was growing short with the incompetence of the waiter. Then the "dozen" oysters came out. Problem was, our waiter or the kitchen doesn't know what a dozen means. We actually ended up with nine. After one of the worst cocktails I have ever had, the rushed service for ordering, the neglect to get the drinks over in a timely fashion, we decided it was time to try our luck elsewhere. Two stars for decent oysters and the ambiance. Otherwise the service and the drinks aren't worth the price. I await the managers response of how we should have brought this to the managers attention, but based on the reviews I believe they have some issues to iron out. read more

I personally love this restaurant on it's good days. The food is very good, there is a large dog friendly patio with heat lamps, and the ambience is great. However, I have been frustrated with its bad days. The service is either a hit or a miss. Twice I waited an hour at my table to get my order taken and then an hour for my food. I have come to this restaurant a lot because it used to be one of my favorite date spots. They are expensive so when I ordered the skirt steak and received a sliver that was 3 inches long by 1inch, I was absolutely appalled. It's my favorite dish on the menu and I had ordered it many times. The manager came out and did bring me out a new piece which was an actual edible amount, but not before she tried to make excuses that they weigh all their meat the same. When I told her I was a regular she turned bright red and fixed my order. I'm no longer an eager customer for the restaurant anymore, but on it's good days it can be excellent. read more

Do not go here for lunch. It took them 50 minutes to serve me with a sandwich. All the lunch crowd is seniors; I came with a business party and it was a huge disappointment. I had to take my sandwich to go. It was a decent sandwich, but not worth the wait. read more

The service was not good from the start, no one acknowledged us upon arrival and several servers passed us and never ask to be seated. The food was pretty good. The bad service from our main server Stephanie was cold, unattentive. When we asked for water and coffee refills she did it without a peep, never asking if we needed something. Her face showed annoyance and a snobby attitude. My spouse said they felt discrimination. We did leave a comment card with the manager. read more

I live in Aptos and I had a terrible dining experience today. I haven't eaten at Bittersweet Bistro many times throughout the years. The sandwich that I usually order was served so hot that it burned my mouth. Sent it back because it was missing the cheese. Sandwich came back with just cheese and sundried tomatoes. No capers, olives or artichoke. Try taking a lesson from other restaurants in the area on your wines by the glass. Cafe Sparrow, Paradise Beach and Michael's on Main have better selection of wine by the glass and much more reasonably priced. Won't eat here again. read more

Gave another try as i was told things had changed. Nope I feel really bad for what this place has become. Was a time when this place was so special. Now its a tourist trap and fighting to stay alive bistro read more

The facility was very nice and I was excited when I walked in. After looking at the menu and realizing that the salad I wanted was $31, I was not so excited. I can confidently say I have never seen a $31 salad on any menu before in my life. That is an insane price for any salad, I don't care what toppings are on it. I ordered the stuffed mushroom appetizer which I would rate less than one star..it was the most bland, unflavored meal ever. There was not one glass of wine cheaper than $13 and a corkage fee for your own bottle is $35. To give you a better idea of their outrageous prices, they charge $6 for a split plate, and $5 per slice of cake if you bring a cake. Our server was extremely disappointing, we had to go to the bar to ask for more water after waiting for 40 minutes. Not sure if they had an off night or what but I will not be going back. Please do not waste your money here! read more

We go here for special occasions as it is a bit on the pricey side. The service has always been good, the food has been sumptuous. But the reason I love to go here is really just for the dessert. Whatever they have on the menu that night is always a fantastic melt in your mouth feast for the eyes plate of delight! Anything chocolate sometimes they look too pretty to eat but oh my as soon as you taste it you know if you were to leave the earth at that moment you would go having had the best dessert ever! read more

I expected really nice coffee here as they have a Batista/coffee bar! Their Basic coffee had no flavor ~ it was even weak for my dad who doesn't love strong coffee ... Usually breakfast restaurants offer a stronger version for coffee lovers. Breakfast potatoes are deep fried (Really?) who wants to have that these days? Most of our food was substandard - only the price exceeded our expectation. Omelet ~ overcooked, rubbery even when asked to have is cooked easy. French toast and waffle ~ would not order again. Fresh fruit and cappuccino were good. Hostess was really nice. read more

I had the sword fish and the serving was way too small I actually couldn't believe how small it was!!! The price was expensive so pretty much showed it was a typical pricey place with tiny servings. I was starving after I ate my meal, it simply didn't have enough food!! The quality of the food is not too bad but the quantity lacks.... bon appetite !! read more

Had a Hawaiian burger that looked, smelled, and tasted like it was straight out if the trash. Also, I asked the waitress if I could sub my fries for sweet potato fries and she said yes. Later I had some rude ass blonde guy serve me regular fries saying they didn't sub for sweet potato fries though I had had them several times before and my mother who was sitting next to me had subbed for sweet potato fries as well. Wtf dude? Do your job and quit being a dick about it. read more

*Anyone say Happy Hour!!! Ok so worth happy hour from 3-6! In the bar Yes please! *They have 3 different dining areas in the evening, plus outdoor patio with a fireplace and serene settings. There is a separate dining area open the morning (cafe bistro) with inside outside seating options. *Happy hour is always worth trying new foods! *Breakfast is always on point! *Dinners can waver from crappy to real good, *service is hit or miss. *They do have one bartender and he is DISGUSTING! He is so gross picking in his ears and nose and then serving deinks I had dinner here the other night and he never washed his hands. Eewww *The finer dining area is nice and quiet and quaint , not toooooo much and just enough. Ive never been to the back area They've attempted to draw me back there but the few times i peeked in there it seems gross and kinda clubby with creepies. Didnt like the scene. *dining area has the ipad menu which seems like a great idea until u are blinded by the screen and kinda grossed out by the dirty fingerprints that i guess u cant botice on plastic/paper menus. (Hate the digi menu) I will go back! read more

Absolutely outrageous drink prices and very poor service in the bar area. The food is good but again, way overpriced. Will not be returning.

Dinner at the Bittersweet Bistro was possibly one of the worst dining experiences of my life. I had really anticipated eating here for quite some time, so when a friend came to town, I decided it would be a great opportunity to try it. I fully expected that the food would be exceptional and could not believe how bad most of it was. - The appetizer plate for two primarily consisted of very bland deep fried foods that were dripping with grease. It was what I would expect to be served at an English pub or local dive. - The sea bass wrapped in smoked salmon also was flavorless and had the texture of a rubber tire. It was obviously way overcooked. - The sole and vegetables were acceptable, but not remarkable. Almost everything we ate was bland. Loads of fat, no flavor. The service wasn't any better. My friend has a severe tomato allergy, so before ordering, we let the waiter know and asked that he please have the chef--although I am reluctant to use that word after tasting the food--please hold the tomatoes in any dishes he ordered. Not only was this request completely ignored, but he failed to mention that all three of the sauces on the appetizer plate for two were tomato based. Had we known this, we would have chosen something else. Also, regarding the appetizer plate, the waiter asked us how we would like the mini burgers cooked (BB Slides), but they were done completely wrong. The final unpleasant aspect of the dinner was the pervasive air of gloom among all the employees. All seemed unduly somber and wore dour expressions. I've eaten in many fine restaurants and never experienced anything like it. Really, the only thing I could see that the restaurant has going for it is the decor, which is lovely. I don't recommend wasting your money here. It is pricey, which would be fine if the food were worth it. But I've had much better food at the local "hole-in-the-wall." Huge disappointment! read more

We have been coming here for 10 years but tonight the service was horrible. We had to wait at least 10 mins before any one came to our table to greet us or offer bread. The whole meal was that way--long waits between courses. Our waiter would say he be right back & then disappeared. Plus we were charged for items we didn't order & it took them 2 try's to get it right. I asked the waiter what was wrong & he said the bar expansion & sous chef couldn't deal with it. Not worth the $$$. Won't go back, read more

I have to update my review since I have been back several times now and service has been great at the bar. Friendly staff and great food. Prices still high but food is worth the quality. Try the shrimp dynamite it's very yummy. read more

My boyfriend and I love this place! Fast service and friendly staff. We've only come here for breakfast but I bet the rest of their food is amazing. Their huevos rancheros is my favorite!! And I'm really picky when I order this plate anywhere. I also love the Bloody Mary's! My boyfriend usually orders the crunchy chicken with bacon which is also delicious. They are dog friendly so you can sit outside with your dog and they even bring you a little dog bowl!! Would highly recommend! read more

This place is great. One of the only nice restaurants and classy bars in Santa Cruz County. The complainers on this site need to get a life. The food and service is always great. Nice outdoor patio with fireplace and tables. Always see someone you know there. They constantly change up the menu and I have never had a bad meal or drink. Probably go at least once a month. read more

It's a step down from The Shadowbrook and definitely not much cheaper. It's a great date spot and the staff is very professional and friendly. The menu has some great options and their drinks are tasty as well. They also are great at accommodating large parties (I've been there three times for company parties) and are willing to give you a whole part of the restaurant for the party. Their dessert platter (for the holiday parties at least) is the best part, hands down. So I would recommend going to the Shadowbrook for a fancy dinner and to The Bittersweet Bistro for a martini and a delicious dessert! read more

Came here a couple times recently after not being here in a decade, and it was a disappointment. The redecorating does not work, making the place seem much smaller. Food was okay, but not great, but prices are for great food. The biggest disappointment was that this used to be a wonderful dessert location, and that is no more. All in all, this is no better than okay, and less than that given the prices. read more