4-5 star lunch. 1-2 star service. Great burger, salads pizzetta etc. BUT....beware both times here---slow service, forgotten items , follow up issues & hard to track down waiter. read more

Cute outside. Good cappuccino. Food was overpriced. Better breakfast at the Santa Cruz diner. Bloody Mary was just "ok". Had to ask for horseradish to make it taste less watered down. I asked for sliced tomato instead of potatoes and toast and was told it would be an up charge. Now I am not cheap but even I won't pay extra when I am essentially telling you I don't want 2 items on my plate and would prefer just a few slices of tomato. And the waitress was a little snooty in the delivery of the message on the up charge. So if the delicious cappuccino was not in front of me likely would have left. Won't be back. No cappuccino is THAT good to make up for snooty. She tried being very nice after but the impression was made. My Christian heart forgives. My Foodie belly won't. LOL. read more

This is an amazing restaurant, lovely patio, wonderful bar, great California cuisine and unbelievable desserts! They have great midweek special that are very affordable. read more

Cute coffee shop cafe. Accommodated my dairy allergies. Food was tasty. Cute dog menu too. Soy latte was good. My husband said the pancakes were very good. Food service was slow. Young female server not as attentive or friendly as could be. Probably better to sit outside...was a little loud with crying kid at other table. read more

One of my very favorite restaurants in the area! High quality, good food, cooked just right. I like that they offer a "small plate" entree size, as I'm a petite person. Then I can also eat dessert! I also eat in the front cafeteria part for breakfast or brunch. I really love their au gratin scrambles. They add their delicious au gratin potatoes to the different types of scrambled eggs. So good! Another great thing is that you can take your dog with you and eat outside on the patio. They have a doggie menu! My puppy loves their grilled chicken. The service is always great and the staff are really friendly! I love this place. read more

Benedict was perfectly cooked! And the apple chicken sausage omelet was delicious. Sitting outside was really lovely with all the doggies! Great food, nice staff, good price. Wish we could've eaten more... next time! read more

Café Bittersweet - Veggie benedict and apple chicken sausage omelet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Aptos, California

Terrible experience. Food is bad and over priced. We had a complaint and the manager came over to discuss. She was surprisingly rude. We also did not feel safe eating on the patio. No hand sanitizers anywhere. We enjoyed our trip to aptos, but we learned a costly lesson by giving this place a try. Never again read more

The food here is really good, the service is just terrible though. It was moderately busy but it took us an hour to get our food. It's about time we probably stop coming here. read more

There was a lot of hype about this place. Many people said that it was good, local etc. So we went, it was not great. I ordered the eggs Benedict, the hollandaise was flavorless, my girlfriend had an omelette. The sausage in the omelet was so salty she couldn't eat it. The potatoes were ok, the coffee was quite weak. We paid 36.00 for what basically amounted to scrambled eggs and flavorless poached eggs and some English muffins. On a positive note, the place is nice and seems clean. My opinion is that this place is over hyped, over priced and I'm over it. We won't be going back, there are far better less expensive breakfast places in the area. read more

Came in today. Wouldn't say it was to busy but also wouldn't say is was slow. Got seated, got some water. Then waiting the next 15 minutes with absolutely no contact. Had roughly 6 employees walk by our table within that time. Made it pretty obvious on a few occasions that we were ready to order but still nothing. Finally walked out making eye contact with two employees and not even a goodbye. Won't be back. read more

Just had breakfast here with two friends. We had 4 salads, water and coffee. Salads were just ok. Small portions and $23.00 each. By the time we were through, 4 salads and coffee were over $100.00 + tip. We live in the neighborhood and keep trying to like this place because it's so convenient and charming but are always surprised by how pricey it is and what you get for your money. Shame on us for expecting something different. read more

Had breakfast here on Sat morning. Quick good service and good food. Had egg omelette and fresh fruit, washed down with coffee,which was very good. read more

A friend sugested the Cafe because of the location ( we had an event near by ) I ordered the Asian Chicken Salad, OMG fresh full of flavor and very healthy! I will be back several times because their menu had lots of things I would like to try. read more

Delish! You must convert any of their omelettes into the au gratin style! So amazingly yummy! We're local and just started going here. We've been back several times and taken guests too. It's a bit pricey, but nice for special occasion breakfasts! Service has been good and people seem overall happy and cheerful, which is always a plus to me! read more

Checked our the bittersweet cafe here in rio del mar for happy hour, its a really nice place to go and eat there. Pretty good happy hour food meals and drinks are good as well!! read more

Great breakfast with the kids as usual! Thanks Bittersweet ! Breakfast ends at 1 so get there early Burritos are always a favorite Great kids menu! Outside is very pet friendly read more

Cliff is FANTASTIC! He treated us like royalty! What a wonderful dog friendly restaurant. The food is superb and the service is phenomenal! We were blown away at how welcoming they were to our two little dogs & that they have a 'dog menu.' How cool is that? We only wish they would open a restaurant in Sacramento! We will have to plan another trip soon....just so we can go back to Cafe Bittersweet! Thank you Cliff! read more

I keep forgetting why I don't like Bittersweet, so I keep going back once a year. Then I am reminded, oh yeah, they don't hire FRIENDLY people... (I agree with a reviewer named Bill r.) Maybe I just have bad luck, but the staff are consistently upright, unfriendly and they MUST study their scowl in the mirror before they begin their shift because boy can they do it . . . . it's not me cuz I am super smiley and constantly say "please" "thanks" "sorry to bother you but may I please have a glass of water "(after sitting for 10 minutes) ....".... It's pretty much BITTER and not at all SWEET . . .. so until next year when I forget again..... hasta la vista!!! read more

I usually stop by Bittersweet in the evening for a quick drink and appetizer, which is always a safe-bet and never disappointing. I always kick myself for forgetting that the Bittersweet has a cute cafe open during breakfast / lunch hours. So, on my way back from San Francisco the other morning, I decided to stop and pick up one of their amazing breakfast burritos that I remember loving back in high school. Maybe things have changed in the past few years, but I was very disappointed. First off, I ordered the burrito immediately at the counter to-go. I knew that the breakfast burritos were pre-made, as you are not allowed to make any modifications, so I was hoping I would be able to get in and out of there quickly (They heat up their burritos in a panini press). A burrito ran me about $7.75, which is a little steep, but I remember them being awesome so I did not think twice. A burrito and a flat soda that I polished off while I waited cost me about $11.50. As I sat at the counter and waited for my burrito, another customer came in, scouted the menu, and placed an order for an Omelet to go. As I waited, and waited, and waited, this woman, along with two other people who ordered food AFTER me, received their meals before I did. It took about 20 minutes for my single burrito to make it from the panini press to the counter where I stood. I couldn't believe it. Even with the very long wait, I still had high hopes. As soon as i got hot home and unwrapped my burrito, though, I was again disappointed. For some reason, they wrap their burritos in brown paper, and cut the burrito in half. By the time I opened it, the paper was completely soaked with liquid from the burrito and the burrito itself was soggy. The tortilla was chewy in the middle and hard on the sides, and the sausage inside the burrito was cold. I couldn't even finish half. Next time I'll make a point to venture the couple miles down the road to get a breakfast burrito from Pixie's Deli and stick to Bittersweet during Happy Hour in the bar read more

This place is not good for breakfast. It might be good dinner or lunch but for breakfast is not. Not enough tables and not enough waiters and it has a feel of dinner restaurant not a breakfast restaurant. I had the classic Benedict and it was OK at best. Very bland. read more

Love, love love the food, the outdoor dining and the service. Save some money with the daily specials. You can also bring your well behaved canine friends. read more

We had a wonderful eggs Benedict.. First time for me. I will return when in the area. Good atmosphere and want to return for dinner sometime. read more

Pros for Bittersweet: Outdoor seating, dog friendly (they also offer a dog menu), nice wait staff, and variety of food. That is all I got for pro. Cons: We were seated outdoors on a beautiful early afternoon. We immediately had a waitress that offered to get drinks started. It started out very promising. Although I am happy to be in a dog friendly bistro, I was disappointed that the tables are so close together that I had other customer's dogs at our table, sniffing in our handbags and were not tied close enough to their own table that waiters had a hard time getting food without a dog in the way (twice drinks were spilled). It made for an annoying brunch. I would suggest that they offer a "dog section", require the dogs not be allowed to roam or maybe just spread the tables so that you are not seating so close. After we received our drinks, we put in our orders. From that point on it was forever to get service. Most of the items I noticed along with ordered did not allow for substitutions, which is not good if you are allergic to certain ingredients. I ordered the egg benedict, which came with country potatoes- no options. I would of loved to have something like fruit or hash browns as an option. While waiting for the food to come, we had a hard time getting refills for water or soda. Our waitress apologized and stated she had to work inside and outside, she wasn't ignoring us. I blame management for poor selection of where they employees work. We did feel ignored, along with the table behind us that also could not get service. We even asked other waiters if we could get refills and they said they would let our waitress know. For all the wait for the food, we expected it to be really, really good. It was a let down. Our order was messed up, but given how long it took to get something it wasn't worth waiting again. Some portions of the food came out cold, one of our friends didn't get hers with ours. We had to wait once again for condiments, it was just too delayed. I don't mind waiting for good food, but this was not worth the wait. I personally would not go back. It seems like a cute bistro, friendly staff, but management needs to step up on how they assign tables so that food comes out hot, drinks are refilled timely (especially when you are paying over $3 per soda), food orders taken properly, and find a way that tables are not too close together so you can enjoy your own meal and conversation and not others. read more

I was excited to go the the Bistro cafe with my boyfriend today. When we got there the cafe was full and the wait staff told us to go ask inside to be seated. A very rude server informed us that they were not going to seat us because the computer was not working. They were having to take the credit card payments manually.... I ask if they needed the computers to be able to cook in the kitchen and the server told me that they would not serve us because they were too overwhelmed! She was rude and turned us away. We would have paid cash and were in no hurry. Unfortunately, people have forgotten how to have good people skills when computers are acting up. Sad! read more

If good food is the only standard you have when it comes to rating a dining experience then I would have given this place 4 's. I include service in the overall experience, and service is certainly lacking. You will be seated promptly, but then you will wait another 10 to 15 min. to be waited on. In about another 20 to 25 min. you may receive your food. If you order anything like pancakes, waffles, French toast that would normally come with butter and syrup you will be annoyed when they are not brought out while your food is hot. I had to go up to the counter and ask for them, which still took about another 5 min. to be brought to the table. This has happened both times I've ordered pancakes with different waitstaff. Forget about refills on coffee unless you go up and ask for it. read more

I came here for brunch with a friend because it was near my campsite at Seacliff Beach and I read that they are dog friendly. I was already prepared for slow service after reading some reviews so that didn't bother me because I really didn't have much to do that day. There were only two servers and it was pretty busy so it took a while to take our order and bring out our beverages but the food was quick to get out. I got pancakes that were exactly what I'd been craving and my friend got the mex bennys and he really enjoyed them. I liked that they brought my dog a water bowl and I'll definitely be going back the next time I'm around. read more

Breakfast In Aptos? Nothing spectacular... Well, being a fan of the Bistro, I decided to check out the cafe for breakfast today. The food was cooked properly, not stellar but good. The service was pleasant, and the atmosphere comfortable. I have three issues: First, my toast came completely dry and when I asked for butter, I was give a tiny paper cup with some kind of greasy margarine. I hate margarine. Second, They serve only link sausage, greasy link sausage, I know all sausage is greasy, but please provide the option of patties... And last, what is with cottage fries? I hate cottage fries, and these were not very fresh. Call me old fashioned, but I like traditional hash browns with my eggs. Want my business? Give me real butter, sausage patties, and hash browns... read more

Went here for brunch with the bf's mom and dog. I wasnt hungry but she ordered scrambled eggs and coffee. She absolutely LOVED the eggs, they were the perfect consistency and have perfect pieces of potato in them and great seasonings. I am not an egg fan, but they did look and taste better than most eggs I've had. We didnt know it was dog friendly and once we knew we got ours out of the car and ordered her a 3$ meat patty. Super Cute! But it comes out piping hot (our waitress warned us) so our little pooch sat for a few as it cooled wondering what the marvelous smell was and if she would get scraps. Boy was she surprised to get it all to her self! Only downer to it being dog friendly is there is no proper place to tie up your dog and honestly who thinks their dog will sit obedient at their side with other dogs and food everywhere... even our well behaved and extremely elderly dog was having issues! Luckily we were by the railing and tied her there. But it would be nice if there was a designated spot at the table. 15$ total for the eggs, coffee and meat patty. I would go again and hopefully be hungry enough to eat something. read more

What's nice about Bittersweet is that it's attractive. No view, but nice patio and restaurant. Our dinner last night was nice. Husband's hamburger was pretty thin and factory made. The sliced-so-thin-you-could-see-through-it tomato served to accompany the hamburg was a joke. But my mahi-mahi was nice. Desserts are the reason we come here. Good on the eye, the tummy and the pocket book. read more

I have been going to this Bistro for a few years on a regular basis. So I have seen the good and the better.. But what restaurant is perfect all the time, I know of none! Most of the gripes I read about probably occurred on the busiest days when the place is mobbed. I worked at Manuel's in the 70's so I think I can speak from experience. I like the one about not replacing the potatoes on the Benedict! Girlfriend it was the special! It's $6.00 you can't expect substitutions on a Monday Special.... I go for the Monday Benedict and the Tues French Toast and the Wednesday Waffle and of course the Thursday Rancheros with Chipotle Sauce! They have the best coffee. I go nuts over the Arti- Avo Omelet. I have never waited 45 minutes for anything at Bittersweet Cafe and the Bistro. The food is great and the service is excellent. read more

I really love the food here and the ability to bring my pets but the service is lacking. Everyone who works there is nice and helpful and the all look they are working so hard. I think it's an organizational issue. Maybe they need a better system. Took forever to get even water once seated. Then longer to get coffee. Once we left card to pay took a long time for that to get picked up. This is not the first time I've experienced that there but I will keep coming back because it's so yummy. One of a kind! read more

To find a breakfast spot in Santa Cruz without a wait is a miracle in itself. Nice outdoor patio area for a sunny day. Inside is cozy, but small. Some of the tables are very close together-which is fine until the place fills up and you are smooshed between two other tables. Get there early so you can get a nice spacious table. Gets busy around 9am. I've been here for both breakfast & lunch but usually come for breakfast. Service is friendly, but can be a little slow. They have a great menu with unique, flavorful dishes. The prices are a bit higher than other places, but you get what you pay for. If you get a basic breakfast-it will cost the same as you would pay anywhere else. But with so many other great options-you would be a fool to order a basic breakfast! Their pancakes are AMAZING...and I don't even like pancakes. They are large, fluffy & vanilla-y. Sometimes my boyfriend and I will split a pancake and another dish like a scramble. They have great scrambles-you can order any of their omelets as an au-gratin scramble. It's worth the extra $2. The Arti-Avo scramble (swiss, carmelized onions, artichokes and avo) is my favorite but we have had some other great ones too. The one with exotic mushrooms and brie is very good too. The benedicts are great also-particularly the Southwestern benedict (carnitas, green chilies, bermuda onions & chipotle hollandaise) or the traditional but ask for the chipotle hollandaise. It has great flavor, but is not spicy. The reason I am taking away a star is that they consistently undercook their poached eggs. I order them poached hard, and half of the time they come out transluent & wayyy undercooked. I have had to send them back several times and I am not that picky. All in all, a great breakfast place with a menu you can't elsewhere & dishes you wouldn't make at home. read more

They made us wait 45 minutes for a table. There were three open four tops and we had a group of five. There were plenty of open chairs at four tops that only had two guests. They refused to put a chair on the end of a four top and seat us. read more

This is an awesome place to pick up high quality meals to go or to quickly eat at one of the few tables they have inside. Great paninis, sandwiches, salads and pastries can be had at this cafe offshoot of the Bittersweet Restaurant next door. read more

The only thing I have ever eaten here are the breakfast burritos. My mom and I went through a phase of sharing one almost every Sunday morning. My favorite is the one with chicken apple sausage. Lovely gooey and cheesey scrambled eggs, with chunks of potatoes and big pieces of sausage. Their salsa is also pretty tasty...I like the red one the best. read more

The menu options are great but the service is not consistent and the attention to detail is lacking. There were simple mistakes made on my order on 2 of our last 3 visits. I may come back, but not any time soon. read more

Had lunch today in the cafe. The steak sandwich was awesome. Came with great fries. The service was wonderful and quick. My only grip was that ice tea was $4.50 per glass which I felt was too high. A wonderful place to eat. read more

Just okay, though really overpriced. The Crispy Chicken Avo sandwich, sounds good but just doesn't work. The flavors didn't blend well together. The Vegetarian sandwich, it was pretty simple. At $11 a pop you might have thought it would have more than one very thin slice of cheese. The service was decent, read more

Good golly, the spicy, crispy chicken bacon benedict is my new jam. I crave it, weekly - and I have no intention of getting saved. Go gitcha some! read more

Excellent food & service, my go to breakfast/brunch place whenever I'm in the Santa Cruz area. Try the Aptos Fog and waffle w/ caramelized bananas. read more