Someone I met at the airport recommended Alta bakery. I tried to go on a Sunday, but there wasn't…read morea long line out the door and down the block. I decided to go the next day, and the line was more manageable and I found street parking nearby. The pastry counter is the first thing you see when you enter. You can also order food and drinks from the counter. There was seating throughout the space which was in a historic building. I got a few goodies to try which included the blue cornmeal cookie, almond financier and an orange blossom tea cake. I also ordered their seasonal coffee which was a honey saffron latte. The cookies, financier and tea cake were all delicious. The latte wasn't overly sweet and was even a bit savory. It grew on me. There were a few sandwiches ordered by other patrons that looked scrumptious. If I hadn't eaten breakfast already, I would've ordered something substantial. Hopefully, I'll return to Monterey again. If so, Alta will be on my list.

Line is longgggg! Staff is super sweet and help with explaining everything. It sucks that they…read morecan't keep up with having all bakery items in stock to choose from since it's very busy. So basically it's a hit or miss if what you can choose from by the time you get to the front of the line. I heard from previous reviews that these Blue Corn cookies are great. By the I got to the front of line, fresh batch came out. They are delicious and highly recommend! Avocado toast was also phenomenal! The seating area is a huge in outdoor area and super beautiful! I'd definitely come back.

I had a delicious cherry croissant and clam chowder bread bowl at this cafe. My boyfriend…read morethoroughly enjoyed the free hot coffee they had at this location! The cherry croissant was perfectly buttery and flaky, with the acidity of the cherry adding just the right kick to this breakfast pastry. I was initially hesitant on getting the clam chowder at a bakery and was thinking of getting it at a seafood restaurant on Cannery Row, but the reviews were glowing and the price was reasonable. I'm glad I took a chance on it, because the bowl was chockful with clams, potatoes, celery, and a briny creamy seafood broth base. The ambiance in this bakery is great- there's a beautiful wall mural on the back wall of this bakery and lots of inside seating. Don't miss out on this spot!

This used to be my favorite bakery in Monterey. Their almond croissant was amazing, and they were…read morethe only place around that made a simple ham and cheese sandwich that reminded me of the ones I had in Paris. Something has definitely changed. I don't know if it's new ownership or a change in management, but this visit was incredibly disappointing. I paid $14.95 for a ham and cheese sandwich that had just two slices of ham, two slices of cheese, and what tasted like day old bread. It was dry, underwhelming, and nowhere near the quality I remembered. It's disappointing to see a place I loved go downhill. I really hope they can get back to what made them so special. Very simple but high quality ingredients.

Chicken On Brioche Sliced chicken breast, tomato, green…read moreonion, Monterey Jack cheese & mayo on homemade brioche The Service was outstanding. The staff is amazing. The owner is amazing. The Service is outstanding.. Ambience is beautiful, accommodating, and wonderful.

Bakery + restaurant altogether in one space. Awkward situation because even if you have a…read morereservation for the restaurant, you'd still have to wait to check-in with everyone else waiting in line for the pastries because the guy who checks you in is also the same one as behind the bakery counter. Service: 3/5 Food came out fast but service was lacking. Had to ask for water refills and checks because there was no one checking in on us throughout the meal. Food: 3/5 Chicken pot pie - This was tasty to eat. Salmon - Wrapped in parchment paper.. and I didn't like how my salmon was not thoroughly cooked in the middle.

Very cozy place, pastries are excellent. Bought blueberry…read moremuffin, raisin roll, pistachio roll, very delicious. Very good price compared to other French bakeries.

Cute little bakery in Monterey/Pacific Grove. We had lunch nearby and I wanted to grab my mom…read moresomething sweet for her birthday. I got her an almond raspberry croissant. It was really very tasty and good sized. They had a lot of other cute desserts that looked good. Service was friendly and efficient.

I stopped by Lafayette Bakery on Memorial Day morning and there were only a few people in line. The…read moreselection of pastries and breakfast items made it so hard to choose because everything looked amazing! I ended up getting the ham and bacon quiche and it did not disappoint. It was flaky, light, and had the perfect crunch. I paired it with a vanilla latte with almond milk, and as a barista myself, I have to say the latte was a 10/10. You can tell it was crafted with care. I enjoyed my breakfast in the patio where they had outside seating, it was clean and very spacious! The service was also great! The barista who took my order was super friendly and made sure I got my items once they were ready. I'll definitely be coming back to try one of their sweet pastries next time!

Sometimes a place has such great reviews that your expectations end up being much higher than the…read moreactual experience. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened to us here. We stopped by while driving along the coast and ordered a cappuccino, a latte, and a tiramisu. The café itself is small and has a nice atmosphere, but it definitely feels like it could use some renovation. The biggest disappointment was the coffee. Both drinks were watery, bitter, and tasted more like regular drip coffee than something you'd expect from a café with such high ratings. The tiramisu was also much smaller than expected and much sweeter than a traditional tiramisu. There was also a small outdoor patio, which could be really charming, but it also looked tired. The wooden tables were weathered, dusty, and in need of some care I know this café is known as an old French café, and I really wanted to love it. I truly hope they invest a little into both the space and the coffee because the location has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, this visit just didn't live up to all the amazing reviews.

Cash only! Traditional establishment with large pastries…read more - Muffin : was a blueberry flavor that day, very soda bread scone tasting. Enjoyed the crumb top and plentiful berries! Very moist - Berry danish : the pastry itself was a little chewy for my taste, but overall not bad!

Pavel's is a Pacific Grove institution! Be prepared to wait in a long line right when they open--it…read moremoves fast, but the crowd confirms how fantastic their European-style pastries are. The four of us grabbed croissants and sandwiches, and the quality was superb: flaky, rich, and clearly made with care. The dedication to artistry is evident in every bite. The only real snag is the payment: Pavel's is strictly cash only. While the baked goods are four-star excellent, the need to remember physical currency keeps it from a full five. Come prepared with cash, and you won't be disappointed by the treats!

Got here on a Sunday morning at 8:30am and there was a line out the door. Didn't take more than 20…read moreminutes to walk away with our coffee and pastries though. Lots of different merch to look at while waiting for order- coffee beans, olive oil, delicious looking bagged cookie, biscotti, hot dog buns and kitschy toys. Pros- service was friendly , helpful and patient! Pastries were top notch. We've been hitting bakeries all over Carmel and Monterey and liked these the best. The cream bun and earl grey bun were our favorites with the cardamom bun and chocolate croissant a close second and third. The dough on all these had great layers which has been missing in a lot of the pastries we've had while bakery hopping. The sun-dried tomato and cheese scone was the best savory scone I've ever had. Coffee- I got a latte with half serving of the miso caramel bc I was worried it would be too sweet (I'm a flat white gal). It tasted perfect and went well with the sweet pastries. My family got iced lattes with the miso caramel and the tonka vanilla. They liked them but thought they were light on flavor. If fancy lad coffee is your priority then probably not the place for you lol. Cons- parking is of course challenging but same for every business around there. Seating is very limited so prob have to plan on to-go if there's a crowd. Nice that they have a few outdoor tables. We couldn't find seating for three so we dipped and crashed at a table outside a restaurant that wasn't open.

Horrible customer experience…read more While this place has relatively good food, I went to Astra to buy olive bread and several of things for my friends while they visited the area from LA. Some long-haired guy looking like he came out of the 1960s was wearing a sleeveless-type vest (no tee shirt underneath) with his gnarly long-hairy armpits was working behind the counter. As people were ordering various items, he was reaching over the food with his bushy Sasquatch armpits. It was so disturbingly disgusting that I decided to order a coffee instead of food for fear one of his revolting hairs would land on my pastry bag . I nearly started to gag. Further, to complicate our already bad experience, was made even worse with a rude barista making our drinks didn't want us to wait for our coffees where she's making them in an already cramped tiny bakery. We were pretty confused where to wait to pick up our drinks so we just left. I think better quality of help would benefit this establishment considering the availability of talent out there. Needless to say, this was an embarrassing experience for myself and my friends forcing us to head to the Bookworks for coffee, instead. I won't be coming back to this nasty place.

Well we're back again, and what a culinary experience. The…read morefood never disappoints. And as always packed. Service of course amazing. The owner let me take a photo of her. She's phenomenal! Everything she does is a gift.

I really wanted to like Wild um because the menu looked like it had a number of vegetarian and…read morevegan options. Alas, I don't think I'll be going back. I was interested in the half and half where you can get half a sandwich and a small bowl of soup or small salad, but when I asked what the soup of the day was and whether it was vegetarian or not the server was unable to answer and didn't offer to find out. I ordered a half vegetarian sandwich and the pesto salad. The sandwich didn't have any tomatoes and was pretty bland. But the salad was a real disappointment as it appeared less than fresh. There was something that looked like caramelised onions but I honestly wasn't sure what they were. There wasn't much pesto and the noodles looked off--like some of them had started to go bad. The whole thing looked like it had been in the cooler for a week. My friend ordered The Natural, a salad of oven roasted vegetables. It was ok he said but pretty flavourless. This place has the potential to be a place where vegans, vegetarians and ethical meat eaters could dine in a party together, but I can't recommend it.