Ahhhh The Mediterranean is the local bar of Aptos! Tom is the man! And the lavender lemon drop is my new favorite drink. This bar is a no frills bar that has pool, lots of seating, and just a chill atmosphere where regulars go for a drink... or four. Haha. I don't come here often, but when I do, I usually see familiar faces. The location is sweet too: it's next to the best Mexican restaurant, across from one of the best ice cream stores, and by the beach! What more can you ask for? Oh, and because it's a no frills bar, you don't have to pay for the fancy schmancy extras! Thus, the prices are decent here! The only slightly small downside is you have to have patience because it may take a few minutes to get your drinks because most likely there is only 1 bartender for the entire place. read more

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First time here!! Atmosphere is chill, super casual and from the looks of it there is no dress code lol Bar is well stocked and organized, signage is easy to read. Inside has several tables and a pool table. Bartender was friendly and drinks were made well, also reasonably priced. We were lucky enough to find parking in front. Parking is kinda limited Would I come back here again......yeah sure why not read more

The Mediterranean Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

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The best bar in Aptos Area! The owners & staff are phenomenal. Superb service...the ambience is always great. Including the customers. We 100% recommend. Please try the lavender lemon drop & the pollen my flower. They also host different events check their instagram read more

The Mediterranean Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

We were there on a Sunday morning. They have several football games going on at the same time. Very friendly bartenders. Owner was there too. Delicious espresso martini. It's just got one of those inviting and comfortable vibes where you wanna stay there watch football, have a few drinks, get a slice of pizza next door ( YES! You can bring food in from outside !!) and come back in and hangout more. Will definitely come back again! read more

The Mediterranean is your local Cheers. It has a nice long bar, a pool table, and a consistent local crowd. It's not fancy or splashy and doesn't pretend to be. If you are looking for a fun casual place, and want to be part of a local community, this is your place. The lighting is the one thing I don't like about this place, and why I am rating it 3 instead of 4 stars. It is always so bright! If you are looking for fun local place, a "Cheers" - this is your place and will be a 4 or 5 star for you :) read more

The bartender has some serious skills because the drinks were excellent. They were also very pleasant & made you feel welcomed. This bar is a great vibe. I'd definitely recommended to check it out because you won't be disappointed. FIVE STARS! read more

The Mediterranean Bar - Espresso Martini - Dive Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

The moment my girl and I walked in we felt like family. The vibes are lit and the drinks are straight gas (delicious/good). The bartender was very knowledgeable of the drinks we ordered and very attentive. We'll pull up more often. read more

The Mediterranean Bar - Bootled Beer Menu - Dive Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

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It's a good place because of great drinks and great bartender. You can also bring in your own food, BYOF, lol!

A great local neighborhood bar with a casual, fun and chill vibe. They have a pool table and the bartenders are friendly. I would definitely come back if I'm in the area. read more

Slow service. Expensive drinks. Need more employees. Jon in the attached pic was very nice but the other guy working (didn't het his name) was a douche. Ruined a good night. Would not recommend. read more

The Mediterranean Bar - Jon. Nice guy. His co- worker was a douchebag though. - Dive Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

For a dive bar, this place has one of my votes. The people are always friendly. It's very well lit, and the drinks are actually OK and they're good price I know many people don't like the med. It was darker in the past, but it is lighter and brighter now And it's just like 100 feet from my house so love it read more

The Mediterranean Bar - My drink - Dive Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

We showed up around 8:45 on a Saturday night to play pool. The table was empty and the previous game was done. We put a dollar in the machine to play and a guy came up and said we could only play after playing him. We tried to politely say we didn't want to play him and he said it was "his table" and that "he won it". He made the whole experience really awful and I can't understand why the establishment would let him act like he owns the place. We just left after he kept pressuring us to play him. Didn't even get to get a drink. read more

Stopped here after a stroll on the beach and had a great time. Friendly people and bartender, and great drinks

What a diamond in the rough!!! The service was amazing and it was very well maintained! Very clean and a great first experience for us! We can't wait to go back! read more

This place is mostly cool. Paris is an awesome bartender. The bald dude with the white goatee, not so much.

Great neighborhood local bar! Cleaned! Best Bloody Mary! John the bartender was friendly & quick with the drinks! Food is not on the menu! You are welcome to bring food in. There's a Mexican restaurant next door. We will definitely be back! read more

so glad we found this place on our visit! great local sports bar walkable from the beach. fun atmosphere with friendly staff, delicious apps and creative cocktails! read more

I mainly go there for the plentiful supply of Topo Chico hard seltzers and impeccable service. Other day I mixed things up and got an espresso martini, delicious is an understatement! The man in the Hawaiian shirt knows how to party.... And make a drink! #ringthebell read more

My girls and I were on our annual girls trip and stopped in to have a few drinks on a Saturday afternoon and had so much fun we came back for football the next day! Being a group of women we expected a bunch of skeezy dudes being gross to us and that was not the case here. The regulars were welcoming and friendly, the bar and bathrooms were clean. We were greeted by the AMAZING bartender Joey who we loved, and he took great care of us. Great drinks, friendly atmosphere...we're coming back in a couple weeks! read more

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What a place to come into, came in with my wife, and what a surprise the owner welcomed us in, the drinks were perfect, and the atmosphere was the best, almost like family. read more

Throwing out 4 stars pretty loosely on this one, but there are only like 2 actual bars (no food, just for dranking) from Watsonville to Capitola, so we must hold them tightly less they go the way of the Windjammer (RIP). Been coming here since I was like 17 and have seen a lot of change over the years. Current owners are certainly not the people who owned it back then. Place used to be kinda shady, but so am I, so have always felt comfortable here. Nowadays, it's less shiesty and pretty professional. John is my favorite bartender and he keeps a good flow going and you're never waiting for a drink. Definitely enjoy that there's pizza, tacos, and burgers within a minute walk, so it's a nice spot to grab some food and go get your drink on. Average jukebox and 1 pool table. Not my favorite bar of all time, but my favorite in Aptos at least! read more

Don't be a bartender if you can't take a joke. Mel and crystal? You both were incredibly rude. Since when is it a good idea for a bartender to bully a female patron and humiliate them in front of a full bar for making a compliment/Dad joke. I used to love coming here but I'm absolutely disgusted by the bartenders today. If something offends you then speak privately to the person. Don't shame them in front of the bar. This was a very traumatic experience. I won't be returning. The owner, however, is a very sweet person. read more

I love Joey..... the handsome single bartender Makes amazing drinks....great bartender!!!! read more

The Mediterranean Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

A great little local hole-in-the-wall bar. Was looking for a place with lots of TV screens and with the sound on to watch the Dubs game. Bittersweet and Hideout are nice but no sound which kinda defeats the purpose. There's also a pool table, and they let you bring outside food in. Joey, the bartender, was friendly and fast with your drink order. $9 for a tall G&T, good price too! read more

Please can somebody get The bartender working Cinco de Mayo night a lime squeezer? She squeezed the lime into my drink like she was ringing out a sponge never seen anything like it! Touching money, dirty cups, wiping down the counter, and then squeezing the lime into my drink is disgusting. I ended up not drinking my $8 drink because I was so grossed out. read more

I missed the name of the bartender in the afternoon today but she was phenomenal. My coworker and I just got into town from Minnesota and decided to stop by before our Airbnb. She was nothing but helpful and knowledgeable about tequilas and we have surprisingly never had a better orange before. read more

I have a valid US passport card - I am 57 years old.. and the young guy (maybe late 20s - younger than my son) .. tells me I am not allowed in because they do not accept valid US passport cards.. 1) The young guy was very disrespectful 2) Not everyone should have to have a Drivers License - I use the passport card to do airport security Hope - this young "punk" gets fired ! read more

Good drinks and what you would expect for a late night hang out. Agreeable bartenders and mixed clientele but all was well.

Our favorite bar in Aptos. The people are friendly. The bartenders are great. There is a pool table and a Touchtunes music box. They host a brunch every Sunday during football season. So fun... so friendly. read more

Staff is pretty cool. Small little place with a pool table. Host a good 9 ball tourney on tuesdays. Prices are ok.

Watched the Niners game here today. Great atmosphere and fabulous bartenders. Pool tables, tvs, clean restrooms...

Gotta be one of THE seediest bars around. Now I love a dive bar myself. Others aren't as fond of the things that make these kinda places full of personality. The belligerent, hammered senior shouting how much she loves the polka dots on your dress (number of polka dots on said dress = zero), the rough biker dude on the next bar stool blowing cigarette smoke in your face as you're trying to down your shot of Patron and the scary looking gals on very wobbly legs abusing a pool table (don't ask). All this action and more at two in the afternoon. This is what dives are all about and the Med is a classic. Minus a star because hey, I ain't a smoker and I just can't stand cigarette smoke inside bars. read more

This watering hole is A-OK, IMHO (acronyms ftw). For one of the few local dives open on a Saturday night, I kinda expected there to be more people there and for the space itself to have more character. It's a no-frills bar... white walls, plain lighting... but with reasonable prices! The Mediterranean is in a random small strip mall but it's cool that it's in walking distance of the beach. There was a pool table, one or two TV, and one dart board (but most of the darts were broken). The good prices, pours, and people watching were appreciated, though! They sell cigarettes, jello shots, and jager on top, FYI. And I honestly cannot guess how it got the name "The Mediterranean". read more

You want beer? Check. You want liquor? Check. You want sports on multiple TVs? Check. You want pool tables? Check. You want awesome people and awesome conversations and a good gathering of locals? Check. You want a bullethole in the ceiling? Check. And for all of you complaining about how Manuel's and this part of Aptos is a dead zone so you can't post on Instagram, the Med has WiFi and it's all for you to post your Snapchat puppy ear photos. Yay you! read more

The med is a chill local bar spot. They have a good variety of drinks and they open pretty late. All of the bar tenders are super friendly and very helpful! They all have a great sense of humor and make the spot better! The Med is now next door to Manuel'sand Hwy 1 Pizza. It is now across the street from the new Marianne's ice cream! One of the only drinks they don't have is a mojito, not too surprising though. Comedy night isn't my favorite, a lot of guys who need to work on their jokes, and need to stop using the audience for their amusement. Besides that it's a nice little joint for locals or vacationers. read more

The Mediterranean Bar - Birthday shot! - Dive Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

A chill locals' dive in Aptos, just a block or so from the beach. It's a little gritty and a little grimy--in a good way. We stopped in on a Saturday night after dinner. It wasn't busy and the regulars were in full effect. One guy was so wasted he was begging to borrow the bartenders phone to call a friend for a ride home. Another guy was lurking about drinking St. Pauli's Girl and chatting it up with other visitors up and down the bar. Sports on the TV and a worn out old pool table. We had a blast playing darts on an old school cork dartboard. The drinks were on par with what you'd expect from a good dive anywhere, quality and price-wise. And it was just about perfect. read more

What a great and safe place for a group of girls annual trip. Ended up drinking, dancing, playing pool with the locals and had so much fun came back the next day. (See Memory's post below). Thank you to all the locals and Joey the bartender for not only taking care of our cocktails but making sure we were having a good time and felt very welcomed read more

The Med....its like sex with a dirty hooker, fun for awhile until you realize what you've gotten yourself into. Pros- pool table, pizza close by, you can smoke, pretty strong drinks and two of the coolest bartenders in town. Heather is friendly and sweet and mixes a strong cocktail, just don't piss her off. And Clifford is a freaking rock legend from Bl'ast, Spaceboy, Gargantula and most recently Dusted Angel! He is super cool as well. Cons-Tweekers ahoy! Nope, that weird vibe you are getting is not from the alcohol, its all the paranoid and aggessive meth addicts sweating around you. Be prepared, also, to have to defend your life. "Bro" types may try to beat your ass for no reason as happened to two of my friends. It's a little younger of a crowd than you'll find at the Windjammer, which is good. read more

"I don't like jail, they got the wrong kind of bars in there" - Charles Bukowski. The place is dark and smokey at times, and it definitely isn't trying to impress anyone. It's next door to one of the best restaurants in the Santa Cruz area (Manuel's), and walking distance to my house, so I end up here pretty often. This place caters almost exclusively to locals. I love ending my night here, pulling a stool up to the bar and buying a round of drinks for my friends. Drinks always seem to taste better after a day in the sun and when you still have some sand in your shoes. The booze here is poured just the way I like it, strong. When you order a gin and tonic don't be surprised if they forget to pour the tonic. If you feel like channeling your inner Bukowski this is the spot. read more

Nice dive bar. Cleaned up from what it used to be but still can be seedy sometimes later in the night like most bars. Bartender and bouncer were great and kicked one unruly guy out when I was there. Great spot to grab a drink before Manuel's. One request, more microbrews on draft. read more