My second visit to Int'l Cafe but this time to actually "eat". Had the gyro plate. VERY good food,…read morereasonable price and friendly owner. Their items are limited but worth it. Tried their baklava. It was DELISH. Had to order another to-go. Definitely looking forward to the next visit. Suggestion: you have to try their dolmas.

I had a great experience at International Cafe--one of the very few halal dining options in…read moreMonterey, especially in the evening. The location is super convenient, just a short distance from Old Fisherman's Wharf, making it a solid choice for dinner after 7:30 PM when halal options are limited. The restaurant is family-owned and operated, and you can really feel that in the warm, welcoming atmosphere. The place was clean, vibrant, and had a nice energy to it. We ordered the combo shawarma plate and the falafel shawarma plate--both were freshly made and full of flavor. Everything tasted great. I also tried the lamb and beef gyro, and while it had that distinct lamb aroma (which I personally don't prefer), that's completely on me--not a fault of the restaurant at all. We wrapped up the meal with Turkish coffee, and it was fantastic--rich, authentic, and the perfect ending. Overall, a great halal spot in Monterey with fresh food, a welcoming vibe, and excellent coffee. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area!

Come we're if you want great coffee but really amazing ambience. We got the waffle, it was amazing.read more

Needed an afternoon caffeine pick me up and this place was perfect. They are not very big but their…read moreoutdoor patio area is so nicely decorated and very zen like. They had a water feature with some fish and a few tables and chairs. Some patrons chatted, read books, or laid on the stone bench around the water feature/fountain to enjoy the sun. Got an iced peach black tea and a hot chai and the quality of the tea leaves were great. Tea had great flavor and the employees were friendly. It's prom season and they were set up for some type of event. Def a cute place to grab a snack and cup of coffee or tea.

I visited at the recommendation of a friend. I was headed to Carmel and decided to stop for…read morebreakfast. There was quite a line early Saturday morning. It didn't look like it died down which is awesome for this business. I believe I waited 20-30 minutes in line before I reached the display case. There were so many delicious things to choose from, it was a challenge to decide! I opted for a croissant sandwich, a blue corn cookie, and some sweet treats for the beach. I also ordered a seasonal latte, I believe it was cherry chocolate with oat milk less sweet. There's a nice outdoor seating area with many tables in chairs. Since the weather was nice we decided to stop and eat for a bit. The ambience was very nice and calm. The food was delicious and their house made pickles were fantastic. They were crisp, fresh, and complimented the turkey sandwich so well. The blue corn cookie was very interesting and reminiscent of a tortilla chip. I'd definitely come back here if I were in the area.

Charming bakery and cafe with plenty of outdoor seating in the back connecting garden…read more Nice flaky, buttery dough on their pastries. Latte was decent, not too bitter or acidic and it was creamy They try a lot of variations for pastries, both savory and sweet! The savory danish was really tasty and there was some pickled / citrus component that added more depth and made it super interesting to eat! The salmon croissant was alright, had a really nice flaky crust but the filling tasted kinda gamey , would've been nice to have another component to balance it out. Cookies were niceeeee the buckwheat choco cookie had nice amounts of sea salt and was like a brownie texture on the inside. Choco chip cookie was thin and crispy on the outside with chocolate blobs spread around, quite sweet though There was a line going out the door but only had to wait around 15 min!

On a rainy afternoon in Monterey, we were wandering around Fisherman's Wharf looking for something…read morewarm, coffee or tea, and a cozy spot with a view of the water. After lunch at Sand Dabs, we stumbled across this really cute café, and it ended up being the perfect stop. When we walked in, the first thing we noticed was that they were making fresh taiyaki, those sweet, fish-shaped pastries. The fillings offered were red bean, Nutella, and Oreo. There's a small discount if you order two, so we started with the red bean and Nutella, and honestly, they were so good that wished we ordered the Oreo too...warm, freshly made, and really delicious. I'll admit, I've had Taiyaki desserts before and was never a huge fan, sometimes they're bland or overly sweet. These were different. Even my friend said the same thing, we were both pleasantly surprised by how good they were. We both ordered hot teas, which felt perfect for the rainy weather, and I was totally intrigued by their ramen vending machines. You pick your ramen, choose your toppings, place it in the machine, and it fills with hot water and cooks right there. A few minutes later, your bowl is ready. It felt very Asia-inspired and not something you see very often around here, especially in a café setting. This spot is the café version of their main restaurant, which I believe is on Alvarado Street (I haven't been there yet). The service was genuinely great. The guys working were friendly, patient, and took the time to explain everything to us without rushing. You could tell they enjoyed what they were doing. Because it was raining, it wasn't crowded at all, which made the experience even better. We ended up hanging out for about an hour, just chatting, sipping tea, enjoying dessert, and looking out at the water. They also carry Marianne's Ice Cream, so I'm already planning a return visit on a warmer day. And honestly, next time I'll probably try the ramen too, if only for the fun of it and all the topping choices. Parking around the wharf is paid. We parked in a nearby lot and walked over, which was pretty easy, just something to keep in mind. Overall, the vibe was fun, cozy, and relaxed. Great desserts, a unique experience, kind staff, and a really nice place to spend a rainy afternoon by the water. I'll definitely be back.

I thought the cafe name was super cute. After browsing the menu, I decided to give this place a…read moretry. It's the only place that offers matcha/taiyaki so I thought it was worth a go. I ordered the mango matcha latte, which was a whopping $8.75 ($9.55 after tax). I gulped pressing the "pay" button; part of me wanted to swallow the doubt and see if it was any good. TLDR: it was bad. I'm not sure what the mango is made out of, but it is not smooth like a mango jam or puree. The texture is like blended up unripened mango meat. I will say, matcha taste is there, but the entire drink was just extremely sweet and there was little to no mango taste, besides chewing on the chunks in each sip. It's as if the drink was purposely made extremely sweet to hide the quality of the matcha and fruit. I tried finishing the drink since I paid nearly $10 for it but I couldn't, and had to throw the rest away. However, the worker who made my drink was kind and seems very friendly. The interior is very simple and cute, and there is a nice view of the ocean from the outside seating. I just wouldn't recommend the matcha here. Especially for what I paid for, I am pretty disappointed! :(

Nice decor. I've had mochas all over the country. Their Guatemalan mocha was as good as any I've…read moreever had. The empanadas were great, as were the pastries. My wife and I enjoyed our first experience so much we returned the next day!

K this was not our first pick but we wanted to go to 1st awakening which is half a block away but…read moretheir wait was 2 hrs so we stumbled upon this cafe and we were lucky to. No long wait times. Outdoor seating in the back patio. The empanadas are sooo good. Best ones that I've had. So crispy and filled with vegetables and soy. The soy croquettes were so tender and creamy. We are vegetarian so that's what we got. got. I wanted to go for more seconds.

What an adorable little place, with cute atmosphere! The…read morestaff was all super friendly from the cashiers to the baristas. The coffee was smooth, I applaud their ability to flawlessly whip a thick foam on non dairy milk and even decorate the top, oh and also their cups are so darn cute! I will definitely be back next time I'm traveling to Monterey.

We were in town for a street festival. We wanted to start the day with some coffees…read more This location is right on the main street. So there was a line. The barista s kept the line moving. Good thing I pre read the menu. When I got to the front, the barista said what do you want. Not the most polite greeting. But I truly understand that this was not a normal day. So I quickly explained what we wanted. The coffee was good. A nice smooth roast. Because of the crowds, I didn't get to look around. Is it just me, or has coffee really gotten expensive.

Parker Lusseau Pastries is an absolute hidden gem! The ham and cheese croissant (warmed up) is the…read morebest one I've had! Also love their macarons, apple galette, and croissant- whether it's butter, chocolate, and almond, you can never go wrong! Great service is always happily provided by the staff. Cozy little patisserie alongside the postal service. They have outdoors tables and chairs and street parking.

We were recommended this bakery by a friend who visits Carmel often and really loves it, so we were…read moreexcited to try it while visiting from Texas too. It's a small shop, and since I wasn't sure yet if I wanted a pastry, I ordered a coffee first while my husband looked at the case. One of the women behind the counter told me, "Usually you order pastries first and then we get the coffee at the end." The way it was said immediately made me feel uncomfortable, like I was somehow doing something wrong. I apologized and explained we weren't from here and I wasn't even sure yet if I wanted anything else. Their tone changed after that and became much friendlier, which honestly made the interaction feel even more awkward. My husband ended up ordering pastries, including a chocolate croissant for me, and both the latte and croissant were good. Sometimes the experience matters just as much as the food. It's hard to fully enjoy a place when your first impression made you feel unwelcome. I truly wanted to love this spot because it came so highly recommended as she visited it daily, but I left feeling more embarrassed than excited to return.

We found ourselves with some time to kill in between meetings on a trip to Monterey. This place…read morelooks cute and my husband and I are both readers so we decided it would be a no-brainer to stop by. The bookstore section is kind of small, but it is nicely decorated and organized. There's a large children's section that I appreciated and the plethora of plush puppets was something I had never seen before. They had several items that were gift varieties like candles and stationary and crayons, etc. It's attached to a coffee shop so if you wanted to grab a book pay for it and then grab a coffee, you could actually sit and read for a bit.

I love the vibe here at Bookworks, but the Wifi is very poor here. Every time I come to get coffee…read moreand work, I end up finishing my drink as fast as I can, and heading down the street to other places with Wifi. There are folks living here who simply need 21st century pipes. For example, if you're doing university work with Stanford and want to get away from Hopkins. But the Wifi here is from the 1990s. If you don't need reliable wifi, Bookworks is amazing. The food, the service, the bookstore, everything. Unfortunately, living in a "connected" world, I can only give it 3 stars, as cafes are workplaces now.

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 was my fav French bakery and was very popular spot abt 20 years ago. I remember their fresh…read moresandwiches, almond croissant-super popular, and chocolate cake! Recent visit to Monterey, I went to have my fav but wow.. all the pastries were flat. They were not risen they all looked cheap, pretending to be french pastries... and chocolate cake and the rest did not look french at all. In good french bakery will never advertise $30 for 5 pastries. We ordered cappuccino and cafe a'laite . Worst ever. Bitter and tasted cheap cheap coffee. This is not french bakery/patisserie it was once. I doubt that it is under the same ownership. So very disappointing.

This is it. Varied and various choices to indulge from. Staff was able to help me curate a half…read moredozen of their classics. I was lucky and he also let me try the dried fruit candy and it was the best. They offer boxes of all different sizes and styles so you can take back a gift. You cannot leave without bakalava, i was able to enjoy some with ice cream ghardelli and it made for an amazing combo. Just stop by before your aquarium trip or walk to the beach. Parking is abysmal but if youre able to walk by you have to take some home. There are seating options but they are rather tight but quite the experience considering the vast decor.

The storefront pulled me in immediately--sweet smell, gorgeous display, total "take my money"…read morevibes. Everything looked stunning. The Turkish delights were basically edible art with petals, pistachios, and vibrant colors. And the baklava? Sitting there like it knew it was about to win. Unfortunately... looks were doing all the heavy lifting. Spent $28 on six small pieces and walked out excited--only to be let down. The Turkish delight tasted overly artificial, almost perfumey in a bad way. The marshmallow rolls had a weird paste-like texture. Baklava was fine, but nothing special. Also, the packaging? A struggle to close and somehow managed to give me a legit paper cut. Love that for me. Great location, beautiful presentation--but the taste just doesn't justify the price. Pretty, but meh.