Aldo's Italian Bakery

Stopped by for the first time to get some pastries. They are generous size and a girl at the counter was sweet.

My wife swears these are the best crepes she's ever had in her entire life and whenever we're near this area this is a must visit place for us. The food portions are pretty small but the prices are very fair. The staff is nice. The eating area is smallish, but it seems like most people pick up they're baked goods and take them home. Give this place a try and you won't be disappointed.

Amazing! I had eggs Benedict, which is my favorite breakfast, and it was phenomenal! I chose the tomato, avocado & bacon on sourdough toast option, absolutely fantastic! not to mention the wonderful mocha and incredible looking desserts, there is plenty of parking in the back, this place is s great!!!

Charming shop with loads of goodies located in downtown Soquel. Really friendly and helpful staff too. I got a loaf of their starter bread and am loving it! I'll definitely be back to try their other items, especially the pastries. This place pairs well with "The Ugly Mug" just nextdoor, get a pastry and a great cup of coffee in a handful of strides.

LOVE! They have the best pesto pizza and best iced chai latte. The staff was super friendly and welcoming. We were driving downstate and stopped here on vacation. We had no idea where we were but this little town is super charming. This is the place to eat.

The place is bread and pastry heaven. A fantastic array of beautiful pastry and several choices of breads. It's difficult to choose just one. Lots of munchies for breakfast and lunch, plus a wide selection of coffee drinks. A must stop and partake spot!

Usually good service and good food, but it's always uncomfortably warm in here due to the bakery ovens. Food can be more mediocre than great. The owners are very pleasant, so, if you get them then you have the sweetest, kindest service.

Cute place with nice staff and good vibes. Espresso cup was really dirty and the espresso itself was pretty bad, bitter and coarse with almost no crema. Grilled cheese was good and so was the wrap but very pricy

This is one of the lesser known local bakeries filled with awesomeness. Parking is street only. Sometimes there will be a spot open right on front, sometimes not but there is a pay lot more or less right in back of the building that always has room. It's not the largest space inside, but it does have a fair amount of table/booth combos should you chose to lounge on site. The window displays are pure old school European bakery and when the owner feels up to it can be quite creative. They do offer a limited lunch/breakfast menu which looks to be light fare-pasta, egg dishes, salads, sandwiches etc, but in reality is quite substantial. The portions are large, and are just stuffed with ingredients. They can be quite filling. While the food menu is pretty great I don't go to a bakery-which is what this business is-for a sammich, or soup. I go for the pastries, and occasionally when I feel lazy, the breads. The pastry here is outstanding. The baker/owner is an italian baker originally from Milan that got lured to this area and eventually decided that the only way he'd get the super awesome Italian pastries he loved was to open a bakery and do it himself. It goes without saying that any of the Italian stuff is entirely worth your time and expense. The croissants are buttery perfection and yeah if you wanted a rustic tuscan loaf, tiramisu, panetonne, sfogliatell or cannoli this is THE place. Just to mix things up they do some mean bear claws and almond filled thingys as well. The also do some coffee products-american style drip and of course espresso, but they are handicapped by being located right next to what is arguably the best coffee shop in the area. Regardless the coffee is a little bit cheaper and almost as good, and who doesn't want coffee with a bear claw? Pricing is on the higher side (other then the coffee, which is quite reasonable.) as this is very much an artisanal kind of bakery with lots of labor of love put into the product. Bare bones coffee and a sweet can be had for under ten bucks, but lunch/breakfast menu item can get into the ten-fifteen dollar range in a heartbeat. A loaf of bread and a couple of croissants will be in the ten ish range. Less for basic croissants, more if you go for the millionaire bacon stuffed option. Service is usually solid, but at times they have trouble getting good people for the front counter role which leads to new teen employee levels of confusion about the products. All in all this is an excellent lesser known bakery choice, very much worth the time, parking and expense for the sheer luxurious treats they offer.

I miss this store being open so much. It was such a community treasure. I'm hoping that they have kept their yelp account active because they will open again.

Checked to see if it was open before going, said open both on Google and Yelp. Went and sign said "closed". Don't waste your time going here. They might as well be "closed" forever with this unprofessional attitude

Great little spot with great food and a relaxing atmosphere. Had a raspberry bear claw and tagliatelle with bolognese. Delicious!

Found the inattentive staff to be much more concerned with gossip about the weekend instead of addressing the three centimeter size pieces (photo included) of eggshell in the Benedict. Also describing a pastries' ingredients seemed like a chore to the barista(?). Warm, tasty, and probably not worth the return visit except for a loaf or quick coffee fix.

It's a very cozy cafe that has free WiFi, tea, and coffee! There is street parking in front of the cafe - 2 hour parking. I went in hoping to get some baked goods and luckily they still had some 20 minutes before closing! I got a tiramisu cake, 2 palmier, a cannoli, and a lavender biscuit. At first bite, the tiramisu cake wasn't that great but it got better as I kept eating more. The tiramisu cake is pretty stiff than most tiramisu cakes I've tried before. But near the center is pretty moist. I think the pictures from the past were more presentable than now. :( The palmier was pretty good! It has light, crispy, and flaky texture and has caramelized sugar on the surface. Super yummy. The cannoli - for some reason, I just didn't like it. It felt really fattening for me with a hint of cinnamon? The lavender biscuit/cookie was pretty good but the lavender bits was too much for me. I love lavender but this was overwhelming. I like the cookie part though! My friend got a strawberry shortcake for $4.50. The strawberries were decadent but the cake immediately broke apart. The shape of it crumbled into small pieces that it didn't really look like a cake. The cake was pretty moist but he didn't like that for a strawberry shortcake. Taste is above average. He wouldn't get it again but it was ok.

- fresh pasta (4 different kinds) - pasta sauces (mushroom, marinara, pesto, and meat sauce) - gluten free heaven - caffeinated drinks (coffee) - smoothies - milkshakes - freshly baked breads (13+ varieties) - desserts - flaky morning pastries - Marianne's Ice Cream - breakfast burritos - extensive lunch menu - friendly service - inexpensive - annoying street parking Been in my bookmarks ever since I developed an obsession w/ biscottis however, I did not get any this past Saturday. I was feeling great and wanted a small treat before heading to San Jose for a full day of festivities. Scored a parking spot right in front, I was eager to walk in. I love the overall atmosphere of this place; so intimate, so clean, and so cozy. I was in awe w/ the many things that were showcased. It took me awhile to figure out what I want. I got a slice of focaccia (made w/ sweet onions), a chocolate chip cookie for Gavin, and a slice of the Torta Di Roso (Swiss chard and rice wrapped in dough). It resembles a quiche in my eyes and given the fact that I have never seen it, I was determined to try it. The total for all 3 items came up to $6 and change. I couldn't believe it. After my Torta Di Roso was warmed up, I'd sprinkle a generous amount of Tapatio after my initial bite. It was creamy and somehow light. It tasted so good that I said to myself, "To hell w/ eating just half. I'm eating the entire thing!" I'd come now to get a slice now if I could! The focaccia was dry and incredibly stiff. It wasn't dense and I can't help but think about the onions and gruyere focaccia made by Manresa Bread Project. I was disappointed but sincerely think maybe I tried a bad batch. Gavin ate his entire cookie and I happened to converse w/ this guy that shared w/ me that he was Gavin's age when he was running around Aldo's. Clearly this bakery has been here for some time. If only they open on Sundays.

Workers are lazy and always claim the bakery to be "closed" during the open hours when many can still see them chatting away at the counter. I used to love their food, but now I can't come anymore because they're always closed. What a shame.

a while back they used to have a different cannoli recipe, which was my favorite. It was made from similar dough as a cheese danish, and it had some sweet honey like sauce on the top. Now it's more traditional and italian and the dough it more firm

Very good place, not many tables and depending of the time you need to elbow high school students, but worthwhile. Very nice to take out backed goods before a dinner with friends ;)

LOVE their sandwiches, pastas & iced coffee! It gets pretty busy during high school's lunch time! Their customer service is great.

Aldo's Bakery & Cafe is a must visit charming spot in Santa Cruz. I picked up pastries for myself and my coworker - cannoli, almond croissant and sprinkle cookie. I also picked up a turkey avocado sandwich. Everything was delicious! I noticed while I was there they offered an inexpensive lunch menu as well which I'm sure is just as good. There is street parking in front of the bakery and a lot behind the bakery.

I love the food here always fresh, and the fresh bread smell it's just unbelievable reminds me of my mom's when she used to bake bread when we were young. Staff very friendly

It's easy to miss this charming little spot if you're not looking for it. Thanks to my eagle-eye (and very insistent sweet tooth), I saw the word "bakery" as we zoomed by. Convinced BF to park and check out the goodies under the guise of finding something to bring to a dinner party later that evening. My first thought as we stepped in was that the bakery looked like something I would find in North Beach in SF. The space is surprisingly big and a peek behind the counter showed a large kitchen/bakery. The bakery was empty save for a group of people speaking Italian at one of the bigger tables. We were perusing the pastry display when I saw the sign..."Lavender Cookies." Yes, please! I was eyeing a few other treats when I saw the "Torta de Nonna." I asked the ladies behind the counter what it was, and was referred to the master baker/chef, Alessandro(?). Turns out the large group sitting at the table with him was his family. He explained that the Torta de Nonna was a small pastry filled with a mixture of white and milk chocolate and pine nuts. Oh, yes, please! As we sat at our table savoring these tasty delights (the lavender cookie was amazeballs), the chef came over and gave us a huge plate of homemade spinach ravioli with a walnut bechamel sauce. He told us that he had cooked lunch for his family and invited us to try the dish and let him know what we thought. Umm, WOW to the bright flavors of the dish, the perfectly cooked noodles, and the creamy sauce. We decided to grab an assortment of pastries (lavender cookies, Napoleons, a strawberry & almond paste bread) for the dinner party, and needless to say, they were a hit! :)

Where else can you get a fat plate of pasta for under $8?! Nowhere! Love this place and it smells like flipping heaven. Oh and the staff is super nice and welcoming. Much prefer the casual, light atmosphere of Aldo's Bakery to some other stuffy, expensive restaurant.

Coffee, croissants , pastries are delicious ! The service is warm and friendly definitely something you want in the morning if your not a morning person Bonus its just of the freeway!

Love this place, but customer service could be much better. My cappuccino has been started several minutes after I got my pastry and interrupted 3 times while they waited on other customers. I've already paid, seems like the order should be at least started.

The Staff was friendly and excellent. My wife and i shared a Turkey Sandwich, a cup of clam chowder and a chocolate Cannoli. Everything was very, very fresh and satisfying. There is very limited street parking, but there is a public lot nearby on a side street.

I was really looking forward to breakfast at Aldos after reading the reviews. Only two people working front of house and took forever to take our order. Ordered a benedict, eggs were hard poached and may as well have been hard boiled! Home fries were so undercooked they were crunchy!! Please do better Aldo's!

I go often to this place for gnocchi and sometimes slice of pizza as well for lunch. sometimes I eat there, sometimes take out. There are only a few issues with the place 1. Gets very busy around 12:20-12:40 because of the kids from school that go there for a slice of pizza. unless you want a slice of pizza, avoid this time. 2. Pizza slices are only available during that busy time and as the pizza sits in the open air it does get cold. Note: their cheese bread is delicious! And unlike Café aRoma, their menu is professional and easy to read and find what I want.

Drove by Aldo's for a few months before I stopped. You'll find plenty of parking behind the cafe. I picked up a box of pastries and had so many options to choose from. If you want their famous butterhorns, you'll need to get there early. Bread, coffee and plenty of delightful eats. I'll be back! Thanks for a lovely box of delicious treats.

Excellent, fresh bakery goods, soups, salads, sauces, coffees. Prices are reasonable. The homemade pizza slices are generous. Friendly staff. The only thing that could make it better for me would be a different table layout in the dining room . . . it is functional now, but could be much more welcoming.

Aldo's has been around for years and years. They make some of the best bread, period. They are a gem, go by and see them. Bring your family some killer bread, made with love.

The breadsticks were great!!! Only a dollar and they fit in every hole. Perfect size with the perfect taste and texture. 10/10 would buy it again.

always smells like fresh baked bread and the people there are very nice. I love going here for breakfast and lunch! Great prices and a very nice environment all around!

Wonderful little bakery with a great selection of the finest baked pastries. Really like the cool vibe here

Used to love this place but not anymore. The pastries and the customer service used to be great but the customer service is awful now. I know there is a new manager and I see all new people. I used to reserve raspberry bear claws or turnovers almost every week and they would always be in a box or bag ready for me to pay when I got there. Now, no one answers the phone to place an order, when I have pre-ordered them they didn't have them when I got there. This past week I called at 7:40am in the morning on 9/14 to reserve 4 raspberry bear claws and the guy who answered the phone said they sold all of them already even though they opened at 7am. I live in Fremont and drive to Aptos every weekend to see my boyfriend for the weekend. I got to Aptos around 10:15am and went into Aldo's just to see if they didn't have raspberry bear claws. Surprise, they did have 1 left. After I waited in line for almost 10 mins for my turn, I asked the girl at the register how they had a bear claw if when I called at 7:40am that morning they sold all of them. She said they guy didn't know there were more in the back that had been made. They can only fit 2 or 3 in the display case so they would have to go in the back to replenish the display case. They people who work here are no longer friendly, trained and seem not to care about the customers. I won't be going here anymore.

Loved the cookies! Everything was fresh and tasty , and the place is very cute. Parking in rear makes it convenient.

Amazing wheat bread. Just my boyfriend and I eat it so we freeze half of it since it doesn't have all the preservatives. The Cannoli's are the best I've had yet!! Most of the other pastries/cookies have also been amazing. You cannot go wrong stopping here!

I can't say I'm a big fan. With Gayle's just down the road one mile there is really no excuse to go here. They recently started selling gluten free offerings...and I must say it is not their strong suit. I think they resell the gluten free stuff for another bakery.. Prices for the gluten free stuff is silly. I have now purchased 3 different things and found them to be just o.k. Hard to find parking, meh pastries, and prices that make me grimace.

Love Love Love this place!!!! I used to go here every morning when I lived in walnut, behind the store. Morey and Nora are wonderful people. They actual did my wedding cake and it was stunning (a lot better than the marriage ;-) many years ago. This place is home!!! Thank you!!!

I would FUC their focaccia and desserts any day

I love going into an Italian establishment and being served by an Italian! The ambiance and energy was bright and uplifting. Service was warm and inviting. The food looked amazing and they offer gluten free sweets! The slices of tiramisu were the best I've ever seen. I tried the onion focaccia bread and a delicious hazelnut treat (I forgot the name). Both items were light and flavorful. Great place with a kind, loving vibe. I'll definitely go back to buy some fresh pasta!

Small but awesome bakery. Affordable prices and they always have a great variety. Everything they make is delicious you can't go wrong here!

Your Italian pastries are spot on, creative and delicious, your staff goes out of their way to help the customers, explaining some of the pastries that are more "traditional." Your selection and quality of gluten free alternatives is exceptional, but here is what I loved most of all: Starter Bread. You have preserved one of my most favorite nostalgic foods from the former bakery, Maddock's ( I lived around the corner as a child). Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is the only bread that my grandmother kept in the house in the 70's. It looks the same, tastes the same and is still the best "traditional" white all purpose bread I have had.

I had the morning crew sandwich- it was incredible. Simple and a little pricey, but very large and delicious. Clean, fresh ingredients.

This is a real italian bakery. The inside is cute and is well decorated with italian things throughout the shop. The staff is very nice and cheerful. When you come in, you look over the treats in the display case and then order at ghe counter. They have a decent amount of seating for the size of the bakery. I can't recall what the name of the pastry I ate was called. But it was like a round piece of bread with powder around the edges and juicy blue berries in the middle. Aldo's Italian Bakery is a great, cozy place to enjoy fresh homemade treats.

This places breakfast sandwiches are incredible. I think there was a wrap (aka burrito) I used to get regularly. I never ate in always ordered and took it to go. The drip coffee was good too, a rare and magical combo to have both good food and coffee! If I remember correctly the only weird thing was the hours or days open happened to me more than once that I went and they were closed.

Decent selection of pastries. They have sandwiches, bread pastas and various breakfast drinks. They also have glutten free friends.

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BAKERY! This is a great place to take the kids for lunch! They have already made sandwiches or they will make one to your liking. Their egg salad sandwich is really good. Plus they make amazing milkshakes! The prices are good too.

I've been to every Italian restaurant in Santa Cruz and wasted lots of money. NO ONE MAKES PASTA LIKE THIS LITTLE HOLE IN THE WALL. I am Italian my parents owned a pasta house. I know my pasta. The guys who cook are mostly Mexican and sweethearts but the owners are Italian and sometimes they have Italians cooking. The plate of FRESH HOMEMADE pasta with fresh bread and fresh pesto FOR $5.00 to $8.00. Are you for real? This is crazy good. You will gain pounds here. Love supporting a family business. Personally I don't eat cookies and Italian cookies tend to be dry so I come for the pasta and authentic Italian coffee, to break down all those carbs. Park in front so you don't have to pay!

A very nice authentic Italian bakery. I tried lots of goodies. The hot crossed buns are sumptuous, the special Italian cookies are tasty. I liked the chocolate type cookies the best. I did try gluten free donuts. They are not for me. I look forward to returning to try other items on the menu.

Extremely friendly staff . . .my only complaint is that their offerings are limited and I rarely pick the right time to get my fave: egg croissant. It is really tasty, but 9 times out of 10 they are sold out. I am also not clear on their hours. I gather they cater mostly to students.

I can't get enough of the breakfast and lunch fare from this place, all ready-made (sometimes already bought up by early birds). Always pleasant service, usually from young'ns. If the high school is in session, don't bother going between 1130-1p. They get slammed w/teenagers buying up all their kickass cheap pizza slices.

After a tragic experience elsewhere I decided to go spoil myself somewhere I know is fantastic! Love that they have a little something for everyone. Ingredients are fresh and the place itself has a relaxed friendly vibe. Raviolis are so good and the pastries are the bomb!

This place should be easy for anyone to find because you can smell delicious baking bread all along the street. I decided to walk in a random just because of the smell. The people that work there seem very helpful, polite, and mellow. And the food. OMG the food! Gluten free options. Pastries galore. Gourmet sandwiches. And Marianne's Ice Cream. And it's reasonably priced. You can get a sandwich and a dessert there for about $10. I went with a chocolate-chip cannoli and a hot sandwich.

I will be going back here for sure. The pumpkin pancakes were delicious.The aroma of fresh baked bread reminded me of my grandmother's kitchen. I would like to try several more items on their menu. The staff was super friendly. Thank you!

Gluten Free Heaven! If you did not know already, Aldo's Bakery has its own in house Gluten Free Baker. Thus far I have tried the oatmeal cooke (good on day one, dry and hard on day two), granola (this was not good at all), coffee cake (holy moly yummo, big, filling), chocolate brownie (yes I would like ten more) and the best ever ham and cheese croissants. Although very small, I had to buy two, this was the best gluten free baked treat I have had in awhile. Prices are normal bakery prices, but well worth it. They do have GF bread that i have yet to try. So maybe next time!

Looks like a good bakery for gluten items. Little to no gluten free items. Only meringues or I'm told once in awhile a cookie. I was told by a friend they had gluten free so I stopped in. Wanted to save you the trip in if you are gluten free.