Café Sparrow

This was a very cute stop. They do have reservations on open table which was nice. Parking was easy. The cheesy bread was a good portion. The rack of lamb was good and cooked just as we ordered. I appreciated that some of the desserts had smaller portions so we could try a couple. The interior is very quaint and worth a stop

Delicious food in a comfortable setting. Friendly welcoming staff, the whole menu is fantastic. Brought several family members and friends here for birthdays and never dissapointed

This intimate and delightful restaurant never disappoints. Chef Danny is personable and creative always using fresh organic local fare to please the palette. The staff is warm and friendly and very attentive. The food is hands down delicious! Definitely one of our go to’s.

Great food and welcoming service, really great execution! I'd recommend ordering anything that sounds interesting, I bet it will be better than you imagine!

Quant Cafe, delicious fritata. The potatoes were so flavorful, I want the secret. Sorry I don't have pictures of the food .

What a delightful Cafe. Kathryn was extremely attentive and the cuisine was excellent.

Very disappointed. It was claiming to be a “special occasion “ restaurant, but there’s nothing special and nothing French about it. Even for a birthday dinner. The duck came out ok, the scallop risotto was atrocious. And they didn’t even ask why I barely touched the plate. Bread was stale and wine menu is weak. Servers were so bored they kept “checking in” every few seconds. Didn’t take any photos, as nothing was worthy of a photo. Nothing special about the ambiance either.

This is the fourth time we've eaten here. They have great ambiance, good bread, and usually amazing proteins paired with okay sides. Tonight the food was just okay. I got overcooked rabbit and my wife got undercooked halibut. When she let them know it was undercooked they re-fired it and burned the fish unfortunately. Manager was very nice about it but sadly most of my wife's dinner was inedible. As always though the service was great and they have amazing desserts. Highly recommend pot de creme and Alfredo with filet

A completely hidden gem! We stopped in here on a drive down the coast. The menu looked rather pedestrian, but we couldn't have been more wrong. Our server Natalie B. was fantastic, as were the scallops with vanilla balsamic, crab cake with red pepper pesto, and pork belly special. Highly recommended!

Went for brunch. They are supposed to close in a couple of weeks and even though it isn't too far my husband and I hadn't been there previously even though we kept wanting to try the weekend brunch. The food, my husband wanted the breakfast sandwich on a brioche bun but they ran out of the brioche. They offered to make it and put it in a croissant and it was probably the better of the two items. The pork belly eggs Benedict were good but the hollandaise sauce was not a typical hollandaise and although good, I prefer the more traditional version. The location is actually a decent size. Despite this and maybe because they are closing they didn't have a table for about an hour. When we came back, even though tables were open they made us wait for a two person table to open up, which I found odd as they were about 20 minutes to closing time. The communication on this was a little off as if they had a specific table and not just a two person table set aside for us. I am always sorry to see places go. This would be a pretty good breakfast place and would give the other known aptos breakfast place a run for its money as this was better than that. I have yet to go for dinner and probably won't so can't speak on that.

If Cafe Sparrow had an email contact on their website I would've written just to them to express my disappointment in today's lunch (Feb 14). We got there around noon and they were already out of brocolli soup (which was posted as their soup of the day on the board outside), they were out of the Shrimp Croissant sandwich and they were out of the cheesecake. What?! At noon? Also, the clam chowder was way spicy and we weren't warned about that and the chicken salad I had was way too wet with mayonnaise! You couldn't even taste the chicken, it was overwhelmed with tasteless mayonnaise. The service was excellent, we've been coming here for years, I just was so disappointed today I had to post.

Oh I am so sad. It looks like Cafe Sparrow has closed. It will be missed. For the past 2 years since I moved here, this restaurant has been a highlight. Wishing the best to the whole team!!! I will never know French toast like yours...

While the eggs Benedict was good... I'm not sure if the price was worth it. The potatoes were good but was a very small portion. I liked the pancakes. My wife did not. She doesn't like cinnamon and for whatever reason, it had a lot of cinnamon. She usually says no cinnamon on French toast. But generally pancakes don't have cinnamon. They did take them off the bill. Every thing else was great. Very cozy atmosphere. Customer service was good.

If Yelp would give the opportunity to award more than 5 stars, I certainly would for Cafe Sparrow. Rarely do you find a restaurant that has been consistently good for years. Brunch, lunch or dinner. I know I'm always going to get a quality, delicious meal and friendly service. My favorite is the rack of lamb and filet mignon. Always cooked exactly the way I ordered. I also love the location...a historic building in Aptos Village. Although parking can be challenging sometimes, it's worth the visit for me. Cafe Sparrow....you continue to amaze me with how you maintain consistency. Bravo! Can't wait to return!

So I was extremely excited to have a very special once every 4 year, Leap Year Birthday dinner out with family on February 29th 2024, the restaurant was a hole in the wall, which I absolutely adore. I ordered the rack of lamb, and they had a bathroom that worked when needed which was excellent and had nice ambience! Nothing to write home about... staff was friendly;-)

Upon arrival we were directed toward a couple of tables but only one had enough chairs for us, a table for four and we were two. The other table only had one chair so we sat at the table for four. We were served four glasses of water and staff asked when the rest of us would arrive then came back to ask for the name on our reservation. We already gave this information when we arrived. The other two table settings and waters were then removed. Clearly we had sat at the wrong table. Our server seemed beleaguered. She asked if we were waiting for the others then brought the specials board and placed it in on of the chairs. We could only see the top half of it because the tablecloth covered the rest. My husband hoisted it up so we could see it all. During this time staff kept raising and lowering the lighting so we kept adjusting to it. We ordered and informed our server that we needed an item to go later. She said it would be prepared and took care to understand special requests for the item. It was prepared correctly but delivered while we were still eating our entrees in a large paper bag set on the table instead of in a chair. It's a small thing but its presence on the table (it was tall) was more suited to a coffee shop, not a fine restaurant. Other staff members asked about things then our servers asked the same questions. It was confusing. The food was ok but not worth the price. This used to be our favorite special day restaurant. Staff all seemed stressed.We understand that everything has changed wince COVID but we had been here since then and the recent visit wasn't as good as the previous one.

The food, in my opinion was way over-priced. Just because you charge $50.00-$55.00 for a rack of New Zealand Lamb doesn't mean it will be good. The house salad was good, the appetizers were good but the mains were totally lacking. I.e. the beef stroganoff, where the overly salty beef was dumped on top of the noodles, the Dirty Rice was mushy. One dish that worked at our table was the Calamari Piccata. That's it. The service was good and we had an attentive wait person. The ambience was extremely noisy, we could hardly have a conversation and it just seemed to get louder as the night wore on. They opened a window to cool the place off next to our table and we were cold. Had to don our scarves to stay warm. I'm not sure how they are able to charge so much for an entree that doesn't match the cost. Beats me. It's a very popular place despite all that.

Definitely fine cuisine as the food is crazy delicious... the chefs are artists. The ambience is comforting especially for fine dining... no requirements such as a 'dinner jacket or dress'. There were no judgments when I just wore jeans nor when I dressed-up for an anniversary dinner. I've been a handful of times over the years and can't think of anything negative about my experiences.

it used to be better. me he getting old and bland. Prices are still accepts let's Thx

Probably our most valuable restaurant. Loree and I almost had our wedding there and last April 3 had lunch with Congressman Panetta. Love this place, their food, and their desserts at the end!

Each time that we've been here, they've had great food. This time I had the chicken curry on a croissant with salad. Yummy'The next time we come, they suggested making reservations. Service was good.

Ordered the braised rabbit and rack of lamb. Both dishes were amazing. Afterwards we tried the crème brûlée and the chocolate cake to finish the night.I would highly recommend Cafe Sparrow.

We go for breakfast and you get a week made breakfast as you would expect. The place is popular and seating is difficult if you get there mid morning. But worth the wait

Came here for lunch. Took 35 minutes for our cheese bread and 1 hour for our meal, 2 sandwiches. Server didn't even check in with us or say something like "sorry for the wait". Not cool!! Cheese bread only takes 10 minute to make. An hour later, our food came. I'm a 22% tipper, I wasn't going to give a tip but I was thinking about the helpers. it's my first time to give 10% tip, I feel bad but I was "hangry" also for the bad service. I would give 4 stars for the food.

I love Cafe Sparrow. I've been going with my family for over a decade. Maybe 15 years? The service is always great and they've only messed up our food once that I can remember. Food is consistently amazing, and I can be really critical. I always make a point to go when I'm in town. I was really sad to see that they no longer serve the squash puree and beets as sides. They complimented the filet mignon with mushrooms in red wine sauce perfectly. A little of squash, beet, mushroom and filet on a bite was heaven. If I had to choose a last meal that would be it. Now they have cauliflower succotash and some kind of corn side that have replaced the squash puree and beet sides. I'm sad to say I'm not really a fan. The filet was still good though. Please bring back the squash and beet sides!!!

Cafe Sparrow is a must! Did you know they offer half price wine! This is mine and my best friends go to when we crave quaint delicious meals.

Enjoyed a delicious brunch in this charming French cafe. I ordered the Eggs Benedict, and my friend ordered the Vanilla bean French toast. The service was fast, attentive, and great. We will definitely return!

Great food, fast service, and actually worth the bill (which was honestly more affordable than most other places in town, IMO). The corned beef hash is an elevated presentation and pan fried to perfection. The crab cake bene is one of my favorites in town. There is a reason Sparrow has made it through the years!

Wonderful warm atmosphere, attentive service, sumptuous food and great choices. A great venue for a date, family event, friends meet up offering excellent wines, appetizers and entrees.

Great, high quality food, quaint atmosphere and very friendly staff. I always recommend this restaurant to people and I've never heard anything bad from anyone. It's a must try to anyone visiting and it's a locals favorite for good reason. It's not only a wonderful celebration place, it's a good every day place to dine.

This is a sophisticated meet up place with well crafted food, good service, and a charming, casual atmosphere. Parking is often a challenge. other popular places are nearby and it's on a busy street. We rendezvoused for lunch and enjoyed sandwiches, salads, and a shared dessert. Dinners look good and there are a variety of nice wines to pair. Wish they still did brunch, but I'm very glad they survived the challenges of the last few years with many of the same staff. Excellent staff.

We went to celebrate my birthday. Everything we ordered came out wrong. We ordered a nice bottle of wine and the waitress never came back to pour more wine. My food was cooked half way so My husband ate his food and then mine showed up . They did comp my food. The experience was awful we will not go back.

Oh, what a lovely option for take out. The online ordering was very easy, and we called to change our pick up time and the staff was very accommodating. We ordered: Scallops and polenta - wonderful! Seafood pasta - not as flavorful as we would have liked, but the seafood was fresh. The pasta just didn't translate as a to-go order Ginger cake - a tad dry, but the creme and the caramel sauces were good Crab cakes- these were fun and tasty. Not crabby enough. Beets- pretty good. A bit sweet and less rustic tasting Purées butternut squash - we could have eaten bowlfuls of this - sweet and nourishing Lobster tail - so delicate and creamy. Wonderful and generous portion Baked cheese bread - scrumptious. This was a whole family favorite! Garlic and fruit compote - great, but I wouldn't order both this and the baked cheese at the same time.

Is/was my favorite restaurant with great staff and delicious food. I wish you would reconsider opening 4 days a week, and increase your prices. If you have to leave, we'll miss you, see you tonight

best food in Santa Cruz County; five star service, charming atmosphere, great location in the quaint town ofAptos

We were out and about in one of our adventures with the kids, and my man found this on the Yelp app. It's pretty cute and fancy so we were hesitant to bring our tired, whiny children here. It was more like a date-night-without-kids kind of place. It was late and we were all exhausted, so we just stayed. I'm glad we ended up eating here that night cuz the food was très bien! And this is the last restaurant we dined in before the COVID19 craziness. We started with Seared Day Boat Scallops on Polenta. The scallops were fresh, but having them on top of the polenta was a little strange. Maybe cuz it was just different? Or maybe I was expecting a hint of sweet flavor, like in cornbread, and it didn't meet my expectation? Even though it didn't, the appetizer was still tasty. The Fromage sounded more exciting on the menu than it turned out to be. "A fresh baguette rubbed with garlic & topped with cheddar, gruyere, and brie cheeses" sounds divine, but it was just toast with cheese, kinda like pizza. But pizza with fancy cheeses. It was still good and appetizing, but I would try a different appetizer next time. One of my favorites that night was the Clam Chowder. I think it was the special soup of the night. It was deliciously creamy with small chunks of clams (and maybe beef?), potatoes, and veggies. Small chunks, but they didn't skimp on the chunks. We also shared something from the specials menu, something pork rib. It was cooked well, tender and easy to chew. But the sweet demi-glace made this dish fantastic. The kids had butter noodles with cheese. They liked it, but I thought it was plain, like noodles with cheese. The Brownie Sundae was wonderful to end our meal. The brownie was rich and decadent that I was savoring each and every bite. It was perfectly paired with vanilla ice cream. There was a big scoop of whipped cream on the side, which I thought was unnecessary, but the kids ate it up. We all liked the flower-shaped strawberry. It was lovely and creative just like the ambiance of the restaurant. I'm so relieved this was the last restaurant we dined in before we were stuck in shelter-in-place. Hopefully, we'll be able to return with or without kids next time. Most likely without the kids!

We had lunch here on Valentine's Day last year, with our toddler daughter tagging along. The staff was very sweet to her, and went out of their way to make her feel special during our date. The food itself was excellent, even with it being a busy holiday. I had the sparrow salad and a sandwich, my husband had the special, and they made our little one some pasta. The decor is cute too. Very French farmhouse antique, with pastel colors.

Cafe Sparrow is one of those places I have been coming to for years when I am down in the Aptos/Capitola area, and like many things that may comfort you, Cafe Sparrow is always a comfort to go to, as you feel like you are going into their home for a nice (fancy) home cooked meal! They have French influences but it's very down to earth. I have had the muscles when they have them with a wine butter sauce that I cannot get enough of with the delicious bread they serve! They often have nice cheeses and salads to start that are very good and the salads are not over dressed. For dinners we have had the chicken which I don't usually order but has been very good, steaks, seafood (such as a delicious calamari steak) and many other mains, I have not really had a bad dish here to be honest. There gets slightly but they have an extensive specials board that I often try and have had good experience with. Have rarely had room for desert but they look delicious. I once had a crumble with ice cream that I recall, but we are usually too full. They have a nice wine selection but I don't usually drink.

Easy Parking. Clean Restroom. Inviting Ambience. Very sweet hostess. Seating was nice and cozy. The crab cakes were 10/10. The roasted Garlic was 10/10. The cracked pepper filet was on the rare side, but it is a French restaurant- Delicious none the less . I enjoyed the rack of lamb. Everything was wonderful.

We went here to celebrate our anniversary dinner. The food was wonderful and there was a great selection. My husband loved the wine reduction with mushrooms on his filet and described it as the most perfectly cooked filet he's ever had. The waitstaff were friendly and accommodating. The decor was very cute shabby chic.

We love Cafe Sparrow. It's been our favorite for years and we'll always go back. Order everything that looks good to you.

For 20 years orf so, wife & I have been sharing a Rack of Lamb dinner order and paying an extra $10 or so to have it split in the kitchen, so it came on two separate plates. The $10 charge covered the cost of extra vege & potato sides. With an appetizer and dessert our total bill typically came to $130 to $140. The last time we were there, we were advised that they will no longer split our order in the kitchen. Obviously, they no longer value our business.

Incredible service by Christy and amazing food. I had the Filet and it was tender and had so much flavor. They were very accommodating for our groups needs and we will definitely be back!

Great friendly service, great food. Cute place. Enjoyed the corned beef hash. So good and house made.

Very high quality food and good service make eating here a memorable experience. The French decor is inviting as well. I had the peppercorn filet cooked exactly like I asked. The restaurant was busy, lots of friends and family in groups. I do wish I had received a larger portion of side vegetables and the price was higher than I expected.

This aptos icon is one of my favorite restaurants! The food is always outstanding, the service impeccable and the ambiance great! Love this restaurant!

Cafe Sparrow is one of those places that looks unassuming, but once one sees the menu, and more importantly, tastes the food, it's hard not to become a favorite. The decor is French country, with different fresh flowers on every table. The food is amazingly good with a wide variety of regular menu offerings, and a daily specials menu. We enjoyed two seafood entrees. The wait staff are efficient and helpful. Cafe Sparrow is a place to unwind & enjoy a relaxing meal. Per the menu, "no cell phones. please let your waitperson know if you are pressed for time." The desserts offered are plentiful. We chose the Caramel Sea Salt Creme Brulee, which came with a surprise, a sliced, large strawberry & whipped cream. Fabulous! They have beer, wine by the glass, and a large assortment of teas & other beverages. Overall, this place is great find for a relaxing, unhurried brunch/lunch. They also serve dinner.

Consistently great fresh local food. Can take guests and feel comfortable they will have a great meal, service is excellent.

Just had a lunch meeting here. What a cute spot! Great food and ambiance. Will be coming back!

Menu was limited and the overall experience was terrible staff were rude and slow and the food tasted like my cat's taint never again will I come here with family.

Came here for a birthday with a party of 8 and the service was terrible . We were missing half our silverware when we sat down and our orders got delayed/ messed up even though the restaurant was less than half full. The food was ok but for the price it was not worth it when you can make almost their whole menu from home without paying a ridiculous price. Additionally the service was sloppy and inexperienced especially coming from someone that works in a restaurant and understands how it is, it was just a lousy experience over all don't waste your time getting a reservation to this low quality tourist money grab.

What a lovely experience! Cute French restaurant, excellent food, quiet dining. Service by Kathy was outstanding, she's a kick!! Petit filet was perfectly done, tender moist. Butternut squash is the best Ive had! Love to come back! thank you..

There are few other restaurants in this area that match this caliber of cuisine. The food is great, the atmosphere is quaint, and the service is great!

We really enjoyed our meal here. The food tasted good and staff was very nice. They're doing a god job of spacing. In the small front room they have tables to accommodate up to 12 guests. There were only 4 the evening we dined here. In the inner room, there were more tables and guests. Its a popular place as we saw a lot called in for take out. They serve 1/2 glasses of certain wines. I tried the Merlot, which was OK and Hubby had the Riesling. My Caesar salad came with a nice helping of anchovies, it was delish but a tad heavy on the dressing. Hubby's scallop appetizer was perfectly cooked, as well as my seared ahi entree. It came with puréed squash, Brussel sprouts. Hubby tried the duck, which he liked. I thought the duck was a bit chewy and I carefully and slowly masticated the piece I tried as not to choke on it. I was too full from dinner but he ordered the mini Bombe, where I tasted a bite of the delicious yummy chocolate center. Definitely a place we'd come back to.

The ambience and service are always welcoming. The food seemed a bit off tonight. My husband had the calamari steak. It was tough. My cafe sparrow salad was quite good however the scallop appetizer was a bit disappointing. A couple next to us reached out and asked our reviews. They love the place as we do and were disappointed as well.The restaurant is quite pricey which we knew, perhaps it is a Monday night. I don't know. Disappointed. Will try something else next time we have a special occasion.

I was really looking forward to my (88th) Birthday dinner at Cafe Sparrow because my previous experiences here had been very enjoyable We were seated promptly. Water and bread were also brought promptly and our drink orders were taken and served in a timely manner, but the entire experience went downhill from there. The noise level made any verbal communication very difficult, but our orders were finally taken and the WAIT began. ..and I do mean WAIT! .. It took well over an hour for our meals to finally be served. Although we asked (2) or (3( times why it was taking so long, the waitress just said "it is out of my control" and apparently made little or no effort to improve it. No explanation was ever given and no apology was made.. The meals were OK , but certainly not exceptional and even disappointing after having to wait so long that we no longer even had an appetite. Although we were asked about dessert, no offer was made to comp dessert to mitigate our experience.and we were certainly not interested in waiting any longer for it to come. Still. no explanation was ever given, nor any effort made to apologize when we left . Inexcusable. The entire evening was just a huge disappointment and turned what should hv been a joyful experience into an unpleasant one. Just unacceptable. Why would anyone return or even go here after having read this? Sad

We brought visiting relatives here this week and had a terrific meal. I don't know how such a tiny kitchen produces such a broad menu and such wonderful food, but it does. We had a variety of dishes. Crabcakes were excellent - all crab! The Sparrow Salad was delicious with the crunchiness of the candied pecans against the soft deliciousness of the bleu cheese. The filet was perfect - as rare as asked for - and tender to boot. The side of beets was ok - just plain beets - but the rest of the meal was great. Desserts were delicious - the small size options were great. We sampled the creme brulee, the flan and the profiteroles (chocolate sauce was divine). Slow service but the restaurant was full and that was fine. Lovely evening.