Cafe Sparrow

Aptos, United States

4.5

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 831-688-6238
Website:
www.cafesparrow.com
Address:
8042 Soquel Dr, Aptos, CA, 95003
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
130 ftAptos Village
0.4 miCenter & El Camino Del Mar
0.4 miSoquel @ Rancho Del Mar eastbound
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
No
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Intimate
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
No

Today

Today 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Aptos) 3:12 AM Sunday, June 22, 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:30 am – 2:00 pm
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 11:30 am – 2:00 pm
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 11:30 am – 2:00 pm
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Thursday 11:30 am – 2:00 pm
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Friday 11:30 am – 2:00 pm
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Sunday 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Café Sparrow is a small country French restaurant in Aptos Village. Though we are predominantly a locals haunt, many patrons come from out of the area on the recommendations of our regulars.

At dinner, we feature creative fresh fish specials, such as Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut with Orange Coconut Crème. You might also find Chipotle Cherry Glazed Farm Raised New Zealand Venison, or Dark Rum and Molasses Braised All Natural Short Ribs, these in addition to our regular menu that features Mid Western Corn Fed Filet Mignon, Rack of Lamb and a variety of seafood and pasta specialties.

At lunch, Café Sparrow features wonderfully creative salads and sandwiches on our regular menu. We offer daily specials of fresh fish and pastas.

Sunday Brunch is a local’s favorite and features several offerings of Eggs Benedict, Stuffed French Toast with Organic Maple Syrup, Omelettes, Eggs and more!

Café Sparrow’s wine list focuses on local wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains and California

History

Established in 1985.

Café Sparrow was established by two very fine cooks. The current ownership took it over in 1989, 4 months before the Loma Prieta earthquake. Though the business was badly damaged and had to cease operations for a time after that earthquake, the support of the local community helped the Sparrow to recover. Café Sparrow continues to be focused on the quality of its cooking. We have always made the effort to present creative cuisine that is consistently above average.

Service at Café Sparrow is informal, friendly and knowledgable. Overall, our goal is to get to know the expectations and preferences of our customers. We make every effort to meet and exceed those.

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20 reviews of Cafe Sparrow

No registration required
Place rating: 4
Redwood City, CA
Dining at Café Sparrow is like being a guest in someone’s house. The décor is a bit eclectic, quaint and floral somewhat like grandma’s house. The service and delicious food also add to the warm, friendly atmosphere.
The bf and I came in here for breakfast each enjoying a scramble. He had the chorizo scramble which I can say was tasty. My seafood scramble hit the spot with fresh crab and shrimp. His potatoes were tasty and free of major grease. I also enjoyed some fresh fruit and a nice simple mixed greens salad. Breakfast was perfect and not overwhelming or heavy. The black currant ice tea was so refreshing. The ladies made sure we had enough. I could drink that all day long!
There aren’t a lot of great places in this area, but this is one. We’d return again!
Place rating: 5
Aptos, CA
Just ate here again and realized I actually reviewed them back in 2013. The food is still amazing! Still pricey but more than worth it because it really is almost the best meal I’ve ever had. And don’t feel bad if you splurge on dessert because really it was so good!
Place rating: 4
Aptos, CA
This is a great little spot. Very decent food, nice location and good service. The lunches are the deal. Dinners are good but pricey. A special occasion place for sure.
Place rating: 3
Lodi, CA
Mixed feelings about this place. The service was ok– they kept forgetting my salad but later discounted my dessert. The wine fondue appetizer was pretty good– lots of veggies for dipping. The entrees were ok– ahi tuna & salmon both well cooked and seasoned but the sides were the same for all the entrees. Unfortunately the sesame ahi doesn’t pair well with butternut, beets and asparagus. Lastly, I would never order the cheesecake again– undercooked in the middle with strong lemon taste and not very creamy. $ 120 for two people– it’s overpriced for what you get.
Place rating: 5
Chevy Chase, MD
Wonderful meal. Wonderful wine. Wonderful staff. A very nice experience. My wife and I will come again if and when we visit Aptos again. 5-​Star.
Place rating: 4
Lincoln, CA
During our weekend trip to Santa Cruz county this was by far our favorite restaurant we tried.
The restaurant is elegantly decorated, and has some interesting art pieces on their walls. I also enjoyed their wall of wine they have on display.
They have a larger menu than I expected for an upscale restaurant, and they also had a great selection of specials. The have a fairly large wine list and have a good amount of wines that can be served by the glass, and even a half glass.
We started with a roasted garlic appetizer that came with croutons and a fruit marmalade, it was delicious and was the perfect proportion for two. For dinner I had the calamari piccata, the sauce was delicious and had the perfect amount of capers! My boyfriend ordered the Scallops and they were delicious as well.
The service was great, the waitresses were attentive and very polite.
I recommend Café Sparrow to anyone who is in the Aptos area!
Place rating: 5
Santa Cruz, CA
Incredible. I got emotional over my pork chop topped with baked brie and house made apple butter. What a fantastic experience this place was! Very friendly service. Our waitress was super helpful at helping us decide what to get.
What we got:
Gigi– white wine fondue. To die for! Not too rich, excellent for snacking with white wine.
Truffle arugula salad– yum! Simple yet delicious! Arugula tossed in truffle oil and a hint of lemon. Parmesan, ground pepper. That’s it! I love arugula so I appreciate the simplicity of this salad.
Pork Chop w/​Brie and apple butter– perfectly cooked, melt in your mouth. Huge piece of meat (I was so excited for the leftovers). The flavor balance of this dish was like nothing else I’ve tasted. Sweet and deep savory, perfectly salty meat.
New Zealand Rack of Lamb– my parter asked for medium rare and they cooked the meat to exactly where he wanted it. Wonderful flavors from the shallot bordelaise sauce.
Dark chocolate and espresso pots de crème’- if you are a chocolate lover, this is a serious must! A cup of coffee with this dessert and your night will feel compete.
Place rating: 5
Paso Robles, CA
I love French food but not crazy about snooty waiters & paying an arm & a leg for food & wine.
Café Sparrow was Fantastic foods friendly wait staff & the chef makes a personal appearance at each table. I had Dijon salmon in vermouth Buerre Blanc sauce, perfect vegetables & rice. Nice selection of wines by the glass. We all shared petit dessert which was fantastic. I love a 3 hour meal
Place rating: 5
West Bloomfield Township, MI
Food first. Service matches. Wine choices align. What a great find.
Crab cake appetizer is wonderful. Two sauces — each complements the crab cake.
Risotto special was rich and flavorful. Adding filet can be risky — not here
And they have Tannat — a great red
If I lived here they would grow tired of me.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
This place was amazing. The food was so packed with flavor and yummy. So glad we stopped by. We will be back.
Place rating: 2
Capitola, CA
So tonight was more then an upset for dinner! I had order petit filet for dinner. I said I would like it cooked Middle well and my mother had the same thing! When I got my it was middle rare and my mom cooked perfect. So I had to send it back and have it cooked more. When I said the sever said «well we are a French restaurant so we cook on the rare side» but if I asked to have it cooked middle well. She was not nice and rude when she said it. Then it came back it was cooked middle rare still. So then they tried to make up why it was not cooked right. Then I got it back again and by that time I was over it. The. I started to it a steak that was sent back 2 times and then it had hair in the veggies! I think the only good thing about my meal here was the gift card I got to come back and try it again. But my
Mom and dad meals where perfect
Place rating: 5
Glendale, Los Angeles, CA
Super people and even better food. Try the hangover special and enjoy one of the best breakfasts around with poached eggs, sausage and potatoes! Good lil kids menu too.
Great atmosphere even on a rainy day.
Place rating: 5
Capitola, CA
One of my favorite restaurants in all of Santa Cruz county. The food here is always outstanding, and the service is on point. A little pricey, but the prix fix menu is an outstanding value for the quality.
The dishes are well balanced, yet complex and fresh. Highly recommended.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Excellent brunch at Café Sparrow for my birthday weekend. Unfortunately, because it was a Saturday, they did not serve their full brunch menu, but there were some items on the menu, and we were allowed to book a table for 11 (vs. Sundays when you cannot). Everyone was very happy with what they ordered: I got the eggs benedict and it was fantastic. Service was lovely (considering 11 ladies can be difficult) and the ambiance is delightful: feels like sitting in a chic grandma’s dining room. I enjoyed looking at all the thoughtfully place art on the walls, too. Thank you Café Sparrow for making my birthday brunch so wonderful. Delicious coffee to boot!
Place rating: 5
Sunnyvale, CA
Half price wine on Mondays
Quarter glass pours of select wines
Small and large sized salads
Option to turn appetizers/​sides into entrees with add-​on veggies and starch
A+ in my book!!!
That being said I only tried a salad here (which was TOPS) — so I’ll have to update once I’ve tried their appetizers/​mains. Super cute restaurant — spacey and cozy. Lovely for a date or (if you’re like me) solo date & book :)
Place rating: 5
Watsonville, CA
My favorite restaurant in Santa Cruz county. I’ve been going here for years. The menu is consistent with all of the favorites and there’s always some interesting specials and local foods.
Monday night half off ALL wines, you can’t beat that especially with their extensive wine list.
Just the fact that they’re open Monday nights is great.
Place rating: 4
Santa Rosa, CA
This little spot is a gem. It is great for an intimate date. The atmosphere is elegant and cozy. Tables and chairs feels like a farm/​cottage setting. The menu has something for everyone!
For an appetizer we had the formage, crusted bread with melted cheeses and Brie, quite tasty. Filet fettuccini Alfredo (to my daughter) was peppery, the sauce was on point, creamy! We also had the mini peppered filet, it had a red wine reduction glaze yummy! My husband had the bone in pork chop, it looked tasty! I wish the Crème brûlée came in the standard size not a mini, that’s my only complaint!
Place rating: 4
Foster City, CA
Café Sparrow could be one of the best date spots in the Santa Cruz area. However, there was a minor blip during my brunch as one of their dishes had pine nuts in it. They didn’t disclose this on the menu and I ended up throwing up outside. The staff didn’t offer to comp the meal or re-​do it but I didn’t feel like finishing my food anyways which was fine. I’m leaving 4 stars because I plan to give the café another try sometime down the line because the ambiance was just that good.
Place rating: 5
Silverado, CA
Have not been here in years and I left asking myself why not? Actually, we are only in the area a couple of times a year but this will become a must next trip.
My husband had the filet and throughly enjoyed it. Our friend raved about the lamb. I had the surf and turf. The steak was excellent but I was a tad disappointed in the crab cakes. Regardless, that was such a small thing. Our salads were terrific and the deserts were well worth the extra calories.
Reservations on the weekend are a must. There were multiple parties turned away this evening.
Place rating: 5
Burlingame, CA
Perfect! My family was in town for thanksgiving and it was our last night together. We decided to try out Café Sparrow and boy were we not disappointed!
From the moment you walk in the restaurant is so cute and quaint. It has an adorable French vibe. Our waitress Veronica was soo sweet and helpful. She provided the perfect balance of being attentive and giving us space to converse. She also was so helpful with recommendations for meals, cooking temps, and wines. She recommended the lamb rack and I was beyond grateful I listened to her. The lamb rack (medium) was amazing with the Morgan Pinot noir. My family was all happy with their meals as well. To top it off the head chef walked around multiple times to check in on how everything was. I felt that he genuinely cared about our experience.
I would recommend this place to any and everyone in the area!