Flats Bistro

The pizza is awesome! It’s more thin crust, but still enough crust to be happy if you tend to prefer a thicker pizza. Also, the baked goods are delicious!
They offer deviled eggs – also very good; salads, sandwiches and full service coffee drinks, as well.

My husband and I have been coming here since it changed ownership. We live in Seacliff and walk our dog on the beach every day, so it is a perfect stop. Not only is the coffee delicious, the pastries and pizzas are made daily. Plus, they are dog friendly. Hands down our favorite café.

Had the Sand Dollar pizza last night for the first time. Seriously delicious! I was stuck between the Palo Alto and the Beach, which I crave equally, when Blake suggested his favorite was the Sand Dollar so I went with it. Great recommendation.

So happy we found this place ! Rio Del Mar Beach needed this one badly! Delicious coffee, smoothies, pastries, pizza, sandwiches and chicken pot pies (also vegetarian). I hope this bistro does well… wonderful experience!

I was so excited when the flats bistro opened. They have excellent pizzas. You can even go and get yourself a espresso or some pastries in the morning. I also just learned of the acai bowls, they are really good. The staff is always very friendly and I feel welcomed every time I go there. I definitely recommend going to the flats bistro for coffee or the pizzas!

Well its accurate with the 3 dollar symbols.
What, do they make the crust out of gold flakes? They charge 4.50 for a slice of pizza smaller than my hand. I can’t comment on the quality of their food because I literally laughed myself out the door. It’s one of those times you have to laugh so as not to go into full on rage mode at the world.

This place has gone way downhill. I asked for half and half (margherita & wild mushroom) to eat there. They said the owners wouldn’t allow them to do that. I said, Well, you did you first opened. No more. The place wasn’t busy with pizza orders. How the hell hard is it to spread filling on each half? Stupid.
As I waited for the pizza, (ten minutes, the oven should be hot enough to cook it in a few) several people came in asking for drinks with almond milk. They had run out and offered soy instead. No one wanted that. They asked for their money back. Well, De Luxe foods is a few minutes up the hill, couldn’t anyone have gone to get some?
My pizza came out and was so skimpily dressed; it was ridiculous. They put very little sauce on it and it (the sauce) was thin to begin with. The edges were too wide. Yes, give me something to hold onto but my fingers don’t need two inches. Not enough cheese or basil. Stingy. Won’t go back. This place could have had so much potential. I paid a lot of money for a pizza and a Pepsi, am handicapped but they still made me hobble up to the counter and didn’t ask at anytime if they could help me or if I had enjoyed my pizza.

Pizza is innovative. Service is spotty. Ownership needs to take an honest look at how the shop is staffed. I enjoyed the food, but definitely got some attitude from the time I was there. Great location right next to the beach. You may enjoy this place better if you temper your expectations on service. Good crust. Little pricey, but hey, you’re right next to the beach.

Owner did good job fixing up the old café.
I only visit on Sat in AM and order a bagel. They are avg and so is coffee. Service is currently poor especially if it get crowded. They completely forgot my bagel last time and again after toasting. No apology which would have been nice for making me stand around and wait forever while they chatted and waited on others till I figured out my bagel never left the case.
Breakfast pizza looks interesting but haven’t tried. Others seem to enjoy.

The worst pizza we’ve ever had. Pictures on their website are misleading. We got the mushroom pizza and there were a small handful of one kind of mushroom. We also had the chicken bacon pizza. The dough on both pizzas was gross, crust wasn’t cooked fully. Super expensive and terrible! So disappointing!!!

When we first got there, we were helped by a nice lady. Then, she left and a rude/​inconsiderate woman «helped» us, messed up our order and spelled my name completely wrong. The water tasted like paint, and the Acai bowls were definitely made from all frozen ingredients (even the toppings!). The deviled eggs were bland and tasteless. Food was overpriced.

Hooray! for the Flats Bistro. I love that I can grab a delicious cup of coffee before my walk on the beach.
If I get hungry they have a wonderful selection of pastries that are always fresh.
If my walk lasts a little longer, I can always go back to the Bistro for a delicious slice of pizza. Made right there in there pizza oven. Don’t forget a nice cold strawberry smoothie to go with that delicious pizza.
I am always greeted with a friendly smile.
Awesome customer service.

Delicious coffees, I had a white chocolate mocha! It is the best I have ever had! It’s right across the street from the beach. Seating outside. They offer pizza, breakfast sandwiches, bagels & pastries!

Recently, I visited Aptos with some friends. we stopped by Flats because a close friend in the area recommended it. So I am a bit picky about my pizza, but I must say this place will not disappoint those of you who consider yourself a connoisseur when it comes to pie. I had the wild mushroom and talk about delicious. In my opinion, it starts with a thin crust, which is just right for those who don’t like a lot of doughy bread. The sauce is full of flavor and the wild mushrooms and cheese leave you with what I call a yummy bite of heaven. Since I live out of town, I was tempted to take one home to Arizona.
In addition to the pizzas, they have salads. I had the Kale. I enjoyed it and it complimented my pizza. Drinks are available in the refrigerator. I had a refreshing citrus Izzy to wash it down.
As far as ambiance goes, it’s a cool spot to hang out as it overlooks the beach and the patio is nicely decorated with cool flower and plants to enjoy as you eat. There is also a Bloody Mary bar on the side patio which is a part of the restaurant next door, but that doesn’t open until 3. The people on the patio were a fun bunch. It was a great time overall, and if ever in Aptos again, I’m definitely stopping in for lunch.

I stopped in after reading a positive review in the paper. Three people were working and it was a slow Sunday evening. I ordered two pizzas and a slice, and was told it would be ten minutes.
They made the wrong pizza and instead of telling me, they made the second pizza after the first was finished. They didn’t tell me it would be longer and never offered anything, not even an apology, for the 30 minute wait. Once the second pizza was done, I checked it out before leaving. They forgot the artichoke hearts. So I wait another 5 minutes while they hold my pizza up with the paddle to the top of the oven.
The whole time, two other parties entered so they weren’t overwhelmed for three kids on staff. They were either stoned or just didn’t give a crap about customer service. They were talking and joking around and swearing to each other. Completely awful experience as a customer.
We took the pizza to the beach where we tried to eat it. The toppings were of good quality but the second pizza was so thin it was more likes tortilla.
I will not be returning.

Love the place, the location and the drinks. Probably the best chai latte I’ve ever had. Will definitely be back to try the pizza! Only giving 4 stars bc service kinda sucks

As a resident of Rio Del Mar I’m painfully aware of the need of a good coffee shop within walking distance. Bonus points for serving pizza! We’re happy that they’ve opened up shop here.
The good: the chai, and the vanilla latte are creamy and delicious. The facilities are clean and obviously cared for. The staff is very friendly. The décor is cute and beachy. (This according to my wife.)
The chai: spicy (as a chai should be) and not overwhelming in the sweetness department. Clearly not from «Oregon Chai»!
The vanilla latte: creamy, smooth, and balanced with a good coffee that is not acidic.
We will be back for the pizza!
Needs improvement: workflows so that you have an assembly line. Drinks can be hotter.

I love this place so very much!
First of all, I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t think this bistro is amazing. They just opened about 2 weeks ago, and they have their stuff together more than most businesses in Santa Cruz county. The space is beautifully decorated and is very clean. To reference the review below that complained about the lack of pizza slices– the first week they had problems with the pizza oven and had no slices for a few days while they figured it out! They have yummy slices available now :)
The head manager Quinn is amazing & he makes the best latte around! Seriously– try it! The owner Jeanne is so sweet and personable. Overall, the staff is spot on.
It’s so nice to see a lovely establishment come to Aptos. If they’re already this great 2 weeks in, think about where they’ll be in a few months!

Update:
A Unilocal user emailed me asking me to reconsider my review because this place was now selling slices (the user had 1 review btw and it was for this place –hmmmmmm). Anyway, I recently returned twice and it is true — they have slices! Cool. But… the slices are like $ 4 each! And although they taste good they are not that big and certainly not worth $ 4 — especially when I can get slices elsewhere in town for half that price. And on one of my return visits the slices were a little burned and not fresh (they had been sitting there all day). And as far as other things to eat, there just isn’t that much here. I’m still very underwhelmed. I guess if I were at the beach I might consider returning but it is not a destination spot. Sorry.
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I’ve seen the coming soon signs for months so I was really excited to finally have it open.
We had our chance this week. My friends and I went to the beach this week and stopped in for lunch hoping to order some slices, only to find out they don’t sell slices. Pies only and a major wait.
Are you kidding me? How can you be a pizza place at the beach and not sell slices? Good luck with that business plan. We didn’t end up ordering anything. Honestly, there wasn’t that much to order. Big disappointment. We expected this to be a lot better. Hopefully they’ll get their act together. Location has great potential but this grand opening was a bust.

I’m SO happy to have a new café down by Rio del Mar beach in Aptos! I’ve only had the coffee so far and it was creamy and delicious! Nice staff and decorated nicely! Best of luck to the owners! Dog friendly too!