Cafe 3.1.6

Sad to see this place go, well it’s gone now… yeah that sign «Friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks» sure didn’t work out for them as this place got bought out and guess who is moving in? Yep, Starbucks. Funny how things run in this small town of ours. Will miss the friendly small business aspect of 316 which was conveniently located at the end of Alvarado Street near the busy Portola Plaza and Chase bank.

Here in town with the family, staying at the Portola Hotel & Spa. I was thinking of going to Starbucks but noticed Café 316 was right across the street. Love the FREE WIFI! Basic coffee and pastries (I ordered reg. coffee & yogurt). It’s 8:30 am in the morning, so unfortunately I don’t know what time it gets really busy — It’s cool right now:)! I also love the furniture — very modern feel.

This is my favorite coffee shop in Monterey. Its located next to this semi creepy foot reflexology place, and next door to an adorable wine store. It has a comfortable outdoor patio you can enjoy your food and drink on as well as free wifi. It couldn’t be in a more convenient location as well if you are at the Portola Hotel across the street. The owners are incredible nice and will chat it up with you while you wait for your coffee, which by the way is strong and good.

Chatted with the owner while watching her make my latte. She was quite friendly and accommodating of my requests. There was plenty of seating and the spot’s in a prime location for folks staying at the nearby hotels. I appreciate being able to spend my hard-​earned coffee money at an independent business that could sorely use it. When I’m back in this nec of the woods, I will visit early and often!

Darling little café across from the Portola Hotel in Monterey. Stopped in this morning on my way to cheer on the racers in the Big Sur Half Marathon. They opened early to accommodate the race fans, which I appreciated. The décor is classy and comfortable, the service was absolutely delightful, and my vanilla latte and biscotti were perfect. Couldn’t ask for more in a café.

Good, but not great, coffee. Service could use an upgrade. Good place to people-​watch.
I mainly patronize this place when I have to wait for the wife while she gets a massage at Happy Foot. She normally goes by herself now, so it’s been a while. Still, I’d go back, so this place clearly isn’t awful.

I’m sitting inside Café 316 right now, writing my Unilocal review. Why? Because they have FREE WIFI. That and I’m a happy customer.
I’m in town for a conference and my rather expensive hotel charges for Internet access and has poor coffee. On the contrary, Café 316 has FREE WIFI and Quite Excellent coffee. I had their medium roast this morning which paired perfectly with the large cream cheese muffin I also bought. Right now, I’m sipping decaf chai after finishing a pretty good slice of sundried tomato and mushroom quiche. Very filling, with a nice buttery crust. Tomorrow I’ll probably get a cookie when I return for another hour of surfing with FREE WIFI.
On top of all of this, there is a quiet atmosphere, clean, modern décor, and very friendly staff. This is the kind of place that reminds me of the good old days back in my small college town where the folks who run the place actually cherish your business. And you’re happy to give them some.
So if you’re in town, give this café a try. That cream cheese muffin was worth it. Small wonder there was only one left!

Nice place. Friendly staff/​owner. Good minimal menu. Clean and spacious area within that little mini-​mall location.
I ordered a small medium-​roast coffee and a cookie from Barena Bakery. Good coffee. I didn’t like the cookie.
I’ll have to visit again to get a better vibe of the place.
Notes:
Cash only. Hm.
Free Wi-​fi (?). Cool.
Closes around 7pm or earlier.
Looks like a few Cypress Bakery pastry bars in their pastry case.

My husband and I are driving up the coast of California and stopped in Monterey for some caffeine and wifi. Jon had a green tea latte which was excellent and I had a ginger green tea which was the same. The owner is very nice and the place has a great relaxed atmosphere.
Wifi is fast and there are outlets everywhere. Definitely check it out!

This place has good coffee and a very friendly staff! I happened upon it accidentally as an out-​of-​towner and was pleasantly surprised. They had a guest speaker tonight (a journalist in wartime Sarajevo) that was a special treat. I stayed in Monterey late tonight just to hear him speak.
Yvonne the owner was very very friendly and sweet, and really wants to make the café a great place to hang out. She’s starting to host fun events like tango on Sundays! Check this place out next time you’re in downtown Monterey and support a great local business.
[Note: My only complaint is that this place is cash-​only]

A violin concerto played through an aged boom-​box hidden by pleasing plants. Tasteful black and white photography adorns the walls, and modern chrome, glass, and leather invite you to stay awhile. The proprietor Yvonne has an enormous warm and inviting smile that is completely disarming no matter how crappy your day. The coffee cups have an interesting texture and old maps of Indonesia printed on them. Fitting, for Yvonne is Dutch-​Indonesian. Give Café 316 a shot when you’re tired of pretentious hipsters, hippies, and burnt coffee. You can’t miss.
Only reason I can’t give this place a FIVE is because it shares a common entrance with a place called the Happy Feet Massage parlor. This would not be a problem save for the fact the proprietors of the HFM felt it was necessary to display their ethnic heritage with an enormous, gaudy, tasteless neon LED blinking sign with a huge blinking cartoon foot. The foot isn’t that noticable during the day but when the light goes out of downtown and the coffee house moves into that soulful jazzy type mood the horrible giant foot comes crashing into the space. The light reflects off of EVERYTHING in the coffee house. Neon red/​green blinking lights bouncing off the windows, the plates, the flatware, even the goddamn APPLES.
Love Café 316, HATE the stupid «LOOK AT ME I’M CHINESE» sign.

We came here for coffee and wifi while staying at a nearby hotel. The new owners are friendly and have good coffee and sweets. The roomy outdoor seating is really pleasant.

I am surprisingly impressed by this place. It’s large, but tastefully decorated. Walking in, you’re not sure what you’re getting in to, given the rather large entrance. But inside is a charming little coffee shop, that has impressive enough art to double as a gallery. I’m not sure if the art rotates, but this time there were beautiful black and while photographs.
They have an interesting approach to setting up seating. There’s a bunch of variety. It’s all contemporary, beautiful, and fun. I wish more places could attain such style with such a seamless blend of elements. They have tall chairs and short ones, and some couches.
The staff were very friendly and helpful. They were welcoming and fun, and really added to the experience.
If you are walking around looking for this place, you should know that it says «Coffee Bar» on the windows, instead of it’s name.
I’d highly recommend this place!

There’s a sign behind the counter that says «Friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks.» That pretty much sums up this place. It’s a real coffee shop. They make about 10 – 12 coffee drinks, and they make them well. The tables and chairs are comfortable, and give the place a modern art look. They have free wireless, which I always appreciate. Also, the owner (manager?) is really friendly, she’ll always chat with customers.

I spent several hours over a few days in this little coffee shop catching up on some work when I was traveling through Monterey. it is a great coffee shop with fantastic coffee and tea and the best service. The owner is so friendly and makes a great latte!