Ad Astra Bread Co. — Restaurant in Monterey

This is the best bakery and cafe we’ve come across in Monterey. Better than Alta I dare say.

We stumbled into Ad Astra on a rainy day when most of the city lost power. Luckily, they still had electricity.

On taste alone, their pastries all hit the right spot. A bite into their croissant and we knew they knew what they were doing. The pastry texture was insane, you can taste the distinct texture their croissant had, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Not overly greasy, done to perfection.

Their bread is very good, we got a pain epi to try, but flavor wise it wasn’t as special as the pastries.

Next their coffee is also out of this world. The flavors were fruity and floral, but you could distinctively taste the notes. Milk was ever so slightly too hot such that it separated, but still that didn’t deter from the amazing taste.

Service wise… at the counter I would say serves were a bit impatient. Even though we didn’t have anyone waiting behind us, the server told us what some items were made of then expected us to immediately order, otherwise she’d just walk away or look at us impatiently. We do feel like the service could be improved.

Store front is beautiful, large marble counter makes a great impact upon entry, you also get a glass window view of the bakery inside where people are busy making bread.

There are some counter seating spots indoors and some tables and chairs outside.

No restrooms for guests on site.

Would highly recommend checking out, we loved it so much we had it again...

Truly spectacular bakery. Worth a visit for both pastries and bread. I ordered the butter croissant and the strawberry danish-donut-thing, as well as a slab of focaccia. The croissant was probably the best I've ever had. The outside was incredibly flaky, with thin layers and a wonderful crunch, while the inside was soft and fluffy. It had an intense buttery, nutty flavor but did not taste or feel greasy at all. For barely more than the price of a starbucks croissant, it completely blows it out of the water. The strawberry pastry was less sweet than I expected, almost a bagel-style bread that was well-baked (not soggy or doughy) with a nice sprinkle of sugar crystals. The filling was sweet and creamy, with fresh strawberries, without being overpowering or too rich. Definitely not your average hyper-sweet fruit pastry, and worth a try. The focaccia I have yet to try thoroughly, and I definitely have to return to try some of the other pastries and bread offerings, not to mention the delicious looking sandwiches. It isn't cheap, but if you're looking for a fancy little bakery to get fresh pastries and bread from, it's very hard to beat. I love the huge windows into the bakery itself. They have a ton of people milling about making dough, shaping loaves, and preparing pastries. The store floor itself is rather small and more of a salesfloor than a place you can sit and eat. Fortunately there are plenty of outdoor tables...

When paying 10 bucks for a loaf of bread it is really disappointing to find massive holes in the center. Actually, it renders the bread useless for sandwich making. I asked the man in the “Coors” cap behind the counter about this issue and he replied that it was a “proofing” issue in the baking process which they had solved. Nope. Here’s a picture of the latest loaf I bought. Also, I was not offered the slightest apology, or even a ‘gosh sorry that happened’ type of sentiment. As many other reviewers have mentioned, there is a sort of disaffected hubris afoot behind the counter. In a business that WILL succeed or FAIL based upon their ability to keep the local repeat business, this is a huge problem. My advice to this bakery is that you get your basics right ie the proofing of your loaves, and listen to what people are saying when they come in. No one wants to have to report that the bread you sold them was not usable, people don’t generally complain for fun. You are making a big error when you don’t seem to care, and when you incorrectly assert that you have solved the problem. Having said that, your bread, on the rare occasions that it is properly proofed and not burnt, is the best in our area. I am rooting for you guys to succeed but sadly I’m not dropping another 10 bucks on the...