Food and service impeccable. We love Cafe Sparrow

Dined here after moving to pandemic orange, so fewer tables and generally better service overall as a result.

Very friendly staff in ordering.

Food came out like pre-pandemic. My stuffed pork chop was excellent, sauces and small sides of beets and green beans went together well. The short ribs were super tender and tasty.

Food was so good that we enjoyed it so much and forgot to take photos.

Overall, outstanding and great to see this restaurant back up snd running.

This is a must! Excellent everything! Small place with a HUGE menu (2 sided and a cram-packed specials board).

IT was our first visit to the Sparrow Cafe and we enjoyed it. We were a little disappointed with the fondue, but the remainder of the meal was excellent.

We had a new server in training. Both the server and his trainer could have smiled a bit more.

We stayed late. No one hassled us to leave. Greatly appreciated.

We went to our first dine in since the COVID stay at home order. (1 year). We chose the Café Sparrow. It was everything we remembered and more! The food ambiance and service was what we remembered and the attention to COVID safety was outstanding. So glad this was our first "getting back to normal" experience.

Perfect job of social distancing! The food was delicious too. Even my picky 9-year-old was able to find something on the menu while we adults indulged in the fancy stuff we hadn’t had for over a year: filet mignon and venison. Mmmm!

I understand the necessary changes with covid, yet there were just awkward things about our meal. First, we had two servers without the explanation that one was in training. With masks, it was hard to tell who was asking questions.

Our table was small and crammed in a corner with the push doorhandle invading the space. There were two sharp, protruding hooks on the window frame that were actually intimidating and contributed to the cramped feeling of being in the middle seat on an airplane. If the table had just been pulled our 3-4 inches it would be so much more comfortable.

Our food was actually disappointing from their usual. My go-to favorite (chicken livers) was no longer on the menu. My salad was great, but my entree was way too salty and bitter from a burned crouton. Having cinnamon in the entree and one of the side vegetables seemed like flavor overkill.

It was wonderful being able to return. Dinner was great, as it had been in the past. Service was excellent. The restaurant looked fresh and clean but the same vibe

Anniversary

Amazing food, wonderful staff and an all around perfect dining experience. Highly recommend!

Charming intimate with interesting dishes. We enjoyed our visit. Thank your.

Fine food eclectic experience

Amazing French cuisine in a casual California coastal vibe. Super friendly and efficient staff.

Excellent all around - as always!

Great food and service!

This was my first indoor dining experience since the start of covid and it was perfect. The set-up felt very safe and the staff were all very conscientious. Now to the food. It was delicious! We started with the crab cakes and the warm goat cheese salad—both outstanding. I had the cioppino with seafood that melted in my mouth and a broth that was flavorful but not overpowering. My daughter had a steak that also melted in your mouth. We ended with the warm brownie dessert which was also delicious. The staff was attentive and provided great service. We both loved the ambiance and had a wonderful time. Highly recommend this place and will be back.

Cafe Sparrow was one restaurant that we were very much looking forward to reopening after a lengthy covid closure. Our first time back didn't disappoint! Elegantly casual and food exceptional. Much of the old staff has returned and they haven't missed a beat.

This is one of the finest and most consistent restaurants in the Santa Cruz area. Very, very enjoyable meal.

Cafe Sparrow has such a warm bistro feel. We had the bouillabaisse and the salmon. Both were very flavorful and cooked to perfection. I might have added more seafood to the amazing broth. Salmon was not overdone and they asked if we would like it medium rare which was spot on! The desserts were so good and the small brownie sundae was delicious and just the right size. We are sooo happy they are open and serving great food. The service is perfect - attentive but not obtrusive. They make it a special night out!

Delicious place to dine. Staff is always attentive and professional.
One of our favorite restaurants in Aptos.

Fantastic restaurant! Can't wait to go back. Highly recommend.

I am usually a huge fan of the sparrow as I had my wedding night meal there and most anniversaries since 1999. This time they were so off it was sad. The food was undercooked then attempting to fix it they burnt it and seemed offended that I sent it back. I overheard the chef make a snide comment that I complained after he fixed it. Con to having an open kitchen. The sad part is that we are loyal customers so we realized it was an off night but staff made us feel like we were the problem.

We had a lovely evening. Service was incredible and server so gracious. Steak was sent back as medium well came rare but all in all great.

We love Cafe Sparrow! So happy they are back serving sit-down guests!

Went once before about 2 years ago. We went this time to celebrate a special occasion and it was all we hoped for. A little pricey so would probably only go for special occasions.

We are "Frequent flyers" at Cafe Sparrow. We love the food, the ambience and the people who work there. It is a special treat to get a meal at Cafe Sparrow!!!

This is my favorite restaurant when I visit the Aptos area. The food is outstanding and the service is great. The wait staff was friendly and knowledgeable.

It was so nice to finally be back in a restaurant and the food was absolutely fantastic

Always a good meal

Our favorite place to eat is finally open with the same quality of food and friendly wait staff!

Sparrow opened in 1989 and we've been dining there periodically since 1990. We've never had a bad meal, or bad service, or even less than a 5 star meal or 5 star service. This restaurant knows what it's doing, does it very well, and does it very consistently.

More recently in the COVID era, their health, safety, and compliance measures are equally exemplary. We felt very well protected while dining.

Highly recommended.

So happy Cafe Sparrow was open again as it is one of our favorite, if not our favorite, restaurant in all of Santa Cruz county. Small and intimate with a cozy dining atmosphere. My husband and I have been coming here since we moved to Aptos 33 years ago ago and have missed it so much. We enjoy every meal we have there. Have never had a bad meal. Their service is impeccable, their wait staff know how to treat their customers. The food is always spot on. Other restaurants could learn how to do it all from Cafe Sparrow. We don’t need a special occasion to go there. We always find one though ! It happened to be Friday the 13th and we met on a Friday the 13th many years ago so we called it our “anniversary” as it was a type of anniversary for us. Since the Sparrow was closed for our wedding anniversary we used this as a belated anniversary dinner. We never go anywhere else for special occasions. So glad Cafe Sparrow is open again. We will be back again very soon.

Very nice to experience the top level food and service again while still feeling safe from COVID in the dining room. Plus all of Sparrow's rituals were retained including the specials signboard and the amuse bouche.

Scrumptious flavor. Attentive service. Calm romantic vibes.

Always a favorite...NEVER a disappointment...!...inside dining was nicely separated, servers were well masked...felt totally safe...food and wine and desserts were just great...a Jewel for our community..support the heck out of them if you can...

Outstanding service and food! Can’t wait to go back!

Always a good time and great food. I highly recommend it.

This place is adorable. Romantically charming. Great food and friendly service!

Rack of lamb, spicy crab cake, sesame ahi tuna are all very delicious.

The restaurant is doing a nice job of distancing. There was only another couple in the front room with us. More folks were in the second room.
The wait staff (Helen) is excellent, polite and attentive.
They do offer 1/2 glass wine for some of their selections which was perfect for me to try the merlot.

Hubby liked the duck, $35. I don’t care too much for duck as it tends to be chewy and I choked on a piece many years ago. Brussels sprouts, mashed pumpkin also arrived on the plate. His scallop appetizer was good too.

I really liked the Caesar salad with generous strips of anchovies. The seared crusted ahi was tender and good. Lots of sesame seeds over the fish which also came with wasabi soy dipping sauce, puréed pumpkin, Brussels sprouts.

Hubby managed to stuff dessert into his stomach afterwards. I had a bite and the mini bombe was good too. Lots of folks were doing takeout. It’s a place I’ve like to return to in the future

Great little find on our way back to SF. A twist on French cuisine. Excellent service!