After the first bite, I was in heaven! After the second bite, I was immediately thrown into another country around the world!! I've been to so many upscale restaurants in Carmel, Monterey and PG and Nothing compares to this place as far as baked goods go. If you're local or within a 45 minute drive, or on a vacation in the area, I encourage you to visit this place! I never was a fan of cheese danishes but after reading another review I decided to go for it. I'm forever a huge fan of the cheese danish after today's visit and this place opened my mouth and mind to what a REAL pastrie is supposed to taste like! I had no idea up until now I've been to amateur bakeries, however, I'll be back here because Pavels is the Real deal!
Barbe Kratofil- Cervantes
+5
What a delightful find! The baked goods are superb and service is fast. Don't be afraid of the line out the down! It goes fast and the food is worth it
The best eclair I have ever eaten! Beautiful, glossy icing. Not too sweet. Decadent. Wonderful danish as well with all the right elements. Crisp, flaky pastry and delicious fruit fillings. Heavenly!
The best backerei on the Monterey Peninsula! Worth the wait in line, everything is heavenly, but my favorite will always be the croissants!!
I love this bakery Sometmes you have to wait in line but it is definately worth the wait.
Don’t tell anyone about this place. The line is long enough! �
Found this little jewel on my trip to retrace memories from 38 years ago. Although not the same bakery from then, the Sourdough bread is delicious. Just like I remembered. The plate size donut and huge pastries were a bonus. Loved it all !
Amazingly delicious! Great customer service! Don’t forget to bring cash though!
Pavel's creates both bread and pastries for the locals, while the competition concentrates on mediocre pastries for tourists. The variety of bread is fantastic, and yes, I do indulge with a breakfast pastry feast each Saturday morning.
Friend who used to live in the area told me about this place. Got a giant apple fritter. Was happy with my experience.
A world class bakery!! Everything done the right way!! Wonderful pastries, breads and cakes. Excellent, friendly staff. The line of customers went out the door and then down an entire block. It's worth the wait.
It's an absolute must visit, never disappointed! Bring your cash, credit cards are not accepted here.
Shoshana Shana Snape Martinez
+5
<3 <3 Scrumdidiliumptious at its finest! Truly! <3 <3
Fabulous..delicious really loved it. Especially chocolate croissants
Absolutely the best bakery I've ever been to. Huge pastries, and delicious too. An absolute must visit for everyone at least once in their lives.
Excellent bakery and service with a smile :)
Fantastic! Of course the Ch.... Fantastic!
Of course the Chocolate croissant is an amazing experience but even the simple breads are first rate. This is, so far, my favorite sourdough baguette in the world.
5 stars all the way!
Heaven sent. Fantastic everything. This bakery is like the ones in France and Italy. True rustic crust with slight charred taste...mmmmm. Pastries have helped me pack on some weight, and they are worth it.
Wonderful Bakery!. I love this place. They have the most delicious freshly baked breads. For $2.00 you can get a fresh baguette. If you're ever in Pacific Grove this place is a must go!!!
Michelle Ribera Biggs
+4.5
Delish!!! If you want a wonderful weekend splurge on a weekend away, this is the spot! We were brought a huge box of assorted pastries from pavel's and they were all delicious! All of them were over the top good :) thank god we only eat like this on vacation!!!
Based upon the recommendation of friends, my wife and I arrived at Pavel's at 7:15 a.m. only to find a considerable line already formed outside. After 35 minutes we got to the front and placed our order only to learn they only accept cash. Happily, they set our order aside and told us we could return later with cash and pick it up. We did and my wife raved about her chocolate croissant, saying it was the best she had ever eaten. It's been a couple weeks now, so I don't remember what I chose, but it was also wonderful. We also purchased other items including a loaf of sourdough cheddar cheese bread which makes the best grilled sandwiches. Their selection isn't huge, but what they have is to die for. If you're in Pacific Grove on a Tuesday or Saturday, don't miss it, but remember to bring enough cash! The line starts forming around 6:45. Oh, I should explain there was a fun, "weird Barbie" display set up outside to help pass the time while we waited.
Oh my! The cinnamon rolls are out of this world. This bakery has pretty much perfected the art of pastries. The line of customers out the door says it all. Worth the wait. Be sure to bring cash as that's all they accept.
Know before you go:
• only open Tuesday and Saturday, 7am-sell out
• cash only!
• you will wait in line, it is worth it
We arrived at 8am on Saturday and waited about 30 minutes. Grab some coffee nearby to make the wait easier 😊
Our favorites that we tried were the berry cream cheese tart danish and the almond bear claw.
The croissants looked amazing but as always, the eyes are bigger than the stomach!
I'm dreaming of their blueberry danish...! Not certain what/ how they do this, but the pastry has this crisp, yet chewy consistency. Fresh cream cheese, not too sweet. Lightly jammed blueberries Each pastry is HUGE, approx 3x the size of a pastry in Paris.
Tried (and in order of taste)... danish, chocolate croissant, bear claw, cinnamon bun. Would not get the c. bun again
Waited 1.5 hours, not certain we would wait again. Then again, that danish!!
It was love at first bite. One of the best bakeries I've ever been to. Stopped in for breakfast while staying in Pacific Grove and got a variety of items. The bread here feel a bit heartier and the flavor of the bread itself is more pronounced which I love. Come with an appetite as the food here is filling. The tarts were especially good, the fruit they use one them tastes of good quality. The place is cash only.
Pavel's is a must-go-to if you are in Pacific Grove on a Tuesday or Saturday. They have some of the best breads and pastries I have ever had (I'm including my time in Europe). However, the service friendly, but quite slow and their ordering/cash only system bottlenecks to only serving 1-2 people every 2-5 minutes during the peak morning rush. Expect to spend 30-45 minutes in line if you arrive before 9am or so (varies by season). It has been pointed out that maybe the slow pace is by design as it allows time to relax and meet your neighbors. So grab a cup of coffee nearby, chat with others in line, and enjoy the best bakeries around!
A bakery run not for profit but out of passion to perfection! Amazing tasting pastries and authentic fresh german bread. Cash and take out only, expect a 20min line. I can recommend getting the giant cinnamon roll for 5$, walking down to lovers point and enjoying it on one of the park benches overlooking the ocean.
Visited from Connecticut and was looking for a quick breakfast. The line was out the door so we knew we found a good place! The line went fast and the bakery items were fabulous. We tried a chocolate croissant, cinnamon roll and danish. All amazing and so fresh!!
Fabulous baked goods. The cream filled bomelonis are divine. Their biscotti is the only biscotti I've ever liked. When I'm able to find them open, I leave with huge armloads. Sadly they're just open two days a week now. Keep hoping their hours will expand again. As it is, expect a long time waiting in line. Cash only.
The pastry were good. each was 5$ and they were huge.
It is only open two days a week I went at 730 on a Saturday and had to wait like 45 minutes is the lines are huge so be prepared.
The only take cash.
I would return
I was on the weekend getaway to the aquarium and found this place while browsing through maps. I didn't know it was cash only. The cashier told me "I will give you a receipt and you can pay another day". Very nice people
Get there early!!
Definitely worth the early morning alarm. We were 4th in line. Got there at 6:45am. 2 Farmers Breakfast Brötchen, Cinnamon Roll, Almond Bear Claw, Berry Cream Cheese Tart Danish, Chocolate Croissant & Cinnamon Raisin Brioche. Heaven.
Oh pavel’s. How do I love thee? I dream about their maple bombilinis. The croissants are to die for. The danishes are heavenly. The brioche is divine. I can’t say enough good things about these baked goods, and then you have the insanely reasonable prices. They could easily charge twice that. It’s that good.
Amazingggg! Fabulous little bakery, great for grabbing some pastries before your day of activities. The apple Danish tart is delicious and the bread was so buttery and flavorful. I don’t live in Monterey but it’s a new must for whenever I visit!
Get there early for the full selection. Could be a bit of a queue, but it’s very much worth the wait. Hearty loaves and delicious pastries both sweet & savory assembled by a friendly & efficient team. Prices are reasonable for ordinary portions, but these are, in fact, extravagantly generous portions, so really they’re a steal. Don’t snooze on Pavel’s!
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