Caffe Pergolesi

4.0 star rating
163 reviews Rating Details

Categories: Coffee & Tea, Beer, Wine & Spirits  [Edit]

418 Cedar St
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 426-1775
Hours:

Mon-Sun 7 am - 11 pm

Accepts Credit Cards:
No
Price Range:
$
Parking:
Street
Outdoor Seating:
Yes
Wi-Fi:
Free
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Review Highlights   

user photo
"And the whipped cream is delicious." (in 15 reviews)
user photo
"I can do that at Perg with a Newcastle in hand." (in 13 reviews)
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"Great atmosphere in an old house in Santa Cruz." (in 10 reviews)
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163 reviews in English

  • Review from Edgar H.

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    • 3 friends
    • 22 reviews

    Watsonville, CA

    4.0 star rating
    10/31/2011

    Best coffee in town and atmosphere in town i'd say. It's a great place to go and study or chat with friends and have coffee, a beer, or wine. It really is a great place and the music is always interesting.

    The only reason I don't give it five stars is because the men's restroom is a nightmare though I will note that recently soap was available, kudos to them, but it's still...not too usable. Not to long ago I found out this was not the case with the women's restroom which has a nice window and scented soaps, unfair.

  • Review from Sabrina A.

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    • 295 friends
    • 839 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    3.0 star rating
    Updated - 1/1/2012

    So after so many years, I decided to come back and bring a girlfriend.  She LOVES cafes, so I thought this place would be unique and it still is.

    Coming up the steps, the house itself is still really neat, great design and I love all the patio seating, though I wish the seating wanted to match more.  Inside has several rooms, unique art and plenty of seating, with again tons of unmatching couches and tables.  While it is unqiue and interesting, I don't love how the walls look rundown or the seating looks tattered.  Understandably, I'm not sure if this is a style or simple sad care.  The coffee bar is nice though and I enjoy looking at the neat menu and trying to decide.  I guess I'm split on the decor.

    So we ordered the mocha with homemade whipped cream and it did not disappointed.  The balance and flavor was awesome and the whipped cream was so yummy!  We shared a pesto bagel and though my friend liked it, I didn't love how dense it was and I would liked a little more pesto in it.  Come here for the coffee!

    Our barista was not what I'd call charming.  She bordered on rude, seemed like we were putting her out and I felt rushed while simply trying to decide on a type of bagel.  She made a great mocha, but I would not come here for the service.

    Great mocha and whip!
    Unique, run down atmosphere.
    Crappy service.

    Was this review …?

    1 Previous Review: Show all »

    • 3.0 star rating
      5/21/2007

      Its definately a scene kind of place, for the more alternative, but if you are around the coffee is… Read more »

  • Review from Sunny B.

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    • 0 friends
    • 40 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    2.0 star rating
    11/20/2011

    way overrated.

    coffee is just OK when they're having a good day.  More often than not, my coffee tasted burnt and bitter.

    The attitude of the staff is barely tolerable.  Yea, you work in a coffee shop which is cool, but your job is still to serve the customers and not be an emo little pill about it.

    They get the extra star for the great artwork inside.

  • Review from Mark B.

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    • 15 friends
    • 80 reviews

    Los Gatos, CA

    4.0 star rating
    2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here

    Classic Santa Cruz... full of students and other modern-day hippie-slacker-types, so very laid back and relaxing.   Great food and coffee with plenty of seating.

  • Review from J M.

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    • 0 friends
    • 16 reviews

    Berkeley, CA

    4.0 star rating
    1/27/2012

    Open late, they serve beer, and I was lent a buck by two intimidating metal chick baristas: Go here cretins. Their men's room is pretty fuckin' divey though--I'm talkin' piss-poor.

  • Review from Ree D.

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    • 7 friends
    • 2 reviews

    Scotts Valley, CA

    5.0 star rating
    1/12/2012

    This is my favorite coffee shop, though with my work schedule and son, I don't go there as often as I'd like. The chai is delicious! It's spicy and rich how I like it. The place is funky and unique with a wide variety of characters. The outdoor seating is the best you'll get for a coffe shop in Santa Cruz. Also, the owners, are the nicest people you can meet. Just genuinely good, friendly people who care about their customers and their community.

  • Review from Ryan B.

    Brooklyn, NY

    4.0 star rating
    9/1/2011 1 Check-in Here

    I passed by this cool-old-house-turned-coffee-shop while visiting Santa Cruz from NYC.  I saw the front deck filled with tattooed folk reading their obscure literatures and working on their macbook manifestos while sipping iced soy vanilla lattes.  And it hit me what I had been missing while on my west coast vacation- GOOD STRONG COFFEE IN THE COMPANY OF HIPSTERS!  

    Cafe Pergolesi delivered me just that.  I immediately stopped in, and ordered an iced-red-eye.  Vintage atmosphere & great coffee.....it was like I was back in northern Brooklyn again.

    Aahhhhh  :::thirst-quencher::::

    A little bit of home, on the other side of the country.  If I lived in the area, I'd be a regular of this fine establishment.  So many cool spots to sit and read, relax, do work, et cetera. Thanks Cafe Pergolesi!

  • Review from Ohad P.

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    • 14 friends
    • 8 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    4.0 star rating
    12/17/2011 1 Check-in Here

    Coffee and beer in the same spot is pretty cool. The coffee is great. Inside they have artwork and lots of seating, but there's an unpleasant odor. Outside, the patio is awesome, but it's a smoking area, so you need to be okay with that. My wife and I were just visiting Santa Cruz when we stumbled on this place. It's definitely a local hang-out, which is cool.

  • Review from Richard E.

    Torrance, CA

    4.0 star rating
    7/19/2011 1 photo

    The Perg.
    This used to be my spot back in the my days at UCSC. (Uncle Charlie's Summer Camp) back before we had grades and people were naked and free.
    Not a lot has changed from the early 90's. Still a good place to get a cup of joe.

  • Review from Cricket C.

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    • 0 friends
    • 11 reviews

    Santa Barbara, CA

    5.0 star rating
    7/28/2011

    This is what I want from a little place to sit and enjoy a beer or coffee while the sun is out. The music is usually pretty creative but not too loud or intense. The place is usually quite clean. There are lots of places to sit and relax. They have wireless internet. The coffee is inexpensive, the beer is reasonably expensive but this isn't someplace you go to get drunk. It's just a place to go for a mid day beer.

    The patrons are friendly. It's a bit of a yuppy hangout. If you want to know what non-main-stream bands are popular or to discuss the details of post modern realist German philosophy this is the place.

  • Review from Emma L.

    Vancouver, BC

    Canada
    4.0 star rating
    6/26/2011

    Lovely coffee shop in Santa Cruz. The building is an old converted house, and it really makes you feel like home when you're there. As we were walking up, I saw two different groups of people playing chess on the porch. When you go inside, it looks like someone's old living room, complete with comfy couches, art, and books/knickknacks to take a look at. Try to get a spot on the porch on a sunny day.

    I just got a coffee, so I can't comment on the food, but I was eyeing the red velvet cake. Try to get a beverage that comes with whipped cream -- it's freshly whipped there. Prices were great for everything.

    My experience was great, but I'm taking away a star for their bathrooms. Not the cleanest or classiest.

  • Review from Tammie W.

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    • 3 friends
    • 67 reviews

    Scotts Valley, CA

    4.0 star rating
    9/1/2011

    The Perg.  A place so cool it actually made it into Spalding Gray novel.

    Off the beaten track from the main Pacific ave beat, its a coffee shop converted from an old Victorian with all the funkiness that involves.  Lots of seating inside and out with a nice mix of couches are regular tables/chairs.  Its a great place to sit back and watch people or eavesdrop on conversations that are completely and utterly Santa Cruz.

    Coffee drinks are strong and good.  And if you are looking to sit back on a sunny afternoon with a cold brew and a light lunch item, its not a bad place to do that as well.   My only complaint is that the chai is made from powdered mix and left something to be desired.  

    Service at the counter is brisk and friendly.

    They also have a revolving art exhibit and looking at the art is a great way to spend your hour or so sitting back with a cup of joe.

    A very Santa Cruz place.

    Was this review …?

    Comment from Karl H. of Caffe Pergolesi 9/1/2011   
    Hi Tammie,  Thanks for visiting Caffe Pergolesi and for the… More »
  • Review from Timothy C.

    Washington, DC

    3.0 star rating
    6/6/2011

    Perg's is a modified house conveniently located a few blocks walk from downtown Santa Cruz. A porch is built all around it with trees and bushes growing out of holes in the porch. Inside, it is kind of classic Santa Cruz look - art packed along the walls, nothing matches, bulletin boards, a mixture of college kids, retirees with Ipads, and greasy types. And tables, chairs, and benches are packed into every corner possible. But it is a great place to relax and read and the day I went I needed it. Here's Pergolesi from 1 star to 5 star (explaining why they get a 3):

    5 star - Hot chocolate. Super D-lish - creamy, strong, sweet cocoa with real whipped cream on top, served in a pint glass and oh so yummo!

    4 star - Fast internet. I downloaded a 40 minute episode of Bones from Itunes in 8 minutes. That tops every other place we know about.

    3 star - Newcastle on tap. Espresso and beer in the same spot? Yes please! Sometimes just what you need is a cold, tasty beer on a busy summer day. Hit's the spot

    2 star - Ignored 'No Smoking' sign. A sign when you enter clearly asks patrons not to smoke. I saw six people smoking while I was there. There was even a kid with horribly maintained dreadlocks smoking while playing a violin, ashes just dropping onto his instrument. The Ipad retirees across from him were none-to-pleased.

    1 star - Men's room. In classic SC fashion, year's worth of men tagged, stickered, and Sharpied the wall while they did their bizniz, and now the men's room is a huge, colorful 15 foot high 3x6 box that smells like what you would expect a small men's room with walls that never get washed to smell like. I say, let them tag above 3 feet, but tile the bottom part PLEASE so someone can scrub that place down!

  • Review from Tonya T.

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    • 12 friends
    • 199 reviews

    Santa Cruz, CA

    3.0 star rating
    6/26/2011

    I like the building, location, and some features of the decor, and that they stay open pretty late (it's my last stop before home on those all nighters, after other cafes shoo everyone out the door).

    Everything else is kind of meh -- their drinks, pastries, bagels, employees, and crowd.

    I wouldn't miss the hipters, or their skinny jeans, if they all spontaneously combusted midway through their cigs and bore-athon conversations...

    I go here, I meet up here (everyone knows how to get to Perg's); and yes, I complain about Pergolesi all the time...

  • Review from Brad K.

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    • 29 friends
    • 13 reviews

    Hermosa Beach, CA

    5.0 star rating
    10/18/2011

    Awesome coffee shop in Santa Cruz

  • Review from Tracy T.

    Los Angeles, CA

    5.0 star rating
    4/14/2011 1 Check-in Here

    Best coffee I've ever had. Really. Good hot or cold. Strongly brewed. $2 flat for a large.

    Interesting crowd to say the least. Good place to study if you're good at zoning noise out. If not, bring your headphones. College student crowd. Plethora of outlets.

    P.S. - bring hand sanitizer. You'll thank me.

  • Review from Billie Y.

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    • 0 friends
    • 15 reviews

    Santa Cruz, CA

    4.0 star rating
    8/2/2011

    You will be judged and glared at here if you don't have gauges, a leather jacket and bruised legs from your recent 10-speed accident. Make sure to also bring a pack of American Spirits and your copy of "The Anarchist Cookbook" if you need a little extra competitive flare.

    Other than the obnoxiousness of the "scenester" flies here, this place is pretty good. Great coffee...even more amazing whipped cream. Pastries are good - the chocolate cake is to die for. Extensive coffee/tea selection, decent prices and BEER! Can't go wrong with coffe & beer. Art is also pretty awesome and I love the overall decor.

  • Review from Nick H.

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    • 0 friends
    • 39 reviews

    Oceanside, CA

    3.0 star rating
    10/19/2011 1 Check-in Here

    Great place for a drink. Bad place for a meal.

  • Review from Charlotte C.

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    • 5 friends
    • 28 reviews

    Manhattan, NY

    4.0 star rating
    1/26/2011

    Walk up the stairs: see "no smoking on front porch" sign.  

    Look to the right and left of front porch: see a handful of smokers.

    That sums up the Perg scene for you. If you like that, you will love it here.

    Everything is grunge and old. Big victorian house with old couches, loud emo and rock music, hipsters, veterans, students, dirty bathrooms (definitely part of the experience). Yummy milk drinks, and I wouldn't know much about the food here because that's not what I come here for. On one occasion I had a quiche and found beard hair in it, yes BEARD hair. Again, part of the experience, and if you come here you probably don't care. Well, I do, but you might not. I come here to people watch. People have amazing tatoos and piercings or something else really unique about their style. No one intimidating here though, everyone is pretty friendly.  I also come here to sit outside and enjoy the sun with a book. Also love inside and the different ambience/set up in each of the rooms.

    There you have it! You have to come to Pergolesi and hang out a bunch of times before you're officially "Santa Cruzified"

  • Review from Joanna W.

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    • 0 friends
    • 10 reviews

    San Francisco, CA

    2.0 star rating
    10/16/2011

    as a cruzer, i respect the perg for hanging in there over the decades & keeping an edge even if the edge is not too sharp........

    today it has booze & is the best place to space to smoke at

    if you are not a smoker... you will have a smoke without smoking

  • Review from Stef B.

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    • 5 friends
    • 97 reviews

    Los Angeles, CA

    5.0 star rating
    5/25/2011

    This is the very best cafe in Santa Cruz.

    It is all you want from a cool, small town cafe: decent coffee drinks, centrally located and housed in an old Victorian mansion, surly but lovable staff, a porch full of motorcycle-riding conspiracy theorists, couches full of college students sitting behind books, and weirdos with nowhere else to go).

    If you are reading this and you didn't know, now you know.

  • Review from Kelly C.

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    • 45 friends
    • 97 reviews

    Alameda, CA

    4.0 star rating
    2/20/2011

    The coffee was so, so good. Besting any Starwhatever that may be in the vicinity.

    The place is a repurposed ancient victorian which is pretty cool. I wandered around a bit while I was waiting for my coffee to be brewed (ordered decaf at 2 pm so they needed to make me a fresh cup). People were tucked into nooks and crannies. It reminded me of the old victorian I lived in with 50 flatmates back in SF eons ago. I mean, people were tucked into every available nook. It appeared there was free wifi but I didn't check.

    Because of the lay-out being that of a house there were never more than a handful of people in each room. This was nice and it seemed like it was more conducive do those that were studying as the noise level in each room was fairly low.

    Minus one star because the hipster stares were ridiculous. The place is such a scene.

  • Review from Ashleigh B.

    Capitola, CA

    5.0 star rating
    7/11/2011 1 Check-in Here

    Such a great place for coffee!! Cool old house, lots of local art and cheap delicious coffee!!

  • Review from dan i.

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    • 0 friends
    • 15 reviews

    Santa Cruz, CA

    2.0 star rating
    9/15/2011

    The outdoor seating is the only redeeming aspect of the Perg, besides the coffee. The employees are rude, the bathrooms are disgusting, and the interior is just dirty. I would go to Lulu's instead.

  • Review from Brian C.

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    • 19 friends
    • 42 reviews

    Benicia, CA

    4.0 star rating
    8/20/2011

    It's an old house that is a cafe.  Decor:  old yo!  Old dingy oriental rugs, old dingy furniture.  Filled ashtrays at the tables outside.  Aggressive punk rockish music was playing yesterday.  Mint iced tea was delicious.  I would hang out here often if I lived in SC.  I used to visit this place in the 90s and I thought in memory that it was like the 976 Cafe in Pacific Beach.  Similarity is that both cafes are houses and have outdoor seating.  The vibe is different.  This is less study hall, and more hipster burnout in a good way.  That said there were still a few students typing away on their macs.

  • Review from Gypsy L.

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    • 0 friends
    • 16 reviews

    Bay Area

    3.0 star rating
    4/15/2011

    I come here whenever I miss Portland. People say it's representative of Santa Cruz, but I feel nothing but Portland, Oregon when I come here. The men's bathroom is covered in graffiti with no mirror and the door doesn't lock correctly. Don't ask me why I went in there. The coffee is strong, they have iced peppermint tea. I don't eat the food, most of the time I barely drink my drink, it's all about the ambiance. I like grit. I'm a girly girl, I wear cotton sundresses every day and i totally don't fit in, but this place reminds me of a place that used to be home for a long time, and that makes me feel comfortable, so I do fit :)

    I also like the eclectic music they play, even though I wouldn't listen to it personally. I even like the smell of the cigarette smoke on the porch and the bikes piled up outside and the grimy hipsters.

  • Review from Stephen D.

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    • 46 friends
    • 215 reviews

    Santa Cruz, CA

    4.0 star rating
    7/25/2010

    When I recently asked a co-worker if he wanted to join us at Perg for some coffee, beer and bullshitting one night, he responded with "Why so I can hang out with all the hipsters and be better than everyone else?"

    Read through a lot of the negative reviews on here, you'll find similar accounts.

    Look, the people that hang out here can sometimes be douchbags (in a passive aggressive, over the top or horn-rimmed glasses sort of way) but honestly, you find these idiots anywhere that serves coffee and allows you to sit and read. It happens, get the fuck over it.

    Are the people who work here also douchbags? Maybe, but I for one have never experienced it. I go in, I get a cup of Earl Grey, I retire to the patio and drink my tea. Sometimes I people watch, others Im with friends and we talk and laugh, but generally *I dont give a flying fuck what I look like in comparison to everyone else around me*.

    On a practical side, the beer and drinks are cheap. If you complain that a $2 cup of coffee isn't very good, I have good news for you: You paid TWO DOLLARS FOR IT.

    Never been in that bathroom, but Im willing to imagine that others reviews are correct in it not being the greatest. But seriously, Shelby C hit it on the head:
    "$2 coffee (hot or iced)
    smoking patio
    cool interior
    $1 refills
    open till 11.

    What more do people need?"

  • Review from Delmar X.

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    • 9 friends
    • 34 reviews

    Santa Cruz, CA

    4.0 star rating
    1/1/2011

    This old rickety Victorian is probably my favorite cafe in Santa Cruz. Day, afternoon or evening, I usually pop in at some point in a day. They serve beer, wine, coffee, and tea and have free WiFi. At times they have shows in the evening and always have a good rotation of local artists' work on the walls.

    It's a great place to study, read, or just people watch whether you're inside or sitting outside on the patio.Yup, it's hipster central, but there's also a good mix of people who go there. The woman's bathroom is not that bad (and I'm a picky bathroom person), but is prone to being out of toilet paper or paper towels so check before you decide that you'll be there a while.

    My only gripe is that they don't have any vegan food options and serve the same old boring vegan cookies that every other place offers when they don't know what to carry but feel obligated to carry a vegan option. I do really go more for the atmosphere which is thrift store can care less.

  • Review from Jen R.

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    • 36 friends
    • 83 reviews

    Sebastopol, CA

    5.0 star rating
    9/9/2010 4 Check-ins Here

    This was a staple hangout during my 4 years in the cruz.

    And in my quest to find the best coffees around I give the honor of best mocha to Pergolessi Cafe! You must try this, and you must get their homemade, creamy, heavenly whipped cream on top.

    Ok I better be careful in getting too detailed even writing this review because I want to head down there now (a two and a half hour drive right now).

    Anyway, I love this place. Theres plenty of places to sit and study or catch up with friends. But beware during finals week time every seat in this place can be taken and it can get silent.

    They have fair weather seating outside which is on the corner of a fairly bust street downtown so it provides for great people watching and scoping out who's coming and going.

    Love the ambience, couches pulled in from who knows where, local art covering the walls (Iv'e exhibited here too and the owner is great about meeting with you to get something going), workers with varying amounts of attitude and smiles.

    The great thing about this place that sets it apart from most cafes in SC is that they serve beer here. So your non coffee drinking friends can come here too. And smoking is not frowned upon in the outside areas.

    They also have varying snacks like wraps, quiches, and desserts that are delivered daily, I think.

    The back rooms tend to be more for studying, especially the one all the way to the left. Lighting can be hit and miss in that room and finding a plug to hook up your laptop can be a challenge in any room but I usually got lucky.

    The only true downside is when you've had two lattes and you have to use the bathroom- its an adventure.

    Try the mocha!

  • Review from Joe G.

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    • 6 friends
    • 3 reviews

    Santa Cruz, CA

    4.0 star rating
    7/30/2011 1 Check-in Here

    This is a great Santa Cruz local spot for coffee and a light snack.  Coffee brewed by the cup is fantastic.  It is an eclectic atmosphere with old upholstered chairs and tables, an out door street side patio that is elevated up off the street with lots of plants on a fairly quiet street.  If you are a local or from out of town and want to hang with the locals this is the spot.

  • Review from Kyle D.

    •  
    • 1 friend
    • 10 reviews

    Buena Park, CA

    3.0 star rating
    4/30/2011

    This is where the angst ridden youth go to get a buzz before they grow up and do cocaine.  Every high-schooler needs to have Pergs in their arsenal of psuedo-intellectual hangout spots.  I go there to check up and see the eclectic group of people it attracts: motorcyclists, strungout homeless people, college kids smoking filterless cigarettes and other goofballs that are too cool to go anywhere else.  The old house provides some nice ambiance and the people watching is unbelievable, but don't expect good service or good coffee.

  • Review from Amye N.

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    • 0 friends
    • 12 reviews

    Santa Cruz, CA

    4.0 star rating
    7/30/2011

    Good coffee and drinks, decent beer selection for what it is. My fav place to hang out and study. The food is mostly local, though not always the freshest. The outdoor seating is lovely and plentiful.

    However, it seems to be frequented by trendy angry kids, and some of the staff can be apathetic, but not always. The rotating art in the various rooms is an excellent local and creative touch. Great place for conversation and caffeine.

  • Review from mel r.

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    • 402 friends
    • 693 reviews

    Emeryville, CA

    5.0 star rating
    3/26/2009

    Picture if you will...A beautiful sunny day on the coast, a coffee house, in a college town, Hippies-I mean, Hipsters-I mean, a variety of people...beers, ample seating, a deck to frolic on in the sun, zombie art on the walls(theme for a show) and a tall-bearded-tattooed-skinny-hotter-than-fried-chi cken-in black-rimmed-glasses-no less coffee dude

    Coffee Dude: (slight smirk, soft voice like butta) Can I help you?
    Tall-tattooed-sour-face-sandy-vag-girl aka Me: mumble grumble grrrr Mocha...grrr spat mean blarg
    CD: What?! (leans in a bit closer)
    ME: mumble...get naked plzkthx...MOCHA, no whip

    I don't think he got the subtle sexy eye bombs I was dropping...probably because I was staring at his crotch when he wasn't looking. Yes, I am that juvenile.

    I think said coffee dude was kind of sweet on me...cause my mocha was CHOCOLATY, good lord; just open a vein and inject the sugar for my A.D.D. retard rush...OR maybe with my sour demeanor, he figured I could use a little extra sweetness for fear of biting his head off; which I totally wouldn't have! I'm super sweet and nice like cotton candy, yo.

    It was nice to be able to enjoy the people watching and soak up the sun on their deck...next time, it'll be a beer

  • Review from Carlin F.

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    • 0 friends
    • 18 reviews

    San Francisco, CA

    3.0 star rating
    7/28/2011

    Regulars love this place because you can smoke outside and they are pretty "happenin".  I'll admit, the outside seating is nice as long as the smoke level is moderate and they have a nice selection of beers, although I'm not too impressed by their coffees or staff, who are nice but are often spacey and don't remember your order from 5 seconds ago.  They have the worst smelling bathroom in Santa Cruz and the floor inside is uneven so watch your step.

    If you're a hipster or Santa Cruz weirdo, this is your kind of place.

  • Review from Jennifer O.

    •  
    • 282 friends
    • 109 reviews

    London

    UK
    5.0 star rating
    1/12/2009

    Oh, sweet sweet Cafe Perg.  Why oh why can't I commute to you every morning from San Francisco?

    The Perg has EVERYTHING that a cafe should have.  FANTASTIC coffee, plenty of seating, lots of plugs for computers, free WiFi, bitchy (in a good way) yet funny and attentive staff.  Also, rotating art, a funky vibe......seriously, my ALL TIME FAVE CAFE.  In the Universe.  I wish I could give it SIX, TEN Stars!

  • Review from Ravena F.

    Daly City, CA

    4.0 star rating
    7/20/2007

    The coffee is great, the food is ok.  But really I go here for REAL whipped cream on mochas (& other things, including body parts - if you're extra nice).

    Avoid the bathrooms if possible.

    This is my favorite cafe in Santa Cruz, now that Java House (RIP) is no more.

  • Review from shannon c.

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    • 149 friends
    • 286 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    4.0 star rating
    12/9/2007

    Coffee and beer ?? If they served croque madames or maybe even a good soup, I might never leave.

    I used to accompany my friend here for study dates. She goes to UCSC, and is finishing up a degree in sociology, so she actually got some reading and writing done. My idea of studying tends to be Googling obscure British holidays that we can celebrate with the consumption of fine British ales. I can do that at Perg with a Newcastle in hand ! Yum !

    Some of the staff have that Santa Cruz Problem, ie they are above providing good customer service. But there's a guy who works here that's a little older (may be the manager ?) who tells me everytime I buy a beer that he used to live in Campbell. He's kinda sassy, and I like that.

    I think San Jose needs a place like this, but without hipsters.

  • Review from Heather J.

    •  
    • 50 friends
    • 121 reviews

    Bay Area

    5.0 star rating
    9/27/2010

    Despite the hipster stares that you'll receive as you walk up the stairs into Pergolesi, this place is awesome.

    I'm in love with their ice teas and hot teas. And I love sitting inside or outside and reading a book. Sometimes I prefer to sit inside because there is a ton of smokers that sit on the porch, but it's fun to sit out there and watch people walk by while you sip your coffee or tea.

    Warning: this place can be a little intimidating at first. But once you stop in you'll love it and you'll instantly want to become a regular.

    Also, their pastries and food are pretty yummy. And their coffee is reasonably priced.

    It's a wonderful place to study or hang out when you're in Santa Cruz.

  • Review from imelda j.

    •  
    • 88 friends
    • 198 reviews

    San Francisco, CA

    4.0 star rating
    11/6/2008

    Ah, Pergs.  

    This is a great place to hang out after a movie, dinner, do some school work, catch up on some reading or whatever your little heart desires.

    I popped on over here after a movie with my brother and a friend of mine.  After we left the theater, I couldn't remember where we were going until I recalled this cafe was where we were going.

    I love that it's an old house.  It was pretty chill on the night we stopped in.  We all got some tea and coffee, with a side of apple pie for me.  Yum stuff.  Free refill for tea as they give you another bag.  Nice.

    I was disappointed that the lamp at our table wasn't working, but it was ok.  Lots of local fliers for various Santa Cruzie things.  

    Come here if your Starbucks is closed and you want some local mom and pop shop vibe.  I totally prefer this place over Lulu Carpenter's over at the end of Pacific.  This place just feels more homey.  There's additional seating outside which is awesome because you feel like you're hanging out at your friend's patio.  Totally ideal on a warm night.  Did I mention they sell beer and wine?  Woot!

  • Review from Maitre D.

    •  
    • 14 friends
    • 62 reviews

    Portland, OR

    4.0 star rating
    4/19/2007

    I must confess that this is my favorite coffee shop in Santa Cruz (since the Ugly Mug isn't in Santa Cruz proper.) Yes, it's a hipster wasteland/paradise (depending on your perspective,) but they've got free wireless and if you can think through loud rock music, I found it a great place to cram (though finding a table to spread your books on can become impossible around mid-terms and finals.) I honestly don't remember if the coffee was good or not.
     Three great memories from Pergolesi:

    1.) They played the entire No Kill No Beep Beep album by Q and Not U load as fuck one day!!! That album fucking rocks!

    2.) A customer told an employee not to smoke so close to the door of the establishment and the employee told him "Fuck you, then leave!" I love defiant service workers.

    3.) An old man was smoking pot on the patio and kept through out shake for a nearby cat to eat. Awesome on so many levels!

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