Ad Astra Bread Co. - Monterey

Vibe and quality are good! But $11.5 for a bread is too much.

Just went there for the first time.Great place to see the bakers.Bought the Rye bread and the Olive loaf...both AMAZING!!!As good as Tartine in SF!

Went here and had a cardamom bun. It was decent and the price was 5$. Service was ok but it was kind of slow.Make sure you know they include a 15% “service fee” on all charges and then ask if you want to leave a tip on the iPad.I will probably go to Alta over this place for pastry only because the service charge is annoying. They should just make the prices all higher so that you don’t think you are paying 5$ for something when in reality it’s 5.75 without any choice.

Having lived in SF, NYC, Tokyo LA… i actively hunt for the best bakeries and take it seriously. Are the pastries good? no doubt! I was very impressed with their selection as well as their knowledgeable staff that helped guide us with our three choices.but.I was very surprised to see an auto 15% “service” charge on ALL sales, takeaway or not, and the ipad still prompts you with a tip suggestion starting at another 15%. especially since each pastry was nearly $6.50 EACH, it all seemed a bit excessive.Although the staff was friendly, having 5 staff behind the counter on a late Monday morning was very surprising.I hope they reconsider their auto “service” charge soon.

Something has changed besides the location. I used to crave their bread, especially the sourdough and the seeded sourdough. When cutting the bread loaf into slices, it used to be more supple and airy and sticky. It would get moldy on day four if any of it was left. Now, it is more dense, less airy, and not as sticky. I had the loaf of sourdough bread sitting in my cobert for 8 days and not one moldy spot on it. They must have started using preservatives and slightly changed the recipe. Yet, I will purchase it again.