Recognized by locals as one of the top restaurants in Aptos and Santa Cruz County, Bittersweet Bistro offers an American Bistro Cuisine style dinner menu with Mediterranean influences. Lunch served 11:30 am-2:00 pm and Dinner starting at 2:00 pm on our heated outdoor patio. Delicious food is a tradition for Bittersweet Bistro Chef and proprietor Thomas Vinolus, raised in the mid-west in a family t
hat celebrated life and love with food every day. His passion for food is apparent in his innovative menu, bright flavors and fresh, high-quality and natural ingredients. His artistry is obvious in the perfect presentation of every plate. Popular specialties include Fire Roasted Mission Fig Salad, Wild Salmon prepared with a strawberry-chipotle glaze and chili-garlic sauce, Chinese Long Beans and Sliders. Vinolus personally leads his kitchen and runs Bittersweet Bistro restaurant, tavern, catering/banquet facilities and Café Bittersweet, together with his best friend, life and business partner Elizabeth Vinolus. Their active daily management ensures consistent quality and service in every area of the business. Their newly completed remodeling project included a larger outdoor patio featuring elegant landscaping with fountain and Koi pond. Conveniently located right off the Rio Del Mar exit on Highway 1 in Aptos, the restaurant is open Wednesday-Sunday with dinner service starting at 2:00 pm served on our heated outdoor patio.