The 9 Best Morning Date Spots On The Central Coast

With miles of open coastline, temperate weather, and salty air, the Central Coast is a beautiful backdrop for dates. While spending every second of the day at the beach sounds like a great date to us, these standout coffee shops and eateries will relieve some of the pressure and give you a lot to talk about. Need inspo with date ideas on the Central Coast? There are dozens of noteworthy locales up and down the state, and we have rounded up the best of them so you can focus on that special someone. 

Hook and Press Donuts

Location: Santa Barbara

What’s better than a fresh donut in the morning? Santa Barbara’s Hook and Press is the perfect place to take a date for the most delicious and beautiful donuts around. While the brick-and-mortar location has only been open since October 2018, Hook and Press has already made a name for itself in the high-quality, scratch-made donut scene. 

With an ever-changing selection of donut flavors—such as Samoa cookie, bananas foster, strawberry lemonade, and browned butter—choosing a half dozen to share will provide you with an awesome Central Coast date idea and tons of information about your date. 

If the date goes well, start planning your California donut road trip and let the bonding continue.

Scout Coffee Co.

Location: San Luis Obispo

Walking into Scout Coffee Co. instantly feels like coming home. With floral wallpaper, wooden tables, fresh coffee aromas, and a tiled front counter, this cozy haven is a local favorite—and for good reason. Serving some of the best coffee in San Luis Obispo, scratch-made pastries, house-made syrups, and almond milk, Scout is an incredible spot for a date idea on the Central Coast and a place that can make anyone happy. 

The light and airy ambiance makes the cafe the perfect first date location, too. As a bonus, the coffee shop carries a curated selection of goods that you can peruse together to discover shared interests. After spending a few hours drinking sunshine lattes, gibraltars, or affogatos, take a quick stroll over to Bubblegum Alley, and experience one of San Luis Obispo’s hidden gems before walking around the rest of the town and continuing on your Central Coast date. 

Verve Coffee Roasters

Location: Santa Cruz

While Verve has become a household name for many coffee enthusiasts, as of 2007, the company was just getting its start on 41st Avenue in Santa Cruz. For a fun date idea on the Central Coast, delight your potential partner with a cruise along the Central Coast roads, a couple of hours on the beach, and a cup of coffee. 

Order the macchiato, cappuccino, or cafe au lait, and make them your own by adding soy milk and a boost of flavoring. Pair the best coffee in Santa Cruz with a biscuit served alongside seasonal jam or crowned with a poached egg, cheddar cheese, and prosciutto. Of course, the avocado toast is another crowd-pleaser that will make even the dullest of coffee dates a bit zestier.

Goddess Goods

Location: Morro Bay

For the vegans and vegetarians in your life, Goddess Goods is the place to be—and it has a lot more than espresso to offer. 

Try the everything bagel topped with basil hummus and avocado, or get the chipotle-walnut street tacos for something a little out of the ordinary. Wash it down with the fresh-pressed berry juice or the peach smoothie, and take a walk along the waters of Morro Bay for a Central Coast date idea you won’t soon forget.

Captain + Stoker

Location: Monterey

Named after the two positions on a tandem bicycle, Captain + Stoker serves as an ideal date spot. Situated near the waterfront, about a mile south of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, this coffee shop serves up some of the best cups of joe in Monterey and allows customers to enjoy the beauty of the region without getting bogged down with traffic. 

Whether you and your date are bicycle enthusiasts or coffee aficionados, this quaint coffeehouse is a great place for a laid-back date in the morning or afternoon. Opt for an iced americano, a cortado, or an oat-milk latte as you sit back in the rustic space, enjoy each other’s company, and plan your very own tandem-bike adventures to take the best Central Coast date idea to the next level.

COAST Big Sur

Location: Big Sur

Is your date interested in the arts? COAST Big Sur has a history that they’ll definitely appreciate. Established in 1958, the original Coast Gallery was once a refuge for artists and writers who migrated to Big Sur after World War II. Having been sold and transformed into a new space a few times throughout its tumultuous history, this lovely cafe only got acquired by its current owners back in 2016.

For a super fun and artsy date idea on the Central Coast, pop into the COAST Big Sur gallery to admire the objects on display, grab a cup of coffee or chai, and drive out to the scenic Big Sur coast for a breakfast with a view—what could be better? 

Bob’s Well Bread Bakery

Location: Los Alamos 

Bob’s Well Bread Bakery is appreciated by those who value simple, hand-made food prepared with the finest ingredients. If you and your date are not early morning people, you’ll love the fact that this cool Los Alamos spot serves breakfast until 3:00 p.m. Plan a late lunch (or brunch), savor fresh pastries and coffee, and bond over your love of loaves as you enjoy a simple yet sweet date idea on the Central Coast.

Kreuzberg California

Location: San Luis Obispo

Ever wondered what the amalgamation of the cool and vibrant Kreuzberg neighborhood of Berlin and the chill breezy lifestyle of San Luis Obispo would look like? The answer would likely be something close to Kreuzberg California. Opened in Downtown S.L.O. in 2010 with the exact same concept in mind, this creative space is an awesome backdrop for a date idea on the Central Coast. We’re obsessed with Kreuzberg California’s breakfast burritos and love the wide array of vegan options available as well!

Palm and Boy Coffee and Acai

Location: Ventura

How does a fresh bowl of acai sound in the morning? Well, no one does it better than Palm and Boy Coffee and Acai in Ventura. Serving delicious, colorful, and highly Instagrammable meals and treats, this cool spot is the perfect place to kick off a Central Coast date idea.

Before you head out to explore the thriving arts and culture scene in Ventura and kick back by the beach, grab a seat in the coffee shop’s super cute, fairy light-adorned courtyard—it’ll definitely impress a date.