Ebb Tide Cafe

Aw, I’m so sad to hear this placed closed. It was absolutely magical. A cozy little water front café with a horizon of waves to treat the eyes and soothing jazz to treat the ears. The upstairs music venue hosted spectacular national acts. Thanks so much to Pete Douglas (RIP) and all the rest who made this place happen.

Unfortunately the ebb tide building is going though an «owner transition» and the business is closed.
Thanks to Mary B for the update — very sorry to hear the news.

This is a small quiet get-​away to sip on a latte, reflect and do some journaling. Stare out at the ocean. Be at peace. The lady at the front was really friendly — she even offered band-​aids, peroxide and rags to some bikers looking for help after a spill. Don’t come if you’re hungry, although the oatmeal raisin cookie was quite tasty — there’s not much else but a few pastries.

Quintessentially, kick back, pick a book from the shelf, take in the surf and chill, Californian. Unpretentious, seemed popular with locals. Very reasonable prices. Moist cake, buttery crisp biscuits. Felt so at home here, nice people, didn’t want to leave. Beach level and raised deck.

Great, friendly and awesome place to relax! Beautiful view as well on the coast! Quaint atmosphere and good for groups! And don’t forget to bring your cash; cash only!

This is by far my favorite coffee spot in the bay area to relax and read a book next to the ocean.
This modest and otherwise overlooked coffee shop is tucked away from the crowds of Half Moon Bay and is nestled in «Douglas Beach House» also home to the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society with regular live jazz shows upstairs.
The owner is an avid jazz fan, so 9 times out of 10 there’s some variation of jazz music playing on the stereo and if he’s around he’s usually more than happy to give you the full back story.
The cakes and cookies are always baked fresh locally, and they always have a great selection — from gluten free almond pear cake to a crescent shaped chocolate chip biscuit.
The coffee shop sits directly across from the bay, where the waves crash into the rocks below, providing a soothing backdrop to a relaxing afternoon. There’s usually plenty of seating outside, which is great when the weather is good, and some comfortable indoor seating for when it’s not or when you want to read a book with some jazz in the background.
Just a heads up, you’ll want to bring some cash, as it is cash only, but this small inconvenience is completely justified by the unique and relaxing experience this spot provides.

In all honesty I don’t think I can actually call this place a real café. Came here with an out of town guest for the purpose of them enjoying a hot drink at the beach.
Unfortunately when we tried to order the lady at the counter said that their latte machine was broken. I ended up not ordering anything, but reluctantly stayed, because of my friend.
I know that crap happens and you just can’t control sudden incidents, but if your serious about running a business you have to have some kind of backup.
My friend went back inside and ordered a cookie and a hot coffee and it took him almost 20 minutes to come back to the table. I don’t know about everyone else, but this is not my idea of how a business should be run.
Overall I’m not at all impressed. This experience was extremely underwhelming and I probably won’t be coming back.

Love it. And all baked calories are home or homes style. selection varies per visit. sadly, the owner declines to open other than on Saturdays and Sundays.
love the atmosphere. keep going back.

beautiful view and warm service. great place where you can get coffee and cake and just relax. it’s cash only! but the hostess was so nice she gave me free coffee even though i didn’t have any cash. next time, i’ll take a book with me, sit on one of the comfy couches and just read for a couple of hours. definitely worth the drive from SF, Unilocal — what did i do before you!

An absolutely lovely café on the beach at Bay. The staff are friendly, and you can tell they take pride in the organic feel of the place– couches to relax on, books to peruse at your leisure, relaxing jazz/​blues against the sound of the waves… simply wonderful. There is no internet there– as the server responded when I inquired «we don’t have internet, but we have the ocean.»

Ocean facing café. The menu is simple. The staff are friendly. There is inside and outside seating, and you still have great views from the inside. There is music and many books inside to hang out. We had a nice hot chocolate with various syrup options.

We were cycling along Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail and decide to stop at Ebb Tide Café for coffee and maybe Ice cream. They don’t have ice cream but they have very delicious Coffee cake. The owner is very friendly and show us the trail beyond Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail. It is a hidden gem at HMB.

A nineteen-​year old student of mine recently mentioned that 2011 marks the coming-​of-​age of the first generation of adults who have never experienced life without home internet. «I remember life without the internet,» I said lightly (thinking, «well, duh.») «Really?» he answered, «What was that like?»
Well, before the internet, we found great out-​of-​the-​way spots like Ebb Tide Café only by rare accident. Now, we can find them on Unilocal,get directions, and seek them out. And that is how I ended up at Ebb Tide Café, which I would never have found on my own, given that it’s off a side street in Half Moon Bay and is open only two days a week. As other reviewers have noted, the café is really part of a music club that hosts concerts upstairs. The sign out front invites «members, guests, and visitors.» And as you walk in, it does feel like you’re walking into someone’s private home or a private, laid-​back club. The woman at the counter is warm and friendly. And the lattes were surprisingly good – I didn’t think a café that’s only open a few hours two days a week would have quality espresso.
One of the best points about Ebb Tide Café is its location. It is literally right on the beach. Like steps away. This is actually a coastside rarity. You can sit inside and listen to music during one of Half Moon Bay’s many foggy days or sit on the deck, enjoy the view, turn off your phone, relax, and imagine you’re living the easy pre-​internet life.

The Ebb Tide is the most charming establishment on the Pacific Rim.
Just across the narrow lane from Miramar Beach, the Ebb Tide is so close to the ocean that it could be swept away in the tide were it not for a solid foundation. And while a floating café may be surreal experience that I’d love to Unilocal about, I’d prefer to enjoy my java on terra firma. I wouldn’t want the hundreds of books that make this café a delight to disintegrate in saltwater, or the music box piping in the luscious bossa nova to short circuit.
These are the cultural treasures to be found at the Ebb Tide, but there’s an impressionistic atmosphere to take in with your coffee and pastry too. It’s difficult to describe, but in broad and undefined strokes the café invited me to slow down, kick back, shut up, and breathe. And smell the coffee. Perhaps the reason that the café is only open on weekends is that those are weekend verbs, pushed to the bookends of our week while we’re buzzing about during our paying gigs.
Sit on the patio as the fog rolls in, out, or just stays put. While drinking your coffee you’ll notice that the warmth emanating from the cup of the black gold pushes the fog back and you’ll see a halo around your cup.
Magic happens here.

You don’t come here for the coffee, per se. You come here for the genuine, caring service, cool 70s vibe and excellent beach front view! This beach unit with patio sums up what small Northern California beach towns are known for: its charm and laid back character. The weather-​beaten exterior fronts a cozy interior.
They are only open on the weekends, and it is probably a good idea to phone ahead just in case. It is like visiting someone’s weekend beach house… complete with patio and piped in background muzac/​vibraphone/​neo-​bossa nova tunes.
Coffee runs about $ 2 a cup, and there is an espresso maker. They sell pre-​made cakes and muffins (ie. they are not made on the premises).
My husband forgot how cold the coast can be in July when that coastal fog creeps in and never leaves. So I asked if they had a «lost and found» coat box so that we could borrow something to sit outside. The kind lady let us use her own fleece! How is that for service?
So relaxing. Just what the doctor ordered. I loved watching those sea birds divebomb unsuspecting fish.

— Surreal like a dream —
Can hardly believe this tiny, «blink and you’ll miss it» place exists!
+ Wonderfully small. When I was here, there was room for 5 or 6 at a larger table, 3 on a couch, 2 on wicker chairs, and 2 at a smaller table. Add 4 four-​tops outside and youve got a cozy little place for no more than a couple dozen people. Low ceilings make it seem even more intimate. Five other people are here as I write this review and there’s a pleasant background buzz of conversation.
+ Small but nice. Pretty wood interior. BRIGHTLY lit and without any lights — the walls are almost all glass so all the light comes from outside. Perfect mix of nice but not too nice. («Too nice» = some of the houses surrounding the café.) Feels like a well-​loved beach retreat house.
+ My blueberry apple bran muffin wasnt overly sweet like most muffins are — this really surprised me. It had real fruit in it to boot.
+ Warm, friendly service. Not overly talkative but i felt welcome. Offered to warm my muffin which I happily accepted. She also struck up conversations with other folks there.
+ Music at the perfect volume. Laidback. Jazz when i walked in, later covers by a soulful female singer. I Shazamed it and of course was a singer not mainstream enough to be Shazamed. Asked the woman behind the counter: a singer named Tessa Souter who sang here a while ago.
* Coffee was hot and I liked it. But I don’t like extremely strong coffee (not a Peets fan) so your mileage may vary on the coffee.
— The fact they call themselves a club and suggest donations for the food and drink might be a little confusing. The lady behind the counter said there was no difference between this and a standard café.
— They serve the muffin and mocha in disposable ware (styrofoam cups still exist in the Bay Area? Woulda thought they would have burned all cups and owners of said cups by now ;-)). Would have preferred real mugs and plates. Even then, I found it quaint — as if it felt I were at someone’s house. Must be the influence of the buzzy conversation, soft jazz enveloping everything.
++ Silly me, of course, one of the biggest positives — the view. And the fact that this tiny little building has windows for walls means you see outside from anywhere.
A couple other notes after I striking up a brief conversation with Geraldine, the lady behind the counter.
* Hours are Sat, Sun, 10a to 7p during the summer. They are not open on the weekdays.
* The founder of the café and the upstairs concert venue (Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society — for a tiny venue, they’ve pulled in HUGE names in jazz over the years — check out the Unilocal review) is a guy named Pete Douglas. He’s been running the place for over 40 years.
* Geraldine herself doesn’t «work» at the Ebb Tide Café. She volunteers her time there.
* Geraldine truly seems to enjoy her time there. I was the last customer leaving and when I returned to ask her about the Ebb Tide hours, she was eating an orange outside and watching the sun go down.

An amazing little place to park yourself and soak in a little sun and reflect on life. Perfect if you bring a book, laptop (wifi), and a friend. Be warned though, bring some sun-​screen because this place has a great view for an the afternoon but you’ll cook in your blissful state without even knowing. I’m brown and I still got sunburned.
If you’re in the area or want to hang out along the coast, it’s a perfect little space to spend some time at. Went and grabbed dinner at Gibraltar afterwards — makes for a nice afternoon.

An ideal place to gather one’s thoughts on a late afternoon (caffeine and the ocean sunset view equally inspire). Going for it are the good coffee, reliable wifi, comfortable indoor/​outdoor seating options, and cozy interior.
Keeping it from being perfect are the inconsistent hours (call before coming) and the fact that they seem to run out of food items fairly early in the day.

It’s so beautiful here. I’m at the café, so you know that there is an internet signal, ’cause I’m using it! There is a lovely set up inside. Wood paneling, but in a good way, with a comfy and well-​cared for couch, and little tables. There is a big power strip behind two cute plants. There is a big red rug. The place is light and bright and there is excellent jazz music playing. Outside are tables and benches at which to sit. The view is spectacular. I adore the view. It is perfect for a day trip from San Francisco.
I encourage you to do what we did: take Rt. 1 down the coast, stop at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (Moss Beach, CA) and hike a ½ a mile or less to see the cute as can be seals and play in the tide pools, mini rock climb, and walk along the beach. See families, couples, and friends lounge and play as you get back in your car and head farther south to Half Moon Bay, where you search for this fabulously cute café downstairs from the Bach Dancing & Dynamite society right right right on the beach. Spend hours drinking mochas made with Nesquick and studying (or chatting). A perfect day!

We love this place, but be aware it’s not for everyone — the service is easily overwhelmed if several customers show up at the same time, and the menu is pretty limited (and seems to vary a lot). Don’t count on having a big lunch here. It’s basically non-​profit, so they are (currently) only open on weekends, and then only when they feel like it.
The best part is the live concert venue upstairs: the Bach, Dancing & Dynamite Society, which has separate (five-​star) reviews, nd live concerts most Sunday afternoons.