The Little Swiss Cafe

Unique and quaint atmosphere , nice music and excellent service! Beautiful paintings and architecture , we absolutely loved having breakfast here — eggs Benedict is an absolute must! Right in the heart of Carmel-by-the - sea ! :)

This place was incredibly lovely, my husband and I really enjoyed the atmosphere with great music, the cheery/kind help, delicious food . Cheese blintzes were amazing and so was my savory breakfast and fresh orange juice.

Cute spot to have a delicious breakfast! The waffles were amazing, but a regular recommends the eggs benedict. Don’t skip the apple strudel!

One of our favorite breakfast places in Carmel. Highly recommend their Eggs Benedict! Their pancakes are spongy and fluffy and worth trying. Thank you for the great friendly service!

This sweet European style cafe was a unique surprise! The staff treats you like family, the food is tasty, generous, and served promptly. The artwork is charming and if you look carefully at the four seasons mural, you'll be delighted to find familiar characters! You won't be disappointed.

Some of the best breakfast I had in a long time. I had the corn beef hash, eggs and a waffle. The waffle was the best I've had in a very long time. The cheese blitz I shared was amazing too. As long as you're patient and realize this is a very small very busy establishment with limited staff. You'll definitely enjoy anything you order. Just don't be in a rush.

Love the food and the humor in the murals. The hollandaise sauce is rich, creamy, lemony and generously poured on the eggs Benedict.

+6

A charming and bustling cafe in the heart of the city. There are MANY food options downtown, but this place had a line out the door. We didn’t have to wait too long for a table and the food was absolutely worth the short wait. I see why they jar and sell the hollandaise… amazing! We were all completely satisfied by the food, atmosphere and service.

Someone posted here that it was the best eggs benedict they ever had and I concur absolutely delicious with lemon Tangy Hollandaise sauce service attentive and impeccable Charming little place in Carmel

Everything in our order was so good. Top notch Swiss pancakes, bacon, pork sausage, eggs, potatoes, and coffee(regular and decaf). It amazes me how they made every ordinary item so good. Five stars for food. Wait and service might be a bit slow so do plan enough time and be patient.

Friendly service, warming atmosphere. I had pecan waffles that were deliciously out of this world! My husband had pancakes that were incredibly delicious! Would definitely come back

Amazing experience from start to finish! We were seated right away, and after ordering. Our food was served very quickly after ordering. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive making sure my coffee was always refilled, which I really appreciated!! Everything we ate was absolutely delicious. The only downside is how small the café is. I just wish it were bigger because it’s so good! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Carmel. P.S. Try the pancakes!!!

Heard rumors of the greatness of this little cafe, and craved an amazing Carmel breakfast. Although we came back from the walk on the beach a bit late and had to wait for 30 minutes for a table, it was well worth it! The menu has many options, but once I saw the blintzes there was no turning back. A bit of a large sweet portion, we also got the salmon benedict and split it for breakfast and the blintzes for dessert. Perfect combination.

Been coming here since I was a kid. Best waffles in town. They are light, fluffy & crispy. Service is always great, but expect a wait for a table! Come early and put your name in.

Stumbled upon this lovely Cafe and we were captivated by the food, ambience and overall service! All day breakfast mean and the Apple strudel were soul warming. Perfect brunch in a cool autumn day :) it’s low-key but 100% cozy like a warm blanket.

This is a wonderful place with such a flavorful homemade food. They treat you with free coffee in the morning and they have classical music playing from the speakers. The Little Swiss Cafe looks great inside, like a little gallery. I definitely recommend

10/10 - the food was excellent. We got the tuna salad sandwich, and it was SO fresh and tasty. The eggs Benedict were the best I've ever had, and the cheese blintzes were AMAZING. The staff was incredibly nice. We found the hostess to be hilarious, and our waiter was incredibly nice and offered awesome recommendations.

We enjoyed an absolutely wonderful breakfast at this charming restaurant. My Eggs Benedict were cooked to perfection-the best I have ever had. The ambiance is delightful, and the service was outstanding. I can't recommend the Little Swiss Cafe highly enough...

The Little Swiss is a quaint cafe the transports you to a small home in Switzerland. The staff is super friendly and the food is absolutely delicious. The hot chocolate is the right balance of rich and sweet even with the whipped cream. The French Toast is amazing, but the Cheeze Blintzes were definitely that star of breakfast. Highly recommend when in Carmel!

The best egg Benedict I've ever had! Got the spinach Benedict with breakfast cubed potatoes instead of the hash. Oh wow! And a side of one cheese crepe just because it looked so good and I wanted to try it but not a full order. The inside is adorable and transports you to a cozy Swiss Cafe. Just love this place. Note to owners: Please consider expanding with a location in Chicago!! ❤️

This place was really good. The portion size was perfect for us. The cheese blintzes are a must try. All of their breakfast items looked great but I went for the classic breakfast with their corned beefhash. We loved the art work in this little cafe, that paired with the great food totally makes it worth a visit.

If you like egg Benedict and you are in Carmel, you have to eat here. EB are my favorite and for sure I can say, this are top rated. I don’t know how they do the hollandaise sauce put it’s the best . Order for the first time the Cheese Blintzes (there wasn’t time for a picture, we devoured it) if you like sweet with your breakfast, order it.

The croissants were delicious. Eggs Benedict with Lox was yummy. Freshly squeezed orange juice, as well. Definitely going there again. Friendly staff. Beautiful location. A ‘must’ in Carmel.

Melany Vazquez

Amazing experience from start to finish! We were seated right away, and after ordering. Our food was served very quickly after ordering. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive making sure my coffee was always refilled, which I really appreciated!! Everything we ate was absolutely delicious. The only downside is how small the café is. I just wish it were bigger because it’s so good! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Carmel. P.S. Try the pancakes!!!

Max B

Heard rumors of the greatness of this little cafe, and craved an amazing Carmel breakfast. Although we came back from the walk on the beach a bit late and had to wait for 30 minutes for a table, it was well worth it! The menu has many options, but once I saw the blintzes there was no turning back. A bit of a large sweet portion, we also got the salmon benedict and split it for breakfast and the blintzes for dessert. Perfect combination.

Makena Berchem

Been coming here since I was a kid. Best waffles in town. They are light, fluffy & crispy. Service is always great, but expect a wait for a table! Come early and put your name in.

Анастасія Харитон

This is a wonderful place with such a flavorful homemade food. They treat you with free coffee in the morning and they have classical music playing from the speakers. The Little Swiss Cafe looks great inside, like a little gallery. I definitely recommend

Pauline Sanchez

Stumbled upon this lovely Cafe and we were captivated by the food, ambience and overall service! All day breakfast mean and the Apple strudel were soul warming. Perfect brunch in a cool autumn day :) it’s low-key but 100% cozy like a warm blanket.

Carissa Marie Photography

10/10 - the food was excellent. We got the tuna salad sandwich, and it was SO fresh and tasty. The eggs Benedict were the best I've ever had, and the cheese blintzes were AMAZING. The staff was incredibly nice. We found the hostess to be hilarious, and our waiter was incredibly nice and offered awesome recommendations.

Eric Kritz

We enjoyed an absolutely wonderful breakfast at this charming restaurant. My Eggs Benedict were cooked to perfection-the best I have ever had. The ambiance is delightful, and the service was outstanding. I can't recommend the Little Swiss Cafe highly enough...

Gerson Reynoza

The Little Swiss is a quaint cafe the transports you to a small home in Switzerland. The staff is super friendly and the food is absolutely delicious. The hot chocolate is the right balance of rich and sweet even with the whipped cream. The French Toast is amazing, but the Cheeze Blintzes were definitely that star of breakfast. Highly recommend when in Carmel!

Anna D

The best egg Benedict I've ever had! Got the spinach Benedict with breakfast cubed potatoes instead of the hash. Oh wow! And a side of one cheese crepe just because it looked so good and I wanted to try it but not a full order. The inside is adorable and transports you to a cozy Swiss Cafe. Just love this place. Note to owners: Please consider expanding with a location in Chicago!! ❤️

Joshua Cantu

This place was really good. The portion size was perfect for us. The cheese blintzes are a must try. All of their breakfast items looked great but I went for the classic breakfast with their corned beefhash. We loved the art work in this little cafe, that paired with the great food totally makes it worth a visit.

angelika ramallo

If you like egg Benedict and you are in Carmel, you have to eat here. EB are my favorite and for sure I can say, this are top rated. I don’t know how they do the hollandaise sauce put it’s the best . Order for the first time the Cheese Blintzes (there wasn’t time for a picture, we devoured it) if you like sweet with your breakfast, order it.

So nice to return after 3 or 4 years and have the same excellent crepe-like chocolate chip pancakes! Filled a dinner plate! The savory part of this couple had the special of the day: Bagels and lox. Superb! And so much! Wonderful wedges of cream cheese, bountiful lox, capers, tomato and red onion. Build your own or savor each separately. Very attentive and gracious service. A lovely place for locals and visitors!

I went here. I was so glad we ended up here. I asked a man down the street where to go for breakfast, and this place was the recommendation. Gabrielle, the hostess, was so inviting and amazing, and our server Cathy was great. Food was off the charts good. Was it expensive? Don't ask that question. Ask: Do I love and respect myself to have a life-altering breakfast experience? And it was for us. Thank you Lil Swissies.

Amazing place for brunch! The food is amazing great classics and the service is spectacular. Very loved by locals for a reason. Our hostess Gabi was so sweet snd the entire staff is very attentive and kind.

This is a stellar breakfast spot and you can safely ignore the 1-star review if you are not an entitled person who feels you should be able to bring strollers or dogs into such a tiny space (having the latter inside a restaurant is always yucko anyway). Their waffle is the best I’ve had, including on trips to Belgium, and the pancakes are mind-blowing. The food has been reliable over at least 10 years, and so has the service

DMA

This is a stellar breakfast spot and you can safely ignore the 1-star review if you are not an entitled person who feels you should be able to bring strollers or dogs into such a tiny space (having the latter inside a restaurant is always yucko anyway). Their waffle is the best I’ve had, including on trips to Belgium, and the pancakes are mind-blowing. The food has been reliable over at least 10 years, and so has the service

Jessie Wang

Everything in our order was so good. Top notch Swiss pancakes, bacon, pork sausage, eggs, potatoes, and coffee(regular and decaf). It amazes me how they made every ordinary item so good. Five stars for food. Wait and service might be a bit slow so do plan enough time and be patient.

The food was quite good overall, though the hot chocolate didn’t quite hit the mark

Excellent food and service. Expect to wait for a table on the weekends but it's worth the wait. French dip sandwich was great as were the breakfast burrito and the Denver omelet. Hash browns were especially great as well as the homemade raisin toast.

Cute little spot for breakfast. Staff is very nice and friendly. Had some egg shells in my food so I can’t give it a 5-star, but would still recommend.

Coming from Switzerland we absolutely had to visit the little Swiss chalet. Really liked the ambiance and little funny details hidden in the mural painting. Great place for kids, I would imagine. We had pancakes with eggs and beacon and blinis with strawberries. Blinis turned out to be stuffed crepes. We didn’t like the pancakes because they didn’t really taste like pancakes. Overall food was good but not amazing.

This is great little place to grab a bite to eat. The staff is friendly and warm. The food was great and the prices were fair. If you're looking for a quick bite to eat, give it a try!

I always enjoy coming down to Carmel at least once a year. I went here by myself for once and I enjoyed the service. The food was very solid, of course beating your typical breakfast spots (ie: Denny’s, Norm’s, etc) in terms of quality and flavour. I came on a very quiet day (Tuesday morning) and it was very relaxing. It just took very long for some reason to get my bill, but other than that I would still come here again

Delicious breakfast. Excellent eggs Benedict. Place can get packed so service can be slow at times. 40minute wait time. Make sure you sign your name to the wait list. Street parking only.

Eric Rivera

Delicious breakfast. Excellent eggs Benedict. Place can get packed so service can be slow at times. 40minute wait time. Make sure you sign your name to the wait list. Street parking only.

Wednesday Campanella

This is great little place to grab a bite to eat. The staff is friendly and warm. The food was great and the prices were fair. If you're looking for a quick bite to eat, give it a try!

Mik Alvarez

I always enjoy coming down to Carmel at least once a year. I went here by myself for once and I enjoyed the service. The food was very solid, of course beating your typical breakfast spots (ie: Denny’s, Norm’s, etc) in terms of quality and flavour. I came on a very quiet day (Tuesday morning) and it was very relaxing. It just took very long for some reason to get my bill, but other than that I would still come here again

Frankly, we only went there because the place where we wanted to have brunch had an hour long line.... This place has zero line. It's a regular diner and a "swiss" in its name. Haven't enjoyed my food at all, blintzes were liquid. Service was ok.

This place is decent, comparable to other breakfast spots in the area. Its catchy name likely attracts a lot of customers. However, there can be a wait for a table, especially on Sundays when service might feel a bit slower, or they just short staffed. Food is good

G K

This place is decent, comparable to other breakfast spots in the area. Its catchy name likely attracts a lot of customers. However, there can be a wait for a table, especially on Sundays when service might feel a bit slower, or they just short staffed. Food is good

Okay some may say my mistake was ordering a Mexican dish in a Swiss cafe.. but my goodness were they sooo off the mark in every way. See picture for reference of the “huevos rancheros”. Not only was the presentation laughable but it also tasted like canned refried beans and store bought side salsa and guacamole. It was honestly the worst breakfast I’ve ever had. The waitress did try to warn me. She mentioned that everything was served on the side and “some people don’t like that.” She was SO right! We also ordered their Cheese Blintzes and they forgot to give us the side of fresh strawberry jam on 3 of our orders! The restaurant itself is cute inside but tightly packed. Honestly the 2 stars are for the kind and lovely waitress who tried to warn me about my order and because she so kindly provided books to my 10 month old. She deserves 5 stars. The food deserves one at most.

Priscilla

Okay some may say my mistake was ordering a Mexican dish in a Swiss cafe.. but my goodness were they sooo off the mark in every way. See picture for reference of the “huevos rancheros”. Not only was the presentation laughable but it also tasted like canned refried beans and store bought side salsa and guacamole. It was honestly the worst breakfast I’ve ever had. The waitress did try to warn me. She mentioned that everything was served on the side and “some people don’t like that.” She was SO right! We also ordered their Cheese Blintzes and they forgot to give us the side of fresh strawberry jam on 3 of our orders! The restaurant itself is cute inside but tightly packed. Honestly the 2 stars are for the kind and lovely waitress who tried to warn me about my order and because she so kindly provided books to my 10 month old. She deserves 5 stars. The food deserves one at most.

I had a very unpleasant experience at this restaurant. There were flies sitting on the food, and when pointed it out, the staff simply said “nothing can be done here.” This is completely unacceptable from a food safety and hygiene standpoint. I was not offered any replacement or apology, which shows a serious lack of responsibility and basic standards. I will be reporting this incident to the local health department, as such conditions pose a potential health risk to customers. I hope the management takes immediate corrective action to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

Charming breakfast place. Loved the murals on the wall look closely you will find fun little surprises hidden in the paintings. Food was excellent. Service was excellent. We ordered a Belgian waffle, a omelette, some egg whites with home fries. All hit the spot. We are from the East coast so probably won’t get back anytime soon but if we lived in Carmel we’d be regulars.

If you are non-white and have kids, this is not a place for you! Save your time and money and go somewhere else!! Long wait, flies on food, and rude service — definitely not worth it. We waited nearly an hour for a “30-minute” wait time, got seated next to the kitchen/bathrooms, and dealt with flies around our food. Here are the details: We visited for brunch today and were told the wait would be around 30 minutes, but we ended up waiting almost an hour. It seemed they were holding out to give us a booth since we had a toddler, though we would have been perfectly fine with a regular table if a high chair was available (which it wasn’t). Eventually, we were seated in a corner booth next to the bathrooms and kitchen — not ideal, and it made us feel the place isn’t very kid-friendly. There were also flies around our table and on our food. When we asked if something could be done, they simply offered us to-go boxes — which honestly felt dismissive after waiting so long just to sit down for brunch. The service was another low point. Our main server (a tall white male) was curt and impatient — interrupting us mid-order, snatching menus away, and generally acting rude. The rest of the staff seemed polite, but his behavior really left a bad impression. Lastly, we noticed that everyone else was served ice water, while we were automatically given plain water without being asked. Maybe it’s a small thing, but it felt like they made an assumption based on our appearance (we’re brown). Looking at previous reviews it is confirmed that this place is racist! Food was okay, but the long wait, flies, and poor service completely ruined the experience. We won’t be returning.

Bhawna Arora

If you are non-white and have kids, this is not a place for you! Save your time and money and go somewhere else!! Long wait, flies on food, and rude service — definitely not worth it. We waited nearly an hour for a “30-minute” wait time, got seated next to the kitchen/bathrooms, and dealt with flies around our food. Here are the details: We visited for brunch today and were told the wait would be around 30 minutes, but we ended up waiting almost an hour. It seemed they were holding out to give us a booth since we had a toddler, though we would have been perfectly fine with a regular table if a high chair was available (which it wasn’t). Eventually, we were seated in a corner booth next to the bathrooms and kitchen — not ideal, and it made us feel the place isn’t very kid-friendly. There were also flies around our table and on our food. When we asked if something could be done, they simply offered us to-go boxes — which honestly felt dismissive after waiting so long just to sit down for brunch. The service was another low point. Our main server (a tall white male) was curt and impatient — interrupting us mid-order, snatching menus away, and generally acting rude. The rest of the staff seemed polite, but his behavior really left a bad impression. Lastly, we noticed that everyone else was served ice water, while we were automatically given plain water without being asked. Maybe it’s a small thing, but it felt like they made an assumption based on our appearance (we’re brown). Looking at previous reviews it is confirmed that this place is racist! Food was okay, but the long wait, flies, and poor service completely ruined the experience. We won’t be returning.

F Craig

Charming breakfast place. Loved the murals on the wall look closely you will find fun little surprises hidden in the paintings. Food was excellent. Service was excellent. We ordered a Belgian waffle, a omelette, some egg whites with home fries. All hit the spot. We are from the East coast so probably won’t get back anytime soon but if we lived in Carmel we’d be regulars.