Downtown
Hoffman’s
Smells a bit like the inside of an old vacuum cleaner. Seems threadbare. Hard to imagine this was a project on “Restaurant: Impossible” just a couple of years ago. It didn’t stick.
Lillian’s
Great little local italian restaurant. Nice enough to be an “event” restaurant for one of our birthdays, but reasonable enough to go there spur-of-the-moment when no one feels like cooking. Warning: many items without meat may be cooked in chicken broth. They’re happy to prepare the item with vegetable broth if you ask.
Kianti’s
1100 Pacific Avenue
Chocolate
1522 Pacific Avenue
Casual, inexpensive. A bit bohemian. A nice place to drop in after a movie.
Soif
105 Walnut Avenue
Great place to stop by on a late weekend afternoon for a glass (or two)
of wine. Food is very good, too. They had a bit of a down year in 2014,
but with a new chef, and a renovation in May 2015, we hope that Soif is
back to its former glory as one of the best restaurants in Santa Cruz.
Mid-town and Seabright
Ristorante Italiano
Standard italian fare, family feeling what with the red checked tablecloths but not “family style” as in MMCSS (“Massive Multi-Course Shared Serving”) meals. Must have: the Baked Potato for dessert.
Caffé Luccio
381 Soquel Avenue
The daily specials menu alone contains more items than the full menu at a TGIFriday’s. Friends from out of town really enjoy it here, especially the occasional dance show put on by the chefs on the line. But it just reminds me of the Monty Python sketch complaining about package tours. At least they don’t serve Watney’s Red Barrel.
La Posta
538 Seabright Avenue
A bit more upmarket Italian restaurant featuring modern fare–not your typical spaghetti and meatballs kind of place. Consistently good service. Stop and say hello to the chickens wandering in the back parking lot. I have no idea whether they play a role in the dinners here.
The Crow’s Nest
2218 East Cliff Drive
Great place for birthday dinner, or to take friends from out of town. Beautiful view from most seats onto Santa Cruz harbor.
West Side
West End Tap and Kitchen
334D Ingalls Street, behind Kelly’s Bakery
Don’t be intimidated by the impression that most of the patrons spend every morning surfing followed by a 15 mile run in preparation for their next triathlon, or that they just biked in from Vancouver that day. The beer’s good and the flatbreads make a meal by themselves.
Aquarius
Dream Inn Hotel, 175 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz
Burger.
1520 Mission Street
“Burger dot” offers creative array of burger and veggie burger options along with a massive range of beers. I’m always so distracted by the beer list I’ve never seen the wine list. It has the “patina” that you’d expect from any place frequented by college students (i.e. check whether the seats need wiping before you sit down.) 2025 Update: Closed
Felton / San Lorenzo Valley
Cremer House
Dozens of excellent beers tapped through a very stylish brass pot thingie that implies “microbrew.” Wine on tap too and some of that, like the Hallcrest Raffaeli Pinot Noir, is irresistable. My biggest frustration with this place is all the excellent wine and beer options calling out to me. I’m torn. But somehow, I manage. They feed vegetarians well. They even serve a range of ciders. How’s that for tolerance and acceptance of alternative lifestyles? 2025 Update: Closed
Casa Nostra
9217 Highway 9, Ben Lomond
Cozy little Italian restaurant nestled in the redwoods. A separate bar serves beer and wine. Nice choice of creamy pastas. Creamier, richer, that’s Northern Italian, right? 2024 Update: Closed
Capitola / Soquel / Aptos
La Gioconda
3101 Main Street, Soquel
Wow! That Salmon Waronoff…
Bittersweet Cafe
787 Rio Del Mar Blvd, Aptos
A great place for a big group dinner. Always fun.
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