Be careful with allergies. I was served gluten after specifically telling our server I was allergic. People make mistakes, so be cautious. Besides that, the appetizer- shrimp n grits. Unbelievably delicious, if it hasn’t won an award it should. It’s really really good. Chef Nick called me after we left (he was not at the restaurant) and apologized, comped the meal. Very gracious. Up until I ate gluten, it was the best dining experience I’ve had in decades. Unfortunately, we had to cut it short and leave.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 1
Evelyn Luvianos Islas
The food is outstanding, with plates that are both complex and delicious. The prices are quite reasonable for the quality and the generous portion sizes. Although the service can be a bit slow, the staff are friendly. Lastly, the atmosphere is cozy, simple, and modern. I would come back again and highly recommend this place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Crispy Pork Belly
Holly
This place is absolutely AMAZING! I love their Brussels sprouts, and their cauliflower and pork belly are also great. The steak is amazing too, but I usually just order a few of the appetizers. The price is reasonable given the quality of food - quality which is difficult to find in Santa Cruz County. I've lived in SC County my entire life, and this place is my absolute favorite!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roasted Cauliflower, Crispy Pork Belly, Prime New York Steak Frites
Rebecca Hunsaker
I will explain everything after I speak to the owner.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Tuna Tartare Tacos
Kyle Davis
Waiting for a restaurant like this in the village!!! Wonderful ambiance, great dishes, quality food, and amazing service. Eat here already! :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sam Jiang
Excellent food and service. Steak and scallops were great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nathaniel Ready
Absolutely amazing experience. Delicious food, amazing staff, and great location. Perfect for special eventsVegetarian options: Some vegetarian and vegan / gluten free options. All were delicious (salads are are meal on their own) as entrées or shared.Dietary restrictions: They were overall pretty accommodating, but we did not have any specific dietary restrictions. But the staff was very clear, concise, and accommodating when it came to the ingredients in the dishes/prep.Wheelchair accessibility: Elevator lift accessible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roasted Duck Breast, Market Fish, Crispy Pork Belly, Prime New York Steak Frites, Shrimp and Grits, Tuna Tartare Tacos, Ahi Tuna Tartare, Brownie with Ice Cream
Daniel Silva
Incredible restaurant. Every single dish we got was impeccable and delicious. Probably one of the best (if not the best) restaurant in the area.
Normally this is one of our fave places in SC county. Last night was just average. The service was good as usual. The crispy Brussel sprouts are one of our go to apps. The autumn salad was delicious. The entrees, well, meh. The duck looked good, but, sadly, was not flavorful. My scallops were just mezzo-mezzo. They were cooked okay, but the plum sauce served with them was not complimentary. The cauli accompaniment was just an average. All in all, our friends and I were disappointed. Hopefully, next time? We are looking fwd to the opening of Cavalettas as their tasting menus have been wonderful.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Valerie S.
The food is fabulous, creative, edgy and delicious. It's the neighborhood eatery with chevron rated meals. The vibe is casual but easily accommodates a truly classy experience!
This place is sooooo good. Everything was great. From the harissa corn to the pork belly to the burgers to the cheesecake. I don't like cheesecake and I likes this one. Very flavorful, great host, great server. Perfect date.
Druce M.
I live in Capitola, and this was the only restaurant in the entire village I had never visited. When I think of the time I wasted, I try not to be bitter. My wife and I decided to do an early dinner, and decided to try this place at around 5pm on a Wednesday night. The restaurant seemed empty, so I was a little frustrated when I was told we could only sit in the bar area if we didn't have reservations. I mean, the place seemed empty and Wednesday isn't exactly known as being the busiest restaurant day of the week. I was proven wrong in about 15 minutes when every table, including the bar area was completely filled. We placed our order, and the waiter suggested the Market Fish Tartare Tacos as a starter. I typically don't order appetizers, but man am I glad they suggested them. The fish (I don't recall which "market fish" they were using that day) was fresh, the sauces were amazing, and the "tortilla" (I am using the word loosely, because it was actually something more akin to a homemade cracker) was absolutely delightful. I wish I had analyzed them a little more, so I could tell you what went into them, but I wasn't expecting this to be memorable, and once they are in your mouth its too late to figure it out. I will have to order them again next time to know for sure.My main course was the Prime New York Steak, which came with a variety of sauces (smoked Sinatra sauce, heirloom tomatoes, horseradish creme fraiche, Calabrian bordelaise). I do some cooking of my own, and can make a pretty good bordelaise sauce, so I often try this when I see it in a restaurant to see who's is better, and to pick up tips for improving my own. It seemed weird having the variety of sauces, as they were all significantly different. But something about these all seemed to complement each other well. And, their bordelaise sauce was better than mine (damn them), and I couldn't even identify what made it better. This was just an unexpectedly wonderful meal. If you are considering this place, just go for it. I'm going back, just to try the same stuff again, but to savor it a little longer. But get a reservation first because the place fills up fast.
Joanna S.
I love a farm to table style, beautifully plated restaurant. I wanted something tasty in capitola and while googling, saw trestles and a toddler in a picture so I thought oh! Maybe we can make it through a fine dining meal with two kids in tow. 1 toddler and 1 infant. I wasn't sure if they would accept us here but eating at 5pm helped! They said we had to be out by 7pm and I'm like no problem! We sat outside on their bench seating and my 2 year old had no problems eating from there. My only thing is it wasn't too kid friendly with no juices or changing station but omg they served us a Mac and cheese for kids that was AMAZING! I thought it was going to be like a Kraft Mac and cheese but this was way more elevated. I think they do this with their house made pasta. Definitely try it out because my husband and I really loved this $10 dish. We made sure to take home what little was left. We had 2 appetizers. The fried green tomato was tasty and the pork belly was as well. My husband got the prime New York which, I guess was a little too chewy to his liking. My duck breast was good but both entrees were a little salty. The dishes came out beautifully though and I loved the presentation and the freshness of all the ingredients. Had a brownie ice cream dessert that was okay. Great restaurant for a date night or with friends. Nice wine and beer menu. We had a stroller with us and there was a wheelchair lift that helped bring it up. I really appreciated that their food came out pretty quickly. Man, the things now I look for in restaurants as parents
molnarnj
Amazing food! We didn’t have a reservation so we sat at the bar, which gave us a view of the kitchen and more importantly, gave me the opportunity to order off menu. Brick chicken had been replaced with duck breast, but I really wanted the chicken, so I was able to get that and whatever sides were on the menu. My son had the duck and loved it. We shared the corn appetizer and the fig salad. Both were delicious! This restaurant was my favorite in the greater Capitola/ Santa Cruz area. But be sure to make reservations. We were there on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving so didn’t think it would be busy, especially since we were eating early (5:30). By the time we left it was packed.
Be careful with allergies. I was served gluten after specifically telling our server I was allergic. People make mistakes, so be cautious. Besides that, the appetizer- shrimp n grits. Unbelievably delicious, if it hasn’t won an award it should. It’s really really good. Chef Nick called me after we left (he was not at the restaurant) and apologized, comped the meal. Very gracious. Up until I ate gluten, it was the best dining experience I’ve had in decades. Unfortunately, we had to cut it short and leave.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 1
The food is outstanding, with plates that are both complex and delicious. The prices are quite reasonable for the quality and the generous portion sizes. Although the service can be a bit slow, the staff are friendly. Lastly, the atmosphere is cozy, simple, and modern. I would come back again and highly recommend this place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Crispy Pork Belly
This place is absolutely AMAZING! I love their Brussels sprouts, and their cauliflower and pork belly are also great. The steak is amazing too, but I usually just order a few of the appetizers. The price is reasonable given the quality of food - quality which is difficult to find in Santa Cruz County. I've lived in SC County my entire life, and this place is my absolute favorite!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roasted Cauliflower, Crispy Pork Belly, Prime New York Steak Frites
I will explain everything after I speak to the owner.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Tuna Tartare Tacos
Waiting for a restaurant like this in the village!!! Wonderful ambiance, great dishes, quality food, and amazing service. Eat here already! :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent food and service. Steak and scallops were great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely amazing experience. Delicious food, amazing staff, and great location. Perfect for special eventsVegetarian options: Some vegetarian and vegan / gluten free options. All were delicious (salads are are meal on their own) as entrées or shared.Dietary restrictions: They were overall pretty accommodating, but we did not have any specific dietary restrictions. But the staff was very clear, concise, and accommodating when it came to the ingredients in the dishes/prep.Wheelchair accessibility: Elevator lift accessible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roasted Duck Breast, Market Fish, Crispy Pork Belly, Prime New York Steak Frites, Shrimp and Grits, Tuna Tartare Tacos, Ahi Tuna Tartare, Brownie with Ice Cream
Incredible restaurant. Every single dish we got was impeccable and delicious. Probably one of the best (if not the best) restaurant in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Pork Belly, Ahi Tuna Tartare
Normally this is one of our fave places in SC county. Last night was just average. The service was good as usual. The crispy Brussel sprouts are one of our go to apps. The autumn salad was delicious. The entrees, well, meh. The duck looked good, but, sadly, was not flavorful. My scallops were just mezzo-mezzo. They were cooked okay, but the plum sauce served with them was not complimentary. The cauli accompaniment was just an average. All in all, our friends and I were disappointed. Hopefully, next time? We are looking fwd to the opening of Cavalettas as their tasting menus have been wonderful.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
The food is fabulous, creative, edgy and delicious. It's the neighborhood eatery with chevron rated meals. The vibe is casual but easily accommodates a truly classy experience!
Restaurantji Recommends
One of the best fine food experiences in Santa Cruz.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roasted Duck Breast, Cheesecake
This place is sooooo good. Everything was great. From the harissa corn to the pork belly to the burgers to the cheesecake. I don't like cheesecake and I likes this one. Very flavorful, great host, great server. Perfect date.
I live in Capitola, and this was the only restaurant in the entire village I had never visited. When I think of the time I wasted, I try not to be bitter. My wife and I decided to do an early dinner, and decided to try this place at around 5pm on a Wednesday night. The restaurant seemed empty, so I was a little frustrated when I was told we could only sit in the bar area if we didn't have reservations. I mean, the place seemed empty and Wednesday isn't exactly known as being the busiest restaurant day of the week. I was proven wrong in about 15 minutes when every table, including the bar area was completely filled. We placed our order, and the waiter suggested the Market Fish Tartare Tacos as a starter. I typically don't order appetizers, but man am I glad they suggested them. The fish (I don't recall which "market fish" they were using that day) was fresh, the sauces were amazing, and the "tortilla" (I am using the word loosely, because it was actually something more akin to a homemade cracker) was absolutely delightful. I wish I had analyzed them a little more, so I could tell you what went into them, but I wasn't expecting this to be memorable, and once they are in your mouth its too late to figure it out. I will have to order them again next time to know for sure.My main course was the Prime New York Steak, which came with a variety of sauces (smoked Sinatra sauce, heirloom tomatoes, horseradish creme fraiche, Calabrian bordelaise). I do some cooking of my own, and can make a pretty good bordelaise sauce, so I often try this when I see it in a restaurant to see who's is better, and to pick up tips for improving my own. It seemed weird having the variety of sauces, as they were all significantly different. But something about these all seemed to complement each other well. And, their bordelaise sauce was better than mine (damn them), and I couldn't even identify what made it better. This was just an unexpectedly wonderful meal. If you are considering this place, just go for it. I'm going back, just to try the same stuff again, but to savor it a little longer. But get a reservation first because the place fills up fast.
I love a farm to table style, beautifully plated restaurant. I wanted something tasty in capitola and while googling, saw trestles and a toddler in a picture so I thought oh! Maybe we can make it through a fine dining meal with two kids in tow. 1 toddler and 1 infant. I wasn't sure if they would accept us here but eating at 5pm helped! They said we had to be out by 7pm and I'm like no problem! We sat outside on their bench seating and my 2 year old had no problems eating from there. My only thing is it wasn't too kid friendly with no juices or changing station but omg they served us a Mac and cheese for kids that was AMAZING! I thought it was going to be like a Kraft Mac and cheese but this was way more elevated. I think they do this with their house made pasta. Definitely try it out because my husband and I really loved this $10 dish. We made sure to take home what little was left. We had 2 appetizers. The fried green tomato was tasty and the pork belly was as well. My husband got the prime New York which, I guess was a little too chewy to his liking. My duck breast was good but both entrees were a little salty. The dishes came out beautifully though and I loved the presentation and the freshness of all the ingredients. Had a brownie ice cream dessert that was okay. Great restaurant for a date night or with friends. Nice wine and beer menu. We had a stroller with us and there was a wheelchair lift that helped bring it up. I really appreciated that their food came out pretty quickly. Man, the things now I look for in restaurants as parents
Amazing food! We didn’t have a reservation so we sat at the bar, which gave us a view of the kitchen and more importantly, gave me the opportunity to order off menu. Brick chicken had been replaced with duck breast, but I really wanted the chicken, so I was able to get that and whatever sides were on the menu. My son had the duck and loved it. We shared the corn appetizer and the fig salad. Both were delicious! This restaurant was my favorite in the greater Capitola/ Santa Cruz area. But be sure to make reservations. We were there on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving so didn’t think it would be busy, especially since we were eating early (5:30). By the time we left it was packed.