This place was good and I mean like really good food. I'm giving it a four because I think it would be more appropriate to call it a "lounge", not a tavern. Everything is highfalutin, which accompanies the prices. A tavern should be cheap, mainly serve beer, and probably have a pub food list. Again, this fits the stereotypical image that wants to be painted in this part of CA.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Ankush
Went here twice. Ambience is nice and lights are dim. Downside is you cant see your food or cleanliness due to low visibility.1st experience was great. Cocktail and food quality was nice. Chicken wing was crisp.2nd time was worse. Delayed service. My collegue found a hair in grilled salmon while chewing food and had to take out this hair from his mouth. This incident spoils our friday evening. They replaced salmon with fries as courtesy. But charged $36 for salmon ( although hair was free :). When asked about paying for salmon or fries, waiteress just replied yes and doesnt bother to check with manager.I didnt discussed further and pay bill with tip.Not sure if i will go 3rd time.Advise to owner: Focus on cleanliness and chef should wear a cap to prevent falling hairs.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Brian Smith
The crispy cauliflower is well prepared. It has a nice medium golden crust with a super creamy sesame sauce. It's dimly lit inside with a warm glow. It's a nice local bar/restaurant with an attentive host and friendly staff
Philip Fr
Great vibe drinks and
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kevin Crittenden
Love this little spot. Great cocktails and atmosphere and friendly staff across the
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gargi Mitra Keeling
Small intimate venue for great drinks and surprisingly yummy food. The butter they serve with the bread is to die for, kicked me out of my low carb nonsense. And the brussel sprouts appetizers were recommended by our server and they were amazing. We were able to modify our entree order to have the salmon served over the arugula salad which was incredibly delicious. And best of all it wasn't crazy crowded or loud but had nice music in the background that's still enabled us to hear each other and enjoy our conversation. Cherry on top was ample parking on the street right outside the restaurant and easy access to the highway. Check it out!
Alvin C.
Food, service and ambiance are stellar. Cozy place for friends or a date. Staff is always personable and they make you feel welcome. Unique drinks like the John Wick are what you can expect at Sidecar.
Evelyn N.
Delish drinks and interesting menu! Definitely would come back with friends and fam. Staff was attentive and patient with our party who took their time.
Kyle Naughton
Worst service. Skip it. Took half an hour to get a drink order in. Food is grossly overpriced. Drinks are so-
It was really busy Wednesday night around 8pm due to the holiday crowds,luckily they found us a table.Drinks ordered: Sonoma Chard,Spiced Pear Martini,Seasonal Old Fashioned,Smoky Passion and we shared Butterscotch pudding and daughter got friesWow,the cocktails were amazing! The waitress said her favorite was the Pear Martini and I can see why,so good!Waitress was awesome and we enjoyed how festive it was decorated for holidays.
Cynthia B.
We just dined here for the first time. We booked our reservation the same day online before Vasona Lights. It was a great vibe. It felt like the big city feel of a cool restaurant. So much so that we told our bartender/waiter that we need a location like this in Santa Cruz. He told us that there is one coming soon where Cafe Mare currently is... The food is family style. We enjoyed the charcuterie, grilled cheese, fries, octopus and lamb sliders. I don't think there was anything leftover! It was a hit for the adults and kids. We also had a few cocktails. They were served creatively and so good I couldn't have just one!
Christina V.
This review is long over due. Especially for one of my all time favorite restaurants in Los Gatos. I'll start off with the owner and service. The owner is the sweetest and makes sure everyone is well taken care of. One evening the whole block lost power and we immediately got a glass of champagne to hold us over and they offered us anything off the menu that didn't need to be cooked. It worked out well since we were there to catch up with a friend. Not only are their cocktails to die for they have delicious food to match! The menu rotates so you can always go try something new. Few of my favs are always the French fries, chicken wings, their salads are always great as well. The whole vibe of the restaurant is great. Very comfortable small restaurant with great music always. Don't go there expecting a quiet evening. This place is always jumping. I highly suggest a reservation on the weekends.
Kelly M.
Shared the lamb sliders and the wings. The lamb sliders were good. I'd eat them again. The spicy sauce goes really well with it. The wings on the other hand, were completely flavorless and greasy. So greasy in fact that they disagreed with me, not once, but twice. The first time was immediately after getting home from eating and the second time was on the way back from the airport. I wasn't sure I was going to make it to my apartment. Luckily I did. In light of the issue with the wings, I can't in good faith recommend this restaurant.The ambience inside is nice, the wallpaper choices are a little interesting, but overall nice interior. The service was good but the place was understaffed. They had one girl acting as the hostess and the waitress. I'm not sure if I'd come here again. This was my second time eating here and the lamb sliders were good both times. But the disagreement with the wings was not an enjoyable experience.
J F
Decent. Nothing to complain about except that it seemed pricey. Food was ok to good, but not great. Too salty. Portions on the small side. Just might try another place next time.
This place was good and I mean like really good food. I'm giving it a four because I think it would be more appropriate to call it a "lounge", not a tavern. Everything is highfalutin, which accompanies the prices. A tavern should be cheap, mainly serve beer, and probably have a pub food list. Again, this fits the stereotypical image that wants to be painted in this part of CA.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Went here twice. Ambience is nice and lights are dim. Downside is you cant see your food or cleanliness due to low visibility.1st experience was great. Cocktail and food quality was nice. Chicken wing was crisp.2nd time was worse. Delayed service. My collegue found a hair in grilled salmon while chewing food and had to take out this hair from his mouth. This incident spoils our friday evening. They replaced salmon with fries as courtesy. But charged $36 for salmon ( although hair was free :). When asked about paying for salmon or fries, waiteress just replied yes and doesnt bother to check with manager.I didnt discussed further and pay bill with tip.Not sure if i will go 3rd time.Advise to owner: Focus on cleanliness and chef should wear a cap to prevent falling hairs.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
The crispy cauliflower is well prepared. It has a nice medium golden crust with a super creamy sesame sauce. It's dimly lit inside with a warm glow. It's a nice local bar/restaurant with an attentive host and friendly staff
Great vibe drinks and
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love this little spot. Great cocktails and atmosphere and friendly staff across the
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Small intimate venue for great drinks and surprisingly yummy food. The butter they serve with the bread is to die for, kicked me out of my low carb nonsense. And the brussel sprouts appetizers were recommended by our server and they were amazing. We were able to modify our entree order to have the salmon served over the arugula salad which was incredibly delicious. And best of all it wasn't crazy crowded or loud but had nice music in the background that's still enabled us to hear each other and enjoy our conversation. Cherry on top was ample parking on the street right outside the restaurant and easy access to the highway. Check it out!
Food, service and ambiance are stellar. Cozy place for friends or a date. Staff is always personable and they make you feel welcome. Unique drinks like the John Wick are what you can expect at Sidecar.
Delish drinks and interesting menu! Definitely would come back with friends and fam. Staff was attentive and patient with our party who took their time.
Worst service. Skip it. Took half an hour to get a drink order in. Food is grossly overpriced. Drinks are so-
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Excellent service, great food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
It was really busy Wednesday night around 8pm due to the holiday crowds,luckily they found us a table.Drinks ordered: Sonoma Chard,Spiced Pear Martini,Seasonal Old Fashioned,Smoky Passion and we shared Butterscotch pudding and daughter got friesWow,the cocktails were amazing! The waitress said her favorite was the Pear Martini and I can see why,so good!Waitress was awesome and we enjoyed how festive it was decorated for holidays.
We just dined here for the first time. We booked our reservation the same day online before Vasona Lights. It was a great vibe. It felt like the big city feel of a cool restaurant. So much so that we told our bartender/waiter that we need a location like this in Santa Cruz. He told us that there is one coming soon where Cafe Mare currently is... The food is family style. We enjoyed the charcuterie, grilled cheese, fries, octopus and lamb sliders. I don't think there was anything leftover! It was a hit for the adults and kids. We also had a few cocktails. They were served creatively and so good I couldn't have just one!
This review is long over due. Especially for one of my all time favorite restaurants in Los Gatos. I'll start off with the owner and service. The owner is the sweetest and makes sure everyone is well taken care of. One evening the whole block lost power and we immediately got a glass of champagne to hold us over and they offered us anything off the menu that didn't need to be cooked. It worked out well since we were there to catch up with a friend. Not only are their cocktails to die for they have delicious food to match! The menu rotates so you can always go try something new. Few of my favs are always the French fries, chicken wings, their salads are always great as well. The whole vibe of the restaurant is great. Very comfortable small restaurant with great music always. Don't go there expecting a quiet evening. This place is always jumping. I highly suggest a reservation on the weekends.
Shared the lamb sliders and the wings. The lamb sliders were good. I'd eat them again. The spicy sauce goes really well with it. The wings on the other hand, were completely flavorless and greasy. So greasy in fact that they disagreed with me, not once, but twice. The first time was immediately after getting home from eating and the second time was on the way back from the airport. I wasn't sure I was going to make it to my apartment. Luckily I did. In light of the issue with the wings, I can't in good faith recommend this restaurant.The ambience inside is nice, the wallpaper choices are a little interesting, but overall nice interior. The service was good but the place was understaffed. They had one girl acting as the hostess and the waitress. I'm not sure if I'd come here again. This was my second time eating here and the lamb sliders were good both times. But the disagreement with the wings was not an enjoyable experience.
Decent. Nothing to complain about except that it seemed pricey. Food was ok to good, but not great. Too salty. Portions on the small side. Just might try another place next time.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4