Heard great reviews from colleagues and decided to make a reservation. Cute set up and atmosphere. Waitress was friendly but a mixture when it came to the other staff that was waiting on us with no customer service skills and a gloomy presence.We ordered our meals and after less then 10mn our meals were served... Much to our surprise how fast they "made" our food. Unfortunately both of our meals were luke warm and the meat was room temperature. We both tried to be polite but we both were highly dissatisfied with our few bites that we had. So much so that we both had our food boxed up and handed it out to the homeless so it wouldn't be a complete waste of a costly meal.Definitely bland, poorly made food.Nothing to it. We ended up going to Kiantis just a few blocks down to have dinner and we're extremely happy there. More of a laid back scene but way better pasta and would highly recommend that establishment instead.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Rômulo Santos
The food here was good, nothing impressive but still good quality. Nice ambiance and good service as well. Calamari was great, I ordered pasta and meatballs that were good but I wish their sauce was a bit more herby and aromatic. The other pasta we ordered was a penne with a more interesting flavor to it, Id particularly recommend that one over the traditional spaghetti. Restaurant is worth the visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Kate Winn
The food was above average but not exceptional. The bread was burned, dry and old. The Ravioli Mare was good but lacking. The service was great though. The Host and Server brought the review from a 3 star to a 4 star.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Cheryl Noon
Last night we went for an early 6pm dinner at Cafe Mare. There were some hits, but also some misses. We were seated immediately. Our friendly server greeted us promptly offering us a basket of bread and waters while getting our choice beverages. The bread was inedible. It was thinly sliced and unbelievably stale. When our server returned with our drinks, we ordered the calamari appetizer. It was delicious. The breading was not too heavy and it was not at all greasy for being fried. I would have liked cocktail sauce and opposed to marinara. But it’s an Italian restaurant so I get it.For entrees, my bf ordered the fettuccine alfredo with shrimp. The fettuccine was cooked well but the Alfredo sauce was thick and clumpy like eating thin oatmeal. The shrimp were over cooked and very tough to eat. I ordered the crepe with butternut squash, walnuts and brown butter sage sauce. It was incredible. The crepe was cooked perfectly and the balance of the squash with the sage sauce was absolutely amazing.For dessert we ordered two americano coffees that came piping hot, the chocolate soufflé and the lemon meringue house made ice cream. Both desserts were fine. Not bad, not great, basically mediocre.Overall, the service was excellent, the appetizer was delicious, one entree was incredible one a total flop and dessert we could have passed on and not known the difference. We’ll go back again. But not anytime in the near future.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Calamari Fritti
Thom “Spebby”
They have a pretty standard menu of nicely executed food, but outside of pasta the variety is pretty small. The dining area is one large circular room, which I personally disliked, but some may enjoy. Music is played fairly loudly from the bar, and it rarely fits the mood. If I recall correctly they played mostly pop and pop country.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Rachel Maryam Smith
the house makes Crème of Limoncello from a family recipe. they mix drinks with it but I prefer it straight. it is a delightful and wonderful experience to drink down this sweet, thoughtful
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alexandra Kent
Family friendly, excellent food and service. The pesto is clearly homemade - vibrant green and yummy, kids loved it and they are huge pesto buffs. Calamari was probably the best we have ever had. So fresh and the batter was light and crispy, oil was fresh. Excellent appetizer and a beautiful salad to start. Ordered the Ravioli Mare and Marsala and they were incredible. My husband said his marsala was one of the best he's had. The Ravioli Mare was full of flavor, so creamy and perfect texture. Kids get to draw on the table and they brought them a fried cheeseball on the house with our other appetizer. Wish we had room for dessert! We will certainly come here again next time we visit. Thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Finlay S.
Overall an OK place. Very nice atmosphere, friendly staff, and good menu and selection. But the food itself is bland—I tried the seafood pasta on my first visit and it had little flavor other than the seafood itself. I then tried the lasagna on my second visit and it didn’t have much flavor at all. Not an overall bad experience, but I wouldn’t recommend with so many other restaurants nearby.
Richard Robinson
Bland, overpriced food. Seriously bland. Good atmosphere with a live band. Mediocre service. It looked very promising. The only thing I could actually taste in the bolognese was the freshly cracked black pepper the server put on it. I have a hunch this place was good in the past, but something changed.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
Anna Marie Rubio
We made a last minute decision to have lunch here. It was a great choice. I'm Italian and had my mom cooking fresh past for is growing up. GNOCCI is my test of a good Italian restaurant. They nailed it along with excellent service. Hands down you have to check them out when in Santa Cruz
The food was bland, no flavor. My niece took one bite of her fettuccine Alfredo and sent it back. I had a stuffed porkchop, after 2 bites, I couldn't eat no more. The service sucked...
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Jackson KG
My girlfriend’s family took us out for her graduation, so we went to this place, one of the fanciest looking places in town.I always walked past here, and thought to myself, wow, that place looks amazing. You must feel some special kind of way when you go there, be some special kind of rich to go there.This place was the definition of mid. I’m sorry. The staff were nice, albeit a bit slow. But the food, man. It was so basic. My girlfriend’s gnocchi was bland, of worse quality than the $3 gnocchi from the Trader Joe’s across the street. When I ate my $27 seafood pasta, it was mid. My main thought was “I’m pretty sure I could’ve made this just as good myself.” And I’m not a chef.When we received our bread, my girlfriend’s Filipino mom compared it to rations, airdropped during floods in the Philippines. It was dense, and lacked flavor. That was the true issue with the food here: lack of flavor. It did not pop off. It was not bussin. No….. it was simply a bust.If this place were cheaper, I would not be leaving this review, because the staff were nice. But I’m sorry. I cannot recommend this place. You’ll be better off going somewhere cheaper, and the food will probably be better too.With that said, the desserts were very good. They popped off there.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
Cynthia M
Wonderful service and food. Our family ate lunch at 2 pm after graduation at UCSC. Our family of 7 includes one vegetarian and one autistic child with food challenges. We couldn’t have been happier. Wonderful place to eat in Santa Cruz!
Sandro Culic
There's a saying that no matter how bad the service is, good food will bring you back. Well this is the opposite of that. Great beyond measures food and hospitality. But the food is a terrible representation of Italian cuisine. The ancestors are rolling in their
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 5
Chelsea
Had a lovely Christmas Day dinner here, staff was very friendly, food was great, and service was perfectly paced so we were able to enjoy an 3.5 hour dinner and not feel rushed. The owner’s daughter was our server and did a great job patiently catering to our large group of adults and kids. I’d never eaten here before but after this very positive experience we will definitely return soon. Would recommend for holiday dinners as well as for large groups.Vegetarian options: Four of us ordered vegetarian, many optionsDietary restrictions: Tons of gluten free options, enjoyed the GF bread and ravioli with sage butter sauceParking: Big parking lot next to TJsKid-friendliness: We had three kids with us, they can order anything from the menu and they just make it slightly smaller and discount by 50%. Liked that the kids weren’t stuck with normal lame kid menu optionsWheelchair accessibility: Multiple patrons in wheelchairs
Heard great reviews from colleagues and decided to make a reservation. Cute set up and atmosphere. Waitress was friendly but a mixture when it came to the other staff that was waiting on us with no customer service skills and a gloomy presence.We ordered our meals and after less then 10mn our meals were served... Much to our surprise how fast they "made" our food. Unfortunately both of our meals were luke warm and the meat was room temperature. We both tried to be polite but we both were highly dissatisfied with our few bites that we had. So much so that we both had our food boxed up and handed it out to the homeless so it wouldn't be a complete waste of a costly meal.Definitely bland, poorly made food.Nothing to it. We ended up going to Kiantis just a few blocks down to have dinner and we're extremely happy there. More of a laid back scene but way better pasta and would highly recommend that establishment instead.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
The food here was good, nothing impressive but still good quality. Nice ambiance and good service as well. Calamari was great, I ordered pasta and meatballs that were good but I wish their sauce was a bit more herby and aromatic. The other pasta we ordered was a penne with a more interesting flavor to it, Id particularly recommend that one over the traditional spaghetti. Restaurant is worth the visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
The food was above average but not exceptional. The bread was burned, dry and old. The Ravioli Mare was good but lacking. The service was great though. The Host and Server brought the review from a 3 star to a 4 star.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Last night we went for an early 6pm dinner at Cafe Mare. There were some hits, but also some misses. We were seated immediately. Our friendly server greeted us promptly offering us a basket of bread and waters while getting our choice beverages. The bread was inedible. It was thinly sliced and unbelievably stale. When our server returned with our drinks, we ordered the calamari appetizer. It was delicious. The breading was not too heavy and it was not at all greasy for being fried. I would have liked cocktail sauce and opposed to marinara. But it’s an Italian restaurant so I get it.For entrees, my bf ordered the fettuccine alfredo with shrimp. The fettuccine was cooked well but the Alfredo sauce was thick and clumpy like eating thin oatmeal. The shrimp were over cooked and very tough to eat. I ordered the crepe with butternut squash, walnuts and brown butter sage sauce. It was incredible. The crepe was cooked perfectly and the balance of the squash with the sage sauce was absolutely amazing.For dessert we ordered two americano coffees that came piping hot, the chocolate soufflé and the lemon meringue house made ice cream. Both desserts were fine. Not bad, not great, basically mediocre.Overall, the service was excellent, the appetizer was delicious, one entree was incredible one a total flop and dessert we could have passed on and not known the difference. We’ll go back again. But not anytime in the near future.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Calamari Fritti
They have a pretty standard menu of nicely executed food, but outside of pasta the variety is pretty small. The dining area is one large circular room, which I personally disliked, but some may enjoy. Music is played fairly loudly from the bar, and it rarely fits the mood. If I recall correctly they played mostly pop and pop country.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
the house makes Crème of Limoncello from a family recipe. they mix drinks with it but I prefer it straight. it is a delightful and wonderful experience to drink down this sweet, thoughtful
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Family friendly, excellent food and service. The pesto is clearly homemade - vibrant green and yummy, kids loved it and they are huge pesto buffs. Calamari was probably the best we have ever had. So fresh and the batter was light and crispy, oil was fresh. Excellent appetizer and a beautiful salad to start. Ordered the Ravioli Mare and Marsala and they were incredible. My husband said his marsala was one of the best he's had. The Ravioli Mare was full of flavor, so creamy and perfect texture. Kids get to draw on the table and they brought them a fried cheeseball on the house with our other appetizer. Wish we had room for dessert! We will certainly come here again next time we visit. Thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Overall an OK place. Very nice atmosphere, friendly staff, and good menu and selection. But the food itself is bland—I tried the seafood pasta on my first visit and it had little flavor other than the seafood itself. I then tried the lasagna on my second visit and it didn’t have much flavor at all. Not an overall bad experience, but I wouldn’t recommend with so many other restaurants nearby.
Bland, overpriced food. Seriously bland. Good atmosphere with a live band. Mediocre service. It looked very promising. The only thing I could actually taste in the bolognese was the freshly cracked black pepper the server put on it. I have a hunch this place was good in the past, but something changed.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
We made a last minute decision to have lunch here. It was a great choice. I'm Italian and had my mom cooking fresh past for is growing up. GNOCCI is my test of a good Italian restaurant. They nailed it along with excellent service. Hands down you have to check them out when in Santa Cruz
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gnocchi Bolognese
Restaurantji Recommends
The food was bland, no flavor. My niece took one bite of her fettuccine Alfredo and sent it back. I had a stuffed porkchop, after 2 bites, I couldn't eat no more. The service sucked...
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
My girlfriend’s family took us out for her graduation, so we went to this place, one of the fanciest looking places in town.I always walked past here, and thought to myself, wow, that place looks amazing. You must feel some special kind of way when you go there, be some special kind of rich to go there.This place was the definition of mid. I’m sorry. The staff were nice, albeit a bit slow. But the food, man. It was so basic. My girlfriend’s gnocchi was bland, of worse quality than the $3 gnocchi from the Trader Joe’s across the street. When I ate my $27 seafood pasta, it was mid. My main thought was “I’m pretty sure I could’ve made this just as good myself.” And I’m not a chef.When we received our bread, my girlfriend’s Filipino mom compared it to rations, airdropped during floods in the Philippines. It was dense, and lacked flavor. That was the true issue with the food here: lack of flavor. It did not pop off. It was not bussin. No….. it was simply a bust.If this place were cheaper, I would not be leaving this review, because the staff were nice. But I’m sorry. I cannot recommend this place. You’ll be better off going somewhere cheaper, and the food will probably be better too.With that said, the desserts were very good. They popped off there.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
Wonderful service and food. Our family ate lunch at 2 pm after graduation at UCSC. Our family of 7 includes one vegetarian and one autistic child with food challenges. We couldn’t have been happier. Wonderful place to eat in Santa Cruz!
There's a saying that no matter how bad the service is, good food will bring you back. Well this is the opposite of that. Great beyond measures food and hospitality. But the food is a terrible representation of Italian cuisine. The ancestors are rolling in their
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 5
Had a lovely Christmas Day dinner here, staff was very friendly, food was great, and service was perfectly paced so we were able to enjoy an 3.5 hour dinner and not feel rushed. The owner’s daughter was our server and did a great job patiently catering to our large group of adults and kids. I’d never eaten here before but after this very positive experience we will definitely return soon. Would recommend for holiday dinners as well as for large groups.Vegetarian options: Four of us ordered vegetarian, many optionsDietary restrictions: Tons of gluten free options, enjoyed the GF bread and ravioli with sage butter sauceParking: Big parking lot next to TJsKid-friendliness: We had three kids with us, they can order anything from the menu and they just make it slightly smaller and discount by 50%. Liked that the kids weren’t stuck with normal lame kid menu optionsWheelchair accessibility: Multiple patrons in wheelchairs