Nice stop along our journey for some Italian food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jason Hutchings
First time at Tramonti and wow, the food was amazing! So glad we found this place on Google. Everything was super fresh and full of flavor, and the staff were really friendly. We had the Contadina salad, a couple of pizzas, and shared a few pasta dishes all so good and good portions. Prices are super fair for the quality. Definitely coming back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniel Artusi
This is a great Italian restaurant and we have been there many times. It is our to go place for Italian food. The food is amazing and the service is great and very friendly. Heads up: Recently they changed their pricing policy and the menu shows the cash price and the credit card price which is 4% higher to make up for the credit card fees. I normally don't carry a wad of cash in my pocket to pay for a several hundred dollars dinner. I have asked, but no response, as to why they don't accept Debit Cards which are same as cash. Here is what they posted on their Website: Pricing Notice: Due to increasing costs, we now offer a two-price system — one for cash and one for card payments. Paying with cash allows us to offer you a discount and helps us focus on what matters most — quality and hospitality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gary Lotherington
I had a seafood ravioli here. The pasta was cooked perfectly with a good bite and fantastic flavour. The staff were really friendly in a natural way. Sadly it was the last night of my vacation otherwise I would have returned to sample some more of the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alexis Schuck
Favorite place to come while visiting Santa Cruz!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chris Ray
Their food is so damn good. Service was also great. Food came out fast, everything had great flavor, and came out at the right time. Can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vivian Mendoza
We had an absolutely outstanding experience! From the moment we sat down, the service was impeccable—our server was attentive, prompt, and genuinely friendly. But let's talk about the food: it was truly amazing! Every dish was fresh, expertly prepared, and bursting with flavor. We were also lucky enough to enjoy the outdoor dining area, which was charming and made for the perfect, relaxed atmosphere. This place is a must-visit for anyone looking for great food and a wonderful evening ambiance. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Grant Cox
The Yelp photos and website presentation had us excited—looked like the kind of charming Italian spot you root for. Reality told a different story.
We were greeted by a waitress with a bubbly persona so aggressively cheerful it felt rehearsed. When I asked a simple question—“What’s the single most popular dish on the menu?”—she launched into a full tour of the entire menu like she was hosting a cooking show no one asked for.
I ordered their house-made sangria. What arrived tasted like straight syrup, like someone melted a bag of Skittles in a glass. My wife’s limoncello martini? Imagine drinking Lysol with a sugared rim. My daughter’s lemonade tasted like a dare.
The bread was pre-cut and sitting in open paper bags—stale and lifeless. The oil and balsamic were straight Costco bulk buy, harsh and cheap. My daughter asked for butter, and it came dumped into a dish with zero presentation—and when it was set down, the waitress’ thumb landed directly in the butter. Unsalted, flavorless, and now thumb-imprinted. Fantastic.
Speaking of unappetizing moments, my daughter’s lemonade arrived with a blue piece of foam—or plastic—floating in it. No apology. Just a replacement like this was standard.
We ordered the Contadina salad. It arrived unmixed, bone-dry, with a drizzle of what the menu called a “Modena balsamic reduction” but tasted exactly like the same oil and vinegar from the bread. We asked for extra, confirmed—same stuff. The candied pecans were burnt and bitter.
Now, credit where it’s due: my Lobster, Crab & Asparagus Ravioli in Aurora sauce was legitimately good. Handmade, flavorful, delicate—clearly the only thing in that kitchen treated with care. My wife and daughter said the meatballs were good, but the red sauce was flat and flavorless. The gnocchi were clearly frozen—dense, chewy, lifeless. My wife said more than once, “I wish I had your sauce.” That tells you everything.
For the price point, this should have been a standout. The night before, we ate at Café Cruz for roughly the same cost ($220 for three of us) and had a far superior experience in every single category—service, flavor, atmosphere, pride of craft.
To make things even more uncomfortable, the six-top next to us was shared between two completely separate parties—two elderly ladies seated on one end and a younger couple placed directly across from them at the same table, separated only by an oversized floral centerpiece. You could feel the awkwardness from where we sat. They weren’t together, they clearly didn’t know each other, and yet there they were—forced into this strange communal dining situation without warning. The two older women kept glancing at each other like, “Are we… supposed to talk to them?” It felt less like dinner in an Italian restaurant and more like assigned seating at a wedding reception for strangers.
Tramonti felt like an embarrassment to Italian cuisine and to Santa Cruz dining. Between the stale bread, thumb-in-butter moment, cheap ingredients disguised with fancy menu language, and unhoused individuals wandering directly past the patio, the entire evening felt off.
The only redeeming moment was her wine recommendation—an Italian red that was beautiful. But one good glass of wine can’t carry a meal this sloppy.
Save yourself the disappointment. Grab a corn dog and cotton candy on the boardwalk—you’ll walk away happier.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Randy Huang
Visited the is restaurant with a large party. Ordered most items on the menu. Almost all dishes meet my expectations (pasta is al dente, meat ball is juicy, pizza crust is crunchy, …). The only critique is on the polenta… it’s a bit dry. Staff is attentive and our food came quickly. Many thx.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
L
Used to love this place and came every time we would venture from the East Bay for a few day getaway.. last time we ate here we were extremely disappointed. The prices increased, and the quality of the food greatly declined. We were not impressed. And we were placed at a shared table when there was plenty of room for us to have our own. Overall disappointed and removed from our rotation roster of eateries.
Good luck trying to get service here if you’re black. I mean it’s 2025, you have the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason, but to sit me and my partner between two tables to watch them be served while we were ignored is crazy. Never again. We wanted to try something new, but honestly, we should have just went to Lillian’s instead.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
William Subin
Worst Italian food I’ve ever had, waiter was friendly but they told me the food is pre made. Now that explains why the food taste so bad. Letter to the owner, I feel bad writing a bad review but you are lying to people. This not authentic Italian food. Please fix your microwaved food and stop charging ridicules prices.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Douglas Qian
I would race Ironman Santa Cruz 70.3 a third time just to eat here again. 10/10 so good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Danica Nillo
Host was nice, but sat for almost 15 minutes without even being greeted at our table while waiters walked right by us.
Service: 1
Katherine Lee
Always my favorite place to catch an Italian bit! We love their pizzas, especially their Mortadella one!
Nice stop along our journey for some Italian food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
First time at Tramonti and wow, the food was amazing! So glad we found this place on Google. Everything was super fresh and full of flavor, and the staff were really friendly. We had the Contadina salad, a couple of pizzas, and shared a few pasta dishes all so good and good portions. Prices are super fair for the quality. Definitely coming back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is a great Italian restaurant and we have been there many times. It is our to go place for Italian food. The food is amazing and the service is great and very friendly.
Heads up: Recently they changed their pricing policy and the menu shows the cash price and the credit card price which is 4% higher to make up for the credit card fees. I normally don't carry a wad of cash in my pocket to pay for a several hundred dollars dinner. I have asked, but no response, as to why they don't accept Debit Cards which are same as cash.
Here is what they posted on their Website:
Pricing Notice:
Due to increasing costs, we now offer a two-price system — one for cash and one for card payments.
Paying with cash allows us to offer you a discount and helps us focus on what matters most — quality and hospitality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I had a seafood ravioli here. The pasta was cooked perfectly with a good bite and fantastic flavour. The staff were really friendly in a natural way. Sadly it was the last night of my vacation otherwise I would have returned to sample some more of the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Favorite place to come while visiting Santa Cruz!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Their food is so damn good. Service was also great. Food came out fast, everything had great flavor, and came out at the right time. Can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had an absolutely outstanding experience! From the moment we sat down, the service was impeccable—our server was attentive, prompt, and genuinely friendly. But let's talk about the food: it was truly amazing! Every dish was fresh, expertly prepared, and bursting with flavor. We were also lucky enough to enjoy the outdoor dining area, which was charming and made for the perfect, relaxed atmosphere. This place is a must-visit for anyone looking for great food and a wonderful evening ambiance. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Yelp photos and website presentation had us excited—looked like the kind of charming Italian spot you root for. Reality told a different story.
We were greeted by a waitress with a bubbly persona so aggressively cheerful it felt rehearsed. When I asked a simple question—“What’s the single most popular dish on the menu?”—she launched into a full tour of the entire menu like she was hosting a cooking show no one asked for.
I ordered their house-made sangria. What arrived tasted like straight syrup, like someone melted a bag of Skittles in a glass. My wife’s limoncello martini? Imagine drinking Lysol with a sugared rim. My daughter’s lemonade tasted like a dare.
The bread was pre-cut and sitting in open paper bags—stale and lifeless. The oil and balsamic were straight Costco bulk buy, harsh and cheap. My daughter asked for butter, and it came dumped into a dish with zero presentation—and when it was set down, the waitress’ thumb landed directly in the butter. Unsalted, flavorless, and now thumb-imprinted. Fantastic.
Speaking of unappetizing moments, my daughter’s lemonade arrived with a blue piece of foam—or plastic—floating in it. No apology. Just a replacement like this was standard.
We ordered the Contadina salad. It arrived unmixed, bone-dry, with a drizzle of what the menu called a “Modena balsamic reduction” but tasted exactly like the same oil and vinegar from the bread. We asked for extra, confirmed—same stuff. The candied pecans were burnt and bitter.
Now, credit where it’s due: my Lobster, Crab & Asparagus Ravioli in Aurora sauce was legitimately good. Handmade, flavorful, delicate—clearly the only thing in that kitchen treated with care. My wife and daughter said the meatballs were good, but the red sauce was flat and flavorless. The gnocchi were clearly frozen—dense, chewy, lifeless. My wife said more than once, “I wish I had your sauce.” That tells you everything.
For the price point, this should have been a standout. The night before, we ate at Café Cruz for roughly the same cost ($220 for three of us) and had a far superior experience in every single category—service, flavor, atmosphere, pride of craft.
To make things even more uncomfortable, the six-top next to us was shared between two completely separate parties—two elderly ladies seated on one end and a younger couple placed directly across from them at the same table, separated only by an oversized floral centerpiece. You could feel the awkwardness from where we sat. They weren’t together, they clearly didn’t know each other, and yet there they were—forced into this strange communal dining situation without warning. The two older women kept glancing at each other like, “Are we… supposed to talk to them?” It felt less like dinner in an Italian restaurant and more like assigned seating at a wedding reception for strangers.
Tramonti felt like an embarrassment to Italian cuisine and to Santa Cruz dining. Between the stale bread, thumb-in-butter moment, cheap ingredients disguised with fancy menu language, and unhoused individuals wandering directly past the patio, the entire evening felt off.
The only redeeming moment was her wine recommendation—an Italian red that was beautiful. But one good glass of wine can’t carry a meal this sloppy.
Save yourself the disappointment. Grab a corn dog and cotton candy on the boardwalk—you’ll walk away happier.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Visited the is restaurant with a large party. Ordered most items on the menu. Almost all dishes meet my expectations (pasta is al dente, meat ball is juicy, pizza crust is crunchy, …). The only critique is on the polenta… it’s a bit dry. Staff is attentive and our food came quickly. Many thx.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Used to love this place and came every time we would venture from the East Bay for a few day getaway.. last time we ate here we were extremely disappointed. The prices increased, and the quality of the food greatly declined. We were not impressed. And we were placed at a shared table when there was plenty of room for us to have our own. Overall disappointed and removed from our rotation roster of eateries.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
Good luck trying to get service here if you’re black. I mean it’s 2025, you have the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason, but to sit me and my partner between two tables to watch them be served while we were ignored is crazy. Never again. We wanted to try something new, but honestly, we should have just went to Lillian’s instead.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Worst Italian food I’ve ever had, waiter was friendly but they told me the food is pre made. Now that explains why the food taste so bad. Letter to the owner, I feel bad writing a bad review but you are lying to people. This not authentic Italian food. Please fix your microwaved food and stop charging ridicules prices.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
I would race Ironman Santa Cruz 70.3 a third time just to eat here again. 10/10 so good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Host was nice, but sat for almost 15 minutes without even being greeted at our table while waiters walked right by us.
Service: 1
Always my favorite place to catch an Italian bit! We love their pizzas, especially their Mortadella one!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loading...