50 Best Vegan Restaurants in Santa Cruz

“The food was absolutely incredible! I’ll definitely be back!!!“

“Great tacos and great view🏄‍♀️“

“As a Brazilian I can say without a doubt this is the most authentic Brazilian food you'll get in Santa Cruz. Excellent staff/ service, yummy traditional Brazilian dishes, amazing appetizers, excellent selection of drinks and oh may the deserts!!!! This place rocks and will hopefully be with us for a very long time. Family owned.“

“great service! delicious, authentic Oaxacan food. We will go back!“

“Amazing! That’s all that needs to be said. See you next visit!“

“Every time we drive over from San Jose we eat there.“

“Absolutely delicious, we cleaned our plates ☺️ we got the chicken and beef brisket plates and they were both fresh and perfectly balanced. The pomegranate matcha latte was excellent as well.

ETA: the food was so good we also got a shawarma wrap to share. It was SO good; I usually hate dill but these chefs are such experts that it actually complemented the flavors of the wrap and I found myself enjoying the flavor of dill for the first time in my life 😆“

“This is my favorite booth at SAP when I go to Sharks games. You can see the arepas being grilled fresh and the fillings are so flavorful. The owners are very welcoming. I’m looking forward to the opening of their San Jose location since I haven’t been able to make it to Santa Cruz.“

“This restaurant is amazing. Definitely worth visiting. Small and romantic. And the food..... Fantastic. I visited from out of town, had a late lunch. This is a place worth going to. The staff is warm and welcoming. I would definitely come back.“

“Always so good and the owners are really nice to my dog and I. I have no problem suggesting this place to anyone. Every time I have the person has been very thankful“

“This place has some really delicious drinks and great food. I also love how dog friendly it is. I came back twice in a weekend.“

“Delicious and fast service. Coffee wasn't the best but the free refills were great.
The real standout was the Sourdough pancakes. I got them with seasonal fruit and whipped cream (bananas and walnuts this week) and splurged on real maple syrup. Super delicious and reasonably priced.“

“Wow, had the beef with plantans and avo sauce. Bring an appetite!“

“Went in here real quick before catching a flight in the afternoon and was pleasantly surprised by the place.

The food is great and the owners are really nice! Great gem in Santa Cruz for a quick bite and a drink. Highly recommended!“

“This is a cozy cute place with delicious café de olla, and Mexican dishes, live music and kind owners, convenient location to have food before walking to the beach.“

“We went there last week and it was a great experience. We came in just in time because it wasn’t busy yet. We got the only table by the window and it made it special for our occasion. The drink I had ordered wasn’t available so they suggested another one which was ginger beer and I liked it! It was a refreshing drink. The charcuterie board was delicious too! Everything was amazing. My girl and I had a great time and the waitress gave us a complimentary drink with our dinner. Thank you. We will surely go back again!“

“My husband and I had a great breakfast I got a breakfast burrito and a frittata. Both were very good and big great food for a great price and the customer service was amazing.“

“During our 2 night mini vacation in Monterey this week, Feb 2 & 3, 2023, we bought a package of these cookies from a liquor store, on Lighthouse Avenue and now consider them to be our all-time favorite cookie.“

“I had the Italian meatball sandwich

It was so delicious, and it got better with every bite.

You did NOT miss Zoccoli’s!

I’m coming back for every one of your sandwiches! Thank you! 😋“

“My wife and I had a great time. The pizza was awesome! Highly recommend 🍕“

“Small but wonderful little sushi place! Place looks unassuming and like a standard sushi joint but you have to try their Peruvian style sashimi! Each piece of fish has its own unique sauce and it was all really delicious. The orange sauce which was also on some rolls is so bright and delicious!
Staff was super sweet and service was fast.
Definitely worth trying!“

“very friendly staff, clean restaurant and delicious food.“

“The best Taqueria in town! Definitely overall service and the food 20/10 ! The team is beyond the amazing. The ambiance is chill and good for family too! This is one of my fav. Un taco crispy al pastor con aguacate y no habichuelas ! Enjoy! Thanks Guys“

“Great food, atmosphere all the waiters are nice. Great location.“

“Our family returned to Santa Cruz for a visit and we found Lilian's kitchen! We enjoyed a delicious meal(we are 6) our kids enjoyed their meals and we enjoyed a lovely glass of wine and a perfect atmosphere. The staff was kind and attentive, prompt service and there details on our food that are often overlooked on other tourist town restaurants...not Lillian's! A must was the tiramisu with coffee after dinner....I am in love❤️❤️“

“I really enjoyed this place. as a long time strict vegan, they answered questions kindly, and in ways I felt good to eat here. I had a lovely little chop salad, that really hit right as I was in need of vegetables.😄Followed it up with Tom’s Bright Eyes Surprise that was nice.“

“Great service, great food“

“tea tea tea puer puer puer puer real deal, no electronic devices human devices. analog music.“

“very good and Shelby s sunny disposition makes it even better. definitely our new favorite place for breakfast.“

“Feels like Portland bottled up in a little pizza joint. The real star, whatever red sauce they use on the pepperoni pizza. Is that cheddar cheese they bake into the crust?

Perfect place to eat after a day at the beach, biking, walking, or if you’re looking for a quality detroit style.

We will definitely be returning and this place has made it onto our list of recommendations for our friends looking for a bite to eat.

Chipotle-Pineapple Cider is 10/10

Thank you Bookie’s! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our time.“

“We decided to venture out from our usual noodle spot to Chloe's Kitchen and weren't disappointed! The Spicy Beef Noodle Soup was delicious, with a flavorful, savory broth and tender shank meat. Would prefer a bit spicier though, or some Szechuan peppercorn. We also tried the vegetable dumplings in chili oil, which were also very tasty! Only downside is the price is pretty steep ($18 noodles, $13 dumplings) compared to noodle and dumpling places in SF ($13-$15 noodles, $7-$10 dumplings). Kind of takes the fun out of dumplings when they are so pricey.“

“I love Canton Restaurant. The food is delicious and the service is great!👍“

“Best service and food in Santa Cruz county!!!!!!“

“This place was bustling when I went and for good reason- so many great options! They have my favorite brand of vegan cream cheese (Tofutti) as well as house made tofu spreads. The New Delhi was especially good, but also liked the tofu Tom and the Tofu del Fuego. Updated from previous review on 2026-01-02“

“Delicious food, kind servers, true authentic Mexican food. No hassle, no frills - so far, I've had the Siete Mares and Pescado Fritos and both were the best I've tasted in all of Santa Cruz County. I got my order as To Go so the atmosphere I didn't really get into but there were people there enjoying their food and sports on TV. A nice surprise.“

“I ordered two crispy carne asada tacos rice and beans. It was really good and put together well. The crane asada was tender and of course it was all delicious. I go often and I do recommend Salsas to fam and friends. Five Star every time I go.“

“My new favorite Mexican restaurant! Try the complex and delicious pureed/smooth sauces: one is red (a bit spicy) and one is light green (the tiniest bit spicy). I bought a half pint of the light green avocado sauce to take home. It goes with everything- from my roast chicken to a pot of black beans.“

“their meats are out of this world good. some of the best I've been going to tons of taquerias for years. tacos are legit. burritos are huge and balanced perfectly. my new spot! ORALÉ !!!!“

“I live around the corner from here and like to recommend this spot to friends whenever they're visiting my neighborhood. The vibes are great.

There is a bartender named Mayonnaise and she's the coolest person in the world.“

“A very delicious but reasonable price Chinese Restaurant. The regional flavor is mainly Cantonese taste that is what we prefer. Recommended.“

“The staff is amazing! The food is amazingly fresh and flavorful. Hands down this Restaurant was a huge highlight of our vacation. Thank you for an awesome dinner, and making us feel right at home!“

“Been there couple times now. Food is very good & staff friendly. View at sunset is amazing & constantly changing from the rotating floor. Will definitely choose Makai again!“

“First time there. By far the best pizza I’ve had in a long time. I highly recommend it.“

“Staff is always friendly and the food is great! Thank you“

“Delicious food Love eating here …“

“★め★
★★
1 hour ago
So the place is really nice, decent interior and good outdoor seating options. And the staff is really nice. Also the menu is usually Mediterranean options. The portions were HUGE. Very generous hard to finish. I got the chicken shawarma and gyro bowl. It tasted great. The hummus and falafal came as well complementary. I got a chance to ask about the halal meat source: its a mix of 3: restaurant depot, sysco, and santa clara factory and its machine slaughtered. They also sell alcohol here as an fyi. They have turkish desserts as well and turkish coffee, very interesting place and located in santa cruz“

“This is always my goto coffee shop when in Santa Cruz. The Americano (or any other coffee we get) is always on point. The bagels... Ohhhhh the bagels. You have to try for yourself but they are always fresh and amazing. Go check it out! You will not regret it.“

“Ive been working in restaurant as for about 4 years. Cafe Brasil is one of the best brunch/breakfast I’ve ever had! The place is a beautiful Brazil styled Cafe. I started with one of their green smoothies and it was just what I needed after a long night out. Then I ordered one of their chicken plates and it comes with beans,rice and fries or side salad all at a really reasonable price. Everyrthing was delicious and my Brothers and I loved everything. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a good breakfast or smoothie place.“

“Stumbled on this little oasis while walking the ‘mean streets’ of Santa Cruz. All kinds of flavors and friendliness here. Wouldn’t surprise me to see a banana slug flavor! There’s outdoor seating to enjoy your cone or cup in the sun. My kid loved his double dark chocolate.

Grok says:

The Penny Ice Creamery is a beloved artisan ice cream shop in Santa Cruz, California, renowned for crafting small-batch ice cream, sorbets, and treats entirely from scratch using local, organic, and seasonal ingredients sourced from nearby farmers, ranchers, and foragers. Founded in 2010 by chef Kendra Baker—a UCSC alum with a passion for sustainable, farm-fresh desserts—and her partner Zachary E. Davis, it’s the only ice creamery in Santa Cruz (and one of the few in Northern California) with its own on-site dairy processing equipment, allowing full control from pasteurization to churning without pre-made bases, stabilizers, or preservatives. This commitment to sustainability extends to using 100% recycled, biocompostable packaging and even repurposing egg whites from their custard base into daily-made marshmallow meringue (torched fluff topping). Flavors rotate frequently, blending classic comforts with adventurous twists inspired by the Central Coast’s bounty—think wild-foraged herbs from the Santa Cruz Mountains or produce from local farms. It’s expanded from a single downtown spot to multiple locations, including recent Bay Area outposts, while maintaining a hippie-rooted, community-focused vibe that earned it a shoutout from Vice President Joe Biden in 2010 for its local impact.“

“My husband and I love coming in for the lunch buffet. It's so delicious!“