Well known for its twenty-nine miles of beaches, Santa Cruz tempts site visitors with browsing, sunlight, as well as a Coney Island-esque beach boardwalk. Yet, come at mealtime, you aren’t restricted to fried calamari and corn pet dogs. Recently, Santa Cruz has upped its food and drink game while still maintaining its soulful browse as well as outdoor society. Translation: you can enjoy premium Neapolitan pizzas in board shorts, and sip craft mixed drinks in flip-flops.
The region is swallowed up by farmland– nearby Watsonville was the center of frozen food product packaging for much of the 20th century– and fresh, organic produce loads neighborhood food selections. Plus, a current surge of craft breweries makes it among the most amazing (if frequently underrated) beer locations in California. You’ll also locate regional craft makes sitting beside fairy floss at the beach boardwalk.
The following time you head to the birth place of landmass surfing, below’s where to obtain stoked on the most recent in Santa Cruz’s modern eating scene.
Health specialists think about eating in restaurants to be a risky task for the unvaccinated; the latest data regarding the delta variation shows that it may present a low-to-moderate threat for the immunized, especially in locations with substantial transmission. The current CDC support is below; locate a COVID-19 vaccination site here.
Keep in mind: Dining establishments on this map are noted geographically.
1. Venus State of minds
Given that opening his westside distillery in 2016, Venus State of minds proprietor Sean Venus has acquired awards for his organic, small-batch spirits consisting of single-malt scotches; The golden state’s only blue agave spirits (they would certainly call them tequila if the term weren’t shielded); and trademark, floral gins that call down the juniper for softer botanicals such as cardamom and citrus. The elegant sampling area welcomes guests to example a trip of spirits, take pleasure in a fresh made mixed drink, and take home a bottle or more for the residence bar.
2. Humble Sea Developing Co
. Like the region’s renowned browse breaks, craft breweries have become an essential part of the local landscape. Modest Sea attracts attention with outstanding Brand-new England-style IPAs; attractive graphics; and also a pleasant, olive tree-shaded beer garden situated five blocks from the shore on the westside.
3. Bantam
In an airy, transformed warehouse space on the hip westside, proprietors Ben (Chez Panisse) as well as Sarah Sims have actually been cranking out wood-fired Neapolitan pies since 2012. Yet, pizzas are just half the story, with a large, everyday choice of bites and entrees such as a clam-and-smoked trout chowder and also fried chicken with chili butter. Neighborhood beers as well as red wines maintain the vibrant dining-room humming, while a concise cocktail food selection nails variants on the standards.
4. Copal Restaurant
Copal opened up in the summertime of 2020, supplying chef Ana Mendoza’s homestyle Oaxacan price to the California coastline, most notably in the form of moles– Mendoza is particularly recognized for her strong mole , acquiring praise prior to Copal at pop-ups and festivals. Get it offered with hen or pork or in tamales wrapped in banana fallen leave; and don’t miss the tlayuda, an Oaxacan fave.
5. The Penny Ice Creamery
Along with company companion Zachary Davis, former Manresa pastry cook Kendra Baker produced a beloved neighborhood establishment with this ice cream store that features seasonal scoops made from the ground up and also served in homemade waffle cones. Real to Santa Cruz values, Davis as well as Baker resource active ingredients from more than 40 local farmers as well as foragers for flavors such as strawberry pink peppercorn as well as cardamom coconut blackberry. Just make sure to top it with toasted marshmallow fluff. Find areas in midtown and also Enjoyment Factor.
6. Birichino Vineyard Tasting Room
Don’t let the flooding of craft beer allow you ignore Santa Cruz’s original drink of selection: white wine from the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. At Birichino– the Italian word for “mischievous”– sector pros John Locke as well as Alex Krause generate lavish, richly delicious red wines that display local vineyards as well as lesser-known varietals such as the warm-weather favorite, malvasia bianca. The sampling area supplies samplings on the walkway patio area’s 7 tables; book one ahead of time to make sure.
7. Alderwood Santa Cruz
This high end novice stands for an indication of Santa Cruz’s current adjustments, replacing a previous lunch delicatessens area with smooth interiors, specialist alcoholic drinks, and also a food selection of New American dishes as well as steaks. Chef-owner Jeffrey Wall went far for himself at Atlanta’s lauded Kimball House, and woos Santa Cruz with a considerable raw bar, modern takes on steakhouse standards, and also made up plates such as an Insta-worthy smoked beet tartare.
8. Lupulo Craft Beer House
At this convivial downtown taproom named for the Spanish word for “hop,” 16 faucets feature brews from Santa Cruz as well as beyond, while a significant food menu shuns the usual club grub for Mexican and Spanish plates– household dishes of husband-and-wife proprietors Stuyvie Bearns-Esteva and also Noelle Antolin– sourced exclusively from regional natural ranches. Believe boquerones, cochinita pibil tacos, as well as empanadas. A cold instance provides an added 300 containers and bottles to crack open on properties or require to go.
9. Zoccoli’s Deli
Zoccoli’s is perhaps Santa Cruz’s favored deli– rightfully so, after 70+ years serving personalized sandwiches and home hoagies, like everyone’s favorite, the Mediterranean (mortadella, salami, prosciutto, as well as provolone cheese on a sourdough French roll with Italian dressing, olives as well as peppers). There’s an unexpected number of vegetarian alternatives and cold and hot sandwiches all opt for under $10, another reason to enjoy it.
10. Soif
This fetching restaurant-wine shop hybrid has been a reputable, welcoming area for polished food and also beverage considering that 2002. Cook Tom McNary reduced his teeth at Chez Panisse, and also it receives his seasonal, ingredient-driven dishes sourced from regional farms and fishermen. Menus shift accordingly, however dishes have actually consisted of scuba diver scallops with eggs as well as uni butter, and grilled quail with salsa verde. As constantly, half the fun is matching meals with selections from their deep a glass of wine rack, which features tags from much beyond the Santa Cruz Mountains.
11. Steamer Lane Supply
This modern, seaside snack shack serve budget-friendly, from-scratch, handheld dishes across from Steamer Lane, the city’s most legendary browse break. A butcher paper menu listings Sharpie-scrawled products consisting of salmon poke bowls, fresh fish tacos, and also panini-pressed quesadillas such as the Break-A-Dilla with clambered eggs, hash browns, queso fresco, as well as salsa verde. Nab one of the Adirondack chairs scattered among the park-like setup outside, or head to the benches neglecting surfers shredding enormous swells.
12. Abbott Square Market
Opened up in autumn 2017, this indoor-outdoor food hall is a buzzy brand-new enhancement to midtown. Housed in the city’s previous jail– inspect the old cell door hanging within– the dynamic market is home to countless food as well as beverage offerings consisting of blistery pies from Pizzeria la Bufala, a greater than 100-drink-strong alcoholic drink food selection at Front & Cooper, and also the supergroup combining of Buddy Bakery and also third-wave coffee darling Cat & Cloud. A stretching exterior patio area takes advantage of Santa Cruz’s 300 days of sunshine, as well as the connecting Gallery of Art & Background is well worth a quit.
13. Oswald Restaurant
Longtime restaurant Oswald in the heart of midtown is loved by the Santa Cruz neighborhood, as much for its seasonal The golden state food as for its revolving artist shows and warm ambiance. In the autumn, attempt anything with butternut squash, like the soup with persimmon or the Fall pasta; reassuring meals like curry braised lamb or beef pasta; and also a client favorite, the delicious chocolate souffle.
14. East End Gastropub
You’ll discover this delightfully fashionable restaurant hidden away in a nondescript strip mall in beachy Capitola. High ceilings and an open kitchen area keep the split-level indoor buzzing, as do 16 faucets of residence and also visitor beers. The menu includes farm-to-table handles gastropub staples– believe hamburgers and also Brussels– but do not ignore the vivid cheese plate, house salad with pumpkin weak, and also anything out of the wood-fire oven.
15. Pretty Good Suggestions
Getting away city life to tend to his Santa Cruz Hill farm, cook Matt McNamara, former co-owner of SF’s Michelin-starred Sons & Daughters, teamed up with other Sons & Child alums to open this casual breakfast and lunch area in Soquel. The seemingly simple menu attributes homemade bread and ingredients sourced from McNamara’s ranch in products such as ricotta salute with honeynut pumpkin butter and also fennel beet soup (there are burgers too).
16. Beer Thirty Container Shop & Pour House
Locate beer garden nirvana at this sprawling, dog-friendly taproom with shaded outing tables, grass games, and also 30 revolving faucets available in pints or 4 oz. cups (with even more choices available in a cool situation). You can bring your very own treats– various food suppliers are within walking distance– or belly up to an on-site take-out home window that slings passionate grub such as al pastor tacos and also fish and also chips on the weekends.
17. HOME
Housed in a captivating, early 20th century Soquel bungalow, this comfortable and aptly-named restaurant functions proprietor Brad Briske’s deeply tasty cooking, which incorporates the bounty of local produce, meats, and also fish and shellfish. In addition to an internal butchery program that generates the restaurant’s beloved charcuterie, Briske is renowned for homemade pastas that’ll dazzle also one of the most noodle-jaded diners with meals such as squid ink spaghetti with manilla clams, pork belly, as well as fermented chili miso.
18. Mentone
The laid-back, French-Italian restaurant from cook of Michelin-starred Manresa is going solid in Aptos, simply a skip and a jump over from the Santa Cruz boardwalk. Fried anchovies with Meyer lemon aioli and burrata with roasted strawberries and also hazelnuts go along with a list of easy but phenomenal pizzas.
Best Food Santa Cruz
Well known for its twenty-nine miles of beaches, Santa Cruz tempts site visitors with browse, sunlight, as well as a Coney Island-esque beach boardwalk. Yet, come mealtime, you aren’t restricted to fried calamari and corn pet dogs. Recently, Santa Cruz has upped its food and drink game while still maintaining its soulful browse as well as outdoor society. Translation: you can enjoy premium Neapolitan pizzas in board shorts, and sip craft mixed drinks in flip-flops.
The region is swallowed up by farmland– nearby Watsonville was the center of frozen food product packaging for much of the 20th century– and fresh, organic produce loads neighborhood food selections. Plus, a current surge of craft breweries makes it among the most amazing (if frequently underrated) beer locations in California. You’ll also locate regional craft makes sitting beside fairy floss at the beach boardwalk.
The following time you head to the birth place of landmass surfing, below’s where to obtain stoked on the most recent in Santa Cruz’s modern eating scene.
Health specialists think about eating in restaurants to be a risky task for the unvaccinated; the latest data regarding the delta variation shows that it may present a low-to-moderate threat for the immunized, especially in locations with substantial transmission. The current CDC support is below; locate a COVID-19 vaccination site here.
Keep in mind: Dining establishments on this map are noted geographically.
1. Venus State of minds
Given that opening his westside distillery in 2016, Venus State of minds proprietor Sean Venus has acquired awards for his organic, small-batch spirits consisting of single-malt scotches; The golden state’s only blue agave spirits (they would certainly call them tequila if the term weren’t shielded); and trademark, floral gins that call down the juniper for softer botanicals such as cardamom and citrus. The elegant sampling area welcomes guests to example a trip of spirits, take pleasure in a fresh made mixed drink, and take home a bottle or more for the residence bar.
2. Humble Sea Developing Co
. Like the region’s renowned browse breaks, craft breweries have become an essential part of the local landscape. Modest Sea attracts attention with outstanding Brand-new England-style IPAs; attractive graphics; and also a pleasant, olive tree-shaded beer garden situated five blocks from the shore on the westside.
3. Bantam
In an airy, transformed warehouse space on the hip westside, proprietors Ben (Chez Panisse) as well as Sarah Sims have actually been cranking out wood-fired Neapolitan pies since 2012. Yet, pizzas are just half the story, with a large, everyday choice of bites and entrees such as a clam-and-smoked trout chowder and also fried chicken with chili butter. Neighborhood beers as well as red wines maintain the vibrant dining-room humming, while a concise cocktail food selection nails variants on the standards.
4. Copal Restaurant
Copal opened up in the summertime of 2020, supplying chef Ana Mendoza’s homestyle Oaxacan price to the California coastline, most notably in the form of moles– Mendoza is particularly recognized for her strong mole , acquiring praise prior to Copal at pop-ups and festivals. Get it offered with hen or pork or in tamales wrapped in banana fallen leave; and don’t miss the tlayuda, an Oaxacan fave.
5. The Penny Ice Creamery
Along with company companion Zachary Davis, former Manresa pastry cook Kendra Baker produced a beloved neighborhood establishment with this ice cream store that features seasonal scoops made from the ground up and also served in homemade waffle cones. Real to Santa Cruz values, Davis as well as Baker resource active ingredients from more than 40 local farmers as well as foragers for flavors such as strawberry pink peppercorn as well as cardamom coconut blackberry. Just make sure to top it with toasted marshmallow fluff. Find areas in midtown and also Enjoyment Factor.
6. Birichino Vineyard Tasting Room
Don’t let the flooding of craft beer allow you ignore Santa Cruz’s original drink of selection: white wine from the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. At Birichino– the Italian word for “mischievous”– sector pros John Locke as well as Alex Krause generate lavish, richly delicious red wines that display local vineyards as well as lesser-known varietals such as the warm-weather favorite, malvasia bianca. The sampling area supplies samplings on the walkway patio area’s 7 tables; book one ahead of time to make sure.
7. Alderwood Santa Cruz
This high end novice stands for an indication of Santa Cruz’s current adjustments, replacing a previous lunch delicatessens area with smooth interiors, specialist alcoholic drinks, and also a food selection of New American dishes as well as steaks. Chef-owner Jeffrey Wall went far for himself at Atlanta’s lauded Kimball House, and woos Santa Cruz with a considerable raw bar, modern takes on steakhouse standards, and also made up plates such as an Insta-worthy smoked beet tartare.
8. Lupulo Craft Beer House
At this convivial downtown taproom named for the Spanish word for “hop,” 16 faucets feature brews from Santa Cruz as well as beyond, while a significant food menu shuns the usual club grub for Mexican and Spanish plates– household dishes of husband-and-wife proprietors Stuyvie Bearns-Esteva and also Noelle Antolin– sourced exclusively from regional natural ranches. Believe boquerones, cochinita pibil tacos, as well as empanadas. A cold instance provides an added 300 containers and bottles to crack open on properties or require to go.
9. Zoccoli’s Deli
Zoccoli’s is perhaps Santa Cruz’s favored deli– rightfully so, after 70+ years serving personalized sandwiches and home hoagies, like everyone’s favorite, the Mediterranean (mortadella, salami, prosciutto, as well as provolone cheese on a sourdough French roll with Italian dressing, olives as well as peppers). There’s an unexpected number of vegetarian alternatives and cold and hot sandwiches all opt for under $10, another reason to enjoy it.
10. Soif
This fetching restaurant-wine shop hybrid has been a reputable, welcoming area for polished food and also beverage considering that 2002. Cook Tom McNary reduced his teeth at Chez Panisse, and also it receives his seasonal, ingredient-driven dishes sourced from regional farms and fishermen. Menus shift accordingly, however dishes have actually consisted of scuba diver scallops with eggs as well as uni butter, and grilled quail with salsa verde. As constantly, half the fun is matching meals with selections from their deep a glass of wine rack, which features tags from much beyond the Santa Cruz Mountains.
11. Steamer Lane Supply
This modern, seaside snack shack serve budget-friendly, from-scratch, handheld dishes across from Steamer Lane, the city’s most legendary browse break. A butcher paper menu listings Sharpie-scrawled products consisting of salmon poke bowls, fresh fish tacos, and also panini-pressed quesadillas such as the Break-A-Dilla with clambered eggs, hash browns, queso fresco, as well as salsa verde. Nab one of the Adirondack chairs scattered among the park-like setup outside, or head to the benches neglecting surfers shredding enormous swells.
12. Abbott Square Market
Opened up in autumn 2017, this indoor-outdoor food hall is a buzzy brand-new enhancement to midtown. Housed in the city’s previous jail– inspect the old cell door hanging within– the dynamic market is home to countless food as well as beverage offerings consisting of blistery pies from Pizzeria la Bufala, a greater than 100-drink-strong alcoholic drink food selection at Front & Cooper, and also the supergroup combining of Buddy Bakery and also third-wave coffee darling Cat & Cloud. A stretching exterior patio area takes advantage of Santa Cruz’s 300 days of sunshine, as well as the connecting Gallery of Art & Background is well worth a quit.
13. Oswald Restaurant
Longtime restaurant Oswald in the heart of midtown is loved by the Santa Cruz neighborhood, as much for its seasonal The golden state food as for its revolving artist shows and warm ambiance. In the autumn, attempt anything with butternut squash, like the soup with persimmon or the Fall pasta; reassuring meals like curry braised lamb or beef pasta; and also a client favorite, the delicious chocolate souffle.
14. East End Gastropub
You’ll discover this delightfully fashionable restaurant hidden away in a nondescript strip mall in beachy Capitola. High ceilings and an open kitchen area keep the split-level indoor buzzing, as do 16 faucets of residence and also visitor beers. The menu includes farm-to-table handles gastropub staples– believe hamburgers and also Brussels– but do not ignore the vivid cheese plate, house salad with pumpkin weak, and also anything out of the wood-fire oven.
15. Pretty Good Suggestions
Getting away city life to tend to his Santa Cruz Hill farm, cook Matt McNamara, former co-owner of SF’s Michelin-starred Sons & Daughters, teamed up with other Sons & Child alums to open this casual breakfast and lunch area in Soquel. The seemingly simple menu attributes homemade bread and ingredients sourced from McNamara’s ranch in products such as ricotta salute with honeynut pumpkin butter and also fennel beet soup (there are burgers too).
16. Beer Thirty Container Shop & Pour House
Locate beer garden nirvana at this sprawling, dog-friendly taproom with shaded outing tables, grass games, and also 30 revolving faucets available in pints or 4 oz. cups (with even more choices available in a cool situation). You can bring your very own treats– various food suppliers are within walking distance– or belly up to an on-site take-out home window that slings passionate grub such as al pastor tacos and also fish and also chips on the weekends.
17. HOME
Housed in a captivating, early 20th century Soquel bungalow, this comfortable and aptly-named restaurant functions proprietor Brad Briske’s deeply tasty cooking, which incorporates the bounty of local produce, meats, and also fish and shellfish. In addition to an internal butchery program that generates the restaurant’s beloved charcuterie, Briske is renowned for homemade pastas that’ll dazzle also one of the most noodle-jaded diners with meals such as squid ink spaghetti with manilla clams, pork belly, as well as fermented chili miso.
18. Mentone
The laid-back, French-Italian restaurant from cook of Michelin-starred Manresa is going solid in Aptos, simply a skip and a jump over from the Santa Cruz boardwalk. Fried anchovies with Meyer lemon aioli and burrata with roasted strawberries and also hazelnuts go along with a list of easy but phenomenal pizzas.
