The restaurant is set in a semi-residential area within a converted house. The interior is cozy, CLEAN, and comfortable. The exterior has been renovated recently to not only expand seating (because of local popularity), but also allow for a semi-enclosed patio area, with heat lamps galore, and a tent drape to change the space as needed. I most recently ate here on Valentine's Day (2026). It was a busy night, but the service was (and has been consistently) excellent. The drinks are delicious, and since it was a busy night, my spouse & I doubled up on our drink orders to reduce wait time later. #protip #yourwelcome. The vibe is chill, and you need not be in a hurry while enjoying time at Aroma. We had calamari (YUM-so fresh) & coconut shrimp (always order 2- because YUM). For mains, we ordered the lasagna and salmon. We shared and had no regrets. The pasta options here are so hard to choose - I want all of them. The short rib tortellini are SO GOOD. We ordered dessert to go (cheesecake & chocolate mousse cake). On the evening, there was live music, which was very enjoyable. There isn't exactly space to dance out of the way of the service staff, but that doesn't stop the locals. read more

Won't be going back. Looked up the menu in their website for lunch only to show up and be given a mediocre Mexican menu and not offered the lunch they advertised. Ordered that fajitas and they don't give you enough tortilla to finish the meal. When I asked for more server gave an annoyed look and said well that's an extra charge, Took 15 min to finally cash out and the husband was late getting back to work. We paid cash and she seemed annoyed when j said I needed change. Like what expect when I hand you $80 on a $55 bill?? Then the icing on the cake heard her berate an elderly patron sitting next to me when she complained she didn't realize the taco she ordered was so small.Her exact word "Well what do you expect for $5". Completely rude server and false advertising on the menu options. read more

Delicious! The sausage frittata was yummy, my husband enjoyed his eggs Benedict. The restaurant was fancy but laid back. The servers were friendly and fun. Great place for breakfast. Next time we are in town we'll heck out dinner! Oh and warm spinach salad was to die for!! read more

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We came here for the first time my husband's birthday dinner. It was a Sunday night in April and a little chilly, so we opted to sit inside. We didn't have a reservation, but were seated immediately in the cozy dining area. The building is old (atmospheric!) but the new owner has done a lot to upgrade the place. We enjoyed the view into the kitchen, which was very bright and modern- an interesting contrast to the dining area with its subdued lighting. The wait staff were very good - friendly and on point without being annoyingly attentive. The owner, Allan, brought our wine, and also came out and checked on us a couple of times. I ordered the Linguine Frutti di Mare and my husband had the Spaghetti Bolognese. Both were excellent! It was clear that a lot of care had gone into sourcing quality ingredients and preparing each dish. Honestly I was surprised at how good the food was, because most SLV restaurants are just ok, and I have often preferred to drive into Santa Cruz or Capitola when I want a really good restaurant experience. Another reviewer referred to Aroma as a hidden gem, and it is that! It was a great choice for a birthday dinner and we look forward to going again; can't wait to try some of the other options from the menu. read more

My husband and I had a wonderful dining experience at Aroma Restaurant. We were attending a youth camp up the road, where the food did not agree with my stomach. I begged to drive down to find better food, and that's what lead us to Aroma Restaurant. Because we're very new to the area, we really didn't know what to expect. We awkwardly stood at the door for a good 3-4 minutes before someone came out to help us. There is both outdoor and indoor seating. We chose to eat outdoors. The woman who served us was very kind and hospitable. She brought out a tablecloth, cloth napkins, and water like she was preparing us for a special date. She was super nice and served us very well. In the end, we had a great experience. We would definitely come back next year while in the area for youth camp. I ordered the Sherry Ribeye Burger with Sweet Potato Fries, and he ordered the Fish & Chips. It did not disappoint! We enjoyed every bite! I do recommend this restaurant and can't wait to go back. read more

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The Aroma Restaurant did an amazing job at providing a great meal for 120 people on short notice for my niece's wedding this week. The staff delivered and served for us and did a magnificent job and food was delicious! read more

When our daughter's caterer failed to show up for her wedding, Mario Ibarra's team (Juan Alvarez, Junior Alvarez, Luis Espinoza and likely many others) leapt into action to prepare appetizers, dinner and after dancing snacks on less than a moment's notice. Somehow, they managed to have delicious food for 120+ wedding guests transported to the Sequoia Retreat in time to salvage cocktail hour and dinner. The guests enjoyed caprese salad, bruschetta, various pastas, chicken piccata and Caesar salad, then noshed on heaps of wings and an excellent pasta at the end of the evening. They graciously assured us that we should relax and enjoy her wedding, and we'd talk about cost later. When the time came to pay, Mario's price was more than fair. We have nothing but great things to say about his service, food, staff and the way they treated out of town visitors like members of the family. Thank you again and again! read more

Our new favorite place close to home. Matteo, Rosie(apologies sp), and Allan always make it a great night. The food is always on point. The pasta is absolutely done perfectly every time. ( and we are home cook pasta snobs ;). This place is a hidden gem in the SLV. They even have live music on the weekends which is an added bonus!! read more

We visited after a long day exploring Santa Cruz and were a group of 11, which we knew might be a challenge for some restaurants. Thankfully, the staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating--they went out of their way to create space for us outside, and the setting was beautiful. The service started off great--attentive and welcoming. We ordered shortly after being seated, and were excited for a good meal. Unfortunately, the wait for food was very long. It took about an hour and a half for everything to arrive, and my boyfriend's plate didn't come out until everyone else had already finished eating, which was disappointing. The food itself was absolutely delicious, but by the time it came, we were all extremely hungry and the enjoyment was a bit overshadowed by the wait. It also felt like we were overlooked once drinks were served, as no one checked in on us during the wait. To be fair, we understand it's not easy to serve a large party all at once, but we noticed smaller groups who arrived after us getting their meals much sooner--even though we ordered quickly. Despite the delay, we'd be open to giving this place another shot with a smaller group. The food really was great, and the staff was kind--we just hope the timing is better next time! read more

Aroma Restaurant - Desserts Near Me - Ben Lomond, California

A great brunch on a beautiful Saturday! We got the Mexican Steak & Eggs and the Florentine Classic Benedict. Both were delicious and appropriately portioned. Appreciated the complementary fruit with them too. The owner (Mateo?) was hospitable and funny. They have a homemade hot sauce, try if you dare haha read more

Aroma Restaurant - Brunch menu (2/2) as of 6/21/25 - Desserts Near Me - Ben Lomond, California

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a million stars if i could!!! beyond having amazing food, this restaurant along with another local spot absolutely saved the day at a wedding i was attending where the original caterer no called no showed!!! the folks here stepped up BIG TIME to pull off dinner and appetizers for a crowd of 120 people. i could not recommend them more!! read more

Delicious food Great atmosphere with fireplaces or outdoor seating with heaters Great for parties and special occasions

Wow best restaurant in this area for sure! What an inviting atmosphere and friendly staff. They really go above and beyond to make you feel at home. My Dad ordered the seafood linguine and he said it was the best he's ever had! Ever Also I had the pesto chicken with GLUTEN FREE linguine. So happy they have gluten free pasta options and they are DELICIOUS sauces. Chicken was cooked to perfection and the seasoning was on point. As a starter appetizer we both had the house salad. Mine with balsamic dressing and my Dad's was with ranch. We both thoroughly enjoyed the salads and they had lots of fresh ingredients! Can't say enough good things about this restaurant. Will be back! read more

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The service was amazing as well as the atmosphere. The staff were so friendly and great, the place was cozy and warm on our cold night. The food was a bit cold, but we still saved room for dessert! read more

Such a great spot in Ben Lomond! We went for dinner and sat outside. There's were many heaters, lots of tables surrounded by big beautiful redwood trees, the ambience was magical. Inside was super cozy too. Staff was attentive and friendly. Menu was innovative and had lots of options. They even had gluten free options for a GF person like me. Prices were reasonable for a nice dinner. They also had a good wine list. Would definitely go here again! read more

I went here the other day for a dinner date with my partner and it was a really cute spot. I loved the deco and outdoor seating area. We were not super impressed by the charcuterie board, but then wine and main dishes were pretty good. We also ordered ceviche, which had an interesting twist, I never had ceviche with tartar sauce mixed in it, it was good, but different. I would definitely come back and try other dishes. read more

Aroma Restaurant - The bottle of wine we ordered - Desserts Near Me - Ben Lomond, California

The lunch menu was very nice. We had the Beet Salad and Nature Burger , along with Arnold Ice Tea . Very nice atmosphere and great service with good humor . Would definitely go there again . read more

went to visit my friends new home and we came here for brunch on wednesday at 11am. we walked in and they just barely opened; their waitress hadn't even arrived yet. we were all excited for breakfast foods but they said they only have breakfast on the weekends. we were all bummed but that didn't stop us from ordering mimosas and bloody mary's!! menu was very limited and didn't have too many things that caught my eye. i kept it simple and ordered their sherry ribeye burger. we ordered 3 ribeye burgers, fish and chips, and a turkey bacon avocado sandwich. the person ordering the fish and chips stated it was really good. you have to request for malt vinegar if that's your jam. my burger tasted like a typical burger nothing special. a little on the bland side if i'm being honest. the friend that recommended this place said dinner is better. there would be more choices to choose from. i don't know if i'll ever find that out. read more

Aroma Restaurant - Desserts Near Me - Ben Lomond, California

Place is Golden! Started with great, sincere greeting by everyone, owner (Mario), bus people, etc. Food was an 11 out of 10. Had the special Lamb Shank. I'm not a lamb guy but decided to step out of my comfort zone and wow! Full of flavor and a nice tempernillo to go with it. Wife had Bolognese. Fantastic. Service was great (Mateo). Atmosphere was excellent. Happened to have music on the patio tonight. I'd swear these guys were peeking at my playlist. Also to note, affordable. Next time in the area we are coming back. You won't be disappointed. Give it a try. read more

Aroma Restaurant - Lamb shank - Desserts Near Me - Ben Lomond, California

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Bar drinks were great. Staff were fun and friendly, made you feel welcome. Dinner option were good and desert selection was nice also. Good was amazing, cooked to perfection. Inside and out was nice. Outdoor dinning with heaters and live music was amazing! read more

Aroma Restaurant - Filet mignon with asparagus and mushroom. - Desserts Near Me - Ben Lomond, California

For a restaurant in a small town, I was very pleasantly surprised to see these menu offerings with quality food and decent value. We came here for lunch. Out of all our orders, the blackened chicken burger was the best value as well as taste. It's not often that you get a sandwich or burger served using focaccia, so that was very nice (and fluffy). Meanwhile, the inside was fresh, savory, and balanced. Sweet potato fries were pretty standard, but I think the house salad tasted great with its coating of vinaigrette. The beef burger was interesting as the eggplant added another dimension of uncommon flavor and texture. Paired with the fact that the servers were nice and both the inside and outside of the restaurant was very pretty with the setting of atmosphere, my party really enjoyed this meal. read more

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We've had two delightful meals at Aroma. One was in the evening, six of us celebrating my wife's birthday. The second time, four of us came for lunch; my wife and I, along with a 13-year-old granddaughter and a friend visiting us from Japan. Adding variety, the first time we sat inside and the second time outside. You really can't go wrong inside or out, both comfortable, cheerful, and easy on the eyes. Both times the food was very well-prepared, tasty and nicely presented. My only complaint was the appetizers, while very tasty, were either overpriced or underweight, e.g., not enough for the price. The ceviche is a cut above most restaurants, but at $15, we expected a bit more. Same for the $18 charcuterie board. In their favor, complimentary bread, which I believe in baked in-house, served with lovely olive oil. That got the stars back to five. :) For the wife's birthday, she had the "Create Your Own Pasta." She chose prawns, spaghetti, and a red sauce. I had the Linguine Seafood in a white wine sauce. We were both very pleased with our dishes. Indeed, everyone agree it was a delightful dining experience, and we'd all come back again to try other dishes. The lunch was also a hit. Our Japanese friend was a little amazed at how well the wait staff interacted with us. Fun and playful, without being overly familiar or intrusive. We were there a little late for lunch, having hiked at Henry Cowell longer than planned, so the lunch rush was over. The bartender came out to answer a question about granddaughter's Shirley Temple. Somehow that got us into tasting hot sauces. Nope, I can't imagine the segue either, it just happened. It made the lunch more fun and created a nice memory for our foreign guest. Granddaughter has the greatest heat tolerance. Thank you Matheo for sharing. I wish I remembered our waitress' name, as she too was great. In summary, great place to go if you are anywhere near Ben Lomond for a delightful, well-prepared meal, in a lovely setting, served by people who care about you enjoying your time with them. read more

We are sad there are few excellent restaurants up here. Dinners are hard to come by; most places close at 2:00! PM! Aroma is awesome. They do meat well...pork chop recently was amazing. And then my birthday dinner steak was so well prepared. Absolutely recommend. read more

So disappointed tonight in food service all around. We had raved to our son how great it was? Bad choice, Our margaritas were not tasty they were so sour we had to ask another waitress to fix or remake them. Ceviche appetizer was bland lacking any flavor, chips served were stale. The waitress placed in middle of table then asked if we needed plates to eat our appetizer? My chili verde the rice & beans were cold, chili meat was over cooked and dry. Our waitress was not around much we kept asking other staff members for assistance. I asked another server to heat my food. We asked another server walking by for tortillas and about 8-10min later they brought flour heated triangles where was the rest of the tortilla? My son's fajitas left a very bad after taste. What happened? Then we asked for additional tortillas and they brought 2 corn tortillas not flour? We definitely will never come in for the Mexican food or on a Monday or maybe never again? But Pretty bummed. Ambiance was ok place was pretty empty. Our waitress was MIA and when she did come out to dining area something at the bar, kitchen or other areas kept her from being available to assist us. read more

Great ambiance, great good! People working here are really friendly, I am picky about my food and I give very detailed instructions on how i want my burger seasoned and salad tossed. They follow through every-time! I'm gonna visit again read more

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Delicious food. Loved the crème brûlée. Cute vibes. Friendly and attentive staff. Wish they had more vegetarian main course options

We had a wonderful dinner at Aroma. This restaurant has absolutely turned around since we were there years ago under a different name. The staff were extremely friendly, the menu and wine list had something for everyone. We left around 7 pm and groups were still arriving on a Sunday evening. Really enjoyed the outside seating. Attached is the main item I had. Also had the walnut salad and apple strudel. We will be back more based on this experience. read more

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Service was excellent Food was hot and served correctly lots of flavor . Dining room was clean. The linens were fresh. read more

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Great cocktails, brunch menu was really good. The fish and chips were fantastic. My husband loved his burger.

Love this local gem. So happy they came to town. We have been here three times and the food and service has been excellent every time. I love the fireplaces and the cozy vibe. read more

We came for lunch. Shared the ahi nachos which were delicious and the ceviche which was equally as good. My husband had the turkey sandwich and liked it and I had the caprese salad. I would not order that salad again... there was little flavor, and like two small pieces of lettuce and no basil. I also ordered the Cadillac Marg and it was strong and yummy read more

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Had dinner on Thursday May 8th. Four in our party. Let's start with service, or what was supposed to be service. The waitress was too busy chatting most of our time there with what appeared to be her friends so we were ignored. Staffed seemed to be annoyed that we were there. Food. Lobster was tough. Ribeye was ok. Mussels were terrible. Tuna was fair. Charcuterie board was a total disaster. I don't understand how this place can survive. Stay away. Too bad, BL deserves better than this. read more

Cute little restaurant right off the highway! Came on a sunny Wednesday afternoon right when they opened and was greeted by one of the sweetest server. I got the wasabi ahi poke nachos which were delicious! Very fresh ingredients and amazing ahi, came a little too early for the octopus to be prepped but more of a reason to come back! The ambiance is so peaceful and cute. Great service and plan to be back many more times! The couple next to me got the blackened chicken sandwich and fish and chips which they raved about. 10/10 experience read more

Aroma Restaurant - Wasabi ahi poke nachos - Desserts Near Me - Ben Lomond, California

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Service was awful lazy and slow. Guys setting tables were best. Margarita had no triple sec had to send back. Food looked good but not much flavor. Salsa was delish but skimpy and not served early. Anyway I had to go ask for change return after giving 70. On a 50.43 bill. Sorry. read more

Great. I got to speak Italian with Matteo all night. Food and service great. Cannot wait to return.

Good food; good service. We love the Mexican and Italian dinners in this local restaurant.

The food is good. Service is sometimes poor, I suggest you go early, as service can be really slow when they are busy.

So good! The fried artichoke salad is amazing and even better with grilled chicken. Love supporting our local community

Giving this a two star as staff were attentive. We had a party of 9 for lunch. 6 ordered burgers. Food took an hour. Burger buns were burnt, and burgers were very small. Blacken chicken sandwich was tasteless and very boring. The best thing about this restaurant was the espresso martini. That's the only thing I would go back for. We were also very disappointed that there were no pasta dishes available for brunch. Bummer. Based on the reviews we really expected more. read more

I am giving this restaurant one star because of the very unpleasant experience I had along with three of my friends on 2/28/25. The restaurant has a known ongoing septic issue per the staff, manager and owner Mario. The night we were there the smell didn't begin or wasn't noticeable until our food was just about ready to arrive. As we were eating the smell became very noticeable and extremely unpleasant. There's not much more to say other than the establishment should be closed down until the septic issued is completely resolved. I'm pretty sure the health department would be concerned as well. A few key notes: 1. The server says " We are aware of the problem. After a few drinks you wont even notice the smell." 2. Upon speaking with both the manager and Mario in both of their exact words " We REFUSE to give any food back as a compromise. We can offer one drink or one desert to one person only." 3. Our total bill was close to $400. **So you tell me fellow patrons- I feel at least compensating all of us each a drink and desert is definitely not asking too much. In fact, to make the unpleasant experience a positive one asking us to come back for a free meal on him would be the correct thing to do especially being a newer establishment in a small town/community. Mario has forever lost my business, my family and my friends indefinitely. Just saying.................................... read more