i've lived in santa cruz for four years now and this has been my absolute favorite restaurant during this time. as this chapter of my life is closing, and i'm getting ready to start the next, i just knew i had to come again and bring my partner who has never been in before. for starters, all of the staff we interacted with were very kind. the host sat us promptly and handed us over to our server, cassandra, who thoroughly impressed us with her impeccable memory of all the specials, provided great suggestions, and gave us even greater service throughout the evening, and also enzo who kept our table so nice & clean! the weather was so perfect, we just had to sit outside! it was nice to see the restaurant so full and lively on a weeknight. the flow of business was so consistent, you just know something is being done right here! now, the service & ambience were great but we really came here for the food and the kitchen staff did not hold back. i felt like i was living through an episode of chef's table. while i always switch up my entree, my go to's at avanti are the olives & focaccia paired with an espresso martini. i've had an embarrassing amount of espresso martinis but this is still the best i've ever had. the bread and olives were divine, but so too were the salmon cakes we ordered on a whim. they were crispy on the outside and moist on the inside! next, we shared the new york steak and ricotta ravioli. the steak was wonderfully tender and the potatoes that came with it were truly nature's gift to humanity. the ravioli were also so tasty my partner had to physically restrain me from licking the plate clean but the final boss was really the dessert. i've actually never had dessert from avanti but i was feeling especially glutinous and ordered two -- the lemon tart and the butterscotch budino. the lemon tart was subtly sweet and effortlessly zesty and i'm so glad we tried it, however, the butterscotch dessert truly sent me to flavortown and i'm not coming back! (i'm probably coming back) thanks avanti!! read more

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Had an amazing experience here! The restaurant was very understaffed while we were there, which was not their fault, and it did take awhile to get seated. However, once we were seated (at the bar), our waitress was attentive and did a great job. Super enjoyed their all day Happy Hour for Tuesday (if you don't go on Tuesday, go during Happy Hour). They had great specials and a lot of really tasty sounding dishes. Ordered the Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower and both had great flavors and were cooked perfectly. We would absolutely go back and try more items! Would also recommend to anyone in the area for an upscale dining experience. read more

The food and service were wonderful. Fresh seafood from the bay and everything is locally sourced and made from scratch, we could taste it in everything we tried. Donielle was passionate about the food and all that Santa Cruz had to offer. We loved all of her recommendations. read more

Horrible service I was looking at all the ones reviews and they definitely make sense. This place deserves zero stars on top of being racist. I've never been to a restaurant where they threatened to call the cops on you for not liking the food and still made you pay. It's ridiculous. read more

Avanti Restaurant - Horrible - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

The restaurant wasn't too crowded around 5 when we arrived for dinner and we were seated immediately. The Grey Goose martini I ordered was served chilled but was watered down so it wasn't great, plus I was charged extra for the "dirty" olive juice and the olives, tacky. I ordered the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio and Focaccia Bread for dinner. It was delicious! We also ordered the lasagna. It was very salty. They have some very nice ferns hanging from the patio entrance area to soften the view of the parking lot. read more

Came in from out of town on vacation and decided to try out this spot after seeing such great reviews and I will say we are going to be coming back whenever we are in the area! Our server, Cassandra, was fantastic. She was attentive, personable, and very friendly. We had some dietary restrictions and she made sure to give us excellent recommendations. On top of that, the food was fantastic and the ambiance was enjoyable. We highly recommend! read more

Hands down one of the best Italian restaurants in Santa Cruz! Food was amazing, cocktails were delicious and the service was incredible! 10/10! read more

My boyfriend and I had such an amazing experience at Avanti this past Saturday. The menu and the specials made it hard to choose what to get so we got an appetizer, salad, entree (one of the specials that night) and dessert! Portion were generous - sharing was perfect! But the best part was Cassandra, she was friendly, her recommendations were spot on. She treated us like we were friends over for dinner. She made a great evening even better. Oh and a must try is the Blue Moon Fizz cocktail - and don't let the egg foul you - as Cassandra explained the egg is whipped to add a foam on top of the drink - it was perfect! See pic below read more

Avanti Restaurant - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

The service was fine. The salmon was good. The parpdelli with shredded pork was bland and kind of disgusting. Chickens or dogs is the only question for those leftovers. Speaking of chicken, the Sunday special was fried chicken. Pretty good. Over all, tired menu, tasteless food and way overpriced. I hadn't been there I. A few years and now I remember why. read more

Food really tasty and well prepared - ambience lovely! Budino dessert truly exceptional! The best part? Cassandra! A bright light! Thank you Cassandra! read more

I had a fantastic dining experience at Avanti Restaurant! From the moment we arrived, we loved the atmosphere of the garden room. What truly stood out was the exceptional service from Cassandra. She was attentive, friendly, and made sure everything was perfect throughout our meal. I ordered the Seafood Linguine Puttanesca, and it was absolutely delicious. The pasta was cooked perfectly, the seafood was fresh and flavorful, and the sauce had just the right balance of richness and zest. Every bite was incredible. Between the outstanding service and the amazing food, we were thoroughly impressed. I'll definitely be back and highly recommend Avanti to anyone looking for a wonderful meal in Santa Cruz! read more

This was one of the best meals we had during our recent anniversary weekend in Santa Cruz. The excellence of the food was matched by the warmth of the staff and the loveliness of the ambiance. Our server, Cassandra, was welcoming and had excellent suggestions to guide us through the menu. My cocktail, the Vogue, was a refreshing take on a Negroni, and my partner appreciated the range of delicious non-alcoholic options. We started with the grilled calamari, which we found ourselves fighting over. For our entrees, the tagliatelle was perfectly prepared, and the pistachio steak salad was delectable - perfect seasoning and texture. Avanti is now on our "must go" list for every time we visit Santa Cruz. read more

I was thoroughly disappointed in our experience there two nights ago. The food was fine as was the service but the place was filled with flies. I asked a server why the front door is kept open and she just shrugged. Every table near ours was constantly waving away flies. I will never go back to this restaurant. Sorry Avanti but this was inexcusable. read more

Where do I start, the service was outstanding. Our waitress Cassandra was very nice, personable and friendly. Drinks and wine were outstanding. The food definitely is very delicious !!! I suggest trying the lasagna, I've had nothing better. read more

Top tier food and service. Easily the best place to eat in Santa Cruz. Very welcoming environment and every staff member is excellent. Their focaccia is the best bread ive had in my life, i eat it at least once a week. Also, the bartender is great. Very talented. read more

My BF and I Just went to Avanti last min, they served us with no question even though it was only 20 min before closing. Our waiter Callum was personable and very fun to interact with. We highly recommend the lasagna and New York steak! Thank you Avanti we love you! read more

Hands down one of the best local spots in Santa Cruz. Food is so dependably fresh and delicious - and their house made pasta is always perfect! Cassandra was our server and she was truly kind and personable -- really made our dining experience special. read more

Great spot we found while visiting Santa Cruz. The food was super delicious. We had the lasagna and wild mushroom risotto. Service was great. We had Cassandra and she was super attentive even when it got busy. We would definitely go back. read more

Avanti Restaurant - Lasagna and Wild Mushroom Risotto - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Located off Mission, it's a hard to miss 'nice' restaurant, the elegant simple sign drew us in and the hunger made us stay. For the first time ever we have a table of no meat eaters. And luckily Avanti caters to those of us who prefer beet juice over bloody meats. Highly recommend the vegetarian lasagna-- made with slices of beets and drenched in a beautiful rich crimson and cheese that melts. The kale salad was surprising-- every bite has a little bit of plumpy citrus and chewy kale. The cheese plate came with a delicious quince jam. And the smallest slices if fresh ripe peach. Yum!! I just wish there was more! I don't know what it's normally like here but it seemed like most of the busboys or uniformed staff are all noticeably inexperienced and young. The very fit owner/manager lady did mention they're short on staff. They just were all so young, ill prepared and possibly first dayers. Bottom line- food is fantastic, very cool and well decorated atmosphere but the service is.. cautiously over-tentative. read more

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Amazing food and terrific service. Everything is scratch made and organic farm to table. Apps: carpaccio, burrata, lamb meatballs. Amaze balls all around. Entrees: braised chicken, lasagne, gnocchi. Everything was absolutely delicious. Dessert: butterscotch budino and crème brûlée. Gasp! Highly recommend. Location is a little unfortunate. Just off the highway in west Santa Cruz. But they've done a great job creating an organic atmosphere with loads of happy plants. read more

From the moment we walked in, the staff were very warm, welcoming and accommodating. Casandra our waitress offered great advice on entrees and provided entertaining g conversation. the food was wonderful- make sure to add on bread and dessert! read more

Dammit! Had another fabulous meal at Avanti. That means i have to tip big :) The food, drinks, service and atmosphere were all spot on. They never disappoint. 10/10. read more

We really enjoyed our dinner here. The butternut squash ravioli, and the lasagna were excellent along with the Caesar salads. The service by our waiter, Callum, was superb. He was so attentive to us. It was a warm, fun atmosphere. We highly recommend it. read more

Best dinner I have had in a long time. Great drinks and wine selection and the food was delicious. Best of all was the service. Will definitely be going there on a regular basis. read more

Avanti has been our go to Italian Restaurant for years but we had a horrible experience last night. The woman at the reception was incredibly rude and the food was inedible. I understand it has recently changed ownership which may be why our experience was so bad. We won't be returning. read more

Love having this restaurant in the neighborhood. We always have a great meal and Cassandra is wonderful!

Great place for a date night. Cassandra was amazing. Absolute sweetheart, and had amazing recommendations.

We had the best time here!! The food was great, drinks on point, but the service was absolutely the highlight of the night. Cassandra was our server and she was the best!! Her recommendations were perfect and she went above and beyond to ensure our visit was nothing but fabulous. read more

Incredible food! Friendly staff! Nice ambiance for a family dinner or a date. We tried this restaurant on a whim during UCSC parents weekend 2025. We ate at a different Italian restaurant the night before, so the bar was already pretty high. This is hands down the best Italian restaurant (outside of Rome, Italy) my family has ever experienced! The lasagna sets the bar high and the standard for which I will judge all future lasagna meals. In fact it was so good I now have anxiety about ordering it in other restaurants for fear of being disappointed. I just had disappointing lasagna at a restaurant in Las Vegas and I need to book a trip to Avanti just to cleanse my pallet and refresh my faith in high quality food. Avanti will be a must visit every time we are in Santa Cruz! read more

Amazing ambiance, very fresh and refreshing farm to table. Cassandra was extremely informative with the ingredients and how to pair each item with drinks. This was our first experience and Cassandra helped guide our taste buds to the perfect dinner options. read more

Great food, good value. Our server was Danale. Very informative, Italian accent, great service without hovering. Nice and spacious service areas. A truly wonderful and memorable evening. read more

Nice restaurant located on the west side of SC. We sat in an area where it felt like the outside but had glass looking out to the outdoor dining area. We ordered fried calamari and spiced cauliflower for apps. The calamari was very good but we have had better cauliflower. Our dinners were all good but some were small quantities. Our cocktails were just ok and at $15 per we expect more. We ordered desserts which were good but quite pricey at $15. If we came back, we would be thoughtful with what we order so the bill wouldn't be so much. read more

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The food was really was tasty and we were not sure what to expect since we picked this as a whim. In town for a volleyball tournament. My daughter had the duck breast and she really liked it. I had the hanger steak. The star of the dinner was the grilled calamari. The service was nice and little slow but picked up as the meal was ready timely. The ambiance was fun eclectic. The bar looked fun I didn't have a drink since we have an early start the next day but the drink offerings looked really good. Next time. Family friendly although did not see any diners my daughters age - 14. read more

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Are you kitting me best restaurant in town! Love the food & the service amazing! Every time my family & friends have dinner here is 10 out of 10! I'll start with the happy hour Love, the gin and tonic 10 out of 10. love their appetizers and the entrées. Oh my God favorite place in town to eat highly recommend! read more

Unfortunately this restaurant is not what it used to be under the ownership of Paul and Cindy. Everything used to be fresh and local. Now the calamari is deep fried instead of pan fried. Such a SHAME. It was one of the best restaurants in town. Don't get me started on the service. read more

They ruined one of my favorite dishes of all time. The meatballs have been going downhill for a long time but on my last visit they may as well have been bread balls. The pasta was still decent but when you go to a place for years and look forward to enjoying your favorite dish there and it basically sucks, and keeps getting worse it's really heart breaking. I'm never going back. read more

Avanti Restaurant - a bar with many bottles of alcohol - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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We visited Avanti Restaurant last week and this place sucked!! The food was not authentic like advertised. The service was ok.....however, this irate woman behind the bar was screaming at her co-workers which made my husband and I VERY uncomfortable. I couldn't even give a one star review....it was that bad. This restaurant serves up bland food, a 20 minute wait for a simple glass of wine and an uncomfortable dining experience. read more

Ordered online from the restaurant website, spent $87.00 (including delivery) and received only two of the four items I ordered with my delivery: an order of mushroom risotto and side order of scalloped potatoes. I called the restaurant and the woman answering first tried to convince me that they didn't use Uber so I couldn't have ordered from them, and then suggested I ordered from their other restaurant, and finally looked to see that my missing items were still sitting on a counter. She then wanted me to call Toast and have them come and pick it up but I explained to her that I would have to pay for that since it wasn't their fault the restaurant hadn't packed all of my order. No apology, no attempt to make it right, just telling me that they were busy and she'd leave a note for her manager who wasn't there. Basically just my problem. Great. read more

On our first day back in Santa Cruz in early December for a short vacation to fulfill Joe K's bucket list, we were treated to a delicious dinner at Avanti Restaurant by close friends. They live in Santa Cruz and know just about all of the nicest restaurants in town. And this is one of those places on the top of his list. It happened to be during one of those rainy and stormy evenings, but we arrived to a warm and cozy interior. The menu had a limited but impressive variety of options, making it hard to make a decision. I finally chose the Garden Pasta: fusilli with fresh vegetables in olive oil along with a diet coke. Joe ordered the Fogline Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes & gravy, and grilled vegetables, which is the Sunday special of the day. We all enjoyed our meals and had a nice relaxing evening with good friends, wine, atmosphere, and pleasant waitstaff. read more

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We have enjoyed Avanti Restaurant both in person and for take out, and it has been an excellent experience each time. Last night, I ordered their lasagne online for a small dinner party at my home. The order was of course ready on time, packaged nicely. The lasagne itself was so delicious. All of us enjoyed. I highly recommend eating here. read more