This place has the 3 Cs: Cute, Charming, and a whole lot o' CHOCOLATE!!!!! Chocolate pies, cakes, gelato, sundaes, cocoas, cocktails, cafes, pastries... Chocolate in downtown Santa Cruz is the place to go. There is a charming outdoor patio with flower beds and striped awnings, reminiscent of old Paris. Or you can opt to sit indoors for a moody, romantic vibe. Since I was there for a dessert date with my little one, we chose to sit outside. Water was served in a wine bottle (cute detail) and little shapely glasses. The Parisian feel continued with the round tables and small chairs as well as the neon-lit signs. The menu was vast with savory dinner and lunch items, wines, cocktails, an entire page of hot cocoas and mochas.... and of course an entire section dedicated to chocolate desserts! My daughter and I shared 2 desserts: a chocolate soufflé layered with chocolate cake and cherries and dulce de leche cake. The service was swift and friendly, and most importantly, the cakes were decadent! They were perfectly moist and weren't too sweet. We both thought the Dulce de Leche cake was our favorite because we could taste the cake more and the subtle vanilla hints were nice. It paired well with my tea. What a great addition to Downtown Santa Cruz! [Beware: I noticed only one of our two menus denoted food allergens! So if you have food allergies, make sure you ask before you order.] read more

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Pros: Service was friendly, the setting was very romantic. Cons: I don't mind paying for a nice dinner, but (and I really hate to say this) the food was quite disappointing. We ordered: - pasta pork bolognese: Large portion but it was just ok. - miso salmon fillet: my SO enjoyed this. Wasn't overcooked so still nice and buttery. Nice flavor. Might just be me but rather small portion for around $30? With sides come out to about $40. I may be unfair to the here given the outrageous rent they most likely pay here. - broccoli entree: regular broccoli, no char (streamed?) and sauce was meh and didn't come with the fried garlic topping as mentioned. Honestly came off as (some) sauce and frozen broccoli for $13. Again, maybe it's the rent driving the prices up but I truly think they could do at least a bit better. - chocolate orange tequila, glass of wine: admittedly we are out of our depth to comment on these. Overall, we enjoyed ourselves and I don't regret going, but unfortunately most likely won't be returning. We've been so excited to go too :/ read more

Chocolate - Pasta pork bolognese, miso ginger salmon filet - Desserts Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Got the large orgy and it was okay, but nothing extraordinary in taste or presentation. We ordered only This and drinks, so that may have influenced our service. Waiter was polite, but didn't check in on us and we had to flag down to get the check. Out of all the options, we only really liked 1 of them and finished a total of 2. Ambiance is interesting and intimate, I can imagine maybe later at night it might be more romantic or more of a whole experience. I don't think we'd return, but not mad that we tried it. read more

Chocolate - Desserts Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Wonderfully delicious way to spend an overcast summer afternoon. Great service and a menu of fresh ingredients local ingredients that we can't wait to return and continue to explore! read more

Chocolate - Amazing Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake!! - Desserts Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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This place is so beautiful and cozy! We sat outside on a beautiful sunny afternoon on Sunday after a long walk. We both had the chicken soup and the Mediterranean salad with a side of chicken to add to our salads. Both were delicious and fresh! The service was fast yet the server was just subpar. Just wasn't very friendly. Otherwise, yes I'll come back. There's only street parking. However, there is a parking garage just around the corner. Easy to get to and reasonable pricing. read more

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This place is the bomb. The food was delicious, we got the chicken mole and hand rolled fettuccine with pesto. Our server, Lily, was spectacular and guided our food-related indecision with perfect recommendations, all the way down to which sauces to pick and which hot chocolate to enjoy based on our preferences (our drinks were decadent and fabulous. Please get whipped cream, you need it in your life). The outdoor patio was so cozy and covered in greenery. The host we first talked to was so kind and I just wish I had gotten his name to give him a proper shout out. We will be back very soon and our friends and family will be notified of this little place that has immediately become a new go-to. read more

Lovely little spot, outside on the patio with the striped awning, French music, and plants all around made me feel like I was in a European café. The cocktails were fun in the meal, healthy and delicious. The mud pie . I don't eat sweets often, but this was probably one of the best I've ever had. Lovely staff. read more

Chocolate - Chocolate, cherry, rum, and chocolate orange tequila martinis. Chicken mole and rosettes. - Desserts Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Had the most amazing dessert, so decadent! Delicious cake, ganache and gelato! Will definitely come again! read more

Chocolate - Desserts Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

This is such a special place with the best desserts in Santa Cruz. The outdoor patio has great ambience with plants, colored lights, and a fountain. Their drinking chocolates are rich and delicious. My favorites of their desserts are their gelatos, the titanic (an affogato with espresso gelato), the passion fruit cheesecake, and their chocolate ecstasy cake. They also have wonderful seasonal offerings. The drinks are too generally too strong for my liking but they have a delicious Moscow mule. read more

Well drinks were amazing. Definitely worth the stop. Desserts were delicious as well. Service was fast and friendly. They have the cutest outside seating area. We got lucky to sit next the the water fountain which made awesome back ground for our selfies, lol. Worth a stop for sure. Cant wait to come back and try the food! read more

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Went here for the first time to celebrate my fiancé's birthday. Made reservations on Open Table and added special instructions to please bring out a candle with the dessert. They did just that and from beginning to end the experience was flawless. The waiter was super nice and attentive, the appetizer came out fast and they didn't bring the entree until we were done with the app. So many places either rush to get food out too fast, or you have to wait a long time. Their timing was perfect. The weather was outstanding, so eating outside was amazing. Each dish was absolutely delicious. We will definitely be back. read more

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Very cute place with great service. This is the best chocolate drink in town. There's a variety of hot chocolate options, and you can even add a shot of whiskey. I really loved the Victoria chocolate and the chocolate cream pie on the side. Chef's kiss! read more

Chocolate - Getya some!! Victoria - Desserts Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Easy booking on OpenTable.com Located in downtown Santa Cruz. Booked for 4 people, an Early Mother's Day dinner celebration on a Saturday evening. We were seated immediately after checking in. Indoor and outdoor seating. Great service, server gave good recommendations, checked on us frequently. Started off with drinks, Chocolate espresso martini tasted great, coconut chocolate Martini was so strong, it got me smiling from ear to ear. We Shared focaccia with marina & pesto sauce. - scrumptious. Shared our entree, tortellini pasta with bolognese sauce. Delicious and filling. GF & daughter shared a ricotta with bolognese- so tasty. At end of meal, we shared 2 desserts of espresso tiramisu- sweet cream, layered cake drowned in espresso sauce - yum. Also A warm big chocolate cupcake which was like a molten lava cake. Chocolate Was bitter sweet, perfect. We all were so pleased with our dinner and dessert choices. read more

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We had chocolate martini, espresso martini and beet appetizer. Both drinks were outstanding. Probably the best espresso martini I had for a while. read more

I've really enjoyed all my experiences at Chocolate over the years. The menu is very gluten-free friendly, both savory and sweet. I have brought my young daughter on a handful of occasions and also have enjoyed this place for a romantic date spot, too. If you can settle into the downtown vibe (iykyk), this is a wonderful place for dinner. I guarantee you'll leave with a full belly! read more

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Such a charming restaurant setting, especially the patio seating area, with decorative string lights, a beautiful fountain, and outdoor heaters providing a comfortable dine-in experience on a cool Sunday evening. The chocolate flavors are definitely intense here, in their food and drinks, but they offer so much more on their menu. For cocktails, we tried the chocolate martini (which had a bit of spice), strawberry cosmo, passion fruit margarita, and gin and tonic (with the more herby venus 2 gin). All of the drinks were tasty and strong in alcohol, and presented nicely as well. For dinner, we had the chicken pie (with salad), chicken mo'le (spicy poblano), and for dessert, the chocolate strawberry shortcake from their specials menu, along with the dulce de leche chocolate layer cake. OMG, everything was so delicious, loved the the crumbly crust and savory flavors in that chicken pie, especially with gravy poured over it. And those desserts were so decadent and yummy, particularly the strawberry shortcake special with strawberries baked into the chocolate cake plus fresh strawberries on top, it was beyond good! Service was wonderful as well, staff was friendly and welcoming and checked on us frequently during our visit. Lots to love about this place, I will definitely be back for more. A perfect date spot for sure, they take reservations too! read more

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Amazing hot cocoa and dessert flight (they call it dessert orgy ;) ). Nicely shaded patio and very chill vibe. It's like a heaven for chocolate lovers, they have like a dozen types of different hot chocolates to choose from, as well as chocolate cocktails. A little bit hard to notice when you walk by, but definitely recommend read more

Chocolate - Dessert orgy - Desserts Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Saturday May 23 2026 at 7:30 pm. The service was slow, we waited 17 minutes after being seated for the waitress to even say hello. Then get an attitude. Should have left then as everything went downhill from there. The chicken mole was way overcooked and mealy and the flavor was bland. Drinks were sub par and overpriced. Not a good experience at all. My stomach is regretting it today. read more

This place looks like France and Italy! The decor is impeccable and they have the best food. My personal favorite is the chocolate cake slice (I can't remember the name off the top of my head), or Victoria. Food takes kinda long to get to your table though read more

We booked ahead for Valentine's Day. After reading reviews, I was on the fence but gave them the benefit of the doubt. Here we go. Do not sit outside if it's cold. The heaters do not help. There aren't enough of them and you will be frozen by the time your meal arrives. The menu is eclectic. I finally got the salmon bite and black bean appetizer because it was the only thing that didn't look heavy. It was burnt to jerky. They did take it off the check. But only after we reminded them, because it was still on the unitemized. The portions in general are very small, so order accordingly. It looked like they were understaffed. Our waitress was the hostess and she did her best to help us and do her job. We felt like we were kinda abandoned in spite of her best efforts, one person can only do so much. It was nice to see the parade of people and dogs walking past us. After one glass of wine, I was ready to move on to warmth and comfort somewhere else. read more

Chocolate - Salmon and black bean bites - Desserts Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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I have been here a handful of times in the past year for lunch. It's a great place to grab lunch with friends and they have wonderful outdoor seating. The service is generally wonderful. We rave over the freshly made focaccia bread. Delicious! And the vegetarian salads have never disappointed! Today, was different. I was excited to share the restaurant with my husband. We arrived around 1 pm. They were not busy, only a couple tables filled inside and out. We waited outside at the hostess stand. When no one showed up, we moved inside to wait for a table where it was warmer. The young waiter came around the corner and we asked for a table for two indoors. He asked us to go back outside and wait for a table. I told him I was rather cold and chilled. I asked if we could wait inside since it was cold. He said no. He said he understood I was cold but I needed to go back outside and wait. If the restaurant was busy and full I could understand. If we were standing in front of a table of people trying to enjoy their lunch, I would also understand. No reason. No friendliness. No compassion. No greeting. We love to support the local restaurants. Sadly, I wasn't able to share this restaurant with my husband today. We decided to find somewhere else downtown to enjoy our lunch today where we were welcomed and ushered into their establishment. I gave three stars today taking into account the previous customer service we normally have during the weekdays. Hopefully, anyone reading this review will enjoy the food and ambiance they normally provide. It just wasn't in the cards for us today. read more

Chicken soup was good but was initially served lukewarm. Polenta was not good. The chicken was over cooked. On top of that they added $2.50 to the bill with no explanation. The waitress told us it was a computer error and we still had to pay it. The menu should match the bill. Food is mediocre at best overall. My wife and I also felt sick to our stomachs shortly after we ate there. Not going back! read more

Cute place with a good vibe. Enjoyed the atmosphere and outdoor patio. Service was good. Entrées felt pricey for the portion size. For example, the Mole Trio was $29.50 and had just two bite-size pieces of chicken per mole. Not even a chicken breast, just two or three small bites doused in the sauce, plus two sides. Didn't feel like a thirty dollar meal. I also ordered a drink that was fifteen dollars pictured below. The cheesecake was also pricey at eight or nine dollars a slice. Maybe the portions could have been bigger or prices adjusted. On the bright side, their drinks were great and the hot chocolate was one of my favorites at five or six dollars which felt fair. read more

Chocolate - Mo'le Trio - Desserts Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

The service was great, the atmosphere was relaxed. The food was outstanding. Had a chocolate martini and my wife had a chocolate coconut rumtini which both had been infused for a month. Then the carmalized onion Gruyère pot with focaccia for an appetizer which we shared. Entrees: my wife had the chicken parm, and I had the mole trio which was outstanding. Finished by sharing the Chocolate sin flourless torte- so decadent. I would definitely return to try some of the other items on the menu. Great experience! read more

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This place is definitely interesting! I was expecting a cocktail bar or dessert counter environment, but this is a full sit-down restaurant. The outside of the restaurant is beautiful! The inside is a little dark, so I recommend sitting outside by the heaters or if the weather allows. We were recommended to try the hot chocolate, of which they have extensive options (like 10!). There are a lot of yummy sounding combinations, but we got the Pantoufle with dark and milk chocolate and cardamom. For $6.50, this drink was TINY. However, the drink is rich and perfectly chocolatey. The cardamom hits perfectly. I would definitely come back for their unique drinks, including a chocolate martini and pineapple margaritas and yummy desserts like passionfruit cheesecake and tiramisu! read more

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This is our third time to Chocolate in downtown Santa Cruz on Pacific Ave. and once again it did not disappoint. Everything was excellent. The pasta rosettes and chicken pesto sandwich was delicious. The foccassia bread was light and flavorful. The dark lager beer was so good. Highly recommended. read more

Great food and great service! We had dinner which included a very nice starter w beets, goat cheese, and pistachios and two entrees - salmon and a mole dish. All were very good. But the desserts and hot chocolate are the standouts. The variety and unique flavors are fun and delicious. And they were open on a Monday! I love this place. read more

Delicious and authentic food. I love stopping by to grab a hot chocolate and a dessert. Everyone is very nice. :)

Best hot chocolate in the area with nice outdoor sitting. The waitress was friendly and service was quick if you can get in there early read more

Chocolate - Hot chocolate and whipped cream - Desserts Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I went to this place in Santa Cruz the 15th of May, was extremely dissatisfied and left disgusted with the service. The first thing about this place is that it smelled like feet and pee, I thought it was the homeless around the place but when we were seated the smell lingered. Already losing my appetite I sat down with my friend and the server didn't even allow us to put our behinds on the seat when she was already shoving a menu on our face. We went looking for desserts and as we checked the menu the lady kept giving us weird looks from across our table, making us uncomfortable. The server was a middle aged woman with beaded earrings and a nasty attitude. We settled on, 'The Orgy' a medium. I want to mention that when we first got to the place, a young man greeted us before this rude woman did, and we mentioned we were taking the desserts to go- which was when the woman had sat us down, so us already having in mind we had mentioned the dessert to go, were confused when the woman came with a plate to our table without mentioning that, that certain dessert wouldn't be able to be served in a to-go box. When we told the woman about our order she rudely refused and told us that dessert didn't go in a box, even though when we first walked in we had clarified it was to go, and the young man who attended us first said he would get started on it, the to-go order. Despite this mishap we still tried to enjoy the plate but we really couldn't because the woman was walking back in forth to our table every minute to ask about us, even though we were the only people in the patio. We couldn't even talk to each other since the woman was just repeatedly standing next to us and giving us weird looks with it to go with as well, we had kept one of the menus at the table and were looking at the mochas and coffees when the woman came up to us super rudely and by verbatim told us if we didn't order right then and there and knew what we wanted she wouldn't be able to serve us because she had 10 people ahead of us, we looked around and there was nobody behind us, next to us, infront of us, matter of fact there wasn't anyone in line either. I only remember seeing one or two tables inside on the left side of us (although inside). Obviously after this absurd comment, we just stared at her as that was a really unprofessional thing to say and was trying to pressure us to order something quickly. We settled on a white mocha, which in the picture infront of the restaurant it looked to be iced, so we asked her if we could get it iced for her to tell us the restaurant doesn't serve anything cold. We mentioned the picture and she said yeah that's just how it looks, harshly. At this point we were ready to leave, so we asked for the check and she came and set it quickly on our table while watching us 3 feet away from us, even after putting down the card she didn't come take the bill until almost 15 minutes later even though she had passed by and saw us waiting for her, since her comment made it seem she wanted us to leave immediately. We had to call her over, she then took it, we got up and as we walked off she just handed back the card and paper without even looking at us, not a goodbye, no thank you, no nothing despite us having to put up with the servers awful service. I'd also would want to add on that you'd think the food made up for the service but it didn't, our orgy had, a brownie, a cannoli, chocolate pudding, chocolate mint ice cream, two pieces of a truffle that resembled a turd and a coconut cream slice I believe. The brownie wasn't bad but wasn't great, the cannoli tasted like it had been made days prior - it didn't taste fresh and the filling could have been better, the zestiness of whatever citrus it had didn't go well with the rest of the plate. The chocolate pudding was just a little better than the pudding they given the hospital, while the truffles were as hard as a brick! The chocolate mint ice cream was pretty good though. Ultimately this place isn't worth it, the prices are okay but for the food and services i would have been rather off with a 4for4 from Wendy's. The service I got in this restaurant got me pretty upset to the point I had to download the app Yelp and write a review on it. read more

Chocolate is a delectably divine little gem... I like to slide for a hot cocoa now and again. It's genuinely the best hot chocolate I can find in California. There are ~10 artisan concoctions and every one I've tried has been superb. Patio vibes are top notch, but be sure to make a reservation! read more

Chocolate - Frida and Carmela - Desserts Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Wonderful ambiance, service, and splendid menu with all sorts of chocolate inspired dishes. Cocktails were out of this world.

Really unique decoration/fun setting, nice staff, candles. The water all comes in wine bottles which is fun too. A lot of dishes come with half a plate of salad which is good even though I don't want the salad: it keeps me healthy. I am used to American portion sizes but this is a classy restaurant so they give you good quality normal human size portions. The food is good and it feels special in there. They have so many different hot chocolates and desserts which are fun and delicious. If you are new to the area, looking to impress a date or your relatives or whoever: go here because it is unique, thoughtful, and fun. read more

Great place for hot or cold chocolate drinks. This time we had the pantoufle with almond milk & Sofia with almond milk. Menu has clearly marked vegetarian options. They have vegan options as well. And they are efficient in finding out what doesn't have eggs. In the past, we had the olive dipping pool, marinara & pesto pot with mozzarella, belga hot chocolate, & chocolate mousse cake & that was more than enough. The pots are fun - you dip their house made bread into it. They have a variety of hot chocolates & chocolate desserts as well. The restaurant is colorful, casual & unique. The service is professional & efficient. It is in downtown Santa Cruz so park on the street or in a structure. read more

Tonight I overheard one of the servers tell a family to keep their baby quiet. The baby was not being loud. Was adorable, in fact. I do not think I will ever return. I was shocked at the level of rudeness displayed. It was a fairly large family party, maybe 8 plus the baby and I was glad to see them stand and walk out. I bet they won't be back either. Plenty of other options in town. read more

Absolutely excellent place to go for dessert or just a fancy hot chocolate or a fancy cocktail. My spicy pineapple margarita was delicious. Three stars for just dinner in general. I got the Mole Trio and thought it was quite good. I thought the Amarillo was not nearly as flavorful as the other two, but I still enjoyed the variety and the other two were quite complex and delicious. The salad and polenta pie that accompanied it were meh. My husband got the ginger shrimp and felt that is was three stars. Deserts were super yum. The Sin Cake was delicious, although lighter than I thought it would be considering it was flourless. Tiramisu was also delicious, not too wet, and a very generous portion. There heated garden patio is extremely pleasant. Great spot for a date. read more

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Extra star for service. They were full but were willing to give us to use the take out table. Also allowed us to move when our friend came. The food was unexpected with some flavors that at first were unconventional but overall was pleasant. The chicken soup had an eventually pleasant sour taste, and my salmon and beans were a bit fisher than I would have liked. The beet and Gorgonzola salad, while plated elaborately, had a surprising fruit compote at the bottom. My friend enjoyed the passionfruit margarita with a large mango piece. My friend also enjoyed the passionfruit cheesecake with the roasted almond and graham cracker crust. Which the almond was and interesting take. Ambiance was dark and also wished there were more heat lamps outside. But it is outside so they can't control the weather. read more

What a SWEET spot- and I MEAN this on every level. The gluten free desserts are decadent and many. The coffee drink selection is spot on... next, we'll go for a meal. Service was a delight! We will be back! read more

Wow! I hadn't been to Chocolate for 20 years, and holy moly, their truffles are the ultimate. They are not dense overly sweet candies--they are light creamy airy slightly sweet in a superior chocolate shell. Absolutely heavenly, We had the caramel chocolate--amazing--and the white rose--delicate and divine. Run don't walk to Chocolate. Also the walls of an interior room are exquisitely painted in a beautiful burnt orange. The owner David has taken up some kind of specialized painting and it took my breath away. read more

Called 10 minutes before opening to ask about the menu since I could only find the lunch one, & when I was told that the plate I wanted was available for dinner too I asked to place an order for pickup to save my teen son the trouble who was already on his way over to that area on his way home. He told me that orders couldn't be placed over the phone which I thought was odd. I told him that I could pay over the phone & that my son was on his way over HE JUST HUNG UP ON ME. read more