Shadowbrook is absolutely beautiful and completely lived up to the hype! We actually came here…read morewithout reservations for our anniversary dinner and were able to seat ourselves in the Rock room area, which still had a fantastic atmosphere. The food was absolutely delicious, and our server was incredibly attentive throughout the entire night. To top off an already amazing evening, the staff gifted us a framed photo of us taken at the restaurant, complete with the signature Shadowbrook logo. It was such a thoughtful, classy touch for our anniversary. Between the stunning riverside views, the cable car ride, and the top-tier hospitality, it was an unforgettable night. Highly recommend!

After my original review went live in April, the manager called to explain away the front desk…read morestaff's behavior. Unfortunately, his reasoning didn't hold up. As a consolation, he mailed me a $125 coupon and asked us to call ahead so they could "properly prepare" for our visit. My girlfriend and I decided against giving them advance notice. We didn't want to risk "special treatment" so we returned unannounced on a Saturday lunchtime in May. The 2nd go-around didn't go any better. We were again greeted by disengaged, visibly checked-out staff, and after a round of grunted responses, we were seated in the bar area. The menu itself was a problem: we were told 90% of it wasn't available at lunch, and half of the remaining 10% wasn't available until 2 PM. The food was a repeat of April's disappointment. The clam chowder arrived cold, and no hot food was available at all. Service remained slow and inattentive, and the staff couldn't even process their own gift card. Shadowbrook is a poorly run restaurant with substandard food and service to match. If you're looking for a special-occasion meal in the Bay Area, look elsewhere. This place needs a serious overhaul in the kitchen and on the floor.

Cork and Fork I had a wonderful time last night with my…read morefriends having a glass of wine and dancing to the cool tunes of the Beach Cowboys at Cork and Fork at their new location on 41st Avenue, around the corner from the Starbucks-Chipotle-Ross building complex. Cathy Bentley was the barista and she is also the very friendly and knowledgeable owner of their thriving business. They have excellent wines from prominent wineries in California. I liked the "Cheers" feel good vibe at the venue. They have big storefront windows and an outside patio. Yes, the dance floor and the patio are relatively small, so come early! I had a glass of the Hatcher, Murphys, 2022 Sauvignon Blanc. It was crisp, light to medium-body, and tasted fresh with a hint of almost green apples. As you can see on their menu they also serve craft beer and food. Something for everyone! So, on your next night out, come for the fun and enjoy the friendly atmosphere, live music, and your preference of beverage. Mine, obviously is white wine. See you on the dance floor. -Susan in Santa Cruz

Cork and Fork is a cute wine bar with periodic live music in a fantastic part of Capitola with an…read moreoutdoor fire pit patio. The best part is that they seem to have really cool regulars who are chill and welcoming. I love that vibe! Tips if you visit: - Check the website and go when there's a band. It's 'dead' when there isn't a band. - There's no entrance fee when there's a band. Yippee ki-yay! - Skip the wine flight. The pours are pretty meager. You'd get a better "bang for your buck" if you get a glass of wine that you know you'd like. - Be ready to be social (at least a little) because you may need to share a table when there's a band. - As for food, tots are tasty, but portions are tiny. - Pizzas are your best bet if you're hungry. - Skip the paninis. See photo. - Feel free to dance if the vibe takes you there! Cork and Fork is a fun place to check out.

The Capitola Wine bBar gives a luscious variety of wine to choose from not to mention their…read moreexceptional bites to enjoy. All while sitting with beach views. It's a beautiful place to just enjoy your time with people you meet and current company.

A great spot to sip wine and "people watch". There is a large selection of wines and bubbly spirits…read moreto chose from. They can be bought by the glass, or bottle.

East End Gastropub consistently delivers delicious, solid food…read more Started with Crispy Shrimp Bao Buns which were crispy and tasty! Came for their Burger week Soft Shell Crab Burger !!! Amazing! Soooo Tasty! Get yours before they are gone!

We've visited East End Gastropub several times over the years and have always enjoyed the food and…read moredrinks, which is why this experience was so disappointing. Last Saturday night, my wife and I sat at the bar expecting the same level of service we've received in the past. There appeared to be only one bartender working. While the restaurant was steady, it wasn't overwhelmingly busy. We were served our first round of drinks, but after that we were completely forgotten about. For over 20 minutes, no one checked on us, asked if we'd like another drink, or even offered us water. Sitting directly at the bar, it was frustrating to feel ignored, especially when we were hoping to spend the evening enjoying a few drinks and dinner. Unfortunately, the lack of service left such a poor impression that we decided to leave. We've always enjoyed East End, which makes this review difficult to write, but customer service is a big part of the experience. Hopefully this was just an off night, but it was disappointing enough that we won't be returning anytime soon.

Wow! I forgot to review this wonderful restaurant. I was here on December 23, 2025, with my…read moreyoungest granddaughter and friend, and again on April 7, 2026, with my family, to celebrate my Bday. The patio is full of gorgeous green plants and flowers. We felt like we were sitting in a garden. The inside appears to be a house, converted to a restaurant. It all kinds of unique and quirky decor. We were treated very special at both visits. The 1st time it started raining while we were seated on the patio, so they moved us inside and gave fresh everything. Our April visit, we were seated in an almost exclusive patio dining area, for 6 people. All of staff were lovely. We initially chose this place for the Bloody Mary's which are superb. But, it is also a really good brunch choice. From eggs benedict to salad to sandwiches. Everything we ordered, both times, was really good. I'm going to look for the photos now.,

Wow. What a surprise. One of the best restaurant dinners I have had in a while. Visiting from LA…read morefor the weekend. Super creative dishes, great farm to table flavors, and good value for large shareable portions. The all California, mostly local wine list is amazing, and great pricing with many bottles at $50-60. A few small flavor misses on our selections (habanero ice too spicy for the oysters, abalone taste a little lost in the excellent riff on cassoulet) Fun, quaint atmosphere eating outside in the garden. I actually wish we had a 2nd reservation here this weekend so I could try more dishes.

I want to say the waitress that helped us was so sweet and patient during a busy Saturday…read moreafternoon. Unfortunately my whole family got sick after eating here. We had the seafood sampler and burgers and we did NOT feel good all night. Just a heads up before you decide to eat here.

I have beet to the sandbar twice and both times have been outrageously good…read more Kylie, our server, steered us to, what I experienced to be, the best breakfast of all time. Excellent sourdough, the perfect crispiness, perfect eggs, cheese and sausage mixed in. And the Denver omelette, perfect. Thank you Kylie! This is my favorite breakfast on Capitola and the table on the beach made for a perfect breakfast view.

This place is very dog friendly and such a cute little patio in the back! We saw the sunset here…read moreafter a full day at the beach with our two doggies. There's a lot of parking in the area but I'm a busy day it would be difficult to find a spot. The service was a little slow but nothing extreme, they only had one waiter for the whole patio. We would come back here but would try other spots first!

My family and I stopped by Paradise Beach Grille during our trip and, unfortunately, left a bit…read moredisappointed. The best part of the experience was easily the location. We sat outside and had an incredible view of Capitola Beach. The service was slow throughout the meal, and one thing that stood out was that I never received a water refill the entire time we were there. It wasn't terrible service, but it definitely felt inattentive. I ordered the Seafood Fettuccine because I wanted something a little more filling. In hindsight, that's partly on me since seafood fettuccine isn't exactly a dish I usually expect to be exceptional anywhere. The Alfredo sauce was bland and needed a lot of pepper to bring some life to it. Most of the seafood was overcooked and chewy, particularly the fish. The clams were probably the best part of the dish and were cooked reasonably well. Overall, the view was fantastic, but beyond that, the meal didn't do much for me. Between the slow service and underwhelming food, this ended up being one of the worst meals I had on my trip.

Really lovely experience at Bargetto Winery. The outdoor area is dog friendly, so we enjoyed our…read morewine on the patio looking over the redwoods with our pup. Great energy, peaceful and serene. Would for sure return!

Most of the wine has a Santa Cruz Mountains flavor profile; I am not so fond of that style. But…read morethree items stand out: - Raspberry mead: sweet and complex. Sparkly backbone. - Sierra foothills port. Very complex. - 2023 old vine Zinfandel from Lodi: very savory.