My boyfriend and I had an amazing experience at Pete's Capitola. The food and ambience was great!…read moreMy fav was the fresh pasta in lobster cream sauce. This is going to be our new favorite restaurant in the area

Pete's is in Capitola Village and can be easy to miss because it's right at the curve of Esplanade,…read moreand you need to look up and step up into the entrance. (I have, no joke, walked by it dozens of times without realizing it!) I found it from seeing it on a list of restaurant participants for Burger Week. Overall, I give Pete's 3.5 stars, and here's why... **Ambiance: 5 stars** With the bright and tastefully-decorated dining room along with the multiple windows overlooking the spectacular beach, you really can't beat this ambiance! Pete's has the fine-dining vibe that's perfect for that first date, anniversary or other special dining occasion when you want some quiet and mood lighting. **Service: 4 stars** We were seated right away, even without reservations. It was a Sunday, and there was no wait or crowd. Service was quick and friendly. Mid-dinner, a server broke some glassware right behind my seat and needed us to move so they could sweep under our table and feet. They ended up moving us to a better table (next to the window) instead of having us stand there to watch them sweep. Accidents happen, and I felt they handled that well. **Food: 3 stars** Every item we ordered was delicious and fresh, and all arrived quickly. However, the menu was fairly compact, and the amount of food is even more compact. I was excited Pete's had lobster rolls (one of my all-time favorite food items EVER; $28) on their menu, so I didn't hesitate to order that along with a lychee martini. My partner ordered the bolognese ($30) and an old fashioned. We ordered the polenta as an appetizer. All of it was tasty, but oh-so-small. The cheddar polenta was like a taste test size (maybe 4 TBs), and the lobster roll was the smallest I had ever seen in my life. I didn't want to be rude, but I wanted to laugh when it arrived at our table! The lobster roll was smaller than my hand. It looked like circus food with all super tiny sizes. **Price/Value: 2 stars** You don't come to Pete's for the value because the portions are.... micro. TIP: If you have a big appetite or skipped a meal that day, I suggest going elsewhere or be ready to turn over a paycheck because you'll need to order a lot to fill up. It is worth it, however, if you fancy a light-filled room with views of the sparkling ocean and sounds of the waves crashing on the golden sands of Capitola!

Beautiful environment and excellent food. The trolley to get up and down to the dining area is…read moresuch a fun experience. I always have a magical feeling when I dine there. 5 stars

Salad was out of this world! The food quality here beats anything I've had in Jersey growing up!read more

My husband and I went In to grab some drinks in this place on Saturday since it was our…read moreanniversary. We were greeted by this nice gentleman I forgot his name but he had snake tattoos,he was very attentive, and kind and sweet to us and to the other customers around us as well. We had mango margaritas it was very delicious. We definitely felt welcome. We will be back soon.

The restaurant was super busy, so I am glad I made a reservation…read more Location: 5/5 stars! AMAZING! Mexican Food: 4/5 (I've had better and I wish there were specials) Service: 4.5/5 stars (attentive, but forgot my chardonnay) Sound: 3/5 stars indoors (loud!) 5/5 stars outdoors I had chimichurri steak and it was okay, but kind of greasy? Overall, a fun place to visit and get the Capitola experience. I would suggest sitting outdoors if it isn't too bright or hot.

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!

All expectations met at Paradise Beach Grille!…read more The yays: - Plentiful street parking (on a rainy weekday afternoon) - Chefs kiss location next to the beautiful painted houses along the beach - Very kid friendly. Kids meals comes with a chocolate chip cookie and a frisbee you can take home. Cute bonuses for the kids - Delectable New England clam chowder. The only way to enjoy clam chowder is in a bread bowl and theirs is delicious. - Healthy sized meals for both appetizers and entrees. More him to take home. - Friendly and attentive service - Hella clean bathrooms. Say yes to Paradise Beach Grille. The nays: nada

We had a very good meal and absolutely outstanding service which earned Cafe Cruz a solid 4-star…read morerating. I had the spicy Devil's Ginger vodka martini with the calamari appetizer and with dinner, the Lava Top Sauvignon Blanc ($13), a perfect complement to the swordfish. My swordfish was perfectly sautéed in a tapenade beurre blanc sauce ($40) with deliciously creamy and decadent polenta and buttery chopped bok choy. The way they served the bok choy was perfect- never change it. It was artsy, buttery and didn't look wilted. My son had the grilled boneless pork chops (two boneless chops) with fries and smoky beans ($28), loved. He devoured the berry fruit crisp à la mode for dessert ($12) and I had two small bites: It was like granola over compote with ice cream. I didn't complain. The best part was the incredibly flawless service. We could have felt rushed dining since it was towards the end of service. Instead, Genevieve paced the meal perfectly so we felt spoiled and unrushed. Next visit I would love to dine in their "secret garden" courtyard; it was beautiful. Their 'secret garden' would be beautiful for a private party like a birthday or wedding anniversary, bridal or baby shower.

Literally hit the road to pick up some old cabinet at an ancient house up on the mountain. Map said…read morethe way home was faster and brought us down through Soquel. Kids are whiney, I'm tired, wife picks this place strictly based off proximity. What a goddam knock out! Food great, service great, price very fair for the combination of we will drive from Hollister to come back here to eat again!! Thank you Jeanette for wonderful suggestions yes the blackened fish taco salad was bomber, yes the rotisserie chicken was delish and goddam was the shredded Brussels sprouts killer!! Thank you to the chefs who made such great food and thank you to the folks who work hard to bring it all together. Worth the try folks you may become believers!

Great thoughtful menu and service. Very pleasant dinner…read more One of the best restaurants in Santa Cruz

Perfect fine dining dinner spot off the main road to the cozy Capitola Corridor, worthwhile to…read moreenjoy a warmer summer and fall dinner with outdoor and indoor seating options. We came in off the recommendation of a local patron and it did not disappoint. Reservation recommended but we were able to get a walk in rez with about a 20 minute wait on a Saturday night. Our server Matt was super informative, suggested to ask for specials of the day to go off menu although the menu options are also great. We tried the fried green tomatoes (delicious), the eggplant labneh starter (so good) and shared the wagyu NY strip (wow - *off menu special). Presentation for everything was spectacular and very tasty with a variety of flavor. The desserts were also incredibly delectable. The s'mores cup was our favorite but don't sleep on the New York cheesecake with creme brûlée drizzle on top that added a welcomed texture to the classic dish. We wouldn't hesitate to come back

Was in town on some business and had the family with me to enjoy the boardwalk…read more Craving some Hawaiian food and saw Pono's. Great ratings, so we headed that way. Food was good , not great we started with the a poke appetizer. It was supposed to a spicy poke but it lacked any heat. The seaweed salad was great, along with all the other toppings. I had the loco moco burrito, along with my youngest son. It was great. Rice, Mac salad, egg, and burger had it going on. The brown gravy was great as well. Served on the side so you can dip the burrito in it. My oldest son had the teriyaki bowl, and downed that sucker in 5 minutes. So, I take he loved it. My wife had the beef short ribs and were spot on. The Mac salad was a little dry. Taste was off as well. Not sure if it was missing some salt, but it was ok. Beer selection was great local brews and a full bar was great. Had the pina colada and it was tasty The place overall was terrific. Fantastic patio, great decorations, and was able to watch some baseball. Music was a little off. Was hoping for some island vibe music like John Cruz, but got the Beatles, and some 80's songs. Over all, it was good. I've had better. I would go back just to try some other dishes.

Portion size was good overall. The shrimp was really good -- fried crispy with a slight coconut…read moreflavor. The other proteins on my plate were solid as well. The sauce on the tuna poke was nicely balanced with a little spice, and the fish tasted fresh with decent quality. One downside: we did find an expired sauce bottle at our table, which was a bit concerning.

So far so good! Cute…read morelittle place for a quick dinner as we just rolled into town for valentine's weekend. Love the ambiance and the starter bread with the garlic infused olive oil is a killer!!! My wife loved the lemon spritz and we had the truffle ravioli. Hot damn that was GOOD! We will certainly be coming back in the future for the full dinner experience. Service was also spot on with friendly faces and smiles galore.

Champagne AND spaghetti?! I am so happy you can order Caruso's at Vin Vivant. A match made in…read moreHeaven! The Caruso family is so nice and the food is just delicious, pure comfort food. The Gnocchi Al Forno is the best gnocchi I've ever had. Pillowy gnocchi in a hearty, garlicky marinara. It's like eating a WARM HUG. I also love the Fettuccine Vodka and Chicken Parmesan. The complimentary bread with roasted garlic oil is such a nice gift.

I looked up the highest rated mexican food in Santa Cruz and I'm so glad this place popped up and…read morelived up to the hype. I will definitely be hitting this place up post surf when I'm in the area. We got the ceviche in salsa roja. For $25 it fed the two of us perfectly and I have a big appetite. I ordered an extra side of tostada chips for $2. The ceviche was so tasty with crunchy bits of mango, onion, and cucumber. It was super spicy but we love spice. The people next to us ordered shrimp tacos and we're just saying 'damn so good' with each bite so those are a hit too.

Small hole in the wall spot close to the beach. We got the verde aguachile. It was the perfect…read morebalance of spice and lemon flavor.

This is my favorite place to buy fish. Fresh whole fish and prepared poke. The owners are fantastic…read moreand all of the people who work for the company are great. We know Cindy the best and she's the highlight of the farmers market in Palo Alto! We gifted my parents a CSA membership with H&H and it's the best.

We have been conscious of trying to patronize harbor businesses since the bridge debacle…read more Double checked their website to make sure they were open and saw that halibut was on sale- this in itself motivated me to navigate my way there. Upon arrival, the price in the case did not reflect the sale price mentioned on their website. When I mentioned this to the guy helping me, he shrugged. Then another guy came out from the back (he must have heard the conversation) and said that the prices online were from yesterday (!) For the $5 off a pound that these two were unwilling to honor or even apologize about, they lost a customer. Good thing Shoppers Corner has great fish at better prices.