Good food, poor service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Noise level high.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The list of gins was impressive but the first three we opted for were unavailable.,"sold out" They were out of martini olives as well. We asked for bread which came with a mall cup of oil and basaltic. We ordered a second round of drinks which never arrived. The food was good. read more

I have been to Oblo three times now and feel confident to write a review. I like the urban atmosphere and location. Haven't spent any time in the lounge however it seems very cozy. All three times we have had great and very personable service. Food has been excellent but tonight (a Saturday) it was exceptional. It was very busy and I thought things would take awhile longer but everything was very prompt! We had 4 appetizers and all were delicious. Cocktails are outstanding. So glad to have a good restaurant downtown! read more

We attended a party there and enjoyed everything about this restaurant. The service was top-notch, polite, and attentive. The cocktails were good, and the food was awesome. We were all talking about how good it was the next day, too! read more

So happy to have a fabulous new dining experience in Santa Cruz! The first thing that strikes you when you enter is the beautiful, modern decor and subdued ambience. Although there are now multiple choices for Italian food in Santa CruzCounty, Oblo's offers a wide variety of entrée selections with some out- of -the -ordinary items, such as the Papperdelle Bison Ragu. Delicious! My husband's lasagna was excellent, although he felt it could have had more meat. I thought it was heavenly just as is! The strawberry arugula salad was exceptional! I can't remember the last time I got excited over a salad! Food portions were more than ample. The service was good. read more

Bruschetta was not good. French onion soup was a retro version. Lasagna and spaghetti bolognese was over salted. Only took one bite. I spoke to the manager about the quality of food. She informed me that I still had to pay for all $91 for the food because there was nothing wrong with it. They don't discount if you don't like the food. I would highly recommend that no one eat here. read more

We had 5 in our group. we ordered various appetizers and entrees. Everything was delicious and very nice food presentation. Our server was on top of it! Fun and delicious craft cocktails. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Modern decor.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Sunny garden views![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Oblò was really great! Food and drinks were really delicious and staff were attentive and friendly. All my family and I were really blown away by our experience. We definitely will be going back again. read more

Certainly in the conversation for the best food in town! The genuine warmth of the staff, fun clientele, and solid, creative fare make this a must stop. I'm glad to see such beauty in this space, allowing this classic location to live on! read more

Service great. Food Amazing. Definite upgrade from previous establishment. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They had guitar musician who was subtle with great music selection.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Overall 5 start ! read more

Our first time there since its reopened as 'Oblo'. I'll make this quick: five of us went into celebrate a birthday, the cocktails were all exquisite and beautifully presented. A touch, pricey, but they were all beautifully done. Our waitress and the staff we met were all super friendly and helpful. If a bit on the slow side. especially considering the restaurant was not very full on a Saturday night. Our appetizers were very good. As for main courses, four of the five dinners were good. Not quite 'great'... but definitely good. Again, it was a slow night, so everything should've been, amazing. I wanted to eat light, so I ordered a cup of French Onion Soup and a Small Dinner Salad. I usually love French Onion Soup, but this tasted canned and gummy. The cheese and bread on top were stale and flavorless. My salad, which you'd think they couldn't ruin, was not as it was described on the menu, and was drowned it in a vinegrette, so the lettuce wilted to the point where it was slimy and felt like guacamole in my mouth. Not good. I definitely should've sent it back, but I didn't. (I didn't want to offend our sweet waitress or be a vibe killer.) My advice is to try this place, but let's send stuff back from now on. It's clear they want to make a good impression. The potential is there, they just need to deliver it 100%. There's no reason this place should be slow on a Saturday night. If the kitchen agrees to improve, we should agree to show up. read more

This restaurant is amazing. The food is excellent along with the cocktails. The service is personal. So reasonable in pricing .

It was great. Will come back again soon. Good Italian inspired American cuisine. Though don't call it an Italian restaurant.

Our poor waitress and a single busboy worked the entire restaurant. Some dishes were good like the appetizers. Some of the dinners were tasty and some not. Frozen shrimp and farmed tasteless salmon in the pasta tutti mare with a rather tasteless sauce. Ambiance was nice in the dining room and bar. Uneven service and food on a Tuesday night. read more

Fantastic place for a craft cocktail (or two... or three!) . We had the Amalfi side car, Cornstarch Martini and Italian Stallion. The Amalfi was my favorite, followed by the martini. Fresh ingredients and well balanced. I would come here often if I lived in the area but will definitely come back the next time I am! read more

our experience at Oblo was fantastic! the service was better than any restaurant I have been to in a long time! Our server Madeline was informative, friendly, pleasant and responsive but not over the top. The busboy Ben was vigilant with water and removing empty plates. the oblo burger is truly sublime, high quality beef, Brie cheese, carmelized onions and truffle aioli, yum! fortunately my partner and I split it. we wanted to pass on the fries but they were so good, crispy, high quality oil, perfect, we ate almost all of them. the Brussels sprouts and ensalata caprese was perfectly balanced, drizzled with high quality olive oil. this was a treat an unexpectedly wonderful meal! read more

Amazing food, amazing service, amazing STORY!! Owner used to be the BUSBOY at this location (different restaurant, I believe), he saved enough money to open his own place (Sugo Pasta Bar on Soquel ave), and eventually came back and opened OBLO! read more

Had a very nice meal at Oblo on Saturday evening. We had a reservation, were seated quickly. The only real delay was getting our first drink, which the waitress acknowledged. That was a little disappointing also because the dining room wasn't very crowded. We had a nice shrimp wrapped bacon appetizer with bread. I had a wonderful mushroom risotto entree and I asked them to add shrimp, which was great. My son had the bison over pasta, and a wonderful dessert. Overall we really enjoyed the food, service. It was a little expensive, but we will go back when we can. read more

Nice ambience and we were seated in a good spot. The menu was very interesting but the food was only acceptable which was disappointing especially as it is pricy. The server was nice but only around sporadically and was really poorly dressed which did not match with decor and intention as an upscale restaurant. We were there for a big birthday which I told them in advance but we had to tell our server. I would have expected my birthday guest's dessert to be comped. Altogether a disappointing experience. read more

Lamb chops with mashed potatoes were good, octopus was pretty good,quite place, service was good except they forgot our bread we ordered which also cost extra, cocktails were decent but it might be expensive for some, the other thing was my wife and I were still hungry. read more

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Madeleine danced us through a superb tapas menu. The cocktails were weapons grade and the desserts to die for. Marco, the owner came over to chat and we're definitely coming back. Fabulous evening. You rocked it Madeleine! read more

This review would be four-stars if it was food only. (Although my wife said the lasagna was too salty.) We had 7:15 reservation but table not ready. Waiting for the table, one of the managers asked us if we wanted water or anything else, including "whiskey." I said no, we just wanted our table and he had a laugh over my refusal of whiskey--"What's wrong with this guy?!" By 7:30 we were seated and greeted by wait staff. There were 5 of us, which is an odd number I suppose, but our "table" was two 2-tops pushed together and one chair stuck on the end. I happened to sit there and I had no leg room because of the setup. Waiter was very friendly and attentive. Four of the five of us ordered cocktails and the same manager brought them to our table. When he got to giving me my drink, he said "That's pretty far away (my seat) so I'll just put here (in the middle of the table)." So instead of him walking around the table, I had to reach over to get my drink. Then he starts badgering the fifth member of our group (who does not drink alcohol) about why she didn't order a drink, they have great cocktails, etc. So f'ing inappropriate. As in the lobby, this guy's attempts to be glib and cool fell flat. After eating, we ordered 3 espressos. From where I was sitting, I could see the prepared espressos sitting on the bar for pickup, where they sat for 5 minutes before a another waiter picked them up and delivered them to us. Although none of the 3 of us wanted sugar or cream, none was offered. They have work to do. read more

super tasty food; had the seafood risotto, it was really great. service was wonderful, and the staff was prompt. -1 star because this was such a hard spot to find???? we could not figure out where this restaurant was. read more

Last minute Christmas Eve reservation as all other reservations had canceled on us because of the Capitola evacuation. Oblò staff were super at getting us in. Loved our host and server. So very sweet and friendly. Food was delicious and large servings. They even made a delicious hot cocktail on a special request. Kudos. read more

We arrived and were seated promptly. This was perhaps the highlight of the meal. [[HIGHLIGHT]]A large party was taking place in the bar - quite loud in fact.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Our seat looked into the gated area near the restaurant, an amalgam of restaurant detritus could be seen to one side.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The waitress was friendly and helpful in recommendations. My Negroni was typical. I ordered the porcini risotto and had high hopes, as did another of the diners in our party. It was bland at best, nothing special, overcooked rice and tasted of hot water with a trace of salt. I expected better since the DNA of the ownership is Sugo, a favorite of mine. All of us remarked how spectacularly ordinary the food was, and perhaps not even that good. Can't recommend, won't be back. read more

The food here is so amazing and delicious and all the staff are so welcoming and kind. The vibe is amazing and it's overall one of the best restaurants in Santa Cruz! read more

Oblò - The Croquettes that were potato, mozzarella, and ham inside and had a very yummy sauce. - Beer Bar Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Have been there twice now, this place is a GEM! Everything we have enjoyed there (from drinks, to appetizers, entrees and deserts) has been FANTASTIC! The service is impeccable and it is such a warm and inviting place. If you have not been, you are missing out. read more

I'm a cocktail snob and I was SO impressed with this place. The cocktails were legit- fresh, balanced, and unique! We'll be returning to try the food too. read more

I took my friend to Oblo last weekend for her birthday and we were totally delighted with the upgrades to the restaurant, and enjoyed being well taken care of, pampered, actually, by the staff and we had a delicious, beautifully appointed dinner!! Topnotch from start to finish and we found the other diners around us were raving about their dinners also!!! Treat yourself to a new restaurant owned and run by locals who know how to serve their patrons excellent meals, service and atmosphere!! I miss Cafe Mare, but Oblo is a wonderful, innovative replacement...I promise!!!!! read more

We were looking for somewhere for a late dinner and this place seemed perfect since it is open till 10! When we went around 9pm we had the whole place to ourselves, so I just wish that more people knew about this gem. The food was amazing and definitely held up to the 5 star rating. I got the mushroom risotto which was so cheesy and delicious. My girlfriend got the scallops which were perfectly seared and crispy, served with couscous and a rich mango sauce. The place was dimly lit and the dining room was very spacious with large windows, perfect for a date night. The staff were very friendly and attentive. Great experience overall. read more

Oblò - Seared Scallops - Beer Bar Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Food is very overpriced. Very mediocre food with prices that are way too high for the lack of flavor. Some dishes were decent such as salmon tartare and beet salad. The scallops were super salty (and I like salty food) and did not care for the flavors of sauces (pero peri and fennel puree). The Sardinia pasta was mushy and unexceptional and not worth the carbs. The Brussels sprouts tasted a bit burnt and not as flavorful as similar dishes elsewhere. Certain dishes lacked salt and others were way too salty. Entrees were ridiculously priced for taste and quality of food. 3 stars only bc some of appetizers were ok. Lamb chops and seafood risotto were undercooked and had to be redone. Again, for these prices, should be right the first time. Also it was very hot and stuffy on the restaurant and detracted from experience. read more

Had an excellent meal here the other night. The food and service were both great and the changes they've made to the interior make for some really nice ambiance. Highlight was probably the octopus appetizer but everything was awesome read more

This place caught us by surprise ! Their Bergers were top with beautifully cooked meat, fresh ingredients , nice ambiance and the service was so friendly! We finished off with Italian espresso and it was just perfect! ( no watered down coffee ) We would love to come back and try more on the menu next time. Highly recommend to bring your friends and family when visiting the lovely downtown. read more

Really friendly staff with great food and cocktails. There are some really interesting drinks on the menu, which have yet to disappoint. Cant pass up the calamari and arancini. read more

Food, service, ambiance awesome, but $50 for 2 scallops and a tiny (albeit delicious) cocktail is not in my budget. Fiscally conscious I get it, but remember your diners are as well. Do you want a full house, or just a few diners a night? Not sure I'll go back for dinner at least. Too pricey for me. read more

Tried for lunch today. I ordered artichoke salad with extra protein, shrimp. I enjoyed it. The shrimp (4) were large prawns, grilled and fresh. They made the salad a perfect choice for low carb. I wanted bread though and there was an extra charge which seemed too much as it was just 6 small slices of a toasted baguette. My friend had the chicken sandwich which was large enough to share with a generous serving of thick fries. She liked her sandwich. We enjoyed ourselves as we were the only ones in the dining room at that time. So it was very quiet. Our server was attentive. I would go back another time for dinner. read more

I learned from this place from @doublemeatplease. My partner and I have been searching for a great burger since I move to Santa Cruz. Truly great service and great food. read more

Fantastic food and service. The restaurant was recommended to us by a friend and he was right on. We ordered two appetizers and an entree to share. The entree were so amazing and filling we took the entree to go. It it worth trying. Great, great food; read more

Great food in a fresh renovated ambience. Reasonable price, great quality! And fantastic bar and drinks!

Beautiful makeover of the old Cafe Mare, with a lovely, warm ambience - so hard to find a restaurant these days with soft lighting and a sense of intimacy. The food was fantastic, beautifully presented, and well-priced. It was nice to have special vegetarian options, not just salad or "hold the meat" options. Service was courteous and attentive but not intrusive. We'll definitely be back! read more

Nice selection of liqueur, they seem to take pride in their cocktails. Salmon tartar was very good, although the sweet potato chip for dippning it in were burnt. The big downside was the $50 filet Mignon was the worst cut for a filet in memory, something I get often around town. It came in two very thin slices stacked on top of each other, and cooked WAY past the 'medium' ordered. My guess is the sliders on the happy hour list are probably really good. read more