Good quality, ambiance, and service but the actual food was seriously lacking in flavor. Here's what we ordered and our thoughts, - Budino: great! - Minestrone: Bland and tasted like it was out of a can - Apple pasta: Savory pasta that was being held up by the thick buttery sauce not the flavor combination of everything coming together - Short rib with potatoes: bland and basic - Brownie with ice cream: brownie had good flavor but was hard and the ice cream was icy Overall I'll try it again, but I'd love to see more flavor throughout the food! read more

The braised short rib was amazing! So tender and flavorful, melts in your mouth! The chicken risotto was also made well, but could not compete with the short rib! read more

Beautiful restaurant, loved the decor, the feel and the owners were lovely. Servers too, great service. I'm sad but the food, while presented lovely, was not good. all three of us felt it was lackluster, very bland and we wouldn't return. We had the fish dish, it tasted like fried fish without salt. The chicken roll dish was fatty and hard to eat. The vegetarian dish delicious. It was a lot of money to spend for a meal we didn't enjoy. read more

A real delight! Persephone Restaurant is a jewel in every way! Creative and delicious food, kind and generous service, stylish farmhouse-charm interior decor, and a serenely woodsy view. My husband and I live on the SF peninsula and are probably quite spoiled when it comes to restaurants; so when we came across Persephone (somewhat by chance on a weekend at La Selva Beach), we were unprepared for so such a special discovery! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for anyone. PS - The wine selection is also excellent. read more

Wonderful and creative food. Pricey but worth it. Special occasion place and wait staff always great

Persephone is outstanding. If you're a foodie, and you want to be impressed and amazed, you will be very happy with your experience at Persephene. I'm a pretty good cook, but Persephone takes it to a whole new level. Excellent, outstanding, highly recommended. read more

Just had a wonderful dinner for Mother's Day. Our server Allen was top notch. I had the chilled split pea/garlic soup and steak entrée, super delicious! Great food, great service, can't wait to go back. read more

Persephone - Sirloin steak - New American Near Me - Aptos, California

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Absolutely smitten with every aspect of this place. Finally a nice, higher end experience that is actually delicious. We had fish and it was lovely. Great recommendation for wine and stellar service. Romantic, small, intimate. Love it! read more

The food has no flavor, which is saying a lot because I LOVE bland food and subtle flavors. They don't even give you salt at the table to try to make it edible. I'm pretty sure the risotto was made with cream of mushroom soup, tho I'd they had it would have given it more flavor. The mashed potatoes, one of my historically favorite foods were inedible. The servers were inexperienced to the point where we had to ask 3 times for more foccacia (the only tasty/edible part of the meal) before we got any. $200 for an inedible meal we left the majority of at the table and weren't even asked if there was an issue with the food because the servers weren't experienced enough to know to ask that when you leave all of your food but a bite or two. Total waste of time. Don't believe the hyor. Wasn't even hungry after leaving without having eaten anything because the couple of bites of food I had turned my appetite off completely. read more

It's ok, nothing to write home about. Portions are rather small for the price and kind of missed the mark. To start I had the Asparagus, Snap Pea and Kumquat Salad for $16, I don't recall there being any asparagus but in general, the salad was good. For the main I ordered the Roasted Summer Squash with Pomegranate Glaze and Feta for $33 it was one summer squash cut down the middle and a small serving of mushrooms served over rice that was a little overcooked. The overall flavors and textures of the meal were fine but it definitely did not warrant a $33 price tag. For dessert, I had the Chocolate Gelato for $10. The gelato, while good gelato, had freezer burn and was supposed to come with a cocoa nib nougatine, it did not. Another person I was with had the Boneless Beef Shortrib for $42 and was very disappointed in their meal while the other person had the Catch of the Day, $40, and enjoyed it. The service was friendly but on the slower side and the ambiance was charming. read more

We went to Persephone last week and had a wonderful time. The owner helped us pick wines and let us sample a few before we settled on our chosen glasses. She was so personable and fun. The Cesar Boudino was really original and super tasty. Our citrus salad was super duper fresh. Both of our entrees were great - real truffle on my pasta! The chocolate cake was fabulous and the presentation was beautiful. The place itself is super cozy and warm. We had a great time and highly recommend it, especially for a romantic evening. read more

Persephone - New American Near Me - Aptos, California

This is a really lovely restaurant. The dishes were delicately prepared and delicious. The service was attentive and friendly. Persephone has a charming, elegant dining room. What a nice discovery for a special occasion restaurant in Santa Cruz County! read more

My husband and I dined here for the first time last weekend. We had never been inside and booked the reservation on Open Table after a recommendation from friends (and solid word of mouth.) I'm the type of person that usually gets let down when something is overhyped. But, not this time... The house bread, I believe was a rosemary Foccacia and served with oil/vin and a garlic paste. It is hard to pass up! The owner was our server and although her name has escaped me we were lucky to have met her. She gave great service and spoke to the menu with passion. You can tell that she truly loves what she does. We split the goat cheese and beet salad, both had the steak with scalloped potatoes and braised leeks and shared the amount Vesuvius for dessert (how could we not?!?) when we asked for a wine recommendation we were introduced to her husband. We informed him that we tend to like Malbec and prefer local. We chose a Malbec from Martin Ranch (out of Girloy.) it was new to us and a solid reco. We loved every bit of our dinner and look forward to dining here again. read more

We moved to Aptos a year ago, we LOVE Mentone, Cantine, Sparrow, and were very excited to try Persephone based on all these glowing reviews. The website says take out...So we called. A boy named Alex answered, very young sounding, didn't know the answers to many of our questions, was happy to say " i don't know.." and leave it at that...Regardless, we ordered our food. 2 appitizers, 2 mains, 2 deserts, bread. Total: $140.00. FIrst off worth noting the portions we received were very small. The main would not feed 1 person. About .5 the size of what you would get at Sparrow or Mentone. About a third of the size of what you would get at a middle tear restaurant. Second, of small note since it was take out, the plating was awful. The take out contaner was usual size, but because the portions are so tiny, they float in there, spill upset etc. I wonder if they could get really small containers the food would stay in place and not turn over. Like a child's size ice cream take out would keep the pasta plated nicer... Ironically the tiny deserts, like the $14.00 brownie did have a child size container for the ice cream, and the brownie was wrapped in plastic wrap, very like the brownie from starbucks. Thirdly, we didnt get not get some items we ordered and paid for. We called 3 times, over 3 days. No one returned our call. So this review...Good Luck. read more

Tried this place for the first time last night. The food was really good but now the WOW I was expecting. The portions are small and expensive which I expected. But $16 for a plain Cesar salad that's the size of a side salad is a little much. The Cesar salad was good though. I also had the short ribs which were really yummy and Rich. My husband ordered the mussel pasta dish which was yummy but a bit too sweet. The burrata app was really yummy too. read more

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Had a lovely anniversary lunch experience. Service delightful. Beautiful soups--the corn soup and the watermelon/tomato soup--over the top. Dessert yummy. We had the berry panna. Outside dining space is pretty overlooks a creek. Bathroom charming--and the inside dining room the inside looks cozy. Look forward to going back. read more

Ordered as a delivery. Everything was excellent. We had a couple of the surf and turf (filet mignon and lobster tail), one of the pastas and some desserts. However, I'm not sure it was worth the price especially when they incorporate a mandatory 20% "tip" on the bill. When COVID is over, might try it again if we're in the area. As I said, everything was excellent, but when you're only paying for food and not a dining experience I won't be ordering as takeout again. read more

Such a great experience! My friend and I came for a girls night date and had the best server Michael. The food was beautiful and delicious. We left full and happy. Thank you for a great dining experience, definitely recommend. read more

Persephone (per-SEF-oh-nee) is the best-kept secret in Santa Cruz County. We learned about Persephone when we were given a gift certificate for my bf's milestone birthday--and what an experience! It's directly across from the Aptos Safeway on Soquel Drive at State Park Drive, in an unassuming house-like building painted dark green. With dark paint and a rather small sign, it's very easy to miss, so look carefully. The food there is phenomenal, over the top, and mind-blowingly delicious. We started with the Squash Panzotti, which I would gladly live on for the rest of my life. OMG. Delicious beyond belief. It's essentially butternut squash ravioli (large ones) in a cream sauce that has just the faintest hint of sherry, and alongside the ravioli in the sauce are king trumpet mushrooms. Just amazingly tasty. For the main dish, we had the catch of the day, which was black cod in lemon-thyme sauce topped with slivers of fried shallots. It takes skill and restraint to cook cod this tender. Oh, my. For dessert, we chose the Mount Vesuvius, which is a bitter-chocolate mini-bundt cake with spectacular, glass-like "eruptions." See our photo of it below. The interior decor is lovely: cream-white walls and tablecloths, very tasteful foliage arrangements, and impressionist oil paintings of local scenes. I'd love to have some of those oil paintings in my home. This is THE place to go for special occasions. Seriously. You're missing something big if you haven't been to Persephone. read more

Persephone - "Mount Vesuvius" is a mini bitter-chocolate bundt cake topped with whipped cream and a spectacular, glass-like, candy "explosion." - New American Near Me - Aptos, California

I saw this restaurant on yelp with good reviews and wanted to try it. It was 7 o'clock and we were just leaving our son's football game. I called and asked what time they closed and they said 8:30. I asked if we needed reservations and the hostess said no, so I confirmed that we could come now and she said yes. When we arrived there 10 minutes later she said they were full and could not seat us inside or outside. She did not offer a wait list, just insisted they could not take us although it was only two of us and nobody else was waiting. They have a sign inside their front door that says this is a Black-owned restaurant and no racism is tolerated there but I don't know if it was because we are Asian, or we were not dressed nice coming straight from a football game, but there was definitely discrimination of some sort. We ended up eating at TRESTLES which was fantastic! read more

Expensive, service was friendly but a bit slow. Food was good but not spectacular. The little house that is the site of the restaurant is cute. If I had all the money in the world, it's a good place. If I need to watch my Pennie's I could find better food for less money. read more

A wonderfully prepared fish fillet wrapped around creamed spinach. The potatoes were perfection and the dessert; a little bit of heaven! Great unobtrusive service. Comfortable seating allowing for private conversations. An Aptos gem! read more

We discovered Persephone while vacationing in Aptos recently. What a gem! Food was terrific and the service was better. Wine was lovely and reasonably priced. We will drive here again for the experience. I am grateful that we came for a later dinner - felt like the staff had time to chat with us at the end of their day. But they are likely that hospitable to everyone. After our visit we read their website and learned more about the history of the place. Such a wonderful, lovely enterprise by an enormously talented family. Ann and I wish them EVERY success and hope to return for another delicious meal. read more

I absolutely love this local spot. I have been here two times now and had such a wonderful experience. Do you want amazing food and wine pairings? Great staff that make you feel like you are having dinner at a friends house? A cozy, clean, cottage ambiance? This is the right spot. Eating at Persephone is an event to remember! It is a small restaurant and in my opinion meant to be a place to eat when you truly want to enjoy your food and company. If you have not given Persephone a try yet make it your next dinner reservation. read more

Tried this restaurant for the first time last night and wow were we impressed! The decor is lovely, tasteful and understated and the dining room is cozy and inviting. Despite it being a busy Saturday night, the service was attentive without being intrusive. There is a big difference between a cook and a chef and it is evident that in this establishment we have a true chef. I had the budino (a work of art), some of the best salmon I've ever had and a delicious panna cotta. From the reviews I expected it to be more expensive than it was. I am delighted to find such a gem in Aptos. read more

A friend took me to dinner a few weeks ago . What a wonderful and cozy place. There was absolutely not one thing I could complain about. My friend got her first course and I got to taste it. And then I decided I needed to add that to my meal‼ Best Pasta I have had since my mother in Law died (she was from Italy). I had trout. So fresh and cooked to perfection. I will return as soon as I can afford it!!!! read more

What a gem.. right here in Aptos!!! Great Food, a lovely outside setting, and careful attention to guest safety ... makes this a wonderful place to dine!! Highly Recommended!!! read more

the 5 of us went to persephone on Saturday For dinner. we ordered different items from the menu. the soup was nice, however all the other dishes were very disappointing, we packed the food for our dog. in addition the service was awkwardly slow. the restaurant was mostly empty, yet it took a long wait until food was served. absolutely a place to avoid. read more

Hellooo Gorgeous! Santa Cruz/Aptos, you have arrived! Persephone is great and I hope to Zeus this restaurant never goes downhill. Chicken Saltimbocca was as good as it looks, as well as the poached pear/burrata cheese/picked onion appetizer. My new favorite place. read more

Just had dinner with my wife for our 40th anniversary. 1. A nice host took our picture - good 2. Our waiter used the wrong corkscrew on an expensive bottle of wine and pushed the cork into the bottle. He brought a decanter and filtered the wine - acceptable 3. We asked for bread with our dinner twice. The second time we were told that "we are out of bread because we are ramping up" - not so good 4. We dined outside, the only option. Our heater ran out of gas. We were told there was no gas left and could take up to 20 minutes to get a bottle - unacceptable 5. The starters and the entries were good. Only issue was with a sorbet that was really awful. There was no apologies for the shortcomings in service. I will nor return nor recommend this restaurant. read more

Came here w my girlfriend for her birthday and it was amazing. Loved the quaint and romantic setting and the food was absolutely delicious. Definitely worth a return visit to try some of the other delicious options on the menu. read more

Service was amazing - the best ever! Appetizers were great- main course was disappointing- I cook better tbh - disappointed

We had a very enjoyable lunch today. Beautiful setting and delicious sandwiches. This place is very dialed in with COVID protocols. Felt very safe and comfortable eating here. We'll be back! read more

The Food here is outdated, overworked, underwhelming and unimaginative. Some flavor combinations that they put together do not work together and the rest of it is overly heavy, doughy, and bland. Pros: The remodel that they did was super cute The staff was kind The wine was yummy Cons: Everything else. We ordered a couple different salads, the steak, the salmon, the chicken, some sort of pasta shell situation, and a vegetarian zucchini number that was absolutely horrendous. We had a vegan with us were told over the phone that the chef could make something special for her and it was a stuffed zucchini with some sort of eggplant sauce smeared on the plate... It tasted like the sauce was burnt and it was sad that that was the best they could come up with. The pasta shell dish was basically a pile of dough and cream with cheese and undercooked chicken. My sister actually got sick from eating it. The salmon was VERY bland and the steak had a bizarre teriyaki sauce. I feel like in the early 90's some of this food would have passed but this day and age and being where we are in California it should have been more seasonal, light, fresh and flavorful. Such a bummer. read more

We always enjoy a celebration dinner at a special restaurant and that is Persephone. The service, ambiance and dining experience is intimate and outstanding, read more

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Disappointed. From the start, we'd made a ressie for our out of town guests to join for dinner (or first time here)... and had to wait a while to be seated. The homemade foccassia bread was more like a loaf of sandwich bread, delivered without plates. The Cesare salad , tossed with only oil and vinegar, no parmesean, had little flavor. Despite being recommended the $32 Truffled Cheese Tortiglioni (pasta, no protein), it was terribly bland. (I'd asked the server if this was similar to tortellini, stuffed pasta and he said yes... but, later figured out that it's a tube pasta). I'm sorry to say, we won't be back. read more

To me Persephone epitomizes Aptos. The food is absolutely stellar but the atmosphere is so down to earth and comfortable. It's like eating at your friend's house... your friend who also happens to be a Michelin rated chef. Often at upper-scale restaurants the food is delicious but they tend to be snooty and awkward. We left feeling warm and happy! read more

Unique and delicious. Menu changes, always giving a fish, beef, chicken, can and vegetarian option. I have a a mushroom steak which was the most amazing vegan food I've ever had! The service was great too. read more

The food was absolutely wonderful and tasty. I highly recommend the chicken and salmon plates, as well as the delicious chocolate cake, gelato and panacotta. The atmosphere was intimate and perfect for our date night. read more

Persephone - Dessert! - New American Near Me - Aptos, California

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I really wanted to like this place. We really need more fine dining options in this area. Unfortunately it started bad immediately, walked in the front door to the smell of old seafood. Smelt like a trashcan full of mussel shells. We were then seated and only offered one menu or QR Codes. When I asked for two other menus for the rest of the party I sort of got a side eye. Not a fan of the QR code menu at a fine dining establishment. The beet burrata was the best part of the evening. The salads and hors d'oeuvres were decent. The main courses were mediocre and bland for the prices. Pasta tasted like it sat around In a colander for several minutes before served. The sole was overcooked and over salty. The muscle saffron fettuccine had to be sent back as the pasta was inedible. The service had several issues throughout the night. We were not told about the specials and heard after overhearing them being told to another table. One dessert spoon for the whole table. They did apologize and comped some of our bill, but overall for the price the food and service left a lot to be desired. The the desserts were tasty once we got enough proper silverware to enjoy them. Housekeeping was also needed in the bathroom. Trash needed to be taken out. Waste towels overflowing and nearly touching the clean towel dispenser. This is a no no in terms of hygiene and cleanliness. Sadly, based on this experience I won't be trying it again. read more