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la Posta, Santa Cruz, CA

la Posta

4.8
4.8
2339 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 20 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
Select from a menu that features dishes composed of locally sourced ingredients as well as house-made pastas, naturally leavened breads and pizzas from our brick oven.

Because we rely on the bounty of the Santa Cruz farming community, our menu changes frequently and features a wide array of specials. La Posta’s all-Italian wine list includes autochthonous varieties from small producers, by-the-glass and by the bottle.

La Posta adheres to the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch Program and is a certified City of Santa Cruz Green Business.

We are so thankful for the incredible support from our customers and community.

We will continue to adjust our service based upon best practices for keeping our staff and community safe.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Californian
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (831) 457-2782
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Rodrigo Serna
  • Private party facilities
    la Posta offers special menus for large parties. The entire restaurant can be reserved for seated parties up to 60. Please contact the restaurant for details. la Posta charges a service gratuity of 20% for parties of 5 guests or more.
  • Neighborhood
    Santa Cruz
  • Cross street
    Murray Street
  • Parking details
    We have staged a "parking lot takeover", as we have extended our dining room into a lovely outdoor terrace, complete with heaters and umbrellas. Please utilize available on-street parking. We are so gratful for your patience during this time!
  • Entertainment
    Italian music every Tuesday from 7pm until 9pm
  • Additional
    Beer, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • L'Anno Nuovo 2024

    Dec 31, 2024 only
    Come celebrate New Year's Eve with us! We are offering a fantastic prix fixe menu for dinner which includes amuse, first, main & dessert courses. We have selected an optional wine pairing to enhance your experience, our regular all Italian wine list will be available as well! $120 per person exclusive of beverage, tax, and gratuity / $55 optional wine pairing Please visit our website at lapostarestaurant.com to see the menu.
  • Valentine's Day!

    $109.75 per person

    Feb 14, 2025 only
    Celebrate Valentine's Day with your loved one at La Posta! Menu pending, will be posted closer to 2/14!

What 2,339 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Best Overall

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Best Food

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Best Service

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Best Ambiance

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Best Value

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Good for groups

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Healthy

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Neighborhood gem

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Great for fine wines

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Romantic

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Good for special occasions

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
La Posta in Santa Cruz stands out with "exceptional food and service" and a welcoming neighborhood atmosphere. Guests rave about the "authentic Italian cuisine" and inventive specials like fig pizza and lamb ragu. Known for its "knowledgeable staff," the restaurant offers a delightful setting, whether dining indoors or on the "lovely outdoor patio."

2,339 Reviews
  1. Lori

    VIP

    Sacramento

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Gavin was amazing! Such a wonderful knowledgeable server! The entire wait staff and host were attentive friendly and fun!!

    Is this helpful?

  2. Andrea

    Greater Boston

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on December 22, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Love this place. Service was delightful. We all loved our food, from the roasted cauliflower contorno to the revelatory spaghetti & polpette. Another great night at La Posta!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Denise

    Central Coast

    16 reviews

    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on December 21, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We love La Posta. We have never had a bad meal or bad service at this restaurant. I highly recommend this as the best of the best.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Alex

    New Orleans

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 20, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was very off point, beans on the trout were seriously undercooked and the lamb was not very tender and also the dish itself was simple and yet it tasted like they were using a day old herb sauce that didn't taste like anything., service was excellent but food was very disappointing for the price we paid, sad

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  5. kym

    Central Coast

    100 reviews

    5.0

    100 reviews

    Dined on December 19, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    We experienced excellent quality and authentic Italian flavors. The service consistently exceeds expectations, and our server, Steve, was extremely knowledgeable about the wine. We have always enjoyed an excellent meal paired perfectly with the right wine. We highly recommend La Posta for a casual date night, family night, or dinner with friends.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Diana

    Seattle

    11 reviews

    4.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on December 15, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    I've been eating here for over 15 years and slowly watched prices increase to where I can only afford it once or twice a year. But the food is delicious so I came back. The elimination of serving bread was disappointing, but it really stuck in my craw to be charged $3 for a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Ridiculous. I won't be back.
    la PostaResponded on December 20, 2024
    Hello Diana, Thank you for commenting. I am happy to hear you still find the food delicious, and sorry you may not be returning. It is easy to defend the increase in prices at LP: prices for everything have risen the past 15 years, often more than 100%. But above that, during and after the pandemic I realized we couldn’t stay open continuing to be completely unprofitable, and I mean here: losing money every year, me personally subsidizing the restaurant for 14 years. Now our menu prices are higher but more accurately reflect the actual cost for good, local, organic food, and the cost to have employees who can afford decent housing in Santa Cruz and whose families are not on assistance. Thank you for bringing this up. Very best regards, Patrice Ps – come for Neighborhood Night!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Lisa

    San Francisco

    16 reviews

    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on December 13, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a lovely evening at La Posta! The ambience was wonderful - like eating in an Italian neighborhood cafe. In an age of loud loud loud restaurants, the noise level here is perfect - muted but not so quiet that you feel everyone can overhear your conversation. Our waiter was perfect, and the food was fabulous. We'll definitely be back

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  8. Carol

    San Francisco

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on December 12, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food , great service. Love the outside patio. Always pleased with the overall experience.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Leslie

    San Francisco

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on December 9, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything we had was delightful. Service was attentive but not bothersome. Zuppa like my Nona’s

    Is this helpful?

  10. Jody

    New York City

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 8, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food and menu choices were great! The outdoor seating was beautiful with good lighting and heaters!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

la Posta offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (831) 457-2782.

la Posta is rated 4.8 stars by 2339 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 20 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for la Posta

538 Seabright Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Murray Street
  • Neighborhood
    Santa Cruz
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Californian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    We have staged a "parking lot takeover", as we have extended our dining room into a lovely outdoor terrace, complete with heaters and umbrellas. Please utilize available on-street parking. We are so gratful for your patience during this time!
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Rodrigo Serna
  • Entertainment
    Italian music every Tuesday from 7pm until 9pm
  • Additional
    Beer, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (831) 457-2782
  • Private party facilities
    la Posta offers special menus for large parties. The entire restaurant can be reserved for seated parties up to 60. Please contact the restaurant for details. la Posta charges a service gratuity of 20% for parties of 5 guests or more.
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