Gabriella Cafe

4.5 (982)

$50 and over

Italian

910 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Make a reservation

2 people

May 27, 2025

May 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 2 times today

About this restaurant

Charming
Romantic
Good for special occasions

Zagat rated as "OUTSTANDING". Gabriella Cafe is a 50 seat, picturesque and romantic dining experience in downtown Santa Cruz.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Italian, Californian
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–2:30 pm Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00 am–2:15 pm Dinner Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(831) 457-1677
Website
http://gabriellacafe.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Gema Cruz

Location
910 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Neighborhood
Santa Cruz
Cross street
Church Street
Parking details
Parking Garages are very close
Entertainment
Come listen to the acoustic jazz guitar on Thursdays and jazz vocals (no amp) on Fridays.
Additional
Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Gender Neutral Restroom, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

House Marinated Olives$7.00
Pan Amore$9.00
goat cheese, arugula pesto & roasted garlic
Crispy Rodoni Farms Brussel Sprouts$9.00
apple gastrique & toasted hazelnuts
Rodoni Farms Grilled Artichoke$9.00
lemon aioli
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus$15.00
tallegio & balsamic reduction
Quesadillas$9.00
oaxaca queso fresca & epazotas

Salad

Roast Beets$12.00
honey pistachio puree, arugula, candied citrus & goat cheese
Gabriella Caesar$11.00
lemon boquerones emulsion, croutons & reggiano
Farmers Market Lettuces$10.00
balsamic vinaigrette, red onions, carrots & avocado

Pasta

Housemade Pappardelle$17.00
rustic bolognese & reggiano
Porcini Gnocchi$18.00
cream sauce, carrots, spinach, asparagus & reggiano
Butternut Squash Ravioli$18.00
truffle honey, kale, apples, walnuts & goat cheese
Tagliatelle$18.00
tomato sauce, calabrese sausage, cabbage, leeks, chili flakes & reggiano

Entrees

California Sea Bass$27.00
cream pipian sauce, carrots, romanesco & polenta
Grilled Sonoma Quail$19.00
market vegetables, mashed potatoes & romesco sauce
Organic Duck Confit$19.00
apple gastrique, kale, carrots & mashed potatoes
All Natural Pork Mole$21.00
cabbage, carrots & potato croquets
California Lamb Shank$24.00
herb chimichurri, cabbage, carrots & potato croquettes
Allen Bros Angus New York Steak$32.00
porcini cream sauce, grilled asparagus, carrots & mashed potatoes

What 982 people are saying

Gabriella Cafe reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.5Service
4.8Ambience
4.0Value

Noise • Moderate

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
Great for brunch
Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos
Innovative
Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos
Romantic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Gabriella Cafe is a charming spot offering "delicious, simple clean ingredients" and "excellent food." Guests enjoy a cozy, inviting atmosphere with "warm, friendly, and caring" staff. Chef Gema Cruz delights with standout dishes like roasted cauliflower and butternut squash ravioli. Perfect for both intimate dinners and group gatherings.

982 Reviews

P
Peter
San Francisco1 review
5.0
Dined on May 11, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always the best. Had a wonderful Mother’s Day brunch. Feeling both spoiled and at home. Wonderful.
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M
Matthew
San Francisco1 review
5.0
Dined on May 11, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Cute little spot. Food was delicious, simple clean ingredients put together well. I have a tendency to complain about something privately during a meal, this one was fabulous for me.
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D
Donald
San Francisco1 review
4.0
Dined on April 20, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Waitress was not as attentive as she should have been.
Is this helpful?
K
Kristin VIP
San Francisco4 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 6, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Such lovely wait staff—warm, friendly, and caring! And the setting is so cozy and heartwarming. Plus the food is excellent!
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k
kindra
San Francisco1 review
2.0
Dined on April 5, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
We went for my husband’s 40th. We normally love Gabriella’s, but our artichoke appetizer was lukewarm (warm on the outside and stone cold on the inside) and so was my husband’s duck entree. The mashed potatoes were watery as well. $150 dollars later we left sad and disappointed. I wish I could say we’d be back, but that was a lot of money to spend, and a disappointing milestone to not feel was celebrated properly.
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L
Lynn
San Francisco6 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 13, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
One of our favorite places, especially on a rainy, quiet night. Their food is always sooo good, crispy chili cauliflower, roasted beet salad and a shared butternut squash ravioli, my personal favorite, and a bottle of 2021 Windy Oaks Pinot. Chef Gema Cruz is an aptly named gem! ♥️
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D
Diane VIP
San Francisco48 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 28, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a lovely lunch on the recommendation of friends. Fresh and delicious food and professional service. Will Definitely return
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R
Roberta
Washington DC26 reviews
4.0
Dined on February 16, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
We went to Gabriela cafe after a long hiatus. The food was excellent! We particularly enjoyed the bouillabaisse and the cauliflower. It is a small cafe with tight seating, and we had a noisy group behind us but they left shortly after our arrival and conversation became more comfortable. Our server brought our food in a timely, relaxed manner, consistent with our mood. However she did not give us a wine list, which was a serious omission, given that we would have ordered a nice bottle but instead had several glasses (the regular menu offers glasses and half bottles). Highly recommend.
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S
Steve VIP
California Central Coast34 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Very good food and service. A very nice menu. There is indoor seating in a quaint setting as well as an outdoor courtyard and on the street parklet. We've always had a good experience here and excellent food.
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A
Abbie
Los Angeles2 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
One of my favorites in Santa Cruz! Cozy, delicious, and always kind folks working there. Thank you! We split everything and they even split our main into two plates making it easy. So great.
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FAQs

Gabriella Cafe offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (831) 457-1677.

Gabriella Cafe is rated 4.5 stars by 982 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

Booked 2 times today

910 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
Church Street
Neighborhood
Santa Cruz
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–2:30 pm Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00 am–2:15 pm Dinner Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Italian, Californian
Dining style
Fine Dining
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Parking Garages are very close
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Gema Cruz
Entertainment
Come listen to the acoustic jazz guitar on Thursdays and jazz vocals (no amp) on Fridays.
Additional
Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Gender Neutral Restroom, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://gabriellacafe.com/
Phone number
(831) 457-1677

Gabriella Cafe

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

Menu

Starters

House Marinated Olives$7.00

Pan Amore$9.00

Crispy Rodoni Farms Brussel Sprouts$9.00

Rodoni Farms Grilled Artichoke$9.00

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus$15.00

Quesadillas$9.00

Salad

Roast Beets$12.00

Gabriella Caesar$11.00

Farmers Market Lettuces$10.00

Pasta

Housemade Pappardelle$17.00

Porcini Gnocchi$18.00

Butternut Squash Ravioli$18.00

Tagliatelle$18.00

Entrees

California Sea Bass$27.00

Grilled Sonoma Quail$19.00

Organic Duck Confit$19.00

All Natural Pork Mole$21.00

California Lamb Shank$24.00

Allen Bros Angus New York Steak$32.00

What 982 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does Gabriella Cafe offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Gabriella Cafe restaurant rated?

Is Gabriella Cafe currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat