Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Suda

4.9

4.9 (391)

$31 to $50

American

Santa Cruz

About the restaurant

Pairing seasonal produce from local farmers with line caught fish and lean, hormone-free beef, the menu at Süda stays as fresh as the ingredients. With a variety of inventive dishes, including vegan and gluten free options, there is truly something for everyone.

The atmosphere at the bar is lively, while booths offer diners a more intimate experience making Süda the perfect place for a casual meal with friends or a night out with someone special. We are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner so you can enjoy fresh food whenever your heart desires.

Top review

PeterVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Always great. Always friendly. Always accommodating. One of our dishes was over-spiced and the server let us switch to another option, no questions asked. We appreciate the responsiveness and the hospitality

la Posta

4.8

4.8 (2345)

$30 and under

Italian

Santa Cruz

About the restaurant

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.

Top review

cherylVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Everything was amazing as usual! All the pastas were perfect!

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Popular dish

Agnello

Sugo Italian Pasta Bar

4.8

4.8 (277)

$30 and under

Italian

Santa Cruz

About the restaurant

A European concept-restaurant of traditional Italian cuisine; a modern and dynamic service, that allows customers to enjoy fresh, organic and authentic italian food through a selection of appetizer, panini, pizza and salads, and obviously our specialty: "Pasta".

Top review

Renee

Dined on Jan 12, 2025

Sugo continues to be an outstanding dining experience. My seafood stew was delicious - generous servings of shrimp, scallops, calamari in a delicious red sauce with just enough kick. lovely. Bread was delicious too. Good value; we have had too many expensive unsatisfying dishes at other restaurants. Sugo is our top dining choice. And we love the Italian staff!

Laili

4.7

4.7 (2868)

$30 and under

Mediterranean

Santa Cruz

About the restaurant

Laili is our expression of love through food and service. We offer a unique menu made up of fusion Afghani Mediterranean items that include kabobs, wraps, flatbreads, pastas, and spiced lamb and chicken dishes as well as delicious vegetarian options.

Laili Restaurant "BEST MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT", Good Times 2023, Voted #1

Rich Mediterranean Flavors with a Unique Afghan Twist in the Heart of Downtown Santa Cruz.
Currently taking reservations for lunch and dinner, walk-ins welcome too.

Dine in our elegant, secluded, off street patio. Visit our website for event information.

Top review

Ethan

Dined 3 days ago

Service was excellent. We trusted the waiters opinion and he did not disappoint. Unfortunately, the noise was a bit distracting. The food was exiting- new flavor combination, almost a fusion of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean.

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Cafe Cruz Rosticceria & Bar

4.7

4.7 (2060)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Soquel

About the restaurant

Cafe Cruz is a popular and lively local restaurant. We offer casual/fine dining with a full bar, indoor and heated patio dining. Guests enjoy watching the "magic" created in our open copper-backed kitchen each night by our talented team of chefs. Notable features include many locally sourced foods, nightly sustainable seafood specials, and many creative salad and vegetable options. Our innovative pastas and sandwiches are always a hit.
Spit-Roasted meats are featured each night, cooked on a french Rotisol rotisserie. The lush garden room can seat larger parties of up to 35. Guests enjoy our warm friendly service, our many seating options, and exceptionally delicious food.

Top review

Lynn

Dined on Jan 13, 2025

Our table was very kindly changed when a large party was seated in a quiet area and my friend and I had trouble reading each other's lips during communication. We appreciated the host's efforts to make us comfortable.

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4.6

4.6 (1616)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Santa Cruz

About the restaurant

Oswald is a contemporary American restaurant and bar that focuses on the abundance of delicious ingredients found on the central coast of California. Oswald features an eclectic, international wine list and an exciting, seasonal bar program. While the decor is spare and modern, the atmosphere is comfortable and relaxed. Oswald features new art shows every two months.

We do have first come tables available in the lounge as well as bar seats.
Come by and see if there is a table or seat for you.

Top review

Peter

Dined on Jan 4, 2025

Always above average food and excellent service. Always our go to for a date night.

Chocolate the Restaurant

4.6

4.6 (91)

$31 to $50

Californian

Santa Cruz

About the restaurant

Now celebrating 25 years, Chocolate the Restaurant provides an attractive dining environment for couples on dates, friendly meetings, and special occasion meals. Dine outside on the heated garden patio. Celebrate special occasions with up to 25 guests in the private street-side party room. Maybe start with a Chocolate Martini or a Passion Fruit Margarita. Chef David Jackman's fresh baked pasta rosettes, slow-roasted meats, and delicious seasonal organic vegetable dishes are all a prelude to our many chocolaty desserts. Our wine list focuses on local and on Italian wines. Our cocktails are all made from scratch; often using locally distilled spirits, and always using fresh house-made mixers. We are at your service for dinner every night! Afternoon walk-up cafe' service Friday thru Sunday. . We are open for dinner every holiday except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Top review

EddieVIP

Dined 3 days ago

We make a 75 mile round-trip from San Jose to Santa Cruz to eat dinner every Friday night. Been doing weekly since 2018 (pandemic disrupted the frequency but still did take out during that time). Our focus is on the desserts and our favorites are great - chocolate fantasy sundae, warm brownie, sin cake, truffles, Victoria hot chocolate with oat milk - these are chocolate artisan designs with more cacao emphasis than sugar and chocolate aficionados like us really enjoy it. Dinners are great as well - my longest go-to dish was Oaxaqueño Mo'le chicken plate - literally ate that dish for YEARS from 2018 to 2023. Then I 'discovered' their hand-rolled fettucine and salmon dishes - those are my new go-to dishes for 2023 onward. We are not drinkers so can't comment on the choices involving alcohol. Lastly, I read some of the more negative reviews here and respectfully disagree with most of them. The puzzling one is the recurring mention of 'dry' focaccia bread. We get that every week AND we were one of first to enjoy their switch to house-made focaccia bread. I do not find this to be dry at all - for me it's fresh and has just the right amount of moist texture. However, I understand others have different thresholds of dry. Regardless, this restaurant clearly is our favorite as we vote with our frequency of visits from San Jose for years.

Paradise Beach Grille

4.6

4.6 (43)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Capitola

About the restaurant

Paradise maximizes the beautiful beach location on Monterey Bay with an outdoor patio, views of the historic Venetian condominiums, and the ocean. We also feature an outdoor fireplace perfect for that cozy dinner or wine tasting. We have high top tables in the bar area for drinks or dining, as well as an attractive and spacious dining room. Customers enjoy the various casual venues yet an upscale flair with quality food, beverage, and service.

Top review

Tyler

Dined on Jan 8, 2025

Amazing setting and view! However, we were disappointed with the quality of the food - especially for the price. Would choose to try somewhere else next time.

Zelda's on the Beach

4.4

4.4 (556)

$30 and under

Californian

Capitola

About the restaurant

Zelda’s restaurant is in the heart of Capitola Village. We are located on the beach with spectacular views of the Monterey Bay and Capitola Wharf.

Zelda’s Restaurant has been serving local customers as well as others from all over the world for the past thirty years. We offer indoor and outdoor dining with a beachfront deck where you can literally reach and touch the warm sand of Capitola Beach.

Top review

DaveVIP

Dined on Jan 5, 2025

This is the breakfast spot to go to when you’re in Santa Cruz, would definitely come back here.

Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen | Beachside

4.4

4.4 (347)

$31 to $50

Californian

Aptos

About the restaurant

Newly renovated beachside restaurant, located in Aptos, CA. Enjoy handcrafted cocktails with locally distilled Venus Spirits and a menu featuring local seafood, produce, and Venus favorites. Indoor, bar, and patio seating available.

HOURS:
Wednesday - Thursday // 5pm - 9pm
Friday // 4pm - 9pm
Saturday - Sunday // 12pm - 9pm

Top review

poppyVIP

Dined 1 day ago

We love this place and always make a stop when we travel through SC. They have a fun diverse menu and high quality ingredients. The drinks are fun and tasty. My only complaint is the bussers can over bus the tables. Meaning, they take your plates before you’ve completely finished. I want to be able to scrape up the last morsel but the plate is usually whisked away too soon. I’d like to keep my plates a bit longer for dipping in the sauce or whatever. Not usually an Issue but was bugged by it last night. Other than that this place rocks. Service is spot on too.

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Popular dish

Brussels Sprouts

Experience

Celebrate your birthday with Venus!

Experience

Daily Happy Hour

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