Italian cuisine: the best places to taste it in Santa Cruz
16 restaurant menus in Santa Cruz, (the ranking and the list of restaurants are based on the number of recommendations received from users in the last month, currently updated)
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"Undeniably the #1 best ice cream maker and shop in Santa Cruz. Best strawberry ice cream ever!!! Staff and owner are delightfully fun and kind and it..."
Julia Ess
"My favorite ice cream shop in town. I love the toasted marshmallow fluff, and their Roxy Road, Strawberry and Turkish Coffee ice creams are the..."
Julia Michelle Dunn
"The best ice cream around! I love the unique flavors offered! I like how they are always changing it up! Never know what the new sample will be......."
Kierre Henderson
"I had the mint chocolate chip in a waffle cone! Yum! I’ve never had a flavor I didn’t like from Mission Hill..."
Holly Adams
"This is one of our favorite ice cream places. Their green tea is a personal..."
LeAndra Johnson
"Delicious ice cream and some unique flavors. We enjoyed all 4 that we..."
Lisa Mendenhall
"Amazing flavors! My favorite is the Mint Chip!!! Sweet..."
"Pizza is really good beyond the normal flavors of other pizza places this is a must come if you are in the area and delight your taste buds!! Amazing..."
BillandJeri Bunyard
"So nice for them to Share their pizza. At the Monarch Festival. Eat their at their Restaurant. Very good Ravioli..."
Marie Garza
"It's a family tradition. Usually preceded by tide pools pescadero beach, but this trip was after Girls camp in the Santa Cruz mountains. Never..."
Emily Lamoreaux Stovall
"Great pizza in a laid back, friendly..."
Tim Dougherty
"Never been like pizza but after eating your pizza omg I like to stay in stan cruz so that I can come anytime ..."
Vie StyleFabulous
"Best ever! Love to go there when ever possible. Always..."
"Top notch. Possibly the best in Santa Cruz. I would find it hard to believe there is another restaurant in SC that has a better menu and price..."
Willis W. Walker III
"After sending friends and clients there soo many times...I finally went to Bantam last weekend. This is the gem of Santa Cruz.
The chicken was..."
Judy Freeman
"We finally tried this place and my-oh-my... so delish!! Just wish there was more food on the plate. Helpings are a little light... nonetheless, we'll..."
Apple Von Greenpeel
"Wonderful food. A great place & environment! 👍👌😊highly..."
Darrick Wingfield
"Great local hot spot. Yum to the menu, excellent wine list, great wait staff and fun, open ambiance. Check it..."
Barb Bernard
"Great food! Great atmosphere! Loved it all. We will be going..."
Lisa L. Van Etta
"Great food! Fresh with great combinations, perfectly prepared! One of the best in Santa..."
Steve Rebottaro
"Best Margherita pizza in town, and one of the best I've had. Thin crust with a crisp, smokey exterior, yet soft inside. That's what an 800° wood..."
Andrew Edwards
"Dinner was fabulous! Best food in Santa..."
Lisa Valenzuela
"We were there last thanksgiving. We loved the food and the atmosphere... The use of local ingredients makes the taste of the food dance on your..."
Kevin Price
"I had the fried chicken last night and it was AMAZING!!! Can't wait to go there when I visit Santa Cruz..."
Arlene M. Miller
"Great food, great service just be aware that if you dine at the bar be prepared to be asked to move mid..."
Edward Reyes
"One of the most fun dinner experiences we have had. The service was excellent and the food was off the hook. We enjoyed the laid back..."
Lucia A Sciarpa Paxton
"Wonderful as always. Very accommodating with our..."
Kirk McDonald
"Incredible innovative food filled with amazing flavor. We'll definitely be..."
Robin Aceves
"Best Restaurant in Santa Cruz. Great food and atmosphere. Only time we've ever said "that cabbage was really..."
Ronnie Boose
"I can go there but I sure would like to and I think that's a great idea they should have more those everywhere..."
Barbara Watson
"Great meal all the way around. They don’t do reservations so dropped in at 5pm when they opened for an early dinner. Filled up quickly - was..."
Jeff Hansen
"Friendly servers, good vibes. Fresh ingredients for salad and pizza. I didn’t enjoy the salad but margarita and anchovy pizzas were both..."
Rebecca Jia
"Fabulous pizza. Amazing dessert. Delicious carrots which were ( unfortunately) double the price they should have been for the tiny portion. ☹️..."
Paula Alder
"This place was great. We were a large group with kids and were magically able to get a table pretty quickly. All the food was excellent - we tried..."
Sarah Cordes
"The service was great as well as the drinks. The pizza... Dear God the pizza. It's outstanding! I had to get a to-go order just so I could enjoy it..."
Jeff Van Allen
"Really good pizza! Very friendly staff in a nice looking restaurant with great natural lighting. We ate inside, but they also offer outdoor seating..."
Cesar Ruvalcaba
"OMG.... We go here all the time, at least once a week.(this week we went twice), and we have never ever been disappointed. Amazing food, chill vibe,..."
Robert Pennell
"best pizza so far,
they have good ipa
what else you..."
"Fantastic food reasonably priced for upscale Italian. Would dine here regularly if we were locals. A little noisy, but otherwise good ambience...."
Kellye B Owens
"Recently had a trip to Italy and found myself saying 'this is good but it's not as good as Lillian's'. Wonderful restaurant. You must book..."
Ronnie Stanton
"Santa Cruz was an alien town to me and had no idea where to go eat! Heard about this restaurant and never visited another one! The hospitality is..."
Sohrab Singh
"Belly bursting happiness. Lillian's is right down the street where I live, so it proves to be my favorite local restaurant and a usual for my..."
Cheapeats
"After making reservations we headed over there so we would be there right on time. But when we got there, the restauraunt was packed! We had to wait..."
Keri M-H
"Thank you Lillian's. Thank you for coming to Santa Cruz. Love the ambience. Love the food. Love the..."
Flipper
"This place rocks! I called at 430 on saturday to see when we could get in. Her took my mame and number and told me an hour. An jour later we were..."
Agoble
"This place is great. Just left there and had to write a review. Everything was delisous and was very well priced. This place is the besitalian I have..."
Itai Britany
"This was the perfect valentines day spot. The soup is the best I've ever had. The aroma alone will make you fall in..."
Tyler Rossman
"Wow this place is great. One of those small diners with killer food you would see on food networks diners drive in's and dives. The Sunday gravy is..."
Kevin Talbot
"Get there early the place fills up fast. Their meat sauce is..."
Michelle
"Wow this was so good. I got the Gorgonzola fiochetti, a slightly sweet and savory and creamy pasta with prosciutto. So good! My partners pasta w meat..."
Maia Miglio
"After a long day of hiking or day on the boardwalk, drive 10 minutes to this gem of a restaurant! Excellent for families, generous portions and..."
Richard H
"This was my fourth visit here so I felt it was time to give this place the review it deserves. This Italian restaurant is one reason I drive 80 miles..."
Ariane Arnaldo
"Great service. Made a reservation the night before and the host was very friendly and helpful. I asked for a certain table and they said they would..."
Rick Salgado
"We enjoyed a wonderful dining experience all around. During the short time we were waiting to be seated, three servers, as they were passing by,..."
E Graze
"We called ahead on a Friday evening at 6:00PM and of course we were unable to make reservations as it is all booked for the night. When we arrived to..."
Kim C
"Lillian's has been a star since they opened! I moved away and was visiting, so I had an opportunity to visit their new and large, yet comfy and..."
Jeni Brill
"What a delightful surprise finding this restaurant was!! We were staying in Capitola and took a drive to Santa Cruz. As dinner approached, I looked..."
"Great local spot and neighborhood gem. Good food, homemade bread, and excellent wine selection...."
Barb Bernard
"I love the atmosphere, I went right after it opened so it was rather empty. I sat at the bar and enjoyed conversation with the manager I think. I..."
Cris Tulloch
"Wonderful New Year’s Eve dinner! Great food and service. Please fix your noisy fan or heater..."
Carol Skolnick
"My mom, son and I had dinner last week and the server and kitchen were very accommodating to my little "picky eater". We decided that we could come..."
Satya Cohen
"One of my favorite places to eat!! Great food, excellent wine and casual, mellow atmosphere. I would name a favorite but since the menu changes with..."
Sally McGee
"Consistently good food, not overdone. Bread is fresh baked and pasta is house made. Love neighborhood night. Great for a date or dinner with..."
Michelle Wilczynski
"We had our third dinner at La Posta last night and enjoyed it all over again! Each dish was so special - beautifully prepared and presented - the..."
Gretchen Sand
"Love your food. Would you ever share your rosemary walnut bread..."
Dave Mann
"Amazing food, great wine list, wonderful ambience, loves their local cliental, generous to a fault to SCCS public schools. What's not to..."
Deborah Tracy-Proulx
"Wonderful customer service on Mother's Day! Thank you for making the evening special for my..."
Emily Sullivan-Detwiler
"Lovely atmosphere, fresh local and innovative food. Great date night. Nice that they do good work in the community..."
Caitlin Phillips Karimzadeh
"Neighborhood gem. I've been a fan since day one and believe this is definitely the BEST restaurant in Santa..."
Maria Serrano Boutell
"Great chef makes great dishes. Menu is limited and changes every week. Waiters know their stuff and can tell you more about the food than you ever..."
Glenn Nelson
"A great experience for dinner with a variety of very well executed dishes. The bread is not to be missed and the Italian focused wine list is a..."
Lexa Boosey
"La Posta is an absolute gem! I am always so impressed with the level of attention that is put into curating every item on the menu. The salads and..."
Giovanna Kristina Mayorga
"We had another excellent meal at La Posta Saturday evening. The menu, which is seasonal and changes weekly is available their website. We enjoyed..."
Nancy Kiehl
"Fantastic! Fabulous service, fabulous food..real Italian food, flavors and serving size with a great selection of Northern Italian wines. You can..."
Jean McCormack
"This food was sick as f. So much better than I expected from this little establishment. We got the salad, the lasagna thing, ribs, seafood stew and..."
Peter Pan
"Delicious, fresh and delicately prepared Italian fare. The sourdough bread is incredible, as were the hommade pasta and wine list. Even during these..."
"My family is from northern Italy and the lakes region has always been a favorite place to visit so when I saw an Italian restaurant featuring Lake..."
Coho Boy
"Really warm, attentive staff and very authentic italian dishes. Great outdoor seating options as..."
Katrina Wagner
"Simply pleasant place. Tasty food, fast service. What's more important in restaurant business the owner is in place, which makes you feel like you're..."
Vlad Ga
"So delicious!! I got the mushroom ravioli and it was so..."
Kyle Bergerson
"I hadn’t been in a number of years, my recollection was good not great. However I’ve been twice in about the past six weeks and it has been..."
Randall Nacamuli
"Great food, even BETTER service, don't miss Lago di..."
J C
"Good scene for tasty Italian food. I love snacking here. Certainly worth a return visit. It has an awesome feel to it. Food is similar to a cafe in..."
Laurie Moses
"The food was delicious and the staff was amazing. The patio was nice and warm..."
Aden Shannon
"Authentic family friendly Italian restaurant. My boyfriend and I went there for dinner yesterday. We believe their food was authentic and service was..."
"Food was very good. A little expensive. Staff was attentive a little too much. One girl was removing plates before done. It would have been nice at..."
Debbie Pieracci
"Some of the best Italian food I have ever had! Gio has built something special..."
Jason Gill
"One of the best Italian dinners I've had in years. The food was amazing, the staff was super friendly, and the dessert from the patisserie bar were..."
Mark Rose
"I hadn’t been in a number of years, my recollection was good not great. However I’ve been twice in about the past six weeks and it has been..."
Randall
"We enjoyed a lovely family dinner at Lago di Como for a birthday celebration. We all seven ordered something different and everyone was happy with..."
Loves Traveling
"If you've ever dreamt of the feeling of cruising from Bellagio to Varenna on a ferry on the tranquil summer waters of Lake Como in Northern Italy or..."
TradewindsHD
"Authentic family friendly Italian restaurant. My boyfriend and I went there for dinner yesterday. We believe their food was authentic and service was..."
"Pizzeria la Bufala offers 9 different pizza options. (But don’t ignore the gnocchi.) We ordered 11 pizzas - all 9 of the menu pizzas and also the..."
Marx Moley
"Wood fired pizza with fresh and authentic toppings. Staff is friendly and even tossed the pizza dough high to show my kids how it's done.
Lots of..."
Jenarndt2
"The tastiest pizza I've found in SC. The ingredients are top-notch, the dough/crust is bubbly and crispy and chewy and oh so good. It's baked in a..."
Mike Yambrovich
"I love this Italian establishment! I am not a pizza fan, and the pizza at La Busalla is off the hook delicious. The crust is thin and sauce is super..."
Jemma Kelly Thron
"Nice thin crust pizza! Not heavy at all and has plenty of flavor. It's wood fired, so the quality is there! I'd order here..."
Nick Carbone
"Always keepin it fresh with the most amazing burrata in town.... This little gem tucked away in a corner of downtown is a must hit if you want an..."
"Traveled last week to Santa Cruz from Texas, this place was truly amazing. The hostess was also our waitress and the staff made our experience..."
FW TXW70
"Came here for an early valentine's day best decision! The food and atmosphere 😍 is wonderful and..."
Davisu Echo
"Excellent local restaurant with nicely done contemporary decor. All the dishes were excellent. Flavorful sauces without excessive salt. Full bar. ..."
Robert Bixby
"Food is wonderful. I had the squash ravioli in butter sauce with crisp fried of what I remember to be sage. The contrast in textures is marvelous. It..."
Sarah
"What a lovely place to dine in. Their cauliflower and burrata appetizers were delicious. And all main dishes were delicious as..."
SKnari
"Such a great and cozy atmosphere. Great service, great bar. The food is good, though too hot when it was served! Took a long time to be able to eat..."
Meera Collier
"Delicious food in West Side Santa Cruz! Jonathan and Tatiana do it right: delicious food, great atmosphere, friendly service...and in 2020...amazing..."
"Their second week doing brunch apparently. Still ironing out some kinks in the kitchen but staff were awesome. And the food was spectacular. Will..."
Christian Pfrommer
"We loved this place. Great authentic Italian, fresh and great atmosphere! Thanks Franz and staff for a great..."
Chris Vasquez
"The food, the service, the vino, the vibe. All of the personnel were delightful. I've become a regular happy customer...."
Franz Vaiarello
"We loved this place! The pasta, lasagna and pizza are outstanding. We will definitely be coming back the next time we come to Santa..."
Sandra Minard
"Super fun! Had my 30th birthday dinner there with 20 of my friends and family, they were so accommodating and the food was delightful. Will be back..."
Nina Moseley
"Awesome food! Loved the pasta, pizza and salad! Will definitely come here again and refer to all friends and family!..."
Annie Lapinski Scott
"We live two hours away and this is our second time dining on this restaurant. We loved it. Great customer service. Delicious food the price is..."
Angelina Ecaruan
"Been here several times and eaten their delivered food. All good, good, good! And kids and grandkids living just above it! How lucky can you..."
William Evenhouse
"My favorite place to go when I'm visiting Santa Cruz. Plate sizes are Huge always share a..."
Carol Kolb
"Great thin crust kids pizza easily large enough for..."
Jon Gamez
"Wonderful food. Daughter who spent a semester abroad, plus rest of family who have been to Italy twice were quite pleased. Small walk from Santa..."
Evelyn James
"We tried several things here including spaghetti and soup, very delicious. We also tried pizza, “meat monster”, it was so great! Guess it was..."
Qiming Liu
"We randomly walked into this place with no expectations while on our visit to UCSC! We had a great time. The service was exceptional! They customized..."
Hiranmayi Upadhyayula
"What the hell is wrong with you people? This is an amazing place with great staff, wonderful food at reasonable prices, and a family business. ..."
doug doug
"There were some decent gluten-free and vegetarian options. I really liked the eggplant dish, but the artichokes tasted..."
Spencer Chi
"Top notch Italian restaurant. Ordered meatballs on polenta and seafood stew. Both were fantastic. Their bread is great too. I say this as someone who..."
Helena Lu
"Always a great experience here! Food is always consistent and they have great Aperol Spritz's if you do not want wine. They also have an nice outdoor..."
Loren Morse, REALTOR
"Great food! Service is excellent and the place is real nice. Pet friendly..."
"Oh my goodness! Italian food at it's finest. Our first time at this restaurant - we will definitely be back again soon. Our waiter, I believe his..."
Jim Bonstein
"Came here on a recommendation from a friend who used to be a local. Great recommendation!
Everything from the food to the service was exceptional...."
Ramit Mehta
"Great Italian food the restaurant looks great live band and the service was pretty good 👍 If you enjoy more authentic Italian food this is a good..."
Davisu Echo
"We have had so many people tell us we “have to try their Amalfi Martini🍸 (Well Made Vodka, grapefruit juice, House-made Limoncello cream).
So I..."
Loren Morse, REALTOR
"Nice local restaurant with large indoor and some outdoor sitting. The food was good and so was the service. Pizza was ok but I preferred the pasta...."
Yuval K
"Great location with easy parking next door. Service was good and friendly but not pushy. Outdoor patio is excellent when weather is good. They carry..."
Tareq Barakzoy
"The food was delicious and the service excellent! They substituted a meat sauce for my daughter instead of meatballs when I asked for something with..."
Michelle Rogoyski
"Absolutely amazing food, drinks, and service! Violet was our waitress and she was such a..."
"Not the best steak money can buy but pretty up there well worth the $30+ and there baked potato desert omg on point never thought ice cream could..."
Ethan Vaughn Bosinger
"My boss and I had the night's specialty, Shrimp Risotto, it was wonderful! The service was great, from the moment we entered, we were greeted by..."
Alma Contreraas
"Very cozy place, excellent service! Last night my hubby had the lasagna which he raved about and I had the truffle & ricotta..."
Marie Brayman
"Great food and wonderful service even on a busy Friday..."
Cynthia Eckert Fehrenbach
"You can't beat lunch on the deck. Too bad it's only served Thursdays and..."
Steve Jackowski
"Loved this place. The staff was friendly and the food was great...."
Lynn Munoz
"I had the salmon Risotto it was excellent, service was very good,good atmosphere very nice..."
Danny J. Neith
"Very nice cozy restaurant - nice happy hours choices- very attentive service - save room for desserts - go..."
Wolfgang Szutie
"Absolutely loved it. We will definitely be coming..."
Maria Macias
"The place is good,food is good too,we being vegetarian good nice food and one can go to spend good eveningThe place is recommend by me to have..."
Anoll Merchaant
"Local place, good eats. If you're a tourist looking for a place where local folks go, you should check this place out. This place has a ton of tables..."
NTXFoodFan
"The location was great. The customer service was excellent. The food was amazing. Definitely coming back to try the different dishes they offer on..."
Thomas Rodriguez
"Excellent food and very friendly service! Highly recommend it. We had fried artichokes, bruschetta that had avocado, caprese salad, mixed greens..."
Sandhya Prashant
"The appetizers were very lovely fried artichoke clam chowder I got the shrimp Genovese and my boyfriend got the salmon risotto the waitress was very..."
ZeeTelevision :3
"I had the shrimp penne and it was amazing! We also had the chiabatta appetizer that was different than expected but it was still very delicious. Very..."
Dianne Salzer
"Great food👌👍. Service is quick, the meals are tasty, and the restaurant is very nice..."
Alec S
"Yes, this is sort of a classic retro style Italian restaurant. Some sort of place that you would go with your parents in the '70s. I would say that..."
Lance Leber
"Mother's day dinner for 5 people. Lots of drinks, beer, and wine - all very tasty. Appetizers were very tasty and were big enough to share. The..."
Mike Yambrovich
"My kids and I had an early father's day dinner here. Kids being 20 and 18 years old.
I started out with a cocktail the American mule, it was very..."
"We’ve been coming here every Friday night (except during Covid) for 7 years. Deceptively simple but excellent flavorful locally sourced pastas and..."
Nancy Greenwood
"Definitely one of my favorite pizza places in Santa Cruz. It’s hard to get authentic Italian pizza like this unless you’re in a bigger city...."
Johnny Zee
"Pizzeria Avanti never fails to impress... A friendly spot with consistent delicious food on the west side. Inviting, warm-toned ambiance featuring..."
Katharine Münger
"Wonderful experience at Pizzeria Avanti - we shared the butter lettuce with beets salad, then split the lasagna and the chicken fusilli. We had more..."
Kayla Garnet Rose PhD
"Deliciously quick service matched by some of the best pizza in Santa Cruz! Super easy to pick up on a weeknight. I ordered two pizzas and it was..."
"I do not eat a lot all the time. But when I get hungry I get hungry! I decided to ask Siri where the nearest Italian restaurant was. I was craving..."
Bonnie Boro
"The food was great & my server was fantastic! The bartender had a great sense of humor & the band - Thyme Bombs - was outstanding! I will recommend..."
Ted Griffith
"Home style food in local blue collar friendly atmosphere. Reasonable prices for great food. I frequently eat lunch here and the food in..."
Tom Corral
"Food is great, nice portions! Great music, always interesting crowd, unique arty types, deep..."
Gini Gyorkos
"One of the best places to eat, drink and have a great..."
Justin Almstrom
"Great food at reasonable prices! Fast friendly staff. Good selection on the menu and BOCCI..."
Juliette Monroe
"Best Calamari in Santa Cruz! Bar None
At least once a week, I must have..."
Pamela Acosta
"I had a spectacular time celebrating my Godmothers birthday! Thank..."
Veronica Gallo
"Personal service from the owner good to see locals from Watsonville hanging out here reminds me of the gang at Leo's Wooden..."
Carolyn George
"Always good times. Fried artichokes are the s***! Comedy Tuesday nights..."
Jose M. Jimenez
"Best restaurant in Santa Cruz. Cold beers... great food... and good people. you can't go wrong. Stop by and enjoy..."
Cody Castleberry
"..."
Dmitry Kras
"Great place!!! I really like Bocci's. Check their..."
Zotacure Romero Santamaria
"This is hands down the coolest venue for any artist to perform at. The bartender was on fire and gives great attention to his surroundings and is..."
Jonathan Morataya
"Pretty good. Great and kind bartenders. Decent karaoke. A bit dark and dingy, but they have this impressive cloud formation art on the ceiling made..."
Nicolas Ian Coffman
"Urbani (Boccis) Cellar is a hidden gem. It's a great place to find fun townie weirdos and unique live music. But this review is specifically about..."
David Fryauf
"Newly renovated music space. Has a old towny feel. Miss the bocce..."
Henry Wagner
"Nice spot where you can find new bands playing and a great..."
Jahaziel Magana
"Fun times playing Bocci Ball and yummy Crispy Pork..."
Alana CK
"I didn't eat here but my friends did and they said the food was great. Drink prices are on par with other local bars. I really liked the feel of this..."
Dominic Tuminello
"Don't be fooled. Best south of heaven burger. Best cesar salad. Thank..."
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