Oblò

Great food, ample portions. Charming atmosphere, especially Sunday night with live music - one man guitar and vocal. Imaginative cocktails. I recommend the one with Mezcal. The menu covers the needs of kids and sophisticated palates, but no crazy exotic expensive stuff.We were a party of 11 so the service was a bit stretched. No worry, when you're loved ones.

A rare high end restaurant in the heart of Santa Cruz! Wasn't sure about the parking lot next to the restaurant, but there's a public parking lot a few steps away reasonably priced at about two dollars an hour.The ambience here is warm and relaxing, although it does make taking pictures difficult. The live soft music was a nice touch, and there was one waitress (and one helper) for the dining area; but raising your hand or an "excuse me" usually gets their attention.Menu items can change, and their selection is a right blend of apps, salads, pastas and daily specials. For apps, we opt for the Brussel Sprouts, Burrata salad, Borchetta and Frito Misto. The groups favorite was the Frito Misto (app sampler platter with shrimp, calamari and fried peppers). If you have to give one up, forgo the Brussel sprouts. The Borchetta is a good option but only comes with four pieces.Due to the lighting, the pictures don't do the food justice, but I can assure you the taste is there and spot on, especially the mushroom risotto that didn't look too appetizing with a dark color bowl. Their special (beef with polenta) was cooked to perfection with a wine sauce that accentuated the polenta. The smothered Chicken Parm was done just right but the potatoes would've been better with less seasoning. Of course, a Affogato is a must but the ice cream was on the sweeter side.

Italian restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz with classic and few unique dishes and stellar cocktails. 3.5 starsFood: 3.5 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 4 Cost to worth it rating: 3 Opentableable: yesReturn worthiness: maybeHighlights:- Trofie marsala: this pasta shape is hard to find and when I do it's always with pesto so this was an interesting combo. Could've used a bit more depth of flavor and less soupy texture as I'm a fan of marsala. 3.5 stars - Meat ragu: meaty hub thought it was tasty. 3.5 stars- They made my son a fettuccine with chicken and butter he LOVED which I greatly appreciated. - Banana old fashioned: my hub could not stop raving about this cocktail- Atmosphere: tables in one room and bar in the other Midlight:- Bruchetta: fresh tomatoes were great, but couldn't get over the sliced bread not being toasted which lacked that crusty texture. 3 stars Lowlights:- The website and menu framed it as an upscale special occasion italian restaurant. It was fine, but didn't find that to be the case for our family holiday meal. Solid Italian food and cocktails would consider coming back for.

The best food in Santa Cruz without a doubt! We had dinner here Saturday night two weeks in a row. Last week we started with the Mushrooms, Fritto Misto and House Made Bread. The Fritto Misto is lightly dusted and fried perfectly. The calamari and tiger shrimp are just delicious. They have perfected their method. We had the Lobster Ravioli as our main entree and the Sea Scallop entree. Exquisitely presented and delicious! They do not skimp on their ingredients. Tonight we had to order the mushrooms again and the Fritto Misto appetizer. We also tried the roasted brussel sprouts. Again, it was all served to perfection. We ordered the Seafood Risotto and the Elk Carpaccio. It was beautiful sliced and prepared. The Elk was sweet and savory. It was a delicious complex blend for your entire palate. The Seafood Risotto was over flowing with seafood. Wow! This is the place to go! And the service we received was impeccable. They time the appetizers, entrees and desserts. Oblo has trained their staff in service and it shows. They are attentive and are constantly clearing plates. The servers and staff know what they are doing. I am raving about this restaurant! It is just what downtown Santa Cruz needs. Make a reservation. You willNot be disappointed!

My husband and I went for thanksgiving dinner. We arrived an hour early but were seated promptly. Staff was very friendly and quick to tell us the specials and take our order. We split the Brussels sprouts and meatballs. The Brussels are a must. It really could be its own meal. You get 2 meatballs which is a bummer but only because the are so good.I had the cornstar martini which was very refreshing & the perfect balance to my very rich & DELICIOUS spaghetti carbonara. The portion size was double what I expected and a very yummy snack a couple hours later. Pasta tasted fresh & perfect al dente. This is the kind of dish you want for a cheat meal. My husband had the salt & vinegar with kettle one. Personally I hate pickles, but the drink wasn't bad. He had the seafood stew which I couldn't try because I'm allergic to shellfish but he loved it, and he's pretty picky about his seafood. The portion was also big and came with a giant prawn on top. There was a lot of seafood in it too which he was happy about. For dessert we had the chocolate bomb & Americano. The chocolate bomb was a chocolate shell with a mousse inside. Not overly sweet at all. It was ridiculously good. One of the top 5 desserts I've had. The Americano was great and a great pair with the chocolate. Normally when I have carbs I instantly bloat...bad. After eating here I was fine! No bloat at all! Everything was high quality and fresh. They really know what they're doing. Everything we got came out hot. I mean blow on it hot. I've never been to a restaurant and had my food come out like that. You can tell it wasn't sitting under a heat lamp. I loved it! Everything we saw come out of the kitchen looked delicious. We will definitely be back!

Meh Seafood risotto, shrimp dish, three beers, $125. Shrimp dish had a cream sauce that was so rich jo one could eat much of it. Shrimp were nicely cooked. . Seafood risotto had a handful of frozen seafood that didn't taste great. Probably won't come back

Our first time since they change the name and ownership. The changed is "good". Bar area is so much better, counter is more modern. The table in the middle is a good addition. Our bar guys are so nice.

We decided to take my visiting aunt to the Santa Cruz area on Thanksgiving to see the redwoods. While there we looked for a restaurant open for dinner and happened upon Oblò. Words cannot describe how lucky we were to have stumbled onto this place. My husband and I definitely enjoy going to unique and good places, but have noticed something in almost all but three Michelin three star restaurants; usually not all the course are good. The restaurant either has amazing salads, incredible appetizers, fantastic mains, mouthwatering deserts. But this was not the case for Oblò. Each course was top of the line. We shared two salads: a beet salad and an artichoke one. For our main course my husband had mushroom risotto, my aunt had carbonara, and I had gnocchi. All the dishes were incredible beyond words. for dessert my aunt had tiramisu and my husband had a chocolate ball. Both were in Heaven.My husband and I cannot wait for more relatives to visit or for another great reason to return. Hopefully for you, you will east at this amazing place before we do.

This restaurant is amazing. The food is excellent along with the cocktails. The service is personal. So reasonable in pricing .

Service great. Food Amazing. Definite upgrade from previous establishment. They had guitar musician who was subtle with great music selection. Overall 5 start !