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Gabriella Cafe, Santa Cruz, CA

Gabriella Cafe

4.7
4.7
980 Reviews
$50 and over
Italian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 13 times today
  • Charming
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Romantic
Zagat rated as "OUTSTANDING". Gabriella Cafe is a 50 seat, picturesque and romantic dining experience in downtown Santa Cruz.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • 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
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Parking Garages are very close
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Gema Cruz

What 980 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.2Value

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

    Innovative

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Neighborhood gem

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Great for fine wines

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Romantic

  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Gabriella Cafe offers a "charming and intimate" dining experience, perfect for romantic evenings or special occasions. Guests rave about the "delicious food" and "friendly service," with standout dishes like butternut squash ravioli and lamb shank. A "European dining experience" in downtown Santa Cruz, this cafe is a must-visit.

980 Reviews
  1. Lynn

    San Francisco6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    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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  2. 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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  3. Steve

    Central Coast33 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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  4. 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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  5. Roy

    San Francisco110 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food is great and the staff was super nice and helpful and even stepped over our dogs (who took up way to much space on the patio)

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  6. joseph VIP

    San Francisco66 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food is always great and the service is always wonderful.

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  7. donna

    San Francisco11 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on December 27, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Our dinner was OK! We were expecting something a bit different. It was not bad but it was disappointing that it was not more of a traditional Italian menu. My husband ordered the pork chop and thought it was very tasty. I got the butternut squash raviolis. They were a bit dry and could of used more flavor. The Caesar salad was just ok. Needed a bit more flavor. I know they have good reviews so we probably just ordered the wrong dishes. I would try them again some time.

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  8. Beth VIP

    San Francisco12 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on December 21, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food and service were great! We shared the focaccia bread, the arugula salad and the mushroom ravioli with chicken apple sausage. All were excellent. I recommend this restaurant.

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  9. Liz

    Portland20 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on December 8, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Beautiful meal. Each dish was delicious and nicely presented. Service was good and the atmosphere is lovely, good for groups or a romantic evening. Standouts are the roasted cauliflower and the salads. Fish and meat perfectly cooked. Highly recommended.

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  10. Melinda

    Palm Springs6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on December 4, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our whole dinner was delicious from the appetizers to the dessert.

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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 4.7 stars by 980 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 13 times today
Google Map for Gabriella Cafe

910 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • 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
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Parking Garages are very close
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Gema Cruz
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  • Terms of Use
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  • Cookie Preferences
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