Caruso’s Restaurant

6÷24÷2016 ~ My daughter and I had a late dinner at this place last nite. The food was top $$ for very average Pasta and the wine was expensive for the quality. We sat at the bar because they could not accomodate us with a table, we got to watch people washing dishes and scrubbing pans, we had a lovely view (not.) The Maitre D. was arrogant to say the least… The tip we left was reflective of the food quality and dining experience. To our shock and horror, the waiter and Maitre D. both separately confronted us about the amount of tip we had left, they were highly inappropriate in their open discussions in front us… claiming they deserved a larger tip…
We fine dine often and normally tip well… Last time i checked a tip is optional not mandatory, and should be reflective of the food and service. Would not eat here or recommend to anyone… and we are locals :(

We had our wedding reception at Caruso’s and everything turned out perfectly! The owners made us feel so special and everyone was very attentive. They even added beautiful flowers on the tables as centerpieces! My husband and I were very happy with the event and would highly recommend this restaurant for parties! Thank you, Caruso’s for making our night so special!

I could rant and rave about how AWESOME this place is but I am just going to say Go and experience it for yourself! It is small so be prepared for a little wait or maybe make reservations especially on a weekend. We went twice during our visit to the area and one night our service was lively, fun and fantastic and the other night is was calm, laid back and still fantastic. The food was amazing both visits and our son who is an extremely picky eater loved the place. The owners go out of their way to make your dining experience the best it can be and the chef is beyond talented. Spaghetti may seem like a simple dish but Caruso’s Spaghetti Pomodoro is the best you will ever have and what you will compare all other Spaghetti too once you have it. Treat yourself to a wonderful meal and be sure to try out one of our favorites like: Bufala Caprese; Spaghetti Pomodoro, Dischetti Al Tartufo, or Fetticcine Porcini and don’t forget to leave room because you definitely need dessert!

Melissa (owner) was our host. She did a wonderful job explaining the food and helping us order. The food was outstanding. Generous helpings too. We had to take leftovers home! The gnocchi was amazing! Highly recommended.

This little Tuscan gem has maintained its quality since Davide sold the restaurant. I was particularly pleased to see the same chef was retained by the new owners. Probably the best pizza I’ve had since we visited Tuscany several years ago, maybe better. I’ve had most of the items on the menu and I have never had a bad or even mediocre meal. All high quality and delicious.

THEY RUINED MY BIRTHDAY
1. We came in around opening and were told it was over a 45 minute wait so we came back about two hours later.
2. We arrive to two couples ahead of us waiting for tables to be seated and are told we will be seated next when the table that was just given the bill leaves (PS the table was in the hallway of a shopping complex, not even in the restaurant).
3. The two couples are seated and we wait fifteen minutes while a new couple with a «reservation» arrives and another couple knows someone that works there and is attempting to sweet talk their way to a table.
4. This Unilocal states the restaurant DOES NOT take reservations.
5. Our host (who already was going to seat us at a table in a hallway outside of the restaurant in a shopping complex) informs us that the couple with the «not reservation, but same day wait list reservation» has priority and we can share a table with ANOTHER COUPLE WHO WAS ALREADY EATING… And where? IN THE HALLWAY!!!
Needless to say, we were extremely disappointed and left. We were ready to spend a pretty penny and enjoy a wonderful meal to celebrate a big birthday for me and this place totally sent it in the pits.

Quaint but what they’re lacking in size (~6−8 tables) they MORE than make up for in awesome food and amazing customer service.
Treat yourself. Treat friends and family to an amazing restaurant! You won’t regret it!

My girlfriend had the truffle oil ravioli that people rave about and I swear I could see her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she ate. I opted for the Lasagna, which is basically what I always first order when trying out a new italian spot. I know. «Where’s your sense of adventure??» I’ll tell you where it is. I abandoned it after being burned on countless «adventurous dishes» that I’ve boldly attempted to devour. No No No. Why am I debating my food choices to whoever is foolish enough to have stumbled on to this review? Simple. I find that most good Italian food is based on keeping it simple. Good starch, good protein, and good cheese. That is all that I require! But, I digress. Some old lady who probably eats there everyday ordered a Lasagna at the same time, and guess what. That was the last one. (mutters under breath: ugh, stupid lady.) So I switched gears and hit up Marsala. Savory flavors, rich sauce, and perfect meat. Easy reviews when something is done with competence and passion.
Wow this review is meandering and I apologize for that.
Couple quick hits: The couple who were both servers were very friendly, agile, and great. I mention the agility because the place is literally packed wall to wall with tables.
Sadly, we didnt get those two. So we got to enjoy their performance as it materialized around us. We got an abrupt, rude Italian dude. I understand maybe it was some sort of cultural disconnect, but our interactions were along these lines:
«Do you have the Lasa-​«
“NO.»
“Can you recommend a wine to go wit-​«
“NO. NO WINE LIST. I TELL YOU. WHAT YOU LIKE?»
«Uh, not too sure. this wine list just has the names of Italian wines.»
«RED or WHITE?»
«I’m thinking maybe.»
«WAIT, I COME BACK.»
Yeah, pretty much exactly like that. I’m assuming that he may be THE Caruso, but who knows! Anyway, the food was really good. And the OTHER servers were awesome.

While visiting Santa cruze, was looking for a good Italian cuisine, being a avid Unilocaler I found this place. Kids had the pep pizza I had the speggeti, my wife had the mushroom chicken marsala definitely a great place to go to and kid-​friendly thanks you’ve been Unilocaled

My friends and I went to this restaurant last night and we would have to say the service was awful.
First off they have no wine or beer list, you can explain all the Italian wines you have in the world but I’m still not going to know Italian when you tell me the names let alone the price of each glass. A list would be nice.
The food took over an hour to come out! The owner also made a stop at our table to let us know that we were «behaving ourself a so well» what the hell does that mean! So rude, we may have been the youngest there but we are in our mid twenties, just uncalled for.
The food was good but not worth the wait, and we won’t be back.

Amazing amazing amazing food best food ever there corn soup is the best you must go !!! Service is amazing warm kind and cozy Italian food by far the best in Capitola !!! 5 star review all around

Love this spot. Tiny, intimate and delicious. The gnocchi is great. The asparagus appetizer is a must order. They also deliver to the wine bar next door. I have dined her on several occasions and not disappointed.

We were very excited to eat here given all the positive reviews but unfortunately left pretty bummed.
The good:
+Complimentary bread with olive oil and garlic was delicious.
+Caesar salad was good.
+Hostess who sat us was nice.
The bad:
+Service after we got seated was lacking, very slow.
+The red wine was the worse $ 10+ wine we’ve had. Worse than two buck chuck. Luckily they gave us samples so we didn’t order it and got a white instead but that was quite mediocre. Seems like this is a recurring issue that other reviewers have noted – wish we would have read that and brought our own wine (if that’s allowed).
+The gnocchi al forno was very mushy and soft, very underwhelming. But the sauce and cheese were good.
+The seafood in the spaghetti 4 mari was overcooked.

First of all, the restaurant is small. There are just way too many tables in the restaurant so its very difficult to move around. We were seated at this table at the end of the bar area, so the guy behind me (sitting at the bar) had to move over in order for me to get into the table. Very tight space, not comfortable at all!
Secondly, the food took forever to come out of the kitchen. Our waiter kept telling us that it would be out in 5 or 10 minutes. Our food didn’t come out til 1 HOUR LATER. Yes, One HOUR for FOOD. This was simply NOT OK.
Thirdly, the food, I ordered the Risotto, was nothing to rave about. It was nothing fancy and it certainly did NOT warrant the one hour wait. On top of the one hour wait, half of the muscles and clams in my Risotto were empty.
I don’t now why this place has such high reviews, long wait times and bad service. I will NOT be returning to this restaurant.

OMG, this place is the absolute best Italian food restaurant in Capitola. We went here after reading all of the great reviews on Unilocal,definitely know why everyone rave’s about this place. The food, service & drinks are all fabulous. It’s on a little side street in Capitola Village, if you didn’t know about it you would miss it as it’s a little tiny restaurant that fits approximately 10 tables snuggly.
I ordered the Dischetti Al Tartufo. The portion appeared to be a bit small; however, what I soon discovered was that the sauce is so rich that the few ravioli’s offered quickly filled me up. I’m still dreaming about that sauce… YUM! Our table also ordered the night appetizer special, the 3 sauce gnocchi and the steak; all were great.
The meal and our server Seth made the entire dining experience so wonderful! Seth surprised us at the end of the meal with a serving of Tiramisu that was so generous a portion that the entire table was able to share. Definitely left there full and satisfied. Plan on going back soon.

Love love love this place. Came here on a date with my boyfriend for dinner around 5:30 PM on a Saturday during a day trip in Santa Cruz. It’s by the beach, but not so that there is a ocean view. It’s a rather small establishment, with only around 6 tables (three 2-​person tables & three 4-​person tables) as well as two bar seats. It has a very casual atmosphere and the hosts and servers were extremely welcoming. We were seated immediately but soon after arriving, the place filled up fast and people had to wait as long as an hour and a half for a seat.
We ordered four items, an Insalata Di Spinaci Salad and Calamari Fritti appetizer to share, as well as Risotto Del Giorno for him and the Dischetti Al Tartufo for me. They had complementary bread and garlic oil for dipping. The bread was soft and freshly prepared and the oil paired well with it. When it came to our dishes, they came out with our salad and appetizer first, splitting our salad into two plates although we had not mentioned that we were sharing it. I thought this was a great touch and attention to detail. The salad was bright and light, with a delicious vinaigrette. The calamari was also very light, where the breading was not too heavy or oil saturated, and the squid was fried to tender perfection.
Our main courses took a bit longer to come out, no doubt due to the risotto, but all of it was so delicious, it didn’t really matter to us. I loved the Dischetti. Earthy mushroom ravioli in a delicious truffle cream sauce. It doesn’t get much better than that! Although it was drenched in more than its fair share of sauce, I ended up eating all of it. It was that good. The flavors were so fragrant and mouth watering, you really can’t go wrong with it. On my boyfriend’s side, it was his first time eating risotto. The risotto del giorno happened to be a seafood risotto with clams, mussels, and shrimp. He thought it was delicious, with a proper handling of spices, not too salty and not too bland. The rice was also cooked perfectly, not one grain was under or over cooked. There were a couple of mussels that he was unsure of for eating, but the ones he did eat, he thought were terrific.
This is a place where you may have to get more cozy with your neighbors and the waiters, as the venue is rather small. There may be a lot of noise surrounding you during your dinner and is not for people looking for a quiet evening. The kitchen is a open kitchen were you are able to see the chefs in action. While this is the case, we still had a lovely time and I feel it was still suitable for a more intimate dinner. The staff was extremely courteous and friendly and it allowed us to really feel at home. It is a bit pricier but it was definitely worth treating yourself to every once in a while. Had a really great experience, recommended that you arrive earlier around when they open at 5PM to snag yourself a seat without the long wait.

This is one of the best Italian restaurants I have eaten at.
Each piece severed, from the bread starter to the main plates, was served to perfection.
The biancaneve pizza was PERFECT! Not too salty, perfect amount of crisp on the ends and ripe and juicy tomatoes. The dishetta al tartufo was a small portion of ravioli but well worth the price.
Service was also amazing, after traveling in Italy, it seems like i finally found a slice of it in California :)

Every single item on the menu was delicious! We ordered the buratta, the gnocchi with three different sauces, and the pizza. Everything tasted very fresh, and was flavorful! One of the highlights on the menu, was the tiramisu! It was homemade, not frozen and defrosted like at other Italian restaurants. The restaurant is small and intimate and backs up to a small mall, you have to walk through the mall to get to the bathroom, since there is no restroom in the restaurant. The wait staff double team the tables, and we got excellent friendly service from both employees. Overall excellent experience in this cute town!

I wasn’t even hungry when we went into the restaurant at 5:30. They gave us the best seat in the house — the chef’s counter, and from there on my appetite started to grow as I watched the chef working away with flames coming out from the pans and all the seafood simmering in various pots. The aroma was fantastic inside the restaurant!
Being that neither of us were hungry, Matt and I originally wanted to order an appetizer and an entrée and share both, but as soon as we saw the menu, we knew we had to both get entrees because the items looked amazing. I ended up ordering spaghetti 4 mori (seafood spaghetti) and Matt got a pizza with prosciutto and arugula on it.
We were served with focaccia bread with garlic infused olive oil (with real garlic marinated in it) while we waited for our food. I enjoyed the olive oil and it’s different — rather than the normal balsamic + olive oil combo.
The food came out relatively fast (it seemed long because we were watching the food being made! We couldn’t wait to taste it!). My spaghetti was SO GOOD! The noodles were cooked perfectly, al dente, and it’s not sloppy with thick sauces. The chardonnay lemon sauce was so flavorful and light, and it coated the seafood and noodles evenly. Even after I devoured all the food, I wanted to use the focaccia bread they gave us to wipe my plate clean.
Matt’s pizza was SO GOOD! I loved the thin crust — it’s almost cracker-​like around the edge, and the fragrance of that truffle oil… just like fireworks in the mouth!
We received excellent service and the price was very reasonable for the location and quality of food. This satiated our carbs and seafood cravings, and we will definitely be back again to try out some of their other dishes next time we are in town!

We were in Santa Cruz for the weekend, and a friend recommended that we check out Capitola and try the tiramisu at this place We got here just as the restaurant opened at 5pm and got seated right away. It’s s small restaurant so it filled up quickly, and a line started forming about 15 min after it opened. We knew the food must be good when so many people were willing to wait!
I ordered the seafood risotto and everything was perfect. There was a lot of fresh seafood in the dish, and the flavor of the sauce was fantastic! Very tasty but not salty. We got the tiramisu for dessert and it was also very good, fresh cream and cocoa, not too sweet. It was the perfect way to end our fun-​fill weekend. I hope to go back there sometime soon!