Gabriella Cafe
| Address: | 910 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA |
| Phone: | +1 831-457-1677 |
| Site: | gabriellacafe.com |
| Rating: | 4 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
A
A Private User
Wow, it is very interesting to see how drastically different the reviews are for Gabriellas. I ate there twice, both for special occasions, and found everything from the service to the food to the atmosphere to be very high quality! Keep in mind in some cultures it is considered GOOD service to take a long time to get your order, etc, especially in an expensive restaurant. I believe the theory behind it is that you are paying to enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant and be out of your house, not just for the food. So when I go out to a nice place, I like to take my time, eat slowly and savor my food, and enjoy the company I have with me. Gabriellas is perfect for that, and they have great wine too. Well, I always get Storrs Pinot, and it is amazing. But do be prepared for small portions. I think there might be some kind of rationale for that as well, like you are basically getting art for your mouth, haha. Smaller portions means you get to have more courses, and a more diverse and fulfilling dining experience. That is another cultural difference. It is customary in some places to have a whole bunch of courses that are all modest in size but usually high in craft and flavor. I think they tailor their menu to what is available seasonally and even daily, so you are also paying for the expertise and work of the chef, who has to improvise his menu to fit with the freshest ingredients, which is one of my favorite things. If you just want a huge pile of stuff to eat, definitely go somewhere else, like planet burrito, and get the super nachos for like 6 bucks haha. That is equally awesome in its own way. But if you want to dress up and have a nice evening, taking your time to savor a bunch of interesting and extremely fresh creations in a nice, small cafe like atmosphere, go to gabriellas. Just save it for a special occasion, and be prepared to drop some loot.
PA
Paul Richard McCullough
Im surprised by some of the negative reviews so Im going to chime in. Santa Cruz is full of good, casual dining spots but has very few high end restaurants. Ive spent most of my adult life in SF and have traveled extensively for business all over the world. So Ive generally been disappointed in what Santa Cruz considers gourmet dining. I think I have fairly high standards. Gabriellas is the best Santa Cruz has to offer. There is a relaxed formality that is distinctly European. It is at once elegant yet comfortable. Paul, the owner, is the quintessential European fatalist. Unflappable, faintly pleasant, never intrusive. The food is superb. Ive eaten at Gabrielas many times and never been disappointed. The pastas are always al dente, the sauces fresh and delicious. Literally every dish Ive had there has been very, very good. Even a simple Caesars salad is strikingly tasty and superior to any Ive had elsewhere. The wine list is less extensive than I would prefer but Im a wine geek. For Santa Cruz the list is above average. Overall, I love this place. Im going again Wednesday.
VI
Vincent Vanhoucke
The dishes at Gabriella Cafe left us very disappointed. Their $9 bread basket was the same exact bread they gave out for free with some dips. The appetizer consisted of pieces of fish on top of tomato slices. The tomatoes were not sweet (in August), and the fish (overcooked, unsalted) was propped on top with nothing to tie the dish together (no oil or spices). Very dry and tasteless. In contrast, their pasta with andouille sausage was so salty I couldnt finish it. The duck dish looked interesting, but was enormous and the meat wasnt very delicate. The staff was very friendly and offered us a free dessert because the service had been slow, which we declined. The owner added a centerpiece to our table which consisted of wilted flowers, apologizing all the while about their sorry state, which was rather puzzling. All in all, a very sloppy execution for a venue that pretends to serve fine dining.
A
A Private User
I could go into great detail, but I dont have time at the moment. In a nutshell, the waitresses were arrogant and incredibly rude, in addition to being incompetent. There were 4 customers in this tiny restaurant, and we had to wait 25 minutes for water. I could go on... This poor service is what made their attitudes so shocking. But, it didnt end there. When I tried to communicate with the owner, a Mr. Cocking, he was equally arrogant and rude. I was very disappointed. Having been there a number of times before, I can tell you that most of the time, the food is of high quality. However, the servings are very small, so the value is low. Couple this with the service, and you can find much better options elsewhere. Personally, I will never, ever set foot in this place again.
BA
Bacon Linden
This is always a tough place to get into and for good reason. We tried this place for restaurant week and reservations were limited a week in advance and on a Monday no less. That speaks for the great reputation this place has. They did not disappoint anyone in my party. Everything was great from the Caesar salad for an appetizer to the perfectly seasoned cooked NY steak, to the wonderful brown sugar apple cake for desert. Along the way we enjoyed a perfectly cooked medley of vegetables seasoned perfectly, and some fantastic Brussels sprouts which I normally dont like, but were amazing here. Service was impeccable, and friendly and we felt very welcome from start to finish. We will be looking forward to a return trip to this great Santa Cruz restaurant fixture.
A
A Private User
Ugh. I suffered through a very bad steak that was served almost raw instead of the medium-rare I ordered. I should have sent it back so part of the fault is mine but I would have still enjoyed it if the cut of meat had been decent. Also, I have nothing against small portions but I think a $12 order of heirloom tomatoes should include more than 8 very thin slices with a teaspoon of cheese. At a certain point, small servings are just start to look silly. I have to say that my wife totally enjoyed her meal of suckling pig and the taste I had was excellent. Conclusion? As reflected in the comments of others, Gabrielle Cafe is inconsistent and falls short of its aspirations.
ST
Stas Fedechkin
The food was decent, considering the $20-30 price range for a plate its certainly underwhelming. I ordered the tagiatelle and it was ok, meat was scarce and chewy/fatty. The food seemed to taste kind of bland, especially the vegetables, which were cut rather thick and were crunchy. My dish tasted/smelled like whatever was cooking in the kitchen at the time. The atmosphere appears to be cozy, but it does not work as the tables are too close together and its difficult to carry on a conversation because of the noise. Pretty disappointing food, service is good, although again not the service you would expect for the price point.
SE
Sean Mikawa
Good, but not great. Was very impressed with the brussel sprout appetizer only to be completely disappointed by the gnocchi and seasonal tiramisu. Nearly every other restaurant in the area serves a better tiramisu. Found most dishes to be very under seasoned, with my girlfriends duck and mashed potatoes suffering from the same. I get the feeling theyre relying on good ingredients to provide flavor, but its not really there. As the name suggests(Cafe), I suspect it might be a much better place for a quick snack or lunch. The best thing I can say is that the service, on the other hand, was excellent and friendly.
