Address: | 121 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA |
Phone: | +1 831-423-7427 |
Site: | oswaldrestaurant.com |
Rating: | 4.3 |
Working: | Closed 4:30–9PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 5:30–9:30PM |
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Kristin C.
We were looking for a trendy place to enjoy a nice meal as a group of 5 and Oswald fit the bill perfectly. The service was wonderful -- we appreciated that they replenished our wine, water, and delicious bread with perfect timing! Now, onto the food: APPETIZERS We enjoyed the mushroom soup and the Dungeness crab appetizers. The only issue with our whole meal was that the Caesar salad was extremely bitter. The whole table tried it and agreed that my sister should send back her dish but she hates making a fuss at restaurants. Be warned that he Caesar salad is EXTREMELY bitter. ENTREES The standouts were the Crispy Duck Breast and the Ribeye Steak. The duck breast was cooked to perfection and the crispy skin was simply amazing. The Ribeye steak was also good - a very hearty plate. The mushroom bread pudding that came with the steak was one of the best savory bread puddings I have ever tried -- I think everyone at the table was fighting to get a piece. Two people at our table ordered the ribeye and finished every bite. The Chilean Seabass was also amazing. We really enjoyed the accompanying salad frisee salad with the fried radishes as toppings. The housemade fettuccine was just okay. It was a good vegetarian dish, very hearty, but too heavy on the vegetable to noodle ratio for us. We were searching through mounds of cabbage just to find some noodles at the end. DESSERTS Make sure you leave some room for dessert (our table of 5 demolished three desserts). The chocolate souffle was incredible and definitely lived up to its hype. My personal favorite was the almond custard torte which was incredible paired with the vanilla ice cream. The creme brulee was also delicious. We would definitely come back here to eat again for a nice dinner or to celebrate! It was a great atmosphere to enjoy conversation and each others company. I usually hate when restaurants are too loud or too quiet but Oswald had the perfect balance. Unfortunately, they dont validate parking even though they are right under a large parking structure.
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Sean Mikawa
Good food, but a bit slow service. It took quite awhile, maybe over 30 minutes to get our first appetizer. The place was packed, but I still expected something a bit sooner. We ended up feasting on almost 4 servings of the bread as a result. It seems like they need more waitstaff. The meal itself was good, but not great. The cauliflower soup was the highlight for me, with the mussels a close second. The arctic char was pretty bland and the rice it was served with tasted more like a chicken vegetable soup. The dessert, a lemon sorbet, was pretty tart and tasty. Overall a decent meal. A major complaint I had by the end is the noise level. With the place full, it was difficult to have a conversation without a raised voice. Its probably the loudest restaurant Ive had around here. This alone will probably keep me from going back soon, but I could be convinced.
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Fidel M
Moved this to the top of my list for best restaurant in Santa Cruz County. Just this week (7/29/17) I had the Skirt Steak with Blue Cheese butter and it was just amazing. If its on the menu and you like steak, you will not be disappointed. If you prefer fish you cant go wrong with the Salmon or Arctic Char. A perfect place to celebrate an anniversary or birthday, dont forget to make a reservation for a dinner table especially if its a busy weekend. And dont forget they are closed on Mondays. Two menus are available, a sit down dinner menu and one for the bar if you want something more casual. I usually dont eat lamb but at this place I do. Lots of other good food too. A little on the expensive side but definitely worth it. Try their three course fixed menu on wednesdays ($35 price fix).
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A Private User
I had lunch at Oswalds. I ordered the mushroom polenta, one of the most expensive items on the menu. When it arrived I was shocked by the size of the two teeny tiny tan (the mushrooms had been pulverized and added to the polenta) triangles sitting on a dinky pile of wilted greens. The portion would have been small even for an appetizer. I figured maybe the mushrooms were some super expensive variety but the large boxes of ordinary white mushrooms I spotted in the kitchen told me otherwise. I am all for smaller portions in restaurants but this was ridiculous. However, having read all these rave reviews I am gonna give Oswalds another shot. Maybe they were running short on corn meal that day.
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Tom Kowalski
Outstanding! My wife and I had the prix fixe menu and every thing was incredibly delicious. The beet salad had just the right tang mixed with the creamy goat cheese ans perfectly toasted sugared pecans. The small green mussels were served with an incredible broth. The Char was cooked to perfection, just translucent, and a tasty crispy skin. The creme brulee paired with the Jura dessert wine was to die for. This is our third meal there and so far has been consistently great. In my 17 years living in the area I would rate it the best in Santa Cruz .
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A Private User
Despite the fact that I was with the best of company and I was primed prior to my first experience here, I had the most delectable dining experience I have had in some time. It was fabulous! A total-body experience and fully activating. Home-made ginger beer! Rockin. Steel-head trout on a bed of potatoes and onions, covered in a light and fresh grapefruit/mandarin orange relish... oh GODDESS! My friends got other amazingness... it was all almost too much. This is certainly one of the top restaurants in Santa Cruz, if not the entire Bay Area.
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A Private User
Food and cocktails have been fairly consistent and of good quality, however the wine list is less than desirable. Mix of mediocre Santa Cruz Mtns and European wines. Nothing exceptional. Even more upsetting is being served red wine (by glass or bottle) at room temp. Theres absolutely no excuse for serving red wine at 70-75 degrees F for a restaurant like this. Bring your own red wine at cellar temp and youll be happy.
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Cesar Chavez
Thanks to Paulina me and my girlfriend had an amazing lunch. Her hospitality and bartending skills will definitely make us come back for more food and drinks. Their chicken club sandwhich are so delicious! The cooks here sure have skills. The bacon was a bit crispy for me, but that didnt stop me to indugle in my meal. Highly recommend coming and experience their hospitality
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Matt Leonard
The food is always great, the service is excellent, and they have a variety of signature cocktails. The price is steep so I usually only go for special occasions but it has always been worth every penny. This is definitely the nicest restaurant in downtown, and if not for Shadowbrook in Capitola it would be the nicest restaurant in the entire Santa Cruz area.
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Kimberley Hoose
The food and service was amazing. Janelle was so sweet and down to earth. Check with the restaurant for the latest menu items. Husband was looking forward to rack of lamb but it wasnt available anymore. But the duck was fabulous. Dont miss the creme brule!
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Patty Yarr
Ive been here multiple times for cocktails and only a couple of times for dinner. Ive never been disappointed! Bartenders are the best. Food is the finest in Santa Cruz. I highly recommend Oswalds!