50 Best Vegan Restaurants in Santa Cruz

“great service! delicious, authentic Oaxacan food. We will go back!“

“Great service, great food“

“Creative menu and great atmosphere“

“As someone who has worked in several restaurants I truly appreciate this place.They do it right. I dont leave reviews on restaurants but every time I’ve been here the service is above and beyond, the food is fresh and the place is clean. Not to mention the steak dinner is $24!!“

“Very good food and amazing customer service.“

“Quaint and friendly atmosphere. Food was outstanding, beautiful presentation with balanced flavor profiles and creative recipes using simple ingredients. We had the seared scallops, farm salad, ravioli verde, gnocchi with pork ragu and the halibut. To drink I had a surprisingly good Dolomiti pilsner that was flowery and crisp, and we also had a Borolo red and a fantastic white I can't recall the name of that was recommended by our server.We were pleasantly surprised and will definitely go back. Oh, they change their menu weekly so expect new dishes.“

“Everything here was amazing. We got the pork dumplings and hot oil which was probably some of my favorite dumplings i think I’ve ever had, plus they’re handmade. The Dan Dan noodles were phenomenal, perfectly spicy and numbs the back of your throat with how much Sichuan pepper they put in it. Then we got the Red chili pepper chicken, which had an abundance of chilies, peanuts fried garlic, and was also amazing. Plus they home make their own soy sauce, which is also amazing. 10/10 would Chinese food again.“

“Made a stop here on Mothers Day and got seating at the bar with no wait. Food was excellent as always and the wait staff superb. Our food arrived hot and fresh. Our coffee was refreshed frequently. French toast is my favorite and it was delicious. A Santa Cruz favorite, this place it worth a stop anytime.“

“VIM was an absolute treat. I haven't experienced a 5-star dining outing in some time and this was an easy 5-star. From the moment we walked inside to the moment the bill was payed, the service was on point. Our waitress was charming, friendly, and very skilled at her job. The food and drink was delectable and the decor/aesthetic was elegant. If you are celebrating something, they will go out of their way to print individualized menus for you and I found that to be super thoughtful. My only feedback is that we were pretty chilly the entire meal. It was a rainy night and we were seated close to a door so perhaps that was just a one-off. I cannot wait to go back one day!“

“If you are looking for a place where you are warmly welcomed and looked after in an authentic atmosphere, you have come to the right place. All the employees were warm and attentive.No fancy, no unnecessary frills.The breakfast offering was good, the portions were decent (not too much either) and everything tasted really good. The cinamon rolls are particularly recommended. No problems with other requests (prefer fruit instead of potatoes). All around great!“

“Always so good and the owners are really nice to my dog and I. I have no problem suggesting this place to anyone. Every time I have the person has been very thankful“

“This place deserves to be much more popular. As good or better than many restaurants around here with hours of wait (I've never had to wait to get into this one though). Can get a bit cold in some of their tables at winter, but they have heat lamps.“

“Had an absolutely stellar burger here today and the carrot cake was gorgeous. Great vibes in this place and the ladies running it have wonderful energy.It's so rare to find healthy, tasty and fulfilling plant based food at this standard.Needless to say, I'm looking forward to returning.Highly, highly recommended!“

“Hubby had been here before, but I had not. He raved about their excellent, smooth coffee, which is served by the small mugful, then refilled upon request. I toned it down with almond milk and sugar because it's strong! Hubby had the Omelette Mexicano with a side of sausage links. I had the Omelette Santa Cruz with cheddar cheese. Both came with house potatoes and were quite generous portions. The food was good, the service excellent and the Saturday morning vibe was perfect, with Brazilian music in the background. Arrive early, because this place is popular and gets crowded FAST.“

“Hard to beat this location... views out to the lighthouse and Steamer Lane. All outdoor seating, and service is quick! You order first and are given a buzzer to retrieve your food. Prices are pretty good and the food all seems fresh and healthy. I loved my tofu bowl, although I thought the portion was a bit small. My friend got the breakfast quesadilla which looked delicious and was a bigger portion. Definitely a fun place to take friends visiting.“

“My husband and I had a great breakfast I got a breakfast burrito and a frittata. Both were very good and big great food for a great price and the customer service was amazing.“

“This place has some really delicious drinks and great food. I also love how dog friendly it is. I came back twice in a weekend.“

“? Lasooni Wings - These were fantastic. Garlicy, full of spice, and very lowkey spicy with a gentle sweetness in the background, while the flavour of the chili (oil?) is the more major flavor with the garlic coming in after. It's just a slight tingle of spicy. Very tender and moist.?Garlic Naan - gentle garlic taste, and very gentle doughy background. These were good.?Chicken Tikia Masala - complex creamy savory spiced flavour throughout. Very gentle hint of sweetness and sourness. The chicken within is breast meat, cooked perfectly so it's not dry. We got the mild spice level, this was also fantastic.?Mango Lassi - I loved it. Not too sweet, creamy, light mango flavour throughout the background.?Overall, each time I've gone here, I've had a great meal.“

“Great Italian Delicatessen. It's been there since the early forties. Great sandwiches. You can also purchase a half a sandwich and a cup of soup. The IPA beers are excellent, 7.2% alcohol. They have Italian licorice which is soft and has a brown color and they use molasses in it it's excellent. If you haven't been to this place I suggest you go.“

“very good and Shelby s sunny disposition makes it even better. definitely our new favorite place for breakfast.“

“This place is great! Really helpful service, the food is also delicious. Love the enormous selection of turkish delights. I got a rose and pistachio one (I'd never tried Turkish Delight before, just always remember it from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe) and it had just the right amount of sweetness. This is a great lunch spot, and good parking.“

“Went without prior reservations a busy celebratory sunday … give them five stars as they accommodated us with very little wait time in addition to being very warm and welcoming. Service was very good, made excellent recommendations and saw through the entire course ensuring we were comfortable and entrees met our expectations. Highly recommend this place for vegetarians who can have variety of dishes to choose from. Creamy Ravioli with veggies is very well done with a bit on creamy side. Eggplant parmigiana melted in mouth served with sauce on a tangy side. Black truffle stuffed Gnocchi w/Mushrooms Gorgonzola cream, Pesto primavera were decent. Lady who served us elevated the the entire dining experience memorable.Vegetarian options: They cater to vegetarians, one can customize and widen their choice of options.“

“Super friendly and efficient service. Nice heaters outside. Really delicious decaf!! The best part is… I meant to order plain French toast but by mistake I ordered the French toast with bananas, pecans and whipped cream. OMG!!!! The flavor combo blew my mind. It alone is worth a trip to Santa “

“Staff is always friendly and the food is great! Thank you“

“The staff is amazing! The food is amazingly fresh and flavorful. Hands down this Restaurant was a huge highlight of our vacation. Thank you for an awesome dinner, and making us feel right at home!“

“Fantastic burgers. Really good patties, not too thick and well cooked.Fries are off the chartsHot dog was good. I would recommend a chili dog, the plain one was good even without condiments.Exactly what you expect from this style of restaurant“

“I am so happy that we found a great Chinese place in Santa Cruz, and with such a good selection of vegetarian and vegan items! We tried veg pho and kimchi noodle soup with tofu: both broths were flavorful, and veggies pleasantly fresh and crunchy. Eggplant in spicy garlic sauce, coconut curry, walnut veggie dumplings: all very tasty. We will definitely come back during our next visit to Santa Cruz.“

“Wandered in on a whim, knowing I have wanted to visit, and was SO pleasantly surprised. Very relaxed but lively environment, the owner runs the cash register and makes the dumplings!Which, by the way, were some of the best I’ve had. I ordered the beef Momo dumplings, and they were served with a spicy red sauce, and a side salad with grated carrot and lemon dressing.The dumplings were savory and spiced to perfection. Every ingredient in the meat mix came through uniquely and beautifully. The salad dressing was so bright and delicious that I wanted to drink it, and the spicy red sauce added the perfect extra kick to the dumplings, if you like spice like me, you would definitely enjoy. Got the whole plate for $13 (including tax).I thoroughly enjoyed my experience, and I didn’t even get to the drink menu. But based on the reactions of other customers who got drinks while I was there, their drink menu is also very satisfactory. Highly recommend!“

“I love Pana!! It’s a hidden gem of the Central Coast. Serving up amazing Venezuelan food, the arepas are so good! If you’ve never tried an arepa you are missing out… I recommend the Reina Pepiada (shredded chicken, avocados, and mayo) or El Tiburon (shrimp, mozzarella, avocado) and of course an order of delicious fried plantains! I discovered the Pana Food Truck at the CSUMB campus (they are most often in Santa Cruz) and I was pleased to find that they have a location at the SAP Center in San Jose. Highly Recommend!“

“La Katrina was delicious! The murals are bright and welcoming. Four of us came for breakfast and were very happy: chilaquiles red and green, huevos rancheros, and breakfast burrito. Delicious food. Full salsa bar including fresh fruit, great coffee.“

“First time customer, couldn't decide between the Big Sur and the Sunset Beach. Took a chance and ordered both. No regrets on ordering both. Absolutely love them!!! I highly recommend this place.“

“Such a beautiful experience! Very beginner friendly and such a peaceful atmosphere. They do ask that you be digital free for the time you are there inside, so if you’re looking for a spot to reconnect or go on a first date, this is the place! Everyone was super friendly and they offer games to play. Also a good place to just sit and drink tea while reading a book! It’s 16 dollars for the table and then you pay for the tea ranging from 5-23 dollars that will literally last you for hours! And at the end of the experience if you have not been there for long, they’ll wrap the leaves for you to take home! Love love this place!!“

“Traveling with friends and found this amazing please. The food is fresh with amazing flavors. A definite “must try” restaurant“

“Shoutout M who had a great attitude & a welcoming personality. We got a chance to see the staff do a little dance together a couple of times too which was cool. Seems like they all work well together/get along which is great to see considering the lack of great customer service throughout Santa Cruz. A half dozen of cookies & two ice cream cups for under $20 is a great deal too! Thank you for the ice cream & cookies! Keep doing great!“

“We absolutely love Tramonti the owners their staff and atmosphere! Lindsey Matteo and their crew are amazing! Best Italian food in the Santa Cruz area by far!“

“very friendly staff, clean restaurant and delicious food.“

“This is always my goto coffee shop when in Santa Cruz. The Americano (or any other coffee we get) is always on point. The bagels... Ohhhhh the bagels. You have to try for yourself but they are always fresh and amazing. Go check it out! You will not regret it.“

“Best service and food in Santa Cruz county!!!!!!“

“Hadn’t been here in years but under new ownership.Had the special chow fun and General Tso chicken; both were wonderful. It’s been a week and I’m back. This is the best Chinese restaurant we’ve found in Santa Cruz County.Today we had walnut prawns and Mongolian beef. The waitress remembered me from last week and had the chef make the prawns spicy for me.Wheelchair accessibility: A chair can be removed to place a wheelchair at the table.“

“Great foodGreat staffSolid selection of beers, and a handful of other great beverages (cider, wine, kombucha, etc)I'm a big fan of the laid-back atmosphereI'm glad that I visited Bookie's Pizza, and I'll definitely be back“

“Been there couple times now. Food is very good & staff friendly. View at sunset is amazing & constantly changing from the rotating floor. Will definitely choose Makai again!“

“It was interesting to try cardamom with pistachio. I don't know if I was able to taste the chocolate chip very well, but I still enjoyed my ice cream and waffle cone. I would return for another sweet treat. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture because I was too excited to taste my ice cream.“

“Outstanding food and Hawaiian music playing! Had a fantastic evening!“

“The best Taqueria in town! Definitely overall service and the food 20/10 ! The team is beyond the amazing. The ambiance is chill and good for family too! This is one of my fav. Un taco crispy al pastor con aguacate y no habichuelas ! Enjoy! Thanks Guys“

“Excellent gyro with lamb and beef. I had a black tea drink with it. Outdoor seating was perfect.“

“Great atmosphere . Great food. Great servicev“

“I visited this Namaste location recently and had a good meal. The restaurant has a nice ambiance and the servers are friendly and attentive. We had the khadai bindi, a flavorful dish with okra. The okra was lightly charred which gave it a delicious texture and flavor. It was slightly salty for my taste but I enjoyed it. We also had the adrak ki aloo gobi, a dish with cauliflower and potatoes. This one was spicier but good. Vegan items are clearly marked on the menu.“

“Engfers is the best Pizza in Santa Cruz - No question about it!!! Great staff as well. My partner is from Brooklyn, she knows pizza - she agrees, it's the best in town!“

“their meats are out of this world good. some of the best I've been going to tons of taquerias for years. tacos are legit. burritos are huge and balanced perfectly. my new spot! ORALÉ !!!!“

“Great scone mixes - even my BIL now likes scones! Very fast delivery (I live out of state) for mixes. The Lemon Curd is delicious - on top of scones or licked off of a spoon.“