Very accommodating for dogs. Overhead heater in the patio area worked very well. Very comfortable outside. The wait staff needed a bit more experience. We had to remind them we ordered appetizers and was told the kitchen forgot.
CourtneyD
Katie V was our server. I think it was her first day working with you. She was fantastic. All of the other staff was attentive. The food was terrific. We moved to Santa Cruz from the Bay Area two years ago. It's been hard to find a place that serves great food. We will be coming back very soon!
IvanM
We come to Venus at least twice a week. We love Dana and Margett, they always happy and friendly. Very sincere and funny. You have a treasure in both of them. Food is always great and your cocktails are awesome as usual, but you have a good selection of wines as well. Love the vibe and everyone seems to be having a great time. Thank You
EmelyS
When I made the reservation it was linked in an email for a special dungenese crab evening. I even double checked the email and checked the dates saying it was running until April 28th. When I mentioned this to the server he let me know that they ended that special last week. So that was a little disappointing. Food and drink were great as always, we shared four sharing plates and managed to swing a couple happy hour specials before 6pm. Service on this trip was a little off. Our server wasn't particularly attentive until it was time to pay the bill. But support staff was great and did more. We always have a good time at Venus. Just wish we'd been able to get what we came for.
John Mukhar
We attended a special event at the Venus Tasting Room. There were 24 attendees, and the table was set ups family style. The table was set-up beautifully. The menu was 5-course vegan and delicious. It was served promptly, and each course was paired with a cocktail using Venus’s alcohol. The combination of the food, the drinks, and getting to meet all of these people at the event made for a very special evening. Venus tasting room staff and owner were excellent hosts and added to the ambience of the evening. And it was a chance to buy a couple of Venus Gin bottles (#2 and Spring Gin) and a bottle of Venus Aquavit (similar to Gin with different spices). Since tasting the Venus Gin a few years back at the distillery, it became my favorite Gin, and the only one I buy.
dqueenbay
Another really nice evening at Venus - we sat in the high bar seats opposite the bar, nicely positioned so I could watch the bartenders, and my husband could see the kitchen. We shared a lovely whipped feta, tomato jam and foccacia appetizer, which was divine, melt in your mouth flavor with just a hint of spice. Along with 2 perfect cocktails, Blush Negroni and a Bourbon Smash. My husband had a fettucine dish with sliced asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes, he added chicken to that, and really enjoyed it. I had a risotto with oyster mushrooms , delicata squash and seasoned seeds (pumpkin, sunflower). Everything was cooked perfectly, just the right portion size. We skipped dessert, feeling perfectly satisfied already.
The food tasted absolutely amazing we had 2 smash burgers with beers and brussal sprouts and the flavor was amazing everything was cooked perfectly and the burger had an amazing mix of crunchy and soft bites
KevinN
I've been to Venus multiple times for dinner and it's one of my favorite spots. Brunch however missed the mark. Food was pretty bland and was pretty underwhelming. Service was spot on and love the outdoor patio. I'll be back for dinner soon.
SaraB
If you like Gin then Venus is the place for you! Food is healthy and delicious too. Limited menu but everything is tasty. Not inexpensive but worth the price. Waitstaff are attentive but not intrusive. Simple ambience.
Cannabelle
It's always fun to try a new place. Servers were friendly and knowledgeable. My husbands Shrimp and grits were delicious. My fried chicken plate under seasoned and unevenly battered. The food is there mainly to accompany the drinks!
This is a nice, fun place to eat with good food. Since they are attached to a distillery, their drinks are fabulous. The appetizers were great; mole ribs, grilled carrots, and glazed Brussel sprouts. The entrees were also done very well; burger, fried chicken and short ribs. It's a bit noisy and the bench seating detracts a little bit, but still so worth it!! Highly recommended!
Fit2aT
This was the second time we had to wait far too long for a server to acknowledge us once we were seated. After 20+ minutes, I finally asked the guy who had served us water where our server was and she came several minutes later. The food and cocktails were delicious and why we will come back.
SFOflyer
We went to Venus for the Monday night$10 “Smash Burger” and beer special. The burger was excellent! We also had a side of fries which were possibly the best I've had in ages. Also, the Caesar salad was delicious with a perfect garlic/acid balance! Bravo to the chef—this food is amazing! We are lucky to have Venus in Santa Cruz.
SantaCruzBill
The only reason for not giving five stars across the board was that the service this night was very slow. We're pretty laid back so we understand that stuff happens -- one or more service or kitchen staff calls in sick, orders get backed up or even lost, etc. But the wait for our server to show up was long. Then the wait between dropping off our drinks and coming back to take our dinner order was long. Then the order got screwed up. We asked for the salad to come before the main. Instead, the main came first and we were told we'd have to wait awhile for the salad. Our server was friendly and apologetic throughout (we still tipped well). We finally canceled the salad. The food was excellent, we enjoy the ambiance. We'll go back and hopefully the wait won't be as long.
Vnes
Customer service is awesome. I had a product question so I emailed them. I received a reply in a very punctual manner, and was given excellent advice. Thanks Tory.
Very accommodating for dogs. Overhead heater in the patio area worked very well. Very comfortable outside. The wait staff needed a bit more experience. We had to remind them we ordered appetizers and was told the kitchen forgot.
Katie V was our server. I think it was her first day working with you. She was fantastic. All of the other staff was attentive. The food was terrific. We moved to Santa Cruz from the Bay Area two years ago. It's been hard to find a place that serves great food. We will be coming back very soon!
We come to Venus at least twice a week. We love Dana and Margett, they always happy and friendly. Very sincere and funny. You have a treasure in both of them. Food is always great and your cocktails are awesome as usual, but you have a good selection of wines as well. Love the vibe and everyone seems to be having a great time. Thank You
When I made the reservation it was linked in an email for a special dungenese crab evening. I even double checked the email and checked the dates saying it was running until April 28th. When I mentioned this to the server he let me know that they ended that special last week. So that was a little disappointing. Food and drink were great as always, we shared four sharing plates and managed to swing a couple happy hour specials before 6pm. Service on this trip was a little off. Our server wasn't particularly attentive until it was time to pay the bill. But support staff was great and did more. We always have a good time at Venus. Just wish we'd been able to get what we came for.
We attended a special event at the Venus Tasting Room. There were 24 attendees, and the table was set ups family style. The table was set-up beautifully. The menu was 5-course vegan and delicious. It was served promptly, and each course was paired with a cocktail using Venus’s alcohol. The combination of the food, the drinks, and getting to meet all of these people at the event made for a very special evening. Venus tasting room staff and owner were excellent hosts and added to the ambience of the evening. And it was a chance to buy a couple of Venus Gin bottles (#2 and Spring Gin) and a bottle of Venus Aquavit (similar to Gin with different spices). Since tasting the Venus Gin a few years back at the distillery, it became my favorite Gin, and the only one I buy.
Another really nice evening at Venus - we sat in the high bar seats opposite the bar, nicely positioned so I could watch the bartenders, and my husband could see the kitchen. We shared a lovely whipped feta, tomato jam and foccacia appetizer, which was divine, melt in your mouth flavor with just a hint of spice. Along with 2 perfect cocktails, Blush Negroni and a Bourbon Smash. My husband had a fettucine dish with sliced asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes, he added chicken to that, and really enjoyed it. I had a risotto with oyster mushrooms , delicata squash and seasoned seeds (pumpkin, sunflower). Everything was cooked perfectly, just the right portion size. We skipped dessert, feeling perfectly satisfied already.
The food tasted absolutely amazing we had 2 smash burgers with beers and brussal sprouts and the flavor was amazing everything was cooked perfectly and the burger had an amazing mix of crunchy and soft bites
I've been to Venus multiple times for dinner and it's one of my favorite spots. Brunch however missed the mark. Food was pretty bland and was pretty underwhelming. Service was spot on and love the outdoor patio. I'll be back for dinner soon.
If you like Gin then Venus is the place for you! Food is healthy and delicious too. Limited menu but everything is tasty. Not inexpensive but worth the price. Waitstaff are attentive but not intrusive. Simple ambience.
It's always fun to try a new place. Servers were friendly and knowledgeable. My husbands Shrimp and grits were delicious. My fried chicken plate under seasoned and unevenly battered. The food is there mainly to accompany the drinks!
Restaurantji Recommends
This is a nice, fun place to eat with good food. Since they are attached to a distillery, their drinks are fabulous. The appetizers were great; mole ribs, grilled carrots, and glazed Brussel sprouts. The entrees were also done very well; burger, fried chicken and short ribs. It's a bit noisy and the bench seating detracts a little bit, but still so worth it!! Highly recommended!
This was the second time we had to wait far too long for a server to acknowledge us once we were seated. After 20+ minutes, I finally asked the guy who had served us water where our server was and she came several minutes later. The food and cocktails were delicious and why we will come back.
We went to Venus for the Monday night$10 “Smash Burger” and beer special. The burger was excellent! We also had a side of fries which were possibly the best I've had in ages. Also, the Caesar salad was delicious with a perfect garlic/acid balance! Bravo to the chef—this food is amazing! We are lucky to have Venus in Santa Cruz.
The only reason for not giving five stars across the board was that the service this night was very slow. We're pretty laid back so we understand that stuff happens -- one or more service or kitchen staff calls in sick, orders get backed up or even lost, etc. But the wait for our server to show up was long. Then the wait between dropping off our drinks and coming back to take our dinner order was long. Then the order got screwed up. We asked for the salad to come before the main. Instead, the main came first and we were told we'd have to wait awhile for the salad. Our server was friendly and apologetic throughout (we still tipped well). We finally canceled the salad. The food was excellent, we enjoy the ambiance. We'll go back and hopefully the wait won't be as long.
Customer service is awesome. I had a product question so I emailed them. I received a reply in a very punctual manner, and was given excellent advice. Thanks Tory.