#SANTA CRUZ WHARF RESTAURANTS PLUS#
#SANTA CRUZ WHARF RESTAURANTS WINDOWS#

Enjoy the elegance of the string-lit patio overlooking the majestic Monterey Bay or enjoy the ocean view from inside. Sanderlings Restaurant at Seascape Resort offers elegant, casual dining with a spectacular ocean view from sunrise to sunset. The surrounding mountains and forests are a peaceful and impressive backdrop at this idyllic locale. Enjoy The View in every sense of the phrase – the excellent food and service, the fire-pit equipped outdoor tables, and of course, the hilltop Monterey Bay vistas. See the expansive Monterey Bay from a wide angle view at this hilltop resort spa and restaurant in Santa Cruz. The name says it all! The View at the Chaminade Resort & Spa delivers on the panoramic vista. Other Santa Cruz Wharf restaurants with equally envious views are Makai, Riva Fish House, Olitas, Dolphin Restaurant, Vino by the Sea, and more. It’s a relaxed perch for whiling away a lazy Sunday morning with a Bloody Mary and a killer view. Check out the shipshape bar upstairs that’s decked out in nautical rope and brass railing. Its dining rooms peer out over the bay with Steamer Lane‘s famous surf break and the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse beyond. I love grabbing a quick crab cocktail – with an accompanying bag of oyster crackers – from the open-air market stand, but it’s the streamlined, ocean liner-inspired restaurant that casts a spell.

Sitting towards the end of the pier is the venerable Stagnaro Bros. Restaurants and shops line the historic wood-pile pier with views that will inspire envy in your Instagram followers. Stagnaro Bros.Ī stroll along the Santa Cruz Wharf immerses you in the splendor of the Monterey Bay.

#SANTA CRUZ WHARF RESTAURANTS PLUS#

Start with a drink in the bar which sports the same views plus surf-inspired decor and a great selection of local craft beer, wine, and spirits. The modern, all-day restaurant further captures a sense of place with seafood from the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary and produce from local farms.

#SANTA CRUZ WHARF RESTAURANTS WINDOWS#

Floor-to-ceiling windows offer scenes of beachgoers, the lengthy Wharf, and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Located on the ground floor of the landmark Dream Inn, the Jack O’Neill Restaurant & Lounge is the closest you’ll get to Cowell Beach without getting sand between your toes. Everyone’s here for the seafood, but don’t pass up the teeming salad bar that stretches a mile long. Guests have their choice of four distinct dining areas: a formal downstairs room and outside patio as well as an upstairs, fireside pub, and deck (whose noteworthy view is acknowledged by a telescopic viewfinder). It’s a magnificent place to watch the sunset as twilight descends over the bay and the Walton Lighthouse starts to twinkle. No exception with the Crow’s Nest which opened in 1969 with a commanding view of the Santa Cruz Harbor and Twin Lakes State Beach. It seems like legacy restaurants have access to the best views simply because they got there first. The atmospheric Garden Room takes it to the extreme with vines that creep overhead while you indulge in the famous Prime Rib next to a mature tree that shoots straight through the roof! CROW’S NEST

A dramatic stone hearth rises up out of the main dining room and massive picture windows blur the line between inside and out. Along the way, you’ll pass a scenic herb garden where chefs pluck seasonal greens for the kitchen. To reach the restaurant, you’ll descend through a lush jungle-of-a-garden – via petite cable car or meandering path – rippling with creeks and waterfalls. The original building began as a log cabin summer home alongside the gentle Soquel Creek which the restaurant still gazes upon today. This destination restaurant is enveloped by nature. With the beach, river, waves, wharf, candy-coated hues of the Venetians, and palm trees, these waterfront restaurants are hard to beat when it comes to views and vacation vibes! Margaritaville, Paradise Beach Grille, Capitola Bar & Grill, Zelda’s, The Sand Bar (reopening soon), Britannia Arms and others on the Esplanade are ideal spots for front row seats to these Capitola Village views. The restaurants on the Esplanade boast incredible Capitola Village views. Below are some spots that deliver all three: CAPITOLA VILLAGE RESTAURANTS And, nothing pairs better with a view than good food and drink. With miles of Monterey Bay coastline and monumental redwood forests, you’re never far from an inspiring view in Santa Cruz County.

Santa cruz wharf restaurants