1. Laili Restaurant
8.7
101 Cooper St #B (btw Front and Pacific), Santa Cruz, CA
Mediterranean Restaurant · Downtown Santa Cruz · 44 tips and reviews
Virgi R.: The pomegranate eggplant are a must try. Good selection of beers & wines. The staff is lovely and helpful.
John Sims: I highly recommend this restaurant. I had the eggplant & pomegranate entrée with rice. The interior setting is relaxed & classy. Our wait staff wasn't pushy, very enjoyable experience.
Danny Sauter: Eggplant + Apricot Flatbread + Patio will leave you very happy.
4. Pearl of the Ocean
7.3
736 Water St (Stanford), Santa Cruz, CA
Restaurant · Eastside · 13 tips and reviews
Pavan Kumar: Belli Juice, Mango Curry, Eggplant Curry
Kyle Channel: The vegetable entree platter, especially the cauliflower and the spicy potatoes, and the coconut leeks! Love this place!
Rae: I don't know why people left bad reviews. Everything was delicious & service was wonderful. Doesn't look like much from the outside, but we loved it. The mushroom curry, especially, is recommended.
5. Malabar
7.2
514 Front St #B (Soquel Ave), Santa Cruz, CA
Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant · Downtown Santa Cruz · 18 tips and reviews
Trish Peach: Eggplant curry dosa & coconut roti, the paneer kofta & biriyani were delish. The drinks are super sweet & like having dessert, my fave the date, rose water & almond milk.
Michael Alba: Garlic masala dosa was superb. Kadir asparagus was really flavorful. Jalapeno pakoras were great. All around fantastic food.
6. Real Thai Kitchen
8.2
1632 Seabright Ave (at Soquel Ave), Santa Cruz, CA
Thai Restaurant · Eastside · 12 tips and reviews
Susan Cannon: Great buffet! (Unusual for a Thai restaurant) Wonderful Veerkat art on the walls too.
Jeremy Geiger: The name is accurate. This is one of the few Thai restaurants I the U.S. That my Thai wife will go to
Athonia Cappelli: Vegan options abound at the lunch buffet. Salad dressing has mayo but items like spicy tofu, green vegi curry & Tom Kha Tofu appear totally free of animal products. Spicy tofu is just that! Cha-chow!
9. La Posta
7.6
538 Seabright Ave (btw Hall & Watson), Santa Cruz, CA
Italian Restaurant · Eastside · 7 tips and reviews
Julie Scopazzi: Very good contemporary Italian cuisine.
Matt Rodkey: Sit at the bar for great service and wonderful conversation.
Gabby H: House-made bread, salads are generous, pasta has good texture. (Hostess seated three new tables in green waiter’s section — didn’t work out well for us. He was great but in the weeds.)
Trisha Liu: Salmon and mango salad, with macadamias, sesame dressing, tiny bit of kick. SO good!!
Irene Kimmel: Sunsets are beautiful and during the holidays the sail boats in the harbor are decorated and make it very festive.
Anthony Cuevas: The view is priceless...