Shadowbrook Restaurant

This seventy seven year old restaurant didn’t lost its charm, elegant and beauty.

They have very large parking lot located across the street from the entrance of the restaurant.

You can take the stair and walk down to the restaurant or taking their famous funicular down. It’s a such unique experience.

Best to make reservations online to secure your table because they get busy and get full almost everyday.

We have Andrew and Tony help us last night and they are wonderful, share the history and development of the restaurant also quickly took our order for drinks and meal.

Everything is cooked and seasoned perfectly. We need to come back to try out other things on their menu.

We love it and we will be back.

Published 3 months ago

We had a really good time here. It was our first time, and everything was great. A very good restaurant with great food. It has been a long time since I was that pleased with my meal at a restaurant. Price are decent, on the high side, but worth every penny. The garden, taxi cab and restaurant building are also adding to the experience. Highly recommended!

Published a month ago

Great location, but very average food at high prices.

The location is great: you take a small elevator down to the main restaurant. We had to wait 15mins to get seated.

Now the food: it’s expensive for what it is.

The starters were good: especially the boar ribs with barbecue sauce and pickled vegetables. The mains however were not great: the prime rib was quite tough, too fatty, and lacked seasoning in our opinion. The mashed potato and the side of spinach were reheated in the microwave. The salmon main was cooked well but quite basic, and the accompanying sauce was very sweet. At this price point, it felt slightly underwhelming.

Published 3 months ago

Wonderful place to have a romantic dinner when in the Santa Cruz area. Beautiful landscaping with walkways throughout so you can take in the ambiance. I will say the portions are on the smaller side but the food was good. Unfortunately we had to wait 30 minutes to be seated even though we had a reservation which was odd because the restaurant couldn’t have been even half way full. Wait staff was very kind but also a tad slow to come around. Nonetheless it’s worth checking out!

Published 4 months ago

had a pleasant dining experience at this place. For the main course, I ordered the Pacific Salmon, which was cooked perfectly and paired with an incredibly tasty sauce that elevated the dish. For the appetizer, I tried the Caesar Salad with sardine topping. While the sardines weren’t as fresh as I would have liked, the overall salad was well-prepared.

The highlight of the evening was the dessert – the chocolate fondue with vanilla ice cream. It was absolutely delightful and the perfect way to end the meal.

The ambiance was inviting, and the service was attentive. Overall, I’d recommend this place, especially for their salmon and dessert options.

Published 2 months ago

Got there in a rainy evening without a reservation. We were able to sit down within 5 minutes as they have a large lodge area that is first come first serve. There are a few options for vegetarians, which I appreciate. I got a pizza, which is 12”- so good for one person serving. They had a vegetarian gnocchi and buffalo cauliflower wings that the table next to us ordered and they thought it was delicious and enough food for one person. The atmosphere and the outside was really cute and worth the visit. Really loved the feel of a cozy cabin in the mountains. Will be back next time we are in the area!

Published a month ago

Overall this place rocks. I love the atmosphere, love the front staff, the food was good, wish we would of had Matt as our server.

I ordered 2 appetizers, only received 1. Our server was too busy with chatting up other tables to check on our food. Then getting water refills was taking a long time. He finally filled my water but gave me sparkling instead. That’s not was I ordered or said. So I had to have another server flag down to bring me regular water.

I got prime rib which was epic flavor, great presentation, and the desert was soo delicious. Then it took a hot minute to get the check.

Overall I would go back again.

Published 23 days ago

The best ambience of any restaurant I’ve been to! Had an amazing time roaming around, taking the trolly down, and the viewing the beautiful Capitola from a high point. The food left a bit more to be desired from a vegetarian perspective. Was hoping for more unique dishes, the only one I really liked was the mushroom bread pudding! Was cool and tasty! Has its own parking, making it easy to park!

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Published 13 days ago

What an elegant place! I accidentally learned about it and was lucky to be able to book with pretty short notice (usually they are pretty packed and I heard it’s hard to find the spot).

This place has some unique features: you can get picked up by one of their vintage cabs if you live in Santa Cruz (we couldn’t take advantage of it since we came from Bay Area). If you drive to the place yourself there’s a parking lot nearby with plenty of parking spaces that are specifically designed for the restaurant visitors. Please note there’s a dress code to visit!

To enter the restaurant itself, you need to take a nice ride in their funicular car that takes you down from the entrance at the top of the hill. And the restaurant itself is located next to the canal that offers unique views. They were able to sit us right next to the window and we enjoyed the views before & during sunset time.

The food was very tasty and they had some nice plant based options that I ended up going with (artichoke hearts with vegan aioli and vegetable medley with mushrooms and tofu). their drinks were so good too! Pear pleasure is my new favorite cocktail now. And they have Madeira wine as one of digestives that we ordered after dinner.
Staff members have been super friendly and helpful too! I believe our waiter was Matt (sorry if I got the name wrong) and he did fantastic job recommending food options.

It’s not as pricey as you may think it would be for a restaurant like that - we are definitely coming back soon!

Published 13 days ago

It was the WORST EXPERIENCE ever!! After we sat, it took some time for them to clean up the table and bring menus and finally after 30 minutes one server came to the table, she just poured water and left. She didn’t even take our orders it was a huge shock for us. Everytime we tried to call and make an eye contact with a server they simply ignored us. After 45 minutes waiting in hunger, she took our orders and I kindly ask for her name to talk with her manager, she just ignored me but then she sent the manager to our table. After 1 and half hours the manager brought our food but the appetizer came 5 minutes after the food. Also the check took 45 minutes. We were there for 3 hours and 2 hours were only waiting!!

Published 13 days ago

It’s hard to top how beautiful this restaurant is. They have great food and good service, and I think the atmosphere is definitely the biggest and best part of the experience!

Published 14 days ago

Muy buena

Published 14 days ago

I haven't been in quite a while yet it still is rustic, upscale and beautiful!

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Everything was good, except the hostess gave us a cold greeting. They were on their phone and chatting about something else, leaving guest un attended. The food was missing a little flavor. Our server Darko was outstanding, he give us good food recommendations. Darko also made us feel like home since we are from Mexico and he chatted with us in Spanish, we had a great time .

Published 16 days ago

We always have good, friendly service at Shadowbrook but Maggie this time was fantastic!

Published 16 days ago

Environment is clean, atmosphere is most likely welcoming, prices is really high. Quality did not meet our expectations. Service is good

Published 17 days ago

What an amazing restaurant with fantastic food. Super cool ambiance restaurant. Perfect for special occasions or just a nice dinner. Gets busy for dinner hour so, make a reservation a few days in advance.

Published 18 days ago

Beautiful place. Excellent food and vibes. I can't wait to go back.

Published 19 days ago

My amazing partner took me here as we celebrated my birthday weekend (Dec 28th Capricorn Season) Never could I have imagined such a MAGICAL experience. Our waitress/server JACKIE was beyond a joy!
She made our night with her beautiful spirit and she had a glow of passion. My partner literally at one point looked at her and said "I FEEL HEARD! YES!" And explained as best that he could that she had a gift of Anticipation for what the customer desired. He ordered the Grilled Vegetable Medley (he's vegan) and bragged that it was the best prepared tofu he's had! I had the Lobster tails w garlic potatoes and broccolino which was delicious 🤤🤤🤤

We both agreed that this was the BEST service EVER -- and are excited to return. This is the perfect place to celebrate any Anniversary, birthday, proposal, ect and you MUST request Jackie as your server if you want a top tier experience as we did.

Published 20 days ago

Musty smelling interior but if they were to remodel I suppose the old charm would suffer. Food was ok to slightly above average. The hillside garden is a very nice place to wander around.

Published 20 days ago

Food ambiance and service were excellent The view is amazing we enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Published 21 days ago

My wife and I were treated horribly by a waiter, also the girls in the front were very rude and ignoring us while we were trying to confirm our reservation, also way overpriced for the food and experience you get, DO NOT RECOMMEND

Published 21 days ago

They never allowed us to get in line.

Published 21 days ago

We had a delicious dinner with a friend visiting from San Francisco and our family. It was a late seating on January 1st and the kitchen was still rocking. Our steaks were cooked to perfection and the Niçoise salad was perfect. The service was #1

Published 21 days ago

Wife had Lobster. Amazing!
I had the short ribs. Also amazing!

Published 22 days ago

Absolutely amazing!! The food, the service, and the atmoshpere left nothing to be desired. My girlfriend and I celebrated our anniversary here and it was such a special experience. Our server (shoutout Andrew, you're very awesome!) greeted us by wishing us a happy anniversary, and was attentive, funny, and knowledgable about the menu. He paired a wine to my girlfriend's dish perfectly. We will definitely be back to celebrate more special occasions here in the future.

Published 22 days ago

The finest, the best. The spectacular view and wonderful atmosphere. The quaint lift and the brass door elevator. So impressive and thoughtful. My sophisticsted granddaughter brought me while visiting San Jose. She had been once before and wanted me to have the experience. Service top notch and friendly. A must when visiting the area. Oh I forgot. The water. The restaurant is on the water.

Published 22 days ago

Published 23 days ago

Overall this place rocks. I love the atmosphere, love the front staff, the food was good, wish we would of had Matt as our server.

I ordered 2 appetizers, only received 1. Our server was too busy with chatting up other tables to check on our food. Then getting water refills was taking a long time. He finally filled my water but gave me sparkling instead. That’s not was I ordered or said. So I had to have another server flag down to bring me regular water.

I got prime rib which was epic flavor, great presentation, and the desert was soo delicious. Then it took a hot minute to get the check.

Overall I would go back again.

Published 23 days ago

Published 25 days ago

Wow! Incredible! Our meals were outstanding. Filet, lobster, prime rib, sirloin all were delicious . Our favorite was the prime rib…A must try. Will come back again for the prime rib. The experience and ambience makes it even more special! Oh and the incline too!

Published a month ago

Shadowbrook in Capitola, CA, is an amazing spot for a night out with friends. We went for wine and some bites, and it did not disappoint. The setting is absolutely beautiful, with a classy vibe and stunning decor overlooking the water. The pizza at the walk-in, first-come, first-served pizza bar was fantastic. If you’re planning to dine in one of the eight elegant dining rooms, I highly recommend making a reservation. A unique highlight is the charming hillside cable car that transports guests from the street level down to the restaurant, adding a special touch to the experience. It’s a perfect spot for family gatherings, outings with friends, or any special occasion. Highly recommended!

Published a month ago

We went for family dinner to celebrate Christmas. Me, husband , his daughter n her boyfriend. Excellent service, food, appetizers, our server was perfect and great suggestions for entrees and wine. Was a perfect evening, atmosphere was great.
Bacon wrapped shrimp, ahi tuna appetizers and Mumms champagne

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