la Posta

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Address:
538 Seabright Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Neighborhood:
Santa Cruz

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Cuisine:
Italian

Price: $30 and under

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la Posta Details

Dining Style: Casual Dining
Website: http://laPostaRestaurant.com
Email: lapostarestaurant@gmail.com
Phone: (831) 457-2782
Hours of Operation: Dinner: Tuesday - Thursday: 5pm - 9:00pm Friday - Saturday: 5pm - 9:30pm Sunday: 5pm - 8:00pm
Payment Options: AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Italian
Executive Chef: Katherine Stern
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Bar Dining, Beer, Entertainment, Farm to Table, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine, Wine Bar
Private Party Facilities: la Posta offers special menus for large parties. Please contact the restaurant for parties of more than 12 guests. The entire restaurant can be reserved for seated parties up to 60. Please contact the restaurant for details.
Private Party Contact: Emily Avila (831) 457-2782
Entertainment: Italian music every Tuesday from 7pm until 9pm
Special Events & Promotions: Tuesday is Neighborhood Night - join us for our pizza and pasta specials, enjoy the live Italian folk music and see all of your neighbors! Thursday is Gault School Night - Eat well by doing good. Every Thursday, a percentage of your dining dollar will be donated to Gault School - the elementary school located just down Seabright Avenue!

Getting there

Cross Street: Murray
Parking: Private Lot
Parking Details: The parking lot is located directly behind the restaurant via a driveway on the north side of the building, which includes handicap parking. Wheelchair access is also available via the parking entrance.

A word from la Posta

la Posta serves fresh, seasonal meals with authentic Italian style. Join us for dinner and select from our pan-Italian menu which features fresh, house-made pastas, brick-oven breads, pizzas, and salumi. We strive to present meals that are farmed and harvested sustainably. Because we serve… local and organic ingredients, depending upon the bounty of Santa Cruz' farming community, our menu changes frequently and features an wide array of specials. La Posta’s all-Italian wine list offers a baker’s dozen of wines by the glass or taste, the well informed list includes autochthonous varieties from artisan producers throughout Italy. La Posta adheres to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch and is certified in the City of Santa Cruz Green Business Program. Continued

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Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerBest Overall
Diners' Choice WinnerBest Ambiance
Diners' Choice WinnerBest Food

Diner Reviews

"My husband picked 'Dinner at La Posta' for his birthday gift this year. We had a lovely evening and a delicious dinner with great service. Thanks to Open Table, our reservation was honored with a great table. Our waiter was knowledgeable, attentive without being over conscientious. Dinner was delicious. We had roasted asparagus appetizer, wonderful special in house tagliarini with duck breast and pancetta cream sauce, and my house made pork sausages with cannelloni beans, escarole and pasta . Our dessert was the special ricotta cheesecake with lime sauce. Overall, we were completely satisfied with our celebratory evening."
Dined on 4/11/2014
"Dinner at La Posta is always a treat. The menu is consistantly excellent, and the wine list is wonderful. My only gripe this time was with our server. We went to dinner to drink wine and share a bunch of dishes within our 4 person group. We were well dressed and not in any way abusive. The "vibe" we got from the server ranged from amused boredom, to stereotypical "hipster" attitude of superiority....come on man, its not the Ritz Carlton, were here to have a good time, eat good food, and drink wine! being "tolerated" by a amatuer college student is not what we came here for. Its been a few years since i was last there, and I used to eat at least three times a month...hopefully next time will be better"
Dined on 3/22/2014
"Had the duck special pasta carbonara. It was too creamy, there was not even a hint of duck meat, and the peas were not fresh. Also, and this is the second time this has happened, there was an inordinately long weight between the salad and main course, as if the kitchen was having problems keeping up. Pretty disappointing really. The first time I went here I loved it, but not so much since."
Dined on 4/6/2014
"....they were closed the next night (Monday). started with Fried Smelt ("fries with eyes") which were crispy in outside and soft on inside. tastier than the sardines and served hot which I love from any restaurant. entrees for us were parpadelle with chicken sugo and halibut with sunchokes. pasta was fresh house made and melted in your mouth. halibut was crisp seared with skin on for that touch of oily goodness. finished off with chocolate tortino (cake) and gelato scoops of mint chip and toasted coconut. the ice creams took the cake. the mint was like steeped mint tea. amazing. never tasted anything so genuinely minty (but not over the top and not bitter like when I leave my tea bag in too long). great find in Santa Cruz."
Dined on 3/30/2014
"La Posta is a hidden gem for fine dining, however our dinner there recently was spoiled by an over one hour wait for food. It would have been longer, but we started bugging the waitress to hurry things along. When the food finally came my wife's halibut was perfect, but my otherwise tasty hanger steak had cooled to barely above room temperature. I thought thatgiven the level of service their increase I prices since our last foray there was completely unjustified."
Dined on 3/28/2014
"We were seated quickly even though the other couple wasn't yet at the restaurant. The hostess uncorked and carafed our wine ($15 corkage reasonable) while we waited and took our order for a bottle of Prosecco to begin the evening. The staff was attentive and invisible at the same time. All the salads, special beet salad, the house, and the little gem salad were excellent. The entrees are all small portions and pricey-not splitable. I had the special chicken ravioli with a butter lemon sauce which was good, but a little too salty. Our friends had the clam pasta-delicious and the steak special- good but not outstanding. Did I mention their homemade bread? It is the best bread I've ever had! They sell loaves for $10/loaf-expensive, worth it."
Dined on 3/22/2014
"My daughter, who lived in Florence for over six years, said that La Posta was one of the best Italian restaurants. Possibly the best restaurant in Santa Cruz."
Dined on 3/19/2014
"We live in the neighborhood but haven't eaten here for years. We decided to eat early to catch a sporting event at 7. Previously, we thought the place was a turn-off: pretentious hostess and tiny portions. We were charmed by the hostess and the waitress this time. The food was fresh and good. I don't think this place is a two dollar sign place; it's a little pricey. But, we liked the food, felt comfortable as the setting is casual and will return. We liked coming to dinner at 5 as it was quiet and calm."
Dined on 3/15/2014
"The food was good w/out being great. The salad we ordered was fantastic but it was the highlight of the meal (actually the desserts were also v. Good). The main dish was under-flavored. Maybe I don't appreciate subtlety (and neither does my partner), but it was all I could do to stop myself asking for salt. Our server was excellent and the dinner experience was great ( we were celebrating and it was a great place for that). So, overall v. Good experience but the food wasn't as good as it can be (we've been many times before)."
Dined on 3/14/2014
"La Posta is one of the best restaurants in Santa Cruz. The bread is to die for, the food always fresh. The menu is interesting and varied, fresh ingredients and delicate sauces. Always a distinct treat!"
Dined on 3/6/2014
"this was our first visit....i expected a larger menu & more pasta dishes, i had the pasta with mussels,it was ok...very small mussels,my wife had pasta with clams,again it was ok,small amount of clams,our server was helpful,he gave us good advice on the wine,we ordered the salami misti for an app,it was ok,generous servings of different meats,but the presentation could use some work,they were just on a plate,we were looking for more flavor in the pasta dishes, but i expect italian food to have some flavor. i had chocolate gelato for dessert,very good,the restaurant was busy ,we went on friday nite....looks like regulars from the neighborhood dine here,parking was easy,we parked in back,not sure i would go again,prefer more flavor ful dishes"
Dined on 3/7/2014
"Had out of town well-traveled guest so La Posta was perfect dinner venue; waitperson's attention not pesty; the menu's selections were plentiful AND the plating and flavors of our choices were perfect. A most enjoyable evening. Pricey - well worth it."
Dined on 3/5/2014
"You can't beat this restaurant. The chef really knows true Italian food, the wines are always great and the service is without flaws."
Dined on 3/4/2014
"The Crab Tagliotini was delicious as were the Lamb Polpette. As usual, the panna cotta desert was to die for."
Dined on 3/2/2014
"la Posta is a great high quality Italian restaurant. We enjoyed our meal and wine."
Dined on 3/1/2014
"Local friends describe La Posta as their favorite and we can see why. The food was truly e exceptional, the service attentive, timely yet unobtrusive and the overall atmosphere, very pleasant. The focus is on the food, which suited us fine. Delicate flavor combinations without preciousness, a very nice wine list - the flight of reds from the Alto Adige is an excellent selection and value. I'd go all the time if I lived in Santa Cruz!"
Dined on 2/23/2014
"The attitude toward customers seems brusque on part of reservations/hostess (not wait staff). Small things are slipping (long wait for requested water, unwilling to change a requested fork, i.e. replace a used fork). A formerly delicious special item, now on the menu, is altered for the worse (tonno conservo). Pizza and some menu items are as good as ever, other pasta items not so fine. Do I recommend it? "Yes, but… …" Wine menu is interesting (all Italian)."
Dined on 2/19/2014
"La Posta is one of a small handful of terrific restaurants in Santa Cruz county: authentic but imaginative northern Italian food (think Umbria) with local organic produces, plus a great wine list. The ambiance is stripped down but pleasant, and the service is competent and friendly without being over the top."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"La Posta is by far and away the best restaurant in Santa Cruz. This hot Italian spot does not serve the typical, so stay away from pizzas and go daring with the specials or the rest of the regular menu. The wine list is absolute perfection and filled with daring choices. We drive down regularly from San Francisco to get away from the sameness of SF restaurants. La Posta feels a bit provincial but that's part of its charm and the food is super sophisticated. So head over to La Posta for a wonderful evening."
Dined on 2/16/2014
"We went on Valentine's Day where there was a fixed price menu. The salads were unique and well prepared. The main courses were extremely well done and the desserts were to die for! We'll definitely go again for the regular menu."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"Have eaten at La Posta many times - seldom if every disappointed. Keep up the great work!"
Dined on 2/16/2014
"Enjoyed the place thoroughly: quail and gnocchi both well-prepared and the wine list has a refreshingly good selection of Northern Italian wines. The veggies were plentiful on each dish--not like many restaurants where veg is listed as an ingredient but barely perceptible on the plate. Staff is professional and friendly."
Dined on 2/15/2014
"Our server John made the night memorable. He was attentive, helpful and never intrusive. Bravo! The food, prix fixe for Valentines, was delicious as usual. All around a great experience."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"Love the freshness of ingredients. The special with pickled sardines was yummy. All pizzas good, with nice crispy crust. Tuesday night is a great deal...pizza or pasta with glass of wine for $15. Chickens out back...one named "Sweety Pie"."
Dined on 2/4/2014
"We were visiting Santa Cruz for the first time from Los Angeles and wanted a light and yummy meal, and we found it. The food was just what we'd hoped for, albeit a little overpriced considering the small proportions. I'd recommend against the panacotta for dessert."
Dined on 1/31/2014
"We had a nice experience. All our dishes were very good. Laura our server was outstanding. Love this place."
Dined on 1/28/2014
"Came in for a quick shared pizza and salad and wine. Never disappointed here. We were tempted to get more (we always are) but kept it simple this time and really enjoyed the day's special pizza and a brussels sprouts salad with chickpeas and almonds. I didn't like my dessert as much as I hoped but my spouse did so we traded and were very happy!"
Dined on 1/25/2014
"We have been here before and had a great meal. This occasion was no different. Yes the menu is a bit limited, but all of our dishes were balanced and high quality. The wines seem expensive for what we feel is average quality, but that won't stop us from dining here again, and ordering lots of wine. Oh, don't skip the desserts."
Dined on 1/18/2014
"Best I've had in ages, very moist and tender and delicious! Loved the cured meat plate, great portions. My be favorite restaurant."
Dined on 1/17/2014
"Innovative menu choices with all dishes carefully prepared. Excellent, friendly unobtrusive service. Parking can be a bit tricky, but there is a lot behind the building."
Dined on 1/15/2014
"This Santa Cruz gem came highly recommended. I happened that our anniversary fell on a Tuesday which is neighborhood night at La Posta. This night has live local music and pizza or pasta and a glass of wine for $15. Our meal was worth twice that much. The pizza i had and the gnocci with ox tails my husband had were that good. We ended with a very sophisticated selection of cookies."
Dined on 1/7/2014
"Experience was, as usual outstanding...have now been here many times and consider it one of our favorites. Had a pizza this time and the freshness is what makes it so special...wonderful staff."
Dined on 1/5/2014
"La Posta and its sibling Soif serve the best and most interesting Euro-Cal food in the Santa Cruz area. What more can I say?"
Dined on 1/7/2014
"Been driving past for a number of years and saying, "gotta try this place." Finally did, and we will be back."
Dined on 12/31/2013
"Great restaurant. Friendly staff. Fantastic food:)"
Dined on 1/5/2014
"The ingredients are fine, and fresh, but the menu is difficult to navigate. There were several menu items that included odd vegetable choices. Kohlrabi, is not a chic vegetable, anyone who has parents who lived in Europe will tell you! Needs a beef menu item, to round out the fish and chicken offerings. Excellent Italian wines, we were quite pleased with our red and white. Dessert was wonderful! We enjoyed the Panna Cotta with the crisp and tasty shortbread cookies. Best cappuccino in town!"
Dined on 1/3/2014
"They make their own bread, and is it ever good. My cannelloni was great. I savored each bite. My wife enjoyed her dish as much as I did mine."
Dined on 1/3/2014
"La Posta put on a great prix fixe menu for NYE 2013! The service was on point and the wine pairings were perfect."
Dined on 12/31/2013
"My husband and I have been to Tuscany a few times on culinary getaways and la Posta has it nailed. Excellent food, excellent service. Not inexpensive but you feel like you get more than your money's worth. Strongly recommend."
Dined on 12/29/2013
"We eat here a lot, as a special treat. The menu --rustic Italian cuisine-- is always superb."
Dined on 12/27/2013

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