Shadowbrook Restaurant CapitolaA perennial favoriteWe've been taking friends, especially out-of-town visitors, to Shadowbrook for years. Riding the hillavoter (sp?) is memorable. The artichoke soup is unforgettable (in a 5-star way) and entrees have never failed to please. Desserts are amazing. The ambiance is charming. Going to Shadowbrook is a special treat in so many ways.
Reservations are a must to avoid long waits or being turned away. We love this out-of-the-way gem!6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome food and AmbianceThe food was awesome and the service was great. The staff is very kids friendly. The food was fresh. The fresh catch and the daily specials were great. The ambiance was very relaxing.6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMBreathtakingAsk about the history. Amazing story. Fabulous location.6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat meal as UsualBrought our family from New Jersey for a night out and they absolutely loved the whole evening!!! Great as usual!!!6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMThoroughly Enjoyed Our ExpereinceWe went to shadowbrook for our anniversary dinner and thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Staff was excellent and the food was very good. We will be back!6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMThank you for the superb service.Thank you for the superb service. Our waiters were excellent and the food was very good. We got to sit where we wanted and the drinks were great as well. No complaints. Only wonderful experience. Thank you so much!!!6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic special 40th birthdayThank you so much for making my 40th birthday so wonderful the seating was fantastic, the service was perfect, and the food was amazing. The steak and lobster was like nothing I have ever tasted before. The prices are very expensive for a once a 40 years splurge but worth every penny. I would totally recommend Shadowbrook to anyone that has a special occassion to celebrate. Thank you again for making my special day a wonderful day.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMCharmingMy Husband and I with our son and family came to your restaurant to celebrate our 44 th Anniversary. It was as charming as we remembered it from at least 40 years ago.
Thank you for a lovely evening.
Chuck and Anne Camilleri6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat special occasion restaurantWe enjoy Shadowbrook for special occasions as well as when out of town family/friends are visiting as the restaurant is a unique experience. The service was wonderful on our last visit as we were a little late for our reservation but they sat us immediately. The food was excellent as usual except the lamb that came recommended was a little overcooked. Great overall dining experience.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMMom's Special Birthday!My mom, niece and I celebrated my mom's birthday here. The food was sublime and the service second to none. We enjoyed our waterfront view from our cozy table. Perfect for date night, family get togethers, and business meetings. I bring my out of town guests here when we want to do something special.6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMA favorite for a special dinnerShadowbrook is on our list of special places to dine, because we have never been disappointed with the food or the service. It is a unique place, built on a hillside, so that there are several different dining areas and you never feel as if you are in a huge crowd. The cable car ride down to the restaurant is a fun and memorable experience, but so is walking through the lush hillside garden. I usually like to ride down for the view when it's still light, and walk up after dinner - partly the guilt factor! The menu is always exciting and varied, with favorites and several seasonal specials, and the wine list is extensive and excellent. It is not cheap, but it is good value. Note that they do not serve lunch.6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMLovely experienceWent to dinner for an anniversary, lots of people there were celebrating special occasions. Beautiful setting, great food and attentive staff.6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderfulWe asked for quiet table and got the best one by fireplace. Very helpful server. Food excellent.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat foodI love shadowbrook because the food is amazing and the restaurant is beautiful. It's very romantic and the view is one of the best in the bay area.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious food and vibrant staff!My family and friends took me to have a a birthday dinner that would be unforgettable and that's exactly how I feel. The food was exceptional and staff so friendly and attentive. I would recommend to everyone I know for a good spot to dine and wine with friends and family.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMLove love love this place!Love love love this place! ive been coming here for the past 6yrs and its excellent everytime!6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMA Romantic EveningMy wife celebrated our anniversary Saturday night. We were having a working weekend and finished early and made reservations at the Shadow Brook Restaurant. I had been there in the late 70's, and had not been back since. I surprised my wife and it was a very welcomed surprise. We had a great dinner and enjoyed the whole experience. Great place for a special occasion and very romantic night. We are planning on going back next year, and maybe before if we can make the time.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AM50th wedding anniversaryThe perfect special place to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary. Beautiful ambiance, great friendly service
and good food (albeit overpriced for the portions). I recommend the Blackened Lamb with Mushroom Bread Pudding
and Carrot Puree.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a special treatCelebrated our anniversary, excellent service and food complementary champagne split. The ambiance can't be beat5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMOur waiter had excelent knowledgeOur waiter had excelent knowledge of the food being served and the wines offered. Great experience, THANKS Jim and Diana5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMWe're backWe hadn't been to the restaurant for many years. We will certainly be back sooner!5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent ExperienceI've heard and wanted to go here for 55 years. I finally made it. I wish I had gotten there before. I will return often.5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved itWent to Shadowbrook for our 40th anniversary. They seated us at a lovely table, brought complimentary champagne, and we enjoyed our seafood immensely. The waiter, Marc, was also extremely friendly and welcoming.5/27/2013 12:00:00 AMFoodThe food was amazing and the restaurant is beautiful - enjoyed the cable car trip down to the restaurant as well. Thank you.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMThe Disneyland of restaurantsThis is the Disneyland of restaurants, with more class. You board a tram or walk down many steps (140 to the lowest level) through a lushly planted landscape to get to the restaurant, which has three floors clinging to the cliffside. There was live music in the bar. Our table looked down through the greenhouse level and out to the river. The food was better than I expected. My citrus salad with candied fennel and wasabi-white soy vinagrette was excellent, as was the vegetarian baked vegetables with tomato sauce and cheese. Service was white-table cloth level, attentive and professional. Prices were not excessive for the ambience and service. We went to Shadowbrook for our 30th anniversary and it fit the occasion.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat evening at shadowbrookWe had an enjoyable evening. We were dining with our children. The children's menu and atmosphere allowed them to have a great time as well. The Service was excellent. Food preparation was excellent. Quality of filet Mignon was only OK.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMBIRTHDAY DINNERWe decided to take our son ,his girlfriend and a good friend out to celebrate our son's 29th Birthday. I have dined at the Shadow Brook since i was a child( for over 55 years). It was everything I remembered. We had a wonderful time. Our Waiter was entertaining and efficeint. Dinners were very tasteful and not rushed.Hope to come back soon.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Birthday~We had a wonderful birthday celebration, view table and wonderful food starting with bacon wrapped prawns. Rib eye Bison was a disappointment would order something different next time. Steak and Lobster perfect.
After dinner in the bar, a terrific singer who could sing anything...really great time having an after dinner drinks....would go back again and again.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous restaurant:)This is a must "go to" restaurant, when in the Capitola area!!! The entire grounds are so unique and immaculate!! The food is superb and the service is outstanding =absolutely a perfect dining experience!! Keep up the good work!!!!!! You don't want to misss out on this dining experience when in this area:)5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing food and serviceOur waiter Sean was knowledgable, and attentive and fun5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was our second visitThis was our second visit to Shadowbrook and once again they just excelled. We got a wonderful table. The service was attentive without being overbearing and the food was outstanding. Definately one of our favorite places.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMQuaint and LovelyThe Shadowbrook Restaurant is a tradition for our family when we vacation in Santa Cruz, and has been for over 30 years! Naturally we came here to celebrate my parents' 60th Wedding Anniversary and we loved it!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMNew traditionWe have made Shadowbrook a dining destination! This has become a family tradition: taking a day trip to this wonderful eatery.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat place for a birthday dinnerI took my husband for his birthday and the Shadowbrook did not disappoint. We had a beautiful window table that looked onto Soquel creek. The staff was very attentive and knowledgable. Our server recommended the New York steak that was the biggest cut I have ever seen and was delicious as was my filet with black truffle gnocchi. Great wine selection and good desserts. Great place for a special occasion.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMShadow Brook Dining experienceWe made reservation via OpenTable for 8:30PM Sunday. We arrived a bit early, but the place was fairly busy with lots of people waiting. We were not seated until 15-20 min pass our reservation time.
The food was excellent from baked brie, clam chowder to the lamb and prime rib.
We would come again - Would be nicer if the wait time is less especially we had reservation5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGlad we chose to go to ShadowbrookWe decided to go to Santa Cruz this last weekend to celebrate my wife's birthday with another couple friend of ours and Shadowbrook was recommended. Between both couples there are 4 kids ranging from 2 years old to 8 that we left at home so we really wanted to have a great dining experience since we don't get to go out often. After reading several mixed reviews with several recent ones being "bad" , I was a little worried and seriously considered going somewhere else. However, we all decided to give it a try and I am sooooooo glad we did. The service from the moment we walked through the door was amazing from the hostesses, to our server, to the busboy. And the food was amazing! We will definitely return next time we are in the area.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, service and atmosphere!Couldn't have asked for a better restaurant to follow up with after proposing to my now fiance! 5 out of 5 in my book...5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMAnniversay CelebrationWe love Shadowbrook and have celebrated anniversaries, holidays and great nights with our friends. The bar is always a great place to start your evening with a good drink and nice "local" live music. Service and food are always up to par and even the leftovers are good! Don't forget to go down to the water and enjoy the view.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMDining at the brookWe love coming here because of the consistently high standards and quality, beautiful settings, and dedication of the staff. Every occasion feels like a special occasion.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMBirthday Dinner was Fantastic!!Absolutely LOVED this restaurant. Service was top-notch and the food was amazing!! It was the PERFECT birthday dinner celebration. Will DEFINITELY come back. There are so many items on the menu that I want to try. Shadowbrook is an absolute MUST!!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMService needs some workFood was good. Unfortunately service was a bit slow. Water always filled, we were asked about more bread but our waitress was a little MIA. Maybe they were short handed but there was no excuses made. We are pretty easy as customers but we expect to not have to chase our waitress down for something.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAll-time favoriteLove, love, love Shadowbrooks in Capitola (CA). It sounds so much better with an echo! Found this treasure 30+ years ago and visit whenever we are here. Living in NJ now makes these visits few, and far between but we are never disappointed. Special occasion or just a dinner out with friends...it is my all-time favorite place. When I have to pick my last meal, it will be at Shadowbrooks.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was delicious, theThe food was delicious, the ambiance was lovely and the wait staff was great!. What a lovely place to celebrate special occasions.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMLived up to its hypeIf you've never been, you should go at least once. Meandering gardens, quaint cable car, multiple dining areas on a variety of levels make it an interesting place to explore. It runs like a well oiled machine very accustomed to large numbers of guests. Friendly wait staff take care of your every need. The food is good, large portions, heavy and variety to suite most palates. If you want something light, this is not the place unless to stick to the appetizer & salad menu. We enjoyed the experience but don't feel the need to go back.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat place to take specialGreat place to take special or out-of-town guests.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a DelightThe Shadowbrook restaurant is always a delight and a great place to celebrate special occasions.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMSuccessful 65th B'DayMy wife and I went to the Shadow Brook restaurant for a 65th birthday celebration. We started on the walk down with a professional photographer as we were dressed in an evening gown and tuxedo. We then spent about 45 minutes in the bar with a very tasty flight of martinis. We were seated about 45 minutes before our reservation in a lovely room overlooking the river. When the couple next to the window left we asked to be reseated at the window and were immediately accommodated. We had a lobster and a filet mignon which were equally tasty. A small ice cream dessert with a candle was presented at the end and this had not been requested. This was a lovely evening!!5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMDeliciously richThe service was friendly and warm. We had mentioned that it was our anniversary before the meal to the hostess and she told out waiter before he even brought our menu's to us. they even gave us each a complimentary truffle for the occasion with a candle for us to blow out.
The atmosphere is warm and rustic here and the history of the place is obvious.
The one thing that was mildly annoying was the screaming baby near by. I didn't think this was really a place people brought babies to but then again I guess babies go where the parents do.
The meal took longer than we anticipated, but most of that was because we were enjoying the food and drink so much that we savored every bite.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved it!We were celebrating our Dad's 87th birthday. We had a 96 year old in our party and the restaurant accommodated us by putting us in a room by ourselves on same level we entered. Service was great, food was fantastic! My scallops were superb, prime rib was cooked to perfection...no complaints from our group! We will definitely be back to this beautiful place!!5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMSpecial Birthday at ShadowbrookMy daughter is a freshman at UC Santa Cruz and this was her first birthday away from home. My husband and flew up from L.A. for the day and took her to dinner at Shadowbrook before catching a flight home out of San Jose. We were seated inside next to a window overlooking Soquel Creek and had the most relaxing dinner--even though we were on a schedule. The service was EXCELLENT--with many different waiters taking care of us. All the food was delicious, from appetizers, soup, salads, to the entrees. We were too stuffed to order dessert, but the waiter brought a a complimentary ice cream sundae with a candle on it for my daughter. I think our dining experience couldn't have been better. It was very memorable for all of us.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AM