• Shadowbrook Restaurant Capitola

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Shadowbrook Restaurant Capitola
Shadowbrook Restaurant Capitola

Shadowbrook Restaurant Capitola Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Elegant
  • Website: http://www.shadowbrook-capitola.com
  • Phone: (831) 475-1511
  • Hours of Operation: Winter Dining Hours: Mon-Fri 5:00pm-8:45pm Sat 4:30pm-9:30pm Sun 4:30pm-8:45pm Winter Rockroom Bar Menu Available: Mon-Sat 4:00pm-10:00pm Sunday 2:30pm-10:00pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: American, Steak, Seafood
  • Executive Chef: Anthony Kresge
  • Dress Code: Business Casual
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Entertainment, Fireplace, Full Bar, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Catering: The Shadowbrook has an in-house pastry department for banquet, wedding, or special occasion needs. For more information please call Allyson at 831-475-1222.
  • Private Party Facilities: Shadowbrook's four private dining rooms are the perfect location for evening special events, receptions, and weddings for groups of 10 to 100.
  • Private Party Contact: Allyson (831) 475-1222
  • Entertainment: Live music in the Rock Room Lounge Friday and Saturday nights.
  • Special Events & Promotions: Mention to us that it is your birthday and receive a complimentary ice cream sundae.

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Capitola Rd.
  • Parking: Private Lot
  • Parking Details: Three private lots with complimentary parking for guests; disabled parking spaces available.
A word from Shadowbrook Restaurant Capitola
In Capitola-by-the-Sea, beside lush Soquel Creek just before it empties into the Monterey bay, Shadowbrook is best reached by its own quaint, hillside 'cable car' or the meandering garden path alongside waterfalls, ferns and flowers. For over 60 years, Shadowbrook has been famous its for fine food,… wine and liqueurs served in an atmosphere of Old World charm and grace. Now, better then ever, Shadowbrook is perfect for any special occasion...or for no occasion at all.Continued
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Overall
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Ambiance
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Food
Diner Reviews
  • "Order anything and prepare for great food. We sat outside the redwood room. The deck provided an outside experience that was the best yet!"
    Dined on 7/27/2014
  • "My husband and I, celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary here. We rode the cable car down to the restaurant. We were seated in the wine cellar, next to the fireplace. It was romantic and quietly out of the way of the other diners. Our service was quick, and the food was plentiful and delicious. We did not have room for dessert, but they gave us a complimentary candle lit side of chocolate truffles. They too, were decadent. After dinner, we chose to take the beautifully lush landscaped path back up to our vehicle. The path was great for stopping and taking photos, and working off some of those calories, from that great meal. We will definitely be back on any future visits to the area. Great find!!!"
    Dined on 7/27/2014
  • "We're locals but every time we go to Shadowbrook, we dress up and make it even more special than just date night at a beautiful restaurant. Shadowbrook is huge, lovely outdoor river-side dining with fire pits, huge rooms multi-floors. The bar is very popular and the live music on our night was great. Love the tram, lush gardens, waterfalls for pix! This was Wharf-to-Wharf weekend so the place was packed alongside the summer tourists and locals. Lively, friendly energy fueled a fun night of great food, wine and celebrating life! Hubby had New York steak, cream of artichoke soup (5star) & Gizditch apricot pie. I had a perfect Teriyaki top sirloin, caesar salad & creme brulee (lush!). We loved the bottle of Grenache from Spain. WE LOVE SB!!"
    Dined on 7/26/2014
  • "I had my 10 year anniversary here this past weekend. The host were friendly. The waiter was prompt the food was delicious and the environment was almost as breath taking as my wife. Thank you for making our experience one that lasts a lifetime."
    Dined on 7/26/2014
  • "This was my nephew's first fine dining experience and he was amazed with the service and the great food! We went to celebrate his 13th birthday and why not in style at Shadowbrook? He was surprised with Happy Birthday being sung to him by the waiter, who has an incredible voice for singing! Plus, he remembered me from my previous dining's there! This is now my nephew's favorite restaurant to go to for dinner!"
    Dined on 7/26/2014
  • "We had a wonderful time, come once a year as we participate in the Wharf to Wharf Run from Santa Cruz to Capitola the last Sunday in July. The service is wonderful and the food always delicious, wine selection great plus the ambiance is amazing. See you next year."
    Dined on 7/26/2014
  • "Our 40th anniversary was coming up and we wanted to go someplace special. The Shadowbrook was recommended by friends. It was the perfect place, the way it looked outside, the ambience inside, the wait staff and the food were all exceptional ! We will be going back again :)"
    Dined on 7/26/2014
  • "Shadowbrook was very accommodating with the many changes developing with the group as to who could come on the date of the dinner - up until the last 2 hrs.! We were seated immediately after we arrived and Mathew, our waiter, took great care of our group. He was very attentive to our needs and did not hurry us."
    Dined on 7/26/2014
  • "This was my 4th time here and first time having our toddler almost 2 here with us. The filet mignon brochettes over gnocchi were outstanding, waiter was polite and intelligent. My son got loud a few times and my wife and I felt bad but that wasn't the restaurants fault. The view of the water and ducks during the daylight hours is very nice and peaceful. It is quite a drive from our house in the east bay. We will continue coming here on special occasions as it is a unique and charming atmosphere."
    Dined on 7/26/2014
  • "A friend recommended this restsurant for my 28th annivarsary, as it turns out, this was indeed a very romantic restaurant with nice ambiences. Two other couples near our table also celebrate their anniversary! Food is very good and our waiter's services is impacable. It is worth the 2 hour drive from Danville! We only wish we could find a nice hotel for the evening."
    Dined on 7/26/2014
  • ""THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING", I would suggest you and your talented staff get with "them times"..We will be heading somewhere else. We are locals, we have enjoyed your restaurant many times and took our guests for a nice dinner..."
    Dined on 7/25/2014
  • "Celebrating very special occasion in this very special restaurant, kids were impressed and begging us to come back here very soon.. Definitely!!"
    Dined on 7/25/2014
  • "Great place, great food, great service, great ambience."
    Dined on 7/25/2014
  • "Aging can be beautiful and what better place to spend the beginning of a new year than at a beautiful place. Loved the Bisteca Milanese, the ambiance and company!!!"
    Dined on 7/25/2014
  • "Our server, Lincoln, was very knowledgable of the menu, and was very attentive without being a pest. :-)"
    Dined on 7/24/2014
  • "Beautiful place in a private, unique setting. Great food, great service, great getaway, first class."
    Dined on 7/23/2014
  • "This was a special occasion. I was buying dinner for new In Laws. They picked it. I only go here when others choose. I have found it to be unpredictable. This was the worst. I had to put a mussel back into it's shell on the sly. It was bad. My dish was flavorless. No saffron taste as described. Were it not for my social need to be gracious, it would have been sent back. None of my guests said, nice meal."
    Dined on 7/23/2014
  • "Delightful restaurant rooms, marvelous historic building, romantic atmosphere, good food, attentive server - a banner evening!"
    Dined on 7/22/2014
  • "It was the perfect place to take my mother for her last day visiting us here in CA. The food was really good although I didn't care for the spinach. I actually asked the waiter what it was because it tasted very bitter. Other than the spinanch tasting biiter I can't wait to go back. Both my 4 and 3 year old enjoyed the experience. We had a small wait because we arrived early so we were able to walk around and explore. I do recommend making reservations."
    Dined on 7/22/2014
  • "From being picked up by the Shadowbrook taxi to our last bite of dessert, such a magnificent place to dine! We will drive from Stockton just to have dinner here!"
    Dined on 7/22/2014
  • "The cable car ride to and from the restaurant was the grandkids favorite, along with the extensive kids menu. The view was noteworthy, located on the river by the trestle bridge. Food was superb, filets like butter, homemade bacon salad (yum), lamb and black truffle gnocchi were outstanding! You can count on the staffs attention to detail and service. We had a few miscommunications with the kitchen, ( a "rare" steak request came out over cooked) but the errors were corrected immediately. The award winning gardens are worthy of a stroll through either before or after your meal. Prices are about $30 per person w/o alcohol. Corkage :check policy! Don't miss this award winning restaurant the next time you are in the Capitola area!"
    Dined on 7/22/2014
  • "Beautiful scenery, delicious food from an eclectic menu, excellent wait staff. My only complaint (and why I only give "Service" 3 stars), is because the hostesses were terrible. We had a 7:00 reservation. We arrived on time and were immediately asked to follow the hostess to our table. I was impressed with the promptness until the hostess turned to me and said "this is for Simon, right?" I said "Parker." She turned us around and told us to wait "another minute" while she went to seat someone else. After 20 minutes and many promises of "we'd be next", we finally got seated, after I got angry. The hostess said the problem was they were "short staffed", but all we could see were 3-4 hostesses gathered around their monitor doing nothing."
    Dined on 7/21/2014
  • "My family and I have came to this restaurant for many years. It is the best place for a special occasion such as a graduation. It is also the best place for a romantic date. The scenic elevator ride or the garden trail walk is so beautiful. The river view is stunning is stunning as well. The food can't get any better. I highly recommend this restaurant. It is very memorable for anyone. Don't forget to bring your guest from out of town and amaze them!"
    Dined on 7/19/2014
  • "We arrived 30 minutes early (allowed for traffic) and after waiting only 15 minutes in the area overlooking the creek, we were seated for dinner. All the staff were very pleasant and attentive. The decor is charming and makes me think of Scandinavia. The many different levels and nooks and crannies add much charm to the atmosphere. As always, the food was FABULOUS! The artichoke bisque was especially tasty this visit. I ordered the Filet Mignon and didn't regret a single bite. My sister chose the Beef Brochettes and said they were outstanding. The menu clearly identifies gluten-free items, which is important to me. Once again, Shadowbook Restaurant did not disappoint. I'm looking forward to the next visit!"
    Dined on 7/19/2014
  • "The ambiance is lovely at Shadowbrook. In the past we have been pleased with our food. This time, however, the Bisteca Milanese was greasy and breaded too heavily. The gnocchi was, however, delicious."
    Dined on 7/19/2014
  • "I've been a Shadowbrook regular for years. I love the wintertime Winemaker Wednesdays and other specials. This was my birthday and our reservation was late, after other celebrating elsewhere. Yet they still found prime rib for us. All around us people were celebrating birthdays and anniversaries. We had one of our favorite servers: attentive as well as fun on an interpersonal level. Great food, delicious wine, wonderful atmosphere."
    Dined on 7/17/2014
  • "My husband and I first went there for our 2 year anniversary (12 years ago) and loved it. Now 2 kids later we were back in Capitola camping and decided to take our 11 y/o and 6 y/o. The food was amazing and our waiter was the best. He even conducted an impromptu napkin folding class for our girls. They enjoyed the food as well. Will definitely go again."
    Dined on 7/17/2014
  • "A group of 60ish ladies wanted to celebrate a friends birthday I n a lovely setting. We loved the service and each of us enjoyed our chosen dish. Wine and drinks were excellent."
    Dined on 7/15/2014
  • "Go for the beautiful grounds, atmosphere, and personalized service. The food just doesn't match up so know that beforehand so you are not disappointed."
    Dined on 7/15/2014
  • "The perfect restaurant for our family. Had a wonderful menu that had a ton of options and the restaurant itself is an amazing experience in history."
    Dined on 7/15/2014
  • "My wife, two teens and I had dinner at Shadowbrook while visiting Santa Cruz. My son said it was the highlight of the weekend."
    Dined on 7/14/2014
  • "Everything was just as elegant as we had told our 3 grandchildren, 8, 6, and 3 1/2, they all want to return. They will continue this family tradition when they are grown and with their own children"
    Dined on 7/13/2014
  • "Wonderful food and service! The setting is unbeatable - a tropical forest."
    Dined on 7/12/2014
  • "My sisters favorite spot to come fr Connecticutt! Full moon on river, what could be better!"
    Dined on 7/12/2014
  • "I hadn't been to Shadowbrook since I was a child and it is better than I had remembered! The cable car ride to & from the restaurant was fun."
    Dined on 7/12/2014
  • "Great scallops! Plenty of food, and hot bread with soft butter; one of life's little gems. Nice wait staff. Fun place to go to!"
    Dined on 7/12/2014
  • "I had been there as a teenager and it was even better than I remembered! The food was amazing and my boyfriend complimented me for finding such a great restaurant for a romantic evening on our trip."
    Dined on 7/11/2014
  • "What a great evening, the best service! The food came out hot, the wait staff was excellent and they were so attentive and wanted to make sure everything was perfect...Thank you!"
    Dined on 7/11/2014
  • "too expensive and portions are very tiny - $28 for lamb shish kibob, and only got 5 1" squares of lamb! side dishes are very tiny too"
    Dined on 7/11/2014
  • "When on vacation over last 30 years, always save a "treat" night for Shadowbrook. Never disappoints; this time was one of best yet."
    Dined on 7/11/2014
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Diners' Choice Awards
  • San Francisco Bay Area Winners
  • Best Ambiance
  • Romantic
  • Santa Cruz / Capitola / Aptos Winners
  • Best Overall
  • Best Ambiance
  • Best Food
  • Best Service
  • Romantic
  • Special Occasion
  • Most Booked
Learn more ›
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