Oswald

We love Oswald. The food is always delicious and the cocktails on point. The staff is attentive and fun to be around.

We had an early dinner outside on the sidewalk with good distancing between tables. Traffic noise faded pretty quickly into the background, not unlike evenings outdoors in Europe and actually quieter than a full bar scene. Food, as always was very good and the cocktails very strong. Staff are very friendly. Nice way to re-enter the dining scene, though everything is also available for takeout. Big shoutout for their chicken orzo soup. And they’ve expanded their lunch hours, so I’ll definitely be back soon.

Overall we had another great dining experience at Oswalds. The woman who may have been a manager but was helping with seating was extremely welcoming. The duck was cooked and seasoned to perfection. The lasagna and flank steak were on point. The chicken orzo soup left something to be desired.

Nice evening for curbside dining. good food and the bartender makes a nice drink. Given the challenges covid restrictions present, they did a nice job.

Oswalds is the best. Our fave spot in Santa Cruz. The food is consistently great, and service is top notch.

Everything was amazing. The food, the service, the hostess, and the people.

Great, fresh, simple food. We'd never tried this place and really enjoyed it. We'll go back.

Wonderful service,amazing cocktails, delicious food. Would definitely dine here again!

The menu is limited which I understand, but they were out of the only fish option.
The meals were not their regular deliciousness, which I do not understand.
I guess I'll try again in non-COVID times.

Every bite was delicious, beautiful presentation!

Had the pleasant experience of being the very fist customers for Oswald's re-opened lunch service the other day as we were celebrating my retirement! We started with an excellent cocktail before moving on to our main courses: Caesar Salad with fried chicken for my wife, and my usual, the sautéed greens and farro for me, which I always gussy up with the optional fried trout and over easy egg. We had a small table in the shade on the Front Street side of the outdoor seating area, which was generally very pleasant. Glad to see this gem of a Santa Cruz restaurant back in the mix. Well worth a visit

Very friendly environment.
Excellent food.
Great service

All good. Halibut perfect. Soup xlnt.

Awesome staff and service. Great food and drinks. Will be be back, again.


Jason

Wonderful service, delicious food and cocktails, friendly staff

Oswald dine in is back! Delicious menu, well prepared and excellent service. Oswald hasn't missed a beat! Glad Oswald is back.

We were seated at time of reservation.
Old fashion made to perfection.
Started with a pear arugula salad. It was medium size so able to share but a good size for one also. We ordered petrale sole and beef tenderloin. We would order it again. They were cooked as requested and presented very well! The staff was very attentive.

The filet and chocolate soufflé were amazing! The dining room’s modern design isn’t my taste and creates a noisy environment. You can also be sitting quite close to other diners. The service was definitely sub-par, particularly at those prices. The waitress delivered our dinners and didn’t return until we were done eating. We also had a long wait time between beverage delivery and her return to take our order. There was a time it seemed she wasn’t anywhere to be seen, and the restaurant isn’t that large. We probably won’t return despite the food.

I had the special of the day - a salmon/veggie omelette with a side salad. The omelette was seasoned and cooked perfectly. I sent my compliments to the chef. If you ever see it on the menu, give it a try or ask if it is available. My companions were also pleased with their choices - the squash soup and portobello mushroom burger.

We happened on Oswald our first night in Santa Cruz. We had been traveling all day and just wanted some tasty food and a glass of tasty wine! Boy did we score. I will long remember the Sweet Potato Soup , in fact will try to replicate it. Am told it uses a Japanese sweet potato and I suspect, a really good vegetarian stock as a base. I also had their Endive, Pomegranate Salad. I could not have been happier. A glass of Valley Vista Pinot Noir was perfect.

Both nights my husband was to enjoy a perfect Gin Martini.

Five nights later, our last in SantaCruz, we celebrated out anniversary there. I opened w a cup of the same delicious soup. Then my husband had Black Squid Ink Risotto w seared Scallops. I had the same risotto but with sautéed chard. Both of us thrilled. For dessert he had a perfect Chocolate Soufflé, I an interesting and really successful Pomegranate Sorbet.

I guess you can tell that if we go back to Santa Cruz, Oswald is high on our list.

The food at Oswald is outstanding. Unfortunately the service on Sunday was pretty terrible. You can usually count on Oswald to have excellent, gracious service. So that’s why we were surprised when we got subpar service on Sunday. Hopefully this was just an aberration.

We had a stupendous dinner 2 years ago for D's bd and our suprise return for the V-day FEAST to be remembered was even better. Despite the lack of marrow bones. We'll be back for more.

Excellent service, fantastic cocktails and wine selection, marvelous food.

Salty, salty, salty scallops but everything else was delicious!

The food was delicious, really worth the money. The flavor was so well balanced and the cooking was perfect. This was the perfect special occasion dinner spot for my and my boyfriend!

Delicious dinner, drinks and great service. Highly recommend!

Food and drinks are always good. Thank you.

Can't wait to eat here again! The black cod was to die for!

Oswald could be an awesome restaurant if it had another location. The entrance is situated directly by a sewage manhole. The stench of raw sewage wafts thru the door every time it is opened. It made the whole experience rather disgusting

Anniversary

Must have came on a bad night. They were short staffed so service was really slow. Food was just good, but wasn't as amazing as it has been in the past.

Found this place on trip advisor while I was in the area for work. Limited menu which tells me they do few things really well. Did not disappoint. Don’t leave without getting the chocolate soufflé! Wish I could remember my waitress’s name because she was lovely as well :-)

We recommend Oswald to anyone who asks for a place to enjoy a really great dinner. Hands down, this is our favorite, go-to restaurant in Santa Cruz. The food is always phenomenal, the staff (especially Danielle and Josh, but honestly everyone we've had contact with there) are always friendly, professional, and on top of it. We couldn't ask for a better experience for our nights out. Don't let the prices discourage you, it's worth every penny for the meal and drinks they'll provide. Quality from start to finish.

I enjoyed our dinner there mostly because of the ambiance and the service. The food itself I thought was over priced, the $70 prix fixe (with out drinks) menu was not a value deal for a main entre of skirt steak and fries. Nonetheless, we did enjoy the ambiance and service on a festive night, but the bill was a high for what it was.

New Years Eve prix fixe dinner was perfect for us! We enjoyed the festive atmosphere, good service and delicious food and drinks. Especially enjoyed the crab fettuccini! Very happy we picked Oswald’s for our last dinner of the year.

As with past experiences, food was excellent at Oswald. Unlike past experiences, however, service was sub-par from beginning to end. To begin with, we had to wait for several minutes before a hostess appeared to confirm our reservation and take us to our table. Once we sat on the table, nothing happened for a good five minutes. Then our server finally appeared and told us about the one special of the night. She returned to take our order and then the appetizers came before the bottle of wine we ordered was brought to the table. And then we had to ask twice for our water glasses to be refilled. Overall, service was rather poor this time, and the restaurant was not even completely full.

Food and service was good. Poor selection. Pricey.

Perfection

Fantastic service!

Oswald is always fantastic!