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Ratings and reviews

RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

Details

PRICE RANGE
S$41 - S$67
CUISINES
Italian
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options, Vegan Options
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meals, features, about
Reviews (151)
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75
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12
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7
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Traveller rating
75
38
12
5
7
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All reviews tiramisu pasta dishes delicious italian food parmesan cheese pinot grigio attentive service appetizers ucsc pepper
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Reviewed 21 June 2023

Wonderful service and food. Our family ate lunch at 2 pm after graduation at UCSC. Our family of 7 includes one vegetarian and one autistic child with food challenges. We couldn’t have been happier. Wonderful place to eat in Santa Cruz!

Date of visit: June 2023
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Reviewed 8 January 2023 via mobile

A thoroughly delightful evening at Cafe Mare: inviting atmosphere, delicious Italian dishes from appetizer through dessert, delightful and attentive service, and a new found favorite cocktail. If you want more detail, continue reading. If not, just go. :) Just enjoyed an entirely delightful evening meal...at Cafe Mare. We were welcomed into their open, well lit space with a warm Buona Sera! Veronica, our server, expertly recited the extensive speciality menu and explained them in delicious detail. We settled on the Sicilian cracker and anchovy appetizer with lightly dressed arugula which was bright and flavorful and the Cozze e Vognole with its beautifully subtle broth as appetizers, a perfect pairing for this blustery and rainy evening. We then shared the well prepared and not overly rich, delicious chanterelle mushroom risotto to accompany another round of the Sicilian anchovy Primi Piatti as our entrees, with glasses of Pinot Grigio and Chianti. For dessert we thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate soufflé and tiramisu, with its fresh chocolate shavings. As we sipped our coffee, we thought our meal complete, but then we saw the table next to us had ordered an interesting cocktail, a “smoked old fashioned”. We were all in. I know it’s on as a pre-dinner cocktail, but truly, it ended the taste of our meal on a perfect note. I highly recommend the smoked old fashioned as an after dinner drink… Cafe Mare for its delicious Italian food… and for it’s charming, knowledgeable and attentive staff. (Mr. Farquhar, our busser, was the best!!) It was a great place to spend our 27th wedding anniversary and we will be back when we return to Santa Cruz. Ciao!More

Date of visit: January 2023
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Reviewed 28 November 2022 via mobile

Came to the bar for my friends birthdays. The staff lost my credit card immediately. They were rude and accusatory, possibly due to the fact we were the only Black people in the bar. They said they would comp the beers but I wanted my...credit card back. I left, they called later saying they had my card. I woke to $48 charged to the card. I went back in to retrieve my credit card and the woman working was rude and didn’t have any idea where my card was and the manager was “unavailable”. Im baffled they treat customers this bad! Honestly the worst most hostile experience I have had. These people should be ashamed of themselves!More

Date of visit: November 2022
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Reviewed 14 June 2022 via mobile

Location is nice. Food is not great. Had Aperol Spritz (more soda than prosecco). Service is compétent, but not exceptional. Had two unremarkable pasta dishes. This place has been around for a while it appears, but it's probably lost a step.

Date of visit: June 2022
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Reviewed 13 April 2022 via mobile

Let me be clear, the food was excellent and could not be faulted. However the service didn’t live up to chef’s efforts. We turned up on a Tuesday evening around 8pm, without a reservation but there were plenty of tables to spare. We probably waited...2/3 minutes for the person controlling the tables to “greet” us. I have to say that she appeared more interested in chatting to people at the bar and later on in the evening eating her dinner at the bar. This might be normal practice in the US but it wouldn’t happen in Europe. There was no engagement and I witnessed a similar, almost surly attitude to other diners as the evening progressed. Our waitress took our orders and having ordered a bottle of Corona, a red wine appeared, which she replaced once I pointed out I had asked for a bottle of bear - perhaps my English accent got lost in translation. Both my wife and I ordered pasta dishes and when they were delivered we were asked if we required anything else. We asked for Parmesan cheese and pepper ie from a pepper mill. We had to wait and then remind our waitress regarding the cheese and when the pepper didn’t arrive we decided it was just too much bother to ask for this as well. Took the edge off the evening and our first visit to Santa Cruz. Hence the 3 out of 5 score.More

Date of visit: April 2022
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Reviewed 9 December 2021

I went back to Santa Cruz as I had not been there in years and missed living in the town. Not much has changed, which in the case of Cafe Mare is good. Their food is still as excellent as I remember. Simple, but delicious...and very very Italian -- which I love. The seafood pasta was delicious and had copious amounts of seafood. Adding a small spoon to get the most out of the clams is a nice detail. The affogato was very good, although the gelato could have been creamier. Overall a wonderful experience.More

Date of visit: December 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 24 October 2021 via mobile

My wife and I tried Cafe Mare for the first time on a busy Saturday night. Our server was very nice. We greatly enjoyed the cheese and olive appetizer. The entrees were great also as was my wife’s smoked old fashioned cocktail. The prices were...reasonable for what we got. All good.More

Date of visit: October 2021
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Reviewed 1 May 2021

We felt well cared for at Cafe Mare during a recent visit to scope out UC Santa Cruz. The food was lovely, fresh and flavorful, and the desserts were inventive and delicious. But what made the difference was the attentive and friendly service. Sitting outside...on a brisk spring, socially distanced evening, we were happy to have the space heaters nearby. We enjoyed a relaxed meal and speaking with our waiter about Santa Cruz, Italy, the challenges of the pandemic and life in general. While our daughter won't be attending school nearby, we plan to visit the area again for vacation, and will make Cafe Mare a destination.More

Date of visit: April 2021
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Reviewed 19 May 2020

We went down the coast for a drive and ended up in Santa Cruz, CA. Found Cafe Mare doing takeout so we ordered their special pasta, two Bruschetta plates and two Pinot Grigios. The inside was cozy and well laid out Since they were closed...to inside dining, we sat alone at their outdoor tables and had lunch. The pasta was unique with a fantastic sauce and the toast was covered with delicious chopped tomatoes. . If we lived in Santa Cruz, this place would be a favorite haunt.More

Date of visit: May 2020
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed 2 March 2020

I should have known when the place was virtually empty for lunch at 1pm that this was not the place to enjoy lunch with my family. The food was expensive and so very bland. The lasagna was completely overcooked and dry. Really disappointing. The bread...was stale and the olive oil was low grade. The only good thing was our waiter who was extremely polite and attentive. We spent $100 for four for lunch without ordering wine, drinks, or dessert. Not cheap and not good.More

Date of visit: February 2020
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed 6 January 2020

Live in Santa Cruz…very lucky but even 1…1 1/2 hr drive is worth it (San Jose, Salinas, Monterey Peninsula etc.) and we live in Carmel & when we want a trip to Italy but don't have the time & want to save the plane fare,...we come here. So many Italian restaurants in Boston, New York, SF etc. have Latins as cooks and although trained by Italians, I still prefer the meal cooked by a native Italian and that’s who you have here, and even more enjoyable for me he is from Fuscaldo, Calabria, some 10-15 min from Cetraro where the entire Paternal part of my family is from. And most of the the staff is native speaking Italians and the owner is Calabrese and our favorite waiter is his nephew, Luca, who circles the floor to ask if everyone is happy with their meals. What is my opinion worth? Have been going to Italy the past 20-25 years for at least a month and it is not place for a diet and Cafe Mare serves food that many times I found better than places in Italy. Being here I can close my eyes, Italian music in the background, Italian being spoken by waiters & the beautiful different plates of delicious Italian food being taken to the tables of customers make me feel like I am in Italia. The smiles on their faces indicates they love the food. I can’t say we have favorite dishes as everything we have had there is delicious. For example, their bread is awesome and I use it also for doing La Scarpetta, "Faccendo La Scarpetta" is enjoying what many in Italia consider the best past of the meal, sopping up the remaining sauce of a meal. "Scarpetta" is a little shoe and when it scoops up the sauce it is magical like Cinderella putting on her glass slipper. I prefer the Italian word "Scopa" which means broom. But, I recall my Grandfather telling me that in Southern Italy 100 years ago that many people were so poor and so hungry they felt like eating their shoes( made from leather from animals). We have had meatballs(as good as my Mother made), Clams & Mussels, Gnocchi, Pasta Putanesca, Calamari steak just to name some dishes we like. But our preference and we usually share everything is their Lentil soup with carrots & celery, Spaghetti al Pesto & Pollo(chicken) Marsala. We were very full but we needed to have the "Tiramisu" which means to toss me up in the air with the intention of a "pick me up" to make me happier. Well, after some generous pourings of wine with the meal and an Espresso Corretto( Espresso with Sambuca) to enjoy with this delectable delicacy, I was euphoric.More

Date of visit: December 2019
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Reviewed 11 December 2019

We were pleasantly surprised to return from Italy and find such a gem like Cafe Mare! We went for my birthday and all the food was fresh and served with care and attention. The setting is a block off Pacific Avenue and is quite spacious....I have to say I loved conversing in Italian with the entirely Italian staff. Check it out! Its Amore!More

Date of visit: October 2019
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Reviewed 8 December 2019

I came here to meet a group of friends for dinner early evening 5pm - so the place was pretty empty. Our waiter had a great Italian accent and was attentive. 2 of us came after the rest of the group ordered and we expected...that our meals would lag behind the rest. The red wine we chose was good, but for me, $20 for spaghetti and meatballs, I had high expectations. Apparently some of their pasta is made fresh in house, but the spaghetti I had didn't have such a claim on the menu and did not taste fresh. If you're going to be an authentic Italian place, then I think fresh pasta should be the norm. The meatballs were tasteless, no spice or discernible seasoning whatsoever and the cut/grind of the meat was rough. The sauce was a medium red, not rich and dark or complex in any way. I ate the whole thing because I was starving but regretted it after the fact. I also shared a Ceasar salad with my friend who had the veal scallopini for $25. The Ceasar was ok, not outstanding for $12. One person at our table had the steak which I believe was over $40. Spaghetti and pesto also ran $20. $6 extra if you wanted chicken with it. Crazy! No one raved about their dinner. For these prices, I expect excellence. I would not come here again. On a positive note, the kitchen was willing to take orders that were not on the menu and there are gluten free options.More

Date of visit: December 2019
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed 22 November 2019 via mobile

We ate here on our overnight stay in Santa Cruz looking for a good Italian restaurant The restaurant itself is nice, it’s a quite little Italian restaurant close to downtown The staff were very nice and extremely attentive to what you needed. The food unfortunately...was bit hit and miss, I had a pasta it could of been cooked a little more but overall was very nice, however my family had lasagna which wasn’t that good and definitely needed more cooking time. Couldn’t say I’d tell people to come here but would say to try if they wantedMore

Date of visit: November 2019
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Reviewed 10 October 2019

It was a really nice restaurant with exceptional service, food and atmosphere. Highly recommend it. They are dog friendly if it is small.

Date of visit: September 2019
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Cafe Mare, Santa Cruz - Restaurant Reviews, Phone Number & Photos - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Cafe Mare

Cafe Mare is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4.5