Malabar Café

Internet Person

Couldn't wait to take a pic of the food it looked so good. I had the Yellow Curry w/Snapper and it was amazing. There was an acoustic band playing that was pretty nice. Very nice restaurant, staff, and atmosphere. A bit pricey but the excellent food made it worth it.

Amy Vincent

The food was amazing. They had so many vegan options. We got the nassi Gorin and peanut boda. Both were incredible! Such an underrated place.

Lizzy

Got the Peanut Boda, Gobi Manchurian, and Vegetable Curry, all were amazing and full of flavor. The service was very good too. Highly recommend and we will be coming back to try many more dishes!

Dan Galpin

A Santa Cruz classic. Vegetarian Sri-Lankan/Asian fusion with style. Don't miss the Tempeh Lala, the Salad Rolls, and the various veggie Kofta.

sonam “Basiga” famarin

Wednesday night at Malabar. We met at 5pm, opening. Comfortable ambiance. We ate delicious food and stayed a little longer just talking. We didn’t feel rushed. Average price per person, with a beverage was $20. But then again, I had samosa and shared a pear salad. The homemade ice cream was the real treat! All vegan and vegetarian cuisine!

Jeena James

Got a few appetizers and a rose. Everything was delicious and freshly cooked! Great gem of a place

This is one of our absolute favorite food places in Santa Cruz. My husband and I go there often and we love the owners as well! It's a husband and wife who own the business. They are incredibly kind and always offer us incredible service. Their food is unlike anything I have ever had in the best way possible! It's incredibly unique, and I always feel like a I am getting comfort food with rich flavors! We have all our foodie friends go there and they love it as well. Some mention it may not be traditional Sri Lankan food, but who cares! It's amazing! The owner also mentioned they are purposely experimental and innovative! Not sure where the bad reviews are coming from! :) I'm afraid they must be mistaken lol or quite misunderstood the circumstances!! Seriously I would argue some of the best service in town and kindest people. I truly hope people continue to give Malabar a shot as we want to see our beloved restaurant continue to thrive. 💗

Arrived to a odd looking restaurant and were seated quickly. While busy, the restaurant never felt cramped and the tables were spacious and the seating comfortable enough. We were then greeted by entertainingly surly service which provided more than enough entertainment for the evening. The range of food on offer was amazing and the quality even more so. The food arrived rapidly and was devoured even more rapidly as it was mind blowingly tasty. Would say without hesitation that this is the best vegetarian restaurant I have ever been to and likely the best full stop.

Excellent food in a beautiful tranquil space. The menu has unique and perfectly prepared dishes that are well thought out and cooked with experience. The calamari was tender and crispy, the fish was fresh and perfectly cooked. We asked for a spicy curry and it was so well done with a slow building spice that was strong but complex and enjoyable without overwhelming the veggies or seafood. Chai was equally excellent. Mango salad may be my new favorite appetizer of the year. I took my Mom here for Mother's Day and it was ideal.

The food was so good I went twice within two weeks. The second time, my friends and I got multiple appetizers, 4 entrees, 4 drinks and two desserts so we could try a bunch of things, and each dish was better than the last. We also really liked the wines/beer. The menu can be overwhelming, because everything sounds so great. If you have trouble picking, ask the server/owner what you should get. He will lead you in the right direction. The food is really excellent, and prices are great

My first time at this restaurant was one I'll always remember. The service was fast and the head chef even came to offer his advice on the menu. I'm sure some people might want to choose exactly what they want to eat, but if you take the chef's recommendations, you wont be disappointed. We did take his reccomendations and I couldn't have been happier. We had a few small plates and three entrees and they were brought out individually, making it feel like each one was a separate course and it allowed you the time to dive into the flavor and experience of each dish. The service almost felt like an omakase. Their non alcoholic drinks were equally impressive. I had a basil coconut shake that was to die for. I was honestly surprised this place wasn't packed out the door with the complexity of flavors they are offering. The spot is a little bit hard to notice from the road, maybe a sign you can see when you drive past would bring more people in, and I'm sure once they taste the food they will come back for more, just like I will be soon. Easily in my top 3 restaurants in Santa Cruz

Haven’t been to Malabar since 2020 due to Covid so to be back felt so good. Great service, so very friendly and attentive. Food brought so much life and flavor to each bite. We always bring a new friend with us to dine at Malabar because EVERYONE should sit and enjoy a meal here. Such a great “secret” place of Santa Cruz. Definitely need to give it a try if you haven’t yet.

Alexa Thornstrong

Haven’t been to Malabar since 2020 due to Covid so to be back felt so good. Great service, so very friendly and attentive. Food brought so much life and flavor to each bite. We always bring a new friend with us to dine at Malabar because EVERYONE should sit and enjoy a meal here. Such a great “secret” place of Santa Cruz. Definitely need to give it a try if you haven’t yet.

Lothar Reeves

Excellent food in a beautiful tranquil space. The menu has unique and perfectly prepared dishes that are well thought out and cooked with experience. The calamari was tender and crispy, the fish was fresh and perfectly cooked. We asked for a spicy curry and it was so well done with a slow building spice that was strong but complex and enjoyable without overwhelming the veggies or seafood. Chai was equally excellent. Mango salad may be my new favorite appetizer of the year. I took my Mom here for Mother's Day and it was ideal.

Annie Peissner

This is one of our absolute favorite food places in Santa Cruz. My husband and I go there often and we love the owners as well! It's a husband and wife who own the business. They are incredibly kind and always offer us incredible service. Their food is unlike anything I have ever had in the best way possible! It's incredibly unique, and I always feel like a I am getting comfort food with rich flavors! We have all our foodie friends go there and they love it as well. Some mention it may not be traditional Sri Lankan food, but who cares! It's amazing! The owner also mentioned they are purposely experimental and innovative! Not sure where the bad reviews are coming from! :) I'm afraid they must be mistaken lol or quite misunderstood the circumstances!! Seriously I would argue some of the best service in town and kindest people. I truly hope people continue to give Malabar a shot as we want to see our beloved restaurant continue to thrive. 💗

Gavin Gibson

My first time at this restaurant was one I'll always remember. The service was fast and the head chef even came to offer his advice on the menu. I'm sure some people might want to choose exactly what they want to eat, but if you take the chef's recommendations, you wont be disappointed. We did take his reccomendations and I couldn't have been happier. We had a few small plates and three entrees and they were brought out individually, making it feel like each one was a separate course and it allowed you the time to dive into the flavor and experience of each dish. The service almost felt like an omakase. Their non alcoholic drinks were equally impressive. I had a basil coconut shake that was to die for. I was honestly surprised this place wasn't packed out the door with the complexity of flavors they are offering. The spot is a little bit hard to notice from the road, maybe a sign you can see when you drive past would bring more people in, and I'm sure once they taste the food they will come back for more, just like I will be soon. Easily in my top 3 restaurants in Santa Cruz

Esra Mescioglu

The food was so good I went twice within two weeks. The second time, my friends and I got multiple appetizers, 4 entrees, 4 drinks and two desserts so we could try a bunch of things, and each dish was better than the last. We also really liked the wines/beer. The menu can be overwhelming, because everything sounds so great. If you have trouble picking, ask the server/owner what you should get. He will lead you in the right direction. The food is really excellent, and prices are great

Max Emery

Arrived to a odd looking restaurant and were seated quickly. While busy, the restaurant never felt cramped and the tables were spacious and the seating comfortable enough. We were then greeted by entertainingly surly service which provided more than enough entertainment for the evening. The range of food on offer was amazing and the quality even more so. The food arrived rapidly and was devoured even more rapidly as it was mind blowingly tasty. Would say without hesitation that this is the best vegetarian restaurant I have ever been to and likely the best full stop.

The fusion of sri lankan food. The devil shrimp was good not spicy though, and the msian fried rice was awesome. The masala chai can be improved as we expected strong steamimg tea with more spice flavours, but it was quite subtle. Otherwise loved their potato dosai, Kerala fish. The owners were awesome too.

The food here is amaaaaazing. Everything I've tried from the menu was delicious. I love their variety of vegan options. My favorite was the seven vegetable curry, which was well balanced in flavor and texture. I would give five stars, but the service wasn't great. They had to take our drink orders and food orders twice, and brought us the wrong wine.

Vegetarian menu.. Good, friendly and an almost unique homely-like service... dessert is different every two weeks and is special... food was good...

Mahalingam Rajasutha

The fusion of sri lankan food. The devil shrimp was good not spicy though, and the msian fried rice was awesome. The masala chai can be improved as we expected strong steamimg tea with more spice flavours, but it was quite subtle. Otherwise loved their potato dosai, Kerala fish. The owners were awesome too.

Lillie Lemon

The food here is amaaaaazing. Everything I've tried from the menu was delicious. I love their variety of vegan options. My favorite was the seven vegetable curry, which was well balanced in flavor and texture. I would give five stars, but the service wasn't great. They had to take our drink orders and food orders twice, and brought us the wrong wine.

N A

Vegetarian menu.. Good, friendly and an almost unique homely-like service... dessert is different every two weeks and is special... food was good...

Dishes were all on the sweeter side. Dal Soup was just Indian Kali dal tadka.

The ambiance is ok Food variety is not that great. Vegetarian you might think there are many options but it didn’t taste great the curry was not well cooked and there was no bread to eat with it. Portion size is also small for the price Service is ok

Debranee Mitra

Dishes were all on the sweeter side. Dal Soup was just Indian Kali dal tadka.

vinod palan

The ambiance is ok Food variety is not that great. Vegetarian you might think there are many options but it didn’t taste great the curry was not well cooked and there was no bread to eat with it. Portion size is also small for the price Service is ok

Doing a coastal road trip. Ate there with the family. Taste was average. Owners were friendly and helpful in ordering and steering us away from super spicy foods. Wishing for better tasting food and a larger menu selection. Hopefully they can improve on that. We had 2 appetizers, 2 vegetarian entrees, one shrimp entree and another fish entree. For the quality of food I felt it was a bit overpriced but no biggie.

Surfing Soul

Doing a coastal road trip. Ate there with the family. Taste was average. Owners were friendly and helpful in ordering and steering us away from super spicy foods. Wishing for better tasting food and a larger menu selection. Hopefully they can improve on that. We had 2 appetizers, 2 vegetarian entrees, one shrimp entree and another fish entree. For the quality of food I felt it was a bit overpriced but no biggie.