Ristorante Avanti

Kori Sinclair

My friend and I ate here to celebrate. Robin and Mia were incredible and tolerated all of our stories. I had the ricotta ravioli, which was lovely. We tried 4 of the desserts. The mousse and lemon tart were my favorite. The atmosphere is beautiful, the staff was incredible. We’ll have to visit again when we’re in town.

FW TXW70

Traveled last week to Santa Cruz from Texas, this place was truly amazing. The hostess was also our waitress and the staff made our experience wonderful. Stop by and you will be blown away. Thank u guys!!!👏👏

Wow great dinner last night. Had the squid ink pasta just amazing. Great service and fig noir perfect cocktail. Highly recommend

I love Avanti! The food is pure quality. Farm to table is hard to find in this area. The menu is always different and unique. The homemade pasta is incredible and there’s something on the menu for everyone. The remodel is beautiful and the ambiance is an experience. I love the Italian servers! They’re full of personality!

I have been coming to Avanti for years and can't say enough good things about the food and experience. The service is fantastic, welcoming and knowledgeable. It is ideal for both larger family gatherings or quieter romantic meals. On our last visit we enjoyed the fresh and tasty burrata, and the crispy and perfectly tender calamari fritti for starters. My son had the seafood puttanesca which was packed with flavor. My wife had a steak which was seasoned and cooked to perfection. I had a fish that was one of the weekly specials that was paired with a delicious sauce and vegetables. My wife and I love the wine selection as well. Having lived in Santa Cruz most of my life, I have found a few restaurants that have become firm favorites, and Avanti remains at the top of the list. If you went through our photo albums, it would be the backdrop for countless birthdays, graduations and anniversaries but even if we didn't have a special occasion to celebrate the meal would still be special and memorable. The fried chicken on Sundays is also something that is dangerously addictive and should not be missed.

This is by far the coolest restaurant in the entire city of Santa Cruz. The owner and all the entire team there are so friendly and chill. On top of that, I like the modern style of the building itself and the well-done grounds. Go for the vibes if nothing else.

Curbside appeal isnt great but everything else is wonderful! Inside is relaxing, clean, and well decorated. Food is a good and creative! Menu changes to allow for things in season. Currently, tomatoes are sweet and taste homegrown. Service was fast!

I can’t give this restaurant enough starts for the service and food. I was part of a very large group this evening and the waiter was the kindest most professional employee I have met. Thank you!! Thank you to the staff at Avanti for cooking not only 3 delicious courses but appetizers as well. From the moment we sat down to our courses being served everything was fresh and hot. Thank you.

Avanti is our go to date night spot. If I go too long without going I start dreaming about their delicious dishes. I consider Avanti one of the best restaurants in Santa Cruz because of their craft cocktails, amazing service, and Italian dishes using fresh, local ingredients. My favorite dishes include the seasonal brussel sprouts, lamb meatballs, and fried chicken. Avanti also offers a great dining atmosphere with an inviting vibe both inside and outside on their patio.

Rana Ghana

This is by far the coolest restaurant in the entire city of Santa Cruz. The owner and all the entire team there are so friendly and chill. On top of that, I like the modern style of the building itself and the well-done grounds. Go for the vibes if nothing else.

Brianne B

I can’t give this restaurant enough starts for the service and food. I was part of a very large group this evening and the waiter was the kindest most professional employee I have met. Thank you!! Thank you to the staff at Avanti for cooking not only 3 delicious courses but appetizers as well. From the moment we sat down to our courses being served everything was fresh and hot. Thank you.

Val Almeida

Wow great dinner last night. Had the squid ink pasta just amazing. Great service and fig noir perfect cocktail. Highly recommend

Gopala Walker

I have been coming to Avanti for years and can't say enough good things about the food and experience. The service is fantastic, welcoming and knowledgeable. It is ideal for both larger family gatherings or quieter romantic meals. On our last visit we enjoyed the fresh and tasty burrata, and the crispy and perfectly tender calamari fritti for starters. My son had the seafood puttanesca which was packed with flavor. My wife had a steak which was seasoned and cooked to perfection. I had a fish that was one of the weekly specials that was paired with a delicious sauce and vegetables. My wife and I love the wine selection as well. Having lived in Santa Cruz most of my life, I have found a few restaurants that have become firm favorites, and Avanti remains at the top of the list. If you went through our photo albums, it would be the backdrop for countless birthdays, graduations and anniversaries but even if we didn't have a special occasion to celebrate the meal would still be special and memorable. The fried chicken on Sundays is also something that is dangerously addictive and should not be missed.

Cynthia Creech

Curbside appeal isnt great but everything else is wonderful! Inside is relaxing, clean, and well decorated. Food is a good and creative! Menu changes to allow for things in season. Currently, tomatoes are sweet and taste homegrown. Service was fast!

Heather Thompson Smits

I love Avanti! The food is pure quality. Farm to table is hard to find in this area. The menu is always different and unique. The homemade pasta is incredible and there’s something on the menu for everyone. The remodel is beautiful and the ambiance is an experience. I love the Italian servers! They’re full of personality!

My partner and I have been to Avanti many times. We started with the creamed broccoli soup (dairy-free) and was delicious. The duck dinner I had was the best meal I have had there. Not only was the duck delicious, but the cooked vegetables (broccoli, zucchini, and salad) were excellent. And on the side were very good potato latkes, possibly as an homage that this week is Chanukah. Though my partner's chicken fusilli wasn't as good as her usual lasagna that she orders, it was still pretty good.

Stephen Morris

My partner and I have been to Avanti many times. We started with the creamed broccoli soup (dairy-free) and was delicious. The duck dinner I had was the best meal I have had there. Not only was the duck delicious, but the cooked vegetables (broccoli, zucchini, and salad) were excellent. And on the side were very good potato latkes, possibly as an homage that this week is Chanukah. Though my partner's chicken fusilli wasn't as good as her usual lasagna that she orders, it was still pretty good.

Food was good but took a VERY long time to arrive after we ordered. Wish I had ordered something else as the chicken/pasta dish I got wasn't for me.

Pat Ward

Lovely local Italian place. Fresh food choices, good service, nice wines.

Bryan Souza

Food was good but took a VERY long time to arrive after we ordered. Wish I had ordered something else as the chicken/pasta dish I got wasn't for me.

Avanti is a smaller restaurant with a nice vibe. The service was good, but the food was just ok. We ordered a Caesar salad to split. The dressing could have used some more lemon juice to balance out the flavor. It was much too rich tasting. My wife had the lasagna and again it was somewhat mediocre. I had the GRASS-FED BEEF TENDERLOIN | with garlic and rosemary, potatoes Au gratin, and grilled asparagus. It was done as requested, but I really could not taste the beef. The rosemary sauce was very overpowering. So much so, that I could not even taste the garlic. The overpowering of the rosemary was still evident even after I removed as much of the sauce as I could. It was a disappointing entree, especially for $44. The potatoes looked good, but not to much flavor. The asparagus was phenomenal however. Overall, this was a disappointing experience for us. I do not think we will be making the drive over to the west side again to go there. Too bad "Your Place Farm to Table" restaurant is now closed on the west side, that was one of our favorites.

S.C. Lou

Avanti is a smaller restaurant with a nice vibe. The service was good, but the food was just ok. We ordered a Caesar salad to split. The dressing could have used some more lemon juice to balance out the flavor. It was much too rich tasting. My wife had the lasagna and again it was somewhat mediocre. I had the GRASS-FED BEEF TENDERLOIN | with garlic and rosemary, potatoes Au gratin, and grilled asparagus. It was done as requested, but I really could not taste the beef. The rosemary sauce was very overpowering. So much so, that I could not even taste the garlic. The overpowering of the rosemary was still evident even after I removed as much of the sauce as I could. It was a disappointing entree, especially for $44. The potatoes looked good, but not to much flavor. The asparagus was phenomenal however. Overall, this was a disappointing experience for us. I do not think we will be making the drive over to the west side again to go there. Too bad "Your Place Farm to Table" restaurant is now closed on the west side, that was one of our favorites.

Went there for Valentine’s Day, had a reservation but had to wait an hour. gnocchi was good, but was a bit overcooked. Mushroom risotto was yummy! The service was alright, could be better especially for valentines weekend!

The food was mediocre but overpriced. The cheese plate hors d'oeuvres were the best part of the meal, but the bread was inedible and hard as a rock. The wine selection was ok, and the strawberry lemonade was so tart that my wife couldn't stand more than a sip. Overall, it was overpriced for the quality. You'd be much better off going to Tremonti or Casa Nostra to satisfy an itch for Italian.

Owen Laprecia

The food was mediocre but overpriced. The cheese plate hors d'oeuvres were the best part of the meal, but the bread was inedible and hard as a rock. The wine selection was ok, and the strawberry lemonade was so tart that my wife couldn't stand more than a sip. Overall, it was overpriced for the quality. You'd be much better off going to Tremonti or Casa Nostra to satisfy an itch for Italian.

Kim Hoang

Good ambience and service! Food could have been better. I got the gnocchi which was a bit oversalted while the meatballs in the other dish were undersalted.

So that was weird. We went to get a cocktail and an appetizer and a $200.00 gift card. Ended up ordering a meal and the lasagna special to go. The bartender was very nice but was not trained properly and did not know the special was for in person dining only. The manager came up to us and made us very uncomfortable by delivering the salad in the special with the salad dressed even though we requested it be on the side. She rudely told us the special was not for “to go” like we should know better or something. Have not been to Avanti in 15 years and probabaly will wait another 15 before we go back. Also the whole place feels tired. Oh and when they finally gave us the lasagna which we then boxed to go she informed us it was not the meat option we ordered. There was no apology or offer to change it for the correct one. Bizarre and awkward .. spent $340.00 with the gift card. Hopefully my client s have better luck with the gift card.

I have been to Avanti many times for special occasions, which is why this visit was so disappointing. We brought our family to celebrate my two grandchildren’s birthdays, and the food quality was noticeably worse than in the past. Our waitress accidentally spilled drinks on the table, soaking three of us. When replacement silverware and napkins were brought out, they had blood on them. Shortly after, the waitress’s blood actually dripped onto my arm while taking our order. She was very apologetic, and we were kind and understanding, even leaving her a good tip, but this was a serious health and cleanliness issue. What was most disappointing was that no manager ever checked on us. We ordered drinks, appetizers, mains, and dessert, yet despite everything we went through, not even the children’s birthday gelato was comped. Avanti needs to do better with food quality, cleanliness and management oversight.

Ria Byrne

I have been to Avanti many times for special occasions, which is why this visit was so disappointing. We brought our family to celebrate my two grandchildren’s birthdays, and the food quality was noticeably worse than in the past. Our waitress accidentally spilled drinks on the table, soaking three of us. When replacement silverware and napkins were brought out, they had blood on them. Shortly after, the waitress’s blood actually dripped onto my arm while taking our order. She was very apologetic, and we were kind and understanding, even leaving her a good tip, but this was a serious health and cleanliness issue. What was most disappointing was that no manager ever checked on us. We ordered drinks, appetizers, mains, and dessert, yet despite everything we went through, not even the children’s birthday gelato was comped. Avanti needs to do better with food quality, cleanliness and management oversight.

Ari Lessin

So that was weird. We went to get a cocktail and an appetizer and a $200.00 gift card. Ended up ordering a meal and the lasagna special to go. The bartender was very nice but was not trained properly and did not know the special was for in person dining only. The manager came up to us and made us very uncomfortable by delivering the salad in the special with the salad dressed even though we requested it be on the side. She rudely told us the special was not for “to go” like we should know better or something. Have not been to Avanti in 15 years and probabaly will wait another 15 before we go back. Also the whole place feels tired. Oh and when they finally gave us the lasagna which we then boxed to go she informed us it was not the meat option we ordered. There was no apology or offer to change it for the correct one. Bizarre and awkward .. spent $340.00 with the gift card. Hopefully my client s have better luck with the gift card.