515 Kitchen & Cocktails - 515 Kitchen Santa Cruz
515 Kitchen & Cocktails
515 Cedar Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 425-5051
| Hours | Mon-Fri 4 pm - 2 am; Sat-Sun 10 am - 2 am |
| Cuisine | Greek, Mediterranean, American, Californian |
| Price | $11 - $30 |
| Parking | Street |
| Dining Style | Casual Dining |
| Payment Accepted | Visa,Master Card,Discover,American Express, Cash |
| Meals | Lunch, Dinner, Late-Night, Weekend Brunch |
| Reservations | Yes |
| Santa Cruz Delivery | No |
| Santa Cruz Take Out | No |
| Santa Cruz Deals | Happy Hour Everyday from 4-7 pm $3-$5 Apps & Drinks (includes Rolls, Cocktails, Beer & Wine) Call to confirm specials beforehand. If there are any errors, please Contact Us here. |
515 Kitchen & Cocktails Santa Cruz - Summary:
(from 515santacruz.com) The 515 can be a marvelous world of adventure and magic. It can be a much needed romantic get-away for you and someone you love. The 515 can even be a quiet place to meet up with friends and enjoy the best Cocktails that Santa Cruz has to offer. Whatever your reason, the 515 is indeed a place fitting for any occasion… we welcome you to explore our site and then check out the awesomeness first hand.
(from metroactive.com) The ideal Sunday brunch always includes a sun-drenched spring day and mimosas, and this past weekend couldn't have offered a more appropriate setting for the occasion. We eagerly ascended the stairs at 515 Cedar St., passively wondering why, at 11am on a weekend downtown, this appealing alfresco perch was far from packed, but mostly we were just hungry and ready for the picture perfect Sunday brunch the day denoted.
With our drinks ordered and the hot rays pouring down onto our sun-starved limbs, this meal began beautifully. My mimosa ($6) with tart, fresh juice was sparkling with a good ratio of bubbly and garnished with a seductive blood orange. Dave's coffee came in a stylish stainless steel press pot, full of strong coffee ($3), yet without the bitter overroasting that is so common these days. The menu featured a well designed mix of meat and vegetarian options throughout the breakfast fare and lunch-y salads, burgers and pizzettas, all containing "whole, organic meats and produce" in classic yet innovative combinations.
Both of our selections were delicious, prepared per ordered with obvious care as to the quality of ingredients. My polenta benedict ($8) featured a large, plump round of fried polenta, crispy on the outside and creamy soft inside, topped with earthy ribbons of chard and two, brightly yolked poached eggs. This tower was liberally covered in a rich feta cream sauce that was an equally suitable pair with the home-fry medley of various sweet potatoes with succulent crunchy skins. The absence of preserved lemon as described on the menu was attributed, I'm sure, to the previous issues discussed.
Dave's filet mignon and eggs ($15) was also excellent. The quality cut of meat was tender and flavorful, again, without the balsamic glaze mentioned on the menu but it was hardly missed. Two perfectly easy eggs and a pile of vertically cut, slightly overcooked fingerling potatoes accompanied his filet along with a sliver of buttery toast with tangy, dark cherry jam.
515 Kitchen & Cocktails Santa Cruz - Reviews:
Positive 515 Kitchen & Cocktails Santa Cruz Review:
The brunch at 515 is an unkown gem. Intimate setting, fire places downstairs and upstairs. Service depends on your waiter. I have had great service and so so service.
Food served for brunch is straight forward, ingredients are good quality. Prices are fair. The fruit served with brunch as an extra is excellent. Scrambles are very tasty and big pot of french press coffee is devine as you hang out by the modern fireplace in comfy chairs. It is intimate inside so I would only reccomend to smaller groups.
Have yet to go for dinner. I suspect I would be disapointed.
My rating takes into account general lack of well run resturants in Santa Cruz County. It's worth checking out if you are a local. If you go in with more refined taste that you would expect in a bigger metropolitain city you will be disapointed, but for Santa Cruz it has potential. Especailly if your not in a hurry and want to hang out for a nice liesurely brunch with another person.
-Grant P., Santa Cruz, CA
Great Brunch. I tried the dinner twice and was very disappointed. This is one of my favorite places for breakfast. The food is nicely portioned and it looks beautiful. I recommend eating on the patio or in the Miles Davis room. They make the best bloody mary's I have ever had. Yum!!!
-Raye S.., Santa Cruz, CA
Negative 515 Kitchen & Cocktails Santa Cruz Review:
What terrible service! I had been for brunch and it was delicious so I decided to go there for dinner and drinks with friends and this decision I will regret for a long time.
To start when we arrived the reservations were messed up after they had called to confirm twice. Then the waitress didn't bring glasses for water until long after we ordered and after we had asked numerous times. The drinks came at different times and took much longer than they should have. The hors d'oeuvres came after the main dishes and this too we had to remind the waitress about. Then she came to drop off the dessert menu and it was covered in food and grease. The waitress refused to cancel a drink order that she had implied was free (did i mention it was my birthday?) and she rudely replied "don't worry about the drink you can all split the cost and each pitch in a couple bucks" as she walked away from the table. Icing on my deflated birthday night was the tossing of the check on the table without a word from the waitress. By this point I wasn't surprised to see that there was over a 20% gratuity included. Although I will admit that the food is good they often don't have many of the items on the menu and the food is too expensive to be delivered with attitude. Don't go! And especially not if it is your birthday. :-(
-Emilee T.., Scott's Valley, CA
Average 515 Kitchen & Cocktails Santa Cruz Review:
Really hit or miss.
Sometimes the service is great. Sometimes you wish you could just put in your own order. Nice decor, but needs updating...the daylight tells the story of how the place really looks and its scary. KInda like its sister, The Red.
But the reason I'm writing is that everyone should know that they have great new cocktails--warm ones. Ginger snaps, chocolate, YUMMMMM! Really good for a cold winter night...when you can't see what that purple couch really looks like.
Also, best brunch in town, if you can get someone to take your order and bring it to you.
-Stella S., Santa Cruz, CA
515 Kitchen & Cocktails Santa Cruz - Photos:
