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Mentone

3.8 (411 reviews)
Closed • 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
Updated over 3 months ago

Mentone Photos

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MENTONE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Trendy
Classy
Moderate noise

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Recommended Reviews - Mentone

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Fancy!:)
Lizz H.

This review is much over due. While the visit was a bit ago... the memory is like yesterday. It was that satisfying. Elegant, classy and romantic. Full bar, casual atmosphere with exceptional food. Brought to you by Michelin Chef David Kinch and Santa Cruz local. Mentone is located in the newer Aptos Village area. A sweet addition to the Santa Cruz region dining scene. My food was delicious. An elevated and untraditional caesar salad started off the meal. I loved it! Radicchio... yum. Then the star of the show. A wood-fired, delectable Margherita pizza. Crust soooo fantastic. Memorable to the last bite. And of course an unforgettable, lovely Italian red with which to savor it all. Service was impeccable. Professional and our waitperson was knowledgeable about everything Mentone. Checking in just at the right times. She definitely added to the pleasing rhythm of the meal. The ambiance is stunning. Low lights and exquisite art work. Nice spacing between seating. My fondest memory... being able to meet David Kinch and share a photo at his very cool bar! Such a nice and approachable person. I want to go back soon! 2026 here I come:). You will want to also.

Casey K.

What a great place in Aptos Village. When you walk in the restaurant is nice and bright and welcoming. My boyfriend and I visited on a Friday evening. We luckily found a spot at the bar and ordered drinks and the stracciatella with local olive oil and focaccia. OMG this was delicious! I would come back here just for this! We also had the margherita pizza with mozzarella di bufala and parmigiano reggiano. This was rather tasty too! The staff was very attentive and friendly throughout our visit. Overall a great spot and I highly recommend it if you're in the area!

Margherita pizza
Selina T.

This place blew me away. I was on a local girls trip in Santa Cruz and my friend made us a reservation here for dinner. Everyone from the hostess to our waitress was super friendly and the food was phenomenal. I had the mentone martini which I highly recommend. For food we ordered the Margherita pizza, sardenaira pizza, arugula salad, eggplant starter (my fav!), stracciatella (yum!) and broccolini. While everything was delicious I absolutely loved the eggplant. Overall, it was the perfect setting for me and my high school besties to catch up and have a wonderful night. Thank you Mentone! I hope to be back soon!

Ree M.

This was our second time dining at the restaurant. Our first visit was back in 2020 during Covid, when we sat outside. We'd been wanting to return to experience the indoor ambiance, so we decided to visit again for my birthday. Unfortunately, the restaurant did nothing to acknowledge the occasion, which was disappointing. The cocktails were excellent, and the pizza was delicious. However, the portion size of the gnocchi felt small for the price. Service was inconsistent. Our server disappeared for long stretches, and we noticed several staff members gathered behind the bar chatting. I asked a server to describe one of their sparking wines & she was unable to do so. She mumbling something, then walked away. Overall, the experience fell short of expectations. A simple gesture, like a candle on the dessert, would have gone a long way. Sadly, we won't be back.

Polenta was smooth and creamy (and missing one bite because I couldn't wait!)
Annie T.

Love love love Mentone! What a gem in the heart of Aptos Village. Chef Grubbs creates not only delectable Italian fare, but also beautiful plates as well. I've always appreciated plates that consider the visual of a contrasting colorful drizzle on a plate or the impressive towering shavings of cheese on a salad, for example. They're beautiful without trying to be. Right when you step inside, the restaurant transports you to Italy with its large room, filled with the sounds of happy people eating, and framed posters decorating the walls. Mentone is one of the only restaurants where everything I order is delicious, from salad to dessert. Everything. And the service is always excellent and authentically homey. Mentone is truly a special place.

Kenneth C.

I've been here a few times now, including one instance at the bar for cocktails and light bites. The food here is consistently excellent, as you would expect from a place started by a 3* Michelin chef. The irony is, I have yet to have the pizza here. I will try on my 4th visit - I promise :). One of my favorites here is the polenta - such great flavors and texture. The cocktails here are also meticulously and deliciously prepared. Mentone will not disappoint!

Ravioli
Reese M.

Mentone is always a 10/10. Staff, food, service is always excellent! The margarita pizza is a standout.

Gina G.

Great service, very attentive and quick service. Right when we got there they asked what kind of water we wanted. Server explained specials to us and she recommended some starters as well and yummy drinks. Will be back soon! It's such a cute little fun place inside even though it's still fancy.

Caesar
Maricarmen C.

Been wanting to try this place out for some time now, and finally got the chance. It was a bit of a colder night with drizzle, so it was indoor seating only. We arrived 15 minutes before our reservation, and were told we couldn't get seated until the time we reserved. It did look pretty busy, and seems like seating is somewhat limited. We were quickly greeted by our server, who walked us through the menu. We went with a Margherita pizza and a Caesar. I believe all food options are meant to share. The Margherita was delicious, I just wish it had a bit more cheese. They did offer to add some type of special cheese, but I decided to opt out of it. The Caesar was delicious. I loved the croutons. Parking is limited, but there is some street parking. Overall, I really enjoyed my dining experience here and am extremely happy with the food!

Old Fashioned
J H.

The eggplant appetizer was hands down the best eggplant I've ever eaten. We followed with an arugula salad, that was bright and crisp. The soppressata pizza was highly recommended and did not disappoint. Just the perfect amount of spice. Finished with the lemon curd which just writing about makes my mouth water. Can't wait to come back!

Tripe & Polenta

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The food is great! The portions are very small so you end us spending a lot to try many dishes. Wait staff is wonderful

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Mentone Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Mentone

Is the lunch menu the same as the dinner menu?

No, it's different. You can see both menus on the website.

Do they have any gluten free options?

Limited, but yes! Everything there is delish! Check out the online menu...

I have a party of 7 and they require $20 per person deposit. If I need to cancel, do I get a refund?

I do not know - you would have to ask the restaurant. I expect they will want a minimum advance notice

Do they have outside seating with heaters right now? And do they take reservations for outside?

They do have them but, they are very low to the ground and pretty wimpy. They claim that the fire marshal would not allow them to use the tall propane heaters that most restaurants use for outdoor spaces. And, yes they do take reservations for the… Read more

Do they offer gluten free options?

Last time I checked they did not

Are dogs allowed on the outdoor patio?

Yes! They love dogs and will bring them their own water bowl. Our dog loved visiting!

View All 9 Questions

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Service: 5 stars - our server and bus person were both very friendly and prompt…read more Food: 3.5 stars. We went for lunch on a Sunday and the menu was very sandwich-forward (which is fine). We brought an out-of-town friend who was hoping for some seafood, but the only offering was a fried fish sandwich. I was happy to see that the sandwiches came with a mixed-green salad or fries for no extra charge. My spouse ordered a Reuben. The bread was amazing and the meat was good, but it wasn't saucy enough and they skimped a little on the sauerkraut. I had a cup of white bean and leek soup with a "market" salad. The soup was delicious - I wish I'd had just a big bowl of that. The market salad was pretty phoned-in for a $16 item. A pile of mixed greens, over-dressed in vinaigrette, with a few apple slices, a couple of halved grapes, and a decent amount of feta. Kind of disappointing, but tasted fine (if boring). Drinks: 4.5 stars. Decent beer selection (some from Fruition and the usual Uncle Dave's, always a favorite). We opted for a cocktail, since it's a distillery, and had a tasty gin drink with strawberry and basil. Refreshing. A little more of a "daquerie" vibe than I was expecting. The cocktails were reasonably priced compared to other places we've eaten. Ambiance: 4.333 stars. Cute, modern place with huge windows. Nice views of the ocean, which is just across the parking lot.

I enjoy coming here because it's so close to the beach and usually like to sit on the patio and…read moreenjoy the sunshine and lunch. This last experience dining we decided to try out a bunch of starters to share and drinks. The pitcher of beach don't kill my vibe was really good, it's like pink lemonade. I think it is premade because it came out very quickly. The crispy pork belly was the best thing we had, 10/10 recommend. It is sweet, and the mustard greens go great for a bitterness. It was such a flavorful dish. The foccacia is also delicious, it came with 3 pieces and it's warm and crunchy but soft! I really liked the shrimp cocktail, the waitress said they poach them and the texture is like buttery goodness. I swore I tasted a smokiness to them too, they definitely had some sort of seasoning on them. Would get these 3 items again!! I wasn't that into the bean and leek soup, wasn't very flavorful and I didn't finish it nor order this again. My friend also got the clam chowder and he didn't like it either, it was watery. The soups were a miss here. The calamari wasn't the best either, it's a light batter but not seasoned, the cocktail sauce was good though. Had lots of horseradish! Our server had a great personality, she was outgoing and didn't make anything awkward when we let her know we weren't feeling the soups. She handled the situation well and with grace. I would give this a 3.5 stars! I still enjoyed my meal and will return in the future.

Sanderlings - Steak & Eggs

Sanderlings

(523 reviews)

$$$

Service was 10/10 Vibe was 10/10…read morePadre fan..eh Giants game was on 100% All kidding aside we had great service sitting at the bar, ordered food (burger + fries + side salad) and drinks. It wasn't overly busy but Colin was attentive and quick. Music was a vibe, Kelsey was informative. All in all we stayed longer than we planned because of Colin's impeccable service and hospitality. Thank you for the fun times, we enjoyed ourselves!

Time for an update! (5- star Review, 6/2/2021)…read more Sanderlings remains one of my favorite go-to restaurants when I am in the Santa Cruz area. Ambiance: Ocean view! Beautiful outdoor patio (doggies welcomed). Located inside the elegant Seascape Beach Resort. Food/Drinks: I have sipped and dined here many moons before my first review of Sanderlings. That amounts to a lot of food and spirits. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. And drinks on the amazing covered outdoor space created perfectly for dining and relaxing (nice HH). The food has ALWAYS been great. Cross my heart and hope to die:). Delicious, fresh ingredients and prepared to my liking. Served within a reasonable time frame. Large and varied unpretentious menu. Zero complaints. And this includes outdoor, indoor or bar seating. Customer Service: Excellent! All these years the employees working here have been consistently professional. Their goal is to provide the best dining experience possible. And they do. Menu knowledgeable. I have always had them "check in" numerous times to ensure my satisfaction. Elevated service is the norm at Sanderlings. (A shout out to server Filiburto who has been there at least four years and is just so wonderful.) Thank you, management, for providing not only a beautiful environment to dine but also fine food and lovely customer service.

Mentone - italian - Updated May 2026

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