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    Persephone

    4.3 (259 reviews)
    PriceyNew American
    Closed 5:00 pm - 8:30 PM

    Persephone Photos

    Business Info

    PERSEPHONE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Classy
    Quiet
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Persephone

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    Truffled Pasta
    Jake B.

    We loved our experience here. Between two of us we split an appetizer and two mains, and that was a perfect quantity for food. The beet and artichoke soup was delicious, and beautifully plated. The braised short rib was phenomenal and rich. We really liked the truffle pasta as well! Great place to have a celebration meal, will for sure be back!

    Interior of restaurant.  Charming and chic!
    Mary A.

    A meal to remember! My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Persephone last night. Everything was exquisite and we can't wait to take our friends to enjoy this restaurant with us. The gazpacho was flavorful and very special. My husband joked that he wanted to order a gallon "to go". My chicken risotto with grapes sautéed with rosemary was truly one of the best dishes I've ever eaten. Can't say enough about this truly inspired meal. Start to finish everything was delectable. Big kudos to our server Eli as well. Beautiful ambiance, impeccable service, delicious food--5 stars plus!!

    Cheeses
    Jojo H.

    It's our first time here. We've been wanting to come since we move to SC. We've been to all fine dining in Santa tuz area and Aptos, this is the last place and we all checked the box. This place is on our top 5 for sure. Glad we dine here tonight. Everything is delicious especially the short ribs. I would give 5 stars but the next table to us are loud (Millennials) one of them is wearing sleepers, they're loud and kind ruined our peace, We are Definitely coming back.

    Trout

    Food was excellent as was service and ambiance. Our server George was teriffic conversation and his food suggestions hit the mark, seared steak and catch of the day, trout. We had a corner table for two with window - perfect. Thank you Persephone!

    Focaccia with hummus and olive oil
    Mindi G.

    My husband and I have heard good things about Persephone, so we decided to have dinner there for our anniversary. The setting is lovely and the food was good. I would go back, but there are other local restaurants that I would choose first. We had an early reservation on a Saturday, so parking was easily available in their small lot. We were warmly greeted and were seated at a cute table in the corner. We were served water and house-made focaccia. The focaccia comes with hummus as well as olive oil with balsamico. The server returned to take our order. Other than bringing our food, the server was not intrusive. As starters, I had the Parmesan custard with pea purée, pea shoots, and radish. It was mild and enjoyable. The purée did not have a lot of flavor. My husband started with the beet and artichoke soup, which he thought was delicious. For our entrees, my husband had the catch of the day, which was sole, and I had the risotto. My husband said that the sole was fishy and I would not have liked it. My risotto was so hot that I burned my tongue, so I had to move it around and let the steam release for a while before I could eat it. It was very creamy and the artichoke gave a nice punch of flavor. Otherwise, the pieces of chicken seemed over cooked and didn't have a lot of flavor. The dish was fairly one-note, other than the artichoke. Visually, the risotto lacked color and appeal. Maybe some fresh asparagus or peas would brighten the appearance. For dessert, my husband had the almond cake with strawberry and rhubarb and I had the chocolate gelato. The gelato was very chocolatey and creamy! My husband loves strawberry and rhubarb; he said the cake dominated his dessert. The setting, service, and food at Persephone are all very nice. The food highlight was probably the soup. In general, a very pleasant experience and good food.

    inside

    such an enchanting night, truly the best thank you the art was inspiring the food was amazing burrata refreshed my palette

    Beef, Mushroom and Farro Soup (with chicken that day)
    Amy K.

    We walked in on a Wednesday night. Enjoyed dinner here. They have quite an extensive list of wine. I ordered the catch of the day which was a sole with polenta and romanesco. Boyfriend ordered the chicken stuffed with porcini mushrooms. The highlight was the soups! We ordered the chicken with farro soup and the beet artichoke. Loved the soups a lot and the main courses were good but not show stopping. I would eat here again and the service was excellent. You should try it if looking for a fair priced fine dining experience in Aptos.

    Bree G.

    My boyfriend and I celebrated our anniversary here and it was such a sweet experience. I had always wanted to try Persephone and we finally made it in after our former reservations elsewhere were canceled last minute. Such a delightful plan b and I HIGHLY recommend for a special evening. The wait staff was youthful, sweet, and so darling. They took very good care of us and I appreciated ALL of their efforts. They did not go unnoticed. The food was high quality, rich, and creative (see photos). I hadn't done a fine dining experience in a long while. So if you're seeking a fancy and special night out, this is the place for you.

    Salad
    Lexi R.

    About a 3.5 star experience: My husband and I stop by for lunch and chose to sit outside. I love their outdoor patio area! It's so quaint and relaxing! The service is here is also really great! Now onto the food... For appetizer, we ordered the Parmesan Budino which was easily my favorite part of the meal. I've never had Parmesan custard before, but it tasted pretty much exactly as it sounds and was delicious! 5/5! We also got a salad that I was not a fan of and for $16, felt like a rip off. It had literally 6 pieces of greens on it. Mostly bread, a couple bites of tiny squares of sweet potato, and such a small serving of cheese that my husband and I ate all the cheese offered in one bite. Would not recommend at all. The sandwich we chose was the Toscano, which came with chicken, provolone cheese, and some greens. Chicken was slightly on the drier side but not too bad. The basil pesto and red pepper jelly blended really well together. I'd give it a 3.5/5.

    Stuffed Chicken with Apricot Compote

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    Excellent Service and Beet soup is a must. Along with cheese platter and short rib straganoff

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    Alex P.

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    Alex P.

    Thank you!

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    1 year ago

    Excellent quality and fresh food, wonderful service such a welcome addition to the local dining scene

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    Alex P.

    Thank you so much! We look forward to seeing you back!

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    Alex P.

    Happy Anniversary! So glad you enjoyed everything!

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Persephone

    Do you have a bar area where you can eat dinner? Asking as a solo diner.

    Hi! Unfortunately we do not have a bar area but we are happy to seat you solo at one of our tables for 2!

    Do you have heated outdoor seating?

    Yes they do! Nice outdoor area with warm tall heaters.

    Do you allow dogs when dining on the patio?

    Yes dogs allowed on patio =)

    What is the expected attire for eating here?

    I don't know that it's expected, but it's nice to be in something other than jeans and a tshirt, leggings, etc. Look nice...chinos, nice shirt, nice pants on the ladies, or a sporty dress.

    Does Persephone serve any vegan dishes? I'm not but my fav dining companion is.

    We always make sure our Vegetarian dish and a soup and salad can be easily adjusted to be made vegan friendly. If none of those choices are to your liking just give us a couple days notice on the reservation and we can make a special dish.

    View All 7 Questions

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    Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen - Beachside

    Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen - Beachside

    3.7
    (190 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    Let me tell ya, the Tempura Maitake took me on a flavor experienceeee. I tried each of the…read moreingredients separately first. The butternut curry polenta was genius and flavorful, yet needed a dash of salt. The beet greens were tender. The pomegranate sumac gastrique was yummy but there was wayyy too much and it was overly sweet. The Maitake mushroom itself was crunchy but could use some finishing salt. From a visual perspective, it was brightttt and beautiful but I wonder if being able to see the top of the mushroom would have been more appealing to the eye than the base stem. When trying all the dish's components together, the flavors danced and invited curiosity, especially with the bite of mint. A little more salt and just a drizzle of the gastrique would balance the dish perfectly I can tell the chef had fun crafting the that dish as it was seemingly the most expressive one, definitely worth a try! The weather was so gorgeous and the patio is definitely the place to sit, especially cause of all the doggos. Staff was attentive and the vibes were chill.

    Loved the bright windows, open concept, clean aesthetic with seaside color vibe, and the VIEW!…read moreThere is a reason half the walls are glass: so you get a view of the beach and, depending on when you're there, the sunset. Venus is a fine dining establishment but the wait times for service once we were seated and cold service were unexpected at such a nice place. This was our first time here, so hopefully we caught this server on a bad day. She also brought out our appetizers and entree at the same time, which was shocking. Due to this, we felt like we had to eat quickly so the entree didn't get cold. We often order several plates and share all the time, and never has any other restaurant brought every dish out at once before! This was the first. **THE DETAILS** Venue: 5 stars The venue is quite beautiful. You can't beat a place that is on the same street as a beach! Location: 5 stars It is literally AT Rio Del Mar Beach! Parking wasn't terrible, but the lot is tiny, so I can see it becoming difficult to park at certain times. Crab coquettes: 1 star It was so dry, I couldn't even finish one of them. It was hard to eat. Also, you can smell the crab, but you don't taste it. I did appreciate that our server gave us a heads up that these coquettes are not made like crab cakes, but we still didn't know this was a red flag warning to not get them. (Consider this a warning, my friends!) Instruction for eating: each bite must be followed by 3 gulps of beverage. Calamari: 2 stars I looooove calamari, but the ratio of squid-to-batter was off. There was too much batter, and it was thick and over-fried that with each bite, you don't get to enjoy the squid. If you want something crunchy and salty though, this appetizer is it. Miso salmon over coconut rice: 3 stars The salmon was tender and flaky, and cooked well. The skin was crunchy and flavorful. The coconut rice, however, was very mushy, like it was cooked with too much liquid. This was a disappointment because we ordered the miso flavors of the salmon knowing it would pair well with the coconut rice, but the texture of the rice was that of baby food. The bok choy was fresh and added a brightness to the dish. All in all, it was an okay dish, but not for something costing over $30. Cocktails: 5 stars All were delicious. (Venus makes their own gin!) Service: 1 star Slowwwww like molasses. Other than seating us, which was an our fault for not having reservations, we had to wait over 15 mins for a server to acknowledge we existed, then another 15 mins to get water after she said she was going to bring us water. It was a hot day, and there was no breeze or air conditioning in the restaurant, so I mentioned to our server that I was very thirsty, but we sat there for 30 minutes at an empty table with just our menus. It was perplexing. Like I mentioned earlier, the appetizers and entree were all brought out together, which made us feel rushed to eat faster so the food wouldn't get cold. (The server should have asked if that's how we'd prefer to be served and not assume this.) Different people, not only our server, would place items on our table, like drinks, and each person did it without saying anything and without smiling. They also placed items down on the table startlingly hard. (I made a joke to my friend that they don't like us here the first time it happened, but when this happened multiple times, it was no longer funny.) **OVERALL** I think the scene is great (venue/location) and drinks are great. The food items can be hit or miss. The vibe, however, is what YOU make of it because the service is lacking. Table service needs re-training. I think Venus is a good place to go for the bar and maybe some bar food only.

    Photos
    Dining room with a view!
    Dining room with a view!
    Crispy fish sandwich cut in half
    Crispy fish sandwich cut in half
    Thai mushroom soup

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    Thai mushroom soup
    Trestles Restaurant

    Trestles Restaurant

    4.5
    (433 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$$

    Trestles is outstanding. The service is quite good and the setting is cozy and modern…read more But the food is outstanding. Everything we had was top notch. We ordered: - The grilled artichoke - local artichokes are great, but this preparation was outstanding. It tasted as though it had been wood roasted, then dressed with citrus and delicious anchovies. This was my wife's favorite dish of the night - The wedge salad - you can get a wedge salad at many places, but theirs is really exceptional. The lettuce is crisp and fresh, the eggs are thinly strained, which make for a wonderful mouthfeel and flavor with the green goddess dressing. The crispy bacon, croutons, and sunflower seeds make for a nice contrast in texture - The brick chicken - this is one of their signature dishes, and for good reason. The chicken is tender and moist (likely brined in advance) and grilled crispy, flattened with a brick. The vegetable and polenta that accompany it are very tasty in their own, and together the rich chicken, slightly bitter green vegetable, and creamy polenta make for a wonderful and deeply flavorful bite. - the smores cup - this was really good. The mousse is a very rich dark chocolate pot de creme and the marshmallow fluff is torched perfectly. The finely ground graham crackers make for an elevated version of the smore in each spoonful - the crème brûlée cheesecake - this was equally excellent. The cheesecake is fluffy and light, the creme brûlée top gives a nice crisp, the crust is crumbly and delicious and there was a fruit sauce on top (maybe rhubarb) that tied the whole dish together

    They have a rotating menu. We found out that it was changed on Saturday, 06/06/2026, as we were…read moreseated. Drinks - Hugo Spritz - 5/5: Citrus foward, with a mint finish, and a some bubbles in between. Extremely refreshing. - Paper Plane - 4.5/5: Balanced and smooth. Bourbon up front, not too sweet, and a bright finish. - Trestles Kitchen Beer Fund 10/5: This is to buy a round for the kitchen/staff. I love that management includes this on the menu. Starter - Tuna Tartare Tacos 4/5: The green apple is a nice touch, for which I had to revisit the menu to identify. The heat at the end was welcomed. Entrees - Carmelized Cauliflower 5/5: This dish was deligjtful! It was savory, with the nuttiness of the roasted cauliflower being enriched by the hazlenut and sesame, while the parsley and splashes of citrus added light freshness. The textures were a great mix of creamy with some crunch from whole garbinzo beans. - Brick Chicken 4/5: The chicken was buttery and well seasoned. It was moist, and the skin had a great crispness. The knock would be the polenta, which did not seem to be as seasoned or cheesey. Dessert - House "smore" 5/5: Decadent, rich, and a strike between sweet and savory. Our walk back was mostly a conversation about we should have ordered more. - Tiramisu Causcasian Cocktail 1/5: We would not get this again; it seemed like a lightly whipped creme over ice with a dash of nutmeg. The meal was really great, but the service was on another level. Shout out to Abbie who saw us taking pictures before we were seated and deduced what we were celebrating; it added to our excitement. Cecelia jnocked it out of the park with the recimmendations, and made sure that we were taken care of while letting us also have our personal space and time. The runner was also great, and we saw staff covering for one another. Between that and how the dishes were timed, the managememt and training was on full display. We are far from local, but look forward to returning.

    Photos
    Open concept kitchen
    Open concept kitchen
    Crispy pork belly (soy glaze, apple puree, jalapeno - $19)
    Crispy pork belly (soy glaze, apple puree, jalapeno - $19)
    Halibut with asparagus and fava bean puree (daily special)

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    Home

    Home

    4.3
    (386 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$$

    Wow! I forgot to review this wonderful restaurant. I was here on December 23, 2025, with my…read moreyoungest granddaughter and friend, and again on April 7, 2026, with my family, to celebrate my Bday. The patio is full of gorgeous green plants and flowers. We felt like we were sitting in a garden. The inside appears to be a house, converted to a restaurant. It all kinds of unique and quirky decor. We were treated very special at both visits. The 1st time it started raining while we were seated on the patio, so they moved us inside and gave fresh everything. Our April visit, we were seated in an almost exclusive patio dining area, for 6 people. All of staff were lovely. We initially chose this place for the Bloody Mary's which are superb. But, it is also a really good brunch choice. From eggs benedict to salad to sandwiches. Everything we ordered, both times, was really good. I'm going to look for the photos now.,

    Wow. What a surprise. One of the best restaurant dinners I have had in a while. Visiting from LA…read morefor the weekend. Super creative dishes, great farm to table flavors, and good value for large shareable portions. The all California, mostly local wine list is amazing, and great pricing with many bottles at $50-60. A few small flavor misses on our selections (habanero ice too spicy for the oysters, abalone taste a little lost in the excellent riff on cassoulet) Fun, quaint atmosphere eating outside in the garden. I actually wish we had a 2nd reservation here this weekend so I could try more dishes.

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    Home
    Lasagnette ($30)
    Lasagnette ($30)
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    Beet Risotto Fritter with black lentils
    Cafe Cruz

    Cafe Cruz

    4.0
    (1.1k reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    Never judge a book by it's cover. The front looks old and is windowless, but it's a totally…read moredifferent scene once you step inside. It's huge with a lot of seating. It looks like it would be a great place for large groups. We have never been here before and were confused as to where to park. The front area has 2 or 3 spots but I don't know if they're for customers. We found a drive way that led to the back of the restaurant that is shared by several businesses. The service was great. Everyone was very friendly and our server gave us really good feedback on the dishes we asked about. Someone was always walking around filling water glasses. We sat in the back patio. It's very spacious with a lot of umbrellas to keep guests in the shade. My husband had the meatloaf sandwich. He said it was ok, but a little dry. I really enjoyed the roasted mushroom and avocado melt, but it was hard to eat. Every time I took a bit, all the other ingredients would spill out. Lol I took out some of the greens to make it more manageable. The calamari was well seasoned and the Rock Fish Ceviche was our favorite. We'll come back to try their dinner service when we're in the area.

    We had a very good meal and absolutely outstanding service which earned Cafe Cruz a solid 4-star…read morerating. I had the spicy Devil's Ginger vodka martini with the calamari appetizer and with dinner, the Lava Top Sauvignon Blanc ($13), a perfect complement to the swordfish. My swordfish was perfectly sautéed in a tapenade beurre blanc sauce ($40) with deliciously creamy and decadent polenta and buttery chopped bok choy. The way they served the bok choy was perfect- never change it. It was artsy, buttery and didn't look wilted. My son had the grilled boneless pork chops (two boneless chops) with fries and smoky beans ($28), loved. He devoured the berry fruit crisp à la mode for dessert ($12) and I had two small bites: It was like granola over compote with ice cream. I didn't complain. The best part was the incredibly flawless service. We could have felt rushed dining since it was towards the end of service. Instead, Genevieve paced the meal perfectly so we felt spoiled and unrushed. Next visit I would love to dine in their "secret garden" courtyard; it was beautiful. Their 'secret garden' would be beautiful for a private party like a birthday or wedding anniversary, bridal or baby shower.

    Photos
    Cafe Cruz
    Seafood Bouillabaisse
    Seafood Bouillabaisse
    Patio view

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    Patio view

    Persephone - newamerican - Updated June 2026

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