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    VIM Dining & Desserts

    4.7 (295 reviews)
    Closed • Closed
    Updated 1 month ago

    VIM Dining & Desserts Photos

    Business Info

    VIM DINING & DESSERTS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - VIM Dining & Desserts

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    Jessica W.

    Came here with five other girls on a Sunday for their tea party brunch that we booked in advance. This is something that you have to do with the girls or on a date or with family. For a fixed price of 75 dollars you get a choice of two teas and all these small food items and desserts. Everything was so delicious and my compliments to the chef that did all these small desserts. I left feeling full and happy! Waiter was also very friendly and tentative and the customer service there was amazing. Thank you!

    Tyler J.

    Came here for my father's birthday and I have to say I was absolutely blown away. Everyone was very welcoming and the custom menus were a very nice touch to celebrate the occasion. The food was delicious, great flavors and unique combinations that excite the palette, the watermelon was a big highlight for me. In addition the desserts are amazing, the head chef was a pastry chef I am not mistaken and it really showed! Everything was so tasty and well made. This will not be my last visit, I look forward to coming back hungry for more!

    Special birthday menu
    Roya J.

    Color me impressed. If you follow me than you know I have expectations based on price point and this place didn't disappoint. It actually impressed me!!! Great service, wonderful ambiance, well made cocktails and every plate was exceptionally prepared. Now, my usual disclaimer, if you're not a foodie you might not feel the same. I say this as I was talking to someone and he fully acknowledges he eats for survival and isn't a foodie, but came here for his girlfriend. He felt it was okay and would've preferred his usual pizza spot, but his foodie girlfriend loved it. And no matter how full you are order dessert, it's what the chief was trained in and it shows.

    Birthday fudge brownie cupcake
    Daryl N.

    I am starting by saying, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this restaurant. 3/15 was the first time ever we went to Vim to celebrate a birthday. The ambiance is formal casual, very clean, low lighting, can be very romantic, and a great place to celebrate anything and everything. Food was great, everything was so delicious. The menu had great descriptions and also let you know what cocktail or and wine pairs well with your food choice. We ordered the pork tenderloin and the bass, the pork was so tender, great flavor, spiced very well. The bass was buttery melt in your mouth, and cooked so well Service was great, Lisa was attentive, helpful, brought everything on time and made some great suggestions. The service from start to finish was wonderful. I will visit again next time I am in Santa Cruz and recommend this restaurant for anyone who is looking for good food and great service

    Fig Marsala Chicken
    Robert A.

    We went for our Anniversary Dinner and could not have been more pleased. Everything from the personalized menu, the welcoming nature of the venue and the staff, the knowledge and friendliness of our server and most importantly the quality and flavor of the meal was spectacular. We enjoyed complementary sparkling wine to celebrate our Anniversary. We shared an amazing pomegranate lamb meatball appetizer with the most amazing zaatar biscuit. For dinner we fig Marsala chicken - which was perfectly cooked. We also had a vegan spinach stuffed eggplant which was an explosion of flavor but still delicately in balance. The desserts looked amazing but we were too full to partake.

    Scones and cakes for tea brunch
    Cynthia B.

    We came here for the first time for the Mother's Day tea. This was the perfect first experience. We didn't initially get a reservation and the day was sold out. But, we asked to be on the waitlist and luckily got a reservation. The restaurant quickly transports you from Mission Street to a beautiful afternoon tea. Although not an inexpensive meal, it was well crafted with beautiful details of edible flowers and vegetarian options. I wish I had tried Vim sooner. When we left we had the pleasure of meeting Chef Jessica. It's fun to support such a talented female chef. It was a true delight and the highlight of my Mother's Day.

    yuzu glazed chicken

    absolutely outstanding flavors, service, ambiance and cuisine. everything we ordered was so tasty and beautifully plated. such unique dishes with flavors that paired so well together. our waitress, Isa, is so kind, bubbly and knowledgeable about the dishes and restaurant. she really guided us through our experience here and gave amazing recommendations. we look forward to coming back to try other things on their menu :) come check them out!! 10000000/10

    Cherry burrata
    Jonathan B.

    First impressions: it's an odd room setup. A hip looking bar separated to the left and a pony wall dividing the dining room into two parts. We sat in the smaller section which is more private but no real ambiance beyond the funky checkerboard floor. There's an outdoor patio too. We started with the cherry burrata. What a burst of flavors! Curry in the biscuits and chili in the jam kick up the pork belly. In. My. Belly. We each got the 6oz filet with mushroom gravy, and loved it. Doesn't seem like big portion but it was plenty filling. The Vim chocolate cake was outstanding. It's been a month and I can still remember the peanut butter frosting and toffee crunch. Very rich, so plenty big to share. If you're celebrating a birthday, they give you a complimentary cupcake. Ours knocked our flavor socks off - a rich caramel chocolate cupcake with decadent cream cheese frosting. We were told the birthday cupcake flavor changes daily. The food all seemed fresh and seasonal. The cocktails were strong. For a fine dining place, they don't have many wines by the glass (a common issue in Santa Cruz). It's a well run restaurant. The staff are knowledgeable and there's a good pace to the service. Reservations are usually needed but bar looks like first-come, first-serve.

    David H.

    The only thing better than the staff is the food!. Best restaurant in Santa Cruz!!!!!!

    Carrot cake

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    4 months ago

    Best meal we've had in Santa Cruz, and that's over the course of many years and many meals

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    Ask the Community - VIM Dining & Desserts

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    Avanti Restaurant

    4.0(150 reviews)
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    i've lived in santa cruz for four years now and this has been my absolute favorite restaurant…read moreduring this time. as this chapter of my life is closing, and i'm getting ready to start the next, i just knew i had to come again and bring my partner who has never been in before. for starters, all of the staff we interacted with were very kind. the host sat us promptly and handed us over to our server, cassandra, who thoroughly impressed us with her impeccable memory of all the specials, provided great suggestions, and gave us even greater service throughout the evening, and also enzo who kept our table so nice & clean! the weather was so perfect, we just had to sit outside! it was nice to see the restaurant so full and lively on a weeknight. the flow of business was so consistent, you just know something is being done right here! now, the service & ambience were great but we really came here for the food and the kitchen staff did not hold back. i felt like i was living through an episode of chef's table. while i always switch up my entree, my go to's at avanti are the olives & focaccia paired with an espresso martini. i've had an embarrassing amount of espresso martinis but this is still the best i've ever had. the bread and olives were divine, but so too were the salmon cakes we ordered on a whim. they were crispy on the outside and moist on the inside! next, we shared the new york steak and ricotta ravioli. the steak was wonderfully tender and the potatoes that came with it were truly nature's gift to humanity. the ravioli were also so tasty my partner had to physically restrain me from licking the plate clean but the final boss was really the dessert. i've actually never had dessert from avanti but i was feeling especially glutinous and ordered two -- the lemon tart and the butterscotch budino. the lemon tart was subtly sweet and effortlessly zesty and i'm so glad we tried it, however, the butterscotch dessert truly sent me to flavortown and i'm not coming back! (i'm probably coming back) thanks avanti!!

    Had an amazing experience here! The restaurant was very understaffed while we were there, which was…read morenot their fault, and it did take awhile to get seated. However, once we were seated (at the bar), our waitress was attentive and did a great job. Super enjoyed their all day Happy Hour for Tuesday (if you don't go on Tuesday, go during Happy Hour). They had great specials and a lot of really tasty sounding dishes. Ordered the Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower and both had great flavors and were cooked perfectly. We would absolutely go back and try more items! Would also recommend to anyone in the area for an upscale dining experience.

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    Avanti Restaurant
    Avanti Restaurant - My delicious cucumber strawberry margarita that wasn't too sweet and had so much flavor!

    My delicious cucumber strawberry margarita that wasn't too sweet and had so much flavor!

    Avanti Restaurant - Espresso martini

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    Bad Animal - Smashed cucumbers

    Bad Animal

    4.3(184 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    •$$$

    Came by on a whim tonight while we were waiting for another restaurant to open. My spouse inquired…read moreif by chance they had any tables for 2 and I guess it was just meant to be as they happened to have a late cancellation that allowed us to slip right in. Love the atmosphere and vibe... fine dining amidst aisles and aisles of used books, and 80s music to accompany your dining experience. We ordered... * Courgeres -- 2 Cheese filled choux pastry (like a lighter fluffier version of Brazilian cheese bread) * Artichoke & Maitake Crostini -- 2 pieces. Very tasty, but mostly tasted the Maitake mushroom and not so much of the artichoke. * Miso Cod -- Yummers! Perfectly baked miso black cod over rice with pickled cucumbers and microgreens. * Chicken Schnitzel -- Perfectly crisp, not greasy, tender chicken. Pairs nicely with the spicy mustard cabbage remoulade. Our server Colleen was very helpful and attentive for our first visit. They have a selection of wine & beer, but we decided to go with our own bottle ($30 corkage) done we couldn't find a good wine value to to our taste. Look forward to coming back to try some new dishes.

    Went for a weekend trip to Santa Cruz and took a chance on Bad Animal. Service was great, but be…read morewarned they are very busy so getting a table can be tough. They just switched to their fall menu and decided to try eggplant crostini, fries with garlic and lemon, gougeres, and the incredible corn. Food is incredible, the ambience is lively for a book shop. If you appreciate classic literature, there's a lot of cool options from novels to photo books, to collections of old playboys and essays from renowned authors. If you have the chance to go, it's worth a detour!

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    Books upon books!

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    Yellow curry with tofu

    Bad Animal - Inside (9/14)

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    VIM Dining & Desserts - newamerican - Updated September 2026

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