Downtown Soquel just went up another notch as a wine and food destination with the opening of VinoCruz. A beautiful remodel, wooden slab winebars and great selections of Santa Cruz wines for tastings and purchase. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and the wine selection is wonderful, representing the entire Central Coast wine region. Its definitely large enough to require more than one visit to sample them all. The food was great too, served as a selection of small plates. Don't expect dinner, this is not what Vinocruz is about. But there is enough to not go hungry. I hesitantly ordered the lamb habanero meatballs as I normally dislike a spicy heat level, but I was assured that they were not and as it turned out I thoroughly enjoyed them as they were delightfully flavorful and well presented. The antipasto was a nice accompaniment to these. As for the wine selection, I stayed with the reds. I ordered the Muns Cabernet first and their Pinot for my second glass. How many wine words can you say? It's Muns should suffice. read more

Excellent place! Great for meeting friends for a quick glass of Vino and a snack. The ambience is friendly and attractive. You would never know it used to be a quick stop-it was beautifully remodeled! We had the antipasta and it was out of this world! Can't wait to go back again. It's conveniently located and has easy parking. read more

Excellent! Beautiful new location, wonderfully helpful and friendly staff, delicious food and wine!! And kids friendly to boot! My new favorite spot! read more

Loved the openness of this winebar, clean simple and modern. The food on the menu was delicious, the meatballs were amazing as well as the flatbreads. Flights were tasty, already looking forward to going back, hopefully soon! read more

We hosted our company holiday party at Vino Cruz last night and I have to say it was probably one of my most favorite parties in 15+ years. The food was superb. The champagne and wine selection was top notch. With all of that, what made it an amazing party was the service and atmosphere. Matt and his team have created a place that feels comfortable, inviting and special. Even as we got a little "wine & champagne" rowdy, the team at Vino Cruz were kind, accommodating and fun!! I generally don't take the time to write reviews but this experience more than deserved it. Thank you Matt!! I am telling everyone who reads this - go to Vino Cruz. You won't regret it! read more

I REALLY enjoyed the arugula salad and lamb meatballs. Fast service. Waitress Sally scanned the room like a hawk. The wine was reasonably priced and the pour generous. My only criticism, and a very common one alas, is the hard acoustics. Mid-century modern decor is all very good, but a few rugs or panels (white flokati anyone?) hung from the rafters would absorb and diffuse the ambient noise. Don't expect to enjoy this if you are hearing impaired. read more

Lisa and I stopped by here in Soquel Village after the Aptos farmers market to go antiquing, but we were hungry and dropped in at Vinocruz, which has a fantastic brunch menu that they just implemented a month ago, a friendly and knowledgeable staff, and the wines there are a great collection of local vineyards, including great pinot and rose tasting flights. We would highly recommend! read more

Chris and the Amazing staff make the experience at Vinocruz exceptional! From the extensive and openly creative wine list to the fabulous artistic gourmet food menu, even if the most particular wine enthusiast would be ecstatic!! Thank you for being a great part of our neighborhood! I look forward to the ever changing menu! Keep up the great work! read more

One stellar cellar! This is a cute little place tucked into DT SC. The girls and I almost missed it, but there was a sign way outside that led to the little wine bar. It was 9 Dollars for a taste of 5 wines and along with a story told from the splendid owner. read more

Fantastic wine shop and tasting bar! In summer, they open a deck where movies are often projected onto the wall on Saturday nights. What really makes it great is the owner, J.P., who knows his wines inside out. Although the Santa Cruz Mountains is one of California's oldest and most acclaimed wine-producing region, most people don't know much about it. Frustratingly, most of the small estate vineyards are only open for tastings on a quarterly basis (yes, that's right -- only four times each year) and we kept missing those dates (we live down in SLO County). But now with Vinocruz, we don't mind. The tasting line-up changes almost weekly, it seems. (We know, because we signed up for their funny e-newsletter, which almost always teaches us something we didn't know already about wine.) Love the mod stainless-steel tasting bar, too. I've been a California wine fan ever since I moved here in the '90s. I've visited most of the state's wine countries, even the obscure ones. And I've never been tempted to join a wine club until visiting Vinocruz. I just hate that we live 3 hours away from this awesome place! read more

I really appreciate that Vinocruz showcases Santa Cruz mountain wineries! The owner is fabulous. He's a very kind man with great local wine knowledge. The location is a little hidden behind Lu Lu's and right next to the entrance to the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. I actually kind of like that it's a little set back from the sidewalk. Vinocruz also has a nice little outdoor patio area too. I would encourage all wine lovers locally and out of towners to check this place out. It's a great venue to meet at before or after a day of shopping on Pacific Avenue, or even a great place to meet for a glass of wine before dinner down town. I would also say this is a great place to hang out after work, etc etc...you get the picture. PS - It's also a great place to find and buy local wine. ;) Trust the owner! I found his wine suggestions to be spot on for my taste. read more

Wow what a pleasant surprise! We went down to vote yesterday and decided to check out Vino Cruz. We had a really nice experience, great service and amazing, gourmet food. The beer and wine selection are very good and it is just a nice clean atmosphere for food and drink. We most certainly will be coming back because there are lots of things on the menu that we now would like to try. read more

I can't say enough good things about Vinocruz! Outstanding wines , wonderful tasty food and great friendly service. We had the arugula salad ,crab cakes and Mary Beth flat bread pizza.Outstanding! read more

We've given this spot 2 chances but aside from the good wine list it's disappointing. The salads are tiny compared with other salad options at Shadowbrook and Café Cruz close by and so far the snapper addition option hasn't been available either time. Flatbreads are good but on the small side. Staff is mostly friendly but struggles to light the heat lamps making outdoor dining a crapshoot in January with a Covid surge hitting Santa Cruz. We opted for indoors (not busy) once because the heat lamps couldn't be coaxed to work but then watched the constantly unmasked fellow (we currently have a state wide mask mandate) preparing our food in the kitchen, unmasked even as he walked through the restaurant. Overall not good value for what you get food wise and definitely risky for anyone taking Covid seriously. Wish we could give it a better rating...feels like a like a little attention from someone who cares - get some kind of fish option for example if there's a problem with snapper delivery as we were told, tell your kitchen staff the mask isn't optional - would make a difference. read more

Who knew I would find a gem today? Both wine and food is incredible. Perhaps, the best food flavor profile to go with wine! Truly incredible!! read more

I visited Vinocruz twice this week, once for a glass of wine with a friend and then again for brunch (after having eyed the tater tot waffle on the menu). It was crowded on a Thursday evening and the staff were attentive, friendly and happy to make recommendations. The interior is stylish and cozy with a long bar and several tables and they have a small outside patio. They have a good selection of wines, decently priced which represents the local area. (At the risk of sounding snobbish) I find it difficult to find wine that i enjoy by the glass in SC, and i'm happy to say i found several here. We ordered the crab cakes which are the best i've had in recent memory, and the rest of the menu looked inspired and creative. I went back again for brunch for the potato waffle and it was delicious! The only reason i'm inclined to leave a four star review is for the portion size at brunch. After spending $54 for brunch i would hope that i wouldn't leave hungry (i even split a second plate with my friend). The food was well prepared and presented but a tiny portion. read more

My husband, a wine maker, was Jonesing to check this place out for months. We walked in with eager excitement and left with serious disappointment. Ambiance? If you call a few succulents art, then well, okay. Service? Hmm, this is where they really fall short. We had to get up from the table to find the waitress to ask for menus after a very ignoring wait.That was just the start of everything being a wait. Price? Well, even for this town, way too high for no ambiance, a narrow wine list and poor service. And what's with their "Happy Hour"? What a misnomer! It should be called "very limited special offer". With so many cool places to have a nice, local glass of wine in the area, Vino Cruz really needs to raise their game and lower their prices read more

Vinocruz's new owners have done a beautiful job on the inside of this cozy wine bar. I've been there several times and the art work has changed, all of it interesting and well presented. A wine tasting I attended was relaxing and fun, with the winemaker (Joe Miller of Hillcrest Terrace) providing insights and commentary on what we were tasting. The price was very reasonable too. Try it if you haven't been there since their opening in August. read more

My daughter and I came into your shop today and we could have been invisible! It was my first time entering your shop and you couldn't bother to say "hello". I didn't know how your tasting worked, if you pay or get so many tastings for so much, but nothing from you as a shop owner wanting business. We're having a dinner party Saturday night and thought it would be great to have a local wine to share with our friends, but you could not be bothered to help us out in any way! Not an acknowledgement that we even entered your store! I live on the westside and will continue to give my patronage to businesses who appreciate my business. You only had 3 other people in the store at 1 table, so it wasn't like you were full and didn't have time to help customers, because that is what I would have been, a customer. read more

We stumbled upon this gem a few months ago and it's become a favorite! Great rotating wine list (lots of locals!) and delicious small plates! Everything we've tried has been excellent! Service has also always been top notch and the ambience is warm and friendly. Highly recommend!! read more

We LOVE this wine bar! It features local wines and brings in local vintners almost every weekend to pour and discuss their wines. Their tasting menu changes each week, so it is great fun to try a new variety of wines (some that I would not particularly order if they were not part of the tasting menu.) The owners and Ryan, who is often there pouring, are very knowledgeable about the wines and always have interesting stories about the winery, the area, the winemaker or his/her family, or hysterical antidotes of some sort to share. They really go out of their way to help and make you comfortable. They make it a very friendly, open, casual, fun spot to stop. They feature local artists' artwork in their shop which is rotated bi-weekly or monthly. A nice touch. The location (next to Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History) is very convenient and I appreciate their focus on local wines and talent. Couldn't be happier with this place! read more

I randomly walked in with my mom this past weekend, and to our surprise found a local winery Hunter Hill pouring. Apparently every weekend a local winery has an event. A few random snacks were available and the staff were very pleasant. It seemed as something was missing, perhaps music or just more of a liveliness to the place but we did go in towards the tail end of the event. I would defintley come back. $5 for several pours and if you buy a bottle (local wines are usually around $15-$30) the fee is waived. read more

Amazing! My boyfriend is scared to try different things especially things that are small. Tapas! We had the meat lovers flatbread pizza add bacon. Amazing!!! The meat plate to go with wine, simply inspiring! We had the IPA loved it! We will be back!!!! read more

Vinocruz is a Great Winebar with local Santa Cruz Mtn. wines! Steve and his staff are very knowledgable. I was here with a Meetup group. We had a great evening hanging out, tasting some local wines and enjoying some beautiful artwork that is on display. I highly recommend Vinocruz ~ it's a great example of local business supporting other local business! read more

They have really good food and different options! GF, vegetarian, and I think vegan options are available. Not a huge menu but it works. They also have great local wines. I love the decor inside and out. I am happy to see Vinocruz here! read more

We've been waiting for this place to open, while driving by it the last couple of months. We went today for a nice lunch. Vinocruz did not disappoint! I had a lovely glass of Rose' while my wife had a very nice white. The warm cashews w/ Rosemary we're terrific. We then ordered the flatbread special for her & Carpaccio for me. Both were very good and lovely to look at. The staff, & we talked to many, were all very nice & the service was great. Prices were very reasonable for everything we had. We will return soon and often. Support this new, local and good establishment in Soquel! read more

Great ambiance for a drink and a bite. They have really great happy hour deals Tuesday through Friday. The staff is super helpful and attentive. The food looks delicious though we didn't eat here this time because we were on our way somewhere else, but we will be back!!! read more

Three of us went out for a bite and some wine last night to Vino Cruz. We sat for quite a bit before we got water or offered service. The food was Ok with the exception of the fish tacos which were fantastic. Scallops didn't have any flavor in my opinion and not a lot octopus on the salad. My biggest disappointment was the service. I get it, it's covid times and we are all trying to adjust however, I'm still out spending money and I get so frustrated when service is less than baseline. I don't want to clear off my own table and I don't want to get up in the restaurant to seek out my waitress who is cleaning up to go home to ask for more wine. I also get so frustrated when I have to flag my waiter down which I did twice. I understand if your busy but communication is all we needed. This is a great place and I'm so glad it made it through the pandemic. This is fixable which is why I'm writing this. read more

This place rocks, excellent food, great selection of wine/beer and a nice blend of casual and sophisticated atmosphere. Hope they open another one in Santa Cruz! read more

The food was very good. We ordered 2 flatbreads, olives, and a tri-tip special. We also had 6 glasses of pinot and 2 desserts. The pinot was very good. The desserts were meh (carrot cake and flourless chocolate cake). The total came out to $172 (after a standard tip) for 2 people. OUCH! I don't think I've ever spent so much and eaten/drank so little. It's a shame. I like the space. I like the food and wine. I'd love to come back, but it's just way overpriced for the portion sizes. The plates were very small for the price. I know they're trying to do the whole Spanish tapas thing, but tapas are basically free in Spain and are often larger portions. Also, they had the smallest wine pours I have ever seen. It seemed like a shot of wine in a wine glass. I regret not saying anything to the waitress about the tiny pours. It was definitely nowhere near the standard 5 oz. pour. It looks like other yelpers feel the same way. I may be back, but they gotta serve a full glass of wine and increase their portion sizes or lower their prices. I mean, it's a wine bar. They should give you a standard full glass of wine! I felt totally robbed. read more

Great place to try out a wide variety of the local wines from the SC mountains appellation. Every week they open a different series of local wines and for $9 you can try something new, see what you like. JP and Erica are friendly, knowledgeable and fun, as are the majority of their clients at any given moment... read more

I love this place. Fantastic selection of primarily local wines, and they've recently started to expand a bit to other areas (without losing that Santa Cruz focus). JP is great at guiding me on purchases to match my occasion and budget. Often he recommends things which I would not have known about but turn out to be spot on. I really enjoy their regular wine tastings (sign up for their email to get notified of these) and I almost always go home with a bottle from the winery. Sometimes the tastings can get a bit crowded (it's a small space), but you can always pop outside to the tables to get some fresh air and space. I bring friends here and refer people all the time, which says a lot. read more

Great selection of hard-to-find and as-yet-undiscovered-by-me wines from the Santa Cruz mountains. I also like their ever changing tasting flight, where there are around 5 various wines to try for about $8-9. And if you love one, you can buy a full glass as well. Not sure who the fellow who gave them the horrible review is, but his experience doesn't match my times at VinoCruz in any way. The owners have always been courteous, helpful, and just as friendly when I window shopped as when I bought. read more

Excellent experience. Friendly, and knowledgeable staff, specifically Haley, entertained us both w local winery info. Great selection of wines, and beers, too. And food as well- the Brie, Pear, n carmalized onion flatbread was delicious. Highly recommended. read more

My husband and I tried Vinocruz for the first time last night (a Friday), and we were very impressed! The service was very efficient, friendly and knowledgeable. It was fun to try (reasonably) priced wine flights, with local wines. We had a cheese plate that was excellent with the wines, as well as rosemary roasted nuts. We had such a great experience, that we look forward to bringing family/friends here (particularly good for those out of town, to give them an overview of local wines/beers.) We will definitely be going here again soon to try some of the other menu items, highly recommended for a date night! read more

Vinocruz is a wonderful place to have several small plates and to try some local wines. 1/2 pours help a lot with sampling the wines. Folks are very friendly also:) read more

We love Vinocruz...nothing like a good local business that promotes locally produced items, in this case wine. JP is great...he knows wine, and he has successfully navigated the minefield of area wines to pick out the best ones, leaving out the dogs. The tasting table changes constantly...we often make Vinocruz the starting point for our date nights, and we learn about new area wines with each visit. Nice cheese platters with the tastings, and the tasting fee is reasonable, and waived with a wine purchase. Every downtown should have a place like this. read more

Absolutely perfect. Popped in for a glass of wine w/cheese plate on a Tuesday night and decided to stay for the fish tacos. The best decision! The staff is warm and friendly, the local wine selection is great and the food is thoughtfully prepared and delicious! Will be back soon. read more

Great Santa Cruz Mountain wines with laughter and friendliness from the owners make this place unique and inviting. This is a great place to take out of town visitors to taste local wines. JP knows wine and food. read more

We had Kenji as our server/bartender and was great to us! Very knowledgeable, very nice. Honestly such a great experience and everything was so delicious. Kenji has great recommendations and explained everything great. Will defiantly be back read more