Vino Cruz is a refreshingly casual wine bar. There are so many choices, each with very detailed descriptions, making it easy for the novice to order something that they'll like. And the owner always has great suggestions. Really enjoy the live music, especially the Samurai Gypsies. read more

Wish I could add more stars.... We found this bar/ restaurant and so glad we did! We usually can't find places open for late lunches! We accidentally landed there for HAPPY HOUR! It couldn't have been more perfect! We got to sit out on a beautiful day with our pooch and had the BEST WAITER, FRANCISCO!! He was an absolute delight and we had the best service. Did I tell you the food was delicious! My husband had the pizza and I had the fish tacos! Yummy! My husband had a few beers. I nearly fainted when the tab came- it was beyond reasonable. So unlike so many restaurants, where you spend a ton and get so little. I say don't walk to this restaurant but run....!! There's also a huge wine list to boot! Believe all the great reviews!! read more

Such a fun place to go on a date or with friends. Every time we go we look forward to going back. Had a group of 8 this time and all loved our food. Some got small plates and others enjoyed full meals like the yummy fish tacos. More importantly you go to Vinocruz to taste delicious wines (although one in our group preferred a beer.) I was unsure which to order so they created a flight of 2 Sav Blac + 1 Pino Grigio. So much to love! Patio had live music for great ambience. Glad I made reservations as it did get fairly crowded (as it should, yay to be with ppl again!) on a Saturday, late afternoon. read more

We had a lovely time on their outdoor heated patio. The service was great and the food good. I would have liked some avocado and cilantro on on my fish tacos. Otherwise it was very good. I enjoyed the olives and the burger looked amazing. read more

Ok but seriously...the food was good enough, and the wine was fantastic. But the experience was beyond rushed. It was Valentine's Day with their prixe fixed menu - for the record we already knew what we were ordering - yet we didn't have a chance to look over the wine menu. Ended up with a fantastic cab franc from El Vaquero winery. We wanted to let it breathe before we put in our order. Our waitress came back with the wine - opened, didn't pour it, let us take our time - which I so appreciate! There was "no rush" until another waitress brought over the second course...although we weren't even halfway done with the first. And yet, she was surprised that we weren't finished. Even though it had only been 10 minutes, and like I said - Valentine's Day is a bit of a more wine and dine experience. So then it became a snowball effect - the rest of the night was catch up. Another waitress came up to us to ask how our main course was - not even a minute after it was plated. Literally said "I don't know - haven't had a chance to take a bite". The shuffling of the courses on the table, the stacking of the plates - and we'd really like a minute just to enjoy the wine... let alone catch up on our day...and maybe just - date? Synopsis......4 course ''dinner", plus a glass of wine and we ordered a $60ish bottle....for an hour = $300....and no it wasn't a date - just hurry up and drink so we can seat the next couple. I knew we should've gone to Persephone, or Home...or maybe just stayed in for the night? This probably would've been a zero star rating - if the wine from El Vaquero wasn't fantastic! They need to put their focus back on the wine bar - not the kitchen. And...I was going to post a pic...but we didn't even have time for that! (And we weren't even the most rushed there!) read more

This patio even during COVID is so cozy and beautiful and quaint. Wine is outstanding, food is absolutely fantastic and service and HEART behind the service is to die for. I can't wait to come back again. read more

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This could be my new favorite hangout. I took my employees to lunch there on a weekday not long ago. Not only was the server especially attentive, friendly and gracious, but the food was delicious. I had the chicken tacos and they were tender and delicious. One of my employees thought the fish tacos were the best she ever had. Also, the dessert was awesome and great selection of beverages. Even the owner came over to say hello. We had a fine time out. read more

Third time ordering from here. Their cheese plates have been pretty good in the past but last night put a bad taste in my mouth, LITERALLY!!! For one, there were only 2 cheeses this time as opposed to 3 the last time we ordered. No biggie. Our Humbolt Fog was not only not fresh, but rotten. Yes, this is a blue cheese but blue cheese should never be black. When you only have two cheeses obviously this pretty much ruins the board. So disappointing. read more

Vinocruz - Black mold on humbolt fog :( - Wine Bars Near Me - Soquel, California

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Friendly staff, very attentive and accommodating. I enjoyed their cozy ambience. Need more wine variety to enjoy.

Expensive . No bang for your buck. $20 Charcuterie plate with literally 5 light razor thin slices of different salamis and some stale breadsticks. One glass of local wine $15 . Bare ass experience. read more

False advertisement! We were expecting much more from this place from the on line come on. Pictures looked great. Dining looked like it would be a nice dining experience. We arrived to a run down building...looked twice the size in the pictures. A few stools and only 3 or 4 cafeteria type tables.... run down. read more

I came here with a friend for the first time the other night. On a weeknight they still had about 10 people or so (which seemed like a good crowd for a small spot.) Our waitress was very generous with samples prior to selecting our glasses of wine. Plus, she was also sure to share the wine and food specials. We did however end up ordering off the menu. The chocolate truffles weren't available. So we had the chocolate roses and strawberry instead. It was delicious. I plan to go back to try the truffles and potentially a flight of the next special read more

I stopped in for a glass of wine and a snack while my husband was getting tattooed down the street and ended up staying for two glasses and two snacks! The marinated olives and rosemary nuts are delicious and go perfectly well with a glass of wine. Full meals are available and looking around me they look delicious. The service is amazing and they kept my water glass filled the whole time (something I care about) would definitely recommend. read more

Vinocruz - Rose flight with yummy marinated olives - Wine Bars Near Me - Soquel, California

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Nice wait staff! I ordered chicken tacos (large plate) 14.00! How are two little tacos considered "large"? $7.00 each???? Omg! There must have been 4 lil pieces of chicken in each one. They had a strange chipotle sauce, but ok. Normally restaurants give you three tacos, but not this over priced place. The 2 man band made me sleepy. read more

I had a fantastic birthday with food, wine & music. The menu is unique with bold flavors; the Burger & Buffalo Meatballs are a must. Very versatile wine tasting available with Zackery's recommendations for pairings. A great 1st time experience. read more

Came in for my first time. Very nice atmosphere. Good food-had the flat breads. Excellent service! Don't order the crab cakes. read more

Really nice wine bar featuring the best wines from Santa Cruz mountains. Also has excellent food.

Place is very small and not much to look at from the outside, but the food and service was great.

Food and service were both ok, but not for price. Given pricing and menu you expect a lot more than what was given.

********************** 827 ************************ I wouldn't even know this wine bar if it wasn't for Yelp. I was about to meet some friends for dinner and it was early, I thought I should have a glass of vino before then. Glad I came in to Vinocruz. Cute little wine shop, serves only local Santa Cruz Mountains wines. I checked in with Yelp and got my discount on the wines tasting. The host was really nice, shown me a few wines and explained a few new arrivals. I ended up bought a few bottles. Cute shop, support local winemakers and wineries, I like that! read more

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Sally is the best waitress ever! Love her and Vinocruz The food and drinks are wonderful but Sally's the reason I am coming back every time

Happened upon this place when driving through Soquel and the photos looked promising, so we decided to give it a try. Very unassuming place but man was it GOOD...actually, it was exceptional! We ordered the cheese board, Cesar salad, heirloom tomato salad, apple & brie flat bread, fish tacos and dessert and literally EVERY SINGLE BITE tasted amazing! This is definitely our new favorite go-to spot when in Soquel. Many thanks to the chef and staff for such a great experience! read more

This is a great find. I really enjoyed the house salad and Vino burger. The service was excellent too. I enjoyed a sunny afternoon drinking their Big Basin Rose while eating some tasty food. read more

Fabulous! Everything was incredible. Great selection of wines by the glass, special was burger of the week which was amazing, and dessert was even more exceptional! Nice ambience and really friendly, helpful staff! Wish we lived closer because I would totally go back often ! read more

We just had a wonderful lunch here. One of the best burgers ever and the fish tacos were amazing. The best part was our waitress. Laura was very attentive, sweet, and personable. We will come back to this great little wine bar/ restaurant. read more

A hidden gem we happened to stop at as it opened. Wonderful service with helpful pointers on which wines to try based on our preferences. Appetizers were delicious and had their own flair. Patio seating is dog friendly and well designed. read more

The food is decent and the wine selection is nicely curated, but the portion sizes are tiny. Go get the Kale Caesar Salad from Suda down the street ($15), and then the same from Vinocruz ($11). $4 different, and the salad from Vinocruz has, at most, 1/4 the amount of lettuce. Flatbreads ($14) were 1/2 the size of East End/West End Gastropub ($15), cheese board ($17!!!!!!) was an adequate size for a single person. Certainly not sharable by any more than 2 people. Overall, either decreasing prices, or simply giving a bit more food would make this place somewhere I'd recommend but as it stands, it was almost comical how tiny everything is. read more

Came here on a Saturday around 5pm. Got seated right away by our lovely waitress, Sally. I decided to go with a flight of different red local wines to see what I liked best. I had Sally choose for me and she did a great job picking some good ones!! All of the wine and beer is local and there is so many choices. The food we got was delicious and all made with organic and local ingredients. We got a little bit of everything on the menu: appetizers, flatbreads, and a salad. Love this place because every little thing is cute and seemed to be thought out carefully, from the succulent table decor to the bathroom candles :) read more

***Update***We stopped by for Happy Hour and taco Tuesday. Once again, they hit it out of the park. The fish tacos were out of this world and the special on the beef tacos were even better. The fish was very fresh snapper with a spicy chipotle sauce, micro greens and the like. The beef tenderloin was cooked to perfection. We had to throw in a pesto flat bread with prosciutto. Awesome. We chose the Super Tuscan by Domenico from Amador to go with the meat dishes. Big chewy wine with some tasty hints of snickerdoodle. Yes that's right, snickerdoodle. Sounds odd but it was delicious. Not to big for our food. Great, professional and friendly service by Melissa and Michelle. We had a nice chat with the owners as well. Happy to say they are maintaining their high standard with food, wine and service. Hope to be back soon...and you should too! read more

We stumbled across this place tugged inside a side corner on a side street in Santa Cruz downtown. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon but the owner was very friendly and hospitable. We have a young baby, so by law we can't carry her into the tasting room or patio. So we had to go in and out of the place to watch the baby while tasting the wine. It may not be very convenient when it gets crowded. Despite the good service, the wine on the other hand wasn't very good. Even the owner admits on one of the choices, but it does offer quite a variety of choices. read more

The owner of Vinocruz should be aware as to the lack of service his employees treat customers. My husband and I stopped by for the first time on Wednesday the 17th of November. We have never been there before. We sat at the bar reviewing the menu, which we got ourselves and waited and waited for the female bartender to ask what we wanted. Instead she was much to preoccupied in flirting with the guy from the kitchen. My husband had to say two times "excuse me, can we tell you the wines we want?" After the second time and when she finally finished flirting with the kitchen guy she took our order, but didn't say hi or welcome or ANYTHING! We had to listen to their conversation the entire time because they were three from us on the other side of the bar. After about forty-five minutes my husband wanted another glass and again we had to wait for the two of them to stop talking, She was NOT attentive to her customers at all. However when she took our order she said, "we close in fifteen minutes" that's the most she said to us all night! WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! Hope the owner takes the time to read this! You are loosing two customers who love wines, especially from the Santa Cruz region! read more

Vinocruz is a hidden gem in Soquel! It is a little pricy, but worth it. It's tucked away, so it's not crowded, and the interior is charming. The wine selection is delicious and you can't go wrong with the menu. It's the perfect place to relax after work or on the weekend with friends. read more

Vinocruz - Wine Bars Near Me - Soquel, California

Great addition to Soquel/south county! Stopped in for wine and a light lunch on a saturday afternoon only 5 days after their official opening. The space is open, spare and inviting with lots of bar seats on a beautiful wood bar counter and a few tables. All local SC area wines by the glass, bottle or in flights as well as local beer and cider. Had the fish tacos which were a wonderful and surprising mix w cumin dry rub, slaw, and blackberries.. the fish was super fresh and perfectly prepared, lightly done and piping hot! My friend got the toast points w a vegetable terrine with harrissa- also a creative mix of tastes and textures. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. read more

Went here on a Monday and found the place to be fantastic. Great food, awesome atmosphere, and a great wine selection to boot. Bonus points for being totally hyper-local focused. My favorite wine bar in Santa Cruz area! read more

Vinocruz - Awesome knowledgeable staff - Wine Bars Near Me - Soquel, California

I won't be back. I've been to this place four or five times. There's always something that's a little off. They made a substitution to the truffles and didn't tell us. It took ~20 minutes to get them another time because the waitress couldn't take 30 seconds to put them on a plate, while they waited for the cook to prepare the meals ahead of us. They always start by telling us what they don't have. Blue corn tacos without the blue. Service is slow and indifferent at best. Tonight, the waitress handed me the dishes and plates and said, "Here're some plates." For these prices, I don't think it's asking too much for them to set the table. Half the avocado on top of my arugula salad was rotten. The place is almost intolerably loud when it's only half full and the prices are steep for the portions. I give it two stars for the food, which is sometimes good bordering on very good (the flat breads are decent, but dollhouse-size). This place is too reliably unpredictable and I'm tired of being disappointed every time. There are too many good restaurants to roll the dice on Vinocruz. read more

What a wonderful evening we've had with Sally! She showered us with knowledge of local beers and wines and even introduced us to the winemaker of the week! 10/10 will be back! I've tried all of the flat breads now besides the meat lovers and I'm very impressed! Always a new flat break every few weeks too! Just wish they had the creamsicle back read more

Vinocruz - Wine Bars Near Me - Soquel, California

Before Covid-19 my fiancé and I made this our Friday night place. The flat breads are to die for but the Fish Tacos are the best I've ever had. We're so glad they have survived this crisis. Bree is the BEST bartender and waitress we love eating there when she's working. Love you Garlic Bree read more

a day drinker's daydream...or make a reservation and arrive a little early for dinner service so that you can find parking close by. nice wine selection and great deals on taking a bottle to open at home. the food is prepared and plated with care. have sampled quite a bit here and have visited a half dozen times or so since my first visit about a year ago. never disappointed. service is great. quality all around. read more

Grand opening of the new location, new owners! So beautiful and friendly staff and great food! Definitely a must for any fan of local wine and beer! read more

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Great wine and little bites! Came here after wine tasting down the street and we were very impressed by the wine selection and food menu. We got two bottles of red and a flat bread. Both went great together and our bar tender was very knowledgeable and friendly during our visit. She had good recommendations and was pleasant to talk to. read more