We girls were missing beach which led to a quick SantaCruz trip and that is how we landed at zelda's for a late lunch or rather a early dinner. The location of this place is stellar with beautiful ambiance. The menu is typical American food with lots of choices, we settled for nachos and burrata with spicy margaritas and lemon drops. The food and drinks were great. My only disappointment was the service, we kept waiting nobody stopped by to check or to provide us with menu, so decided to walk to over and get one. However, it got a bit better once we ordered the food. Had a good time and wiurk recommend this place to hang out with friends and family with beautiful ocean view! read more

See all

The food was so good. And the view being right in the beach is awesome. Love theta they allow dogs in the patio. Service is good when hey are slow. I have found at busy times we get less check in's from the server. My favorite is the Calamari appetizer. Clam chowder was good. The grilled salmon is excellent too. Had the Milanese clams this time and they were so so. Kind of bland. The pain killer cocktail is perfect for the beach vibes. read more

Zelda's - El Presidente Margarita Pain Killer - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

See all

Came to Zelda's to celebrate a friend's birthday and it was fine for an establishment here in Capitola Village. The restaurant is spacious with a dining area that faces out into the wharf for some nice views during the day. As for the food, it's essentially a seafood restaurant with fairly average to higher prices. For someone like me that doesn't eat seafood, there wasn't a whole lot of options available outside of fries and some greens. I settled down with a draft beer and just that for the night while my friend enjoyed their fish and chips. I would love to see them come up with some other non-seafood items if they can to come up with a fuller meal. read more

The ladies and I needed to kill some time so we decided to stop by here before checking into our hotel. The restaurant is literally steps away from the beach. Amazing view on a beautiful day....you really can't beat that. We ordered a few cocktails and a basket of fries. The drinks were exceptionally good. I ordered the billionaire margarita. I have to say that was a pretty strong drink so I was feeling pretty good lol. Our server was friendly and attentive. It was easy for him since we didn't order any food except for the fries. I would totally go back here again just for the view and drinks. read more

See all

Almost didn't go because of the reviews glad we decided to go.The view was great Best cioppino I've had in my life. The server was attentive and help full . Def recommend. read more

If you're looking for a relaxing spot to enjoy beachside views and a laidback atmosphere, Zelda's fits the bill. The restaurant sits just steps from the sand, offering a panoramic view of the ocean that's hard to beat. The salty breeze and gentle waves and window seating create an easy, unhurried vibe perfect for unwinding after a long day. The food itself was fine. Portions are fair and they have a breakfast menu (until 2:00) and brunch menu in the day that offers a good variety. They also serve dinner as well. For what we had, the flavors were serviceable rather than standout, the kind of meal that's enjoyable in the moment but not memorable. Everything arrived hot and neatly plated. The server was genuinely friendly and attentive, without hovering, and the restaurant was clean. read more

See all

For me this breakfast was all about the view. It was a bit rainy so outside seating was not an option but this was the next best thing. The breakfast dish I ordered was aptly named, Basic Breakfast. It was all I wanted so I was not expecting frills. The eggs were decent but not super flavorful, I needed to add some salt and pepper. The bacon was cooked fine, not quite as crispy as I like, but I'm picky with bacon. And the potatoes were good. I really liked my iced latte I got with sugar free syrup. If you are stying near capitola village and want some decent food with an amazing view this is the place. read more

Zelda's - View from our table - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

See all

Views and drinks were stellar, food was ok, service was good. I absolutely loved being steps away from the beach! We came on a weekday for a late lunch and were seated very quickly. My strawberry lemonade cocktail was perfect on this warm day and had the right amount of sweetness, tartness, and alcohol. I started off with a cup of chowder, which was pretty darn good and then shared some calamari and fries with my husband. The calamari definitely could have had a little more batter and been crispier but I did enjoy the fries. I would return for drinks and views! read more

See all

Got food here for breakfast and got mushroom and spinach omelet with counter potatoes plus a soda Very tasty.Wonderful service read more

Zelda's - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

I don't know why this has such low reviews. The staff were nice. The food was great; I had the Eggs Benedict. And it came out super fast. We also ordered the cocktail Painkillers and it was amazing. Great views, friendly staff, great food and drinks. Will 100% be coming back again and again! read more

Zelda's - Painkiller - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

We had a table outside on the deck, and while it was chilly out, they sat us by a heater which was so nice and warm and it was lovely to be right on the beach. Our server was very kind and friendly and gave us some good advice on what to order. My husband had the cioppino which he loved, and I had clam chowder and a dinner salad with bay shrimp added. We also ordered the brussel sprouts (highly reccomend) to start. Clam chowder was fine, my salad was a little boring but all in all we would come back as we had great, friendly service and an incredible view read more

During our trip to Capitola, we stopped by Zelda's on the Beach and timed our reservation for 6:30 PM so we could catch the sunset during dinner. The restaurant was not too packed, so a reservation was not even necessary. We had the option to sit inside or outside, and we were lucky enough to get a booth by an open window. It gave us the perfect sunset view while staying comfortable and away from the winds, even on a warm evening. We started with the coconut shrimp, which ended up being my absolute favorite dish of the night. For entrées, we had the cioppino, a tomato based seafood stew with garlic bread that was flavorful but a little light if you are really hungry, and the sautéed mahi mahi served over coconut white rice. The rice was delicious, though I was not the biggest fan of the sauté on the fish itself. For our daughter, we ordered a milkshake, and that was the winner of the night, so creamy and absolutely amazing. Overall, Zelda's is worth visiting just for the location alone. Sitting by the beach with a view of the sunset makes it such a memorable stop. I have heard from others that brunch is even better than dinner, so next time we are in Capitola we will definitely be back to try their morning menu. read more

See all

I'm really bummed to be writing this review as we've been going here for years. We've generally had good experiences but when I looked this up before our latest trip to Capitola I saw the reviews weren't stellar. I decided to go anyway. My wife and I are in Capitola for our 10th wedding anniversary as this place is pretty special to us. I called Zelda's a few weeks ago and asked if I could have anything special done for our anniversary and I'd be happy to pay extra to make that happen. I was told no, that they don't do these requests and they would likely be very busy on a Saturday night. I worked in restaurants for years and understood that you just can't always accommodate. It was a bummer but not a big deal. Upon arriving we chose to sit outside. Now we knew the weather and asked to sit next to a heater. They said sure, and the hostess walked us to a table by a heater. She reached up discovered that it was off and rather than having it turned on she sat us away from a heater. About 10 minutes later the manager came over and started that heater and we asked to switch back. Again not a huge inconvenience but not a great start. We then sat at our table for a bit and when the waiter came we gave him our entire order. For entrees we ordered the "ribeye" and the seafood pasta. The food runner brought the food to our table and walked off. I was then surprised to discover that my ribeye was a New York strip. This could've been a simple mixup, except they don't have a New York on the menu. When my waiter came back I pointed this out to him and showed him pictures of the cuts as he stated he doesn't know the difference. Whatever, it's not a steakhouse I don't expect the waiter to be an expert and he's just trusting their menu, as it should be accurate anyway. He told me he'd talk to the manager after I declined having another item. Now it was our 10th wedding anniversary dinner. I didn't want my wife and I to have to sit there and watch the other eat. They came back and offered me a discount on the steak or a free dessert. I chose the discount, but honestly I'm surprised the manager didn't come over and check in with us as the restaurant was half empty and he admitted the steak wasn't a ribeye. They told me there is some new menu coming, but honestly I think that was just an excuse to sell a cheaper cut for a higher price. They also tried to lie to me and tell me a strip is a more expensive cut. Which at this point just own it and we can all move on. Now as all of this was unfolding I listened to them lie at full volume to 6 other people telling them they were receiving ribeyes. Honestly just a shady practice to sell a cheaper cut to people who don't know better. In addition to all of this one of the clams in my wife's pasta wasn't cooked enough for the shell to open. Finally when the bill comes they added some 4% surcharge to it. You think you'd omit this on the table that caught you lying. Also, this is stupid, just raise your prices 4% and don't gouge me at the end with this. All in all pretty disappointing and I guess I'll have to eat elsewhere from now on. We still had a great anniversary trip, but this dinner wasn't great. I hope they see this and improve and I'll be encouraging my family when we travel here to eat elsewhere. Bummer. read more

Zelda's - New York strip being sold as a ribeye. - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

The service was 5 star, the waitress brought my hairy sisters on leashes some water in a dog bowl, thank God I got up and ran to check on the kid who my Mum said was alone and could have drowned. I didn't see him at first due to how I was sitting, back facing the ocean. Nice deck and outdoor seating area, ambiance not so much when you got a crowd of careless people & tourists. Really was just trying to enjoy my breakfast with my Mum. Food was great and service deserves 5 stars! read more

Zelda's - Ceviche & the poke salmon to share, along with some fruit and a potato and egg scramble with avocado! 5 star! - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

See all

This is a beautiful place to have lunch. Ok prices but they add a 4% surcharge to all meals! Restaurant policy, not city policy. Cobb salad was ok, not a lot of flavor. Ahi Poke salad was a hit with my wife, she said she could eat that every day! $4.00 soft drinks - seems excessive. Otherwise an ok place. read more

On the water and very very cold outside. They do have heaters. The staff was nice and the seating was good. Kinda cramped . Inside on a cold day is best. It's a great place to visit and the menu is vast. So beware. The drinks are well worth the try. I like eggs - with salmon. so I'm happy here. The Benedict's for the win. Easy in and easy out , the kids who work here and really nice and make it a happy experience . read more

See all

The good- it's on the beach. The staff is friendly. The food is not horrible but pieces of my bacon should have been left off the plate since they were so hard. The bad- The bathroom could really use a good cleaning. And nothing special for moms on Mother's Day. How much is a carnation? read more

The food- sándwiches were good and the seafood fresh. The service friendly and the ambiance a bit loud but it's great right on the beach. The drinks are also good. read more

See all

What a super nice breakfast location right on the beach. Service was super nice and pleasant. I love eggs Benedict and was pleasantly surprised how delicious it was. I would definitely come back for a breakfast here. read more

See all

Zelda's is right on the beach. It's a great place to grab a bite and enjoy the ocean views. You can grab a bite to eat and watch the game. We watched the Niner game. They were super busy, so the bartender was being a server too. She was nice and doing her best. We ordered the nachos, cheeseburger and breakfast burrito. All was delicious. read more

See all

My wife and I are on our honeymoon and we decided to stop by Zelda's with our dog! They were super accommodating towards her and our waiter, Thomas, was a huge help. He was very attentive and friendly! HUGE shoutout to him (: The food was absolutely amazing! I got the cheeseburger and my wife got the clam chowder! Highly recommend both! read more

Zelda's - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

See all

Power went out at The Crow's Nest so decided to drive over to Zelda's in Capitola. I had the most delicious seared Ahi salad with ginger and wasabi in the history of the world. Lol I'm going to dream about it. My husband had calamari and enjoyed it too. Our server was Emily M and she was lovely. Will be back soon read more

Plenty of outdoor seating. They also have a few seats indoors but it's better to sit outside to get the beautiful views. Appetizers and the virgin lava cocktail tastes amazing! Service was okay. They never came over and gave us water or anything. But the table next to us that came afterwards got their water and we noticed that they got special treatment. Not sure if this place is welcoming to all. read more

See all

Our experience at Zelda's on the beach was just plain wonderful in every way. The food, prices, services, all supurb. I think that in Capitola that it would be hard to top. read more

We came here for a quick bite before strolling around. The food was ok, but nothing that knocked our socks off. Typical breakfast food. We had a turkey and avocado scramble, French toast and side of bacon. The service was decent once the server came over. She was friendly and food came out quick. It was nice sitting on the patio by the beach. read more

See all

Steak was too chewy. I looked like the crimson chin afterwards. My jaw still hurts 4 months later.

Overpriced fast food (with bulk) quality. Cocktails are weak, stick with bottled beer.

Zelda's is right on the beach and is a great place to grab a drink. The cocktails didn't blow me away, so I'd recommend sticking with wine or beer. The clam chowder was good and came out quickly. read more

Zelda's - Drinks - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

See all

Amazing ambience by the beach, they even have outdoor heaters to keep you warm. Creamy pesto Just Pasta wasn't bad, it was a personal portion of pasta topped with parmesan cheese. Classic bruschetta honestly looked really good but the taste was normal. It was crunchier bread at the bottom, and quite light read more

Not sure what all the low reviews are about. Amazing location, superfast service, and the Asian chicken salad was exactly how they should be done (Imo) . My fiancé ordered the fish and chips and she said it was some of the best she's had in a long time. read more

This is a nice view restaurant right on the beach. We went for brunch, and they have a large menu of both breakfast and lunch items. The Ahi tuna salad was very nice, as was the cream and shrimp melted sandwich with side salad. Calamari was good as well. They have a nice selection of cocktails for those who want to imbibe. Service was good and the atmosphere was casual. Great central location in Capitola. read more

The food was great! We had the chowder, poke (homemade chips with balsamic, slaw, and macadamia nuts), calamari (light fry with tangy tartar and cocktail sauces), seafood melt (crab/shrimp grilled bread and melt cheese), nachos, and fish and chips (solid good fry with fries). Nothing disappointed! Service was quick, attentive, and courteous. We sat outdoors, and the patio was very enjoyable. Everything you'd expect right on the beach. It was so good that we came back the next day to try out more of the menu! read more

See all

Sitting on their patio is always a lovely experience! It's so nice to sit oceanside and enjoy a nice meal. Their staff are always great and super helpful! This last time I went, they had made me an off menu virgin spicy mocktail which was delicious! We always go for their oysters which are great to enjoy by the beach and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys similar bites! read more

Zelda's - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

See all

Went here for lunch this weekend. The atmosphere was great, we were able to sit outside with our dog and enjoy watching the birds and the ocean while we ate. They had a sign up with rules for how your dog should behave which I appreciated as Millie was able to follow all of them. However, it doesn't seem they keep people to the rules as a smaller dog jumped out from under a table barking and snapping at Millie as we walked to our table. The staff did nothing about it and the owner of the dog apologized, but if you are going to have rules to make it safe for all guests and their pets, you should make people follow them. The food was pretty good, we got fish and chips and clam chowder in a bread bowl and finished them off! The prices were a little high but thats expected when you are sitting and eating right on the beach. The waitstaff were nice but not very present. Unfortunately we were only checked on once, and were never brought the extra side of sauce we asked for. We finished our meal and had our dishes taken and then had to wait for 15 minutes as our waiter was no where around and no one would stop by or look at us so we could ask for our check. Unfortunately the long wait and minimal service put a bit of a damper on our experience, but the weather was beautiful and the food was great! read more

Zelda's - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

See all

We had a great experience, eddy was our sever, he was very good. The outside searing and inside searing has beautiful views!! The food wasn't too bad, we got fries and clam chowder both were good. Eddy got us extra water and to go containers without us asking, service was great! Grab a beer and food, enjoy the view! read more

I've been here a few times, I can't say everything is great on the menu. The places is a view restaurant so my exceptions on the food are low. I was just hoping there was something decent enough that I could enjoy with the view. One note on the view, the patio was right on a busy beach so not as peacefully as you might think with kids and parents yelling and playing. I ordered: Fried calamari (4 Stars) It came with two sauces red cocktail sauce with a really good kick of horseradish and the other, one was a white tartar sauce, also really good. Cheeseburger (3.5 Stars) I ordered it blackened, with pepper jack cheese, medium. I also add mustard. The burger met my expectations, I would order again. The bun and veggies were all fresh. The meat quality was decent, if they used a little higher quality beef it could really be 4 stars. The fries (3 Stars) were ok nothing special, although they did add some season salt. Until next time... read more

We came to Capitola for the day with my family . We were by the beach and saw this cute patio decided to come in and check it out . We got some drinks and drank them on the outside patio over looking the beach . The inside has a nice bar area and cozy feel . They have clean restrooms and a good vibe . After a while we got hungry so we went inside the restaurant to have a formal sit in lunch . Our waiter Sam was amazing super attentive and friendly. He definitely made sure we were taken care of . The food is a little pricy but it was good . We ordered .. Cobb salad $21 + $2.50 for avocado 2 -Caesar salads $15 + $12 for salmon They had a surcharge on our bill too . So food was pricy but good for the location right by the beach . Overall I would definitely eat there again . The views are amazing very convenient to sit on the patio you are pretty much on the beach . Sam was amazing. Good times . read more

See all

The view is the best. Servers are friendly. Food is not great. Chipotle chicken sandwich was bland. Come for the drinks and the view.

We both had the fish and chips. $27 ea. got 3 slices of cod which looked like sticks. They were over cooked and dry. Even the tartar sauce was average. Over cooked fish is the worse. No flavor and nothing spectacular here. read more

Zelda's - Fish & Chips - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

I've gone back and forth about writing this review, but when a food allergy isn't taken seriously, that crosses a line. Putting someone's health at risk is absolutely inexcusable. My mom took us to Zelda's for lunch on Friday. Before we even got our meal, hornets were flying around our table, one even landed on my 8-month-old's arm (thank you to the busboy who quickly caught it in a cup). Shortly after, a rat ran up to our table, which was enough for us to move inside to finish our lunch. I informed our server that I have a dairy allergy. Instead of confirming with the chef or checking ingredients, she simply offered to put the tartar sauce on the side. That doesn't help if it's made with dairy, it shouldn't be anywhere near my plate. It felt like my allergy was treated as an inconvenience rather than a serious health concern. When the food arrived, I trusted that my allergy had been taken seriously. Unfortunately, after one bite, I could immediately taste dairy. I asked another server to double-check, and sure enough, the tartar sauce contained sour cream. There was no apology, no attempt to make things right, no comp meal, just indifference. Between the pests and the disregard for food allergies, this was a deeply disappointing and unsafe experience. I will not be returning, which is a shame because I had hoped for better. read more