Very family friendly and lively environment
Fantastic food reasonably priced for upscale Italian. Would dine here regularly if we were locals. A little noisy, but otherwise good ambience.
Recently had a trip to Italy and found myself saying 'this is good but it's not as good as Lillian's'.
Wonderful restaurant. You must book to get it.
Santa Cruz was an alien town to me and had no idea where to go eat! Heard about this restaurant and never visited another one! The hospitality is great and the pizzas are a must try, great simplistic ambience that looks and feels Italian all the way
Belly bursting happiness. Lillian's is right down the street where I live, so it proves to be my favorite local restaurant and a usual for my boyfriend and my "date nights." It's small, crowded, and loud, but a lot of the time I like that-it's a hopping spot in a small space. The food is insanely good for Santa Cruz, perhaps the best I've tasted in the area spanning all kinds of cuisine. They're insanely rich and decadent sauces match well with their amazing pastas, which I'm told they get fresh daily from a small pasta maker in San Jose. So yeah, happiest I've been in a Santa Cruz restaurant. Call ahead, be hungry, be happy.
After making reservations we headed over there so we would be there right on time. But when we got there, the restauraunt was packed! We had to wait half an hour to just get in. Although, the service was very nice. After about ten minutes of waiting he brought us menus so we wouldnt be to bored. Then after about twenty minutes he came out to us with a plate of fresh garlic bread. Yummy! Then after then more minutes we came in. The place was crowded and noisy, obviously one of santa cruz's top restauraunts. I ordered pesto ravioli that was so delicious and rich!!! The wait was definetly worth it. :)
Thank you Lillian's. Thank you for coming to Santa Cruz. Love the ambience. Love the food. Love the service.
This place rocks! I called at 430 on saturday to see when we could get in. Her took my mame and number and told me an hour. An jour later we were seated. The people out front waiting to be seated were served ice water and the outdoir heater was turned on later so they could be warm! So considerate! The staff was friendly and the foid to die for! Bravo!
This place is great. Just left there and had to write a review. Everything was delisous and was very well priced. This place is the besitalian I have had in a long time and deffinately the best in Santa Cruz
This was the perfect valentines day spot. The soup is the best I've ever had. The aroma alone will make you fall in love
Wow this was so good. I got the Gorgonzola fiochetti, a slightly sweet and savory and creamy pasta with prosciutto. So good! My partners pasta w meat sauce was pretty good too, although I would probably rate it less. Overall, wonderful experience
After a long day of hiking or day on the boardwalk, drive 10 minutes to this gem of a restaurant! Excellent for families, generous portions and selection for their kids menu +coloring on the backside of the menu.
Great Italian cuisine (pizza and pastas). Be sure to try their filet mignon with gnocchi. Savory sauce and soft pillows of pasta(cheese filling). We also tried their short ribs with fettuccine noodles, in red marinara sauce. This was very good! For our appetizer, we had to try their meatballs with Sunday gravy. Tender meatballs in meat sauce marinara.
This was my fourth visit here so I felt it was time to give this place the review it deserves. This Italian restaurant is one reason I drive 80 miles from home. I absolutely love their food primarily the risotto balls and the kale and mushroom ravioli. I have also tried a few of their specials and they have never disappointed. Add that to the friendly service and fair Pricing and you have an ultimate winner of a restaurant.
Pro tip: Eat dinner early so that you have time to drive back to W. Cliff Dr. and get a view of the sunset. Not to mention Marianne’s ice cream is down the street!
Great service. Made a reservation the night before and the host was very friendly and helpful. I asked for a certain table and they said they would do their best when I came in. Tonight they were able to accommodate the request and it was a great experience. Food was great and everyone enjoyed their meal.
We enjoyed a wonderful dining experience all around. During the short time we were waiting to be seated, three servers, as they were passing by, greeted us and said someone would be with us shortly. Once we ordered, our dishes came out fairly quickly. I had the fettuccine with braised beef ragu, and it was a perfect balance of flavor and tenderness. My hubby order the halibut special which was served on a bed of polenta and a side of broccolini. Both dishes were of generous portions and came out piping hot. They recently got a full bar license so cocktails will be added to the beer and wine they currently offer.
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We called ahead on a Friday evening at 6:00PM and of course we were unable to make reservations as it is all booked for the night. When we arrived to check in, the wait time was an hour.
They called an hour later and offered the bar seats, or I could wait for a table which would be 30 minutes longer. I went with the bar. The hostess was so sweet and accommodating.
The bartender/waitress was so informative and definitely knew what she was talking about when she recommended which dish to get. The Seafood Chowder may sound plain, but one bite was full of flavor. It had mussel and potatoes and was so creamy on a foggy cold night. The main courses were decent. The filet mignon was nice and tender and the prawns were a nice size. Bread with oil and vinegar is given as an appetizer.
Overall, the food was satisfying and the staff was friendly and accommodating for such a busy night. There was an incident where the busboys dropped tons of dishes while cleaning that startled everyone in the restaurant, but it was no big deal. It's a little noisy, you have to shout a little and the lighting is quite dim. Attire was very casual (one guy was in shorts and a baseball cap).
Lillian's has been a star since they opened! I moved away and was visiting, so I had an opportunity to visit their new and large, yet comfy and classy second location. And of course the food and service were amazing. I had to get a second order of Sunday gravy to bring home to my Italian husband, who loved it! Thanks Lillian's, you guys do things right.
What a delightful surprise finding this restaurant was!! We were staying in Capitola and took a drive to Santa Cruz. As dinner approached, I looked up Italian food near me and Lillian's Italian Kitchen came up and we decided to check it out. Nice open feel inside and the menu looked fabulous! Our meals arrived quickly and were absolutely delicious!! Very authentic Italian tasting!! Service was great and all the staff were friendly. We will definitely return when we're back in the area!!
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