Bantam - Santa Cruz (CA)

2 /5 Dave: My partner and I have always enjoyed Bantam, but unfortunately the service during our visit tonight was disappointing. It was one of the quieter nights we’ve experienced here, and there were plenty of staff working, so the delays were hard to understand. Our server forgot to bring our drinks for over 30 minutes — we had already finished our appetizer before she realized. After we were done with our meal, it took another 30 minutes before she asked if we wanted dessert. By that point we’d lost interest and asked for the check, which never came. We waited yet another 30 minutes before she realized she hadn’t brought it at all. During this time, she continued serving tables around us while ignoring us entirely. To make matters worse, when I chose to tip 18% instead of the default 20% on the payment screen (which felt a bit unjustified given our experience), her tone noticeably changed and she gave us a dirty look. We’ve had really good experiences here in the past both in terms of food and service, which makes this even more disappointing. The food is still solid, but the service ruined our date.

5 /5 Luba Kharchenko: Our recent dinner at Bantam restaurant in Santa Cruz was a delightful and memorable experience. From the moment we walked in, we were impressed by the trendy and cool vibe of the place. Even on a Tuesday night, the restaurant was packed with diners, which added to its lively atmosphere. To start, we ordered a salad that was loaded with fresh vegetables, including crisp pickled cauliflower and tender asparagus. The flavors were fantastic and left us eager to try more. We opted for two pizzas - one with peppery arugula and Brigita cheese and another with creamy ricotta cheese and roasted eggplant. Both were expertly baked, with thin crusts that had just the right amount of chewiness. For dessert, we indulged in Bantams famous booty pudding - a rich and decadent bread pudding that left us feeling fully satisfied. One highlight of our meal was how small but thoughtfully curated their menu is. We felt like every item on it was there for a reason, carefully chosen to showcase Bantams focus on fresh ingredients and bold flavors. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Bantam and highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exceptional dining experience in Santa Cruz. We look forward to returning soon!

3 /5 Chris: Their pizza is like, if someone who never had pizza explained to someone else how to make the pizza. Flavor was ok. But the construction of the pizza was poor. Burnt to a crisp hardly any cheese definitely not worth the price. Also kids pasta was watered down and had no real flavor. Staff was pleasant.