Santa Cruz's 5 Best Seafood Restaurants With Ocean Views, According To A Local

When it comes to seafood in Santa Cruz, California, few experiences are quite as enjoyable as dining oceanfront. Although some locals will tell you to skip halibut fillets and oysters on the half-shell in favor of a burrito from a favorite food truck (also delicious), Santa Cruz's culinary history has strong ties with the ocean that can still be seen today.

These recommendations are based on my experience growing up and living in Santa Cruz, as well as my time fishing in the Monterey Bay and docenting at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. These restaurants not only offer direct sea views, but also serve quality seafood — hyper-local, local to the West Coast, and international. 

From restaurants founded by coastal Italian immigrants on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, steps from the vibrant Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, to harborside eateries that have fed generations of locals and visitors, Santa Cruz's seafood restaurants cast a wide net. Whether you're looking for blackened Mahi Mahi sandwiches on an outdoor patio or the freshest daily catch steps from the ocean, you'll find it in California's legendary beach town where surfing first came to America.

No list of the best seafood restaurants in Santa Cruz would be complete without Stagnaro Bros. Seafood Inc. Founded by a family of Italian immigrants from the Ligurian Coast, the restaurant started as a humble seafood market in 1937. Today, it's Northern California's largest fresh fish market, complete with a restaurant at the end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf.

Featuring views of Steamer Lane's distant surfers and waves breaking below West Cliff Drive, this is where I bring out-of-town guests. The menu has over 20 kinds of fish and seafood, salads, sandwiches, and Italian-American specialties like "Giovanni's Famous Cioppino," a rich seafood stew that originated in San Francisco. Tourists often order the New England clam chowder, an award-winning dish in its own right, but I recommend asking your server about the in-season fish and ordering it charbroiled for a smoky finish.

In terms of ambiance, leather booths and hardwood furniture fill the space, while the two-level restaurant looks like a ferry, complete with port windows and guardrails. Stagnaro doesn't accept reservations, but try to avoid the late afternoon as the light can be a little intense in the main dining room. If you're not ready for a full meal, stop by the outdoor fish counter. As a local, I look forward to the start of Dungeness crab season. Starting in mid-November, fishermen catch crabs measuring up to 8 inches across in the cool waters of the Monterey Bay and deliver them straight to the counter.

First opened in 1969, The Crow's Nest is a Santa Cruz institution that sets the standard for waterfront dining in the county. It's known for weekly live music, happy hour specials at the bar, and an oceanfront location overlooking Santa Cruz Harbor's entrance. From here, sunset lights up Walton Lighthouse as boats come and go, making the restaurant a popular spot for date nights or celebratory meals.   

Guests can choose from the downstairs dining room, which is slightly more formal but still relaxed, or the Breakwater Bar & Grill on the second floor. Although both levels are part of The Crow's Nest, Breakwater is where locals go for happy hour and to cheer on the Giants or Warriors. It also offers a place to wait for your table while enjoying one of the bar's famously strong cocktails. Outdoor deck seating can be found on both levels; however, the views are more expansive from the second floor's elevated vantage point.

The downstairs menu features all sorts of seafood, seared steaks, pastas, and elaborate salads. Another contender for the best calamari in Santa Cruz, the kitchen tosses the squid in its signature parmesan herb batter. Standout dishes include the smoked Pacific salmon with wasabi mayo, the parmesan-crusted grilled sand dabs, and the creamy seafood risotto filled with clams, shrimp, scallops, and chunks of fish. Be sure to ask your server for a local wine pairing from Santa Cruz County or Monterey.

Perched on a grassy patch opposite The Crow's Nest at the harbor, Aldo's Harborside Restaurant is another heritage eatery with roots in Italy. Established by the Olivieri family in 1963, Aldo's Harborside serves breakfast, lunch, and brunch overlooking rows of bobbing yachts. Here, you'll often spot sea otters and their babies paddling between the boats and sea lions cruising by with their noses sticking out of the water.

Although the second location, Aldo's Bakery & Cafe, can be found in neighboring Soquel, diners at the harborside spot can expect the same fresh sourdough rolls and fugasa buns. Geared towards casual dining, the menu features sandwiches, salads, pasta, and a variety of seafood-centric brunch options. I order the crab cake eggs Benedict when it's available, and consider the fried calamari the best around the Monterey Bay, a sentiment shared by many locals. The batter offers just the right amount of crunch, and the freshly caught squid never veers into the unappetizing territory of rubberiness. Other options include the blackened Mahi Mahi sandwich, coconut shrimp, and seafood pasta with house-made marinara. For refreshments, choose the Bloody Mary, a local favorite.

Originally a temporary solution during renovations, Aldo's Harborside location next to Mariner Park Way is now permanent. The restaurant only offers outdoor seating beneath umbrellas (very dog-friendly), so if the weather looks stormy, you should call to make sure it's open. If you're looking for mid-priced seafood without the fuss of an upscale establishment, Aldo's is just the ticket.

Situated in a line of restaurants along the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, Firefish Grill specializes in pastas and chargrilled seafood. Almost every item on the menu features fresh seafood, ranging from panko-crusted sand dabs and seared scallops to charbroiled salmon drizzled in Beurre Blanc and oysters on the half-shell. 

Firefish's history doesn't go as far back as some seafood eateries in the area, but it has made a name for itself thanks to the mesquite charcoal broiler in the kitchen. Reaching higher temperatures than your backyard grill, the broiler seals in the seafood's natural flavors while adding a distinct smoky flavor to dishes like fresh swordfish and Firefish's signature seafood skewers. Guests can watch chefs grill their meals in the performance kitchen, which adds an interactive element to the dining experience. 

The weekend clientele mostly includes visitors from the greater Bay Area and much further afield, but the Monday to Friday specials draw in a local crowd. These dinner and lunch offerings come at a lower price point and feature prawn and scallop pesto pasta, croquettes filled with salmon, crab, and shrimp, or the daily catch, among other choices. Although the standard prices are on the high end, it's worth the premium for seats right over the water. Floor-to-ceiling windows take the place of decor, showcasing views of West Cliff, the ocean, and sunset over Steamer Lane. Small crafts bob in the water, while pelicans and other sea birds swoop above the water in search of their own seafood.

Started as a fish market on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf in 1981, Riva Fish House has served up seafood classics to generations of Santa Cruzans and visitors at a more affordable price than other places. The restaurant takes its name from Riva Trigoso, a fishing village along Italy's Ligurian Coast, as a way to honor the Italian immigrants who helped forge Santa Cruz's seafood scene. 

Expect all your seafood classics like beer-battered calamari and scallops, charcoal-grilled salmon, and New England clam chowder, plus Mexican and Italian seafood dishes. During the summertime halibut season, I order the Cajun halibut fish tacos, which come pan-seared instead of fried, while the cioppino with big chunks of fish and crab will keep you warm on cold winter days exploring the wharf. The portions are big and the cocktails pack a punch.

Featuring hardwood floors and the work of rotating artists on the walls, the restaurant overlooks Cowell Beach, West Cliff Drive, and the ocean around the wharf. Curious seagulls strut by the huge windows, while a sea lion sighting is almost a guarantee. During dinner time, the restaurant can get a bit loud (especially the bar area), but the sounds of laughter and conversations only make the place feel more homey. Finish your meal with a scoop of slow-churned gelato from the freezer. The flavors constantly change, but the sea salted caramel adds just the right amount of savory and sweet at the end of a seafood dinner. 

The recommendations in this guide are based on my experience living and growing up in Santa Cruz. I've personally visited every restaurant on the list multiple times and relied on my insights to pinpoint the best seafood restaurants in Santa Cruz with ocean views. I also used my experience fishing in the Monterey Bay and docenting at the Monterey Bay Aquarium to recommend in-season seafood. 

All restaurants in this article can be found within Santa Cruz City limits. I excluded seafood restaurants in Capitola and Rio Del Mar due to their location in greater Santa Cruz County. Finally, every restaurant features direct views of the water, unobstructed by buildings or parking areas.