VIM Dining & Desserts

High quality food! Chicken and Ahi tuna were perfect! Excellent service!! We enjoyed the patio! My only recommendation is some cushion for the bench seating!

My hair stylist recommended this place to us. The decor/ambiance was great inside. We sat on the patio, which was really cute, had lots of heating lamps & was private from the street. The only down side was the noise from the street.

The food was absolutely amazing!! We loved the popcorn. Nice change up from the usual bread that is served at most restaurants & was perfectly seasoned.
Our cocktails were delish! My fiancé ordered a Cadillac margarita. He is extremely picky about how it's made & really loved Vim's! We had the Brussel sprouts as our appetizer. Omg, whatever

Waitress was on point Seated us quickly without reservations. The food was delicious chicken and steak dinners undecided on witch was more unique and delicious just want to get back to eat more. (I write mostly bad reviews)

This restaurant is just shy of being the best in the city! The up and coming VIM is beautiful inside and out. I want to thank my server who was incredible while being the only one working for brunch. She was attentive, answered all my questions, and was so positive.

For brunch, I ordered the Turkish eggs. Everything about it was just delectable. The flavors present on the plate suggested a very skilled chef behind the scenes. It was clear to me that this had all been masterfully curated (as stated on the menu) and it was worth every penny. Also, I loved their open kitchen floor plan. It was nice

My husband and I are diehard Santa Cruz Foodies. I'm always looking for great dining experiences in Santa Cruz County. I've never understood why, when we grow some of the finest produce in the world, that we don't really have a food destination identity.

VIM is right out on the edge of town, in a space that has changed over many different times in the last twenty years. It's somewhat near the more trendy area near New Leaf. The parking is problematic, because it shares a lot with a hotel. It also has a pretty terrible entrance. You have to climb through a planter to get

ALL 5 STARS!! Just saying! I've been presently surprised before when trying a random restaurant by chance but this is definitely at the all time top of my favorites list. Please, please seek this one out.

One of my favorite meals of 2021 by far! This past weekend I had dinner at Vim, and I was so impressed. My friend and I began by splitting the persimmon and spinach salad. I loved seeing seasonal items throughout the menu, like the persimmons, brussels sprouts, and winter spices. I had a hard time selecting my entree because every single one sounded amazing. I ended up selecting the lemon caper chicken breast, which came with the creamiest mashed potatoes. The chicken was super tender and juicy, and the capers and lemon peel in the sauce added so much flavor.
My friend and I were sure to save

This restaurant is so deserving of 5 stars. Been here for many occasions and am always in awe of the food. The menu changes depending on what's in season and the chef is a culinary genius. Great atmosphere for a date or special event. The staff is always friendly and accommodating. The food is more of an experience than a meal. One of my favorite restaurants in Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz has many mediocre restaurants and few Great restaurants. VIM is a GREAT restaurant. The food is so quality and the cocktails superb. They change their menu pretty often so there is variety. I never have had a bad meal at VIM. Service is excellent.

Want something different than your typical omelet or pancakes? Want a delicious breakfast with complex flavors? Try VIM. Our first time at this restaurant. Came for Sunday Brunch and was truly amazed at the beautiful tasty food, nice drinks, great atmosphere.

We tried Vim for the first time and loved it. We ordered the brussels and eloté shrimp. Both had great flavors. We split the steak with broccolini and fried mashed potatoes. It was all so good. The cocktails were amazing and so pretty. And the gingerbread cake was a perfect fall rainy day finish to our meal. The service was warm and attentive. We can't wait to go again! And someone else said the bathrooms are lovely and I agree. And it matters.

This was our first time at this place. I had heard amazing things about it so we ventured out. Parking was easy. The hostess was warm and friendly. The decor is sort of deco but not overly done. The food was fantastic! The cocktails were great as well- inventive and fun! The service was very good and the music was also great. Not too loud. The bathrooms were beautiful! I know- who cares about a bathroom- but it can really ruin a good meal if it is gross.
Thank you for a wonderful night!!!

I love this place! I've been there several times since they opened a few years ago. The menu is always a little different each time I go, depending on what produce is in season and what kind of new things the chef is interested in. What never changes is that the food is consistently delicious and the staff are welcoming and friendly.
Highly recommended 🤓👍

Vim is a must go to place for dinner . We celebrated our anniversary here and we're amazed by the food and outstanding service .
My husband had the out of this world delicious Duck Confit . I had the Roasted Eggplant Cannelloni that I could go and on and on about . The highlight of the meal was dessert , a beautiful peach cheesecake . We will defiantly be going back soon to enjoy this wonderful gem

We celebrated my husband's birthday at VIM last night. Everything was excellent-the drinks ("love and tiki" and "desert bloom"), the peppers appetizer, our entrees and the dessert (chocolate cake). Our waiter (Dagen) was friendly, informative and efficient. I would not have changed a thing.

We had a fantastic birthday dinner. The restaurant accommodated our party seating outside even though we were a large party. The staff was excellent throughout the entire dinner and we ordered most of the mains and all the desserts. We were happy with everything! The drinks were outstanding and the seasonal lemonade was off the charts.

We will definitely go back, great spot, great food and great staff!

Our favorite new restaurant in Santa Cruz! Had dinner here Saturday night almost everything was amazing. We were seated on their comfy patio out front (which unfortunately is not pet-friendly, so our fur kiddo had to be left at home this time). Shortly after being seated, we were treated to some popcorn -- nothing particularly fancy or special, but good to keep us busy while waiting for real food and drinks.
Here's what we ordered...
* Elote Shrimp -- Nice fresh, plump prawns in a creamy polenta with roasted corn and feta. Very delicious!
* Black Garlic Steak -- a sous vide flank steak with

The food was really good! I got the pulled pork tostada and a Vimms cup to drink. Also shared the tater tots which were very good too! A hidden gem of a restaurant! When in town again we will definitely be back!!

Absolutely outstanding cuisine.
I had the Spicy Lamb meatballs and sampled two starters including shrimp in a bechemel and feta with corn dish. The chef's flavor combinations are unique and wonderful. I highly recommend that you give this place a try. It is now my favorite in Santa Cruz.

Vim is a truly unique dining experience. I have had a different dish each time and never been disappointed! The service, food and drinks are unmatched. I recently just had brunch there and again was dazzled by the savory and the sweet options. Highly recommend this place and I will be back.

How can I describe vim elegant, friendly,well informed Host that describes everything to a tee. From the drink's to the delicious desserts. If your looking to experience a mind blowing array of flavors , you have come to the right place.

Absolutely everything about VIM is top notch - the food, the cocktails, the DESSERTS, the owners, and the staff ... each and every step of the experience is thoughtful and delectable.

Their reservation process is very easy on their website, the cocktails served at the table look just like their Instagram shots and they have a well curated wine list with plenty of local wineries included. I don't do beer as much, so I can't say much about their selections. The bread and butter board included so many crafted items on it - the liver mousse was out of this world!! The Ahi tuna was incredibly

Another perfect evening at Vim. The Chef/Owner Jessica puts so much love into everything she touches. Our family of 4 had perfect drinks, cheese board appetizer, ahi and chicken dinners and Vim chocolate cake.

The staff is just as special as the food too. The bartender had the best one-liners ever and our server was running around ensuring everything was perfect. Having the chef serve the dinners is pretty special too.

It was our first go-out meal that we got to eat inside since Covid and Vim was the perfect place to be.

VIM had been one of my favorite culinary restaurants. Their dishes and desserts are out of this world!
We went last fall/winter while it was open and was greeted by the bartender who also made our gimlets. We recognized our friendly waiter was from Alderwood, which closed last fall but I'm happy he found this new place. Also a friendly lad.
The other waitress also came out apologizing that if the soup isn't hot enough she'll warm it up again. It was still good. They made it up with their chocolate cake that we ordered to go. We had so much fun together (as a couple) and I love the

Went to Vim tonight and was kinda blown away. Every item kept surpassing the last, and the dessert left me speechless.
Also, the cocktail I had was crazy good -- it was called Ancho Smash, I think.
Starter: I had never had a butter board before, and it was delicious. Each butter had a distinct flavor which they apparently make in-house. You'll find some mushrooms on the board -- do NOT ignore them as they are amazing and unlike any mushrooms you'll ever have.
Main: Pork Chop. It was the most tender and perfectly cooked pork chop. But more importantly, the grits were hands down the BEST GRITS

I grew up in the neighborhood right around this restaurant, where my parents still live - and they've been raving about this restaurant literally since it opened, but I kept visiting around Christmas, when the restaurant was closed for the holidays. Anyway, with everything going on, I needed a break from southern California, and we've all been super-careful, so when VIM reopened for patio seating, that was a good enough excuse to drive down a couple weeks ago, spend a long weekend in Santa Cruz with family, and finally get to try VIM.

I'm sad I didn't get to try it when it

This place is amazing! The service, the food, the cocktails, the desserts, the details, everything! I reserved a dinner for my birthday online and put it in the “special occasions” section, and they went all out! They printed menus specifically to my birthday and baked a delicious caramel cupcake specifically for me (wasn’t on the menu or anything). Our server was very attentive and his persona really went with the decor and atmosphere (I didn’t know that was a possible thing)! That being said, for 5 people and how great the restaurant was, the price wasn’t terrible either! I will definitely

Love. This. Food. Everything was delicious, though the fried halumi, chorizo pasta and apricot galette are things I’d order again every time if I could. Drinks are a slam dunk—well balanced flavors and just the right amount of spirit to make you feel like all is right in the world. I love all the interior design details and the warm service. Everything combined makes you feel at home. Make a reservation and eat here already.