Shadowbrook Restaurant – Capitola, California

Charming Capitola Hideaway

Shadowbrook Restaurant – Capitola, California

Visited January 2026

While on a mid-week holiday to California’s central coast with friends Kim and Mary, they asked us if we wanted to have dinner at Shadowbrook in the tiny beachside town of Capitola, Having never heard of Capitola, I was intrigued.

Located about 45 minutes north of Carmel by the Sea (where we were staying), and a little over an hour south of San Francisco, Capitola takes one back in time. Upon arrival, Kim showed us the Venetian Court, a 102-year old complex of 46 colorful buildings where he and his family stayed when he was a kid.

For special occasions, he and his family would dine at nearby Shadowbrook, perched on a hillside overlooking Capitola and the river that flows through it to the ocean. The restaurant was originally constructed as a summer home in the 1920s. After falling into disrepair, it was restored in the mid 1940s and opened as a restaurant in 1947. There’s an informative video on Shadowbrook on the restaurant’s website.

To reach the multi-level restaurant you can navigate down the steep, winding staircase as these intrepid elderly diners did …

… or take the funicular (cable car). If you are staying within a three-mile radius around the restaurant, there is complimentary shuttle service provided by a Checker cab.

Opened in 1947, this Swiss chalet style building has been expanded and improved over the decades and it is definitely a “special occasion” restaurant not to be missed if you are in the area. Reservations are recommended and don’t even think about coming here in shorts and a tank top! The dress code policy is “Dress to Impress,” which Kim and Mary forgot to tell us. We arrived in the early evening and popped into the Rock Room bar for a pre-dinner libation.

The bartender was very personable and could definitely get a job at Octoberfest should this gig not work out.

He makes a pretty good Old Fashioned, too.

The restaurant has several different and well-appointed dining rooms.

We dined in the Garden Room (most likely due to our more casual attire) …

… but in our defense we had spent a busy day visiting the Carmel Mission and Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Tracy and I didn’t even need to look at the menu, as we had already decided on prime rib. We shared the Soup of the Day (Geez we are getting old) which was butternut squash with cinnamon crema. Wow! Warm rolls are delivered to the table directly from the onsite bakery via a wicker basket.

The slow-roasted prime rib is served with garlic-whipped potatoes, creamed spinach and horseradish cream. It was as good or better than my favorite prime rib from Lawry’s in Beverly Hills (and much more affordable).

Kim and Mary shared a Caesar salad with parmesan crisps and extra anchovies. I am pretty sure Mary had been hankering for them after seeing a tank of anchovies swimming at the Aquarium.

Kim ordered the house spiced loin of lamb with roasted garlic, beurre rouge, mushroom bread pudding and honey-glazed carrots. Judging by his empty plate it was delicious.

Mary still had fish on her mind and dined on the perfectly grilled salmon with orange-infused Hollandaise sauce, roasted sweet potatoes, green beans, and a Divina tomato and basil in a tarragon vinaigrette.

As usual, we left no room for dessert, but we would want to return some day to try more items on the menu. We hopped on the cable car to take us to our car. As it says on their website: “It’s not about the cable car. It’s about where the cable car takes you.”

And just in case one has too many of those Old Fashioned cocktails, the man in the yellow Checker cab is there at your service.

Shadowbrook Restaurant is definitely a perfect spot for a special dinner in an impeccable surrounding.

Shadowbrook Restaurant
1750 Wharf Road
Capitola, CA 95010
831.475.1511
Dining Room
Monday – Friday 4 pm – 8:30 pm
Saturday 2 pm – 9:30 pm
Sunday 2 pm – 8:30 pm
On-Site Parking: Free
Shadowbrook Restaurant