Pizzeria Avanti

We are pretty much regulars now. Ha.

Love that they are always very friendly to the kids.

But hey - they are open for brunch on Saturdays now!

Coffee was strong (although would be better served in a more insulated cup - glass is very fancy looking, but just doesn't hold the heat).

The poached eggs were tasty. Eggs themselves were well poached, cream sauce was smooth and flavorful. Potatoes were not super crispy but had nice flavor.

My kids didn't eat anything except the bacon, but they are generally not trustworthy when it comes to food.

Didn't get one - but the've got mimosas too!

Breakfast! I'm so glad they are serving breakfast on the weekend now. There were lots of options and it was hard to choose. We tried the Seasonal Poached Egg (like an eggs Benedict but with a lighter, herbed cream sauce), and the Florentine scramble (which was delicious as is but a bit of pesto would have been stellar, hint hint). Didn't try polenta as a side (instead of home fries) or the fresh fruit. We'll be back soon!

Incredible pizza and the calzone is the best in the Bay Area! We come here every week and it's consistently amazing and the service is great! Hugo the chef makes the dough and it's incredible! Wine and beer selection is great.

Pizzeria is one of my favorite restaurants in Santa Cruz. The pizzas are delicious. Our favorite is the brussel sprouts salad and veggie lasagna. You can get beer in cold glasses and even if the restaurant is full you can get a seat at the bar. Service is fantastic and Hugo the Chef and Owner is a great guy.

Sorry to even post since it's a low rating. But honestly was a bit disappointed that this place has 4 stars. Figured the food was ok then. But no.

I'll start with the good...

Server was so very sweet, she was the only one working besides the cook.

She had our dish removed from our bill which was also very nice.

The bad...

Zero ambiance, nada, zilch.

Ordered shrimp scampi(menu on Yelp is very outdated). The 4 pieces of shrimp that came were so overcooked it was impossible to chew. The sauce was more just liquid, no sauce. Absolute fail of a meal.

I'd understand maybe a little more if the place was packed and the cook was slammed with orders and rushing. But there was only 1 other couple there and they were already paying their bill when we were seated.

Like I said, sorry to even post. But I don't believe Avanti Pizzeria is a 4 star rating guys. Go elsewhere or be disappointed.

Good sized parking lot
The service was great and the pizza tasted fresh and 2 large pizzas were enough to feed 8 adults.
The CHICKEN WINGS WERE DELICIOUS

All I can say is the pizza was fantastic. We got the Margherita pizza with sausage and Calabrian oil. YUMM! The crust was thin and cooked through perfectly. The young man working the bar taking orders was very service oriented and thoughtful. And sitting at the bar on a rainy night was very welcoming and warm. We will be back.

Upon arriving, we found the interior of the restaurant cozy and comfortable, yet elegant.

We fell in love with the food: The garlic bread was soft and light, not too greasy, but full of melty cheese and perfectly garlicky. We ordered a "Sausage Etc" pizza, and found the crust to be the best of any we've ever had. It was rolled thin enough in places to be crisp, thick enough to be more bread-like. The spice of the sauce was neither overbearing, nor underwhelming. Truly an artisan pizza.

The chef also came by and gave us a tiramisu on the house. Again, perfectly balanced flavors, not too sweet and not too heavy. Just light on the tongue and stomach, and absolutely lovely.

The avanti pizza, with the prosciutto and arugula, is so so good! I honestly wasn't expecting to like it this much but I'm a big fan. The chicken wings were so-so, go to Parish for betters ones. But they're still decent!

I got the Sausage Etc. pizza. To start off the crust is excellent. Thin, crispy and fresh. But it kind of ends there. The toppings were sparse and it was over priced. The salad was lame. The house salad listed beets on the menu but only came with two small pieces of golden beets. I ate them both not realizing that those were the only beets in the salad and then my BF got mad because he didn't get any.