Zelda's on the beach
Zelda's on the beach — photo 2
Zelda's on the beach — photo 3
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Zelda's on the beach — photo 5

Zelda's on the beach

203 Esplanade, Capitola, CA

★★★★4.1(2,427 Google reviews)

Crema's Take

This beachside spot trades coffee shop intimacy for seaside charm, making it ideal for lingering over drinks with a view rather than grabbing a quick espresso. Their clam chowder bread bowl is a local favorite that keeps regulars coming back, and the outdoor seating puts you steps from the sand—perfect for savoring a strawberry lemonade while watching the waves. Fair warning: you're definitely paying premium prices for that unbeatable Capitola location and stellar ocean views, so manage expectations on the food quality relative to cost.

What to expect

Traditional drinksFamily friendlyLight foodSlow sitOutdoor seatingMeetings

Google Reviews

Harry P
★★★★3 months ago

Good food and service. Plenty of seats, both indoor and outdoor. Good selection on the menu, and everything is cooked well.

Jonathan Wong
★★★★4 months ago

Overall a good experience! The calamari was truly well done, minimal breading and still tender despite the fry! Grilled sea bass was a little too salty, could tell they gave a sprinkle of salt at the end that was too heavy handed for my preference. Parking is street parking, on the same route as many other restaurants so it can be a little tight

David Lu
★★★★★4 months ago

You are definitely paying for the scenery not the $27 fish and chips. Ordered cup of clam chowder ($9) and fish and chips ($27). Chowder was piping hot but lacks flavor, fish and chips on the other hand was bad. It was definitely frozen premade fish deep fried. Came out soggy and fishy.

Gina Serrano
★★★★★6 months ago

Views and drinks were stellar, food was ok, service was good. I absolutely loved being steps away from the beach! We came on a weekday for a late lunch and were seated very quickly. My strawberry lemonade cocktail was perfect on this warm day and had the right amount of sweetness, tartness, and alcohol. I started off with a cup of chowder, which was pretty darn good and then shared some calamari and fries with my husband. The calamari definitely could have had a little more batter and been crispier but I did enjoy the fries. I would return for drinks and views!

Brian Catania
★★★★★8 months ago

Another great meal at Zelda's. Wednesday concert at the Esplanade, with my clam chowder bread bowl. It's one of my favorites in the area. Great flavor. Love the bread. Please don't order the bread bowl and leave the bread, lol. It makes me sad when I see people do that. Their coconut cheesecake is to die for but since I have had it multiple times, decided to try the bread pudding. It was delicious too. Had a great mocha and coffee as well. The views is awesome too. Witnessed a lot of dive bombing birds diving for their dinner in the ocean while I was dive bombing my plate.

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