Bantam — Restaurant in Santa Cruz

We were really excited to try Bantam - it came highly recommended by staff at another restaurant we loved, and the space itself had a great, lively vibe. But unfortunately, our experience left us disappointed. It started with a wine order. I asked our server for a taste of a red, and several minutes after my partner’s drink arrived, a small, ambiguous pour was dropped off by someone else with no explanation. It looked too much for a taste but nowhere near a full glass. When our server came back, I asked about it. She insisted it was a full pour. I felt awkward pushing, but after noticing every other wine glass around us looked noticeably fuller (even after people had been drinking from them), I mentioned it again. She stood by her answer, until a few minutes later, when she came back to say it actually was a short pour (end of the bottle) and offered to fix it. I appreciated the correction, but by then the vibe had shifted and the service started to feel cold, like asking about the wine had been a faux pas. For food, we ordered a salad, a pizza, and a pasta. The salad (“Mixed Lettuces”) was sparse - basically a few leaves with vinegar (not vinaigrette, just vinegar), a couple radishes, and some sunflower seeds. At $16, it felt underwhelming, especially compared to other restaurants in the area. Still, we were mostly there for the pizza and pasta. Unfortunately, the mains took a very long time, with tables seated after us getting their food first. Our server eventually acknowledged the delay, which we appreciated, but when the dishes finally arrived, only the pizza was hot. The pasta wasn’t even lukewarm - it was fully cold, like it had been sitting out the whole time we waited. In a different setting, we might’ve spoken up, but given the chilly service we didn’t feel comfortable bringing it up. On our way out, my partner mentioned it to the manager, who agreed the pasta shouldn’t have been cold. Still, we left feeling more like a problem than guests. We’re both easygoing and rarely complain, and I’ve worked in restaurants myself, so I know off nights happen. But the mix of missteps and how they were handled didn’t reflect the warmth or hospitality we’ve experienced elsewhere...

I have loved eating at Bantam for years, but went over the weekend and had an awful experience. I never write reviews, but felt it was important to do so, given the restaurant's refusal to address a simple matter and the manager's overall rudeness. In short, I ordered the only vegetarian entree-- a rice, broccolini and pepper dish for over $20-- and when it arrived all of us at the table started laughing at the super small size of the dish and the misleading nature of the description, which included "crispy rice" as an ingredient, but in actuality included around 10 grains of rice sprinkled on the top. When our server came to ask how everything was, I explained how disappointed I was, and she said she was sorry and asked if I wanted to order more food. Given the exorbitant price and the fact that my friends already had their food, I declined, Next, the manager approached, but instead of trying to make things right, she proceeded to tell me I shouldn't have been surprised by the small size because crispy rice is "always just a garnish"; she also explained that the peppers are filling "because they are sweet peppers." Her overall vibe was rude and condescending and made all of us feel extremely awkward and like dinner couldn't end soon enough. She and other servers approached our table multiple times over the next 45 mins to ask us about the meal over and over again, adding even more awkwardness to the situation. When we got the bill, we were truly shocked to see that the item hadn't been removed; nor had we been offered anything to make up for the problem. I have eaten at fine restaurants all over the world, and never have I experienced such an arrogant and stubborn response to customer dissatisfaction. It would have been so easy for them to fix the situation and salvage our evening, but instead they dug their heels in and seemed to want to teach us a lesson. We were honestly embarrassed for them by the...

Will leave positive elements below the issues I had with my bad experience at Bantam. I was very disappointed in our waitress when we clearly did not like the gluten free pizza that she was unwilling to accommodate us. The GF pizza comes smaller and uncut, and is more of a pancake. We had to cut it ourselves. We had a few bites and although I never expect to get anything comped and can sympathize with restaurant policy, I would have thought this was a warranted situation.

I also felt very neglected by our server. We must have gone without seeing anyone at our table for over 25 minutes. All of our waters were empty on the table. And that is always one of my biggest pet peeves. I literally got up and filled my water from the nearby kitchen sink. The server only came around when someone at our table spilled a class of wine and needed help cleaning it up.

We had been left waiting for so long no one wanted to stay longer for dessert or coffee. At this point the evening was ruined for me and I just wanted to leave. I had given up on any chance for a good evening.

That being said, I had a playful bartender at the beginning who got into it with me about Bordeaux and that was quite fun. And she was very respectful in cordially asking us to move when we took open bar seats that were meant for unseated people on the waiting list. She even came to check on me at the end of the meal which was a saving grace and a nice moment of connection.

Besides the garbage GF pizza, the food was largely fantastic. The regular pizza, The burratta, the chicken, and the dumplings were great. Although I would have thought there would be a bit more truffle in the dumplings. But I don't plan on ever coming backback will be telling friends, "the food is good, but the service makes it...