I don't know much about restaurants in Santa Cruz,...

I don't know much about restaurants in Santa Cruz, but my wife and I were super stoked to come across Soif. We ate at the bar and although we had to pipe up a couple of times (it was pretty bustling and the bartender was pretty swamped), our server was very knowledgeable & friendly. The atmosphere was really nice & we could carry on a conversation easily despite the crowd. The food and wine pairings were spot on. Certainly worth a visit.