Hotel Turned Red: The Red Room

If it’s open, walk up your final set of stairs to Red Restaurant. Photo by Bailey Queue.
If it’s open, walk up the dark set of stairs to Red Restaurant. Photo by Bailey Queue.

Today’s Red Restaurant, at 200 Locust Street, is in the old Santa Cruz Hotel building, built in 1877. The restaurant on the lower level was known throughout much of the twentieth century for its delicious Italian Family Dinners. The good food served “family style” was an inexpensive choice for tourists, before fast food restaurants.

The main entrance to the Red Room.
The main entrance to the Red Room.

In the 1970s, the upstairs was remodeled to become Santa Cruz Bar and Grill, and its original distinctive stained glass windows remain, as well as the dark paneling, fireplace, and skylights.

The Red Room interior from 1960s postcard. Image from the collection of Linda Rosewood.
The Red Room interior from 1960s postcard. Image from the collection of Linda Rosewood.

After 3 pm, enter the Santa Cruz Hotel from Locust Street and take the stairs up to the Red Restaurant to relax and enjoy a drink and a snack in the company of Santa Cruz locals.

Take the Self-Guided Mobile Tour

This piece is part of the Mission Hill Staircase Tour made possible by local history researcher Linda Rosewood. Download the free app with many tours of the Santa Cruz area and beyond.

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Go to Mobile Ranger Guides in the Apple App Store
Go to Mobile Ranger Guides in the Google Play Store
  1. Sources Used

    • The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture, 3rd Edition. John Leighton Chase, edited by Judith Steen. Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, 2005.



About The Author

Linda Rosewood

Linda Rosewood loves to research Santa Cruz history and has lived in downtown Santa Cruz for over 30 years. She loves to walk everywhere; that way she can find the next interesting local landmark to research. She posts her discoveries at her blog, History Right Here.

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