Service Bryttani, the bartender, was so friendly and…read moreengaging. Made you felt like you were at Cheers (TV show Boston). She was so nice, friendly, funny and professional! We'll be back, just because of her!! Amazing service and attention to detail!!

The king of all restaurants in San Carlos! I came here with a good friend of mine who is a San…read moreCarlos local and it did not disappoint. The food skews toward classic Americana and is definitely on the heavier side, so it isn't something that I would choose for a regular outing, but it was certainly a treat to try it for the first time! We got the philly cheese steak and the jumbo prawns for appetizers, and then I got the mushroom risotto + my friend picked up the teriyaki steak for entrees. Everything was cooked very well and I particularly enjoyed the generous assortment of mushrooms that they added to my risotto. The interior of the restaurant is gorgeous and it was absolutely packed the entire night -- that's when you know it's the place to be in Town!

Had a lovely dinner at Stella on Friday evening. Made reservations and though there were none…read moreavailable from 6 - 7 PM, the restaurant actually seemed to have plenty of tables open. It was large and inviting and seems like a lot of people enjoy eating in the bar area. Service was really great the entire time and enjoyed all the dishes we ordered. Their house made focaccia was perfectly fluffy and warm. The burrata caprese was fantastic, loved it with the fresh arugula. For my entree I had the rigatoni salsiccia calabrese. It was a very large portion, I was able to eat two more meals with the leftovers! Pasta was cooked perfectly, lots of sausage and peas, and the creamy sauce was fantastic. Also had a side of the brussels with pancetta and balsamic and that was cooked and seasoned very well too. Ended the meal with their bourbon bread pudding. Not typically a fan of bourbon flavored desserts, but this was not overwhelming with bourbon and the bread pudding was moist and flavorful. The creme on top was perfect. Would definitely come back!

Beautiful restaurant, but the experience fell well short of the price point…read more My wife and I planned a date night at Stella in Burlingame, which was a rare treat for us since we were able to arrange childcare for the evening. Unfortunately, what we hoped would be a nice night out turned into a disappointing dining experience. We had a 7:15 PM reservation and arrived a few minutes early, yet we watched other parties who arrived after us get seated before we did. We were eventually seated several minutes after our reservation time, which wasn't the best first impression. Service was another major disappointment. Our server never introduced himself, and while he appeared attentive to other tables, we felt that same level of attention was missing from our experience. I can't say for certain why, but it did leave us wondering whether our age or ethnicity played a factor. Regardless of the reason, we felt overlooked, and the service didn't reflect what we'd expect from a restaurant at this price point. As for the food, we ordered the fish market cheesy garlic bread, baked garlic butter lobster tail prepared escargot style, gnocchi di patate "Nonna Villa" with Italian sausage and porcini ragu, and the daily special of saffron infused risotto topped with braised short rib. The cheesy garlic bread was underwhelming. The cheese wasn't fully melted throughout, and the bread was overly salty. Not a great start to the meal. The lobster tail was probably the biggest disappointment. The garlic butter preparation sounded promising, but the dish was excessively salty, and the alcohol flavor was still so pronounced that it burned our noses while eating it. For a dish like this, the execution simply wasn't there. The gnocchi di patate "Nonna Villa" had a flavorful, tomato forward sauce with a nice savory depth from the Italian sausage and porcini ragu. Unfortunately, the gnocchi itself was overly mushy. The sauce showed promise, but the texture took away from the overall dish. The saffron risotto with braised short rib was the one real bright spot. The risotto was somewhat bland, with very little noticeable saffron flavor, but the short rib was cooked beautifully. It was tender, flavorful, and easily the best part of the meal. Unfortunately, one well executed component wasn't enough to make up for the rest of the experience. To be fair, Stella is a beautiful restaurant with an upscale ambiance that seems perfect for a date night or special occasion. However, attractive surroundings can only do so much when the service and food don't deliver at the same level. Overall, between the delayed seating, disappointing service, and multiple dishes that missed the mark, the experience simply wasn't worth the price for us. When you make the effort to arrange childcare and set aside time for a special night out, you hope for a meal that feels worth the occasion. This one fell short. The beautiful setting and excellent short rib deserve some credit, but they weren't enough to save the experience. Unfortunately, I don't see us returning anytime soon

All Spice is a hidden gem that delivers an unforgettable fine dining experience. Every dish is…read morebeautifully presented and thoughtfully crafted, blending global flavors with creative techniques and premium ingredients. Each course is unique, balanced, and full of flavor, making the tasting menu an exciting culinary journey from beginning to end. The service was exceptional--warm, attentive, and incredibly knowledgeable. The staff took the time to explain each course and made the evening feel personal and relaxed without ever feeling rushed. The intimate setting creates the perfect atmosphere for a romantic date night, anniversary, or special celebration. If you're looking for an innovative dining experience that goes beyond the ordinary, All Spice is absolutely worth the visit. The food, service, and attention to detail make it one of the Bay Area's true hidden treasures.

Phenomenal as always! Great attention to detail, prompt service, and new flavors every time we…read morevisit.

How could I not know about Crystal Springs Tavern? This place is absolutely fabulous!…read more Not only do you get a magnificent burger they highlight on their menu with their own special caramelized onion aïoli - they have an amazing menu to choose from. It is kid friendly, however also offers an ambience that feels very adult date like with the decor. The co-owners, Max and Matthew, welcome you whether it is from back of the house, from the chef's kitchen, front of the house with excellent service, or a quiet respite at the bar, you know you are going to be well taken care of. Besides that amazing Tavern burger-if you wanna top off the night with an "adult dessert" I highly recommend the espresso martini. Support your neighborhood restaurants! This one is totally worth it! Definitely worth your time, food cravings and attention!

I stopped into Crystal Springs Tavern for what was supposed to be a quick bite and to watch some…read morecollege football. Nothing fancy. Sit at the bar, eat something, watch 20-year-olds destroy their ACLs for my entertainment, and go home. Then I ordered the pork chop. I don't know what they're doing to this thing back there, but it was quite possibly the best pork chop I've ever had. At minimum, it's the best one I can remember, and frankly that's the only version of me qualified to write this review. Perfectly cooked, ridiculous flavor, and one of those meals where halfway through you stop watching the game and start paying attention to what you're eating. I came in for football and somehow ended up having a private moment with a pork chop. The bartender was great--friendly, attentive, but also understood the sacred relationship between a man, his dinner, and a television showing college football. The atmosphere was equally good. Relaxed, comfortable, upscale without making you feel like you need to know what fork to use. Meanwhile, behind me were two real estate guys splitting a bottle of wine that looked expensive enough that I briefly considered asking if interest rates had dropped. They ordered a couple of chicken dishes that also looked incredible. I didn't try them because apparently society still has rules about reaching over and eating food off a stranger's plate, even when you've been staring at it for several minutes. That's probably my only regret. I came in looking for a quick meal and ended up finding a place I'll absolutely come back to. Great atmosphere, excellent bartender, and a pork chop good enough that I'm now suspicious of every pork chop I've eaten before it. Definitely found my new watering hole after moving to the area.

Perfect family brunch spot! We visited on a Saturday morning with our kids and loved the…read moremodern-retro diner vibe. The food was incredibly flavorful with perfect portion sizes. The highlights for the kids was a Mickey Mouse pancake complete with a smiley face and sprinkles. This place definitely did not disappoint!

Food is good and flavorful and the decor is gorgeous! However, I've been several times and the food…read morealways has taken over 30 minutes to come out - usually for just eggs or an omelette.

Good Authentic Mexican ingredients according to server information. Nice environment and customer…read moreservice!

Not sure I've ever given 5 stars but lunch today at Reposado - San Mateo was THAT good…read more I was meeting a client who I needed to check in with the staff did a great job of being available, informative, and disappearing for a bit so we could catch up. I really appreciated how our server read that situation. When it came to choices, our server did a great job of explaining why his favorites, or the restaurant's signature dishes, were just that. I had the chicken mole enchiladas and they were spot on - the chicken was moist and the sauce was earthy with just the right amount of bite. My friend had the CAMARONES AL AJILLO and couldn't stop talking about how well they were prepared. Additionally... this is just a gorgeous space on a really convenient corner in San Mateo. I parked for free in the neighborhood and walked a block. I'm not a professional restaurant reviewer and I wish our voices didn't carry the weight they do but, this was my second visit (I went to the opening) and this team is really hitting their stride. Really great, thanks!

This is our third time here, each visit keeps getting better!…read more Highly recommend trying the corn chaat and the white elephant dosa. The chaat has such a perfect balance of sweet, savory, spicy, and has an incredibly addictive chew. The elephant dosa is the best dosa on the peninsula - their spice adds a subtle flavor and aroma that is unmatched. Shoutout to our waitress Jenna who was so professional and was so attentive waiting on us. She made our experience all the much better, thank you Jenna!

way to expensive plus the other restaurants like saffron and Amara are cheaper this should be the…read moresame as well the drinks are small and for one cup of mango lasse it's 8 dollars. It's smaller than saffrons and it's still more expensive !! the service it's alright but I think they kinda force you to eat something not let's you have a variety like saffron The ambience sucks and there are kids running everywhere not recommended Oh yeah and also the small butter chicken was 34 dollars and it was very average. They don't have non bread and the bread they had was very greasy and unhealthily. The service sucks and the people are snooty and rude to there customers they do not deserve 4 michelen awards! There is no lunch special and I feel like they were trying to make me leave just because I entered they make the drinks very small but still 10 bucks Don't go there

Wanted to try a new Mediterranean spot in San Carlos and since they have a cute outdoor patio, we…read morebrought our pup out on a warm night. We ordered the saghanaki ($18), greek salad ($16), salmon ($34), and gnocchi ($28). The server was kind enough to split the salad and plate it for 2 as he saw we were sharing. The saghanaki is always a hit - flaming cheese and oil? UGH. It's like an elevated grilled cheese once you pair it with the complimentary pita bread. The gnocchi was good and the salmon was cooked well. We were the only ones in the restaurant for a while, and staff checked on us frequently.

Absolutely amazing! If I could give this place 6 stars, I would. Every interaction with staff was…read moregreat and service was attentive. We were on our way to Fresno from San Francisco and stopped here for dinner. We sat outside and the ambiance was very quiet and cozy. The food was fantastic! We had the Dolmathes as appetizer and then the Chicken Souvlaki and Gyro Plate as entree. We also had a cappuccino which was super tasty as well. Wonderful experience, would absolutely come back.