Can I just say I have been lucking out lately with the coolest bars around the bay?…read more Love the vibe at this unassuming lil joint. Almost missed it because there was no sign. Keep an eye out for tables & patrons who are laughing & having a great time right outside the door- good sign. Also seems to be a locals hangout which is awesome! Lots of craft cocktails, snacks & food menu with great service. Makes sense if their upscale big brother Michelin starred restaurant Protege is right across the street! Had an Its Alright Cocktail and it was very well balanced and the flavors paired & complemented each other perfectly. Coming back again for sure! Except they seem to always be busy! Another good sign!

Had an after-dinner drink to celebrate a buddy's milestone birthday. He already had Bar Underdog in…read moremind. I knew it was on California Ave. This was an old haunt of mine back when The Edge dance club was the place to be in this part of Palo Alto. Over the years I had still visited the area for its restaurants and the old camera store Keeble & Shuchat (closed for many years). Stepping into the very dark bar lit by small candles on the table I was immediately reminded at how old I was. It would say it was intimate, but it was a bit too loud to be that. However, it did have an intimate vibe. This joint's specialty (I assumed) was a menu full of house drinks. Sadly, I did not recognize any of them. I went with "You Should Try It" and it was fine. I could not describe what it tasted like, other than it was a mixed drink. My buddy ordered a "Vesper" but it didn't seem like the one Daniel Craig ordered in "Casino Royale". Service was okay and our server was very busy. Still, we got our drinks without having to wait too long. I had forgotten what it was like to go to a popular bar. Pic time.

My husband and I took a drive up the peninsula and decided to stop by downtown Menlo Park for…read morelunch. I remember Camper being on the Michelin guide, so I had suggested the place for us to try. I made reservations just in case -- you never know how busy Saturday brunch gets. Looked like I didn't have to sweat it as there was ample seating when we arrived. Pretty cool restaurant concept. They really leaned into the camping aesthetic. Earthy tones, paddles as decor, and the bathroom stalls reminded me of public restrooms at campsites (in the cleanest way possible, of course). I even noticed the casual flannel the host wore to match the vibe. Overall customer service was good. Our server was delightful, and I appreciated her genuine excitement of us trying Camper for the first time. She was very proud of our food choices. That said, I did find that the food took a bit of time to arrive at our table. We only ordered entrees, and there was a handful of parties while we were there who were already eating. Not sure what was up with the delay, BUT after eating the food I recognized that you can't rush perfection... My husband ordered the blue ribbon cheeseburger, and I got their basket of famous fried chicken. My husband boldly claimed that Camper's blue ribbon cheeseburger was the best burger he's had in 2026. I wholeheartedly agree. I can't begin to describe how delicious the burger was, and it had the simplest ingredients: bun, burger patty, gruyere cheese, and onion jam. Loved the shoestring fries and homemade dips of garlic aioli and ketchup. This dish will singlehandedly bring us back to Camper. My basket of famous fried chicken was solid. In my mind I was expecting more of buttermilk fried chicken, but it was more in line of popcorn fried chicken. Loved that they used chicken thighs, so every bite was flavorful and moist. The dill ranch was the right complement to the chicken, and I was obsessed with their coleslaw. Basically inhaled it. Camper doesn't skimp on the chicken, so I found this to be a hefty dish with plenty of chicken to enjoy at home.

Went to Camper for dinner on a Friday night; my first visit. The atmosphere was great; we sat…read moreinside, which was comfortable, but they also have outdoor seating that looked like a lot of fun when the weather cooperates. The menu was a bit of a challenge for me personally, since I'm not big on sheep or goat cheeses and a lot of dishes lean that way, so take my main course review with a grain of salt. I ordered the gnocchi and found it fairly bland. The corn bread appetizer and both salads (tomato and green) were excellent, though, and the rest of my table raved about their burger and risotto, so I think I just picked the wrong dish. My main hesitation is the price. Almost $40 each for the gnocchi and risotto felt steep, even for downtown Menlo Park. Great food overall and a fun spot, but the combination of a so-so main course (my choice, not necessarily the kitchen's fault) and the price point is why I'm landing at 4 stars instead of 5.

My cousins and I ate here for brunch. It's located in a busy plaza in Palo Alto with lots of…read moredifferent restaurants, stores and shops including Trader Joe's. There's plenty of parking but the parking lot is extremely busy so be patient when looking for parking. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and we were surprised it wasn't too busy on a Sunday afternoon. We were able to make a reservation for nine people no problem. The food is Asian fusion and everything was fresh and delicious. I ordered the loco moco which had a thick patty and the gravy was flavorful. It also came with a side salad that had a nice dressing and was refreshing. With the side salad, my entree didn't seem so unhealthy LOL. One of my cousins ordered the chicken and waffles which was a huge portion. The chicken was nice and crispy and super delicious! My other cousin ordered the shrimp po' boy and she seemed to be the only one who wasn't satisfied with her meal. She said it was good, but she was still hungry afterwards since it was a small portion compared to some of the other entrees.

Beautiful and classy-looking restaurant on the inside. This is a place to go to if you're looking…read moreto sit and have a conversation because the service is a bit unhurried. My family ordered a mix of items to share amongst the table. They were good, but nothing that really stands out. The fries were crispy, but kind of starchy. And then ketchup was mixed with curry so if you're not into that flavor profile, it might be off putting. Chilaquiles were super tasty, we didn't need to add anything else on top. Crispy Korean chicken sandwich was good; the meat was tender and the side salad had a nice, sweet, and refreshing dressing to it. +$3 for adding bacon The soft scramble was buttery and indeed was soft. The umami bacon was a whopping $8 extra and it tastes the same as the bacon on our chicken sandwich. That felt unnecessarily expensive. And the Brussels sprouts, while good for me, was too tough for my parents to chew through. Lastly, the loco moco also came with that nice salad as the sandwich. The dish itself was as expected - a burger patty over some rice with some sauce. It could've used some more sauce. So, overall, a solid place for brunch.

Very interesting spot in Palo Alto. Not like typical Mexican restaurant.... Beware of salsas that…read moreserved with chip,,,,, spicy! Price was very reasonable. I also ordered a salad to go and was impressed with the foil they put under to prevent the box from getting soggy. Service was prompt and polite. Mango margarita was on point!

Delicious fish taco, raw snapper fish ceviche - happy hour available from 3 pm - 5 pm. Strongly…read morerecommended for anyone who is craving for a bite of fish tacos with delicious cocktails.

4% surcharge. I stopped by for a quick appetizer and…read morecocktail: 3/5: The meatballs $16 don't have enough flavor. 4/5: Plot twist cocktail $14: Mezcal, Campari, sweet vermouth, espresso, orgeat. The underlying bitter is great, but it's too sweet from the orgeat.

De la Rosa continues their unique pizza italian offerings in palo alto after building their niche…read morein san francisco. Their pizzas are good stone oven prepared thin crust pizzas cooked to perfection. The issue i have with them is their set pizzas on the menu are so geared toward either for meat lovers or veggie lovers, while very little of the set signature pizzas are a combo or mixture of best of both worlds. As a result you are forced to order two different kinds of pizza to get what your looking for in the middle. Their meatballs are just right and the Ceasars salad is very tasty as well. They are decent enough to be my go to for pizzas at Stanford mall. Staff is also friendly and the restaurant is very cozy and pleasant.

The atmosphere inside is really amazing and the food was great! The servers are also very friendly…read moreand welcoming.

Absolutely stunned by the place! From the festive decorations, service, to the amazing food on the…read moretable! Our server was incredibly kind and attentive with everything. He came by to refill waters and asked if we needed anything! Dream Cup Noodles: 10/10 Extremely spicy!! The braised beef was so soft and fell off the bone! Perfectly cooked. Fresh Oysters: 10/10 These were so creamy and came with delicious side sauces and crispy onions! Pad Thai: 10/10 Chewy noodles texture which I love. The ratio to noodle to protein is amazing! An appropriate amount of peanuts as well. Panang Neau: 9/10 The braised beef is sooo soft and fell off the bone! Only thing I wish was there was more sauce on the beef. The rice was nothing too special just regular jasmine rice! Overall amazing service! Definitely recommend coming here for a date or special occasion!

Tap & Barrel is hidden inside Curry Pizza and has a full…read morebar with a good selection of drinks. A fun, unexpected spot to grab a cocktail or beer while enjoying some pizza. Definitely worth checking out.

We were really early for a brunch meet up. So, we decided to find a place for a snack and some…read moredrinks. This place seemed like the one to go to and glad we made that call. It's a bit small but we got some seats at the bar. The wall art was beautiful. They had TVs to watch sports. Then had a good amount of brews to choose from but of course we were there for the hard stuff. We decided to order just a salad. We had a spicy chicken salad and it was really good. Really good portion too. We also had a couple martinis and cognac neat. The bartender/server was very personable and very knowledgeable about liquor. Especially tequila. A nice spot to hang. Would stop by again if in the area.

The food here is insanely good. What a little gem. We got the tea leaf salad (thanks internet) and…read moreit was huge and soo tasty with tons of nuts and a dressing that was light ans flavorful. You could easily get this as an entree and be full. We also got the shan curry to split and the chicken was soooo tender and full of juicy goodness. I got some sauce on my white collared shirt and they immediately ordered club soda! What incredible hospitality! The drinks are also so so good - well balanced and tasty. Cant wait to come back.

I'd always heard great things about the Burma restaurants, starting with Burma Superstar in San…read moreFrancisco many years ago. I have to say it was only just ok. I wasn't a huge fan of the atmosphere. The space felt dark, the table placement tight, and the music selection odd. A very unexpected issue I had was with the water glass and the flatware. It seems so utterly ridiculous to have to mention, but being challenged by things that I don't think should be top of mind takes one out of the dining experience. The water glass was wide and very heavy for small hands. The flatware was also very heavy and had round handles that put some sort of weird pressure on my finger bones that there was actually physical pain in using. I ended up using one of the serving utensils that came with the dishes. If I were to return, I'd have to ask for alternate flatware. The food was decent but not spectacular. We started with the Roti and chose the Coconut Chicken Curry as the seemingly requisite add on--just ok. For mains, we ordered the B.F.C. and the Hawker Garlic Noodles with shrimp. The B.F.C. was more sweet than heat, but I liked the ratio of crusty coating to chicken. The noodles--fine, a nice addition to the plate. I really wasn't expecting to be handed a dessert menu once the dishes were cleared. That was a pleasant surprise and the sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream was calling my name. Again, it was very decent, but will I ever need to eat it again? Probably not.

Enjoyed the outdoor happy hour drink & meal here in the patio. The place is nice with a lot of…read moreseating areas. Kind of empty though. Service was good. Staff were professional. The cocktails were nice, enjoyed it. Got 1/2 dozen oysters. She didn't ask which type we want. Brought us 1/2 & 1/2. The bigger oysters were good & tasty. The smaller one was just fine. One of them looked funny so we skipped it. The burger was very tasty. Cooked perfectly (asked for medium) and the caramelized onions were very flavorful. The truffle fries were fine. The peach & arugula salad was fantastic. Really enjoyed it. Good and just enough dressing.

The amount of salt used in their dishes could probably deice all the roads in Canada. The only…read moreexplanation we could think of was either the cooks lost their sense of taste or it was a very unsubtle ploy to sell more drinks. Additionally, the definition of medium rare here seems to be "medium AND rare" by the looks of it. One of the servers confirm it upon examination of the "rare" specimen. The only bright note was our primary server, Tiffany, who did her best to assuage this establishment's asSAuLT on our palette. Thank you again, Tiffany!

My now wife and I had our wedding reception at el PRADO Hotel and it was an amazing and…read moreunforgettable experience. Right from the get go our on-site coordinators helped ensure that everything went perfectly in the lead up to our special day and on it. We had amazing food and drink for us and all our guests, exceptionally well kept rooms, and an easy working experience for all our external vendors who contributed to our special day. The hotel itself is absolutely beautiful in its design with its Spanish influenced architecture and every room having a little balcony overlooking the intimate courtyard or if its on the outside of the hotel, the downtown Palo Alto area. We honestly couldn't have imagined a better venue for our wedding, everyone had a good time and not a single thing went wrong. My wife and I were even in the penthouse for the weekend, an amazing two bedroom suite on the top floor with not one but TWO private balconies, a jet tub, and a beautiful double sink bathroom with the works. el PRADO made sure that the most special day in my life went perfectly and me and my wife will always remember that.

The location is great and the staff checked us out was great as well. The bathroom was very clean…read morewhen we checked in. * The room layout was kind of strange but pretty large comparing to other hotels in the area. The issue was that the cleaning staff did not clean the bathroom at the 2nd night. The bathtub was dirty, so we had to clean it up. The floss and toilet paper were not filled. We did not bother to call as it was near midnight. We were disappointed it was not cleaned even with the high tips we left on the 1st night. Also, we were not explained about breakfast areas and complimentary drinks when we checked in. We found it out when we were checking out.