Just discovered this hidden gem in Menlo Park. It's inside Allied Arts Guild. The food, ambience and service are amazing. Menu is Italian and American with a touch of California. They have indoor and outdoor seating but dogs are not allowed. Either before or after the meal, leave some time to go to the gift shop and art galleries. Don't forget to take pictures in the beautiful surrounding garden! read more

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Cafe Wisteria is a lovely spot for brunch or lunch. I visited recently with a friend and we were able to enjoy an extended lunch while enjoying the wonderful garden views. The menu has a great variety of starters, salads, and entrees. Although, some of the item prices are a bit high and there is a 20% service charge. We opted to order the mushroom empanadas, short rib rigatoni, and the seafood paella. The mushroom empanadas were tasty, but I was not a fan of the manchego cheese. The short rib rigatoni was quite delicious, and they did not skimp on the meat! The paella was good too. I was pleasantly surprised by the portion size for both items. Service was friendly and attentive, although it was a bit slow at times, possibly due to the amount of people dining or number of staff. We ended up also splitting a dessert, which was an assorted plate of a few macarons, which were good. They have a small parking lot adjacent to the cafe and there's street parking available in the nearby residential area. Overall, Cafe Wisteria is worth visiting and an enjoyable place to dine and catch up with a friend. I'd recommend stopping by for lunch if you're in the area. read more

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Came here for brunch on a Saturday around 11:30 and there was no wait! Saw the line build up around 12 though so definitely get a resy or come earlier. Ordered the seafood paella and rigatoni, and both were pretty good! The prices are on the higher end though, but considering the location and the super cute ambiance I think it's still worth it:) the service is also really good here, perfect as a cute brunch date! Overall would definitely recommend checking out if you've never been read more

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such a pretty place for brunch/lunch! the garden and restaurant area are very nice. food was good as well! got the short rib pasta and it was perfect!! service was kind as well. there's very limited parking but there's residential/street available nearby. read more

Cafe Wisteria - Rigatoni With Red Wine Braised Short Ribs Mushroom Empanadas French Onion Soup - Cafes Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Beautiful brunch spot surrounded by hydrangeas. Love the overall blue themes. Food was average/nothing spectacular, but definitely on the pricier side given the location and surrounding neighborhood. Just know you are paying extra for the ambience and view:3 read more

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The absolute cutest brunch spot in the area! Inside and outside, the vibes reminds me of a cute little french cottage. I came in February but I can imagine it would be even more lovely during spring time. We got seated in the patio, which was nice and calming next to the fountain. Service was friendly but a tad slow considering we were here on a weekday. The price is on the higher side but the portion were definitely very large and filling! I tried the Seafood Paella, there was a lot of seafood and the prawns were perfectly cooked. The paella itself was watery so it didn't have that classic socarrat at the bottom. The location is inside the Allied Art Guild which had lots of small local art businesses for you to wander. I had a lovely time overall and it was definitely a memorable brunch experience! read more

Cafe Wisteria - Cafes Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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No better way to celebrate a friend's milestone birthday in the spring than some girl time with brunch at women owned Cafe Wisteria. We arrived early so got to enjoy the beautiful grounds before our reservation as the views from their front door here is so peaceful especially on a Friday morning when we practically had the place to ourselves upon arrival. The patio is so relaxing to dine at for warm days but the indoors is also a feast for the eyes especially if you get a table overlooking the back courtyard. We shared mushroom empanadas which we both couldn't stop raving about while we were eating and both opted for the crab avocado benedict. I am glad we had such a memorable meal for our last meal together as she had just passed recently. read more

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Beautiful setting, surrounded by flowers and foliage. Perfect place to sit on a beautiful day. Service was top notch and food was excellent. She and I shared the cauliflower bites and the seafood paella. Both were delicious. Our friend had the vegan bowl and left nothing behind. A bit on the pricey side for me but a nice treat once in a while read more

Cafe Wisteria - menu - Cafes Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Very pretty place to eat Saturday lunch. It is a bit hidden as it is in the middle of a garden(?) art gallery(?). We came with a group of 10 and the service was the kindest I've seen. The food was good too especially the Seafood Paella and the Shrimp tacos. I personally had the Wagyu steak and eggs which I'm not sure can say was a very good steak. The price point is definitely on the higher point considering the food. Maybe the garden vibes are worth the price. read more

Cafe Wisteria - Wagyu Steak and Eggs - Cafes Near Me - Menlo Park, California

I went here today for a small baby shower celebration, it was my first time visiting. The food and service were great, and the environment was both beautiful and relaxing. Coming here with one or two kids might work, but probably not with a whole group . I loved how calm the atmosphere was, and the garden was absolutely gorgeous. Definitely planning to come back but next time without the kids read more

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This beauty of a restaurant is tucked away in a neighborhood and you'd definitely miss it (like I did!) if you just willy nilly drove by without paying attention. We had a reservation at 11:30a but the restaurant was empty on a week day, even for brunch. Lunch didn't start picking up until 12:30/1p and the musician was getting ready to play. What a wonderful ambiance (that we missed out on!) Service was extremely attentive, though we felt a bit awkward because all eyes were on us because we were the only ones there, BUT I might have been in over my head because staff was extremely quick to attend to us before we even needed to ask for anything. While they didn't have a kids menu, my little one enjoyed the chicken carbonara with me and the garlic bread appetizer. Who doesn't love bread and its garlicky goodness?! But back to the pasta: I enjoyed it because the meat and asparagus to pasta ratio was amazing. The pancetta was so crispy, it added nice texture. I normally don't get pasta, but theirs just blew me away and I'm glad I tried it! My husband got the short rib rigatoni and I thought the short rib was so tender and the sauce was flavorful. We ended with dessert and enjoyed the ginger creme brûlée. I personally thought it was light on ginger flavor but it was still good. My little one enjoyed the macaroons. Overall, this place feels very posh. The view of the garden is lovely exiting and entering, and the staff is extremely friendly. read more

Cafe Wisteria - Cafes Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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This place is perfection. I came here for my birthday brunch it was fabulous. The food was tasty. I had the Chinese chicken salad and cauliflower bites. Delicious Service was attentive and it's cute, charming and a wonderful place to go with friends . read more

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Location is inside Allied Art Guild, so many buildings in this compound. It makes it interesting to walk around after your lunch/brunch, so many thing to see and explore. In July, the hydrangeas are blooming beautifully and sitting around by the fountain under the great oak tree makes you really feel like eating in your own private garden. There was also a single musician playing guitar providing a nice ambiance music. We had soup to start, onion soup and chicken tortilla. We then shared the crab benedict. All the dishes were as expected and delicious. Service is pleasant. The waiter was quite attentive eventhough she had so many tables to serve. I saw her being the only waitress with another person as server. Overall, it was a good experience. Will come back next time. read more

We came here via reservation for my friend's birthday and what a beautiful place to be in for our lunch! It's tucked away in a quaint neighborhood with plenty of parking inside. We came on a day where there was a company outing so we actually had to park in the neighborhood. The seating area was not too large and quite peaceful, with the water fountain running in the background. Umbrellas were up on all tables to block the late morning sun. The menu was decently small and seasonal, we decided to go for: Shrimp ceviche: very tasty, shrimp was fresh and had good chunks of avocado that paired well with the crunch tortilla chips Salmon Niçoise salad: salmon was moist and not too fishy, lots of variety in this salad including some capers, dressing was not too heavy Paella: definitely one of my favorite! the rice was perfectly cooked and the flavor was all there. there were pieces of squid, large shrimps, which added some nice texture with each bite. Overall, it was a fun experience! Cafe Wisteria would be a lovely place to visit for a special day. read more

Cafe Wisteria - Cafes Near Me - Menlo Park, California

My favorite brunch spot! This place feels like such a hidden gem. Such a beautiful place and amazing food and service! Their iced coffee is ‍ read more

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My friend and I didn't like our entrees. I was there 2 years ago and entrees were excellent! Service was good. Dessert was excellent A beautiful atmosphere. read more

Such a beautiful and lightly fragrant treat to enjoy the shaded California sunshine under the Wisteria! We had the steak salad, seafood paella, and tortilla soup. Everything was served elegantly and deliciously tasty. Service was prompt and friendly. read more

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A hidden gem and not to be missed culinary experience situated in the most gorgeous garden nestled among an historically significant cluster of shops and artist studios. I spent several hours with girlfriends of more than 35 years today, basking in the glow of our shared memories and the Fall sunshine. Our lunch was amazing, ambiance was superb and service was spectacular. Two of the four of us travelled pretty far for this experience and the two of us who were local and had been here before were delighted by the fact that they kept declaring how worth the trip the experience was. We were enchanted by how the grounds resembled our high school in Monterey, which was situated on the grounds of what was once a Hacienda style ranch. I had the pumpkin soup and paella with tropical iced tea to drink. Of course I was delighted with the pumpkin soup, a favorite of mine, but this was a hearty, tummy warming version, enhanced by the crunchy pepitas and crostini. My paella was perfect, the bomba rice studded with saffron and toothsome. Huge scallops and succulent prawns were the stars of the dish and mild- ish chorizo gave a meaty accent. Since I was pretty full from my soup, I only could eat about half of my main dish. Two of my friends raved about their crab Benedict and one of them had the beef tacos. We opened and closed the place down, lingering as they were setting up for a wedding. Afterwards we visited the florist, looked at some of the exhibits and reminisced about high school. read more

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Beautiful little Cafe in a garden setting with fresh wonderful food, and friendly service. This is really a gem of a restruant! A very special place to take a date, mom, your sister or anyone in your family. A must try. read more

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It is such a beautiful place. I tell everyone to go there. During the hotter days the Wisteria is so pretty.

Tried this cafe for brunch, and it was a delightful experience! The decor inside is so detailed and pretty, and the outside gardens are expansive and perfect to walk in after your meal. On this day, there were two baby showers going on within the restaurant, but the service was still so fast and we didn't feel neglected in any way. We ordered French Onion Soups, along with Mushroom Empanadas and Short Rib Rigatoni. French Onion Soup: Rich and flavorful, with two pieces of bread and lots of cheese inside. This was quite filling despite being an appetizer, but I would definitely order again! Mushroom Empanadas: The pastry exterior was buttery and flaky, and the mushroom filling was a savory paste. I loved this combination, and the empanadas were a decent size! Short Rib Rigatoni: Really yummy- the sauce has a strong tomato flavor and the short rib was perfectly cooked. My only complaint is that the pasta was a little too soft for my taste, but this was otherwise a wonderful dish! Wonderful spot for a weekend lunch- definitely coming back :) read more

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This has been my go-to place (even during the several previous owners), but the cost of some dishes (e.g vegan bowl - salad, some quinoa, tomato, and soybeans) that was OK, but at $28 was questionable. The place is beautiful. So I just have to remember that we are paying for the venue, not much about the food. read more

Short Rib Rigatoni [4/5] The pasta was beautifully plated and the tomato-like meat & sauce tasted elevated but filling. I didn't enjoy that so much of the dish was pasta (as opposed to short rib), but it was understandable. Cafe Wisteria is a beautiful place in a quiet neighborhood. The surrounding artisan shops are so beautiful and filled with hidden artistic treasures. We sat on the outside patio and it was perfectly shaded, and the tables were spaced far enough apart that we could make good conversation with each other. The service was really great, our waitress was very friendly and checked in on us multiple times. Would definitely recommend this place for a beautiful brunch with your friends! Just a little pricey (but it's Palo Alto). read more

Cafe Wisteria - Short Rib Rigatoni - Cafes Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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What a hidden gem! I had no Clive this was even here until a friend recommended it. Husband and I did a "day date" to have lunch here during the week. The setting is picturesque with it's plethora of flowers and beautifully landscaped grounds. It feels like a secret garden almost; we loved taking time after we ate to walk around and browse the artisan shops after our lunch. The cafe outdoor tables are the real show stopper in my opinion, though I'm sure eating inside is lovely too. Given it was a nice summer day, we snagged a table right by the fountain outside. I love the colored glass tumblers they use for water glasses here, such a fun detail. The food here was delightful and had good portions sizes. I had a Chinese chicken salad and husband had a the Smokey chicken carbonara pasta dish. Both were flavorful and not too heavy. I could tell the food was well prepared and high quality. Can't wait to come back again in the spring! read more

Cafe Wisteria - Smokey Chicken Carbonara - Cafes Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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If you're looking for a beautiful location for lunch with the fam or for a venue to host your wedding, look no further. This little gem is surrounded by beautiful rose gardens (love that they have signs identifying the breed of flowers) and is tucked away from the hustle of the city. Definitely gives you southern vibes in the best way possible. Cafe Wisteria is a women-owned restaurant which serves American/Italian fare. I got their Smokey chicken carbonara for lunch and really enjoyed the sauce and the pasta. The chicken was overcooked, which wasn't great, but the flavors and setting made up for it. I will be back. read more

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The ambience is beautiful, staff is attentive and the food is solid. It's best to eat here in the spring & summer but we wanted to try it in winter as well. Can't wait to come back again in the spring. Allied arts guild in it's entirety is such a hidden gem and the cause it supports its a worthy one. Having brunch here and exploring the artist studios and shops is a delightful way to pass a few hours on a lovely day read more

I needed a quiet venue since we have a hearing loss. I heard that this qualifies using the outdoor space. So I will try it out.

I liked to sit outside.Very cute and peaceful! But the food is terrible Coffee was not good read more

Hidden gem. I have been going here since I was a toddler... in its former life. This place is so special. Food is consistent and never disappointing. It is a place for "ladies who lunch." I have fond memories going here with my grandmother, and now I get to take my daughter. When the women in my family want to meet, this is our "go to." Beautiful history to this site. This is my happy place! read more

Peaceful and beautiful place to be with your girlfriends. This place does not allow dogs except service dogs. We sit by the pool and it is very nice! Food os good and service is also very friendly. I wear my high heel and can't walk from parking lot to restaurants because of uneven pebbles and sand flooring. Wear a platform shoes. Parking is free. So beautiful I need to come again. read more

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Very aesthetic and beautiful cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. The surrounding area seems popular for gatherings and weddings. The food was excellent but fyi, very few options for vegetarians. Ordered the wagyu beef burger which was absolutely delicious!! However, also got a plate of garlic bread for the table and it was very ok. I was expecting crispy toasted garlic bread but the bread was not toasted and had a garlic spread on top. Other than that, the other dishes that my friends got were all delicious as well - mushroom empanadas and crab benedict. read more

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I always come here with my toddler after our music class because of the lovely garden. In general, we have a lovely time. But this time the hostess was really rude, and was seating us at a table inside even though there were 5 tables outside empty during the entire time we were there. When I confronted her, she was making a string of excuses: "I offered you a table outside" (which was in the blazing sun and as the only table available outside), "we try to be nice to be people and give them extra time to show up for their reservations", "come back during the weekday when we are less busy". It looks to me that the place is not seated optimally and they give some walk-in's the worst tables possible. My recommendation: reserve ahead to avoid this hassle. I had the salad nicoise this time. Underwhelming. It literally looked like a dish that you would make at home in haste. A huge bed of arugula that looked like half of a bag of arugula was dumped on the plate, the salmon was broken in half when it was served. Stick with the French onion soup and the chicken salad. Don't expect too much of the food here, reminiscent of the typical large wedding reception food... read more

Cafe Wisteria - Salad nicoise - came out this way. Not very appetizing - Cafes Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Such a lovely place hidden in a residential area. My friend took me to have lunch a couple weeks ago. The gardens, little stores and cafe are so cute. This would be a nice venue for a small quaint wedding. My friend called ahead to reserve a table. There is seating indoors and outdoors. We got there and were seated near the water fountain. It filled up quick during lunchtime. We ordered: Salmon niçoise $25: 4/5 salmon was cooked well and the salad was yummy. Short rib sandwich $26: 4/5 the meat was very flavorful. You can't go wrong with either of these. Complimentary bread was good. Food came out not too long afterwards. Such a lovely place to grab a bit to eat and stroll around. read more

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We had lunch there, and it was a wonderful experience. The service was excellent, our server Elias was attentive and made sure we had everything we needed without being overbearing. The food was delicious, and everything was cooked just right. The real highlight, though, was the ambiance. We sat outside in the garden, and it was truly beautiful. The peaceful surroundings made the meal feel even more relaxing. Definitely a great spot for a nice lunch. read more

Cafe Wisteria is a favorite of mine, but recently the food has gone downhill. Dogenese crab and avocado egg Benedict is a favorite of mine. But these last couple of times you can hardly find any crab. Very disappointing ! The hostess can be a little friendlier. The main dining room was full with a party. The servers were very nice ! read more

This cafe is telaxed and secluded- a small gem in the community. Try it. Have a brunch date!!

Amazing food, ambiance, and serene atmosphere. Service was excellent and they even found this nursing mom a place to pump! Will be back again for the delicious iced latte and welcoming energy. read more

Beautiful venue with really great service! Kudos to the gentleman greeter/host who was incredibly thoughtful and made our visit a happy experience. After seeing the beautiful photos on Yelp, I couldn't wait to try brunch here! Book ahead as reservations are recommended and frankly needed for weekend brunch. The outside dining patio didn't disappoint - it has a beautiful little fountain and beautiful intimate table settings. So pretty! The food itself was ok, along the lines of what one would expect from conference/event food. Edible but not memorable or worth the calories. I probably wouldn't return again because of the mediocre food and pet policy but I did want to call out the great service and the gentleman greeter - there was a mistake on our res and I was confused about some rules but he was so accommodating that he turned a potentially disappointing experience into a pleasant one - thank you so much! Note - even though there is a huge outdoor eating space, the building owners do not allow pets (pets not welcome signs everywhere) so unfortunately the restaurant doesn't allow pets either. While I will respect the building's pet policy, I won't return as I love being with my pets too much! Plenty of pet friendly establishments in the area. read more

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Food : 6/10 I think it's pretty good except for the price (but it's understandable) Service: 1/10 Worst service ever! I asked a waitress for the dressing , then she forgot it on purpose, she passed by me and looked at me a lot of time but yes she didnt give it to me at all (or maybe because we are Viet? I feel like we were discriminated) Ambiance:9/10 It's the reason we came here so I have no comment. Nice and beautiful , anh that's it Note: They will charge 20% of service automatically read more

Cafe Wisteria - Cafes Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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I came in here mid June for celebrating a birthday and was excited by how nice the outdoor seating was on the patio. While the ambiance was beautiful on a summer day and the service was fine, the food just wasn't what we were hoping for. One person had gotten the paella but felt like the flavor wasn't very intense and that the dish was watery; the hamburger was overly greasy; and the pasta and tacos were fine but not standouts. Although the setting is beautiful, we likely won't be back for the food. read more

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