The service and food were absolutely beautiful. I'm somewhat speechless . I will say though that this is a one time experience because the price left me speechless as well. I would recommend this to people, but with the disclaimer that it is incredibly expensive. Rightly so. read more

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This was my first Michelin Star restaurant and overall I had a pretty good time! Location: It's actually in downtown Mountain View next to one of my favorite casual Ramen spots (Ryowa) and Verde Tea Cafe. I've gone here so many times and did not even notice this place! It's a 19th century house that is converted into a restaurant. Street parking only and there was free Valet parking in an adjacent lot that was being tested by the city so I don't know how long it will be free. I came on a Saturday at 6:00pm and didn't have trouble finding parking but I think it would be harder if you came later. Ambiance: The restaurant is in a converted house. It's nice/clean inside but I didn't get a "Wow" factor from other expensive restaurants I've been to so that was a downside. If you like eating in an old school house, this might be the place for you. We ate towards the front of the restaurant with views of the sidewalk. The room itself was kind of small my opinion. Food: It was a 9-10 course menu (how did other reviewers get up to 16?). They don't tell you what the menu is up front so you can enjoy each dish as a "surprise" when it comes. You'll get the full menu at the end of the meal so you can remember what you ate. They do check if you have any allergies or preferences before they serve the dishes which is good as my girlfriend did not want any cilantro in her dishes. There is also add ons you can do: (1) Wagyu Beef + $120 each, (2) Truffle +$45 each. Those are the ones I remember but there might be one more. I opted for the Truffle option and I'm glad I did because I never had fresh truffle shaven over pasta before and it was a unique experience. The meal takes 3hrs+ so be prepared for a LONG dinner. This might be one of the longest dinners I've been to so just keep that in mind. Other than that, the food is pretty good. Everything tasted pretty organic and a lot of the ingredients came from their own garden that you can take a tour of if you want to. Highlights of the meal were the hand-made sourdough bread with garlic and flower shaped butter, Lamb/Lobster main course, and the John Dory with Sea Urchin fish course. The portion sizes for me were a bit small for me (6ft 200 lbs) but it was fine for my girlfriend. Service: Big shoutout to our main sever as well as all the helpers who filled the water and cleared the plates. Impeccable service and what I expect from a Michelin Star restaurant. In summary, this was a great first Michelin Star experience but I'm knocking off one-star since the decor/style of the restaurant isn't really my style. Everything else is spot on though. Happy Food-ing! read more

Chez TJ - Various dishes we ate during our time here! :) - French Near Me - Mountain View, California

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A solid place but with no wow factors. I have a gluten allergy which they accommodated by substituting both filling and more expensive dishes with... vegetables. I included photos of both the original dishes and their gf substitutes, as well as how the menu differed. I also can't really say this is a French restaurant, as no French dishes or even hints of them were served. More like Michelin cuisine, if that makes sense. The amuse bouche trio was good, if a bit sweet for the "fruit loop" and fruits in the right spoon. The caviar amuse bouche was pretty default, felt like they were trying to get their Michelin caviar obligation out of the way early. The lobster was well cooked, and the sauce was excellent. The sauce that went with the lobster was my favorite part of the dinner (which should tell you a lot). Lamb dish substituted for veggies. Not really sure why they couldn't offer lamb in a gf format, as the lamb was one of the most expensive parts of the menu that I didn't get. Palette cleanser was nice - I believe it was pineapple with a hibiscus infusion. The hibiscus part made it taste a bit chemically, but that could have just been the flower. The elk loin was very well cooked. Even the person in our dining group who doesn't usually eat things less cooked than medium well enjoyed it, and it was medium or medium rare. This would have been a standout except for the overpowering, slightly bitter sauce. It's a pretty standard steak sauce (forgetting the name) but didn't really go with the elk. The cheese tart.... Was more of a jam tart. You couldn't taste the cheese part (the middle part) at all because of the very sweet jam. The jelly with crumble was probably the most innovative gluten free substitution (the regular was the cake looking thing with ice cream) and pretty good. Nice contrast between crumble and jello. I'm not sure what happened with my chocolate mouse. For some reason it was very very spicy, so it wasn't good. I asked the other people in my party if their regular chocolate mousse was also spicy and they said it wasn't. Needless to say, I wasn't super excited about the food I had. No big issues, just not something worth the price. read more

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The best French restaurant in Mountain View! Here are the photos. I'd love to come back and check out their fall menu. Their tasting menu is a surprise. You only tell them what you're allergic to or if there's dietary restrictions. read more

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We came for our first wedding anniversary a little over 2 months ago when outdoor dining was still open and wow. If you're looking for a South Bay special occasion spot, this is it. I've been coming to Castro street for years but had never seen this place until a few years ago. It's tucked away off a side street off of Castro street and you can find street parking, park in a structure, or park in the lot near by. Dress nicely as the ambiance has a fine dining air to it. Everyone is dressed nicely, they play soft French music, and the lighting at night feels just right (not too bright, but you can see what you're eating). During COVID times they do have heaters, but I would recommend a jacket or two just in case since the dinner is about 3-4 hours long. And on that note, I also recommend picking an early reservation time. The waiters are so attentive, professional, and all wear masks. Your silverware is replaced frequently throughout the meal, water is always filled, and crumbs are cleared as well. The tables were all spaced out nicely and the path to the bathroom and out was all in one direction to minimize the risk of passing others. I made a reservation online in advance and let them know my dietary restrictions ahead of time, which they called to confirm and clarify before we arrived. There is only the the tasting menus to select, one with fewer and one with more courses, however, you can add the special accompaniments they have available like shaved truffle or caviar. There is also a wine pairing you can also add to your meal, but if you're like my husband and myself, we were better off selecting 2 glasses of wine each from the wine list. (It was a good idea because I was so full after!) They also have a sommelier in house to advise you on your selection which was great. Now to the food. If you're looking at this review, you can surely see the photos speak for themselves. My husband got the normal tasting menu where I had a pescatarian version. Everything was fantastic and you were never waiting too long between courses. Obviously what we were served that night probably isn't what you might get now, but it should give you an idea. Every dish came out with such care and the flavors were well balanced. I promise you, you will not go home hungry but feeling very very satisfied. Furthermore, they provide you a menu at the end of the night to take home as a souvenir reminder of your dinner with them. I can't wait for them to reopen outdoor dining and find something else to celebrate so we can go back again! read more

Location is the ONLY plus for this lackluster 1-star Michelin restaurant. I've been to 3-star Michelin restaurants all the way down to local food, McDonalds. This restaurant has the biggest up sell you can imagine. There is a girl that will go around and pressure the dining clientele to upgrade to subpar truffles, obviously at a $120 surcharge without disclosing. I came here for an anniversary dinner with my fiancee, we both ordered the $225 tasting menu with me adding the $150 wine pairing. Out of all the dishes, only one was memorable, the rest are a forgotten past. The final bill is averaging almost $1k for two. This includes an auto 20% gratuity, plus marked up health costs, etc. Lets just say that every guy that night who paid the bill, did a triple take when they left. Very expensive and subpar.... read more

cute place with a delightful garden to enjoy in between courses. upon visiting, it was evident chez tj prioritizes the guest's comfort over everything else. our party was seated outside and four heaters were brought out to ensure warmth. our waiter even went to the lengths of offering his jacket. if you're looking for an attentive service, chez tj is the place to go. the menu is kept under wraps until the meal is over, as it is entirely up to the chef that day. in terms of food, the small bites of the puff pastry with caviar, the jam eclair, and the apple crisp were tasty and made for a nice prequel onto the main dishes. the mousse made of bone marrow, king crab, and wagyu fat was light and rich; similar to the texture of tofu. the primary standouts for me were the elk and pistachio cake. those two dishes truly exceeded my expectations. however, everything else was just okay. all the presentation was beautiful and i can see the gastronomic flair chez tj prides itself in. overall, my dining experience spanned the length of around 4 hours and i was extremely full by the end. elegant food that may be worth the splurge on a special occasion but honestly, there are other restaurants with the wow factor that you may be looking for. read more

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So I picked this place because it's close to where I live and it had open spots during the time slots I wanted. They are on OpenTable, FYI. Parking was not easy, there's only street parking, make sure you go early. The restaurant is basically inside a single family house. The house is probably around 40-50 years old, it does have that old house smell, but not to the point where it'd irritate you. There's no menu, they'd just check to make sure they don't give you anything you're allergic to. I didn't have any allergy so they pretty much just gave me whatever they planned. It's a 16 course meal, the dining time is roughly just over 3 hours. Like most Michelin restaurants, the waiter would give a description of the dish each time a dish was served. I definitely liked at least 90% of the dishes; they weren't great, but I liked them. My favorite was the Maine Lobster. One thing I disliked was just the length of the meal. 3 hours was too much for me. I actually felt tired half way through lol. However, if you don't mind that then this would definitely be a great restaurant for you. Entire meal was around $180 per person. read more

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Super classy Michelin restaurant that you would have easily walked by without knowing it was a restaurant! It's located in a tiny old fashioned house right off of the busy street of downtown Mountain View. The dishes seemed never ending! I think my favorites were the seafood dishes and the dessert plates. Presentation was gorgeous and they sure know their food! Chez TJ would be a lovely place to take someone for a special occasion. I definitely recommend this spot! read more

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Great dinner with the family for a birthday. It's literally in a house so it felt somewhat cramped but the food was incredible and would highly recommend read more

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I've been to several high-end / Michelin star restaurants. This was one of the best, if not the best experience I've had. Better than Single Thread better than Acquerello, as good as if not better than Sons and Daughters. Of course all those comparisons are subjective, but I wasn't sure how this would compare and it absolutely did so if you're questioning, I think Chez TJ is more than worth a try. It was a beautiful August evening so we were able to sit outside in the garden area. It was lovely, but one of the things I really do enjoy about fine dining is how an interior space adds to the experience. This garden experience didn't detract but I would imagine the interior would not have been as appealing. I could be wrong, I didn't spend much time in the building, but I think interior spaces at other dining fine dining I've attended are better. Our Sommelier, Maria, was wonderful, lighthearted, friendly, professional...both casual/warm/friendly and on point. We selected the nightly wine pairing which is their tier 1 pairing at $150, though they do have two higher tiers. The wine selections were perfect. Alex, another staff/server was incredibly knowledgeable, accessible and helpful. I imagine he is a rising star a Chez TJ, if he hasn't already made a mark. I learned more about truffles and sea beans (and some other items) than I had previously known. Thanks again, Alex. Paul, the wine director, was knowledgeable, informative and more than competent if a bit speedy and fast-paced. It was a little harder to appreciate the pairings when racing through the descriptions. Nevertheless, we enjoyed his offerings. The wine pairings were fantastic. If you have the means you might enjoy the other/higher wine pairing tiers, but the first tier was perfectly adequate. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Awh what a beautiful dinner we had! We love celebrating special occasions at Michelin star restaurants. Chez TJ was really sweet nestled in Mountain View. It's definitely more casual which was right for the mood we were looking for. It was such a fun experience. Love the little stools they give us for our purses. Great service. Can't wait to come back again. This time we got lucky for special truffles! read more

Food was out of the whole! Best ever. Each dish was meticulously cooked and designed, to reach the highest level! The taste and look were amazing, fully meets the hefty Michelin star criteria! Service was professional and attentive! Staff was knowledgeable, and explained in-depth details of dish ingredients, and how was cooked. The restaurant is at the place of Victoria house. The interior design and decor were fantastic, giving you a sense of welcoming, nostalgia and luxury. We came there for our anniversary. We had 8 courses from the tasting menu, from starters, main entree and dessert. I would say I enjoy every bite of meal, especially the dessert, just totally blew my mind away! I have never seen such exquisite dessert. An airy chocolate cake that tasted exactly like a brownie, paired with ice cream "balls"! It was just sensational! We hope you enjoy everything as much as we did! read more

We had a great dining experience at chez tj. We both got the vegetarian tasting menu and found it to be exciting and flavorful instead of an afterthought. They don't tell you the menu beforehand so everything is a surprise. Thank you to chez tj for offering an inspiring and elevated vegetarian feast! read more

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Interesting and entertaining but not impressive course menu. Great service. I'd give it 3.5 if I could. We came here for Valentine's Day course dinner ($195 per person). The course took 3 hours. They do not provide menus so that you can enjoy your meal without expectations. I would say a little less than half of their dishes were pleasant surprises. At the beginning of the meal, we were asked if we wanted to "upgrade" our course menu by adding truffles and premium wagyu beef for $$$ (forgot the exact amount, but it was not cheap). We did not as I wanted to see if this restaurant is good first. Original course memu was still delicious but I personally think this killed the vibe a bit. Qauint interior. It can smell a bit when you enter. 5/5 for service 4/5 for food 3/5 for price for quality, interior read more

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I enjoyed Chez TJ more than Michelin 3-star. Of course the foods were impeccable, you expect that. Our waiter was just right: attentive, good humor, knew his stuffs, and not hovering. The whole dinner lasted more than 4 hours. They were taking it easy and letting us talk. We get to enjoy the changes of garden scene from twilight to evening. The restaurant is actually in a house in Mt. View. That's part of the charm. It was a 9-course "mystery menu" of Chef's creativity, followed by 4 desserts that ended with petit fours that were probably more memorable than the main course. One of the dishes, the abalone, was rested on a biscuit-like salt cake. I bit into it and must spit it out and rinse my mouth. We picked two reds to try instead of wine pairing. The sommelier was very helpful. We probably enjoyed them more than the pairing. Hard to say. At the end, each of us spent $300+. I would say it is worth it. read more

Chez TJ - Really a "chez". - French Near Me - Mountain View, California

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Our experience at Chez TJ was tainted by a very poor wine pairing: I had Chez TJ on my radar for a while and I was very excited to finally get a chance to try it! We visited the restaurant on a Friday evening. Once seated, the server came to share more details about the restaurant, the fact that the menu is not known until the food is in your plate, and present the couple extra options you could add on top of your regular tasting menu. The food was good, but a little bit repetitive for a roughly 8-course menu. We had game twice, and both sauce were quite similar. The desserts were overly sweet and lacked complexity. The amuse bouche were likely the most delicate part of the tasting. If you want to go to Chez TJ for the experience and surroundings, you will be very pleased. The food is good enough to make it an enjoyable moment. What really did not work for us was the wine tasting. We went with the Grand Wine Pairing (second tier out of 3 tiers total). What was wrong with the wines picked? - None of the wine, except maybe the desert wine, was a good match with the food. Eating/drinking them together made them taste worth that what they were tasting, revealing unpleasing acidity or alcool. - The wine poured were easy to source, not really special wines you could find at local wines stores. When the sommelier asked if we were happy with the pairing towards the end of the tasting, I explained that I was not. He very politely explained that they "should" pair well. I am sorry but that night they did not, and it spoiled our tasting. Overall, I would probably not recommend Chez TJ, unless you are just looking for a fancy location. You can have better food at other restaurant in the South Bay. If you are looking for a good wine pairing, I would definitely not recommend Chez TJ. read more

I celebrated my birthday here last December and had the best time with my family. The restaurant is in a cute little house in downtown Mountain View with its own garden in the back (I really recommend checking it out during your visit). The food and staff were incredible. I can't do the food justice with my review, so I've included pictures of the different courses and menu as a reference. Definitely one of my most memorable birthdays! read more

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My husband and I had walked by chez tjs many times on our way to Castro st and finally made a reservation to celebrate my husband's birthday. What an incredibly special evening! We had a few meal upgrades ( like the waygu beef and wine pairings). Each course was so well constructed and delicious. The wine pairings were perfect and harmonized so well with the food. My husband loved many items he normally hates ( like squash or carrot cake). The service was perfectly attentive without being overbearing. We felt well cared for and very comfortable throughout the meal. I brought home one of the dessert courses as an extra gift for our babysitter-- rave reviews all around. Thanks for a great evening, Chez TJ. read more

We wanted to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary and we wanted to try Chef TJ. It was a 7 course tasting menu. The first two offerings was okay. However wine came after 2 course was served. My husband had to ask for water twice. As a Michelin star restaurant, service should be top notch. One of the cabbage dish was completely burnt and we returned the dish ( they deducted $65 from the bill) . I am allergic to lobster and they offered me half " Carrot" dish instead ( imagine they gave a half carrot in place of lobster ). Meat was okay but dessert dish was not upto expectations. Not worth the value for the amount of money they are charging. read more

Bonjour!!! Delicious blind tasting menu! I mean it was all really delicious! My husband took me here for my birthday and they made it extra special with a birthday candle, personalized menu and a birthday card from the staff. Service was great and very friendly. It felt very personal and usually places like these makes me feel uncomfortable. Like I gotta drink my soda with one pinky up. But definitely felt like home. Even when we came out of the restaurant/house, one of the servers came outside to say thank you and goodbye. It really felt like I was leaving from a friends house but at the same time I realized my friend charges $800 for a 3 hour meal. Sooooo.....we are all winners here!!! read more

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Michelin star restaurant in the Bay Area. Was very good. I would recommend for special occasions or celebrations. They are very well-y when it comes to their add ons. Wine tastings additional price and truffles additional price (special foe the night) . The menu is preset so no way to really custom your food aside from regular dietary restrictions. The food was very good and very filling. Like others have mentioned the portions were small but very flavorful. Some dishes were amazing and others just ok. We loved the crab raviolis, cilantro sorbet, and the poached lobster. My favorite dessert was the orange brownie with the homemade ice cream. Everything just melted in your mouth. You do mot come here for fast dining. Even trying to get the check and leave was at their pace. Do not come if you have any time constraints. The restaurant needs to be savored! Good food in a cute Victorian house, sign me up! read more

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A good experience to try a tasting menu in Mountain View as there aren't a crazy amount of them in the area. The flavors were very good. The best was the coconut foam in the vegetarian tasting menu. I would say the amount of food could have been 1-2 dishes more or a bit more per. For that last star, I feel like they need to blow your mind with 2-3 of the dishes like at Daniel and Gramercy. Dinner * Regular tasting menu (Good) * Vegetarian tasting menu (Good) read more

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tl;dr 1* Michelin restaurant that I highly recommend for special occasions or if you just want to treat to self. Reservations are easy to make via Opentable. Expect to spend about 3 hours for the meal. They have a really nice outdoor seating area that is very suitable for social distancing and highly recommend over the indoor dining area. It's also nice that they provide a small stool for bags, while you are eating. The food is a surprise and they don't provide the menu until the end of the meal. The main choice you make is for drinks where you can choose between 3 different wine pairings ranging from $150-$600! They also have an extensive menu of wine by the glass, half bottle, and full bottles, as well as other beverages. They had 2 cocktails (Manhattan and Old Fashioned) available for $23. I don't think it's really informative to go through each dish as they do change their menu regularly. Overall, flavors were on point and it's probably one of the better fine dining areas in the Bay Area that won't break the bank ($200/pp compared with $300-500 in the city). There's about 10 total courses and the staff was quite attentive. One area that they can improve on is pacing as there were intermissions between some courses that were a bit too long IMO. You'll leave feeling satiated, but not too One interesting aspect is that they only have one bathroom and you have to request to the staff when you would like to use it so that they can see if anyone is ahead of you in-line. Plenty of free street parking in the area. read more

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Celebrating in my household means gorging ourselves on all the yummy things the land and sea have to offer. And Chez TJ's is a solid staple if you're looking to please the tastebuds while enjoying a charming dinner in a romantic setting. Atmosphere (5/5): If it weren't for the sign on the lawn, you could think that you're about to enter someone's house. But just as you walk up the wooden stairs, the front door opens and you're greeted by one of their friendly staff. The vibe is formal, but not pretentious...exactly how I like my "fancy" dinners. Service (4/5): I am being super nit-picky here, which you should be since you're about to drop some major $$$ here. The service is typically on point, but this time around the start and end-experiences were not 100% flawless. Here are the specifics: *Once we were seated it took a while for someone to stop by to greet us. Then I had to wait to get a stool for my purse. They brought out a black napkin first even though I was wearing a white dress. And it took them a while to bring us water. *We brought a bottle of Silver Creek. When the sommelier poured my first glass, several drops made it onto the white tablecloth. This shouldn't be happening at a restaurant of this caliber. But I do have to say that he did an awesome job in keeping our glasses full throughout the night. *When we were finished, we had to wait quiet a while for our check. Usually, it's nice not to be rushed. But after sitting down for 3 hour meal, I just wanted to go home and pass out. *We were there to celebrate a recent work promotion. While the staff acknowledged the fact in the beginning, there were no special treats provided to celebrate this occasion. At other restaurants you typically get a complementary glass of bubbly or dessert. I guess because they plan out their entire meal, they can't accommodate exceptions. In the past, they at least would provide a signed menu at the end, but not today. Food (4.5/5): This is not one of those places where you can expect unique flavor pairings or extraordinary presentations. Here, it's all about high-quality products that are thoughtfully paired with complementary ingredients and then perfectly cooked. It's a celebration of each featured ingredient. Here are the standouts and a few let downs: +Soft Scrambled Egg: I am obsessed with this dish. There is just something about the combination of egg and Parmesan foam that gets my umami senses all tickly. I could have eaten a dozen of those things and would still want more. +Abalone with Jamon: I loved the presentation. They used fresh seaweed and shells as decorations; you could literally still smell the salty ocean. The Abalone was pre-cut and slices of jamon were carefully placed in between each slice. The combo of ocean and sea was sheer perfection. -Optional Truffle course: This was the biggest disappointment of the night, considering it's an add-on we paid extra for. I LOVE truffles, but was very confused about the choice to pair it with this dish. First, I couldn't even taste any of the truffle, which defies the whole purpose of getting those nuggets. So not only was there no flavor, they actually didn't do anything to elevate the dish. To the contrary (and my heart bleeds saying this) I think the dish would have been better off without them. -BoDacious: Back in the day you had to pay extra for the cheese course. Today, it was complementary and I know why. I usually adore goat cheese--it's creamy, salty and has a clean, milky aftertaste. This was not the case this this cheese. The Bodacious had a bitter, moldy aftertaste that just was not good. Both, my husband and I didn't care for it. We ended up eating the brioche with the sweet jam. This place is a solid choice for a nice dinner out. Just make sure to put 3 hours aside and wear comfy clothes to accommodate the many treats that are coming your way. read more

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Chez TJ's is a journey through food and wine. Every bite and sip paints a vivid picture of a place or memory. The house is beautiful. The garden is impressive. The service is exceptional. The staff is wonderful. I took pictures of the food and wines, but it doesn't matter as they do not express the full event you truly experience. I'm already looking ahead at future dates. read more

The service is wonderful. However, the food portions is so tiny and the materials are not very rare, and the cooking skills are not very extraordinary. I don't think it is worthy 300 person. I posted some food pictures here read more

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I came to Chez TJ for my birthday dinner. The restaurant is in a cute house and has a nice outdoor set up with a garden in the back, definitely recommend checking it out at night time as our waiter suggested. We had dinner on a Wednesday and had a whole dining room to ourselves which was quite nice. We had wine pairing with our dinner and there were some great pairings that went really well with the dishes. I loved that the dishes were very unique in flavor and presentation as well! Overall this was a great place for a special occasion with wonderful food and service - definitely check out this place! read more

An excellent choice for the very best in a culinary adventure in the Bay Area. Cloistered in a neighborhood filled with crass development, this restaurant in a cozy home offers adventurous menus, magnificent wines, and excellent service. I would highly recommend it to all. read more

Chez TJ - French Near Me - Mountain View, California

Hubby and I were among the very lucky bunch that got treated to a spectacular dining experience last Saturday. Upon entering at 5:30 pm, we were promptly seated in a semi private room (with two other smaller tables) with views of the herb garden. We had the Degustation Mondiale tasting menu, white and red wine recommended by the sommelier, and additional cheese course prior to the desserts. The ambiance was warm and cozy, service was absolutely impeccable. All of us were thoroughly impressed with the delectable tastes and textures of the courses, how each of the ingredients shine while in perfect harmony. Presentation was absolutely beautiful as well as the flow and sequence of the serves, we had such a wonderful time. There were way too many courses to describe, each one was served a delicate portion (definitely consume in small bites) preferences may vary from one person to the next; my favorites were: -most of the amuse-bouches especially the crab canape -Monterey bay abalone with pork belly, great texture and flavor -White sturgeon caviar, so good, never liked caviar until now -Wild Japanese Sawara, the fish was slightly charred, creamy, fatty, tasty the best - Liberty farm duck, a piece of breast (tender juicy meat with crispy skin, so yummy), duck comfit meat ball was also good - Wagyu beef, Wow, the tender meat and lingering flavor in the mouth I'm not much of a dessert person nor was I too impressed with the cheese course which was too gamy from the goat cheese but others appeared to enjoy them especially the banana caramel cake. Both the white and red wines were excellent and the bread with truffle butter was so good it definitely worth mentioning. The chef came out to greet us and join us for a group picture with the Michelin star plague; what a great ending to a special evening, definitely one of the best. read more

Chez TJ - French Near Me - Mountain View, California

Celebrated my husbands birthday at Chez TJ and had a wonderful experience. The restaurant is located in a quaint house in downtown Mountain View. The tasting menu was full of surprises and filled with delicious courses varying from fresh seafood to lamb. I was really impressed at the well-paced timing as we had plenty of time to enjoy each course without the next one coming too soon. I highly recommend Chez TJ for anyone who is looking to celebrate an upcoming special occasion. 4 STARS read more

Pretty cute restaurant which is a little house. The waiter say the house has been here for 130 years and the restaurant is here for 37. Very nice service. Foos looks good and some of them are quite tasting. Would love to have the menu at the beginning tho :) read more

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Meal theme and vision were excellent. Only two issues: 1) it took 30 mins before we were given our first greeting and wine, 2) we left not quite full read more

French bistro in a charming old fixer upper of a house. The food and service are quality, and the ambiance makes for a great dinner date.

We had an incredible and memorable experience at Chez TJ. The menu is really well crafted, including fruits and other items grown in their own garden. All of the staff are professional, knowledgeable, and charming. They made our special occasion extra special. Our main waiter was Gustavo who was lovely. Chez TJ definitely deserves it's Michelin Star. read more

Chez TJ - Dessert - French Near Me - Mountain View, California

I cannot get over their Eva Fricke riesling! It was so smooth and not dry and keep them coming! The menu for the dinner was a surprise because you don't find out about what you'll be eating until the dishes arrive and at the end of your meal, they present to you a menu of what you ate that evening. I enjoyed every dish there and there were so many courses that I can't remember them all to list right now. Feel free to check out my photos. The staff there was super friendly and are super insightful about all the dishes that are served. They are reservations only, so be sure to book in advance and there are a few lots around the area so it's easy to find a parking spot. read more

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Lovely place! My boyfriend took me here for our 4th anniversary. This is such a romantic place to dine, and be prepared to be pampered. They offered to take our coats! And we were called names such as madam and sir. We were referred to as "the lady" and "the gentleman". Wow! I also liked that we got new silverware in between every course of the meal. The service here is amazing and they treat you like you're a valued customer. Ah, the food! Every meal was prepared with such care. It was like art on a plate and the flavors were amazing. I was also impressed with the temperature of the food. It didn't come out scalding hot, but just warm enough to enjoy your meal. My fave dish was the puree asparagus - yummy soup! I definitely recommend this place to celebrate a special event. read more

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What a wonderful treasure for Mountain View! Situated in a quaint converted house, three bedrooms serve as more private dining, and the living/dining room is used as a larger bustling dining room. Note: if you ask for more private dining, they will seat you in one of the smaller rooms, the diners in our room were extremely quiet, if you like to have conversation, I would suggest the larger dining area. However, we were able to 'loosen' up the room. We had three of the waitstaff serving our table, all were quick to respond to our questions about the food and drink. A gripe would be that our water was not refilled in a timely manner, sometimes even left empty for 5 mins. Servers were nonintrusive, and catered to our every need: I complained about the lamp on our table, they were quick to switch to a dimmer lamp. Lastly they played along with our table antics: the sommelier came by our table to make sure the wine arrived, and poured us extra when we jokingly suggested it. Chef's tasting menu: $110/pp, 12 courses Wine pairing: $55/pp Dining time: 2 hours Even before we mentioned what we would be dining for the evening, we were brought out a platter: fried oysters, quail eggs and marinated radishes from CTJ's own garden. Each item was gently cooked and crafted. The wine pairing was pretty much on par, but I have to mention the gastronomic pourings they give here, we were seriously served THREE bottles of wine. After the amuse bouche, I could feel that nice subtle buzz setting in. The standouts: Lobster salad-fresh, sweet lobster, simply marvelous! Lobster carpaccio-well orchestrated with the caviar Tomato and cheese-went very well together and even nicer w/the wine Cold foie gras w/olive-served with brioche, mmm Seared foie gras-the grape jelly was delightful and surprising Plum sorbet-purpose, to cleanse the palate mid-meal, very good Pork loin/deconstructed lasagne-excellent strong flavors, lasagne was presented uniquely and was superb. Strawberry puree-light, captured all the essence of the whole fruit Trio of coffee desserts-Oh yum! Sugar AND caffeine? Heaven! Disclaimer: items below are not bad per se, but I can be finicky at times about certain flavors or choices of ingredients. I'm sure someone of more refined tastes would have enjoyed these courses more. And the rest: Sea urchin w/carrot foam, not a fan, definitely an acquired taste. Sardine and gazpacho-I would have preferred FRESH fish for the $ Seared scallop-scallop could have been better, I loved the foam! reminded me of clam chowder! Mixed greens-nothing special, olive oil dressing, lacking in flavor. Goat cheese-personally I don't like cheese courses, nice and buttery Chef Christopher Kostow came by our table during our meal to see how we were enjoying his creations. Fantastic treat for him to stop by and chat with us. Only 30 yrs old, and he is the master chef. He explained some of the preparations and ingredients of the courses. I mentioned that the sea urchin was risky and not my cup of tea. He took to my constructive criticism well, playfully mentioning @ the end of our conversation that my boyfriend was welcome back, but not me. I will be making return visits, as the menu is ever-changing-the Chef is young, vibrant and willing to push the envelope with food. A little scary with the taste buds, but it's worth the exploration when the majority of the food is excellent. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update: 5/3/08 Chef Chris has left the helms of Chez TJ. Last night we anticipated testing out Chef Bruno's interpretations. Michelin stars. God. Now CTJ is overhyped, and overcrowded. It took us about 30 minutes to get seated for our 9pm reservation. There is no waiting area, so we were stuck on the porch out in the cold. I was immediately irritated. We were able to sit because outdoor dining was already set up for the warmer days ahead. Service wise, slow, but I think the staff were overwhelmed by the multiple large parties. I certainly think that CTJ has outgrown it's humble house. Definitely needs a facelift with all the money they are receiving from all their accolades as of late. Chef's Tasting Menu: overall it was less appetizing then Chef Chris' b/c: -Too many gelees. -Beef was overcooked. -Scallop course was compromised: it was shaped into a mushy mousse. -Foie was not seared enough. I did like the Japanese influence, the 'full circle' presentation of the menu and the light desserts. I am going to refrain from deducting any additional stars. I'll have to return in a few months to reevaluate my beloved CTJ. read more

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It's like having a mini French Laundry in Mountain View. The house that was converted into the restaurant is pretty charming and transports you into a different world, especially knowing it's so close to the bustle of downtown. The front room is set for smaller parties and as we approached the back room we were actually sat near a fairly large celebration which seemed unusual for a place like this, but it was good to see that it didn't have to feel stuffy. You can do a small 4 course menu or a 12 course large menu. Since I was meeting a friend for dinner before he left for his homeland of Greece, we just did the former for times sake. Since my friend has this interesting criteria where he'll eat only land mammals (and that's not necessarily all of them) he substituted one of the seafood courses out and the staff were glad to accommodate. So for my portion, I had: - Artichoke Veloute - Seared Day Boat Scallop - Angus Prime Sirloin - Apple Melange w/ Cinnamon Beinet, Caramel Panna Cotta I wish I could describe all of the flavors that were both very complex and intriguing. The sirloin however was very simple and extremely tasty. I wish we had time to enjoy the restaurant more and perhaps sit down and try the full menu. The staff were very professional, refined and laid back. Will definitely be returning and give myself several hours to get the full experience. Don't rush a Michelin rated restaurant! 4.5 stars. read more

Chez TJ is definitely on the pricier side. For the price, with good planning, you could probably get a Michelin 2 star, but it's perfect for a last minute reservation. For reference, we had the tasting menu with the wine pairing. We started with a soft scrambled egg that was simply to die for. The salmon roe significantly brightened the dish, adding much needed textural variation. Next came a bone marrow fritter, that was a bit heavy but small. My dining companion loved it, but I thought it lacked freshness to balance the high fat content of the bone marrow. After that we had an oyster tartlet that had a lovely blend of umami and herbal freshness (I think parsley?). The accompanying potato fritters were also well done, but it, again, felt heavy after the bone marrow and egg. The next dish was raw scallop served underneath a beautiful bed of sliced radishes with an accompanying foam sauce. I loved the sushi preparation of the scallop and the foam was a lovely accompaniment. It was a breath of levity after fairly heavy dishes. Next came the Beryx fish. I'm not a huge seafood fan, but my dining partner loved it. The following lobster dish was fantastic thoguh. It was prepared in two styles, both asian inspired. The first came with a slightly spicy foam, salmon roe, and shiso leaf. I'm not usually a fan of lobster, but this was probably the best preparation of lobster I've ever had. The second was also delightful. It was breaded with rice masago, which gave a delightful crunch and pop that contrasted with the previous preparation. The duck tortellini was okay, but again, my dining partner loved it. It was well prepared, but I'm not a huge fan of tortellini. The lamb was well prepared, as you'd expect. It was again, solid, but not amazing memorable. Finally, we finished we three deserts. A panna cotta with raspberry granita, a blood orange chocolate tart, and finally caneles and petit fours. The blood orange chocolate tart had plenty of textural variety and was well balanced. The panna cotta with raspberry granita was also very good. Overall, it was a lovely dining experience, and my first time at Chez TJ. I would definitely come here for a last minute celebration, though if I were planning in advance, I think I might prefer something else. read more

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