I love coming here for brunch. My friend was visiting me and was staying here so I came by to eat with her at the poolside restaurant. The vibe is relaxing and the food comes out quick. We got substitutions as needed without too much issue. After brunch we were able to stroll around the property where the office gives you food to feed the koi in the creek. Adorable little spot I would recommend anyone to check out! read more

Food was very mediocre, Service was very poor. The guy was angry at me for sitting too far from the kitchen and gave me attitude (!) Ambiance - if loud screaming kids is what you are looking for - that's the best place for it ;-) read more

I have been a resident of Palo alto for 9 years now and yesterday was my first visit. The atmosphere was fantastic. We arrived at 9:45 am or so (on a Sunday) and we were seated right next to the pool which was super nice. The service was good at first but as it got busy we were neglected a bit. Maybe they were short handed? The food quality as on par with the average diner: mediocre. It tasted very Sysco not made from scratch. Which is unfortunate because the ambience is chill and beautiful. I will go back to take guests that come to visit. But it's not because of the quality of the food. *I gave Three stars to this review. Which is an average of: 4 stars for the atmosphere and 2 stars for the food. read more

I thought it was a nice place, got lunch and a beer because it was cheap for the area: DOMESTIC $6 Lagunitas"A little Sumpin'Sumpin" IPA But when the bill came, they said it was $9. "Out of date menu" doncha know. I've seen that kind of thing before as a business tactic. So I emailed the manager Gerardo Naranjo. He wrote "We are addressing this immediately to ensure all menus reflect accurate pricing and to prevent this from happening again." Nope, three weeks later and they did not correct the menu: https://www.canva.com/design/DAG_pgbf6Ek/_lvLsvdBecRx1xAlXuyg1A/view#2 read more

My buddy suggested we meet up for drinks by poolside at Dinah's Poolside Restaurant. I had nothing but free time (no job) on my hands and immediately agreed. I must have driven by DPR hundreds of times over the span of 20 years and never thought of going in. As it turned out, it was an interesting place. My first impression was that it was an apartments/condominium complex that was converted to to hotel. We sat poolside, had a couple of beers, some fried calamari and french fries and commiserated over times when we were unemployed. Maybe that was a little sad, but I enjoyed the opportunity to be outside and in the company of a longtime friend. Now for the pics. read more

Dinah's Poolside Restaurant - American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Food is excellent, atmosphere is kitchy and friendly poolside dining. Delicious omlettes and breakfast fare. Hash browns are crispy. Pancakes are giant, fluffy, and come in a large stack of 3 with your choice of protein. Coffee is hot and fresh. The full bar makes a decent Bloody Mary too. There's a beautiful garden area to stroll though after you eat. Been going here for breakfast for years. So happy to see it's still thriving. read more

Dinah's Poolside Restaurant - Chorizo Omelette with a fruit cup on the side. - American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Love Dinah's Poolside Restaurant! We stay at the hotel every year for a mini-break, and we spoil ourselves and order room service pretty much the whole time! It's such a treat, and the food and service are good. The special hanger steak in Dec. 2025, and the porcini mushroom ravioli were both quite good! read more

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Short Story: A relaxing place to go for lunch or brunch! Long Story: I came here with my family on a weekend and the place was packed! Be sure to make a reservation. There's a small pool and most of the tables are situated around it. They also have a koi pond that you can admire (but not sit at). The food is decent and so is the service. It can be slow at times when it's busy so you might have to walk up to the hostess. The prices are in line with other places in the Bay Area. Parking can be tricky as it's not clearly marked whether it's for hotel parking or restaurant. The tables all have shade or umbrellas so you're protected. Verdict: I'll go back someday. read more

I came here last weekend with my mom, her friend, and my brother. All of us except my mom had cheeseburgers, and my mom had a pasta dish with sausage. The pasta was definitely the best dish between the burgers and the pasta. Nothing was wrong with the burgers but they weren't spectacular. Our server was attentive except for when he disappeared for about 20 minutes when we were trying to pay, so we had to flag down someone else. This is a very casual restaurant next to a pool outside of the motel, so most people are dressed very casually. read more

Dinah's Poolside Restaurant - Cheeseburger - American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Had a very nice lunch w/ the family poolside. We had a reservation for 8, which was great to sit right away. Nice and relaxing sitting outside on the shade. The food was good. Staff is friendly and attentive. read more

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Food and service were excellent, but $85 cost was impossible to cover, even for 6'-2" 270 lb. person. I ate about $50 worth, and my wife and daughter ate $25 value each. read more

Second tough outing here for us. Ordered drinks, appetizer, and main dishes. After 15 minutes the waiter came back and said they were out of the filets. Still no appetizer. We paid for our two drinks and went home. I hope they get their old service level back. read more

This is such a hidden gem and I have dined here many nights but just went back since they reopened. The most delicious Artic Char special was offered tonight with Quinoa and fresh asparagus and fennel garnish...it was so incredible...maybe the best fish dinner I've had. Kudos to the chef!! read more

Beautiful setting by the pool! It feels like an oasis. The food is just ok. Not really anything special. Most of it lacked seasoning and originality. Service was slow. Go for the vibe, but allow plenty of time for the meal. The Mediterranean Mezze Platter is delicious, but pricy at $24. The Fried Calamari was a bit fishy. I really liked the Corn Fritters but they were small. read more

Dinah's Poolside Restaurant - American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Solid food, friendly service...my chilaquiles were very good. Nice relaxed outdoor setting.

Service was good. Food was mediocre. Convenient for those staying at the hotel but would not recommend making an effort to come here just for the restaurant. read more

The food is good and the atmosphere is wonderfully California. Poolside tables in a beautiful classic motel. It is really fun

I got a hot chocolate during dinner, on the menu it claims to be Ghirardelli. But when you sip it, it's definitely swiss miss. Boooo

I have been a hotel guest at Dinah's for ten years. I have hotel memberships at Hilton and Marriott but there is something special and inviting about staying here and supporting a family business such as this. When you travel for business like many of do and we are treated as family true family. It means a lot. The oasis here is so special after a long day. I don't travel far for a fabulous meal I go to poolside restaurant and treated by more family with a wonderful cocktail and California specialties. Thank you. read more

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The staff was very friendly, as soon as we arrived, they greeted us and showed us to a table by the pool. Our waiter was very nice n took our orders after we requested our specialty drinks. Our order was evenly divided after we told them we were going to share the omelet, so I think we got a little extra portions. We also ordered a side of charred Brussel sprouts with a yummy sweet tangy sauce. Throughout the meal, he checked on us. We were very impressed with the meal n the personnel. Hope to try their other dishes at lunch or dinner. read more

Dinah's Poolside Restaurant - Chorizo omelet with side of Brussels sprouts - American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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I went here for apps and cocktails after traveling into town from Atlanta. I met up with some family from BC and we were starving. It was a bit chilly out so we sat under the tented area which still provided a nice view of the pool area. We ordered a bunch of apps and cocktails. My paloma was delish!! It had fresh juice in it which was a nice touch. I remember the fries and the Brussel sprouts were really delicious. The nachos had beef on them so I could not try them. However, they seemed like a crowd pleaser. Our server was attentive and very personable read more

Mediocre dinner options. I was told to try their fried chicken and it was very underwhelming. I also tried a bite of my friends fish and chips which was slightly better but still not fantastic. The breakfast menu is good. The boss omelette and the Benedict's are both decent options. Service is solid. They're pretty fast. Ultimately I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here but if I'm saying here and for the convenience - I just might. read more

All I can say is if you go there on a weekend, may God help you, because the servers or server won't have time. There biggest problem, has been that, they are understaffed. Most of the food is good, the fries are excellent. Her Ladyship, loves the Beet salad, whilst I prefer the All American. Good ambience, sitting by the pool. Go during the week, and you should have a great time, as the servers are friendly, and helpful when not overwhelmed. read more

Good food and good service. Prices are reasonable for the area. Nice outside seating. One of our to go spots.

Dinah's restaurant offers a wonderful Valentines ambience. Each table has a beautiful rosebud and heart table runner. Even your napkin is folded into a rose bed. Although it was raining, this poolside restaurant still offered three distinct dining areas that were covered and warm. Our server was friendly, cheerful and very attentive. On Valentine's Day, they offer a price fix menu that includes your choice of three alcoholic beverages, complementary amuse-buche, starter, entrée, dessert. The margaritas we ordered were nice and quite strong! Our server Theme brought us the complementary Amoo Bush, which was a lobster bisque with sea foam and puff pastry, it was savory and delicious The beet salad and sea scallops starters came next, both also very good. I was impressed with how large the sea scallops were, cooked to "just done" and very tender. Next game, our entrées, pan, seared salmon and filet mignon. Both also cooked to the perfect dead, tender and moist. The sauces on the plate complemented it just right. The tiramisu had a lovely custard layer between the soaked ladyfingers, this dessert is special. The cheesecake was on par for cheesecake. All in all, this was a wonderful Valentines meal, and everything was perfect. I would definitely come back to try the regular menu and consider for celebrating future special events here. read more

Dinah's Poolside Restaurant - For the quality of food & table service, I thought this was a pretty good deal for Valentine's Day. - American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

I sit by the pool and enjoy the burger and salad. Good environment and wild ducks nearby.

Well, I have a hard time finding any restaurant that actually has good food. I generally come away after eating out, thinking that I've wasted my money and I would never go back to that restaurant again. But Dinah's poolside restaurant had a very delicious impossible burger. It had a grilled pineapple slice on it and coleslaw. My standard is that I am always looking for what I call moanable food. That is food that when you take a bite, you involuntarily say, ""mmm!". Dinah's impossible burger did that! I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a really delicious impossible burger. Also, I loved sitting in their outdoor restaurant by the pool and the server was very friendly and efficient . read more

Salmon cooked perfectly and sucatash was delicious. Fish and Chips perfect. Service was great too. read more

Dinah's Poolside Restaurant - American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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This place is an Oasis. That's how I would describe the ambiance. Then again, I like the unconventional and quirky. I also love being able to take my toddler to go feed the ducks and fish as an added perk. This gem of a restaurant seems to be frequented by locals. I wouldn't say this place is Instagram (Ig? Is that what people call that platform nowadays? Who knows.) worthy but I also really like the food! The American fare is always tasty and the portion size is substantial too. I love their pastas, salads, and the specials have been evolving in a good way. While it's not fine dining necessarily, I would say that the quality is consistent. I absolutely love being able to overlook the pool and feel like I'm on vacation even if I am in the heart of Silicon Valley (sometimes, I feel eck and overwhelmed by that). 100% love the service here too - down to earth and friendly! Not always moving at the speed of light but that's OK on a Friday night. read more

Came here on a Saturday morning and had a reservation. Good: - The ambiance is super nice and I enjoyed being right up next to the pool - good portions for food, got the boss omelette which was tasty and the toast and hash were super buttery but worth it Bad: - Food took a while to get to us. And our table was being swarmed by wasps Overall this place was a unique vibe but a little bit of a L in terms of the wasps and wait time. read more

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I think the quality has gone down in the past year. The steak was served medium when I ordered rare. The clam chowder was full of fillers (like lots of potatoes). The waiter was not attentive until we got a little ornery which we did not want to be. read more

visited dinah's after hearing about their fish n chips. cute restaurant with tables by the poolside. after lunch, we explored the gardens and koi pond. // fish n chips $23 // prices seem to have gone up, but they have good fish n chips. the batter is light and not oily. several people at our table ordered them but the portion size varied per dish which was a little disappointing (my plate had less fish than most). the shoestring fries are good // turkey sandwich $17 // filling sandwich with a lot of turkey, vegetables, bacon, and a yummy aioli. the shoestring fries were good too. service was friendly but refused to pay with 2 credit cards when we had called prior to our lunch and the restaurant mentioned that we could use 2 credit cards. read more

Dinah's Poolside Restaurant - koi pond and garden - American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Lovely evening I live very close and I sometimes walk over and have dinner at Dinah's Poolside. In the past, I've had some very nice meals there. And so my brother and sister-in-law were here from the East Coast and I suggested I take them to Dinah's for dinner and we walked over. The service was a little slow to begin with, but it became quite adequate. We ordered our dinner l had ordered a Caesar salad and calamari Frite. Which I have had all over the world and uses It as one of my measures of a good restaurant. What I got was a salad that bore little relation to anything Cesar. I had to search to two or three minuscule croutons . The dressing bore no resemblance to what I would expect. If there was any anchovie in it??????? It was undetectable in flavor. The lettuce was chopped and one could not tell what type. Was it Romain?.....the salad soggy. The calamari was the strangest I've ever seen. Small...minuscule. Some of the tentacles I have seen spiders legs that are bigger. They were so small I lost them in the dipping sauce. Most of them were the size of a dime maybe a nickel. And there was nothing particularly good about them no delicous moment except..........that I was hungry and I ate them The service was given by a charming young Man who did his job! But My meal was unforgettable. The worst calamari I have ever encountered. I have had good meals in the past and eventualy I will try again. read more

This place is cute and the food is decent. Not the best food I've ever had, nor the worst. Think diner type food. All three of the people in our group got the tuna sandwich. The sandwich was all right, though a little soggy. The french fries were excellent, nice and crispy and good flavor, not oily. The sangria, which they are supposedly known for, was overly sweet and not my favorite. The service is excellent. I like that there is a pool view, but overall everything feels a little rundown. Good for a casual brunch or lunch, don't expect a fancy setting. read more

I'd call it a high-end poolside diner as opposed to lower-end restaurant, but either way the food is good, the service is friendly and the menu is full of standards and staples. I'd driven by numerous times but never tried it, not knowing really what a "poolside restaurant" is, but ended up staying at the hotel and relying on the restaurant for a few meals on a recent stay. The food was consistently good, the setting very nice, and there's even a nice cocktail bar for the evenings. In terms of specifics, the croque monsieur is not great (covered in mornay sauce, odd), the ruben is just ok (not grilled enough, corned beef too thick), and the eggs in the morning were mixed: perfect poached (hard to do) on the one hand, but I didn't love the corned beef hash they came with -- I prefer the old-school, mushy, smush it on a grill type. But, but, but the fried chicken was literally the best fried chicken I have ever tasted in my life. The citrus/beet salad was amazing. The caesar salad was surprisingly good, and the clam chowder was good (and I'm super picky on clam chowder) if a little thick. I've lived here 20 years and never been by before, but I'll definitely be back. read more

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Nice relaxing vibe makes it a good place to savor your food. Dinah's Fried Chicken: 4/5. Given the great reviews I saw for this I was really looking forward to trying it. The chicken seemed perfectly cooked and was very moist with the expected crunchy outside. I definitely dipped it in the honey. And I enjoyed the corn fritters that came with it. The only thing that kept this from being better for me is that the batter could have used a little more flavor, it was a little bland. read more

A drop of peaceful relaxation in the middle of the Silicon Valley. They could have served me shoe leather and I might have liked it given the atmosphere, especially for those like me able to stay a night at the inn. They didn't serve me shoe leather, they had a very wide range of options available day and night - if you can't find something you like here, I'll agree with your friends that you're a very picky eater. Vegan and other -aterian options available and clearly noted on the menu. Not sure if this would be good for a quick lunch since I really didn't want to leave. I recommend the hotel and the restaurant, I don't know of another place near Stanford that's nearly as peaceful, welcoming, and striving to please as many tastes as Dinah's read more

Excellent food and service. Very relaxing. The porch like setting helps with putting the day away.

I really debated between 3 and 4 stars for Dinah's Poolside because although the ambience, food, prices were excellent, we had a pretty disturbing incident with some umbrellas. As you can see from the photos, Dinah's Poolside has lovely outdoor seating and lush greenery from the entrance to a nearby koi pond. The grilled tuna sandwich was excellent and very affordable, especially considering Palo Alto prices. However, when our group tried to move some umbrellas so that no one would be in the sun, a waiter came to help us, and the umbrellas ended up moving all around the table with no more shade coverage. It was just different people in the sun. We decided to leave the umbrellas, but then, a pole fell from one of the umbrellas and struck one of the members of my group in the face. He seemed to be in a lot of pain and asked me if his face was bleeding. Thankfully, it wasn't, but that was quite alarming, and none of the staff expressed much concern. read more

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I used to love this restaurant and was a regular before the pandemic. The food was good and reasonably priced and the ambience is great. It was a quiet and reliable local option. Sadly it never recovered after Covid. They closed one dining room and the other is full of mismatched tables. Gone are the days of table cloths. The service is unreliable and the food has really dropped in quality. Even the signature fried chicken has been cut from two big fillets to 3 tenders. Sad to see how a once great restaurant has gone down hill. After our last outing ($90 for 3 people) we won't be returning again. read more