A very nice place to relax and have a beautiful memory with a special person. I really enjoyed…read moremyself here and I recommend it

Recently visited for epatt fundraiser dinner. Was a beautiful scenery, food was good and everything…read morewas very elegant great service as well

Made last minute reservations through OpenTable on a Sunday evening…read moreWe came in around 6:25P for our 6:30P and was sat right away Service was A1 from the start Its seemed like everyone was helping each other out We constantly had someone check in on us and consistently cleared the table Dante was our server and made dinner a great experience My fiancé and I got the FETTUCCINE ALFREDO as an appetizer, perfect starter for 2 people For entree i got the 16oz ribeye steak with garlic butter (which was one of their specials) and my fiancé got the table side Diane streak flambé The mixed berry soufflé was refreshing and sweet I got an espresso to end the night Dim lights and soft music made the whole place an ideal hangout or business meet up Sunday night seems to be more relax than Friday/Saturday nights Super excited to bring my parents here Thank you Dante for an amazing experience!

The ambiance is nice. Think table cloths, cloth napkins and actual silverware. The service was…read moreexcellent and very attentive. The nightly special appetizer was phenomenal and the table side salad is a must! The ribeye was perfectly cooked and delicious. I'd highly recommend the Iron Gate to others.

La Bohème is exactly the kind of place you hope to find when you're craving a true French dining…read moreexperience. I was not disappointed. The ingredients were fresh, beautifully balanced, and honestly so good I considered ordering another round. The bread was solid too -- perfectly crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. We tried a range of dishes and everything delivered. The omelette stuffed with shrimp was generous and great value, the French onion soup, mussels, and entrecôte were all absolutely spot on, and the chocolate mousse to finish was delicious. Next time, I'm definitely coming back for the soufflé. Even the fruit bowl stood out -- you could tell it was freshly cut, with each fruit tasting crisp and distinct rather than blended together. It's those little details that really show care. The space itself is charming and cozy, with a lovely French ambiance. It's a medium-sized restaurant , with additional outdoor seating, and a decor that makes you want to linger. What really stood out, though, was the service. Absolutely top notch. You can tell the staff and chefs genuinely care about what they're doing -- and that makes all the difference. Honestly, I'm surprised it wasn't more packed -- it deserves to be. We'll absolutely be back to explore more

We went for an early Valentine's day dinner (the 13th instead of the 14th). We had a reservation…read moreand were seated immediately. The staff were warm and nice and I liked the ambiance of the restaurant. I ordered a coke to drink and my partner had a French beer. We proceeded to order the charcuterie and french onion soup for appetizers and the duck breast and french burger for entrees. The soup came and it was fine- it tasted like french onion soup. The charcuterie never came; I guess they forgot to put the order in or forgot to make it. It was awkward just sitting there starving while my husband ate his soup though. We figured maybe they were bringing it after he finished the soup so there'd be room on the table but nope. The burger looked nice and was cooked to the ordered temp of medium rare. Otherwise it was like any other burger anywhere else, not overly special. The fries were crisp and well salted. The duck was underwhelming. It's $38 for this plate of food and it came with totally flavorless and dry mashed potatoes, whose texture was akin to boxed potatoes. No butter or cream flavor to speak of. The vegetables were so disappointing. They had no seasoning whatsoever and were as soft as baby food- I am not exaggerating on that. I was surprised by how mushy the carrots were. For almost $40 I expect more exciting veg than broccoli, cauliflower and carrots all steamed to death. The duck was okay. There was a large tendon running through the middle of every piece and I could only eat half of it due to gristly fat. The port wine reduction that covered it totally masked the flavor of the duck. All I tasted was soy sauce. We let them know about the missing charcuterie to make sure it was not included on the bill. Other small things that detracted from the experience included them never clearing any dishes from the table (like the basket from the complimentary bread, appetizer plates or the huge wine glasses that neither of us needed) and not checking in on us to see how everything was going. The table was so cluttered it was hard to eat. It took a really long time to get the check and was so uncomfortable just sitting there obviously done with our food. For the prices charged I expected a higher level of service that was blatantly absent. Overall will not return. Over priced, slow, bland food.

Chez TJ is a bit hidden, as it is a cute little house on a busy street in downtown Mountain View,…read moreso it may blend in a bit. There is a parking lot across the street, as well as street parking surrounding the area, but parking may be hit or miss, depending on when you come by. Everyone was very friendly and accommodating - we were greeted warmly and treated with the best service during the whole evening. We were able to try their Pear Panna Cotta, Royal Kaluga Caviar, Fermented Gooseberry, Dill; Onagadai Tartlette, Creme Fraiche, Fingerlime, Horseradish; Brassica Veloute, Fenugreek Oil, Guanciale Powder Okinawa Sweet Potato, Perigord Black Truffle, Burrata Foam; Petite Baguette; Mushroom & Barley Tea; Squab, Cascabel Mole, Chanterelles, Winter Citrus Gel; Pain Levain, Navel Orange Ricotta; Australian Wagyu, Confit Beetroot, Smoked Parsnip, Sticky Cabbage; Strawberry Basil Mousse, Honeycomb, Strawberry Caviar, Basil Oil Palmier; Hazelnut Chouquette; and The Lime & The Coconut Ganache. My favorites were definitely the Onagadai Tartlette; Petite Baguette; and Squab, Cascabel Mole, Chanterelles, Winter Citrus Gel. Overall, everything was delicious and I was blown away for the experience.

Good laughs, good service, and a lot of different drinks & dishes to try…read more Came here for a company dinner recently, the host and wait staff were very nice and fast to act. We enjoyed the garden tour and trying the many drinks prior to dinner service. For the meal, we started light and wrapped up with a waygu dish. The desserts were good, but the staff miscounted and missed a portion, I ended up getting a replacement dish that didn't have 2 out of 3 of the original components. Overall, it was a fun experience and the patio seating made the ambience very enjoyable.

I was lucky enough to dine at Bay 223 (formerly Gigi's Brassiere in the Sofitel) for the second…read moretime, and convinced that it is my favorite restaurant south of San Francisco. Almost everything I've had on both occasion was tremendous. The portions are small and the fanciful food architecture might make some initially skeptical, but one taste of just about anything will be enough to get you excited. Tonight I had the blackened salmon on polenta which stood out among the myriad of salmon dishes I had that were very good, but not excellent. They managed to find a new and better take on butternut squash soup, which is quite a feat since so many are also very good. The duck and lamb dishes I've tried are very succulent and very flavorful. The mushroom cappucino soup is very tasty, though a little too buttery, but the mushroom tarts were wonderfully too buttery. The molten chocolate cake was really great (though I've had better), but the presentation was top notch and the combination of the the coconut sorbet with cherries worked perfectly. The service is great without being overly attentive, the ambience is very posh and modern, and most meals will run about $50 a person without wine. Can't wait to go back.

I really appreciated having an upscale meal experience without having to adhere to a dresscode…read morealthough I felt bad because the restaurant interior is really nice yet I was in sweatpants. I also felt that the price was so reasonable for the quality. Server was also so nice moving tables around for my party of 5. My brother is allergic to salmon and they had a different plate for him (I tried a bite and it was DELICIOUS). I can't wait to come back!

Another terrific meal with friends at a very reasonable price ($80/person prix fixe with $25 pate…read moreadd on that's shareable). Warm, cozy environment with very good, attentive and welcoming service. I didn't realize that Sohei is now in the back of the house preparing these wonderful dishes but glad he came out a couple of times and we were able to say, Hello, and share some of his southern French and Italian inspirations along with use of Japanese ingredients and flavors. The dashi and tuna crisp, hamachi crudo, pate, warm sourdough bread, chicken cordon bleu, and strawberry ice cream dessert were all well executed. Glad to see that they have a nice selection of wines now, too, as well as an optional wine pairing for only $40. We had a crisp Chardonnay that paired well with the courses. Definitely, coming back after their menu changes again to see what creative, fun, but elegant dishes Sohei, his mom, and the Hapa Bistro team comes up with next!!

Cute little gem in San Mateo downtown. We came here for a quiet dinner for my husband's birthday…read morerecently and had a wonderful time here. The ambiance is very homey with cute decorations, like eating at grandma's house. Food was delicious. The paella was yummy. I really like the octopus. It's a small restaurant with just a few staff but they are all so friendly and sweet. Highly recommend for date nights or small family gatherings!

Pros: SUPER cute decor, amazing attentive service, some food was amazing (I'm sorry I can't…read moreremember the names of the dishes but one had prosciutto and goat cheese, HIGHLY RECOMMEND that one). Mids: the chocolate lava cake was alright. Not too sweet which we really enjoyed, but it was a little overdone on top which made it harder to eat, as it was a bit hard and crunchy. Cons: the kabocha squash was so hard and lacking flavor, we didn't finish it. The pesto pasta dish was also disappointing. The shrimp were very very overcooked and the pesto was bland. Overall, we may return for the couple of small bites we thought were amazing, but the service was where they really shined.

I visited Zola for a private birthday dinner. While I've dined in the restaurant previously, this…read morewas my first private event at Zola. This review is for the private event experience not regular dining. Service - Incredible! The servers were very attentive and food came out seamlessly. Ambiance - The private room is divine. Classically decorated. Very quiet. We had 22 people and it did not feel crowded. Zola did the flowers for the tables and they were beautiful. Food - Absolutely delicious. I wish I'd taken photos of all the dishes, but I got distracted A few key dishes (all but the salad and desserts were served family style): Chickpea Panise - absolutely divine. So flavorful. (Picture included) Bib lettuce salad - delicious. Bright. (Picture included) Bread and butter - omg. I couldn't stop eating it. Olives - was told they were awesome, I'm not an olive fan (Picture included) Chicken and salmon - both were to die for. So good. Crème brûlée and chocolate mousse - perfect small size with big bold flavors. Both were amazing. (Picture included) They also baked her a beautiful strawberry cake. It was fresh and very tasty. There were more dishes that were also all delicious. I included a copy of the menu too. The birthday girl selected the menu options. Highly recommend for a private event.

Very easy to make reservations online and they are dog friendly!…read more The cocktails were good, love that they have unique specialty cocktails. They were refreshing and not too strong. Food was better than I expected. Oysters and the salad were ok, but the escargot was great! The steak frites were delicious too. Our server was very attentive and checked on us multiple times throughout our meal. Overall, I definitely recommend trying this place if you want to eat escargot.

What a terrific venue for a smaller event. It is a lovely building with a high arch ceiling with…read moreexposed beam. It was the first church in San Carlos and you see it in the architecture. There is a ballet school that also uses the building so there are dance bars on two of the walls as well as mirrors. They melt into the background and during our event I did not even notice them. There is a cute little stage and a mini PA system which we adequately hooked up a table with Wifi and had some background music. The venue provided an LCD projector so we could show a slide show of pictures. Their equipment made everything so easy. The large, modern kitchen made it easy on our caterers. They remarked how easy it was for them. The venue provided and set up the tables and comfortable, padded chairs, set up per per our layout design. We have nothing but great things to say about this venue. The private parking lot made it very easy for our guests. This is a location we would definitely consider in the future.

I have been using the Civic Garden Club of San Carlos for events for the past 15 years. I have to…read moresay they really are very reasonably priced and they do a great job of maintaining the condition. It has beautiful wooden floors, vinatge chandeliers, huge soaring windows to let in the natural bright sunlight or you can pull the shades to darken the room. It used to be used as a church and it has beautiful vaulted ceilings and a stage and a loft.There is a spotless kitchen with a huge stove with multiple burners and a huge industrial size oven. They have a caretaker that will do table and chairs set up and take down exactly in the formation you wish for your event, customized to your specification. I have had nothing but good things to say about the club at 737 Walnut Street in San Carlos. There is three conveniently located bathrooms-one off the kitchen and another 2 bathrooms near the entrance. Of course being a garden club the landscape is impeccable and the fence is well maintained with a great parking lot. If you don't want to be disappointed, I highly recommend it for your events. Sincerely, Carol