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    Thyme

    4.1 (164 reviews)
    Closed • 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Thyme Photos

    Business Info

    THYME ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Thyme

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    Reviews With Photos

    Scallops
    Sheridan T.

    The folks here are sooo nice. I brought my mom here for mother's day dinner and we had a great experience. The dining space is very intimate and small, maybe fits 30 people maximum. A reservation is a must; there's no way you can walk in and get seated unless there's a no-show or last minute cancellation. You're served fresh bread with vinegar and olive oil to start. Available menu items depend on what they got from the market that day. According to our server, they don't have a freezer nor a microwave on site. It's purely farm to table. The appetizer selection is fantastic. The scallops and grilled avocado were perfect. Our salmon main plate was a tad salty, but the chiffon cake with vegan chocolates we had for desert made up for it. Highly recommend for small-party occasions. Love that they partner with Yelp Reservations to make reserving a table that much easier!

    Open faced steak sandwich
    Bob K.

    Went for a birthday dinner with 9 folks (probably took up 1/3 of this intimate space) and really enjoyed our evening. Started off with a bunch of appetizers including the beet salad olives and ham and a really incredible grilled avocado. I had the open face steak sandwich which was really good the kids had a kind of cheesy pasta and a number of folks had salmon and the risotto all to positive comments. We didn't wind up staying for dessert, but it did look like the menu was pretty amazing. Service was overall good if a little mistimed and the restaurant got a bit hot by the end of the evening. Overall, though, a great meal friendly staff and recommend this place.

    Salmon
    Cheryl H.

    Found this restaurant thanks to other Yelpers. The experience was awesome. We had early reservation and happened to be the only ones there - which was a perfect way to finish off crazy week and start the weekend off right. Both Kat and the chef (didn't catch his name) spent time with us - talking about the restaurant and the wine selection. Liked the personal touch. Enjoyed the salmon and risotto. Flavors were great and the right portions. As they say - they are Fresh to Table - which just adds to the experience. We had nice conversation while waiting for our food - the music was a perfect complement - smooth jazz and not too loud. This is a great place for quiet conversation and delicious food. If you're looking for a good spot for Date Night in Palo Alto - this would be it!

    Scallops
    G_heyhey W.

    Intimate and delicious dining experience. Scallops and lamb chops were amazing!! Embarrassed to say we ordered 3 orders of scallops between my husband and I because it was just that good! Family owned restaurant, very understated in the best way. No bullshit/pretentiousness observed. Staff are very friendly and inviting. Felt like we were eating at a relative's place. People need to notice and come to this little hidden gem and give it a try!

    Risotto
    Yoshikage K.

    The food was great - I like the grilled avocado and the risotto - albeit served slowly probably because the restaurant was still relatively new and thus the kitchen can improve the workflow in the future. The staff was very interesting; the amigo liked to chat with customers while the owner was happily arguing with the chef inside (about cooking operation) whom I presume were a couple. The price was on the high end. I would probably come back to try their crab cakes and desserts. My rating is 3.5, rounded up to 4 for yelp.

    Pan-seared scallops
    Harry Z.

    Haven't wrote a restaurant review in a while, despite meaning to do so, but this place felt different. Despite commanding a premium-ish price and having a short curated menu, this place is refreshingly devoid of overwrought lighting and decoration. It's well-lit and simple, and you almost feel that you don't need to care a bunch about your attire or your table manners here. Yet the food was high-quality and surprisingly generous in serving size. The seared scallops appetizer paired the lightly flavored scallops well with the sweetness of bell peppers and onion and the richness of (roasted?) cherry tomatoes; it also came with four pieces of scallops. The open-faced ribeye sandwich only topped that with a stupefyingly generous serving of intensely flavored and delightfully tender ribeye steak, atop a good amount of mushroom medley and bread soaked in the flavorful sauce. The food was good, and I could have enough of it. Somehow I feel that this simply joy, of having enough of delicately created food, is getting harder to come by. I went to Bird Dog the previous evening. The food was good, but no better than this, yet the serving size was tiny. I wish I could have more, but more than three dishes for one person seemed ridiculous. I was left dangling, almost, but ended up with a larger bill than this dinner at Thyme. Yet here, I felt totally satisfied. (Yes, the service was on the slow side, but it's a Friday night and the food made up for it.)

    Salmon
    Joon L.

    a hidden jewel in Palo Alto downtown! A sister & brother owned fine cuisine restaurant on hamilton. Cat, the owner is the nicest lady in town :) the best scallop I've ever had in my life! perfectly cooked, soft & juicy, and melt in my mouth! salmon & lamp are fantastic too.

    a helicopter flying over a city
    Kyle S.

    While conducting flight training we stopped in Palo Alto for fuel and food. One of our guys found Thyme online and we headed over from the airport. What an awesome experience. Winston and our server, Kat, really took care of us. They were the most genuine people which added to the amazing experience we had. Food was out of this world. The mussels, rack of lamb, and Ribeye steak is really impressive. You also have to try the ginger pineapple drink they make in house! Class A people. Thank you having us. Your friends from the CA Army National Guard.

    scallops and risotto
    Kayli D.

    absolutely amazing. tiny little restaurant a block off university and worth it! the waitress was spectacular; we were celebrating and she made us feel special. her brother its the chef and wow he delivered. the scallops and risotto were phenomenal. great flavor and all perfectly cooked. and the warm goat cheese was a perfect finish. the restaurant filled up by the time we left. I am so grateful to find a new amazing restaurant and I will be back!

    The chicken was incredibly dry and the greens were also not dressed correctly.  The chicken is visibly overcooked.
    Katie S.

    Based on excellent Yelp reviews, I was very excited to patronize Thyme. I found the small and seasonal menu intriguing. I understand that they are currently in their soft opening, and of course, all restaurants have small issues in the beginning. I made a lunch reservation and the phone interaction was great. The server was friendly and professional. We even pushed our reservation slightly when we were running a few minutes late and they were understanding and courteous. However, unfortunately, that was likely the highlight of our meal. Upon first being seated, we discovered that one water glass and one spoon were noticeably dirty- the water glass had lipstick stains and the spoon had congealed food stuck on it. This is a small issue and I was willing to overlook it. However, when quietly pointed out to the server, the server did not apologize and also forgot to bring us a clean spoon. We were forced to steal a clean spoon from a spare table setting. Strike one. The restaurant only had one server, who was doing their best. Unfortunately, it was obvious that they were frazzled and service was disjointed and slow. Again, I am willing to overlook this during a soft opening as these hitches are not acceptable but understandable. We waited 40 minutes until our entrees arrived at the table. For a working lunch, this timing is really not acceptable. Strike two. I was really hoping the outstanding food would make up for the poor experience. We ordered the roast chicken, salmon cakes, and steak sandwich. All dishes came with a side of field greens. All of these dishes had issues. The chicken was so over cooked as to be almost inedible. It was incredibly dry and the outside was so hard, I thought it was a bone. I saw one table leave it untouched and another table refused to pay for the chicken. In retrospect I should have done the same. Strike three. The salmon cakes were supposed to come with aioli, but this was forgotten. The salmon cake otherwise was quite good, I enjoyed the generous chunks of salmon and the minimal breading. The steak sandwich was also fine, though it would have been nice for the bread to have been toasted. Overall, I would also say all of the entrees lacked salt. The side of greens, were not uniformly dressed. Typically, at nicer restaurants, the greens are tossed in a bowl with the dressing before plating. The greens at Thyme, were plated, then the dressing was drizzled only in the center. The greens were so minimally dressed, that we were forced to use the oil and vinegar on the table to dress them ourselves. Overall, while I appreciate the concept and I really hope they can iron out the details in the future, I found our experience to be very disappointing. I think if they can focus on proper execution of both food and service they have a lot of potential.

    Pan fried salmon

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    8 years ago

    Looking back....I was a Soothsayer...or something like that. Adios Thyme....you earned it....

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Thyme

    Is this place actually "farm to table"? Yelp says it is but the website states "fresh to table," which is far from the same thing.

    Thyme is a "fresh to table"Restaurant, meaning that we have no freezer or microwave in the kitchen and all meals are cooked when the customer order from the menu.… 

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Zola + BarZola - Meatballs

    Zola + BarZola

    4.2(635 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    •$$$

    Wanted around downtown Palo Alto on a warm night recently after an Yelp event and decided to grab…read moresome drinks at Zola. The space inside is dark and great for date night. However, we opted to sit outdoors with our dog and they kindly seated us at a 4 top in the corner. I requested a custom mocktail ($11) and they were happy to accommodate. They also brought out a luxe-looking, yet cute, doggy water bowl that our fur baby appreciated. We weren't initially planning on food, but after seeing a charcuterie board ($32) on the menu, decided to try it out. It came with several pieces of bread, pickled veggies, butter and jam spreads, and meat and cheese. Everything was enjoyable and the service was great! Already looking forward to coming back soon.

    Originally my friend and I had plan to dine elsewhere. We couldn't help but stop as we passed by…read morethis restaurant. We thought it was cute so we decided to give it a try. The environment had a nice dim moody atmosphere. It was quite an intimate space and the interior was cozy. We decided to sit at the bar. The service was good. It's a first come first serve seating. Our server worked quickly to get us seated and we were handed menus. As soon as I saw the menu, I think it was right for this to be called a French Californian restaurant because I noticed not all the items on the menu were French. Some restaurants call it French when it's really French fushion. We decided to share poulet roti knowning that the portions were going to be American. It was perfect for 2 people. I don't know how 1 person could have devoured the entire plate themselves. What I really appreciated about this dish is that the chef didn't over dress the salad. I'm not sure why Americans like to drench their salad leaves in sauce to the point where the dressing is all you tasting leaving out the fresh ingredients. It was perfectly dress. Not too much not too little, just enough to lightly coat the salad leaves. The poulet was very well cooked and it was accompanied by a side of gravy. On top of that, the salad come with decent sized crutons and pork belly. I like how the chef made the crutons properly. Some restaurants thinly slice some bacon and sprinkle it over the salad; whereas, this restaurant had pork belly shaped the same size and shape as the crutons which added more texture and flavor to the salad. Both ingredients blended very well into the salad to the point where I didn't know if the bite I had taken had a cruton or a pork belly. Throughout our meal, our server made sure we were well accommodated asking for feedback and inviting us to have drinks/dessert. This is definitely worth it and I would return here again!

    Photos
    Zola + BarZola - Dining Room

    Dining Room

    Zola + BarZola - Poulet Sous Brique

    Poulet Sous Brique

    Zola + BarZola - Manhattan de luxe (left); Colette (right)

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    Manhattan de luxe (left); Colette (right)

    La Boheme - Free baguette, but fresher will be better.

    La Boheme

    3.9(626 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    •$$

    C'est un délice! Quite literally the place is great. The…read morephotos don't do justice for the ambiance. We sat and decided on calamari and steak frites for the table. The calamari was quite possibly the best I've had. Not overly fried and not your typical cheap rings. Great sauces on the side The steak was cooked perfectly to order and the sauce was great as well. Top it off with a great wine selection and fresh baguette to snack on. The owner is a kind Frenchwoman who pays attention to every detail. A huge bonus! I drove out of my way to eat here and would do so again!

    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

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    La Boheme - Inside

    Inside

    La Boheme - Calamars

    Calamars

    La Boheme - Soufflé au Grand Marnier

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    Soufflé au Grand Marnier

    Thyme - gastropubs - Updated October 2026

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