WOW. Such a picturesque and inviting atmosphere! Best part is? You can have brunch all day AND purchase flowers! We walked in not knowing what to expect but were quickly and kindly greeted by staff and seated. The menu is expansive and everything sounded so good. The Pandan latte was light in flavor (didn't taste too much coconut) and the Biscoff latte looked pleasing - my friend enjoyed her drink! We limited our options to the uni pasta and the Korean pork cutlet. The pasta was al dente (PERFECT!) and it was very creamy. How my friend put it, which was extremely accurate, it tasted like the sea. It wasn't bad! But it tasted just as it sounds, and it was creamy. The pork cutlet was super crispy, and I loved the macaroni salad that came along with it. While we wanted to move onto dessert, we didn't have room :( which is why it's incentive to be back next time to try it all! read more

GIWA - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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The restaurant was beautiful, full of flowers and aesthetics. Unfortunately, service and food both left some things to be desired. We made a reservation for 5:15pm, when we arrived, the host was not at the station and all the staff that passed by just looked at us and walked away. The entrance was filled with groups waiting for the host to come. The person who took care of us was nice, however, either the restaurant was understaffed or the staff simply move around with no sense of urgency, we were given a tablet and we decided to use that instead of waiting around to place an order. Food came out suspiciously fast - I'm just gonna leave that here. The seafood pasta was extremely salty and the lobster was overcooked - it struggled to get out of its shell. The Uni pasta was not very hot, and while there's not something wrong, it also didn't leave an impression except for it got a bit sickly at the end. The cheesy stuffed hamburg was ridiculously small for a $31 entrée. The potato purée and the gravy were both extremely thin and there was no visible cheese inside of the hamburg steak. The best thing was the prime rib - the glaze on it was on the sweeter side but yummy nonetheless. Overall, unfortunately, it was style over substance and I don't believe that I'll be returning. read more

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GIWA in Santa Clara was such a great spot to celebrate my birthday. It's a newer place I saw on TikTok, and my cousin suggested we come here for a birthday lunch together. I'm really glad we did because it definitely did not disappoint. The space is beautiful inside, from the decor to the overall atmosphere. Everything felt thoughtfully designed and made the experience feel a little more special. The worker we had was amazing, super helpful and patient while we were trying to decide what to order, which I really appreciated since the menu has a lot of good options. We ordered the Crème Brûlée French Toast, Lemon Garlic Lobster Pasta, Creamy Uni Pasta, and the Kurobuta Pork Sausage & Truffle Honey Egg Sando, and everything was honestly so good. The French toast was rich and satisfying, the lobster pasta had a nice balance of flavor, and the uni pasta was creamy and indulgent without being too overwhelming. The egg sando was also really good and something a little different that everyone enjoyed. It is on the pricier side, but for the quality, portions, and overall experience, I didn't mind it. We shared everything between about 7-8 people, and everyone left feeling full, which says a lot. I do wish I had gotten a drink since it was my 21st birthday, but that just gives me another reason to come back next time I'm in town. Overall, it's a really nice spot for a special occasion, and I'd definitely return. read more

GIWA - Kurobuta pork sausage & Truffle Honey Egg Sando - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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GIWA gets a solid 3 stars from me! This place is clearly popular -- so much so that our brunch reservation turned into a 3 PM seating due to our party size of 6. Even with the delay, it still felt like the perfect spot to celebrate our cousin asking her friends and family to be part of her bridal team. The staff was very attentive and stayed on top of everything. Drinks came out quickly, and the food followed at a pretty good pace considering how busy they were. Now for the honest part -- while everyone else in my group really enjoyed their meals, the food just didn't quite hit for me personally. I ordered the loco moco, and while the presentation was beautiful, the flavor was a bit off for my taste. My husband ordered the spaghetti... and as an Italian, that's already a no for me lol. That said, I would absolutely come back for the ambiance, drinks, and the super cute photo area they have -- it's such a fun touch and perfect for special moments like ours. Even though the food wasn't my favorite, the overall experience and vibe definitely make it worth visiting. read more

GIWA - Spaghetti - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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The interior and decor are both super pretty and great for photos! Service is great as well but I'd say the food is a bit more on the mediocre side for me :/ The creme brulee French toast especially was a bit more disappointing since without syrup it tasted like nothing and the texture was nothing too special either. I will say though that the sweet potato fries were insanely yummy and crisp when fresh! The Korean patty Benedict was also pretty good! read more

GIWA - Korean Palace Patty Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Service here fantastic!! Environment a lot of flowers and they sell bouquets here for special occasions! Food and the drinks are outstanding here! Great dining experience! Definitely will be back!!! More photos on the way! Very cute place! read more

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Been here 2 times and enjoyed both visits. New popular spot for Korean brunch/ dinner fusion. I would say I like their dinner menu a little more. Well executed and lovely aesthetic presentation. Emiliano is always so helpful and nice. For brunch, I got the eggs Benedict with smoked salmon & pandan latte w/ oat milk. I wished my potatoes were crispier. I didn't feel so heavy after eating my croissant dish. My friends all seem to enjoy their dishes. Have to go back to try their omurice fried rice. My friend raved about it. For dinner, my friend and I ordered a lot of items to try! la galbi omurice -- 9/10 cheese lava burger -- messy but good 9/10 seoul seafood pasta -- packed with flavor! 8.7/10 creamy uni pasta -- if you like uni it's rich and creamy 8/10 giwa prime long rib -- big portion! Eat it with the omurice cause it does get salty. 8/10 black sesame latte -- loved it uji matcha cream latte -- decent mango mimosas x2 -- cheers!! This place is such a cute spot for girls date, large parties, and also family kid friendly. I can't wait to go back with my friends! read more

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Korean fusion, cute spot, what more can you ask for? Good service. I think that this place is Instagrammable to the T, but the service here is just ugh! I did not really feel welcomed, aside from the mandatory greeting at the door. Once we sat down, our sever poured us water and didn't say anything. No introduction, no nothing. After what seemed like forever, he finally came back to us so we could order. And it just went slowly downhill. My biggest issue is that everything came out at once.. and out of order. We got one drink (we ordered two), the first appetizer, then our three main courses, and then our last appetizer all within 5 minutes. And finally our last drink. Not to mention the small table and gargantuan plates. I understand that we ordered everything at once, but is it so crazy to assume that it would have been coursed out without having to tell them to course it out? We were served a potato leek soup, which we did not know was part of the entree, since the person who brought it out did not say anything, nor did we have any plates or bowls for sharing. Was a bit confused by this. Food, however, I thought was really good. Everything was fresh, uni pasta wasn't fishy, Wagyu was cooked perfectly. Molten cheese tonkatsu was big and juicy. Back of house knows that they're doing. Front of house, not so much. For $200 for 2 people, I would expect more attentiveness and warmth. We had to hand our empty plates to staff walking by, which itself is not an issue, but the fact that there was no awareness... As a side note, I think the tablets at the table (which not every table has) takes away from the beautiful interior, an eyesore really. Would I come back? Maybe. But the service was just so mediocre. It was a turn off really. I've been seeing it all over my feed and I want to love it, but the service was just sad. Might come back for brunch, hopefully the vibes are better then. TLDR: Service: 5/10 Food 10/10 Overall: 7.5/10 read more

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4 stars for the dining experience, but -1 star for the parking headache you'll experience if going at peak times. PARKING: Shares parking lot with 3 other businesses. Some people risked it and either made their own parking lane in the front lot behind the actual spots where there was ample space or they risked it parking in the adjacent lot that had signs everywhere saying it was for their business only. There's another lot in the back, but it was also full at the time. Just make sure you allot some time to wait for parking. ENTRANCE: Once you walk in it's visually and aesthetically appealing! They also have 1/4th of the restaurant space dedicated to their floral arrangements that you can peruse while you wait. It's cute but the prices are not cheap. FOOD: - Egg Benedict with Yuzu Smoked Salmon Croissant: Not too salty, good taste overall. Appreciate the whole croissant. Unfortunately no runny egg moment as it was cooked through fully:( Arugula salad was not bitter. - Lemon Garlic Lobster Pasta + Scallops: Scallops were cooked well, but an addition that is unnecessary unless you really want it. Wished I tasted more lemon. Garlic wasn't too overpowering. Lobster was delicious! Good serving size. - Soufflé Pancake with Madagascar Vanilla Cream: TIP- order this at the beginning because it has a 30 min prep time* This was my favorite dish. Great taste, beautifully balanced with the Madagascar vanilla cream. I'd order it again, highly recommend! DRINKS: - Biscoff Cream Latte w/Oat Milk + 2 espresso shots: super yummy but it obviously is a sweet drink. Kudos to our waiter for asking the barista if they could modify it by adding more espresso shots. Solid barista skill. Loved the biscoff cookie in it. I'd also order this again! - Madagascar Vanilla Latte w/Oat Milk: Vanilla flavor wasn't too strong. Compared to the Madagascar vanilla soufflé pancake...I couldn't tell this was specifically Madagascar and just regular vanilla if that makes sense. 3/5, nothing special, but it's exactly what it is. OVERALL: I highly recommend this place. It's beautiful, service was great (and busy, as it should be), food and drinks were good and I still have some other plates I'd like to try. Just be aware of the parking situation. Great for dates or large groups- make sure to book your reservation if possible! read more

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We had a great time celebrating a joint birthday here! We ordered: *Jeju Young Tangerine Tea Pot *Espresso Soju Martini *Yuzu Ginger Mule *Gochujang Glazed Bossam *Creamy Uni Pasta *Korean Pork Cutlet *Korean Fried Chicken *LA Galbi Omurice The bossam is served table side. All the dishes were good, the Uni Pasta was our favorite. Service was good, our server made made sure to check on us and refill our drinks. We enjoyed the complimentary souffle pancakes for celebrating our birthdays here. read more

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Giwa is a beautiful restaurant, filled with floral decorations and high energy. Staff here are friendly and attentive. I came here on a Saturday with a good friend, and I was on the waitlist for 20 minutes until I got seated. They utilize the Yelp Waitlist, and there is a staff who checks the waitlist periodically. We got the Chicken and Waffles, and the Creme Brûlée French Toast. We also ordered a Matcha Cream Latte and Vanilla Iced Latte. The heart shaped straws are very cute! Parking is challenging, but the food is worth the wait! I will be coming back. read more

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came back here to try their dinner. it was pretty decent! i liked my pork katsu a lot and the fries were good! forgot what my friend ordered but she liked it too. it is still a pretty solid spot to come for brunch and now dinner! also do like the little tablet ordering, much more convenient! read more

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[Food] - Busan Rosè Tteokbokki ($23): A delicious mild spicy and creamy rice cakes and fish cakes. I quite liked this because the flavor isn't too heavy. - Fried Calamari ($17): Slightly crunchy with 2 savory sauces, one tomato and one tartare based. Decent to try once but I don't think I'd order it again. - Creamy Uni Pasta ($34) added scallops (+$8): A blend of fresh sea urchin and white wine folded into Uni cream sauce, garnished with crisp nori. I tried some of my bf's and it definitely is yummy but I personally wouldn't be able to eat the whole thing myself since it does get heavy after a few bites. - Seoul Seafood Pasta ($38): The spicy tomato sauce tasted amazing because of the seafood stock they added. Clams, mussels, shrimp were all cooked perfectly. Love dipping the fresh crunchy baguettes into the sauce and topping it with seafood! Would order again! [Service] - Attentive, friendly, helpful - Shout out to Bella for being an awesome host! [Ambiance] - Pretty, casual, and fun - They also have a floral shop inside [Overall] - Would love to come back especially for their Seoul Seafood Pasta and to try their other dishes! read more

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If you're looking for one of the cutest brunch spots in the Bay Area, Giwa definitely fits that nicely. The place is covered in flowers and soft, dreamy decor, which basically is engineered to make you feel like you accidentally walked onto a fun Pinterest board. The food and drinks lean heavily into the aesthetic too. Everything is colorful, neatly plated, and extremely photogenic as if it was designed with being photographed in mind before flavor even entered the conversation. Even the menu is super visual, which makes ordering feel a bit like flipping through an Instagram feed. There's also a drink bar that runs like a mini Starbucks, where baristas are constantly pumping out drinks. It's efficient, but also adds to the whole experience. And then there's the crowd. At one point, it felt like everyone was in the middle of a photoshoot with their phones out, angles being tested, drinks being rotated for optimal lighting. It's not just that people take pictures here; it's that the entire place seems built for that exact purpose. Less "casual brunch," more "live content production set." Overall, Giwa is fun if you're in the mood for good food and don't mind dining in what feels like a TikTok backdrop. Just know you might leave with more secondhand screen time than actual conversation. I'm guilty of this for the benefit of Yelp sharing. One note about parking. The parking lot near the restaurant can get packed and tight. Best to park on the streets if you can, just to avoid any issues with your car getting scratched or dented. read more

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The ambiance and food are amazing! The service it top tier and the decorations are super instagram able! I will definitely come back read more

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GIWA is located in the plaza next to Milldang (bakery) and Mister Oh's. The parking lot gets really packed so you'll likely find yourself parking on the street or in the neighborhood. They work on the Yelp waitlist system but it gets a little hectic at the entrance with people waiting for their tables and people waiting to put their names on the list. There's also a floral shop within the restaurant behind the "check in" counter. I wish they were a bit more organized because there was no one behind the counter. A staff member was bouncing between checking people in and bringing tables their tabs. At first glance this place seems very "here for the vibes and photos" so I was skeptical about their food but they proved me wrong! What was ordered: + Creamy uni pasta - this was our party's favorite dish. The pasta was cooked well, perfectly al dente, and the sauce was packed with umami flavor. + Yukon potatoes - we ordered this as a side and it was roasted well as it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. + Hash brown - also ordered as a side and fried equally well, crispy with a good potato ratio as it was a fluffy hash brown! Think double the fluffiness of a McDonald's hash brown without the oozing of oils. + Korean pork cutlet - the pork was still pretty tender and it had crispy breading but sauce was a bit odd to me as it was on the sweeter side and had a gravy-like consistency. + Golden chicken & croffle - I'm pretty sure they used dark meat for this dish and it was delicious! I wasn't a huge fan of the croffle but the chicken was great and had a sweetness to it. The service was decent. We ordered on an iPad and the food was brought out fairly quickly. There wasn't much interaction with the servers aside from the food coming to our table and us asking for the check. Would come again, especially for the uni pasta! read more

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Had a lovely brunch here. Reminded me of Sweet Maple in San Francisco Japantown but less of the long wait and more of the Korean influence. The Korean patty eggs benedict was a good fusion dish, and hit the right balance of Korean flavor with an American classic. Portion was just the right size. The matcha souffle was a delight on the eyes and not overly sweet. Ambiance was surprisingly nice given the exterior was your typical older Santa Clara strip mall. Service was prompt with legit Korean American staff. Looking forward to coming back to try their other dishes and cocktails for dinner. Only downside is that some of the tables are pretty close together. So you'll have to overhear your neighbor's conversation. read more

Came here for an early lunch on Monday with my husband. They're already pretty busy a little after 11am. Parking in the front was full, but they still have quite a few spots available at the back. We're seated promptly at one of the tables against the wall. The table was a 2-top directly next to another 2-top, arranged kind of like a 4-top. I wished there're was at least a small gap between the two 2-tops. The place was beautiful. Since it's also a flower shop, there're fresh flowers everywhere. Service was friendly. Our drinks came quickly. I ordered a hot black sesame latte, which looked wonderful. I could smell the nice black sesame aroma as soon as I brought the mug close to my mouth. Even though the black sesame taste wasn't as strong as the smell, there's still a decent amount of black sesame. It was creamy and nutty, and I had to stir my drink a couple times while I was enjoying it to make sure the black sesame didn't deposit at the bottom. It would have been perfect if the drink was more hot. My husband's iced ube uji matcha cream latte looked pretty and he enjoyed it as well. On the other hand, our entrees didn't come together and they took way too long, long after we already finished our drinks! My uni pasta arrived after 30+ minutes since we ordered, and my husband's classic bulgogi took another 10 minutes. Since we're trying to catch a movie right after lunch, my husband had to wolf down his piping hot dish, and couldn't fully savor it. Anyway, I liked my uni pasta a lot. The uni on top was fresh, cold, and refreshing. The sauce was cheesy, creamy and really delicious. Would love to come back, when we're not in a time crunch, to try other drinks and dishes, especially their soufflé pancakes. read more

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This place look so beautiful. The workers here are nice and friendly. The restroom needed some attention. This place really love roses. Got to try some dishes family style. The LA Galbi Omurice was so good in flavors with the sauce not being salty, but the kalbi sauce was kind of salty. US Wagyu Steak with Cheese Dip was so good that the steak melts in your mouth with flavorful of goodness. Cheese-Stuffed Hamburg Steak was so delicious. Everything in that plate wasn't even salty at all. Souffle Pancake here is one of the best I've ever tried. It's so fluffy and it doesn't taste eggy like another place I tried. read more

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Oh my goodness I've been here on two separate occasions now and I love this place first. I came here for Valentine's Day dinner and another time for brunch if possible I do recommend getting a reservation but for the brunch occasion I waited probably 45 minutes for a table of five on a Saturday without a reservation. The inside is SUPER cute with floral decor all over. They even have a section to do DIY bouquets/custom order. Brunch Black sesame latte +espresso- 5* sooo good and creamy. Not too sweet and nice amount of black sesame flavor. Better than some other black sesame lattes i've had in other cafes but it did take some time for it to come Uni pasta - 5* also amazing! Creamy garlicky Uni sauce over perfectly cooked spaghetti. Honestly had a lot of Asian pasta places. I worry about them over cooking the pasta, but this was perfect. It had just enough sauce and rich seafood flavor too and cheese Creme brûlée French toast- 3* the flavors were those were good but I kind of hoped for something crunchy. It was reminiscent of a cinnamon roll but more custard . Maybe im just not a big fan of sweets, everyone else seemed to really like it. Dinner Seoul seafood pasta-4.5* this was good and had some nice spicy kick and LOTS of seafood. It had nice depth of flavor and kept me wanting more. Not too heavy. I probably could've licked the plate. Bossam wraps- 3.5/5*- I thought the flavors on this were really unique. We had some vietnamese nuoc mam sauce, korean ssam jang, and also another one. -1* for the texture because for sous-vide meat I'd expect it to be a lot more tender, and also I actually prefer the traditional bossam with a bit more bite. This was like lukewarm in the middle, not tender enough, but also not enough bounce. Food was incredible, service could be a bit better, you can order on the tablets, but the waiters were so busy and didn't refill our water. read more

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We recently came for Friday lunch with a group of 10 and had a table to ourselves. Once our entire party was present, we were seated with little wait. We were given 2 iPads to order from, which I think is a new system since the last time I came more than half a year ago. Staff was very friendly, attentive and quick. Bc of the size of our party and some of the group ordered soufflé pancakes, the food did come at different times but that was all good, bc we were able to share. Food looked fantastic and tasted pretty great too! I ordered the creamy uni pasta, which came with a thinner sauce than I remember but I think was better for the entire dish (I didn't feel like I over-ate and didn't feel like I was overwhelmed by too much creaminess/oiliness). I also took a few bites of the eggs Benedict with yuzu smoked salmon and that was delicious! I think I would order that next time. We had a great time and would come again! read more

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Enjoyed brunch here with my friends. Came on a weekend around 12 and there was a wait but got on the waitlist. Beautiful setting with flowers and a creative menu. Igot the galbi Benedict and it was yum. eggs cooked the way I like it and the galbi patty went well with it. paired with crispy potatoes that were a bit heavy but good. Sesame milk was flavorful and not too sweet. Out of the Asian fusion brunches I've had this ones my favorite! read more

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My friend suggested this place for lunch. Was excited to try it based on other yelp reviews. The restaurant from the outside did not impress but once inside it was like a floral tea garden. It was elegant and lovely. They served both breakfast and lunch items. Our server was attentive and friendly. You can order from the tablet on the table or you can get asssitance from the server. Since it was our first time here, we had some questions and also some modification to the menu items, we used our server to place our orders. The food was a bit disappointing in taste. Presentation was beautiful and the butters used was really flavorful. A little on the pricey side but for the ocassional girlfirend lunch, it was OK. We ordeered breakfast items for our lunch. We had the Southern Sunrise Scramble (minus the sour cream on top), GIWA traditional Benedict, Korean Palace Patty. Also ordered some tea and coffee (I think it was a latte). Did not try any dessert this time. My southern scramble was a bit dry (I know I asked for the eggs to be well done) I may come back and try other items on the menu. read more

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Visited on a Monday during lunch hours and it was busy, but luckily no wait. The inside is spacious with beautiful pink interior. Bunch of flowers and nice photo ops. There is a flower boutique inside and you can buy flowers too. Very unique concept! We ordered the loco moco, tonkatsu, and lemon garlic lobster pasta. My loco moco was good but the sauce was a bit on the sour side and came cold. The rice to meat ratio was fine, but definitely wish the gravy was hot too. The Korean tonkatsu was good portion and came with Mac salad plus a salad. It was alright, wasn't a huge fan of the sauce. Again, similar to the gravy for the loco moco with a slight sour taste but nothing too great. The lemon garlic pasta was definitely the best item, but portion was tiny. It was a simple sauce and pasta dish, nothing too standout but did enjoy the sauce. Overall, I'd potentially be back for the ambience but not necessarily the food. The service was good and plenty of employees on the floor. Our tonkatsu came out almost 10 minutes later than the pasta and loco moco which wasn't ideal. Lots of similar brunch concepts in the area so not a huge standout to me but definitely glad I tried it out! read more

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GIWA is one of those places where you wonder whether you're at brunch or inside a flower shop. Fortunately, it works. The restaurant leans hard into the floral theme with oversized arrangements, pastel decor, and even a flower market selling a mix of dried and silk flowers. It could feel gimmicky, but somehow it ends up being charming. The drinks are what initially caught my attention. Every table seemed to have something colorful and elaborate on it. More importantly, they weren't just pretty. The butterfly pea lemonade and strawberry matcha latte were genuinely delicious, not just Instagram bait masquerading as beverages. For food, the Chop Steak Skillet was the winner. Tender steak, vegetables, rice, and a sunny-side-up egg served sizzling hot. The pork cutlet was also excellent, crispy and satisfying with a rich sauce, cabbage salad, and potato salad on the side. Dessert is non-negotiable. Order the strawberry soufflé pancake. It arrives towering, fluffy, and impressively jiggly. The strawberry sauce adds just enough sweetness without overwhelming the pancake itself. Santa Clara has no shortage of brunch spots. GIWA stands out because it understands that dining should be fun. Good food, genuinely good drinks, and an atmosphere that doesn't take itself too seriously. I'll be back. read more

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Came here for their dinner (even though they are technically known for their brunch) and honestly, very little complaints if any. The 4/5 rating is mostly because it's difficult to give out 5/5 on first visits for me. Service: 5/5 The whole experience is great, person walking you to your table gives you a quick overview of how the menus work (other places may tend to hand this off to the waiter to do) so we can start looking ASAP. Waiter did stop by shortly after to ask if we had any questions. They did let us order from the dinner menu even though we were approximately ~20 minutes earlier than their dinner start so that was appreciated as the happy hour menu is fairly small. Water refills were done before empty cups/without needing to flag someone down and they do one check midway through food to make sure everything is okay. Pricing 4.5/5 Honestly, I think they are extremely fair on many of their items. They have cheaper items, that still have great quality and decent sizing, and a range of other items from various price points, but in the mid section, they do give you your moneys worth in both quality and quantity. For their higher dinner items (35+) I'll definitely have to come back to try those later on. The 0.5 deduction is probably just me wondering why their pastry/cake selections seem a bit pricey for something super small. Cheese Lava Burger: 4.5/5 Not sure exactly what I was expecting when I ordered this but realistically they do so well on presentation that the only thing I felt bad for was, whether I should cut it up with a knife or just pick it up and eat it. I ended up doing both with each half. Maybe the burger could have been cooked slightly less for more juiciness but it wasn't a deal breaker. Fries came out hot and crispy and seasoned basically perfectly, not overly or under salty. Ambiance/Aesthetics: Does tend to give off a more... up-class/fancy vibes with the lightning, decor, and general presentation of items. Wait/Parking: Came for an early dinner on a late Sunday afternoon and there was no wait, and plenty of parking; which I think is important things for many Santa Clara restaurants. Overall I do think the place excels more on cafe-vibes w/ a variety menu so might not be a direct replacement for someone's go-to restaurants; especially for dinner. Regardless, think its a great place to try if in the area. read more

If you're looking for the perfect spot for a date night, birthday dinner, or any special occasion, Giwa Restaurant is one of my top picks. The food is incredible, the drinks are delicious, and the ambiance creates the perfect vibe for a memorable night. Definitely a place you'll want to keep coming back to! read more

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Finally got around to trying Giwa, a super hot and trendy brunch spot located in Santa Clara. There's always a line out the door during the weekends, and I've only just gotten the chance to give them a try! It's very pink inside with a small flower shop, and it feels like a girl's dream come true. They also have more private rooms near the back for any bigger parties or groups. We came for brunch on a Monday and got seated right away. We decided to get the katsu and banana toffee dutch baby. The katsu came out fairly quickly, but we waited about 20-25 min for the dutch baby after our first dish came out. The pork was well-seasoned and I really enjoyed the pasta salad. It also comes with a side of pickled radish to help cut the grease. The dutch baby came out and I enjoyed the caramelized and torched bananas, and the pancake itself wasn't too sweet. I thought both items were just mid. Nothing special to write home about. The ambiance definitely makes the dining experience more special, and I'm happy to have gotten to try Giwa once! read more

GIWA - Banana toffee Dutch baby - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Made a reservation but they didn't really check today Tuesday at 6pm. Stark contrast to heavy traffic brunch rush. Offered us a table we didn't really like but they didnt seem to notice body language or care we were looking around. Ordered the fried chicken sandwich and the uni pasta along with the souffle pancake that takes 30 mins to make so u need to put it in same time as ur meal. The fried chicken is flavored like korean fried chicken (yaegyoeom sauce i think) it was tasty but a lil mushy outside and hard to cut, comes with slaw sauce inside too. The uni pasta was pretty good. Creamy enough but not as much as EMC which is my fav. A little uni as well. Forgot to take a pic. The souffle was our favorite thing! So fluffy and the sauce is sweet and yummy. The freshly squeezed orange juice was cold (pre made?) and didnt taste that freshly squeezed. Overall, service can we better, it killed the mood, and things like the chair could be cleaner. read more

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I went here for Valentine's dinner with my boyfriend and it was such a lovely time. We ordered off the prix fixe menu and it was good value for what we got imo. It was a good amount of food and felt super luxurious. If you want to check that out next year or maybe some of their newly advertised event options I think it might be worth looking into. I've been here a few times, mostly for brunch time and I have to say I enjoy the dinner menu a bit more. I also noticed recently that some of their morning menu options are not available? Or perhaps I showed up too late. It is a little on the pricey side imo, but not that different from other nice brunch places in the bay price wise. I would say expect to spend about 30$ a person. Or maybe 50$ total if two people share. Of course this is one of THE spots for a nice interior and great brunch vibes. Service is not bad either. That all said, I made a reservation well in advance (like... a month) and was a little disappointed having to wait for a table when we arrived. What's the point of a reservation then? I wouldn't knock too many points for that, but I hope next year they will plan a little better for big holidays like this. It could be a learning thing since they're kind of new. Overall, good experience and yummy food, with decent value and amazing decor! Great date spot or for brunch with the girls. read more

I've been here for brunch before and it was quite yummy. I came here for dinner in December for a friends bday and I was disappointed. I did not like the katsu. The rice was hard and I didn't like the sauce on the katsu as well :/ My friend has never been and wanted to try it Friday night. I figured might as well to try the other items on the menu. It was quite busy inside and we were able to get seated quickly. There were so many options to chose from so I was getting a bit indecisive. We got an iced ube latte, iced matcha latte, rose tteokbokki, uni pasta and wagyu steak. Everything was super yummy. We mixed the tteokbokki sauce with the uni pasta *chefs kiss*. Everything complimented so well. The steak and veggies with some carbs :) Service was alright... we got our drinks quite late (after we got our food). I think they forgot about our vanilla soufflé pancake as well so it took forever. Such a cute place though and I love the floral area as well. Would come back again for dinner if my friends wanted to go! read more

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Came here on recommendation with a group of friends. I feel like my main judgement is that if you like going places to take Instagram photos and you only pick at your food, then this is definitely a place for you. Otherwise if you are trying to eat for taste or value, I think you should definitely look elsewhere. I appreciate that this place is on yelp wait-list and the wait to get seated wasn't so bad at Sunday 10am. You order on a tablet. Service is relatively okay, but we had to ask for waters. The drinks are okay, we got the Ube matcha a bit too sweet for my taste. I got uni pasta and my friends got the benedicts. I don't think any of it tasted actually good. For my pasta, it just had a really strong fishy taste that I couldn't get over. I didn't finish it and I'm kinda sad this cost $34! For the benedicts, I was not really impressed either. My friend reported (and I agree) that the patties have no flavor at all. It's like eating bland meat masked by sauce flavors. But the pictures look really good. The layout and ambiance is super chic and cool so definitely it's a worthy candidate for your ig feed. So I think the judgement call is based on your priorities. The aesthetic definitely wins here and it's a fun experience. But I don't think I'll be back after this first try. Probably not a good fit for what I'm looking for in a regular brunch spot! read more

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If you're looking for a spot for a date night or girls night out, I promise you, Giwa is the spot. You can also pre-order flowers ahead of time and get them when you dine there! Dinner and flowers all in one. They make the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I've ever seen. The arrangement is gorgeous and not gonna lie, this is my most favorite bouquet I've ever gotten in my entire life. Giwa recently opened for dinner and most people know this is the cutest brunch spot in the Bay Area. I can confidently say their dinner is extremely impressive, from staff and atmosphere and to the food. Everything was pretty much a banger and definitely left feeling super happy and loved by the end of the night. 1. Gochujang - Glazed Bossam - 5/5 - this was actually so good and much better than I expected. 2. Creamy Uni Pasta - 5/5 - my absolute favorite dish because I absolutely love uni and pasta, and it wasn't too heavy either. 3. US Wagyu Steak with Cheese Dip - 4/5 - I actually enjoyed this much more than I thought I would! I do wish it was cooked Medium Rare though instead of Medium. But the meat was actually super tasty and tender still! 4. Truffle Potato Pancake - 4/5 - this was actually so good for like a few bites... it's a bit on the heavy side! 5. Pandan Coco Matcha - 5/5 - I generally do not like matcha but this was insanely good. Definitely would recommend to try! 6. Strawberry Matcha Latte - 4/5 - Not a huge fan of matcha but the flavors worked so well together and my friend really enjoyed this drink! 7. Yuzu Ginger Mule - 5/5 - Super tasty for a moscow mule kind of drink with a bit of yuzu - definitely my go-to for alcoholic drinks! Overall, the vibes are fantastic and where can you even find a restaurant that also provides floral services? Definitely will be coming back! read more

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***Update: June 2026 After my initial visit, I emailed the restaurant to share my experience. The owner personally reached out and invited me back to give them another chance. I was hesitant at first, but I'm glad I went. The second visit was a much better experience--the food came out hot, tasted great, and they even treated us to a few additional dishes on the house. I truly appreciate the effort and care they put into making things right! read more

We had a great time at GIWA to celebrate a birthday dinner. The restaurant itself is beautiful and dream-like with pink pastel floral columns and arrangements throughout. Food was on point...we had both of the Chef recommended meat dishes (ribs and pork belly sssam) and our server Faith was amazing. We loved her dry humor and friendly demeanor. My friends were treated with a nice dessert, CROWNS (!!!), and a birthday flares to top off our meal. The only thing I would change for next time is to order more lettuce wraps for our meat-forward meal. Come for your Korean-inspired meal, next soju shot, or fancy latte (they do brunch as well). read more

I really wanted to try this place out for awhile now and we did on Sunday a little after brunch. We got there around 4:50 and was seated immediately. We were initially given the brunch menu but was also offered the dinner menu. This was honestly when everything started going wrong. We asked her for the dinner menu and it took her 10 minutes to bring it to our table. I believe our server was Ester and I don't know if they were just short staffed but she just did not handle her tables accordingly. A group of five people literally took so much of her time because they couldn't figure out where to seat and she was allowing them to go back and fort in figuring out which table they wanted. Honestly, she was focused on the larger table side of the restaurant and totally forgot about the smaller tables on the other side which was very frustrating not only to us but also for 2 or 3 other tables that have been either waiting for their bill or is waiting to get served. So we ordered the Dawn Violet Ade which was honestly really good and not too sweet. We then ordered the calamari that had amazing breading and amazing dipping sauce. The calamari itself was very crunchy which was a great texture so I highly recommend it. After we ordered, the appetizer and my entree came really fast so I thought everything was going to look up from here on out. I ordered the creamy uni pasta. The pasta is fishy but tasty. I highly recommend adding the scallops but I highly recommend this dish and this is definitely an acquired taste. My boyfriend ordered the double double burger with aioli sauce. This is a wagyu burger and it was actually really good when we eventually got it. I got my food and appetizer right away, but the burger took 30 minutes to come out of the kitchen. I don't know why but we waited for my boyfriends food for way too long for a burger. So I don't know if our server messed up while putting in the order but for a burger to take 30 minutes was very frustrating. They did give me a mango cake for how long everything took but that definitely left a sour taste in my mouth. I say this because even when the male server started he also more focused on the larger table parties instead of them focusing on an area. They either need to make sure they assign someone from each side of the room of just train people better with multi tasking because the service was very disappointing. The food was pretty amazing and I will definitely try them again because of that and I do appreciate the small token. read more

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Fried chicken was very good. Definitely a place for taking photos. The egg dish was meh with small sausages. Rice was ok. Coffee drinks were also good. The food does not stand out but the service was professional and friendly. Lot parking can be a challenge. read more

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Golden Chicken & Croffle- Super crispy and flavorful. One of the star dishes we got to order. They used thigh meat which I love the most. Syrup on the side to add on with some fruit. Though just by itself is already amazing Black Sesame Latte- nice latte overall. Would have liked more black sesame flavor Matcha Soufflé- Super soft and fluffy. The soufflé was sweet but with the matcha that helped balanced it out Creamy Uni Pasta- one of the best dishes in terms of the sauce used. Flavorful and able to taste the uni and not over powered by the creaminess. Hong Kong Style Black Sesame French Toast- an interesting concept to mix in but I definitely enjoyed it as I am usually a sucker to black sesame Overall a beautiful and aesthetic place to dine. Long lines and limited parking the parking lot but a lot of street parking. The dishes were presented well and it was a fun experience for brunch. I would love to try this place again for dinner! read more

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