Absolutely love love love this bar…read more It's quaint but lively and just a great overall atmosphere. Service has been spot on every time I have been. They have a super fun drink menu. And their small bites are too due for. The crispy chicken bites. The fruity pebble rice pudding. A must. Highly recommend

Had an after-dinner drink to celebrate a buddy's milestone birthday. He already had Bar Underdog in…read moremind. I knew it was on California Ave. This was an old haunt of mine back when The Edge dance club was the place to be in this part of Palo Alto. Over the years I had still visited the area for its restaurants and the old camera store Keeble & Shuchat (closed for many years). Stepping into the very dark bar lit by small candles on the table I was immediately reminded at how old I was. It would say it was intimate, but it was a bit too loud to be that. However, it did have an intimate vibe. This joint's specialty (I assumed) was a menu full of house drinks. Sadly, I did not recognize any of them. I went with "You Should Try It" and it was fine. I could not describe what it tasted like, other than it was a mixed drink. My buddy ordered a "Vesper" but it didn't seem like the one Daniel Craig ordered in "Casino Royale". Service was okay and our server was very busy. Still, we got our drinks without having to wait too long. I had forgotten what it was like to go to a popular bar. Pic time.

Great good, good happy hour, good tunes. The food was good but 7 dollars for a soda fir my…read moredaughter? Crazy.

Quesabirria 4 crunchy tortilla, pan-fried with cheese, shredded beef inside, beef consommé (sold…read moreseparately), meaty, juicy, flavorful Al Pastor Taco 3 red pork meat, slightly burnt, juicy, medium flavorful

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 and they were happy to accomodate. 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 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!

I came here for brunch with my family and we had the BEST time. My brother and I ordered the Korean…read moreCrispy Chicken Sando with fried eggs and avocado and WOW. Crispy chicken + gochujang honey + brioche + a fried egg? Whoever came up with this understood the assignment. My mom got the Shrimp Po' Boy, and my nephew went for the BLT. Everything coming out of the kitchen looked better than the last thing. The umami fries deserve their own paragraph because we kept ordering them. And ordering them again. And then somehow ordering them AGAIN. At some point I think the fries just became part of the family. We also tried the deviled eggs with tobiko, which were SO good! But let's talk about the drinks because this is where things got dangerous. Our server Sam was AMAZING. He was attentive without hovering, knew the menu, and gave us recommendations that were genuinely spot-on. We trusted him completely by the end of the meal, which is how we ended up trying several cocktails. My favorite was the Low rider because I'm a mezcal girly and the espresso martini was especially good definitely one of the better ones I've had. I loved the different ingredients they use, including Ola Coffee, which gave it something a little different. And then Sam recommended the whiskey butter cake. That cake was the perfect ending. Every recommendation he gave us was a hit, so at this point I would probably let Sam plan my entire brunch menu. We had such a fun family brunch and genuinely left talking about how much we enjoyed everything. Great food, great cocktails, great service, and a staff member who clearly knows how to make people have a good time. The ambiance was also such a vibe. The interior is really cute and we got seated in a booth, which made it feel extra cozy and perfect for hanging out and enjoying brunch. I could totally see this being a great spot for family brunch, drinks with friends, or even a cute date. It has that kind of atmosphere where you can dress it up a little or keep it casual and still feel right at home. 10/10 would brunch here again.

Highly recommended. Decided to try this place based on Yelp…read morereviews and glad we went. Although it can be hard to find, since its in the middle of busy stores/restaurant area it is worth it. Went here on a weekend and the area was busy so it was a bit hard to find parking. The hours posted on Yelp show that they are closed at 3pm then opens in an hour or two. We were there til past three and it didn't look it was closing. Bartender was great. Great service. Didn't have to wait for the food too long. I ordered the chicken and waffles and the chicken was not dry and very flavorful. Waffles were great too. And coffee was good.

Sekoya is fantastic. I've been here 3 times and the food has always been stellar. When you go, ask…read moreto be seated with Marley or Kim. They are excellent servers. They helped guide us through the menu and we're really knowledgeable about the dishes. I also had the pleasure of meeting the new chef on my most recent visit, he is passionate and energetic, I look forward to returning to sees what he comes up with next. Highlights: The Beef Tongue skewer, my sister said it was the best she'd ever had. The Embered Scallops, presented beautifully in the shell with a dreamy chili cognac butter A Tie between the Chocolate Tart and the Bread Pudding. Save room for dessert! Honorable: Housemade Parker Rolls ( get the whipped ricotta and mascarpone) Cons: The music can be a little loud in the back room for conversation. (Request the front room or outside for a more mellow experienced) The plastic chairs in the from dining room, they look great, they feel like I'm at a company picnic. (I like to be balanced, no one is perfect) Overall Sekoya is one of my favorite new spots in Palo Alto and I can't wait to keep bringing friends and family there. ( and bugging the chef until he brings back some variation of the Tempura Mushrooms they used to have!)

$165 before tip: 2 Amber Hour prix fixe menus, including 1 dry-aged steak up-charge, plus 1…read moreKickstart cocktail. 3.6 stars rounded up. The first course was a bit of a mixed bag. The Ahi was a fair portion for what I expected from the prix fixe menu. The flavor was nicely balanced, and the fish was beautifully seared while remaining tender inside. Overall, a well-executed dish. The Hamachi, unfortunately, wasn't something I'd order again. The fish flavor was unusually pronounced in a way that wasn't particularly pleasant. It came across as slightly off and overshadowed the rest of the dish. The second course was also mixed. The Bavette steak is a cut fairly close to skirt steak, and it's one where preparation, cooking, and especially slicing can make or break the experience. Unfortunately, this one arrived closer to medium-rare despite my requesting medium. More importantly, it was sliced with the grain. The steak had good beefy flavor, but being undercooked for my preference and sliced with the grain made it exceptionally chewy. I'm also not a fan of having steak pre-sliced before it reaches the table. I prefer to let a steak rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting so the juices can redistribute. In a commercial kitchen, I don't see this happening, also if the steak like this is going to be sliced before serving, I'd prefer it be sliced against the grain. The dry-aged New York strip was much better. It arrived sliced into strips and was cooked exactly to the requested medium. The aging process brought out a pronounced, beefy flavor, and the portion was a good size. There was some gristle, as you'd expect with a New York strip, but here I would have preferred some of the tougher exterior gristle to have been trimmed a bit more aggressively before cooking. Dessert was the highlight of the meal. The pastry/dessert chef is working at a level above the other courses. I rarely order chocolate desserts because chocolate has become just so vanilla as a safe, uninspired and predictable choice. That was absolutely not the case here. The dark chocolate tart was outstanding. It was intensely rich and unapologetically dark, with a depth of chocolate flavor that made it much more interesting than the typical chocolate dessert. The portion was surprisingly generous considering how powerful the dish was. The butterscotch pudding with fresh fruit was equally impressive, but in a completely different direction. My first thought was, fruit and butterscotch? Those aren't two flavors that play well together. But the pairing seemed audacious enough that there had to be a reason for it, and there was. The fruit was clearly selected with care, and the quality showed. The butterscotch pudding was beautifully made. It was firm enough to hold its shape, but exceptionally smooth, with a gentle, well-controlled sweetness. Each component tasted great on its own, but combining them was where the dish really came alive. The fruit's brightness and acidity cut through the richness of the butterscotch, creating a surprisingly balanced combination. That dessert alone is worth coming back for. Service was outstanding. We were never rushed, and the pacing felt very natural. Courses came out when we were ready rather than being pushed along. The staff was friendly, attentive, and worked together seamlessly. Environmentally, the wood themed interior (think sequoia) is attractive, the beverage menu is a wood binder the the plates have a tree slice, wood-cookie, cross-cut look. Although it can get cold. There's a ceiling register that sends air directly down the wall and onto the tops of your head, neck, and shoulders. If you're sensitive to cold air, your table location may make a difference. And while they do change silverware between courses, they also place silverware directly on the table. All-in-all a good dining experience with the edges to clean-up.

The food is delectable and the service is top notch. The vibey ambiance is what keeps me coming…read moreback as my weekly post- work watering hole. Ali, the manager, is kind and present. The bartender Masha serves the drinks cold and strong!!

Great service, fabulous cocktails ( Grateful Dead themed) and so cool to be where the dead began as…read morethe Warlocks! Beautiful building with dead memorabilia in tact!

4.5 but rounded up Drinks are generally good and it's really…read morelively for a cocktail bar usually with a DJ on weekends. It can def get a lil loud inside so if you're trying to catch up with a friend outside seating might be the way to go. I'd hafta say my favorite drink would be climates best by gov test. The drink tasted great and the jalapeno ice sphere was really unique. Overall, great music and good vibes and great drinks.

This place needs to fix the bar's racist attitude. Your bartender skipping people over for not…read morelooking a certain way (because there's no other reason why you'd skip over someone for the people right behind them?) when they're patiently waiting five minutes for a drink, trying to enjoy a Saturday night. And then instead of serving them, you kick them out for speaking up? It's 2026. No excuse for having someone like that behind the bar. Do better.

This is such a cute spot to grab a glass of wine and a cheese board…read more There's plenty of cozy couches and bar seats to choose from, as well as outdoor tables. My only nit is the amount of TVs in this place - kind of kills the intimate vibe and makes it feel more like a sports bar. Staff don't really come around often at all.

I suppose I should have taken the name more literally. This is truly, a large room with some…read morecouches. Its dimly lit and sort of caverous. I bet its very cozy during the winter. Didnt get around to trying the food but had two glasses of wine and was a little underwhelmed by the selections. Given they ONLY serve wine, I thought they might have flights in addition to glasses. But I didnt see any flights. While the service was fine, I did sort catch them lounging around in on the couches on their phones while on shift. I get its slow but its just not a good look. The location is right at the end of a street so there are constantly cars making u turns and coming in and out of parking. So sitting outside isnt terribly ambient. IDK, it was truly a fine experience but I have no desire to go back.

My favorite spot to stop after work, great ambiance and the service is always amazing.read more

This might sound like a dumb review, but something about my bartender at Scotty's impressed me…read more I went in on a recent Thursday at happy hour. There was one other guy at the bar. I asked for a shot and beer special, with a beyond burger, which was excellent. I added some cooked jalapenos to the burger. The bartender's name was Johnny, I believe. At some point, I dribbled ketchup on my shirt without noticing. Now, with only two low maintenance guests, most guys would probably be looking at their phone while waiting for us to ask for something. Johnny never did. He was right there with a cloth and a glass of seltzer to help me with my shirt stain. In other words, he was friendly and paying attention. That's valuable and welcome. Scotty's is a friendly space overall, and I like stopping in before a show at the Stanford Theater, for instance.