I made the reservation 2 days a head and came on Saturday lunch time and this is the first time we have returned after remodeling. We were seated at the 1/2 open area facing the bathroom! I did not know till I sat down. The soup and bread with cream are good as before. However, our lunch was bad. The salad is not fresh and salmon is not fresh. My soup is too salty. I am so disappointed. There is no service and it is not even busy. When are are leaving, the waitress came and hinting for tips. I thought wow what happen to the previous waiters we have so years? This woman has no manner what so ever!!! Will not return in the near future! read more

Dear Neiman Marcus, After all those uncomfortable experiences at your snobby stores with your snobby salepeople, I think you finally goofed. We went to the NM Cafe for lunch because we wanted to use a complimentary gift certificate we had received with a recent purchase. My wife and mother-in-law had previously had lunch at the NM Cafe in SF and reportedly had experienced a great atmosphere and excellent service. Our experience at the Stanford cafe was quite the opposite. We made a reservation and were seated in 5 minutes. Not bad, but unfortunately that probably was the best part. 30 minutes later we still weren't approached by our waiter for water or anything. After ordering, the waiter came back 10 minutes later to tell us the linguine was not available. Not having photographic memory, I had to ask for a menu to reconsider our options. My mom's club sandwich came, but the rest of our dishes were nowhere to be found. After flagging the manager, he "found" our dishes, including a Caesar salad. My rib eye steak sandwich was good, but it was a rib eye steak with 2 soggy pieces of wheat bread. The fries were good I must admit. Having had our fill, we asked for the check, only to find that they still had not removed the original order for the linguine! Arggghhh! Most important, the food was just ok and overpriced. Our entrees were 15-17 bucks, but I think they were more worth 8 bucks. As indicated, the lack of service doesn't help. In all, the whole "experience" took 2 hrs. I can honestly say that there is no such thing as a free lunch, even at Neiman Marcus! Now I get to be the snob: We will definitely not be back!! read more

Worse lunch I had. Not what you would expect from Neiman Marcus. Service was rough. We asked her if the soup was canned, she surprisingly said no. We barely had 2 bites of the soup, left it there, and the waitress did not even care to address it. Overall experience, they are not attentive the the food is below mediocre that leaves a bad after taste. Neiman Marcus stanford--take advise from SF Rotunda. Service and food is wayyyyy better there! read more

Worst experience ever. Food taste good but when I called feel like the front desk lady has no patience whatsoever. Dish come out different between when you eat there and take Togo. Such a shame for high leave retail restaurants, guess have to go other place,since is not being welcome here. read more

Its always nice eating here while you wait for your purchases (19 boxes of cookies) gift boxed. The service here is excellent and everyone is very tentative. I love the popover and strawberry butter. Its even better when the popover just came out of the oven and the butter just glide right on over. The chicken broth is also very different and very delicious. I had the roast beef sanwhich. This was a good portion to share with someone. The an jus sauce wasn't overly salty either. I think the french fries were perfectly fried! read more

I met up with my girls for lunch here and must say it fell short of my expectations. I had an Asian Chicken Salad and it totally lacked any flavor. I felt like I was eating the lettuce straight from the field along with some super dry chicken! If there was any salad dressing for it, I sure wasn't able to taste it. Our server seemed to be MIA for most of our meal and we had to chase him down for our check as well as chase him down to take care of it. Sorry Neiman but you make a good point if setting yourself apart but you need to back it up with quality and service which I felt was lacking based on my experience here. read more

I was very pleasantly surprised by the food here. It is not a large menu but they have a decent selection especially for lunch. As others have mentioned, the popovers with the strawberry butter are fantastic. I don't usually like soup bu the chicken consumme was tasty as well. I ordered the filet mignon and substituted the potatoes for the lobster bisque for no extra charge which was a pleasant surprise. the steak was cooked perfectly. My wife ordered the lobster melt with truffle fries and both were delicious as well. We would definitely go back. The only thing I wish for is outdoor seating especially with the nice Palo Alto weather but that is ok, A definite recommend! read more

Went shopping at Stanford shopping center today and stopped for lunch at the Neiman Marcus cafe (first time there!) and I thought it was a very nice experience. The waiter was great, the tiny cup of chicken consommé at the start was tasty, and we really enjoyed the popovers with the strawberry butter. I had the burger and fries, which was a little better than decent, and hit the spot for what I was in the mood for. I also had coffee with the meal, and unfortunately this was the one thing that was not great. Coffee was weak, and kind of lukewarm, I did not complain but if I ever go back, I will definitely ask for a fresh hot cup of coffee!! Prices were kind of high for what you get, but not surprising, this is Neiman Marcus!! LOL Still, it was a nice overall experience, and I would certainly come back again and try something different. :-) read more

Located on the 3rd floor of NM, this place is a great place to catch up with a (rich) friend (who can pick up the tab). The atmosphere was quiet and intimate. We had warm chicken sandwich which was served with sweet potato fries and a grilled citrus shrimp salad. The total was around $30 for two. The complementary consomme and popovers added a nice touch to the experience. We didn't have any problems with the service. Everyone was nice and courteous, and prompt with our requests. Overall, the food was good, but the price was too steep for me. read more

Let's face it, there aren't very many hot lunch spots in Stanford Mall, unless you want to end up at the Creamery for diner food or PF Chang's for not-so-real Chinese food. To stir the pot a bit, we go to Neiman Marcus' cafe. It never fails, service always takes forever. Don't ever count on a "lunch hour" because you'll need, at the very least, an hour and a half. I love, love, love, love the consomme and the popover, along with the strawberry butter. The mushroom soup is also delectable, but I haven't been impressed with the salads or sandwiches. Their coffee/espresso is delicious. What the heck? You're already running late, why not make it worth it and end it with espresso, right? read more

I came here with my mom for a light lunch. It is pretty pricey for the amount of food you get...but they have impeccable service. They serve you as if it's those super super high class restaurants. Well...it's Neiman Marcus...do you expect any less?? I ordered the Salmon with Brussel Sprouts while my mom ordered the Chicken Salad Plate (it came with 4 various small dishes), we were also served popovers with some chicken consume & butter. I also ordered the vienna espresso which was delicious. Nicely brewed & rich in taste. The Neiman Marcus Cafe was a nice place to catch up with my mother! read more

A true disappointment. I only enjoyed the complimentary popover, strawberry butter & Chicken Consomm but other than that the entrees were a joke! And not cheap either. Everything is in the $15-20 range. I ordered the orange souffle` chicken salad combination and it was a total joke! The orange souffle was not after all a souffle but really a pudding-like thing with mandarin pieces inside. For the chicken salad, I was expecting a salad with chicken inside but instead I got a cup sized thing of small pieces of chicken tossed with onions and celery.. I even asked the waiter to describe it and he made it sound like a normal chicken salad. Next time, just stick with Nordstrom's Cafe one block away. read more

I have had lunch here a few times before but not for quite a while. Just went again this past Saturday because we won a lunch and other Neiman Marcus treats at an auction for Pets In Need (great charity!) sponsored by K&L Wines. I started with the hummus appetizer/salad. This was very, very good and probably could be a meal itself (if you throw in dessert after!) I had the turkey club which was delicious! And big. I took half of it home and had the rest for dinner. Full of tons of turkey, bacon, big fresh tomatoes, etc. Could totally be shared as a lunch. Husband had the warm chicken sandwich and thoroughly enjoyed it. They had Bellinis (their own version) on the summer drink menu so I had to try one. Very good. Probably the best non-Cipriani one I've had. I had the molten lava chocolate cake for dessert. It was OK. It was more spongey than I am used to for this type of cake. Not my favorite but was still good (hard to go very wrong with warm melty chocolate.) Husband got the coconut ice cream and devoured it. Service was excellent. The prices are not that outrageous at all. You could easily spend the same at any other restaurant at Stanford. I also love that it is very quiet and relaxing here. A nice place to go for lunch while shopping at Stanford for sure. There were plenty of items on the menu that looked absolutely delicious so I won't wait so long before returning. read more

Yummy! Great service. Definitely an amazing spot to get lunch after a day of shopping :) The brioche is to die for :) The salads are pretty good too; my cousin said that he didn't like the club sandwich. read more

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Oh yes! One of my fave places to stop in and eat at. I usually place in my order to go and they are completely fast on getting your orders in but you can definitely sit down. If you are planning on dinning in specially around the holiday's, you better make a reservation cause it can get a little packed. When I come here, I'm either ordering the Soup with a Popover (which is so yummy with the strawberry butter) or a Chicken Salad Sandwich with a side of fruit or sweet potato fries (which are to die for) read more

Love this place! Great, quiet atmosphere, delicious food and drinks and I LOVE the popovers they give you before a meal. This is seriously a little hidden gem at the mall and I love eating here! read more

Love the popover. We had seafood linguine in red sauce and macadamia nut crusted trout which were solid. read more

NM Cafe - New American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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There was an Indian server serviced us today. Me and my other 3 friends was having our girls day out today. But this server totally no service! We asked for refill the water and waited long time. No one came to ask after we finished the lunch and sit there for a long time. And he rudely took the change binder from my hand without saying any thing. We wrote there is no service on the receipt, but I saw him thought the receipt into the garbage bin after he took the cash tips from the binder. Never come again at this place! The serve is totally down compared the NM cafe in SF! read more

Go there to get a quiet peaceful meal, lady at next table is talking on cell phone and no one on staff tells her to knock it off So I ask for different table. Get seated in quiet spot and hostess immediately seats two. Mainland Chinese who start babbling I asked for a box and left with my lunch When specifically asking the hostess to give me a quiet table why would she seat people right next to me. 90% of the tables were empty Really miserable experience read more

NM cafe will always hold a special place in my heart. When I lived closer I use to dine at least once a week. Now, it's my go-to place when I am visiting Palo Alto. The popovers are a little slice of heaven! read more

Had a great lunch! Great specials! Southwestern Grilled Shrimp Salad was out of this world. Seafood Couscous was the best! read more

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The wait time is horrible, there're more than 10 table there's no one cleaning the table. The attitude I got from the receptionist was also horrible, wouldn't come here again! Worst experience I've had out of all the neiman Marcus restaurants. read more

While the food here is quite good, the service for lunch on the weekend is glacially slow. 15 minutes before anyone asks you to even order. Another 5 minutes before the complimentary popover appears. You had better eat that, because it's another 15 minutes before your food arrives. And you will for sure have to explicitly flag down your waiter to get the check. I have been twice on the weekend and both times the experience was the same. They are quite clearly understaffed as the waiters are doing their best, but faced with a slow kitchen and way too many tables to cover, they don't stand a chance. At least you make friends with the neighboring tables as you commiserate about the slow service, but in any event we will not be going back, or at least never when they're busy. read more

Went to the NM Cafe at the Palo Alto location. I expected the service there to be as good as the sales associates in the store. I was waiting at the bar for 10 minutes to get a glass of water. I finally went up to the lady working at the front desk (the hostess) to ask for a glass of water. I was super friendly and she basically ignored me and when other guests arrived she divided her attention to them even though I was there first and literally asking for a glass of water only. She basically refused to serve me and gave me a ton of attitude and didn't even acknowledge me. I am a frequent shopper at NM and have never had such a terrible experience here before. I didn't quite catch her name but she is the hostess who was seating people at their tables and is an old lady with white hair. Wish NM would hire more professional employees who smile once in a while. read more

Chef West has changed this place! I work close by and pop in for lunch on the weekdays and noticed the place changed a bit maybe a year ago. Then I happened to be there on a Sunday and met the chef. He was so sweet to check up on us. And easy on the eyes too. Haha I've had all the salads, all of them amazing. My fav is the crab cake salad. I tried the hamburger once as well and that was good. The bloody Mary's are delicious as well and they have a good wine selection. read more

OMG!!!!! I love this place!!! not only do I get to shop for hot couture amazingness, but I get to have a refreshing salad and spiced iced tea in between shopping for shoes and cocktail dresses! I recommend the Asian chicken salad, and the strawberry shortcake is lethally amazing! read more

We always come here when we get the perk cards. I always order the grilled cheese sandwich, which comes with a petite salad AND a cup pf soup for only $14! The sandwich is so delicious and huge, I always take half home. Their hot chocolate is great too. We've tried most of their menu, i recommend either the sandwiches or salads over the pastas or seafood (such as fish dishes). Service is always slow and you should allocate an hour and a half to two hours if you are planning to dine here. It's definitely a place where you should be enjoying the atmosphere and company, which I do when I come! NM is smart to give the perk cards, because I don't shop unless there is a sale or particular occasion I need to shop for, but every time I come here to use the perk cards, I shop and buy! I get a free meal but they make out in the end and we're both happy! read more

Great place. Had wonderful lunch with grand daughters over the holidays! Food was exceptional, the popovers were a star with all of us. We had a wonderful table, exceptional service and attentive waitstaff. It is much better than the San Francisco NM Café. We love this place and while it is not the Normandy Lane of the old City of Paris it is a great lunch stop in a great store. read more

love it here! the food is a 4 star but the service and ambiance is a 5 star. I do like the SF location better but its easier to park in PA. Food is very delicious here, too. And I like how quite and easy it is to have a meal here. : ) read more

For some reason, we always end up eating at NM when we come to Stanford Shopping center. Top quality at a reasonable price so I decided to up the rating to 4 stars. read more

I always grab to-go orders from here, everything always comes out perfect. Food, side dishes, utensils. The service can be slow when they are busy, but friendly& accomodating. read more

Not a bad place to grab a bite to eat while shopping. The place is dark but that's okay. Waited a little bit (weekend) but was given a call when our table was ready. I had a salad and my fiancé had a sandwich. Both were huge portions and excellent. Will come back for a quick and simple bite to eat! read more

Didn't know what to expect from this NM Cafe since it was my first time there. Originally, I made reservation for high tea + dessert experience, but the hostess probably got it confused and hence never came to fruition. We decided to stay for late lunch instead. Nonetheless, I was still VERY impressed with the food and service received when I went last Saturday with my friend and her daughter. This NM Cafe is newly renovated, decor is down-to-earth and not overly ostentatious or flashy. The atmosphere is soothing and relaxing; noise level is manageable. The Steak Frites entree (Filet mignon, truffled fries, sautéed garlic spinach, vegetables, demi-glace at $28.50) I ordered is cooked excellent, juicy and tender, served with vegetables and truffle fries (!!!). Who would've thought I could get such good quality steak at a cafe inside a high-end department store? The service received definitely deserves a 5-star as well. I got free refills on the ice-tea and our server did go above and beyond to accommodate our needs and made us happy diners. I would definitely come back for lunch again, but hope to get to try their High Tea specials next time, which needs at least 24 hour reservation in advance and the tea set can be customized based on one's own preference, price ranges from $20-$50 per person, according to the manager. read more

I've been to the NM Cafe twice this week. If you were expecting an inexpensive lunch, this isn't the place. It is pricey. But the food is pretty good. As other people have posted, you are presented at the beginning of the meal with a warm popover and strawberry butter which is really nice and a demi tasse cup of chicken broth/consomme, also tasty. The lemonade is also pretty good though today I did have one glass that had a slightly odd flavor. On Tuesday, I had the vegetable and hummus wrap with side salad which was really filling and good. There were asparagus, bell pepper, onions and other veg in it and not too much hummus. My friend had the Stanford club which was quite filling and also quite tasty with a side of housemade chips which were light and crunchy. We had started with the parmesan fries and the sweet potato fries ($9) which we didn't finish but really enjoyed. Today, I went with another friend and each of us had a salad. I had eyeballed the shrimp salad on Tuesday so I had that today. It was full of greens, quinoa, five large shrimp, avocado, goat cheese and a light dressing. Filling. My friend had I believe a chicken salad that had pecans, dried fruit and cheese that she seemed to really enjoy. Here is my quibble: service. The service can be - spotty. On Tuesday, our server was quite nice and when he came by, he seemed quite engaged with us. But we did have to wait quite awhile for our fries and our main courses despite the fact the restaurant was about a third full when we arrived. Today, our server completely neglected to get us the fries we ordered and after presenting us with the dessert menu (which included coffees), she didn't return for 15 minutes to ask if we wanted anything. We were pretty annoyed so we didn't order any coffee and ended up at Cocola for coffee later. I don't mind paying a bit more for good food in a nice setting but it bugs me when service is at best indifferent. I get the impression that if you're a regular (and it kind of has that Ladies Who Lunch feel to it even more than the Nordstrom Cafe) you get better service than we Janey Come Latelys. If you want to have the Neiman Marcus experience (and the bag - they put your leftovers in a box to pop in a Neiman's bag) but don't have the big bucks to buy any clothes there, check out the cafe. read more

I think this place had very good service. I was reading one of the reviews from someone who said the service here wasn't good and I'm surprised because when I went yesterday the staff was quick to accommodate, consistently asked how I liked the food and if everything was good. I think the place is under renovation so I can't give it a higher rating then this for the look and feel of the place. My waitress recommended the salmon burger with sweet potato fries and I think the quality of the food is good. The salmon was tender and cooked just right with a hint of salt and some seasoning, this made it savory with some cream dressing on it to add to the moistness of the burger. The bun of the burger was warm with a slight crisp yet soft bite which made it perfect to eat. Before my lunch entree came out I got some house pastry with yogurt spread. The place was clean but on the smaller side and is still under renovation. I will have to check back once it's finished renovating. read more

NM Cafe - Comes with lunch entree - New American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Nieman Marcus cafe charges like it was the bomb. I went today without reading any reviews from yelp to prejudice my experience. I was surprised at how quickly I was seated. The cafe had maybe 10 tables to wait on....I didn't understand why my waiter kept switching from apologizing for the wait to thanking me for my patience waiting everytime she came by with goodies. I had barely sat down and she was already getting water, tea, popovers, consomme.... then service slowed tremendously. Likes: Fancy lunch menu. Crab salad, pan seared filet mignon for valentines day special, salmon salad-big piece of fish. Complimentary consomme is rich and salty. My medium rare filet mignon for $25 was worth every dime with few exceptions. They must have just flown in the cow from Nieman ranch and slaughtered it in the kitchen before serving it to me. I had never had a beef experience like this (even at Nieman's own restaurant). With each bite, I was reliving my drive past cattle farms on highway 5. The herb butter greatly diminished the strong beef flavor. For those who are connoisseur filet mignon, this is a must try dish especially with their herb butter on top. Dislikes: Food: Luke warm temperatures- fingerlings were a little gritty/grainny dt not heated thoroughly. The wine reduction sauce tasted like diluted A-!/plum sauce . It was just weird. Ask for sauce on the side so that it doesn't the rest of your food. . The venue: hospital waiting area to old las vegas cafe with brass trims around glass panel. The ac was blowing uncomfortably cold air. Half of their patron swere wearing jackets and coats. Of course nothing was done by management. Service: Poor quality. You can apologize but it doesn't change poor service. Value: I think money is better spent on dinner at a nice place somewhere else. I just don't get the $17 salads at lunch time with all the complaint about service and ambience. If prices were more reasonable, perhaps I would return. I would rather eat at Nordstrom in San Jose because better decor and faster service. If the have the chocolate bread pudding..must try. read more

We ate here since all of the other eateries in the shopping area was packed. Though there were plenty of empty tables we still waited 15 minutes for them to have our table ready. The service is very slow and the crowd was definitely older. The food is very so so, even the shrimp mango salad that I had. I would not order that again and my wife didn't much care for the Asian chicken salad either. High lunch prices for mediocre food and service. The only redeeming quality was the popovers with strawberry butter that came at the beginning of the meal. If it wasn't for that, this would have been a one star restaurant. read more

I ordered the club sandwich. The bread was toasted brown but cold. It seemed like it was sitting in the kitchen a while. So I called my server, named Jinto, and told him I'd like the bread warm. Then he said the club sandwich is supposed to have bread like that. I never like toasted bread cold. Who does? I ate the sandwich anyway and even gave him a decent tip, which I regret most. I hope Jinto is no longer working in this restaurant so he won't serve my table again. I give two stars for the other good dishes that my friends had. read more

This is a great place. It's a little pricey but it's Neiman Marcus. What does one expect? Instead of bread there are pop overs. These are crispy and yummy but the butter did not melt so well. The food is good quality. I had the short ribs which were very tasty and filling. One weird thing are the fashion models that walk around the restaurant to show off the clothes. It's hard to enjoy a high calorie meal around thin gorgeous models. read more

They have a nice cafe but I went in there a few minutes before they closed and they wouldn't give me a drink. I left without buying anything and am not going back. read more