This is the new restaurant in the new fancy looking Park James hotel. The restaurant reminded me a bit of a cross between the former Lure + Till and a casual version of Madera. Dinner service started not too long ago. At first glance, the menu looks fairly standard (kale salad, crispy brussels sprouts, burrata, etc). The indoor/outdoor feel is really nice, and I would definitely recommend the patio on a nice day. We ended up at some high top tables indoors. Drinks - Wines are on the pricier side, and they have craft cocktails but nothing that stood out as super interesting. Food - we shared everything family style. - Bread: 4 rolls in a cast iron skillet - like milk bread / Hawaiian rolls but a bit more dense and with bacon in the center. Good warm. - Salt cured yogurt: balls of yogurt that looked like mozzarella balls in oil , but then it spread like ricotta. It became similar to a ricotta toast, and you can top it with jam, pistachios, and flaked salt. We ordered it because it sounded interesting and more unique, but I don't think anyone loved it - Beets and burrata: a solid salad, good sized portion, probably my second favorite dish of the night - Crispy Brussels sprouts: again, a good sized portion that was good for sharing even though it was a side - Olive oil poached salmon: tender, served on top of quinoa - Farro risotto: a bit too much mascarpone and cinnamon / spices for me. The spices were meant for the squash as a fall dish, but I thought they were a bit strong - Roasted organic half chicken: the highlight of the night for me. The breast part was still juicy and had tons of flavor (I'm guessing it was brined beforehand?), and it had a crispy skin The dishes were hit or miss, but I would definitely get the chicken and the beets/burrata again. It would be nice to get patio seating next time, too. Since they had just opened, some of the support staff seemed like they were still finding their way around the system, but our server was attentive. Reservations are on Open Table. Valet parking is free out front. read more

Went on a date here. Really nice place for a drink. The outdoor seating is comfortable and very well lit even when it's dark, which I personally like. read more

A lovely Sunday brunch had here with a friend. The doughnut pudding with raison syrup is heavenly. I enjoyed the lobster roll with side salad and an exceptional bloodymary (the chunk of hard cheese added to the garnish was a nice touch, home made mix and made to order spicy). When I moved to Silicon Valley from San Francisco I was worried there would be nowhere to enjoy good food. I see now that is not the case. read more

Fabulous venue with great service, great food, great drinks, and a beautiful place to sit and relax for dinner or lunch. Overpriced? Definitely. Worth it? Definitely. read more

Fabulous restaurant! Service is amazing, Filipe Lopez was a great sever, did everything possible to make our meals perfect. Make sure and order cocktails from their awesome bar. Food is fresh, amazing flavors, beautifully plated, great drinks and a cool vibe in a great atmosphere. Highly recommend brunch, lunch and or dinner. Patio is beautiful and comfortable. Can't wait to go again! Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!!5 read more

First, the outdoor patio makes me feel like I am in LA in the 50's. Mid century vibe, with comfy couches, is fabulous. The cocktails at Oak Violet are imaginative and made with high end liquors. My favorite is the Bay Vuex Carre. We got a cheese and charcuterie platter that was delivered by Sarah, who told us all about the items on the platter. The filet mignon is fantastic. I'll be going again! read more

The food is very bad and service was slow and the valet we looking for guy for 10 min to find him .not recommended.

This beautiful restaurant has it all. I could have cozied up on the inviting patio couches under the heat lamp and the stars for hours. Actually, I think I did that. The considerate staff just blew my mind. From the valet parking service to the waiters and the hostess, everyone offered a sincere smile and an eagerness to provide hospitality and comfort. I have not had a similar experience in a long time. The food was not only tasty but elegantly plated with hearty portions. The relaxing music set off the chic ambiance. The best part: the acoustics. You don't need to shout across the table. Such a lovely place! read more

Loved this place but wouldn't go again as they wrote down the tips that they wanted themselves. Wine is a bit expensive - we spent about 250 bucks per person. The thing I really don't like is when they brought us the credit card bill, they put down the tips themselves. So food is 210 per head inclusive of tax, and they wrote down 40 bucks tips on their own. This never happened to me really. Kinda wired and rude. I just done understand - for customer having 210 bucks of food we won't generally screw you on tips but why would you put down a 20+% tips yourself? We're not party of six - there were just two of us. read more

Just simply my favorite go-to place for drinks and dinner in Menlo Park! What a gem of a place, and a much needed watering hole and fine dining option in this corner of MPK! A huge shout out to MG for deftly running the show at O+V, and a special pats-on-the-back to Felipe Lopez for taking care of my VIP guests and I each and every time. They rock! read more

Excellent food....best Brussels sprouts ever! I had an excellent quinoa and beet salad. My friend had the crab club sandwich and loved it as well. Service was very attentive. read more

Incredible food and ambience. My boyfriend and I visited this hidden gem twice in two weeks. Very reasonably priced too for the caliber of food and service. Try the Brussel sprouts and the rolls, you will not be disappointed! read more

I'd never been since it's a newer location in Menlo Park. I'm so happy I met my friends here though because the outdoor patio was awesome!! We were surprised at how many heater lamps they had and blankets for guests!! The manager Patrick was super nice for checking on us to make sure we were enjoying our meal and comfortable enough. The food was sooo good too. Definitely recommend the sliders and Brussel sprouts read more

We came for breakfast and basically had the place to ourselves. It's a very nice place to be, and the menu sounds delicious, but the food did not live up to expectations. Everything was decidedly mediocre- full of promise, but poorly executed. Of particular disappointment was the waffle- honestly, the waffles in the Stanford dining halls are better! I'd come back for a drink, but not for a meal. read more

Had the Petaluma Chicken for lunch - wonderful. Perfectly cooked with a nice salad. Also enjoyed the Burrata Salad which was exceptional with sweet watermelon. Previously visited and had Rib Eye as well as the crispy brussels sprouts. Both were very good as well. Service should get better but ambiance is very nice. Valet parking out front. Oak + Violet will be one of my routine stops for lunch since I work in the area. read more

My wife and I had dinner last night. It is a vibrant and fun space. Service was very good. A little slow, but it was very busy and it was their second dinner service. We had the yogurt and crab appetizers. Both were excellent. My wife had the farro risotto, which was good for what it was, but not great. I had the chicken which was well-cooked and excellent. The salad that came with it was a good match too. Dessert was the salted caramel, which I think was actually butterscotch, so a little confusing, but it was very good. We'll definitely be coming back here regularly. It's a fun place, and the food and the vibe was great. read more

Atmosphere is fantastic and the food is great. Sit at the bar for faster service. Patio service lags a bit. Chicken wings are a must-order.

The impossible "burger" was surprisingly meat-like I grudgingly admit. Still no juice/texture deficient....certainly edible! Charcuterie Board scanty- Drinks pretty good Baked potatoes-- B+ Check/bill value for cost.... crazy expensive. read more

Wow, what a waste of a night out with my husband on Valentine's Day. Here's how our experience went: The atmosphere is nice when you walk in. I cannot complain about the decor or ambience however when they walked us over to our table we quickly realized we would be eating dinner with other people practically on top of us. Every time someone had to get up their butts would nearly knock something off our table. Ok...not the best but maybe the service is great! Ehhhhh, no. We sat there for a good 20 minutes before anyone even greeted us. Finally this nice lady comes over and seems confused about who is our waiter but is willing to take our order (did not bother reciting any specials and apparently there was a whole Valentine's Day menu we never even received). We order Parker house rolls to start, chicken, Brussels sprouts and truffle fries. Our food comes out and lo and behold we never got our app. I said, "wait a minute, we ordered the rolls off the app menu. Why didn't we get them first?" The guy said, "oh you wanted those first?" "Ummm yea, they are an appetizer!" He went and got them and brought out a set for the table next to us as well...as an appetizer for them! I can look past it all, maybe the food is good. Well, the food was very disappointing. My Brussels sprouts were fried to a dark crisp and tasted horribly bitter. The rolls were bland, heavy and had a bizarre combo of lemon poppy butter which was downright odd. The French fries were ok, but in desperate need of salt and nothing to write home about it. My husband said his chicken was good but ordinary. Not a good experience. We would never go back, and now I see why they have 3.5 stars. Save your money and go somewhere else. Too much good food around to bother with this place. read more

This is an awesome restaurant with an amazing cuisine! Whether you eat the lobster tacos or the risotto or the Brussel sprouts your taste buds will be delighted with new and unique flavors. Chef Simona is delightful and creative. Definitely go for lunch or dinner. The ambience is nice, and they have made a wonderful outdoor terrace for eating or grabbing a drink! This is a great new find and definitely one of the best restaurants in Silicon Valley. read more

The only reason I am not giving this five stars is the wait time to get a table. My fiance and I ended up sitting at the bar and ate our dinner there because the wait times were terrible. Food was good! The bartenders were friendly and accommodating. read more

Oak + Violet - New American Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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Went here the other night with friends. Free valet parking (plus tips) was nice. Our friends were late so we had some cocktails at the bar first. Ran into some friends at the bar, our neighbors from across the street. Then we ran into a colleague who happened to be there with some girlfriends. I guess this is the new place to hang out?! When our friends arrived we were promptly seated, thanks to having made an advance reservation. The place was packed (Saturday night) so I think that would be a must. Service was good. We had the lobster tacos, crab bread, the dorado, raviolis, and a few other appetizers I can't remember. Ordered a bottle of chardonnay, which was delicious. The seafood was all super fresh. Ended up running into colleagues and friends throughout the night. wow, guess it's a happening place. What I really liked about Oak + Violet was the tasteful decor. They have a goat pelt wall covering with the main colors in the restaurant. A very unique "textural" piece that really adds to the feeling. Love the look and feel and I know the wrap-around indoor / outdoor bar will be THE PLACE to hang out during the summer. So excited to have this new addition. read more

Highly recommend! I was hosting an event and wanted a new and trendy venue, but was skeptical at first as I had never been here before. Stephanie C. was exceptionally knowledgable and accommodating in regards to helping me plan my event. She was above and beyond helpful with all my questions and needs. The food and service were wonderful. If you need to host an event, I recommend here. Will be back. read more

This place is terrible! Not only the food was disgusting, but I also had food poisoning after eating smoked salmon cocotte. Please, avoid this restaurant if you care about your health. read more

Outdoor dining in their beautiful court yard. The tables are spaced far enough apart, and they still have a small section of their big floofy couches next to the gas-powered fire pits. Still very cozy, still absolutely amazing fare. read more

Fantastic menu. California cuisine at its best. We had the risotto and chopped salad. The decor is delightful and the food artfully presented. I can't wait to go back to try other items on the menu. read more

Food and drinks were 5 stars, but the service was slow and inconsistent. I think it is still early in the development of the service piece of the puzzle. I wouldn't let it stop me from going back. read more

My meal was absolutely fantastic - one of my favorite salads with great flavor and fresh ingredients! The staff was also so friendly. I specifically enjoyed talking to Patrick and the others behind the bar. They made me feel so welcome and were happy to help in any way. Will definitely eat here again! read more

Had drinks in the outside patio area. It was a really nice outdoor area with fire pits and heating lamps. I really liked the decor. The food and the drinks were very expensive and not very good. My rate is the average of both: I would give 5 stars for the setting and 2 stars for the food/pricing. read more

Hard to spot off of El Camino if you didn't know what you were looking for you might miss it. Valet parking so its easy to get to. Went in for apps and drinks with girlfriends. Beautiful outdoor courtyard area with couches ( they have heaters for this colder weather) and nice inside restaurant and bar. All of the staff were very friendly and helpful. Our waitress suggested a few of her favorite apps....Honestly everything we tried was delicious! The Drink menu was also really interesting. Try it for yourself, you won't be disappointed. read more

Beautiful lounge space! O+V hosted our corporate attorney event and there were plenty of comfy couches in a beautifully decorated, relaxed outdoor space. Appetizer spread featured the impossible burger and deviled eggs -- yum! read more

This is very nice place, but need more experience I guess. We had reservation for lunch and we didn't get any lunch menu at 1 pm. I can say that they don't have that many choices. My kids couldn't get any kids food besides breakfast choices and I suggest if they add some more variety for lunch. The service was ... without that much experience as well but nice and friendly. The garden is amazing. read more

First visit here and was delighted by the openness of the outdoor seating and the indoor seating. But let's get right into the food. Favorite of the dining was the poached breaded and deep fried duck egg in a creamy sauce that comes with slices of buttered toasted slices of rustic bread (Uovo eggs), fresh mini bites of lobster tacos that comes with a bit sour guacamole, and the fresh, soft and warm Parker house rolls. My son had the medium rare filet mignon which was cooked well with nothing extraordinary to report, just a protein fill up though he seems to enjoy it. Another note, the hamachi crudo was a feast for the eyes of its beautiful presentation, but was turned off by the recently gone bad hamachi taste in my mouth so that's the only disappointed dish of the evening. The Tahitian vanilla ice cream with berries was a nice finish to the meal for a summer evening. The warm bread pudding was caramel browned but could've had more sauce to it. I would say this place has a slightly swanky yet comfortable atmosphere oak and violet decor with some fun and uniquely shaped decor taste. We had a very attentive and friendly server along with other competent staff serving us making the dining experience extra better. They make quite delicious dishes overall and have solid cocktails as well. It'll be great for girls night out or just with your date. I will definitely try this place again soon for another update! read more

Been here twice. The food is excellent, very fresh and of high quality. The Charcuterie board is amazing. I loved the quinoa salad as well. Service has improved from my first visit when they seemed understaffed. The menu is a bit limited. Only issue is their wine pour is very skimpy ! For expensive glasses a more generous pour seems to be in order ! read more

My new favorite spot in Silicon Valley. The bar/restaurant has such a fun vibe and I love the interior. The cocktail menu has something for everyone, and the lobster tacos and chicken entree were amazing. My favorite part was the courtyard. They have so much seating, it's perfect for a group of friends. The heat lamps and fire pits made it enjoyable even in this chilly weather. I look forward to returning! read more

I have mixed feelings about this place. On the one hand, the interior is excellent, and the main patio is fantastic, especially for the evening drinks. The food is also at a decent level. They always have fresh oyster, and the steak is delicious and well cooked. On the other hand, when it comes to service, this place is extremely inconsistent! A waiter can completely forget to bring you the dish you ordered without even thinking to apologize. The host is not providing a good service and is very inattentive to his guests. The restaurant was utterly deserted on Monday at 5 pm, but he offered us the worst possible table, tiny and uncomfortable, right in front of the open kitchen. When I ask if we can choose another one, he refused because he said everything else was reserved (Monday 5 pm!!!!). We had to move outside because of it, even though we didn't want to. During the 4 hours we spent there, the restaurant was 90% empty, and almost all tables were available the whole time. After this treatment, we left disappointed, unhappy, and very upset with the service. I hope people from Oak + Violet read Yelp reviews and take them seriously. I live in Menlo Park and I want to come back to this place, but please do something about the service! read more

If your going to splurge this is the place. Fresh well prepared food. Good service. The bar was a bit slow, but what do you expect opening week? The apps were delicious, especially the tartare The filet you could cut with a fork. It literally melted in your mouth. We shared the bread pudding or should I say fought over the last bite. We are bread pudding experts (in our own minds) and to experience one perfectly served is so rare... Definitely returning soon and often. read more

The patio bar/restaurant at the oak and violet was the perfect setting for late night drinks with friends or family. The cocktails are delicious, I had a pacific mule which was absolutely fantastic. We also had the Brussel sprouts which I highly recommend! Additionally, the service was great. Patrick and others were so kind and helpful, making us feel comfortable and at ease in the space. Highly recommend the patio bar/restaurant for late night/ afternoon hang outs! read more

Dinner for six last night was a little disappointing even though I so wanted to love it. The venue is wonderful visually but the hard surfaces make the acoustics challenging for a group of 4 or more. Service was polite but a little slow. Took way to long to get all the cocktails to the table to begin with which was a sign of things to come. The shared starters were better than the entrees (Brussels Sprouts, Lobster Tacos, Truffle Fries). We all received our entrees at different times which led to the obligatory... "please start" exchange from those waiting. I had the way undercooked and favor-challenged salmon and tasted my table partner's risotto which too lack flavor. Bummer. To cap off the night a few asked for cappuccino coffee but no one had yet been trained on the cappuccino machine (that we could see from our table). Disappointing. In the end, I'll probably try them again because I want them to success since the area needs dining choices, but hope they get their act together. read more

Went here last night for dinner and again the entire experience was exceptional ! Christopher was our server and he was a tremendous help. Will be back again ! read more