Gamble Garden is a lovely and quiet respite in Palo Alto. Whenever I'm in the area and have some…read moretime, I stop by for a stroll around the garden to see what's in bloom. There are benches to sit and gather. I've seen a wedding in their outdoor area and I believe you can rent the house for events. They have classes and you can volunteer in the garden too. At one time, it was also a location for photo shoots. One of my lifestyle photos was shot here. A space of beauty and peace. I appreciate that it's free for anyone.

This is a nice place to go checkout. I was originally turned onto this place by my neighbor who has…read moreworked her and volunteered for years. Several times I came out here just to check it out, I was amazed to say the least. For some reason, perhaps the setting or just the ambiance and the whole flowers her reminded me of other parks, even San Jose rosegarden, which is located in an upscale part of San Jose and preludes a very nice neighborhood of homes behind, reminicent of downtown Palo Alto. I have come out here on two occassions with friends of mine that are my neighbors that like to frequent this location. If you are looking to pass some time and enjoy looking at gardens...you have arrived. Thanks Gamble Garden!

The Stanford barn is one of the oldest structures on the Stanford University Campus…read more The Barn which was built in 1888 as a winery. Vast amount of grapes were planted on the farm, and according to the standards of the time produced a fine quality wine under the Palo Alto label. Leland Stanford was a big believer in the benefits of wine consumption. The building was built to last, and while the 1906 San Francisco earthquake damaged many building on campus, the Barn was untouched despite all the additional weight the wine imposed on the structure. With the inaction of Prohibition, the winery ceased operations and the surrounding land was used for conventional farming and cattle grazing.The barn was alternatively used by the carnation milk company and was also leased for the purposes of breeding purebred Troutmere. The barn continued to be used as a dairy for many years but gradually fell into disuse. With the encroachment of urban areas and the Stanford Shopping Center, it was considered for razing at one point. However, the Barn was someone restored and converted into sort of a mixed retail/restaurant/ office space. Present day there are several restaurants, and other small shops. The entire second levels are office space used by the medical school. It does have its own parking but its patrolled by private security who have that 'Mall cop" complex and can be quite aggressive even if you have business at the barn. There are no tours of the interior, but the you can walk around the extensive brick structure, and you can walk through the main part of it. There there few historical displays showing its history and allows easy access to the various shops and restaurants. Its not a destination in and of itself, but would be a fatntatic pairing with say the Cantor, or the Arizona cactus garden etc.

Mountain Terrace was truly a blessing for our wedding. We were searching for a ceremony location…read morejust two months before our date, and they reached out to us at exactly the right time. From the very beginning, their team was incredibly professional, caring, and reassuring .I felt completely taken care of and never had to worry about a thing. On the day of our wedding, the weather was misty and rainy, but the staff handled everything flawlessly. They were able to quickly set up the ceremony on the deck at the last minute, and it turned out beautifully. Their flexibility and calm coordination made such a difference and allowed us to fully enjoy the moment. Our guests were so pleased with the venue and couldn't stop commenting on how magical and serene the space felt, especially surrounded by the redwoods. We are so grateful to Mountain Terrace for helping create such a memorable and heartfelt wedding day. I would highly recommend this venue to any couple looking for a professional team, stunning setting, and a truly supportive experience.

After driving up a long and winding road up to the top of Skyline in Woodside you arrive at a…read morebeautiful event venue called Mountain Terrace. We attended a wedding of about 120 people. There is a huge grassy area where the ceremony was held but it would accommodate several hundred if the parking doesn't run out. The opening in the Redwoods overlooks the South Bay. A large tent was set up on the Terrace where the banquet was held. The event staff was fast and efficient in moving all the chairs from the ceremony to the banquet tables. Not sure if the food was catered or was made from the event kitchen. There is also a separate house across the lane that can be rented and utilized for the wedding party. The food with at was served consisted of Appetizers Crab cakes Mushrooms Vietnamese spring rolls Ceviche Spring mix with a warm egg Salmon with broccoli and potatoes Tri Tip with broccoli and potatoes Dessert S'mores Cannolis There is limited parking so the wedding provided shuttle buses from the bottom of the mountain.

This is a nice place to come and walk around for about 15 minutes. I love gardens and they had a…read morewalkway adorned with roses and roses in a courtyard with a fountain. There is a restaurant but it's kinda pricey. I think this place is more for special events but they have a couple of artist stores there. I even saw a cat roaming around, maybe he lives there. For a garden I wouldn't come out of my way for it but it's worth stopping by if going to the nearby Stanford shopping center

3.5 stars. Cute…read morelittle garden and art/handicrafts collective to walk around and kill some time. Nice if you're in the area and need to kill some time. I bought some jewelry and soap. I'd probably go back to try the cafe, but I wouldn't go out of my way for the garden again unless I was in the area showing tourists around.

WOW! My husband and I blindly rented the patio at Lucie Stern for our wedding welcome event as we…read morewanted to host all of our guests who were coming for near and far. We were looking for a reasonably priced place where we could bring in food and booze to make it financially possible for us. This ended up being an amazing option that allowed us to take advantage of the usual great PA weather. Our wedding was in July and we spent $0 on décor and it was totally fine as the patio was SURROUNDED by blooming shrubs and flowers. It was the perfect size for a cocktail/casual buffet style open house dinner for 80-100 people. It didn't feel to bare and oversized. We set up food stations in each corner along with a bar which encouraged folks to circulate around the space. We booked this venue without having seen it and were really floored by how beautiful and transporting the setting was - it felt like a little garden that could have been in Spain or Italy or Mexico with the red shingles and all. The main downside of this venue is that it is very popular (book early), is very DIY (hire a planner, it's worth it as there is a LOT of coordination required to pull this off), doesn't allow hard liquor, and doesn't come with a rain plan. While this is a slim chance of rain, it's tough to not have any backup plan for a big event. Note that our event was in the evening so sun could be an issue earlier in the day. We rented the adjacent interior room as a plan B which my friends ended up using for their choreographed dance practice so it came in handy...but do be prepared to shell out some bucks for a space you likely won't use (and for your peace of mind). While the liquor parameters were annoying, to be honest we didn't to get too drunk the day before the wedding and then be hungover for the big day. Our wedding venue also didn't allow liquor so instead of serving straight wine, we came up with aperitifs to put a twist on the offering (ie aperol spritz, kir royale, white port and tonic, etc). Highly recommend working with Denise of Denise Lillie Engagements who made this event come to life. I relied on her for everything down to the décor (most of which was lent to us by her). She recommended great bar tenders that helped with set up / breakdown and perfectly poured our custom drinks (we sent specific recipes for this and they executed perfectly). Lucie Stern is a great venue for a wedding or large family event that allows you to bring in alcohol at cost though does require planning (and a planner). We highly recommend it and think it's great value.

It is a Beautiful place for any small to mid size events . It is in the heart of Palo Alto.read more

I've eaten here multiple times and each time was a unique experience. It is a quite different to…read moreother private restaurants since this is within Stanford University. Today's visit, I was accompanied by a few coworkers and had enjoyed their company during my meal. I've ordered the Stanford Mule (no alcohol) for my drink and Roasted Salmon Filet but had requested to have it grilled cooked, I wanted some grilling smell and taste to it. When cutting into the salmon filet, its texture was well kept outside and the inside was perfect, juices were still there and flavor is strong. No signs of burning the filet and the inside wasn't dry at all. I didn't need to drink my mule but, I wanted to savior the salmon longer before any sipping of my mule. One good note is that the food didn't take too long to be prepared, probably at most 15 minutes, hard to tell since I was in an interesting conversation with my coworkers. Great lighting while sitting outside. Was sorta warm during a heat wave but we needed some sunlight and outdoorsy vibes. I'd come back here anytime when I have the time with coworkers, could be pricey but the quality is there.

Went here with a family friend, who is the wife of a faculty member…read more FOOD: Ordered a salad with tofu and a side of fries. I remember the salad was quite big! SERVICE: We weren't sure to call a waiter over to pay, but eventually, we figured it out. PARKING: I parked in the Tresidder lot, so you might have to pay (metered) All in all, not that great, not that bad, don't mind going back!

I looove this place! Finally tried it and this place is amazing. Parking, as others noted, is tight…read moreand hard to find in front of the store. However, there is plenty of parking across the street at the school, which I presume, was ok to park in over the weekend. The seating area is outside, with plenty of seats, chairs, lounges, etc. Good for roaming toddlers. The service was also warm and fast. They were super nice and humoured my toddler who wanted to order by himself. Cappuccino was really good - had nice latte art as well. The pastries are from Onki, and taste amazing. The kouige aman was my favorite - crispy and flaky, and just the right amount of sweetness. The almond croissant was also really good - crispy and flaky as well, and stayed that way even hours after we ordered (we brought it home). My kid really enjoyed his chocolate chip cookie as well. Nearby, there are tennis courts at the school, and the kids liked watching after our cafe outing. Looking forward to coming back again.

Super cute coffee shop for a good morning brew and outdoor, peaceful vibes. The coffee itself…read morewasn't spectacular but the vibes of the outdoor seating were immaculate. This is definitely a great cafe to check out if you're in the area and are looking for a good cup of Joe on a bright, sunny morning.

I had my bridal shower here. The staff was so nice and accommodating. Blank canvas to make your…read moreparty your own. This space was perfect for my event. Thanks again to all the staff!

We hosted a birthday party for my daughter and it was a great venue and smooth process.read more

Rengstorff House was a wonderful venue for our wedding! The house and gardens were so beautiful…read morethat very little additional decoration was needed. We especially loved that there are multiple outdoor spaces to utilize for different portions of the event. The venue staff were very friendly, responsive and helpful to work with as we planned the event.

Rengstorff House is located on the premises of the Shoreline Parklands. This is a historic…read moreVictorian house / mansion and it is Mountain View's oldest home. There is a shared parking lot. My bf wanted to do docent-led tour, but unfortunately we showed up shortly after they closed on that Saturday afternoon (they closed at noon). We walked along the outer perimeter of the estate - hoping to get some photos, but there were some people taking photos at the front of the house, so we ended up leaving. Overall 3 stars, but rounded up to 4 stars because we did not get the full experience for a fair review.