The quail cafe is an absolutely lovely way to end a day of strolling through the gardens. I've gone twice recently, and both times I decided to get the afternoon tea service. The experience has been very enjoyable for a casual afternoon tea. The sandwiches have been satisfying both times (I preferred the second experience, pictured here), I've loved the decorative floral elements, and the treats have been good both times. As for the ambience, the interior of the cafe is very charming and the patio is very beautiful, especially on warm days. I look forward to visiting whenever I come to the gardens. read more

Quail Cafe - tea time - Cafes Near Me - Redwood City, California

I wanted to try their tea but it was for two people. Next time! I ordered a chicken sandwich that was perfect for lunch. An iced vanilla buttercream was delish wish I'd ordered larger. For dessert I had their raspberry mascarpone. All was great. The raspberry mascarpone kept reminding me of the raspberry now and later candies over cheesecake. There's plenty of indoor and outdoor garden style seating. They have cold water at each corner. The service was great and quick. It is on the upper pricing. My order with tip was $46. It was good. read more

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IMHO It is obvious to me that Filoli has changed the catering company that provides their cafe food, for the BETTER!!! Our party of four ordered two Garden Chicken Salads, $18, and two Half Sandwich Combos w/your choice of soup or salad, $17. The pre-packaged salads were huge. Great bang for your buck. I chose a half pastrami sandwich w/a small Citrus Kale & Quinoa salad. My friend chose a half turkey sandwich w/a small container of tomato basil soup. We also shared a Chocolate cake and Strawberry cake for dessert! We all enjoyed our food immensely. Thanks to Filoli for updating their catering company!!! Finally, I can look forward to dining here again! The cafe is cozy (sometimes close-quartered due to the tables being so close to each other) but the windows allow for a lovely, filtered light ambiance. read more

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The food quality is much improved in recent years. The menu is small, but the dishes are varied and even a bit unusual. The dining room is fairly nice with potted plants and all. The desserts are quite nice. Where this cafe loses interest is in the poor plating. The food may look nice in the case, but it's ugly once it's slammed in a wrapper in a box. The coffee drinks are blah, too. The service is so so. I suppose this sounds like a 3-star review? Well, I guess I give it a break for being in a nice garden. read more

Here again at the Quail Cafe enjoying lunch. Purchased some sandwiches and a kids meal. Ambience is very casual and relaxed. Employees were friendly and welcoming to all who entered. They also had good menu suggestions. Enjoyed our lunch and then we were if to explore the grounds and main house. read more

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Finally got to come to the cafe for the afternoon tea. They don't take reservations so u dont need one to dine. It's order and seat urself inside and outside. The afternoon tea is now $69 lower price than last time i saw last year. In pictures the biscuits looks smallar and minus glass jam jar which i dont care much for. But happy with the price point. The savory bites were all very good. Cucumber cream cheese sandwich, egg sandwich, curry puff pastry thing, salmon cream cheese roll. All delicious. The little biscuit at the top tasted like it was re-heated a little stale- but i enjoyed the sweet cream i came with. I like the macarons and the misc little dessert treats were all alright. I like the cookie with the jam the best. Overall for price point and food selections it was enjoyable tea! read more

Quail Cafe - Afternoon tea for 2 - $69 - Cafes Near Me - Redwood City, California

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My late lunch at Quail Cafe was meh. I ordered the half sandwich/half soup combo. For the sandwich, I got the turkey baguette that had a lot of ingredients: turkey, roasted sweet potato, spinach, caramelized onions, Dijon mustard, havarti cheese, and more. But they were able to compact them in the baguette where they didn't fall out. And there was a lot of turkey, too. Yet, I was hoping to get more flavor from the sweet potato and I wish there was more Dijon mustard. The soup was okay. I've had pea and mint pasta before, which was amazing. I was hoping to get the same flavor profile with the soup. But it was watery and the mint was nonexistent. I only ate half of it. I also wanted something sweet, so I got the red velvet marquise. At first I thought it was a full on cake encased with a gel. So when I cut it open, I was surprised to see that the cake to cream cheese frosting ratio wasn't equal. There was so little cake that it just felt I was eating cream cheese. It became too much that I didn't finish it. I was surprised to see an email receipt as I chose not to get one. I saw "red velvet marquise," which I now get why there was a lot of cream cheese. The texture of a marquise is like mix between a mousse and a ganache. But I wish it had more of a chocolate flavor instead of cream cheese. As far as ambiance, it can get pretty chaotic. The display case is at the entrance, and you can hold up the line if you're deciding what to get. The display case also includes the desserts, which is not described on the menu, so that's added on what you're considering. And there's another display case of pastries as you get closer to the cashier. Once you place an order, the hunt for a table begins. Unless you got someone to snag a table while you're in line. Since it's the only restaurant there, the wait time can be very long. People started to complain about the wait and there was an announcement made. But I was already sitting outside so I didn't really hear it. Just exercise a lot of patience if you decide to get food here, even just coffee. I will say it's nice to sit outside to the right of the restaurant if you're facing the cashier. Most of the tables are inside and on the patio to the left. So it was less chaotic where we were at. But tbh, try to eat beforehand when visiting the estate. But otherwise, the food is okay if you're really hungry. read more

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You're not going to get into Quail Cafe unless you've already gotten into Filoli. Then again, it's not the type of place you'd seek out were you not already planning to be at Filoli. Because of this, and because the offerings all appear to be pre-prepared, I was expecting to be underwhelmed. Happily, the opposite happened. The menu here is soups, salads, bowls, sandwiches, wraps, canned soda, canned/bottled alcohol, coffee drinks, and sweets. (They also have an afternoon tea service). I ordered a salad which featured grilled feta and though I didn't love the plastic it all came in I had to admit that the salad was very good, made even better by an interesting and tasty dressing. There's indoor and outdoor (patio) seating and it's all very ladies-who-do-lunch casual, as befitting the setting. Indoor dining feels like you're in a greehouse-turned-cafe and that's not a bad thing. Everything about Filoli struck me as very well done so I don't know why I was expecting the cafe to be less than. It proved to be a perfectly fine addition to a day spent at Filoli so there's really no reason to leave hungry. read more

This is a very, very good café really there is no complaint, it's just less the style of my café so I'm rating 3-3.5 stars. Here's what's amazing about it: It's a beautiful sunlight filled Café with both indoor and outdoor seatings. The indoor area is an expansive greenhouse looking structure. It is located at the front of the Filoli estate in the building, which houses the visitor center and the bathroom, very close to the parking lot. You don't have to go to Filoli to enjoy this beautiful space, though the estate is 100% worth the visit and ticket. I see many seniors here having a great time, enjoying the expansive menu of cozy food and coffees from the dispensers. The servewares are compostable paper. I am a modern cafe person so this is not my style but I see many people have a great time. One thing I love about this estate, is that they have bubblies everywhere. You can always get a coffee or a drink to enjoy your day. read more

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Quail Cafe is the only dining option at Filoli House and Gardens. Menu selections are seasonal and there is some variety in choices. All item are premade and prepackaged, so there is no option to customize your selection. The sandwiches were misshapen with wilted greens and not very flavorful. I ordered chicken salad on a croissant that came in the shape of a tube because it was so smashed. The service is fine once you have waited in line to order. We ate a few hours before closing and the line was pretty long. We were lucky it wasn't an extremely cold December day as there was no indoor seating between the crowd and tables being saved by others waiting in the line. There is plenty of outdoor seating. I have to mention that the desserts and pastries were delicious and impressive. I would recommend skipping a meal and going for dessert at Quail Cafe. read more

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The aesthetics are the saving grace for this café but ultimately the taste and wait time could be better! The cashiers were very sweet and lovely, we ordered the Tea for Two! This includes a variety of mini sandwiches, desserts, and choice of two teas that come with cream and milk; I would recommend the Jasmine Green Tea. It took a while for it to come out so we ordered a chicken salad bowl and a mushroom truffle ricotta toast. Both were cold and hard. With the sit down atmosphere I didn't expect the food to be at the same quality of a quick and easy bite you grab from your grocery store. Very pretty though! read more

Quail Cafe - tea for two - Cafes Near Me - Redwood City, California

A charming little greenhouse Café to rest and cool down in after walking the Filoli gardens, hiking the grounds, or touring the mansion. The line was long when we got there, but it moved quickly. There are convenient grab and go meals displayed in a refrigerated case along with several bakery items and pastry selections. There's a lot of cold and hot beverage options as well. We ordered some hot lattes while we were there and waited outside in the café garden while they were prepared. There's indoor and outdoor seating available. High Tea is available upon reservation in this café. Men's and women's restrooms are conveniently located down the hall in the main cafe building, along with seating at the lobby entrance if you need to rest in the shade and air conditioning. We took our lattes with us and walked the grounds while we enjoyed our coffee. read more

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A few girlfriends and I came to try to afternoon tea one Saturday. This place is really nice and doesn't require reservations. The one caveat is that they stop serving afternoon tea at 3:30 and the restaurant closes at 4:30. We ordered around 3:15 and felt a little rushed to finish. Other than our poor timing, everything else was fantastic. Food was really tasty and the desserts were not overly sweet. The teas were a great break for between the desserts. read more

Quail Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Redwood City, California

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A lovely cafe in a beautiful location. The tea is worth the trip. We ate up the trail and it was very serene. Best time of year to go I suspect with the blooms flowering. I haven't done the spring tea but we really enjoyed this tea. It's about the price of Lisa's tea treasures but in a beautiful nature park. I like both for different reasons. It's not a service restaurant but the treats are good. The regular food they serve also look tasty. Not a fan of the salmon sandwich. read more

Quail Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Redwood City, California

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date & time: spring & summer vibe: besties, couples & families in little zimmerman floral dresses decor: charming cafe located in fioli garden service: order @ the counter imbibe: tea devour: afternoon tea & cakes total: $98.68 read more

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I always indulge in tea for two whenever I go to Filoli. The selection is so good and I love the way it was presented. The service is amazing and I appreciate how quick they were able to help everyone in line especially during lunch hours. The place has an indoor dining as well as outdoor dining. It's always nice to have an option depending on the weather and temperature outdoors. read more

Quail Cafe - Tea for two - Cafes Near Me - Redwood City, California

Filoli is such a beautiful place. And yet one area where the visitor experience is severely lacking is their dining option. Th Quail Cafe, far from matching the charm, elegance, and beauty of the rest of the historic estate, best resembles a corporate cafeteria. The food is not bad--like, solid tier airline lounge food--but grossly overpriced. Most disappointing of all is their cheese, chicken, grape, crackers offering. Please take a look at the photo. For $55 entry ticket to Filoli, I am begging them to offer guests better dining options. This option on the menu reminds me of the sad meals at the doomed Fyre Festival. Look at Butchard Gardens and their afternoon tea -- that's what Filoli needs! read more

Quail Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Redwood City, California

The dessert looked great unfortunately I did not order dessert. I had turkey sandwich. It was premade and dry with tiny bit of mustard and a couple leaves of spinach. Next time I will skip the sandwich and eat the dessert. Come to FILOLI for the gardens, not the lunch. read more

This cafe is located inside of the Filoli. There's plenty of seating indoor and outdoor. The sandwich I got was decent but nothing special. Staff is nice and the vibes are cute. I would only eat a meal here if I was really hungry. I would opt for a pasty or some coffee. read more

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Posh cafeteria in Filoli. Menu items mostly made-ahead and served in to-go boxes, which is efficient but can feel a little underwhelming for this price point. Still, ingredients and flavors are fresh and seasonal, and a decent selection for different preferences and dietary needs. Can be chaotic on a school holiday or spring weekend, but calm and lovely on a typical weekday brunch or lunch. The various garden table nooks around the cafe make the visit special. Excellent ambiance for high tea, though the items feel very "bought frozen and defrosted /warmed on site" so have that in mind - the food / tea is just "good enough" and it's the garden environment that makes the experience luxe. read more

My husband and I visited Filoli and finished our visit with afternoon tea at Quail Cafe on a Wednesday afternoon. There was plenty of seating and we decided to eat outside. We ordered at the register and took our tea set. There was a trail behind the restaurant and we were lucky to have a table all to ourselves among the trees on a hill. It was a great experience! read more

Quail Cafe - Afternoon tea set - Cafes Near Me - Redwood City, California

The ambiance is good but the service is terrible mainly due to the male cashier. His attitude reflects he doesn't want to work. Being rude to the customers is not acceptable. The food portions are pricy, small and not fresh. read more

I ordered the $15 chicken tinga lunch special. In what world is this worth $15? The display shown was very different from what I was given. When I asked the employee was the amount of food correct, she said it is what it is. When I went back to take a picture of the display, it was taken away. Very deceiving. read more

Quail Cafe - Chicken tinga lunch special $15 - Cafes Near Me - Redwood City, California

I love visiting this cafe every time I visit Filoli! The team is always super friendly and the prices are quite reasonable. It's a convenient, relaxing rest break after wandering the gardens and discovering the latest blooms! It can get busy during peak hours but there's plenty of seating - suggest the outdoor seating when it gets loud inside to listen to the birds chirping and catch some sunshine! My favorite item is actually the spring pea soup, it's nicely balanced and it's rare to find this soup elsewhere. It comes with some bread and butter as well. There's a large selection of salads, sandwiches, quiches and desserts. After 1pm, the cafe also serves afternoon tea for 2, which at $65, is one of the most affordable afternoon teas in the Bay Area! No reservation are needed. Portions are quite large and a great alternative to the seasonal tea inside the garden, which requires advance tickets and is often quite expensive at $200 per person. The cafe is accessible from the parking lot and I don't think garden tickets are needed because it is outside of the gates (but you should call ahead to confirm). Cafe shares large parking lot with the garden guests so plenty of free parking but it can get very busy on weekends. read more

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Their ham and cheese croissant sandwhich is sooo good! My fav ham & cheese croissant sandwhich is from bouchon's bakery and having something close as my new fav is a game changer. It's an absolute must!!! read more

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I've been here 3x with my daughter. I've the most impressed by here during the Christmas season. They've added festive things into the cafe's menu to make it more gram-Mable. The food is mediocre, but a nice end stop before leaving Filoli. The service has been pretty and amazing ambiance particularly during the Xmas season. It is pricier for the quality, but it's kind of expected especially considering its location. I recommend the beef stew, but I think it's a seasonal item. read more

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We had an early lunch at Quail Cafe during out recent trip to Filoli Gardens. They don't take reservations, so we decided to head there early before the lunch crowd. It's not very large and not formal at all. It's in a very comfortable setting with seatings both inside and out. The food was great. I recall the vegetables in the salad were fresh, crisp. I saw tea for two service on the menu and would love to try in the future. read more

This cafe is inside the FiLoLi historic place. Has indoor and outdoor seating with self service. Pastries and sandwiches look fresh. Secret menu item is "Tea for Two", a high tea service with variety of small bites and sweets for $65.50 There is chance to just get into the cafe without entrance fee as there is no physical barrier to prevent and it's just at the parking lot corner. It's a cute cafe nothing fancy but pricy. It's accessible, good for kids and groups. Parking is included in entrance fee ($36 for adults) to the historic place. read more

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The outside seating area is very nice and perfect for spring or summer seasons! We ordered 2 lattes and both were on the milky side with little to no taste of the espresso. I wonder if most of what you are paying for is the scenery which isn't bad! read more

Make sandwiches to order or learn how to make a pre-packed one better. Don't use ciabatta unless you are toasting it. Don't be tight on the fillings. Add some seasonings. I am a massive fan of Filoli but I'm really sad where the cafe has gone to with premade food. I visited again this week and walked in and back out again. I was hoping they may return to their freshly made food but no. read more

Very pretty cafe with decent food. Only drinks are made in house. The tea set for $60 seems to be a popular choice. I got the pepper jack and turkey this time. It was decent, would have tasted good toasted, but it was very filling. read more

Quail Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Redwood City, California

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After a delightful visit to Filoli Gardens, you'll find a nondescript nearly unmarked stucco building on the right on your way out at the edge of the parking lot. Step inside the doors and you'll find a big foyer with flowers and fancy chairs and couches. Keep walking to the left and you'll find signs to the Quail's Nest Cafe. Head down the ramp and you'll find a gorgeous glass covered dining area amidst the trees, flora and fauna. At the counter, you'll find a friendly staff with a nice selection of different upscale-ish sandwiches, salads and refreshments to partake in. I ordered a Turkey and Cranberry sandwich which looked fresh, great and had tons of meat in it. My only knock against it is I wish it was prepared on order, but this isn't meant to be a full on delicatessen, so that's okay. They will reheat the sandwiches for you if you prefer. The salads looked good too, so maybe I'll try those next time we are here. All in all, whether you just get a drink here or a light snack or lunch, this is a great place to just sit down to soak in the peaceful ambiance of Filoli one more time before you head back to civilization. . read more

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Beautiful cafe but the food leaves soo much to be desired. It's basically cafeteria style self-service with some pretty basic offerings. My rating is mostly for the decor and presentation. We got the tea for two and were so excited as it looked amazing. But the sandwiches were a letdown. The cucumber sandwiches were the only ones we could have as the egg and bacon ones were pretty dry and the strawberry-basil was just plain spoilt. This was unacceptable! The pastries were kinda average but nothing to complain about. The scones with clotted cream were pretty good though. There's so much potential in this place and we'd love to come back but it needs some serious revamp in terms of food quality and variety. read more

Quail Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Redwood City, California

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Only had lunch, but I wouldn't recommend it if you have the option not to eat there. All food we got was premade WELL in advance and tasted like it. Soggy bread etc. read more

Tea for two for $60???? That's the amount I expect to pay for one person in SF. We also got two quiches, quinoa salad, pasta salad, and chili. It was a good amount for the 4 of us. We enjoyed the cute vibes here, although quite a few large bugs flew our way, but it is what it is in the middle of a lush garden. Indoor and outdoor space available for eating. I actually had to take a call outside and there was a more private area where you could sit in the garden a few steps up in to the hills. The reception is poor but they do have WiFi. I don't think I would come here for the food itself, but it's definitely way better than many other destination cafes I've been to. read more

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For the articulated, opulent, detail-attended Filoli, we expected and received the same at Quail's nest. They don't hurry. Ingredients and preparations were for the entitled. Prices are, of course, not a concern. We ate outdoor at the pleasant atmosphere, enjoyed the nicely done foods, and had a great time. I wouldn't say the foods were memorable, but they were definitely pleasant and fitting to Filoli's leisurely pace. read more

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The Quail Café is lovely with large windows that allow the natural sunlight in. I loved the plants that hung overhead. It wasn't crowded at the time we ate so we were able to get a table by the window. There are plenty of tables outside as well. Staff was great. All my questions were answered. Service was prompt and courteous. There are many salad options and food that is already prepared. There were two warm options - soup and chicken with veggies. My family member liked their chicken dish. My tofu salad was okay. I'm picky with salads as I like the greens to be arugula, dandelion, or heavy on the mixed greens with no iceberg lettuce. Desserts were truly a treat! Would absolutely eat lunch here again. read more

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Very mediocre and expensive. My salad was on this side of spoiled and the other food was not fresh, despite the place being very busy. The waits are stupidly long but two stars because the environment is pretty. I definitely recommend bringing your own food or eating offsite. read more

Really cute cafe in Filoli. There is some really lovely garden seating here. They offer a $65.50 tea for two that is available after 2pm every day and is very cute. The food is definitely on the expensive side (museum pricing), $16 for a sandwich. I think you could probably eat here without paying the admission fee, as there is no physical gate blocking access to Quail Cafe from the parking lot, but I'm not sure. It's on the other side of the parking lot from the entrance gate. read more

It's a very casual bring your own food to the table affair. Everything is premade. The pastrami in the pastrami sandwich was pretty good. Tea for 2 was very disappointing. Would not recommend. Tiny finger sandwiches (salmon pinwheels tasted fishy) and tiny "just ok" scones. For the tea you just a a Numi tea bag and some hot water. Don't expect quality loose leaf teas brewed to perfection. I would have enjoyed my time at Filoli better if the food and service at the cafe was better. It's a hefty fee to get in so I would expect you'd get a little more. read more