Great restaurant, supper food, great service fun ambiance. Friendly local restaurant.

The food is amazing and always great service. Cool lounge feel and great drinks. Mike and the crew always deliver. Check out this hidden gem in WC. read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Spicy Lemongrass Tofu Sandwich w/Pickeld Carrots, Dikon, Cilantro Jalapenos & Sriracha Aioli - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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This review is for my first time eating here. A group of about 8 of us were here for happy hour. They have great drink and food specials - not the cheapest in the land of Walnut Creek, but delicious food. I had the quail tapas which were roasted to perfection. The service, however, left a lot to be desired. My friend, not the most foodie or cosmopolitan person, ordered the "filet mignon" - not knowing what the subsequent word on the menu (carpaccio) meant. When they brought him his plate, he literally said, "Oh, this must be slices of tomato that come with my steak." (He didn't believe us that there was no way the weird slices of red stuff was his steak) 10 minutes later... "How come my steak hasn't come yet?" Well, this was a misunderstanding that could have been gracefully resolved. My friend is a gentleman and kindly asked the waitress what was up with his steak. She explained to him that carpaccio means slices of raw meat. When he explained his mistake and asked her to somehow cook the steak, she treated him like an idiot and a nuisance and said, "How do you not know what carpaccio is?" Eventually, they took his order back and brought him a quail instead, but my friend (not a Yelper) felt very embarrassed and condescended upon (if that's a phrase). The waitress in general was not a friendly individual from the beginning, and we all joked that she seemed to have it out for us. This was a year or so ago so hopefully she has found her true calling in life, because, as a waitress, she was not dishing out much happiness. read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Shaking filet mignon salad - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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I think I just found my new favorite place for happy hour in the Walnut Creek/San Ramon/Pleasanton area. Happy hour here is 3 PM - 6 PM daily and 9 PM - closing on Thursdays through Sundays (happy hour is also all day on Sundays). During happy hour, tapas are $6 each (regular $9 each) and they are FULL portions. I came here for the first time around 5:30 PM on a Friday and I had no problem getting a table, but if you are coming on a Sunday or Tuesday (for Tapas Tuesdays, where tapas are only $4.50 each!), I would advise to make reservations. Two to three tapas per person is plenty for a full meal, and you will probably have food leftover. I tried the Shrimp Fried Rice, Slow Oven Roasted Pork, Panko Crusted Petrale Sole Tacos, and Ahi Tuna Carpaccio, and they were all delicious. For all you health-conscious Yelpers (me included), you definitely don't feel like you're consuming a plate-load of grease and fat when eating here. The food is healthy, wholesome, and clean, and the ambiance and location of the restaurant is pretty nice too! Tip: if you do want to treat yourself (cause we all have to every once and awhile), take a look at their dessert menu. They have a ton of treats on there -- some of which are homemade. read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Happy hour menu (3 PM - 6 PM daily) - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Gahh.. this spot is so hit or miss. I toggle between 3 and for stars. The flavors are definitely memorable but the sloppiness of the food is a turnoff. One day you can order the spring rolls and they'll be perfectly eatable and the next they are falling apart to the point where id be embarrassed to even serve them... With that being said, ambience is great and the food is flavorful. I'd just like to see a bit more consistency so this place can turn into 5 stars read more

This place is amazing! Great location, food, and libations. I ordered the clay pot rice and it was comforting and hot. My BF ordered the shaking beef bahn mi with garlic fires. For someone who wasn't hungry, he ate the whole thing! I helped him eat some of the garlic fries of course. The two things I will say is that 1. the cucumber jalapeño martini wasn't spicy or strong, but still have that yummy cucumber flavor 2. the garlic fries was just fries with a scoop of minced garlic on the side. All together I think it's a great place to have a fun and hip dinner out; as in our case, date night! read more

We had a great first experience here last night! Although they have tapas you don't have to go that route & they have plenty of larger plates. My boyfriend isn't a tapas fan so it took a little convincing to get him here & he was very pleased in the end! We order the filet mignon & chicken noodles, a salad, and spring rolls to start. They were all delicious & the meat tasted great, cooked well. We also had a mojito or Moscow mule for drinks. Our serve was excellent and I couldn't believe the food came out so quickly. And they allowed our pup to sit there as well for outdoor dining! Overall great place read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Great food! And we love Celeste, the waitress! She remembers your orders from previous visits. Also is very courteous and sincere!

Havana was always my #1 with tapas in Walnut Creek, but now I think I'll have to squeeze Vanessa's in more often! Been here 3 times, so I feel like they deserve a review! I've never had a bad experience here. They have some great deals like Tapas Tuesday (50% off all tapas) and Wine Wednesday (50% off all bottles)! I hear their happy hour is awesome too! So far, my favorite is the Filet Mignon Carpaccio. Absolute must have! Don't be afraid of the raw beef - very thinly sliced high quality filet mignon with citrus, herbs, fried scallions, onion, and tomatoes...sooo good!! Favorite cocktail is the Sunset! I enjoy the Lychee Martini too, but loved the Sunset with fresh muddled strawberries. Very friendly and attentive service with food + drinks coming out quick! I like the ambiance too; very nicely decorated and perfect for dates and gatherings. read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Ordered drinks and placed our food orders, only to be told 5 minutes later they had no tofu available. Minus the tofu not a whole lot to offer for vegetarians. Server not particularly sympathetic. Paid for our drinks and left hungry looking for another place to eat :( read more

These guys are Trojans. COVID-19 has kicked everyone down but Mike and his crew are still serving phenomenal food in this new normal they have to work within. Please. Go support your local Walnut Creek restauranteur still kicking out great food. :-) read more

Awesome as usual. Our favorite spot in Walnut Creek. always a great staff and food is so fresh.

We arrived at 7:30 didn't know last call was at 8, so we were rushed to order two drinks and food within 30 minutes, website didn't have the hours or food prices updated, server was great, she was alone, drinks were okay, we got a tofu Banh mi, garlic noodles, crab Banh mi, salt and pepper prawns and salt and pepper tofu, salt and pepper prawns was a pass, 5-6 pieces over a bed of salad with raw bell peppers wasn't worth it and the salt and pepper tofu was tossed in a sauce which tasted better. Crab banh mi needs a sauce so ask for sriracha aioli onside and ask for jalapeños and cilantro Forsure, the pickled veggies had no flavor. Overall a decent rushed date night but it would be nice if they updated their hours so we knew and didn't have to spend $150 in a 45 min dinner. read more

Favorite spot in Walnut Creek with amazing happy hour deals. Their veggie tapas- fried tofu - is super delicious & tastes even better with a discounted cocktail. read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Paloma & Lychee Martini (partially drank). - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

A friend that lives in Walnut Creek recommended Vanessa's and it was good. It was clean and good food. I ordered the crab sandwich. It was good. Great service. read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Overpriced place, food is just ok. Service is bad. The chicken sandwich is too salty, dipping sauce for fried prawns is not good quality. Asked for jalapeños and got very dry slices, had to ask again for fresh ones. Then they served chopped pieces that still have all the seeds in there. Can't believe they can't get the simplest things right. They're just not even trying. read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Food is amazing, best fried chicken ever. Service is great, everyone is super friendly and fast! love the lounge type vibe! Cant wait to go back soon! read more

After eating dinner at Vanessa's Bistro in Solano, I tried Vanessa's Bistro in Walnut Creek for lunch. The service was prompt and the food was excellent. I started with the Tuna & Salmon Poke. The fish was great and the mangos were sweet. After eating a lot of poke from Hawaii which is soy sauce based, it was great having poke with the tomato salsa. My entree was the Clay pot Rice with Chicken. Since I am allergic to prawns, they made it a double helping of chicken. It was nice to eat the crispy rice that cooked on the side of the clay pot. At this point I was starting to get full. However when I saw the dessert list, I asked the waiter what was the house special, and I ordered the Banana Peach bread pudding. The caramel sauce hardened on top like crème Brule and the peach and banana combo was great. I was in Walnut Creek for work only that day, but I hope to return in the future. read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Banana Peach Bread Pudding - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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We have not been to Vanessa's in years. In fact thought they had closed down during the pandemic. So glad to have rediscovered it and they are still operating. Forgot how good the food is. The shaking beef is tender, the clay pot is full of chicken, shrimp and crispy rice. My husband's favorite is lemongrass chicken. The cocktail are potent. Staff is friendly and good comes out super fast. This place has remained consistent all these years. Glad to continue to support them. read more

Tapas anyone? Ordering multiple food items off a restaurant menu has always appealed to me accompanied with a few drinks--let me RSVP for that! At Vanessa's Bistro 2, they serve up mini sized delectable dishes to satiate your hungry desires. They have a lounge area in the front when you first enter, a full bar to the left side and past that is the dining area. Vanessa's opens at noon daily, so we decided to make it in for an afternoon lunch (2-23-13). The interior of the restaurant is a mix of burgundy and yellow wall color that goes well with the upbeat energy of this spot. Our server offered some great recommendations. Ultimately, we ordered the green beans with tofu, the salt and pepper with tofu, vegetable pad Thai, and marinated chicken. Out of the four dishes, I was most impressed with the vegetable pad Thai. The noodles were thick and tasted great with peppers and thinly sliced carrots. You won't get thin stringy noodles here. We absolutely loved the food here and will return. Also, worth checking out is the surrounding area in downtown Walnut Creek. It is a great area to walk around and shop at the the local stores. The Deal: Living Social deal $15 for $30 to spend on food and drink at dinner (-) parking in the area (++) great location --Downtown Walnut Creek (+++) within walking distance to Olde San Francisco Creamery! read more

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Love this restaurant!! My boyfriend and I went yesterday for my birthday. This is our go to restaurant in downtown. They always have friendly servers, short wait times and yummy food! We got the salt and pepper tofu which was amazing and big enough to share! Then I got the curry with vegetables & tofu. He got noodles with prawns and everything was perfect! Couldn't recommend more! read more

I had passed this place a few times before finally giving them a try. I was intrigued by the Vietnamese and tapas combo. We came here for happy hour and only ordered from that menu. We got the spring rolls, calamari, prawns, fish tacos, and tofu. The spring rolls were good. Very similar to what you would get at a pho restaurant. I will say that the quality/size of the shrimp inside the rolls here are bigger and better. The calamari was taste but there wasn't that much squid. Same goes for the prawns. They were both very tasty but the amount in the order was smaller than what I expected. The tofu was a miss for me. I was expecting either tapioca flour battered or panko battered fried tofu and that was not what we got. Their fish tacos were really good that we ended up getting two order of fish tacos. It had a really nice cilantro sauce. The fish was good and crispy. The lettuce and pico de gallo brought some good freshness to the fried fish. If I was able to give half stars, this place would probably be a 3.5. I think I would need to try items on their main menu next time to really give a more thorough review. This place is promising though and intrigued me enough to come back. read more

Amazing food with nice atmosphere, the small plates portions are fun and allows sampling great dishes , excellent quality, especially the fried chicken! read more

Saturday brunch at Vanessas. Yes please! From the homemade Bloody Mary to this delicious Dungeness crab sandwich with garlic fries; absolutely delicious. The fresh baked roll with its delicate crunch is like a party in your mouth. I'm very particular with my bloody Mary's and this one gets 5 stars for not being too spicy and not tasting like Worcestershire. Make this your first stop for brunch. read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Spicy Basil Bloody Mary Martini - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Allan was very nice and gave great customer service. This was my first time here and I loved the vibe and I will be back. Food and drinks were delicious. read more

Stopped by for a quick, light dinner, tried the chicken sandwich with Garlic fries, and Pulled pork tacos. The chicken sandwich was OK, the pulled pork tacos was below average and full of fat. Service was good, pricing average. No plans for going back. There are much better Vietnamese restaurants in the area. read more

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Excellent food, great service. Loved it! Crab noodles were so tasty and we ordered lots of Tapas that all were delicious- food was delivered with out delay and had everything we needed for a wonderful dinner read more

One of my favorite restaurants to dine in. Great food, great drinks, the staff is always warm and friendly. Go in on a Sunday evening and you'll get the chance to experience Vanessa's cooking first hand! read more

I was slightly disappointed with their happy hour after hearing such great things. I met up with a friend on a Friday evening around 5:30 and we were able to order from the HH menu before it ended at 6. We decided on drinks and five tapas: lemon drop and a beer, salt and pepper calamari, garlic noodles, chicken rolls, sweet potato fries, and a pork something or other.. I took one swig of the lemon drop and wow It was strong. I also had the pear martini per the recommendation of our serve and it tasted heavily of vodka. I felt that the cocktails I had could have been crafted better. Salt and pepper calamari was decent. Cut thicker than I like. It mad it really hard to chew because the pieces were so big and thick; very chewy. I don't think there was much salt and pepper which I was looking forward to. Garlic noodles were actually very good; probs my fave item. Chicken rolls were dry and meh. Not much to talk about; wouldn't order again. Same goes for sweet potato fries and the pork dish we had. All in all: food was okay, decent HH place I suppose. Service was quick and attentive. Friday nights seem to be a busy and happening time in the DubC so plan to get here early. read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Food is tasty & great! Service is really quick it's worth it! I really recommend this place for meet ups, or dates! Went here before, and looks like the portion of the food has gotten smaller. Friendly workers and would come here again! Has a Tapa Tuesday that we usually come for and is so much cheaper! I give this place a 4 star. read more

Very cute restaurant right in the middle of downtown Walnut Creek. There's a parking garage across the street as well as street parking. Came for brunch on a Wednesday and it was half off bottles of wine & champagne. Score! Definitely worth just getting bottle to enjoy your brunch mimosas! In case you haven't figured it out already, this isn't like a traditional Vietnamese restaurant. It's FUSION. So don't be upset just cause you see the category is Vietnamese. It's still very good and I know all you foodies out there like me love to try new things! :) I got the shaking beef banh mi and the meat was cooked with love, I swear. It was so soft and easy to eat. And the bread was the perfect amount of crispy. And their garlic fries were on point! My fish was perfect. That's all I've tried so far but will def be back one day! read more

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Food was bland. Service was bad. Bartender had a attitude. Wouldn't recommend it. Limon next door is much better choice. This is not Vietnamese. read more

I never write reviews and have loved this place for their spring rolls minus the price. Today I ordered it again via door dash and there were shrimp shells in my rolls. You would think for the price they'd pay more attention to the food they serve read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Shrimp shells - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Honestly never disappointed when I come here. They have an amazing happy hour menu with both fun drinks AND good eats. The severs are so great, always friendly and warm. And it's not overpriced at all, so more bang for your buck! Try the beef carpaccio or the filet with garlic noodles. read more

Food is awesome! Alan is the best! Makes awesome cocktails and plays the best music. Always a fun time here.

Salt and pepper tofu is amazing! Great food and vegetarian friendly. Outside patio offers a great view of Walnut Creek's beautiful downtown!

Ordered garlic noodles and fried rice to go. Ready in 20 minutes. Was AMAZING! Simple dish with such a great flavor!!!

One of the best restaurants in Walnut Creek. Very good tasty dishes, cozy atmosphere, and friendly staff. Their food is always consistent (Been here a handful of times over the years) and they are flexible and work with you if you are gluten free. It's Vietnamese tapas with a French twist. Here are my favorites: - shaking filet mug on salad - Salt and pepper fried prawns - Fresh spring rolls - chicken potstickers - crispy Saigon chicken rolls - spiced coconut curry chicken - sautéed filet mignon with noodles - jumbo prawns seafood dishes - the fried banana and ice cream is also delightful!! read more

Came in here for a quick wine at the bar while waiting for our reservation across the street. The man who helped my friend and I was so sweet and friendly. Love the vibe in here and will definitely stay for dinner next time. read more

The reason why I give them 5 stars instead of 4 is service. At the get go, our hostess took care of US! That's why I go out to eat - for the experience. Bunch of friends gathering to nosh, chat and enjoy period - no drama. We had no kids in tow (we love kids but this moment was catching up). Our hostess, bless her lil heart said she sat us in our area rather than the other one that had more of a table/chair deal than our sit around cushion deal because the other area had a kid that finally finished their scream/melt down (you could tell she was just decompressing from the screaming kid). She apologetically said we could sit there but chose this one due to what just finished. We appreciated the gesture. All throughout, they'd timely check on us (water filled) and remove empty dishes, etc. We weren't rushed either so we enjoyed the time to catch-up. On to the food - we did the Happy Hour. For fun-tried the lychee limeade which was wonderful (non-alcoholic). They had some great offerings for a Happy Hour cocktail - peach drop, another lychee cocktail, all fun to try not limited. Good selection of tapas Happy Hour. I had the spicy wings and maple duck lettuce wraps. Both were delightful but beware - messy but worth it. Everybody enjoyed what they had - papaya salad, fried chicken breast, tofu, pulled pork tacos. Good portions to try a bit of everything. Good service and good food. read more