My bf and I have been there several time just for drinks and we decided to try for dinner. The food was OK it wasn't fabulous. The service was really good and friendly. We will be back but probably just for drinks not dinner again. read more

I visited here with a friend while I was staying in Lafayette. I believe we started with the shaking filet salad, which was really delicious. We had the garlic noodles, which were awesome! What was surprising to me were the fish tacos (it was taco tuesday) and I think I had 4! They were so good! This is a cute little fusion place, with great service and ambiance. I can't wait to visit the new location, as I'm sure it's just bigger and better now. The owners are very personable, and are actually IN the restaurant, making sure the guests are happy. I think that really makes a huge difference. For dessert we had some french pear tart thing. I can't remember what it was called, but it was really yummy! read more

I totally enjoyed my dining experience here. I've never been to walnut creek before but after a piano concert at the Steinway gallery, i yelped for a 4+ star reviewed restaurant and chose Vanessa's. We had the papaya salad, beef carpaccio and lemongrass beef and all were superbly prepared. We also had the vietnamese soup and being vietnamese myself, it was totally delicious! All the flavors were fantastic! Highly recommend this place!! Super reasonably priced too!!! read more

First timer! I had their fish tacos today and it was delicious (little heavy on the garlic aioli but it's ok)! Service was great as well! My friend had the shakin' filet mignon banh mi/sandwich and she said it was yummy! read more

We went here last night for the first time. We were suppose to go to the Berkeley location, but my sister found this one in WC, which we were really excited about! Less driving for us! I am very picky about food, first impression means everything. By the end of the night we were all very happy! Food was very flavorful, balanced, and refreshing. These were our favorites. Saigon style noodle salad - honey lemongrass marinated grilled filet mignon with vermicelli noodle, etc.: Very refreshing, great starter. Shakin' Filet Mignon Salad: Yummm Jumbo Shrimp in Garlic noodles with Mango Salsa: Has this for the first time, wasn't sure about the mango salsa, but I wanted to give it a try. Garlic noodles can be overpowering, but paired with the Mango Salsa, there is a balance to the dish. Everyone really enjoyed it. Lemongrass calamari & prawns: Very flavorful. They cooked the calamari just enough for it to melt in your mouth ... Ohh this one was amazing. Never had calamari like that before. Other dishes that were Okay, but wouldn't recommend... The Salmon Pad Thai, very healthy, not much flavor. The Sweet and Sour Soup, not much flavor here as well. I gave this place 5 stars because I feel the chef has taken the time to think about and prepare these dishes... it's all about the little touches. The prices and portions are very reasonable, give it a try! read more

So so experience at this place. It was recommended to by others for the happy hour but I just never got what it was all about so maybe it's not not for me. The over all look of the place was very cool and the menu had a few this that we're interesting. read more

I had dinner with friends at Vanessa's bistro. We ordered some tapas, some main dishes, and some desserts. The dumplings were gummy, claypot rice was bland and rice tasted a bit burnt, the salmon on pad thai was recommended by the server and the salmon turned out to be very dry and noodles under cooked. The desserts were so-so as well. The only item I truly enjoyed was the Vietnamese coffee. Our server was very nice and accommodating. Thus the two stars. Would I go back? Probably not. read more

Had DoorDash deliver me lunch from here so cant comment on the ambiance. The sweet and sour prawn soup was hugely dissapointing... not sure what I was expecting..just not what I got... at $8 for a small cup. Shitty.Gross. Fished out the 2 prawns and couldn't stomach the rest. And small gripe, their to-go utensils didn't have a spoon..only a fork and knife. The Pork Bahn Mi sandwich was really good..stuffed with pulled pork which I really appreciated. Still seemed a bit pricey for these 2 items read more

Fresh, delicious, bright flavors, lovely presentation and great service. We had the ahi tuna carpaccio tapa, honey and tamarind prawns and seared ahi tuna entrees. Finished with milk chocolate panna cotta. A wonderful meal, we'll be back for Tapas Tuesday for sure! read more

Not a bad restaurant. Proportion of the food was OK. The food had a unique taste. Would I eat here again? Prehaps. Not a bad place to bring your dates. read more

I go to vanessa's about once a week. I love the staff and the atmosphere. I always order the rib eye sandwich which is amazing just watch out for the jalepenos. Also if it's a cold day I'll have the onion soup. Some of the best food I've ever had and will continue to return to this great resturant weekly. read more

Decent Vietnamese fusion place in Walnut Creek. The Spicy basil bloody Mary had an odd aftertaste and is served in a martini glass - not crazy about that. The claypot rice has a nice crust on the rice due to the claypot, but the veggies/shrimp were nothing to write home about. Some good vegetarian options and I've heard their happy hour is good. Overall, an easy and quick place to eat but not necessarily a must-eat. read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Claypot Rice with Chicken , Prawns , Carrots , Green Beans , and Bok Choy - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Vietnamese tapas? Love! The food was delicious and fresh. I recommend the following: Green papaya salad Filet mignon carpaccio We had the following also, but I wouldnt order again: Prawns and garlic noodles read more

Sometimes, I really don't get Walnut Creek, but then again can you ever really out a town where you see Ferraris parked at meters? The girlfriend and I were finishing up a little Christmas shopping at Broadway Plaza, and decided to grab dinner. All the places on the chain side of Mt. Diablo Blvd had a wait of about 45 minutes, so we walked across the street to the non-chainy side. Vanessa's was just sitting there maybe a third full, so why not? It turned out to be a good idea. Four random observations: 1. Whoever thought up the idea of Duck Confit Lettuce Wraps probably deserves some kind of Nobel Prize. 2. Especially considering it's probably he or she also came up with the crispy quail appetizer. 3. You've got to love a place that has a wide selection of wines and offers small pours on most of them. 4. While I realize that Vanessa's brought most of their recipes from the Berkeley location, you've got to congratulate them on also bringing their prices from Berkeley. That's not to say everything is completely mind blowing here. The Rib Eye Banh Ni Mi was solid, but it might have been better if the steak were warm like a traditional Vietnamese sandwich. Also, the restaurant has only been open one week, and you could see they were still working some of the kinks out (example, they told us they had run out of chicken pot stickers after we ordered them, then brought them out to us. Plus, I couldn't find the beer selection on the menu anywhere). There's still about 8 or 9 things we want to try on the menu though, so we'll definitely be back to see if they work them out. read more

I've been here quite a few times and love the ambience and setting of the restaurant. The drinks are good and the food is great too. I also go for happy hour sometimes too. read more

The word fusion can mean a lot of things, and it's most disappointing when it's overpriced, overworked and pretty but not necessarily something you'd want to eat. Vanessa's is a pleasant surprise because their food is not overworked and their wine list is very well chosen, especially the whites. The service was friendly and attractive. The waitstaff and management understand the words Gluten Free and work to find options that work. Everyone has a smile and the food is presented nicely and comes out quickly. Nice ambiance for an early dinner out too. This is why Vanessa's gets all the stars. I look forward to more of this family owned and operated place. It was a delight! read more

My experience here was a to-go order so I can only speak to my experience. First, the presentation of the to-go order was very nice. Food was packaged neatly in the carton and carefully placed in bags. The utensils were wrapped neatly in a napkin, then in an individual plastic bag, which was very nice. A lot of places have a tendency to just throw everything in the bag, which is annoying because you have to scramble for utensils when you get back. Second, the food was very tasty. I had the garlic noodles with prawns, sauteed spinach and tofu. A lot of places where i've had garlic noodles will drench the noodles in oil which makes it taste good. In this case, i'm sure there was oil but it didn't line the bottom of my food container. Some of my other friends had dishes they felt were good such as the crab sandwich, lemon grass chicken, and the noodle salad. Third, my only complaint is that for the price, the portions are fairly small. After I had my 3 dishes, I had to go to McDonald's for some chicken tenders and fries. I would have given this place 5 stars if the portions were larger or at least in line with the price. Bottom line, food is tasty, but be prepared to spend a lot if you want to fill up. Or just fill up at McDonald's afterwards. read more

I have tried many of the dishes and they are all excellent. I suggest getting a couple tapas dishes which are only about $8 a piece...the quail is my favorite! The restaurant is really nice, but laid back. Lots of wine and a good selection of beer, but no hard alcohol for you shooters. The manager, Michael, is the man! Good place to bring a date. read more

Cute place with wine and tapas. Very reasonably priced, great value! The food and wine are not as quality as some of the places in the area but when you aren't looking to spend as much it's a great place to go. Staff is very friendly, although one bartender I had did not seem too knowledgeable about wine. read more

My trainer goes here so I thought I should give it a go. Never been to a bistro before. First I checked out the website for the menu which is a must for me. Nice small but delicious looking. We already knew what we wanted when we got here. We thought it be busy for a Sunday so we made reservations. All the tables were taken but one. Nice music and giants game. We both the shading fillet Mignon. I've never had fillet Mignon before but it was SO good. The flavor was amazing. I admit it was kinda hot in the building, not sure if they have ac but the door open helped. I will defiantly recommend this place and come back again. read more

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

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I've finally had the opportunity to go back to Vanessa's. I am absolutely happy with my decision. Today I had the sole tacos, maple duck, cubano sando, and tuna/salmon poke. All were wonderful!!! If you are looking for a great daily happy hour, go here, it was a very calming environment and great food. Thank you so much Vanessa's for your hospitality. Our waitress, Lauren, was wonderful. I hope you keep her happy, she is a gem. P.S. - never remove the sole tacos and maple duck from your menu. I am a very picky food person, this is the only place I've LOVED the fish tacos and duck. read more

Came here for lunch, and to find out about their happy hour. We were greeted promptly by a friendly bartender, and seated in the quiet front dining room. No one else was in the place, surprisingly, for how busy this area is. Our waitress was nice, and she explained some of the menu items as well as cocktail ingredients to me without irritation. Long and short of it... drinks were good; food was average. Would go back, but won't be rushing to do so. read more

Still a loyal fan! Vanessa's is a great place for dinner and drinks. Really flavorful Vietnamese food, good wine and fun cocktails. And you'll feel great about supporting a family owned/operated business. Great food, drinks, service and a fun atmosphere. Can't ask for more. As good as it gets! read more

A great alternative to traditional vietnamese pho joints. I'll be honest, I came away with a great impression of this restaurant. The atmosphere was fun and funky. The staff was young and really friendly. The menu made me want to try each and every plate listed. It had excellent variety and creative flavors. The plates were attractive and well presented. When I got home and started to think of which plates I really loved, I found that I loved 50% and the other 50% was ok. The plates I loved: the salmon and tuna tartare dishes, the garlic noodles, the wings, and the fish tacos (though my uncle disagrees, saying there was too much crust). I didn't care as much for the dumplings, the spring rolls, the noodle salad, which were a little bland and the duck confit, which was a little overdone. They gave our table of seven to a young man who was a little inexperienced though very friendly and apologetic for his errors. My husband says, "He sucked, but he was a really nice guy." Overall, I would go back in a heartbeat, but I'd love to see more consistant quality across the spectrum of the menu. If I could give it a three and half stars I would. read more

Amazing for late night happy hour, had the best tapas dinner. The salt and pepper prawns are the highlight! Start the weekend off right and come here!! read more

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

Loved this place! Took a friend here for lunch and it was casual with great service and a menu that catered to a variety of tastes. Though it's Asian Fusion with a Vietnamese twist many of the menu items cross over to a typical American menu such as fish tacos and sweet potato fries. The wine list is a good one and the desserts are great. We ordered ginger molasses creme brulee that was recommended by our server. be warned however - this is not a taste for children. The little one with us didn't care for it all - the flavors are too sophisticated for children. Price is fair - with tip, lunch for two which included four menu items, one dessert, two cups of Vietnamese coffee and two glasses of wine came to $78 with tip. They have Taco Tuesdays during Happy Hour which I want to try - killer deal and the tacos are delicious. read more

Review for happy hour only: My friends and I love Vanessa's Happy Hour! Great drinks, food and the bartenders are awesome! read more

I love Vanessa's!! This is definitely my favorite restaurant in Walnut Creek. Everything on their menu is SO delicious!! The Shaking Filet Mignon Salad is so addicting and the fish tacos... Yummy. Everyone I have brought to Vanessa's has never been disappointed and has been back several times with their friends and families to experience the amazing food and ambiance. I love the family that owns it. They always greet you with a smile and remember what drinks and food you love before you start to order. Now that's great service. read more

We were walking on our way to Pyramid when we passed the window at VB2. I stopped to check the menu and found the descriptions intriguing so my wife and I decided to check it out. The bar stools are comfy and matched well to the height of the bar. No hooks beneath to hang ones bag but that is a small detail. The wine list covers a nice range and markup is not unreasonable. I decided on some domestic bubbles and my wife a sauv. blanc. We chose: Tuna and Salmon Poke Salt and Pepper Prawns Noodle salad with Beef (see the website menu for their descriptions) http://www.vanessasbistro2.com/ The portions were surprisingly large for "small plates" by our estimates and we expected we would be taking a doggy box home as all three dishes arrived in short order. Sitting at the bar with so many plates at one time was a bit crowded but we accepted perhaps that's how they do things here. I think we would have appreciated some pacing. The Noodle salad was very nice with a lightly dressed pile of rice noodles over a bed of greens. The beef was seared well, moist and delicious. The marinade fit in with the rest of the ingredients nicely. The vegetables were fresh and lively. A nice option was the chopped peanuts were contained in a ceramic soup spoon to allow them to be applied according to the diner's taste. The Poke was well composed despite the out-of-season mango that was a little crunchy and sour. Perhaps will be better when they're in season. The fish wash pleasantly chunked for a satisfying mouthful. Some attempts at Poke we have seen seem near a brunoise. This one was nice. The salt and pepper prawns were a bit disappointing as they tasted a little un-salted and un-peppered. I guess we have eaten very aggressively seasoned Chinese takeout versions and perhaps VB staff were attempting to be more subtle. It wasn't bad, we just came with other expectations. The lime sauce was bright and acidic without being unbalanced with a hint of spiciness in the finish. Our waiter was pleasant and attentive. Overall we were pleased and will return to try more of their intriguing dishes. read more

My cousin and I came here for dinner after a daly of shopping. This place was a lot nicer than we expected. It looks like an awesome place to take a date to. We didn't have reservations and the place was packed. There was a 10 minute wait where we spent playing vegetable samurai. We ordered the tuna and salmon poke and calamari. Then I noticed they had sweet potato fries but it was too late but lucky me! The waitress returned to tell us they were out of the calamari so I got to order my sweet potato fries after all =D The poke was AMAZING and sooo fresh. Nomnomnom. For our entrees I had prawns with garlic noodles and my cousin had some curry chicken dish that she loved. Mine was incredibly flavorful and it was just the right amount. All the plates were pretty big for tapas. We were stuffed by the end of our dinner. We split the bread pudding for dessert and it was just okay. Service was really nice the whole time and there was a steady flow of customers all night. I would definitely come back anytime! read more

SO excited that VB2 opened here in WC!!! My hubby and I used to frequent Vanessa's on Solano all the time and it was the one thing we missed about moving from Berkeley. Imagine our excitement when we saw them prepping the restaurant for opening! Incredible staff, great atmosphere, some of the nicest owners ever, and their dishes are creative and so delicious. I cannot say enough positive about Vanessa's Bistro 2. We go at least once a month, usually more often and every time we have guests, it is our destination for a great dining experience. read more

I had a great experience here tonight. I have to say the place was empty - probably because everyone was having margaritas on cinco de maya. I had a lovely glass of Rioja and thoroughly enjoyed the hamachi tapa, which has great flavor with fresh ginger, seaweed and cucumbers. I also had the vegetarian Pad Thai and took the left overs home. It had a lot of fresh vegetables like bok choy and carrots. The Vietnamese coffee was also very good and the bar tender was friendly and attentive. I am looking forward to coming back with some friends. I wish we came here last Friday night since the food was so much better. read more

Vanessa's has a great Tapas menu as well as a wine and cocktails selection. It's great for dinner or just meeting up with friends for drinks. The staff is pretty friendly and somewhat knowledgeable about their wine selection. If you don't know your wines, your best bet is to ask other patrons for suggestions. Happy hour is 3-6 and 9-11. Unfortunately, they are not so family friendly, as they do not have any high chairs or booster seats for little ones. read more

This is the place for tasty Vietnamese tapas and drinks. Came here with a friend awhile ago and we used my restaurant.com certificate. Tried the Shaking Filet Mignon Salad, Salt and Pepper Calamari and Claypot Rice. All were good, but the most memorable was the Shaking Filet Mignon Salad. I'll have to come back and try a few other dishes my friends recommend. They know the owners of both locations, so per their advice... I need to come back and try the Duck Confit and Crispy Quail dishes. Our server was very friendly and attentive too! Always a good thing. read more

Came here with my mom for lunch. Such a cute little place and lovely ambiance. Our server was sweet but she was the only one working along with a bartender and a busser. She ordered shrimp curry and I ordered salmon with pad Thai. The shrimp curry was so good. Creamy, flavorful. The salmon was also delicious but I wasn't a hue fan of the "pad thai" because it was wide flat and super short noodles which made it difficult to eat and it obviously wasn't pad Thai noodles. But I would love to come back and try something new! read more

Our first time there but definitely won't be the last. Had to wait for our table due to "campers" so enjoyed cocktails at the bar. Drinks were great! After a short wait we made it to our table and were met with great staff. We tried all their top recommendations; all amazing. (Taco appetizers, then chicken/filet noodles and the rice bowl) Ended the night with Vietnamese coffee ((delish!) If you haven't tried this place, you are missing out; not only on some of the best drinks/food but top notch wait staff! Deserves more than 5 stars! read more

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

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I went here last Friday night and my overall experience was just "ok." Some dishes shined while some others faltered. The dishes that shined: The rib eye sandwish on a baguette with greens. The bread was crispy and the meat was tender and flavorful. The coconut curry chicken - flavorful, rich and filling (with rice). The chicken was very moist and tender. The poke - I didn't eat this but my sister's boyfriend (who's Hawaiian) gave this dish a thumbs up. A little skimpy on the fish, however. The dishes that faltered: The shaking beef - A little skimpy on the meat and it was chewy. The standard will always be The Slanted Door. I have yet to find another place that can make this dish as flavorful and as tender as they do. The papaya salad - My mom ordered this dish and she said it was bland and that she could barely taste any dressing. Again, the standard she said was The Slanted Door. In their version, the papaya is drenched or marinated in the dressing and the papaya tastes so fresh. The crispy spring rolls - These weren't bad but again, The Slanted Door's version tastes so much lighter. The Slanted Door uses a thinner wrapper and it tastes less "doughy." Service wise, our waitress was spot on (I forgot her name but she was blond). She was so attentive and insured that all of our needs were met. Regarding the bus boy who packed one of our leftovers - please don't attempt to pack a sandwich in a to go box. Essentially what happened here was that he jammed my sister's left over sandwich in one of those dinky to go boxes. Plus, he neglected to put in the greens too. As a result, we had to request a repack of the leftover and the missing greens. Overall, it's not a bad place and compared to the Slanted Door, MUCH more reasonable. But still, it can't match the ambiance nor the quality of the Slanted Door. . read more

There are some establishments where service isn't immaculate, but I let it slide because the dishes compensate for that. Unfortunately, this was not one of those establishments. Because I go to an school out-of-state and was leaving soon, I decided to go with my grandma and treat her some dinner - why not? She had suggested we go to Kacha, since my grandmother had went there previously and enjoyed it. To our dismay, the line was eeking out the door, and since (being the impatient individual that I am and not wanting to wait too long,) I whipped out my handy dandy smartphone and searched for another place with decent reviews. After some small debate, we both decided to head over to Vanessa's Bistro 2 and chow down. Upon our arrival, we were promptly seated and reminded by the hostess that we would probably be ousted around 10PM because a larger party was coming into the restaurant. That really didn't bother us since we only came for some regular dinner munchies and nothing else. FYI the establishment is a lounge/restaurant setup, so if you're coming in for drinks, then yes, it might take a a little longer than two hours (we arrived at 8PM ish.) The cocktail menu and the regular menu are an interesting blend of cultural tastes. It's a Vietnamese Tapas place and the lovely mix of cuisines certainly do tickle my tastebuds in the best of ways. The value of my drinks were well worth the serving size -- almost like the Hurricanes down in New Orleans. So what went wrong? Poor service. Poor...poor service; reeking of forgetfulness and lack of enthusiasm. Perhaps I am brutal when it comes to these types of things, but there was no effort on the waitress' part whatsoever. That, and it took over an hour to receive our check. Why? I may ask, did it take the waitress this long? My only explanation can be from observation: she was chatting up the individuals, making our stay protract longer than we felt sufficed. The waitress only came once during our entire teeth-grinding experience to fill up our glasses with water. Yikes....She also messed up the order - twice - and then proceeded to still charge us for items that have yet to be delivered to our table. When the clock struck 10, we still were waiting for our check; the hostess lazily nudged the waitress toward our table to complete the task. Sigh.. The food itself was meh -- unappealing. A great idea on paper but it did not quite come together on the plate. Aesthetically speaking though, the dishes were beautiful. Honestly I felt like we weren't welcomed in the place the moment we stepped in. (Service getting a little chilly in here - or was it just me?) I tried reasoning with myself, thinking that the waitress might be having a tough day, we came at the wrong time....etc. etc. But none of the reasons I could conjure were enough to validate our crappy experience. By the time we left the place, I felt so embarrassed for my grandmother...because she obviously looked uncomfortable. I might go back if I'm conned to. read more

Let's be clear: this is not a Vietnamese restaurant. This is a fusion restaurant with a decent cocktail menu and a very chill ambience with low lighting, inoffensive background music, and a sports TV at the bar for the bros to watch while ignoring their girlfriends. Commensurate with this resume the food is largely inoffensive. However, the truly oddball French onion soup deserved to be sent back with it's cloying sweetness and an unidentifiable masculine flavor. Had I not been starving and cold my pride would have demanded it be stricken from the bill. The crispy fried tofu was the only dish we ordered that was incontrovertible. Perfect, thin crispy shells, a light sweet garlic sauce with gently cooked onions and peppers gave just enough flavor. Tapas achievement unlocked! The "spicy" chicken wings were exceptionally meaty and flavorful, but could only be considered spicy by the most delicate and sensitive persons. The fillet mignon and chicken garlic noodles was predictably satisfying. All the components had excellent preparation: tender beef, bites of chicken breast, and lightly sautéed vegetables. The noidles were correctly firm. That said, I'm doubtful there was any garlic whatsoever, a great tragedy since this simple addition provides so much. It it overpriced? Compared to any number of authentic Vietnamese restaurants in nearby urban areas, certainly. Those four dishes ran nearly $60. Basically everything on the menu is around $10-15, with a handful of entrees that are 20-30 bucks. But for thar you get a pretty mellow ambience and competent service. Not bad after a day an Mt. Diabolo. read more

Umm - hello? Where have you been all my WC life? Finally, a worthwhile place has come to WC bringing with it, a little ambience, a great price, and terrific food. We started with the Saigon Style Noolde Salad - honey lemongrass filet with all the yum yums that go with it - it was light, heartily portioned, and perfect for a lunch time meal. Then it was on to the Crispy Chicken Rolls - these are meant to be eaten like a chicken wrap - first, the presentation was beautiful, and the flavors were awesome. The dipping sauce was excellent! Next was the OM-effing-gawd-five spice crispy quail. Finger licking good - it was by far the most inspired and delicious thing I have eaten in a LONGGGGGG time. The lemon/salt/pepper dipping sauce was superb with it. I can't wait to go back and have that one again! The last savory dish we had was the sal/pepper calamari. It was good, but after the quail, I think nothing could compare - maybe the duck confit but we didn't have enough room in the bellies for more... The prices were spot on - unlike another local small plates place (you know who I'm talking about), where their portion are the size of my thumb and cost $20, this place is amazing. Good portions for small plates really intended to have people share and the cost is reasonable for folks to actually have more than a couple plates and feel like they've actually eaten something! Michael the owner is personable and friendly. His mom, Vanessa is beautiful and gracious. I can't wait to bring friends here again and again. Please Michael and Vanessa - stay here in WC, keep the costs reasonable, and your loyal following will happily gobble up all your amazing food! read more