One of Walnut Creek best restaurant. We eat.Here 2 times a month and absolutely Love everything from service to food and ambiance.Very reasonably priced. Try it you'll Love it!! read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Ben going here for years - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Clean establishment. Quiet. Friendly staff. Reasonable prices. Decent flavor. I would return. read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Stir Fried Filet Mignon & Chicken Breast w/Garlic Noodles & Veggies - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Ok, loved this place! The atmosphere is so cool and laid back it felt like a really cool Chinese inspired lounge with food, loved it. The menu was great, had a ton of variety. I absolutely loved what I ordered (shrimp spring rolls and the sweet and sour soup... sooo awesome). My boyfriend got the garlic noodles with filet mignon and chicken, also great. Our waitress was friendly and overall the experience was great! We both want to come back and try everything on the Menu! read more

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

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My friend kept telling me about this happy hour place close to her house that has 50% off all tapas on Tuesday and $6 Margaritas. I was totally down to try a new place. When I got there, I noticed that the signage was a lot like the Vanessa's Bistro in Berkeley. Sweet! There is a location near my home as well. We ordered quite a few dishes, the sashimi Carpaccio, spring rolls, papaya salad with shrimp and the fish tacos. Everything was really yummy and affordable. The portions were smaller so we could try more of a selection, the HH menu is extensive. Vanessa's Specials: Sunday - Happy Hour All Day! Monday - Margaritas $6, Pitchers $30 Tuesday - 50% Tapas all day, $6 Margaritas Wednesday - 50% off Wine and Champagne. The waitress was very nice and service was quick. I would definitely come back to this location if in the area, but the other is much closer to me. Vanessa's is a EB Happy Hour deal! read more

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One of my favorite places in our cute town since it opened years ago Great fresh food, light appetizers, service is first class and cool vibe read more

We decided to stop by Vanessa's while visiting Walnut Creek. We decided to sit at the bar and had the pleasure of meeting Allen. He made our dining experience amazing! The service was impeccable from start to finish. He crafted delicious cocktails and he took the time to recommend drinks tailored to my preferences. The whole time I felt like a valued guest, taking a moment to chat and make sure I was thoroughly enjoying my experience. I would come here again. read more

Everything was fabulous from the food/cocktails to the service! We were a group of 6 and ordered several dishes. Food just kept coming and we couldn't have been happier with the flavors. read more

Great food! Got the garlic noodles with steak and chicken - omg the steak was so tender and yummy! read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Garlic nooodle with chicken and steak - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

In town for biz and came across this excellent experience. Tacos and shrimp was delicious. Service was excellent and the staff was accommodating. Will definitely be back again. read more

Heaven on Earth!!!!!! This place is absolutely Wonderful family owned which I love anytime I have a girls night or just a place to wine down I come here. How often do you find a place where the Mom (Vanessa) sister and brother all work under the same roof. I can't enough of the garlic Noodles and crispy chicken rolls, shrimp fried rice, clay pot, The list goes on and on, it doesn't disappoint and the ambience is amazing. Killer Bar selection to your liking thank you Vanessas's for always making me happy when I come to this place. read more

I guess I'm so used to the home-style Vietnamese food close to my home in SoMa back in the city that the idea of a Vietnamese tapas bistro sounded a bit off the mark for my plebeian tastes. On a random whim, I was looking for someplace to eat after work since I'm in Walnut Creek now. I came upon Vanessa's only because frankly my first choice, 54 Mint, was full up. There were plenty of empty tables, though it looked very popular as a hang-out for groups of women with a firm grip on fruity cocktails. I tried to navigate around them without incurring their wrath and started perusing the menu. There are 16 tapas offered from potstickers to chicken wings to carpaccio to fish tacos. Give the suburbanites what they want. I tried the $11.75 Tuna & Salmon Poke, which was mixed with shredded ginger and mango, and chunks of avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, and red onion, all of it tossed in a ginger soy sauce (photo: http://bit.ly/2kh88O5). It came with just two large shrimp chips which I thought was rather paltry considering the amount in the bowl. Still, it was merely decent enough, just not all that interesting in execution despite the abundance of fresh ingredients. For my entree, I ordered the $11.95 Vermicelli Noodle Salad, quite a hearty bowl with lemongrass filet mignon, bean sprouts, lettuce, cucumber, and bean sprouts (photo: http://bit.ly/2l97m7i). There were certainly plenty of noodles and already adhered to each other at the bottom of the bowl, so it was difficult to mix the ingredients. I have to admit I had the same reaction I had with the poke, meaning I thought it looked nice but it was just a lackluster execution, even though it appeared to have the right things in it. What I missed most were the distinctive seasonings that make the Vietnamese dishes at the better hole-in-the-wall places in Little Saigon. Here I just felt there was a little more emphasis placed on presentation over flavor at this place. That didn't seem to bother the increasingly rancorous hen party with their fruity cocktails. They were just waiting to get another round. FOOD - 3 stars...the dishes look nice but the flavors lack depth AMBIANCE - 2.5 stars...felt like the type of place that attracts local office workers looking to loosen up SERVICE - 4 stars...quite a nice server TOTAL - 3 stars...seems far, far away from Little Saigon, much less Vietnam read more

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The salt and pepper tofu is amazing, super friendly staff, the ambiance is chill and cool - a gem of Walnut Creek

This place is amazing!! If you're living or visiting Walnut Creek, Vanessa's Bistro is a must!! Alan will be sure you have an amazing experience! From the moment you sit, you will be surrounded by exceptional service, ambiance and food! Alan makes you feel as though you're on vacation while eating great food! My top picks are: Lalo Paloma, shrimp spring rolls, fried chicken ( gluten free!!!), lemongrass chicken, steak and chicken stir fry! They have an amazing gluten free menu! You will want to check it out! You'll be glad you listened to me! Shout out to Aria and Derek for always being friendly and having a warm smile that makes us feel at home. Mike is an awesome business owner and we are so happy we found this gem! read more

Great service. Good food. Fine prices. Can't complain about anything. You should check it out.

+ Very good food + Fresh and delicious + Excellent drinks + Very good service - Loud Try the crab garlic noodles! Yum. read more

Amazing food spiced to perfection. Great and friendly service. The drinks are awesome. My fave is the lychee martini. read more

Great restaurant to downtown Walnut Creek. Convenient location, with ample indoor and outdoor seating. Proportions are very generous--you can't go wrong with whatever you pick! Just make sure you don't have too many meetings afterwards, because you're going to be in a good coma for a few hours... I came here with serval coworkers, and they were able to accommodate us with no problems. I had the bison burger with fries. Most of my party ended up going with a variety of burgers and salads, and they all looked great too. It's definitely a recommended choice. Salads looked good as well. Entree and side dishes were all excellent, I was very happy with the taste and preparation. Service was fast and friendly. Overall, I would be happy to take friends or family here for any occasion. read more

This is a family establishment that prides themself on food and service. The owner and chef hand picks produced from local farmers and hand selects meats they use. Food quality is top notch and every time I eat here I love every bite. The shrimp and calamari appetizer is one of my all time favorites! Always order must have item, the chili lime dipping sauce is incredible and seafood is so tender. As for dinner option everything is great! There isn't a bad item on menu. Looking forward to another visit very soon! read more

Everything is good here. They serve large portions for their tapas plates. Happy hour is from 3-5pm and again later in the evening. I ordered the fish tacos and they were on point. This bistro has wonderful service, is beautifully decorated, and there's outdoor seating. Happy hour is both for food and beverages. I highly recommend going during those hours. read more

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

Overpriced, mediocre food. Nice ambience, good service, clean bathrooms, but the quality of food is just not that great and on the pricier side. Presentation is very nice, BUT I'm eating the food not staring at it! Parking in the structure is free for first 2 hours. read more

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

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We didn't realize Vanessa's Bistro was going to be so fancy, both in food and pricing. We came here on a Wednesday night, and the place was decently packed. Luckily there was no wait since we were starving. Drinks 4/5 - Mai Tai - Let's be Friends Both drinks were strong but the flavor was good. Food 3.5/5 The plating was nice and I enjoyed the unique flavors of the food. However, I felt like it was missing something. -Spicy Vietnamese Green Papaya Salad W/ Poached Prawns, Roasted Peanuts, Fried Shallots, Mint (2/5) - I would not order this again. It was definitely missing sauce when we first order this. We had to ask the waiter to bring some sauce. Even with the sauce, it was not what I expected from a papaya salad and did not have the spiciness that's typical at other places. -Five Spices Honey Marinated Crispy Quail, Peppercorn Dipping Sauce (3.5/5) - I loved the quail! It had such great flavor. The peppercorn dipping sauce was an interesting addition. Didn't pair well together at all. -Sautéed Filet Mignon, Chicken Breast, Garlic Noodles & Veggies (4/5) - This was the best dish we ordered all night. The meat was tender and everything tasted yummy. I asked for chili sauce and it reminded me more of sweet and sour sauce than chili sauce. Atmosphere 5/5 Cute decorations that gave a lounge like feel. I would come back for happy hour to give it another try but at the normal menu prices, I would not. read more

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Cute little tapas bistro in downtown Walnut Creek! My boyfriend and I came here for a light dinner and bites prior to the Warriors game (also Father's Day). No crowd, no wait! And we purposely came here for their TV and a calm environment. The waitress let us shift the table over so we could sit next to each other and watch the game. Started off with cocktails; he got the mojito and I got their Jasmin-tini which was VERY good and unique! It was very smooth in jasmine! I didn't feel my drink was very strong in alcohol but my boyfriend ended up feeling the rum in his later. We ordered three small plates to share for our meal; the filet mignon carpaccio, maple leaf duck confit lettuce wraps and fish tacos. All were very good portions sizes and super flavorful! I loved the duck lettuce wraps because the meat was so tender and the filling is on the side. They say they have happy hour all day Sunday, but maybe because it was Father's day it did not apply :( Service was very attentive though. Parking is very easy in this area but almost all metered parking. The downtown reminds me almost of Santa Cruz with less of the surfer vibes, more upscale. read more

Vanessa's Bistro - Mojito & jasmin-tini - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Love this place!! It's so nice to have a restaurant with amazing food and good vibes. So many options on the menu it was hard to choose. But what we did order was really tasty and authentic. The cocktails also looked creative and the service was great. I will be back! read more

We had a great time at Vanessa's Bistro, its great if you want to have drinks and good food. Wednesdays is there 1/2 of any bottle of wine night. We ordered the spicy chicken and clay pot. A great combination to share between two. Very friendly staff made for a great night after work. They also have bar seating and low table bench seating for informal dining. read more

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Hey People! This is fabulous food served by wonderful people. My lovely wife and I shared prawns while enjoying nicely balanced cocktails. We then moved right into the main course of fillet and chicken stir fry that was out of this world along with a chicken w/ rice cooked in a clay pot...fabulous! You want life to get back to normal? This place will take you beyond.... read more

So me and 8 other of my friends came here last night for HH and results = A-OK. Vanessa's Bistro is a Vietnamese Tapas restaurant with a French Twist. Ever been to an all in one before? LOL The restaurant itself is a nice modern place located in Walnut Creek. There are flat screens in the bar, a lounge for HH and a separate area for dining. We all ordered a glass of wine and HH food. Happy hour is from 3p-6p or 9p-11p Specials on food are $6.00 and specials on wine. We ordered Spicy Chicken Wings with Sweet & Sour Pineapple Sauce, Lightly Battered Salt & Pepper Tender Fried Calamari, Pork ribs with kimchi, Beef carpacio, and Fish tacos. In all it was okay, the servings were so small and not enough for 8! The tapas plates were only good enough for two. We paid 20.00 each, which I had no complaints. Don't know if I would come back! read more

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Really didn't know what to expect when we heard this restaurant had Vietnamese food. But, we really liked it. Service was great. all the food was great. Can't wait to go back and try some additional dishes. read more

My friends and I came here for dinner on a Sunday, which happens to be all day happy hour. We had a reservation and were seated immediately. We ordered several tapas ($6 each during happy hour) to share for the table. We ordered the Garlic Butter Noodles, Chicken Wings, Crispy Fried Tofu, Sweet Potato Fries, and Spring Rolls. Overall, the food was decent enough, not bad - but nothing that blew any of us out of the water. The chicken wings were probably my favorite because they were crispy but juicy on the inside. All of the food seemed to be similar in flavor, which kind of took the fun out of ordering a bunch of different items. This may have been because most of the food items were very saucey and they probably used the same base. Also, the plates appeared clean but mine was a little sticky for some mysterious reason. That aside, the decor was very pretty and it was quite lively when we came in. Service was attentive, friendly, and frequent. The food came out very quickly, which was nice. A couple of my friends were mildly irritated with the frequency, but I had no problem with it. read more

My first time having dinner here at Vanessa Bistro with a French Twist. The food were delicious. We ordered a slow oven roasted pork, fresh prawns spring rolls, vermicelli noodle salad & Lychees martinis. Yum! In addition to the delish food. The staff were very pleasant, attentive and provided us an excellent service! I highly recommend this place. read more

Vanessa's Bistro - *Fresh Prawn Spring Rolls Vermicelli, Bean Sprouts, Mint Chipotle & Black Bean Sauce - Vietnamese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

My first meal at Vanessa's Bistro will probably be my last. Friends and I decided on Vanessa's after not being about to agree on a destination and Vanessa's had plenty of seating (outdoor dining only given COVID policy). We started with a round of drinks and I ordered a Pinot Grigio. I was brought a Chardonnay (which I despise). I had taken a sip as our server sat down drinks for my dinner mates and let her know that I got the wrong drink. Initially she inferred that I ordered the wrong drink, but I assured her I would never accidentally order a Chardonnay. A friend volunteered to take the wine and the server brought me what I had actually ordered. I split an appetizer (pot stickers/gyoza) with a fellow diner and we were not impressed. They were dough-y and seemed to lack filling. To be honest, they tasted like they were previously frozen. For dinner I had the Vietnamese sandwich. It was pretty boring. Bread on the hard side, very bland in flavor and had so little cilantro it ready added nothing to the sandwich. Our collective group agreed that Vanessa's would not be a 1at, 2nd, or 3rd choice when eating out next time. So, here's a super obvious lesson - do not make a restaurant decision based on the number of empty seats. read more

We went for dinner on a Friday night. We made reservations and were promptly seated. The dining room has a warm and creative decor to it. We shared many dishes: garlic noodles, chicken and beef with noodles, & dumplings. Everything tasted fresh and was made with quality ingredients. You can bring your own wine for a $10 or $15 corkage fee. There is indoor and outdoor seating. There are about 10 seats at the bar. The staff was very attentive. If you are in the mood for Asian food, I highly recommend this restaurant for the food, decor, and service. read more

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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

One of my favorite downtown WC restaurants. Beautiful decor. Food is delicious. Great cocktails. They also do a great job with daily specials like happy hour and wine Wed. The filet and shrimp dish shown in the photo is one of my all-time favorite dishes to order. read more

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

I came during happy hour which is all day on Sunday, and I'm glad I did! All tapas are $7 each, which is a pretty good deal! Food: We ordered 3 tapas for 2 people, which was the right amount of food for us. However you could easily order 2 tapas/person and walk away full. I loved the duck lettuce wraps! I expected the wraps to already be made for me when they came to my table but I had to place the filling into the lettuce myself. I would recommend that they premake the wraps for a better presentation but nevertheless, the filling was great! The enoki mushrooms and sauce were delicious with plenty of duck. The duck was a bit chewy at times but it was the best dish ordered. The calamari was a very small portion, about 8 pieces. The sauce it came with was good but I think we should've had the fried tofu instead. The filet mignon carpaccio was pretty but did not have much flavor. I would not recommend it, although the happy hour price was very reasonable. Service: Quick and fast. No complaints! Overall, definitely try to come for happy hour and get the duck lettuce wraps! read more

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Excellent. Great service. New Year's Eve. Got filet mignon and it was amazing. Papaya salad and grilled eggplant side. 10+ quality. we always split the meal was good for 2 gals The steak was better then Flamings. (Medium rare ) Try that. Sometimes it is what you order. It really made my night read more

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

Spicy margaritas always get my vote! So yes the the $7 margarita with muddled jalapeños. My little plate of "light" ahí Tuna carpaccio packed the perfect punch of flavor and protein. Actually felt nicely satisfied with this. I tried the vermicelli noodle and shaken beef salad. The idea sounded great on paper. To my dismay (and yes, I know I'm the minority here) my steak was bloodied and cold...not just bloodied, not just cold...both. Um. Pass. Easy going spot for yummy tapas, 1/2 off on Tuesdays for the tapas. I shall give this another whirl some Tuesday. read more

FIVE STARS. My favorite. Great service. Excellent food. Friendly atmosphere. Can't be beat. Always make reservations because it's a fairly small place, but this adds to its charm. Say hi to Mike the bartender. He's really a nice guy. First post came up four stars. I must have messed up. read more

A friend recommended I come here since it's walking distance from Woodhouse Day Spa. They offer a tapas menu if you wanted something quick, light yet satisfying. Small restaurant with a bar and lounge section. Good for a couple or a group of 4 at most. What we ordered: -salt and pepper shrimp -carpaccio -crab salad -spring rolls I loved every dish except the spring rolls. It wasn't bad; It's just that I've had better. They were loosely wrapped which made it messy to eat. But the rest of plates were so good! The garnishment on the salt and pepper shrimp could be a salad on its own. The spicy dipping sauce was very complimentary to the crispy made shrimp. The filet Mignon carpaccio may appear a bit overwhelming in its raw form but squeezing lime only enhances the herbal flavors it was marinated in with an added touch of roasted peanuts and fried shallots. Lastly, the crab salad-with real chunky pieces of Dungeness crab! 2.DIE.4! The lemon-ginger vinaigrette brought it to a whole new experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit here and will soon return. It was worth getting a parking ticket. read more

I am very sad to write this review. We used to go here a lot and loved the food but it has completely gone down hill. We ordered salmon with pad thai and it was fine. We also ordered mushroom sticky rice with veggie curry and added tofu. The first time out it was all tofu with one potato chunk and 2 carrots and about 20 strips of tofu. I asked the waitress for some veggies and she took it away and about 15 minutes later set down a bowl with no tofu and stir fried celery and cabbage with 2 whole mushrooms which were mostly raw. We have ordered this dish before but tonight it was awful. We did not eat it and when they came by asking if I wanted a box I told them I could not eat it as it was undercooked and not what I ordered they brought us a bill charging for it. I was surprised to be charged for food that got sent back and our server claimed she told the owner who apparently stood by this food. If the owner feels this is ok then there is no hope. We have been loyal customers for years and ordered takeout during COVID. No more. read more