Insider Pages Reviews for Bistro Elan

1 Stars: horrible attitude ruined our experience (by scott h.)

scott h. — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:31:00 GMT

You are sure not to find such atttude even in France!
Good food does not allow for such nastiness!
We were there with a large party for a very important Birthday and,
A. They wouldn't let us bring in a Birthday Cake (even for a corkage-like fee)
B. They wouldn't allow us as a party of six to sit in the garden, trying to insist we sit in the crowded, loud table area inside - we insisted and sat outside where we had planned to do so, but not until after a back-and-forth fight
C.If attitude towards paying clients count for anything in ratings, their 1-star should be taken away from them!
D. Thus, we passed on dessert and coffee/after dinner drinks and took our cake and our party home (where we had after dinner coffee/drinks - they missed out on a larger payday from us)

I will never initiate going there again - the food is good, but the experience was ruined by their nastiness - shameful in such bad times; you should cherish your clients, not fill them full of dislike for your establishment. Palo Alto and surrounding areas offer many equally good dining experiences where you are treated like someone who pays their salaries - which you do!

Avoid Bistro Elan

2 Stars: Not bad, but unexciting and overpriced (by J R.)

J R. — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 08:45:00 GMT

The level is just not where it should be given the prices; nothing fell flat, but nothing was that good either. There is also a tendency to over-complicate: a duck confit served with "risotto" (really more like polenta), pumpkin seeds, and a red wine sauce was an unsuccessful hodgepodge, both in terms of texture and flavors.

4 Stars: great food, friendly atmosphere (by Edie B.)

Edie B. — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:23:00 GMT

I work just on the other side of El Camino, so quite often I walk to California Avenue for lunch with other colleagues. We have always been impressed with the delicious food at Bistro Elan, especially their soups and unique salads. Give it a try and you won't be disappointed!

5 Stars: Love this place! (by rosa b.)

rosa b. — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:11:00 GMT

We love this neighborhood Bistro. The food is seasonal and priced
very well for the quality of the ingredients. The service is friendly and
professional. We visit whenever we have the $$ and are in the area!

5 Stars: Could it be the same restaurant? I love this place! (by Keith W.)

Keith W. — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:08:00 GMT

I dined here last week and had a stellar meal, with expert service. This is one of my favorite restaurants on the Peninsula, with consistently excellent food, and a delightful staff, with a high degree of professionalism. Sorry to hear you had a bad experience, but this is a place I will return to as often as I can afford to do so. Not a Tuesday night place, because of cost, but very fairly priced for the food and ambience.

1 Stars: Agreed - the worst restaurant experience (by Don R.)

Don R. — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 19:39:00 GMT

I also had a lousy experience at this restaurant where we had an incompetent waitress and we were over-charged. I urge you not to patronize this place. They will rip you off!

1 Stars: The WORST restaurant experience ever! (by Ed G.)

Ed G. — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 11:53:00 GMT

My friends and I dined at this restaurant recently and ordered a $26 bottle of wine with our meal. We did not realize until we got our bill that the waitress had brought us a $350 bottle of wine instead. She also managed to screw up our food order and was very rude to us about having to bring new dishes to us. The manager refused to acknowledge that she had made a mistake about over-charging us, and refused to make any adjustments to our bill. The worst part is that nobody apologized for the appalling service or for the disrespect that was shown to us. DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT!

5 Stars: best french bistro in palo alto (by Marcelo C.)

Marcelo C. — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 17:25:00 GMT

I was craving for good bistro cuisine near palo alto before i found this fabulous little place.

Ingredients are fresh, presentation is impeccable and cuisine is thoughtful and original.

the place has a fantastic garden in the back, which is great for both romance as well as a nice small gathering.

it is a bit expensive to go very frequently, but its certainly worth the monthly visit.

PROS: fresh, thoughtful cuisine
CONS: a bit expensive, but worth it

4 Stars: Fresh Ingredients and Expertly Prepared Food (by frank h.)

frank h. — Sat, 13 May 2006 11:49:00 GMT

We had great food the night we ate Bistro Elan. The lobster tail appetizer was superb. The lamb main course was tender and came with a sauce that perfectly complimented the lamb. Unlike most restaurants that over cook halibut, the fish moist and perfectly cooked; it had a little more salt that I would prefer, but it was probably salted as most people would like. After our appetizers and main course, we did not have room for dessert. The menu had less than 10 main course offerings and was typed a plain of paper indicating the menu changes frequently. The appetizers were generally in the $6 to $16 range and the main course offerings in the $20 to $30 range. We are looking forward to our next visit to Bistro Elan.

5 Stars: Bistro (by Rena A.)

Rena A. — Fri, 12 May 2006 09:54:00 GMT

This is my husband's favorite place to eat in Palo Alto. He would eat here every day if he could. The atmosphere is nice. I really enjoy watching them cook. The skirt steak is a favorite of the husband's.

5 Stars: A Fine Dining Experience (by P S.)

P S. — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 20:38:00 GMT

Bistro Elan is one of those unique restaurants that serves an unpretentious but creative fare. Both lunch and dinner offerings are delicious. Definitely world class.