We had a delightful time, this is not an inexpensive restaurant but the food was worth the cost. Unique and delicious food.
C
Great experience. We were outside so didn't feel the ambiance as much, but our food and service made up for it. Great evening and we'll be back!
Jean
Food here is fun and interesting with unexpected ingredients, combinations, and textures. My husband and I decided to make a meal of the small and medium sized dishes and skipped entrees so that we could try more things. Favorites included the grilled Romano beans and the octopus. Misses for me included the tofu custard and kohlrabi. Overall we enjoyed the mix of dishes, as well as our cocktails. We were seated by the window and although we liked the outlook to the street, the glass was not well insulated and we were cold! I think we would have been warmer outside with the heaters.
Paul
The food and service were outstanding. Our waiter gave recommendations upon our request and gave a detailed explanation of the various options. There were many innovative and creative choices which made the dining experience a great adventure. Our only negative was that the noise level was quite high which made conversation very difficult.
chris
loved the food. and the service was top notch. it's always a little loud in there. which my aging hearing is getting worse off hearing the conversations. so that's a me thing. thank you. see you soon.
Gary
This is a neighborhood gen ! The food is impeccable and the service is outstanding. They have a great wine list to pair with the unbelievable choices on the menu. Everything I have had has been perfect. Mickey could not be nicer and Stephen , the bartender is so professional and personable. I could eat at Ethel's Fancy every night !!!
Maria
We had reservations for dinner and arrived a little early. We got a table within 5 minutes. We had a chance to look around and take in the ambiance and decor. It felt welcoming and the decor is very cool. Our server, Nick,was very attentive and helpful. Every bit of food from appetizers to main course were fantastic! Some so unique and creative! We will definitely return and can't wait to try more new flavors. Nick brought us a little dessert to share since my husband and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary. That was very thoughtful! Thank you team Ethel's Fancy!
pamela
Amazing service, novel and tasty food with interesting flavor combinations. We sat at the counter and had a memorable night.
Janaki
When I had made the reservation, I believe it was for a seat inside the restaurant. Not very happy that I had to be seated outside. The service and food were good.
Stephanie
Ethel's Fancy deserves a Michelin star! I am a foodie and try out all the hottest restaurants, including Michelin one, two and three stars. The stand-outs have memorable and unique tasty dishes, plus great ambiance and exceptional service. Ethel's has all that! I had gone there when it first opened a few years ago and had liked it then too, but at the time it was not yet discovered so was kind of quiet. Now you need to reserve it weeks in advance, it's bustling with people, friendly atmosphere, and the food was next level excellent! The service is impeccable now too, especially for Palo Alto where the cost of living is so high that it's difficult to hire good servers. All the servers were experienced, knowledgeable and friendly. I was wearing a black dress so someone (maybe even the manager or owner) came and replaced my white napkin with a black one:). We had to wait about 5 minutes for a table and they treated us to a glass of Rose, and treated my friend to a dessert with a candle for her birthday. But the best part of all is the food itself. As mentioned, I am a food snob, and we found every dish to be uniquely prepared and presented, with the most delicious flavors. Really flavorful, and the beef melted in your mouth. I highly recommend Ethel's and look forward to applauding Ethel's Fancy when they are awarded their first Michelin star!
Ethel's fancy is a wonderful place to dine. The food is fantastic and gets better with each course— but do not skip any of the courses! The service is terrific and the wait staff very knowledgeable, able to provide guidance since everything on the menu is tempting. The vibe is modern & upbeat. Tis a bit pricey but well worth the splurge.
Laïla
We showed up with a very last minute reservation. Restaurant was packed but we were seated at the bar ( chef's table) and we enjoyed watching behind the scenes action and excellent food.Amazing experience, always new seasonal items on the menu. We loved the Squash with Dungeness Crab truly delicious and the coconut Fritters signature appetizer. Thank you Scott and team for a great time at Ethel's.
Alice
What a joke! Overpriced and poorly executed. Food so bland as to be tasteless. Salad a goopy mess. Noisy and overrun with staff. Don't know what they were all doing. Avoid this place!
Michelle
Had a delicious meal with friends at Ethel's Fancy. There wasn't a disappointing dish on the menu. A little pricey at around $100 per person but given the quality of the food, I would say it's worth it. Definitely looking forward to returning.
Molly
Creative, tasty, and well-presented small and medium-sized plates. The service, however, was poor. We had a reservation, arrived on time and were promptly seated. Then we sat for 20 minutes before anyone came by to take a drink order. Not acceptable at these prices. We won't be back.
We had a delightful time, this is not an inexpensive restaurant but the food was worth the cost. Unique and delicious food.
Great experience. We were outside so didn't feel the ambiance as much, but our food and service made up for it. Great evening and we'll be back!
Food here is fun and interesting with unexpected ingredients, combinations, and textures. My husband and I decided to make a meal of the small and medium sized dishes and skipped entrees so that we could try more things. Favorites included the grilled Romano beans and the octopus. Misses for me included the tofu custard and kohlrabi. Overall we enjoyed the mix of dishes, as well as our cocktails. We were seated by the window and although we liked the outlook to the street, the glass was not well insulated and we were cold! I think we would have been warmer outside with the heaters.
The food and service were outstanding. Our waiter gave recommendations upon our request and gave a detailed explanation of the various options. There were many innovative and creative choices which made the dining experience a great adventure. Our only negative was that the noise level was quite high which made conversation very difficult.
loved the food. and the service was top notch. it's always a little loud in there. which my aging hearing is getting worse off hearing the conversations. so that's a me thing. thank you. see you soon.
This is a neighborhood gen ! The food is impeccable and the service is outstanding. They have a great wine list to pair with the unbelievable choices on the menu. Everything I have had has been perfect. Mickey could not be nicer and Stephen , the bartender is so professional and personable. I could eat at Ethel's Fancy every night !!!
We had reservations for dinner and arrived a little early. We got a table within 5 minutes. We had a chance to look around and take in the ambiance and decor. It felt welcoming and the decor is very cool. Our server, Nick,was very attentive and helpful. Every bit of food from appetizers to main course were fantastic! Some so unique and creative! We will definitely return and can't wait to try more new flavors. Nick brought us a little dessert to share since my husband and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary. That was very thoughtful! Thank you team Ethel's Fancy!
Amazing service, novel and tasty food with interesting flavor combinations. We sat at the counter and had a memorable night.
When I had made the reservation, I believe it was for a seat inside the restaurant. Not very happy that I had to be seated outside. The service and food were good.
Ethel's Fancy deserves a Michelin star! I am a foodie and try out all the hottest restaurants, including Michelin one, two and three stars. The stand-outs have memorable and unique tasty dishes, plus great ambiance and exceptional service. Ethel's has all that! I had gone there when it first opened a few years ago and had liked it then too, but at the time it was not yet discovered so was kind of quiet. Now you need to reserve it weeks in advance, it's bustling with people, friendly atmosphere, and the food was next level excellent! The service is impeccable now too, especially for Palo Alto where the cost of living is so high that it's difficult to hire good servers. All the servers were experienced, knowledgeable and friendly. I was wearing a black dress so someone (maybe even the manager or owner) came and replaced my white napkin with a black one:). We had to wait about 5 minutes for a table and they treated us to a glass of Rose, and treated my friend to a dessert with a candle for her birthday. But the best part of all is the food itself. As mentioned, I am a food snob, and we found every dish to be uniquely prepared and presented, with the most delicious flavors. Really flavorful, and the beef melted in your mouth. I highly recommend Ethel's and look forward to applauding Ethel's Fancy when they are awarded their first Michelin star!
Restaurantji Recommends
Ethel's fancy is a wonderful place to dine. The food is fantastic and gets better with each course— but do not skip any of the courses! The service is terrific and the wait staff very knowledgeable, able to provide guidance since everything on the menu is tempting. The vibe is modern & upbeat. Tis a bit pricey but well worth the splurge.
We showed up with a very last minute reservation. Restaurant was packed but we were seated at the bar ( chef's table) and we enjoyed watching behind the scenes action and excellent food.Amazing experience, always new seasonal items on the menu. We loved the Squash with Dungeness Crab truly delicious and the coconut Fritters signature appetizer. Thank you Scott and team for a great time at Ethel's.
What a joke! Overpriced and poorly executed. Food so bland as to be tasteless. Salad a goopy mess. Noisy and overrun with staff. Don't know what they were all doing. Avoid this place!
Had a delicious meal with friends at Ethel's Fancy. There wasn't a disappointing dish on the menu. A little pricey at around $100 per person but given the quality of the food, I would say it's worth it. Definitely looking forward to returning.
Creative, tasty, and well-presented small and medium-sized plates. The service, however, was poor. We had a reservation, arrived on time and were promptly seated. Then we sat for 20 minutes before anyone came by to take a drink order. Not acceptable at these prices. We won't be back.
Loading...