MacArthur Park Restaurant and Bar

The food is okay, not a lot of vegetarian options - service is great!

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 5

The food was tasty. The wait staff was appropriately attentive to our table. The building is full of charm. It is big and spacious. On this particular cool night it got chilly by the end of the dinner.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

AMAZING

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I have been here numerous times since the 1980's and I was looking forward to seeing it since I read that it had been remodeled. I was very disappointed. The service was excellent however the food was not great and the ambiance was disappointing. It was cold and barren. It's a big historical building which use to be quaint but now seems cold and awkward. The booths have been taken out and there is a strange screen/partition that has been put up to block off half the restaurant. Sadly I will not return or recommend it but I do wish it the best if it can survive.

I’ve been coming to this restaurant for over 25 years. I’ve come for holiday buffets, celebrated special occasions, and had casual meals at the bar. MacArthur Park is always warm and cozy. The quality of the food isn’t as good as it used to be, but is still tasty. I also miss the valet parking.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

This is a bucket list restaurant in Palo Alto, you're not a local unless you've eaten here. Staff is always friendly, food is always good. They work hard to earn your loyalty and it's no mystery why they survived the pandemic. The history of the building is remarkable!

This is a festive destination for no-fuss holiday dining. Parking can be a challenge, however.

Had an awesome time at McArthur park for Christmas dinner with my son. Everything was the best—food, service, ambiance. Will definitely be going back for future holiday meals.

The food was good. There were multiple aspects of the services that was seriously lacking.

Um, this was an Open Table fail. The food wasn't terrible but there were very weird elements. Like, I couldn't drink water because the smell/taste of the dishwasher detergent residue on the glasses was so strong. The outside was so cute from the pictures on Opentable but it was this giant empty hall where you might have a wedding for your 2nd cousin or an awkward work party. Then they put up a privacy screen to keep half of the restaurant empty and crammed the rest of us together at too small tables. The lighting was a mix of lovely warm chandeliers mixed with the occasional blue/cold spotlight like you might find outside of someone's garage. This place could be really charming and the interior has potential but someone with very odd taste is in charge. The food is just like a 4.5 out of 10 maybe. Even the fresh baked bread had perfect crust/ texture but the taste was pretty bad- like it was made with old oil or something. The crowd here is definitely on the much older and decidedly not-foodie side.

We come here a lot. Especially when we have Palo Alto Players theatre tickets. We are never disappointed with our meal. The entrees are delicious and well presented. The service is professional, kind and prompt. We are never late for a performance.

Good food - nice atmosphere

Hosted a private dinner here for 20 doctors and they never notified me that they were in the middle of renovations. It was so embarrassing for all of my guests. We had to tell them to stop drilling so we could hear ourselves. I suggested they offer a $25 gift certificate to each guest but was refused. The entire experience was awful and totally avoidable if they had AT ANY POINT contacted us to let us know of the inconvenience. Poor management! And the food was subpar.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Great food, great service and a relaxing atmosphere. My new favorite restaurant.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I used to come here as a kid and it was 10/10. Over the last few years the wheels fell off. It has not been kept up and overall quality has taken a steep dive. So much potential here if good ownership took over.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 3