The best restaurant in Palo Alto/Stanford. Amazing food, service, ambiance!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Samantha Allen
We saw this place months ago and have been excited to try it. After a couple failed reservations, we finally made it! The atmosphere outside was perfect due to the plants and lighting. From glancing at the menu it seemed overpriced. And it was. The food was good without a doubt, but i've had better pasta for less than $30+ for such a small portion size. And better house wine for less than $20 per glass. The small pour of cabernet had quite a but of sediment in the glass. However, the service was fantastic! Everyone was so kind and quick to assist with any need. In summary, it is a good place. Unfortunately, I just would not recommend, due to it being over priced. Again, I've had better pasta for less money and includes a larger portion size. It is rare that I eat a meal without left overs, but I ate the pasta and was still hungry, due to the inadequate portion size for over $30. It was a good experience, but will not go back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Honestand Fair
Terrible. Warning. Do not dine here solo. The place is mostly designed to cater to banquets for Stanford University, and that’s where they’ve gotten their good reviews from (yeah, free food). You’ve been warned. They tried to charge me $30 for refills on iced tea, and worse than that the service was “ready to order? Here’s your food, here’s your check, and don’t forget to tip me.” That’s not why people are dining out like as though my kitchen is being renovated and I’m somehow forced to eat out. You’re lucky you have all your banquets booked as you’d be closed if your primary business was based on reputation for service and excellent food.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Petr Gazarov
The food was not very good, definitely not worth it for the price tag.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4
Michaela O'Hara
Always a lovely experience dining here, what with the peaceful ambiance and easy parking situation. We had an unwanted guest at one point (a wasp) & the staff immediately took action to move us inside. Not pictured was a delicious peach torta, consumed within seconds. Always look at the dessert menu :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mark Zdeblick
Note the automatic 18% added to dinner wine and tax. Wine already overpriced... Food was ok. Overall, a convenient location for a business meal; not a good value for personal meal.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 5
Anika S.
Great food, great service, friendly staff. Very nice experience for a business dinner.
Clayton Steel
A hidden gem nestled in Silicon Valley’s history.
Vina Enoteca is one of those rare restaurants where everything—from the food to the atmosphere—feels intentional and quietly extraordinary. Housed in the beautifully restored Stanford Barn, the space itself is stunning: high arched ceilings, warm brick walls, and an open kitchen where you can actually watch fresh pasta being made by hand.
The menu is classic Italian but elevated. We tried the spinach tagliatelle with ragù and the burrata with seasonal vegetables—every bite was rich with flavor and clearly made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. The wine list is equally impressive, with thoughtful regional pairings that feel more curated than trendy.
Service was warm but unintrusive. You can tell this team takes hospitality seriously without being overly formal.
Bonus points for the market inside the restaurant! We left with a bag full of fresh pasta, house-made sauces, and a bottle of wine we’d sampled during dinner. It’s rare to find a place that does dine-in and take-home this well.
Highly recommend for a date night, small group dinner, or even just grabbing a bottle and a pizza to go. Palo Alto is lucky to have this spot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sally Tateno
If you're looking for amazing Italian food, this is the spot! Walking in feels like stepping into Italy. The staff are super friendly, the pizza is kid-approved, the pasta is mouthwatering, and the drinks are top notch. I love that the menu changes with the seasons — it keeps things exciting every time we visit.
Grazie mille Rocco for bringing Italy to Silicon Valley!
I had a cacio pepe and a panna cotta. Loved the food and the ambience.
Maryam P Garg
Vina Enoteca feels like stepping into a modern Roman trattoria—elegant, open, and full of soul. From the first bite to the last, everything here is intentional and elevated without ever being pretentious.
We started with the Caesar salad, which came with an oil-based dressing and generous shavings of Parmesan—fresh, simple, and beautifully balanced. Then came the Fungi Pizza, with a blistered crust fresh out of their gorgeous oven, earthy mushrooms, and that unmistakable depth you only get from real wood fire. I added a grilled chicken breast on the side and turned it into a perfectly satisfying entrée.
Nadia ordered the Cacio e Pepe, which was creamy, peppery, and just the right amount of rich. Sasha had the butter pasta, and even that was outstanding—pure comfort done right. Every dish was on point, full of flavor, and clearly made with care.
Though I didn’t drink tonight (pacing myself after last night!), I chatted with the bartender—one of the most knowledgeable I’ve ever come across. They even stock both green and yellow Chartreuse, which tells you everything you need to know about how serious they are about their bar program.
It’s no wonder Vina Enoteca earned Michelin recognition back in 2019. And I was delighted to learn the same owner runs Tootsies, another spot I adore.
Service was impeccable—warm, present, and intuitive. Parking was easy, the indoor-outdoor setup is ideal, and the whole evening felt effortless. Vina Enoteca nails it on every level.
Iftah Meyron
The atmosphere and wines are all that was left here.
Margaret K.
A lovely surprise coming here with my grandparents who used to come here when it was the Red Barn! It's become quite the nice Italian restaurant with a great bar and ample seating inside and outside. I'm now partial to the bar area because of the amazing waitress Maritza! She was so attentive and had great recommendations and has been there since the beginning. The drinks were great including the Bees knees and classic Negroni with a good variety in wine list. The pasta was the star - I had the cacio Pepe which was delicious and cheesy and my party was happy with their mushroom tortellini too. The pizza dough was on the slightly undercooked side which is how I like it and we got the one with sausage and pear (such a surprisingly good pairing!) will definitely be back!
The best restaurant in Palo Alto/Stanford. Amazing food, service, ambiance!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We saw this place months ago and have been excited to try it. After a couple failed reservations, we finally made it! The atmosphere outside was perfect due to the plants and lighting. From glancing at the menu it seemed overpriced. And it was.
The food was good without a doubt, but i've had better pasta for less than $30+ for such a small portion size. And better house wine for less than $20 per glass. The small pour of cabernet had quite a but of sediment in the glass.
However, the service was fantastic! Everyone was so kind and quick to assist with any need.
In summary, it is a good place. Unfortunately, I just would not recommend, due to it being over priced.
Again, I've had better pasta for less money and includes a larger portion size.
It is rare that I eat a meal without left overs, but I ate the pasta and was still hungry, due to the inadequate portion size for over $30.
It was a good experience, but will not go back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Terrible. Warning. Do not dine here solo. The place is mostly designed to cater to banquets for Stanford University, and that’s where they’ve gotten their good reviews from (yeah, free food). You’ve been warned. They tried to charge me $30 for refills on iced tea, and worse than that the service was “ready to order? Here’s your food, here’s your check, and don’t forget to tip me.” That’s not why people are dining out like as though my kitchen is being renovated and I’m somehow forced to eat out. You’re lucky you have all your banquets booked as you’d be closed if your primary business was based on reputation for service and excellent food.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
The food was not very good, definitely not worth it for the price tag.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4
Always a lovely experience dining here, what with the peaceful ambiance and easy parking situation. We had an unwanted guest at one point (a wasp) & the staff immediately took action to move us inside. Not pictured was a delicious peach torta, consumed within seconds. Always look at the dessert menu :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Note the automatic 18% added to dinner wine and tax. Wine already overpriced... Food was ok. Overall, a convenient location for a business meal; not a good value for personal meal.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 5
Great food, great service, friendly staff. Very nice experience for a business dinner.
A hidden gem nestled in Silicon Valley’s history.
Vina Enoteca is one of those rare restaurants where everything—from the food to the atmosphere—feels intentional and quietly extraordinary. Housed in the beautifully restored Stanford Barn, the space itself is stunning: high arched ceilings, warm brick walls, and an open kitchen where you can actually watch fresh pasta being made by hand.
The menu is classic Italian but elevated. We tried the spinach tagliatelle with ragù and the burrata with seasonal vegetables—every bite was rich with flavor and clearly made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. The wine list is equally impressive, with thoughtful regional pairings that feel more curated than trendy.
Service was warm but unintrusive. You can tell this team takes hospitality seriously without being overly formal.
Bonus points for the market inside the restaurant! We left with a bag full of fresh pasta, house-made sauces, and a bottle of wine we’d sampled during dinner. It’s rare to find a place that does dine-in and take-home this well.
Highly recommend for a date night, small group dinner, or even just grabbing a bottle and a pizza to go. Palo Alto is lucky to have this spot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
If you're looking for amazing Italian food, this is the spot! Walking in feels like stepping into Italy. The staff are super friendly, the pizza is kid-approved, the pasta is mouthwatering, and the drinks are top notch. I love that the menu changes with the seasons — it keeps things exciting every time we visit.
Grazie mille Rocco for bringing Italy to Silicon Valley!
Awesome place .. and Marita is fantastic
Restaurantji Recommends
I had a cacio pepe and a panna cotta. Loved the food and the ambience.
Vina Enoteca feels like stepping into a modern Roman trattoria—elegant, open, and full of soul. From the first bite to the last, everything here is intentional and elevated without ever being pretentious.
We started with the Caesar salad, which came with an oil-based dressing and generous shavings of Parmesan—fresh, simple, and beautifully balanced. Then came the Fungi Pizza, with a blistered crust fresh out of their gorgeous oven, earthy mushrooms, and that unmistakable depth you only get from real wood fire. I added a grilled chicken breast on the side and turned it into a perfectly satisfying entrée.
Nadia ordered the Cacio e Pepe, which was creamy, peppery, and just the right amount of rich. Sasha had the butter pasta, and even that was outstanding—pure comfort done right. Every dish was on point, full of flavor, and clearly made with care.
Though I didn’t drink tonight (pacing myself after last night!), I chatted with the bartender—one of the most knowledgeable I’ve ever come across. They even stock both green and yellow Chartreuse, which tells you everything you need to know about how serious they are about their bar program.
It’s no wonder Vina Enoteca earned Michelin recognition back in 2019. And I was delighted to learn the same owner runs Tootsies, another spot I adore.
Service was impeccable—warm, present, and intuitive. Parking was easy, the indoor-outdoor setup is ideal, and the whole evening felt effortless. Vina Enoteca nails it on every level.
The atmosphere and wines are all that was left here.
A lovely surprise coming here with my grandparents who used to come here when it was the Red Barn! It's become quite the nice Italian restaurant with a great bar and ample seating inside and outside. I'm now partial to the bar area because of the amazing waitress Maritza! She was so attentive and had great recommendations and has been there since the beginning. The drinks were great including the Bees knees and classic Negroni with a good variety in wine list. The pasta was the star - I had the cacio Pepe which was delicious and cheesy and my party was happy with their mushroom tortellini too. The pizza dough was on the slightly undercooked side which is how I like it and we got the one with sausage and pear (such a surprisingly good pairing!) will definitely be back!
The food tastes as good as it looks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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