A warm and welcoming hostess who showed us to our table. Nice non-alcoholic cocktails offerings. Menu options of fromage/charcuterie, burrata & melon salads, steak/frites & salmon entrees were all well prepared and delicious. Dessert of galette and chocolate mousse were good. Now as for the service, our waiter completely forgot an ordered soup, but it was to late to serve. He also forgot to ask a diner his choice of dish - we kind of all stared at each other as though I was invisible? Unfortunately, I was the table's host and paying the bill. It was too bad our waiter was really not interested in the restaurant's menu or his job, but by golly that 20% tip was already highlighted on his hand-held computer. Bottomline, food was very good, but the service was definitely "off."
Lei
Eat here on a Thursday night. The booked table was very small feels like a coffee table. Chair and sofa wasn't comfortable. The main entry took soo long to served. The space between tables was small. I almost hit others when moving outside. And people next to me was too loud. The food was delicious, especially the octopus starter. The buck breast was also nice but I kind of lost appetite after waiting so long.
Cole
The food was fine but could been better. Service and ambiance are great. It's dark, which makes the mood very intimate for a private conversation. I went when there were a lot of people there but I didn't feel distracted by the other people in the restaurant and could focus on my catch up conversation with a friend. Solid drink menu.
Richard
Had another delcious meal at Zola to celebrate a birthday. The staff was lovely and included a happy birthday card for our guest! We had a great meal and it made the birthday super memorable!
Zia
Fantastic food. Dinner has always been wonderful at Bar Zola; & that keeps us coming back. Choose the dining room if you want a more quiet environment vs the bar/bar table.
Bobi
This is easily the best restaurant in Palo Alto. Service is amazing. Drinks are outstanding. Food is out of this world.
Robin
I really like this restaurant. Food is very good. This time the salad was a little over-dressed and the salmon (expertly prepared) was on a bed of over dressed veggies. The cocktails are quite good with a unique variety. Donna, our server is a pro and always is looking out for her patrons. Of course we'll be back!
Anne
We specifically went to this restaurant because they have bouillabaisse on their menu, and it is impossible to describe how bad it was. The seafood was good; however instead of a saffron-infused broth, there was a poor creamy sauce---even the aioli lacked flavor. To top it off, the crepes suzettes for dessert were swimming in a strawberry sauce, certainly anything but a traditional presentation. It is difficult to understand how this restaurant is highly rated for its French cuisine. This was one of the worst meals that I have had in a long time even neglecting what it was supposed to be. It was way too expensive for the quality of the food. I have eaten at Michelin restaurants in France, so I have a knowledgeable basis for this review.
Tara
Disappointing and an 'almost' across the board - food presentation, taste, and service. The escargot was inauthentic small little chewy nubs smothered in bland ground spinach/herbs topped with puff pastry cutouts (which taken together lacked flavor in a surprising way), the gnocchi were both burned on a flat top and doughy, the onion soup had no onions, thick slices of bread with little cheese. The steak my daughter ordered was good, definitely the best item we tried. Our wait for water, ordering, and between courses was long and our server made no connection from start to finish. The meal felt like waiting at a train station, we left happy to simply get out of there after just under two hours. It took 50 minutes to receive our first course which set the tone for the rest of the service and meal.
Alexandra
While Zola's been around now a few years, they've kept up and even exceeded expectations! Great management, staff/service and food quality better than ever! Kudos and merci bien, Alexandra
Friendly staff, good atmosphere, fun decor. Gnocchi is vegetarian dish is very good. Duck breast and sausage dish is also good. The onion soup is mushroom soup base give it a different twist but a tad salty. Escargot and octopus carpaccio were very good too. Good wine list and menu options.
Nancy
Zola + Bar Zola is always fun. Good food, good staff, good vibe. And great location. On the pricey side, but not overly so. Good value for the money. Fresh, high quality ingredients and creative preparations.
Joe
Great drinks, great food, friendly attentive service. Lot of vegetarian options for my colleagues from India. Perfect night for sitting out under the outdoor awning.
Gabi
I came later in the evening with a friend, and it was lovely that I was open a bit later than most restaurants in the area. We sat in the bar, which was lovely, quiet and dimly lit just the way I like it. The server was kind and talkative as well as informative about the dishes. We got the most wonderful peach, burrata, tomato salad, a vegetable terrine that was out of sight, lovely wine and cocktails as well as some crusted bread and butter... we're not rushed out at the end and could finish leisurely and just had a really lovely evening. It's quite expensive but really such a wonderful place to dine. The ambience is lovely as well. I'll definitely be back.
Don
We didn't love it. We ordered Escargot, they were overcooked, rubbery, and dry and there was zero garlicky butter to drench bread in - and isn't that half the point? The French Onion Soup's broth was actually too strong, it tasted like it was condensed but never watered down or brought to the right concentration. The Parker House Rolls were excellent and the Parisian Gnocchi was fine. Cocktails were great. We were also right by the kitchen and they were blasting music; I get it, it makes the day go by, but not when it bleeds into the dining room and ruins the dinner vibe.
A warm and welcoming hostess who showed us to our table. Nice non-alcoholic cocktails offerings. Menu options of fromage/charcuterie, burrata & melon salads, steak/frites & salmon entrees were all well prepared and delicious. Dessert of galette and chocolate mousse were good. Now as for the service, our waiter completely forgot an ordered soup, but it was to late to serve. He also forgot to ask a diner his choice of dish - we kind of all stared at each other as though I was invisible? Unfortunately, I was the table's host and paying the bill. It was too bad our waiter was really not interested in the restaurant's menu or his job, but by golly that 20% tip was already highlighted on his hand-held computer. Bottomline, food was very good, but the service was definitely "off."
Eat here on a Thursday night. The booked table was very small feels like a coffee table. Chair and sofa wasn't comfortable. The main entry took soo long to served. The space between tables was small. I almost hit others when moving outside. And people next to me was too loud. The food was delicious, especially the octopus starter. The buck breast was also nice but I kind of lost appetite after waiting so long.
The food was fine but could been better. Service and ambiance are great. It's dark, which makes the mood very intimate for a private conversation. I went when there were a lot of people there but I didn't feel distracted by the other people in the restaurant and could focus on my catch up conversation with a friend. Solid drink menu.
Had another delcious meal at Zola to celebrate a birthday. The staff was lovely and included a happy birthday card for our guest! We had a great meal and it made the birthday super memorable!
Fantastic food. Dinner has always been wonderful at Bar Zola; & that keeps us coming back. Choose the dining room if you want a more quiet environment vs the bar/bar table.
This is easily the best restaurant in Palo Alto. Service is amazing. Drinks are outstanding. Food is out of this world.
I really like this restaurant. Food is very good. This time the salad was a little over-dressed and the salmon (expertly prepared) was on a bed of over dressed veggies. The cocktails are quite good with a unique variety. Donna, our server is a pro and always is looking out for her patrons. Of course we'll be back!
We specifically went to this restaurant because they have bouillabaisse on their menu, and it is impossible to describe how bad it was. The seafood was good; however instead of a saffron-infused broth, there was a poor creamy sauce---even the aioli lacked flavor. To top it off, the crepes suzettes for dessert were swimming in a strawberry sauce, certainly anything but a traditional presentation. It is difficult to understand how this restaurant is highly rated for its French cuisine. This was one of the worst meals that I have had in a long time even neglecting what it was supposed to be. It was way too expensive for the quality of the food. I have eaten at Michelin restaurants in France, so I have a knowledgeable basis for this review.
Disappointing and an 'almost' across the board - food presentation, taste, and service. The escargot was inauthentic small little chewy nubs smothered in bland ground spinach/herbs topped with puff pastry cutouts (which taken together lacked flavor in a surprising way), the gnocchi were both burned on a flat top and doughy, the onion soup had no onions, thick slices of bread with little cheese. The steak my daughter ordered was good, definitely the best item we tried. Our wait for water, ordering, and between courses was long and our server made no connection from start to finish. The meal felt like waiting at a train station, we left happy to simply get out of there after just under two hours. It took 50 minutes to receive our first course which set the tone for the rest of the service and meal.
While Zola's been around now a few years, they've kept up and even exceeded expectations! Great management, staff/service and food quality better than ever! Kudos and merci bien, Alexandra
Restaurantji Recommends
Friendly staff, good atmosphere, fun decor. Gnocchi is vegetarian dish is very good. Duck breast and sausage dish is also good. The onion soup is mushroom soup base give it a different twist but a tad salty. Escargot and octopus carpaccio were very good too. Good wine list and menu options.
Zola + Bar Zola is always fun. Good food, good staff, good vibe. And great location. On the pricey side, but not overly so. Good value for the money. Fresh, high quality ingredients and creative preparations.
Great drinks, great food, friendly attentive service. Lot of vegetarian options for my colleagues from India. Perfect night for sitting out under the outdoor awning.
I came later in the evening with a friend, and it was lovely that I was open a bit later than most restaurants in the area. We sat in the bar, which was lovely, quiet and dimly lit just the way I like it. The server was kind and talkative as well as informative about the dishes. We got the most wonderful peach, burrata, tomato salad, a vegetable terrine that was out of sight, lovely wine and cocktails as well as some crusted bread and butter... we're not rushed out at the end and could finish leisurely and just had a really lovely evening. It's quite expensive but really such a wonderful place to dine. The ambience is lovely as well. I'll definitely be back.
We didn't love it. We ordered Escargot, they were overcooked, rubbery, and dry and there was zero garlicky butter to drench bread in - and isn't that half the point? The French Onion Soup's broth was actually too strong, it tasted like it was condensed but never watered down or brought to the right concentration. The Parker House Rolls were excellent and the Parisian Gnocchi was fine. Cocktails were great. We were also right by the kitchen and they were blasting music; I get it, it makes the day go by, but not when it bleeds into the dining room and ruins the dinner vibe.
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