Bistro Elan

Amazing place with the most wonderful and kind staff. Food was excellent and unique, very seasonal and fresh. Love outdoor space and the music. 10/10

The food is OK-ish. It has been a while since the last time I ate at this place (more than 6 years...), and the quality is not as good as I remember it. A bit overpriced for what it is, but well within bounds of "typical Palo Alto"...

There's a secret hotdog counter here on Sundays during the Farmer's Market. 1940s vibes, really tasty dog on an Acme bun with grilled whole peppers, onions, and sauerkraut.

Our go-to place for special occasions or last minute Friday night dinner. Special for more than 20 years.

This is our "go to" place for special occasions and this visit was a little disappointing. I usually go for the steak frite, but with beets...no thanks. The duck was a little over cooked and the crab bugatini was too spicy. Brocoli soup, oysters, frites were top notch. We'll. come back.

I don’t know why this restaurant doesn’t have a line outside the door! The food is always delicious and fresh. The menu is small but PERFECT. They change things up slightly seasonally and I’ve never eaten anything there that wasn’t 10/10.

Loved this place. Picked it randomly while looking for a place to celebrate my husband's birthday and we absolutely loved it. Everything we tried on the menu was delicious from the salmon waffles, the entrees of mussels and fries, scallops and finally the dessert. It's not expensive compared to the quality of the food. Service was good, although a little bit on the slower side. Food was nicely presented.

Updating a previous review on this place: we tried it again and were quite happy with the food and service. It's still disappointing there is no vegetarian main on the menu but the options they provided were very good. Excellent wine list, good service, nice atmosphere. Glad we tried again!

Tucked away in Palo Alto, this eaterie is a gem! With an occupancy max of 24, this allows it to be a charming and quiet place to catch up. The staff is friendly and with impeccable timing. The food is sooo good! We had the steak and the bucatini, both seasoned to perfection. The steak came out beautifully. Clearly a family owned business, this place is worth a try.

AMAZING meal here. They don't have the nicest patio in this neighborhood - it's tighter than the expansive ones on California Ave. And the servers tried to be unobtrusive. But the tiny menu had so many standout dishes. My friend and I split: --chilled cucumber soup (subtle and refreshing) --Smoked Salmon on a potato waffle with dill crème fraiche --bucatini with eggplant & tomato sauce (a flavor BOMB) -- local lingcod with fried capers in a brown butter shallot sauce with sautéed spinach: AMAZING. We loved it. Other things: The complimentary bread was nothing to write home about. The amuse bouche was refreshing. The wine list had some affordable gems. We enjoyed our bottle of Alsatian Riesling for $35. Overall, if you care more about the FOOD than just the patio, come straight here. We'll be remembering this meal for a long time!

Really wanted to enjoy the restaurant- have been many times before. Prices have increased so expectations have increased. Crab pasta was tasteless, crunchy (!) because of too many chopped peppers and bucatini that was not quite al dente. Rare steak was literally blue- inedible. At over $200 for two that included dessert, the meal was not worth it. Will probably not return.

At Bistro Elan off of California Ave in Palo Alto having the best ling cod I've ever had outside of Chicago. Barry's preparation of crusted ling cod is so damn good, I slow down when I eat it so I can savor every morsel.

Flavorful fresh food, friendly service. This may be my new go to date spot in the peninsula! FOOD: - Acme bread - smoked salmon waffle $19 (YAY): loved the dill crème fraiche. Waffle was good, but couldn't really note the potato. - scallops $38 (YAY): perfectly cooked, loved the basil oil it was served with and the fresh tomato salad that had a slight red wine vinegar marinade taste to it - steak $39 (YAY): S.O said the steak was perfectly cooked. Tomato salad on point and the fries were excellent as well Reservations available via Tock. Would come back!

This restaurant served delicious scallops for dinner, leeks on the side. excellent service. A beautiful evening outside. Highly recommend.

We were excited to go to Bistro Elan as it looks so cute from the outside. We went to celebrate my husband's birthday, but sadly this restaurant was a big disappointment. Located near the popular California Avenue in Palo Alto, this restaurant is on a side street which, unlike Cal Ave., is not blocked to traffic. There is plenty of parking in 2 nearby lots. The restaurant itself is very small - only seating 24 people. The restaurant bills itself as "California-French" cuisine and the menu is very small, with all the dishes having a French flair. The service in this small establishment was on point. Our biggest disappointment was the food. We started with the sautéed broccolini with spring garlic, burrata cheese, breadcrumbs, and balsamic reduction. The broccolini was perfectly cooked, and the creaminess from the burratta made this a delicious if not somewhat filling appetizer. We also tried the potato waffle with smoked salmon, cucumber, and crème fraiche which was simply a dry waffle with a few slices of smoked salmon on top, with a side of creamy chopped cucumber. To me, this dish was uninspired. I took the salmon off the waffle, spread the creamy cucumber on the waffle, and then dropped the salmon back on top. Minor change, but the addition of the creamy cucumber directly on the dry waffle helped quite a bit. Not a bad dish, but the execution was just a little off. For entrees, we had the gremolata-crusted Petrale Sole with sautéed spinach and fried capers. This was quite good. The fish was perfectly cooked, and the fried capers added a nice little crunch. The other dish we tried was a Duck Leg Confit with frisée, kohlrabi, smoked duck breast, and green beans. Sadly, this dish was a total failure. Duck Confit is a popular French dish in which the duck is slowly cooked in duck fat until the meat is meltingly tender, and then the skin is crisped. When done correctly you end up with a soft, tender duck leg with a crunch from the delicate crisp skin. However, the Duck Confit we were served at Bistro Elan was not tender at all - it was incredibly tough, and nearly impossible to cut through. For a chef in a French restaurant to not know how to cook Duck Confit correctly is a huge miss. The Duck Confit made it into a to-go bag and our dogs enjoyed it with their dinner, but we were disappointed that it was not something we could eat. My advice to this restaurant - if you can't make a traditional dish correctly it's best to take it off the menu.

A gem in the new Palo Alto. Great food, great wine. The specials (Bay Scallops and Duck Meatballs), Caesar salad with buquerones. Great Madeira. Chocolate sorbet was intense. A great bday celebration. Keep it going!

Went to Bistro Elan based on some word-of-mouth recommendations. Big mistake. After reading the recent reviews here, I probably would have made the same mistake. The ambience is charming, but the food was a big disappointment. Tried the waffle with salmon appetizer, and it was just bland. The waffle was tasteless, as was the cucumber sauce. We also ordered the pear and prosciutto with greens, but someone forgot to wash the greens, as their was sand/dirt on the greens that was experienced by all of us sharing this dish. We returned it. They offered to remake or we could order something else, but since all the other appetizers were salads, we opted to pass. We ordered three entrees to share: the halibut special, the sea scallops, and the cannelloni. Bland, bland, and bland. The cannelloni was especially disappointing, as the pasta was extremely mushy and the tomato sauce seemed to be there primarily to add some color. The best food of the evening were the tiny "complimentary" crab cakes. They should consider adding this to the appetizer list. A saw a recent review that described this place as the best restaurant in Palo Alto. Having eaten in many Palo Alto restaurants, I have to strongly disagree with that reviewer.

Delish seafood in a warm, intimate neighborhood bistro with the most charming waiter! Desserts were really tasty too.

My long favorite restaurant in Palo Alto over decades from previous location. Friendly staff and tasty food. Cozy small size bistro with open kitchen. I feel very comfortable solo dining at their counter table. Many of other customers are also longtime patrons. Highly recommended

Can't believe I haven't reviewed this place as it's one of our local go to favorites. Always solid food in a casual environment. 4.5 stars Food: 4.5, Atmosphere: 4, Service: 4 Cost to worth it rating: 4 Return worthiness: yes Highlights: - Consistent: never had less than a delicious meal here. - Small: only a few tables inside and now a few in the covered patio outside - Dungeness crab bisque: delightfully balanced between light and creamy with chucks of fresh crab. 5 stars - Flat iron steak: 5 stars from my 8 year old steak fan. Cooked well and leaving the meat juicy and tender. Served with a big pile of fries. - Duck confit: always great with he crispy exterior and tender meat inside seasoned with just enough salt. 4.5 stars - Petrale sole: tender slice of fish with a fantastic citrusy ver blanc sauce. 4.5 stars - Pot de creme: all that you want in a French bistro dessert. Good texture between firm and soft and not too sweet. 4 stars Midlights: - Limited menu: I'm fine with them perfecting a few dishes but just a heads up if you have any picky eaters in your party. Lowlights: - Only open Wed-Sat nights and limited reservations due to size Still a fave of ours and will keep coming back. 8-)

I have been going to Bistro Elan since they were around the corner on California Avenue. It is always been top-notch, with inspired seasonal menus, great service, and relaxed ambience. If you are mid-peninsula and you want to impress, go to Bistro Elan.

A true gem. Barry & his staff prepare amazing dishes using the f2f concept. All the meals are delicious. The seared scallops are a personal favorite. Make sure to leave room for desert!

The best food , in birch street The mussels were delicious , baja oysters, were yummy

I just had lunch at this little Bistro where not only was the sole fresh and the greens heavenly with the service exemplary, but my goodness it was fine to be with my old friend after all this time-The Bistro Elan is one of those places that wraps you in comfort-with just a jigger of panache. And what good coffee!

This restaurant has seriously deteriorated since I began visiting it. Last night the duck confit was tremendously overcooked leaving the meat dry and tough. Service was indifferent and not very good. Overall, one of the best restaurants in Palo Alto at one time is no longer.

By far the best fine dining experience I've had in PA. Reasonable prices for the quality, nice wine list, and amazing service. Not too pretentious. Get the asparagus.

We were very pleasantly surprised by this restaurant given it only has 3.5 stars on Yelp - we always walk by and it's usually full so we figured we'd give it a try. Both the food and service were very good, the foie gras appetizer special was to die for. They were a little lacking in the vegetarian options for my partner, but were able to make the pasta without meat for him for his entree. Just as a heads up they do have a 20% service fee/gratuity that's included. Excited to have this cute little bistro nearby, we will definitely be coming back for special occasions!

We have been in Bistro Elan several times. It is a small restaurant, but is worth visiting and driving. The food is delicious and very creative. it is definitely the place for foodies. All food is well prepared and has it is own recipe. The portions are not very big, which is typical for high end restaurants where you normally order appetizers, main course and dessert. The prices for a quality of the food are not high and very reasonable. It is one of the best restaurants in California street. It is necessary to make reservations for dinner due to the size of this boutique restaurants. Highly recommend.

I had lunch with 2 friends on Wednesday and was so impressed with this place that I came back on Friday with my husband for dinner. The food was super fresh and everything lovingly prepared. Bistro Elan's Petrale sole was perfectly cooked. The dessert came with cream whipped at the last minute. The restaurant had impeccable service and comfortable atmosphere. If you want a great meal without an outrageous price, this is the place to go.

My husband and I tried this place for the first time recently. We had a delicious lunch feast - oysters, mussels, steak frites, and cod. We shared the chocolate mouse for dessert and it came with these phenomenal cookies that they bake in-house. We appreciate that they have a curated menu of select items. We had friendly and attentive service. One of the best meals we've had in a while. Will definitely come back.

Bistro Elan may no longer be serving lunch but their new bistro around the corner is. Only a few months old, they're serving up an eclectic mix of new American and European influenced fare. There's some outside seating for these new spring days plus a compact dining area in the restaurant proper. After perusing the menu we opted for: -Swedish Yellow Pea Soup with Ham and Dijon -Minute Steak with Bistro Fries and Foie Gras Butter -Spaghetti alla Amatriciana with Tomato, Guanciale, Parmesan and Pecorino Entrees come with an Acme Levain roll. Food was excellent as was the service. I think our iced teas (and carafes) were refilled man times and all of the staff were smiles and timeliness. They're committed to using the local farmers market for ingredients and Im sure the menu will rotate with availability of those items. If I hadn't had to go back for work I'd have lounged outside and gotten dessert. Excellent opening and you can be sure I'll be back to try some of the other selections.

This was the best restaurant meal I have had since the beginning of the pandemic. Simple French food prepared perfectly. The outside area is stylish, protected from the wind, and comfortable. The service was attentive without being overbearing. I wish I didn't live 30 miles away so that I could be a regular!

I forgot to mention an odd detail... 18% service charge added to the bill... is this a new standard in Palo Alto? I thought the tips were decided by the customer (in parties less than 8 -- we were just two).

Where can I start?! What first caught my eye before my tastebuds was how super clean and quaint the bistro is. The menu changes and it all about the chef and his mood but a great always. Try the burger for lunch or everything.

Small restaurant, airy ambiance. Bistro Elan has always been a longtime favorite. However, the service has gotten to a level where I don't know if I'd ever go back. Made a reservation for 4, while a friend made one for 2. Called to ask and see if all 6 people could sit together. Instead of discussing potential options, the lady working at Bistro Elan simply said this was not possible and that she was going to cancel both reservations. I asked for five minutes to confer with the rest of the party, only to receive an automated reservation cancellation email within seconds of hanging up. Great alternatives to Bistro Elan would be Village Pub or Madera at the Rosewood hotel.

I want to give them 5+ for the food. I thought the food was delicious and beyond anything I've experienced before. Their wine list was great and not too pricey. Their specials were unique and wonderful. All the dishes came out prepared exactly the way we wanted and the food was delicious. The space is tight but it's an intimate feel which I like. Let's talk about the way I was treated at the beginning of the dinner. I walked into the restaurant about 10 mins early and was greeted by a woman. She saw me and assumed maybe I was poor or a person of color and didn't want to deal with me or want me in the restaurant. It was the strangest thing ever. I had a reservation at 8:00pm for a table of three and there was a table free inside but she refused to seat us looking around to see where she could sit us, ODD. I was waiting for another person to arrive in which case I said I will have a drink and sit outside. Mind you it is freezing cold out and there was minimal heat lanterns. As I walked outside, she said to the waiter "hopefully they will sit outside". I turned out and said "excuse me". When the last person of my party arrived, she still didn't want to seat us saying your reservation was at 8pm and now it was 8:10pm. She kept insisting we were wrong with the time. When we started to get frustrated, and made a scene, she finally gave us the seat that was inside, the table I was talking about before. She said "ok let's seat you inside at that table for 4, it's complicated how we work the seating", RIGHT OK. The group that had this table showed up 30mins late, so I am not sure why she was delayed us. It's a a shame this happened because the food was absolutely delicious. They need to get a new hostess who is good with greeting people and making them feel good instead of what I went through.

We have some darn good restaurants in our neighborhood, but Bistro Elan is my favorite. Their food is amazing. I have loved every dish I've had, from a simple salad to a tantalizing steak to scrumptious scallops, and loads more. The restaurant has that true California cuisine vibe, with a strong French influence. The chef shops farmers markets daily, so everything is super-fresh. I'm puzzled by reviewers saying that the place rushes you out -- we've been customers for more than 20 years, and that hasn't happened even once. In the French style, it's a leisurely dinner that begins with a tasty amuse bouche. Unlike the French style the staff is friendly, efficient and helpful. I also don't understand the complaints about small portions. I'm wondering what these people expect -- Olive Garden? I've never left hungry and most often I can't even finish my dinner. The portions aren't gigantic, but they're not small either. Just a normal portion of incredible food. I highly recommend Bistro Elan. I wish I could go there every night!

yes, good food but they have a older, grumpy waiter who is not so good at his job and is irritable. The younger waitstaff guy was normal and nice with prompt service. I saw the older waiter turn away an Asian party of 2 women at 7:50pm ..... They close at 9 pm.

Food is just great. Just a pleasure from beginning to end: Appetizers, main course, and dessert.

We never got a chance to experience the food but only the extraordinary -- and truly jaw-dropping-- rude service of the hostess as described in recent reviews. As a side dish we received additional hostility from her male colleague. This is what happened : Our daughter had recently undergone brain surgery for a tumor at nearby Stanford. Family was in town to visit her in the hospital; it was also my birthday. It was the first evening we felt comfortable leaving our daughter's side to eat a meal out. She was recovering well and we were all feeling relieved and happy. Our reservation was for 7:30 p.m. The restaurant is 10 minutes from the hospital. My daughter was settled and comfortable at 7:30, and we headed out at that time. As I was googling the restaurant to call and say we would be a few minutes late, the lady in question called me at 7:40 to ask if we were still coming. I said yes, we were minutes away, and apologized for the delay. When we arrived we were "greeted" by both the lady and her male colleague. I gave our name. The male colleague replied with instant sarcasm. "Oh, these are the people who are late." The lady stared at me and said, "I had to give your table away." She pointed to a table by the door that was indeed full. Bear in mind I'd confirmed by text the day before -- and of course had only spoken to her moments ago. She said she would try "work it out" as she led us to a bar area. When I asked why she had given our table away, especially as we'd just re-confirmed, she re-iterated that we were late. The man meanwhile was glowering at us. Growing agitated that now we might not be seated for a long time -- my 82-year-old mother was with us, still on East Coast time -- I said quietly, "Look, we've just come from the hospital where my daughter has had brain surgery, it's my birthday, and we really just want to have a good evening." She looked straight at me and said -- wait for it! -- "Why is that my problem?" I was so astonished by her hostility and complete lack of compassion that I turned to the surly man and repeated what I had just said. He rolled his eyes and said "Long story." And the woman again said, "I don't know why you are making this my problem." At that moment my husband entered the restaurant (he had been parking the car across the street). He saw my distressed and stricken face. I told him I thought it was best we leave. The man said, "Yes, go." My husband asked what happened. I told him. By this point the nearby diners were all watching in horror (it's a tiny place). The woman and man continued to defend their appalling behavior as we walked out the door. Afterwards we stood outside, absolutely gobsmacked, and wondering where we might find a table on a busy Saturday night at 8 p.m. But it didn't end there: The lady FOLLOWED US OUT and continued to harangue us. By this point I was near tears and trembling, and I asked her how could she be so heartless towards someone who she knew whose child was hospitalized after brain surgery. She came up real close to my face and said, "Do you know how crazy you sound right now? You sound INSANE!!" And then she laughed. I turned away. My husband stepped toward her angrily. As if in a bid for sympathy from him, she said: "Look I'm just trying to run a shitty little restaurant here." He assured that her she was succeeding, that her restaurant ranked as maybe the shittiest restaurant ever, indeed a contender for the Guinness Book of World Records for shitty restaurants. Now I see from these other reviews that our treatment was not unique; just maybe the most extreme. Thank goodness for Open Table, as we discovered nearby Nobu could seat us at that moment. Of course there our party was warmly welcomed, the food and service were superb, and we managed to recover our hopeful spirits. FWIW this is the first negative review I've ever written on Yelp. So many people do so much good work in a difficult industry, it's a pleasure to recognize and praise them. But this is a case where a public service warning seems necessary. The owners of Bistro Elan really should consider taking up prefabricated food preparation - perhaps on contract for an airline or something - anything where they can put their culinary skills to work without human contact. They authentically seem to hate the people they serve, and as these reviews attest, their hatred shows.

Just discovered that my favorite dinner spot in Palo Alto also serves lunch a few days a week. Barry's pasta and a slice of almond cake (with perfect, soft whipped cream and raspberries) brightened a recent rainy day. The food here is always wonderful and the service unfailingly cheerful and efficient.

I ate here a few months back and the food was okay renditions of some French classics with a few twists on a very limited menu. The service, however, was brusque at the time and I didn't think to review. Friends of mine have received terrible service here and it just affirms that my so-so experience was above average. This is not a good place to go.

Rude, rude, rude!!!! Go elsewhere. The owners hate you! And they'll make you wait even if you have a reservation.

This is by far my favorite restaurant in Palo Alto. I have gone many times & have never been disappointed in any dish I've tried. I almost always order the scallops here; they cook them perfectly. The current preparation, with sides of spinach, Japanese sweet potato gratin and balsamic brown butter, might be my favorite one yet. If you haven't checked this place out yet, do yourself a favor and go now. Other dishes I highly recommend are the steak and the petrale sole. (Best ___: Best Restaurant in Palo Alto)

I loved this place when it was on California Ave, a million years ago. Our family continued to love this place when it down-sized to Birch St. and have gone there about 5 times a year ever since it moved. Now COVID has hit us, which left us with curbside -- we enjoy curbside every couple of weeks. The food is a pleasure in every way, the wine is reasonably priced, the people working there are great. We've never had a bad experience. The menu is small but well crafted. I expect you'll enjoy it too.

It seemed as if they forgot that the customer is an important part of a restaurant, that somehow I should just be glad to be there on the weight of the place having a safisticated sounding name in a bourgeois location. Mediocre food (done well though), tap water instead of filtered and a really intense server that made me feel rushed and uncomfortable instead of well Taken care of.

While this bistro is cute, and the food well-prepared: 1) it is incredibly tight inside 2) the wine list is pricey 3) the food is pricier 4) the portions are beyond small 'Nuf said!

Extremely overpriced. My girlfriend got a simple spaghetti dish that was 26 dollars, and tasted like I left the pasta in double the time by mistake. I ordered a leg of duck dish, which was okay at best. The icing on the cake was that we bought fries for 7.5, which tasted like flavorless cold McDonads fries. Wouldn't recommend what so ever.

A bit pricey but delicious and great ambiance. I had the little gems salad and duck confit-- both were a treat. Husband had tomato soup and scallops. Everything tasted fresh, many ingredients were local. Apple crumble dessert hit the spot.

The food is great and service is great, too. Reason for three stars only is the portion of food is tiny with the price. Guess the cost in Palo Alto is just too high!

I ordered curb-side pickup last night. The ahi tuna nicoise salad was outstanding, the tuna perfectly seared on the outside, rare on the inside, the vegetables perfectly done & accompanied by a good dressing. I also got a delicious Caesar salad, waffle with smoked salmon, olive oil cake and chocolate chunk cookie. All were delicious. Will definitely order from Bistro Elan soon again. Catherine M.

A favorite in the before-times, a go-to takeout place during the the pandemic, and looking forward to many more great meals. Everything is beautifully done - especially check out the steak and frites!

Stumbled on this place with some friends and decided to try it! Food is amazing - wine fabulous. Definitely check it out and order the mussels (best I've had since a French place in Amsterdam years ago)

The low reviews for this restaurant is completely unjustified! The food was delicious and service was even though a little slow, was quite friendly. We got to the restaurant about 7pm and was seated immediately, it's a very small space and about half filled when we arrived (although it filled up pretty quickly), couple outdoor tables with heating lamps, very nice ambiance. Greeted with menus, bread, and complementary amuse bouche of cured salmon on chips. We shared a fresh dungeness crab salad to start, that came out really fast. I was kind of expecting the salad to come with lettuce, but it didn't, even better no fillers! Thin sliced avocados, gravenstein apples, crab, crushed toasted pistachios. The vinegar dressing on the apples had a very sharp bite, it was a great compliment to the creamy of the avocados and softness of the crab. The portion is pretty small, I can definitely eat that all by myself. For the entree, I got the Sonoma duck leg confit with pea and cherry tomato risotto, and my friend got the pain seared sea scallops with corn pancake and cherry tomatoes with roasted corn. Both were excellent! I liked both of the starches better than the protein. My risotto was super decadent, creamy but not too rich, great flavor with just enough acid from the tomatoes. The pancake had a thin caramelized crunch on the outside, and the inside was melt-in-your-mouth soft! I was expecting a denser pancake texture, that was such a pleasant surprise! The duck and scallops were seasoned and cooked perfectly too. The only that wasn't good was the hard-as-a-rock bread. For such a tiny place, I can imagine lunch time being a bit overwhelming. Good food takes time to prepare, and you want to take the time to enjoy it, so I would recommend coming here for a leisurely dinner when you are not in a rush to get somewhere.

Wonderfully crafter food. We ordered scallops and méat balls. Probably the best meatballs I've ever tried. Side dishes and garnish well balanced. Will definitely come back !!!! Small menue but perfect variety, something for everyone.

Really rude servers and disrespectful. Likely will change hands again soon. Don't come here. Not worth the reservation.

This bistro is amazing and I highly recommend it. Great food, wine and service. It is also dog friendly.