Menlo Tavern

This place was exceptional. Had dinner for a business meeting while here and we were blown away. Had drinks at the bar while we waited for our party and made friends fast with the bartender as well as the locals at the bar. Once we were seated, we were routinely checked on by multiple servers which added a nice touch. The food was phenomenal! I had the pork belly risotto which was so good. I highly recommend.

Unbelievable care by staff and chef himself. Beyond delicious food and drinks. Great rock group. Terrific night out!!!

special shoutout to Eliana, Martha (these ladies especially) Ana, and Oscar for making our dining experience exceptional always. They work so hard and deserve to be recognized! Just insanely delicious gourmet food with exceptional plating, attention to detail. Seriously compliments to the chef. I mean the food is just good! We come here all the time, everything’s fresh and gourmet , bread tastes freshly baked in house. Quality of the salmon is to die for. Quality of the coffee is incredible. I think what sets this place apart is the attention to detail and quality of the staff. Happy birthday Martha by the way ☺️. Thank you to all for always taking such great care of us.

10/10 restaurant! We always order the Tavern Burger, it's the best burger in the Bay Area (I'm not kidding). The quality of ingredients used and the overall flavor remains unmatched. The service is also amazing, Erica and Daniel are the best (they always make sure the meals are perfect and we have everything we need while dining at the restaurant). We've been coming here for about a year and we love it. Super family friendly. The live music is also great!

We came for a friend's band. We were able to get seats nearby. We ordered dessert and drinks. My friends said their old fashion was perfect. The bread pudding with apples and vanilla gelato was great. Not too sweet and went well with lattes. Service was nice, the atmosphere cozy. It is a beautiful venue for a party.

The team at Menlo Park Tavern truly knows how to make every visit unforgettable! Whether you’re stopping by for a quick, exquisite beverage or settling in for a delicious meal, this spot is an absolute gem. Ron, the bartender, crafts drinks with such precision and creativity that each sip feels like an experience. Oscar, our server, was attentive, personable, and ensured every detail of our meal was perfect. And Marilyn, the manager, ties it all together with her warm, welcoming presence and seamless leadership. Their magical touch makes Menlo Park Tavern a standout destination for convenience and culinary excellence! Highly recommend!

I've grown up in Silicon Valley, and Menlo Tavern has been a favorite with my family. It's a small, intimate restaurant with excellent food. It's great for lunch or dinner​! ​All of the servers are lovely​.​.. very warm and very caring. When I ordered hot water, one of them brought a full teapot of hot water which demonstrated their care, in advance. Today I had salmon with brussel sprouts and roasted carrots and a very lovely chocolate on chocolate chip ice cream and vanilla ice cream for dessert. It's a beautiful and kind environment and wonderfully run.​ Five stars to Menlo Tavern​!

Come here for the atmosphere and drinks (food was mostly forgettable). The outdoor dining was so pleasant and we loved the live music! Appetizers were decent, but main meals were just ok. Steak was overcooked. Sides for the braised beef were very heavy. Service was attentive and friendly. Would give 3.5 stars overall if possible.

Their French fries!!!! Amazing! We were there for brunch and live band, Slack Tide Current. We also ordered apple pie French toast and Ruben sandwich. Everything was good including service. Although French fries are amazing, it's $19! And our main dishes were $22-24. So it's a very expensive appetizer. We will def go back there sometimes. Just not an every weekend kind of place for us. Their outdoor area is very nice also.

I've grown up in Silicon Valley, and Menlo Tavern has been a favorite with my family. It's a small, intimate restaurant with excellent food. It's great for lunch or dinner​! ​All of the servers are lovely​.​.. very warm and very caring. When I ordered hot water, one of them brought a full teapot of hot water which demonstrated their care, in advance. Today I had salmon with brussel sprouts and roasted carrots and a very lovely chocolate on chocolate chip ice cream and vanilla ice cream for dessert. It's a beautiful and kind environment and wonderfully run.​ Five stars to Menlo Tavern​!

I have frequented this restaurant for over three decades: when it was the Duck Club, then the Menlo Grill, and now the Menlo Tavern. My family has eaten there at least 60 times; it was a favorite. It is a favorite no more. On Christmas evening we four went there for dinner. We explained that my daughter is dangerously allergic to nuts and asked whether specific dishes were free from them. Accordingly, when her and my bowls of Butter Nut Squash Soup arrived, the garnish of sour creme, pine nuts, and parsley was on my soup but missing from hers. Just right,. Later in the meal, though, she wanted to share my bacon-fried Brussels Sprouts and we asked the waiter to check with the chef to make sure there was no danger of nuts. He returned and assured us that the sprouts were safe. Feeling safe, my daughter ate two sprouts, announced that she had eaten a nut, and rushed to the restroom to inject herself with her Epipen. I looked in my sprouts and found three pine nuts, which I took to the front desk and showed the Maitre d' while waiting for my daughter to emerge from the restroom. The Maitre d' said they were not pine nuts but pumpkin seeds--which was absurd because they were exactly the same as the pine nuts in the soup garnish, which the chef had removed; because I know what pine nuts are; and because my daughter is not allergic to pumpkin seeds. We immediately drove to Stanford Hospital, where my daughter was hooked up to an IV and pumped full of anti-allergy medication and observed for the mandatory five hours. The next week I received three calls from Menlo Tavern asking me to contact the restaurant. I called twice but no one bothered to pick up the phone. This is NOT the same restaurant it used to be.

We had breakfast and also happy hour here. The vibes are chill and the service is Excellent. The food and menu are great too. Lots of university people here too it seemed more administrators and professors than students.

The food here is pretty food. My group ordered a flatbread and the charcuterie board to start. The board was just okay. It was lackluster and was not worth the price. I ordered a mushroom dish, and the other people in my group ordered a burger and the rack of lamb. The entrees were good. Service was really slow and it was hard to get ahold of anyone or drink refills. The vibes are nice outside though, there was a band performing during our meal.

Stayed at Stanford Park Hotel. Menlo Tavern is an excellent on-site restaurant. Salmon and Bagel and huckleberry pancakes was a great start to the day for breakfast. For lunch calamari, fire roasted tomato soup. Dinner sourdough bread, butternut squash soup, prime filet mignon. Great experience, excellent food! Cozy dining area, we're seated quickly. Staff very attentive. For the quality of food, the price is what you would expect in Menlo Park. Breakfast 7am to 10:30am, Monday through Friday Lunch 11am to 2:30pm, Monday through Friday Dinner 5pm to 9pm nightly Bar open: 4pm to 10pm nightly Weekend Brunch 7am - 2pm, Saturday and Sunday Worth checking out Menlo Tavern even if you are not a guest at the hotel. Plenty of parking. Reservations not needed, but suggested. Enjoy!

We had a light lunch of pancetta flatbread and shared a Caesar salad. The flatbread had mozzarella was very delicious and the Caesar salad had a nice light dressing. We also ordered some Mocktails, forgot which ones, but they were refreshing. The server was very attentive and friendly. The atmosphere was quiet, easy to have a nice conversation with my daughters. Their menu was extensive but we were not hungry and just needed something light as it was already 2pm and we had dinner reservations elsewhere for 6pm. This is a nice place to get together with friends and family, very cozy and good staff members. Highly recommended.

Went here tonight for Thanksgiving dinner with close friends. Oscar was our waiter. He was phenomenal. For the Christmas holidays they have waived the corkage fee so I brought a bottle of Pierre Jouet Champagne and Mi Sueño Pinot Noir. I had the traditional turkey Thanksgiving dinner. Everything was above phenomenal. My friends had the salmon, the filet mignon medium rare, and the pork chop. We were all so very impressed with the ambience, the comfortable seating, the food and the service .

Menlo Tavern is a truly hidden gem. I love the ambiance. In summer, they close the indoor seating for dinner and have it in a beautiful courtyard instead. There are plenty of heaters and some group seatings with fire pits. I visited the place on Monday and sat at the indoor lounge. I had the fried duck confit which didn't take too long to come out. The food portion was quite generous, and it's delicious. I will certainly be back.

Good food, service is okay sometimes the waiter waitresses are not friendly.hard to be accommodated to get in.

We had a post wedding celebration here at Menlo Tavern. When we visited this restaurant afew days before and spoke to one of the managers, Clay - it was a wonderful experience and we made a booking for 14 people. Clay showed us the many options they had to accomodate our group. On the day of our brunch, we arrrived at 11:00 am - reservation time. Our table was not ready and we were kept waiting for a good 10 minutes before we were seated. They had split our group into 2 tables. We asked if they could angle the tables so that we could all "seat together" and the manager on duty was not only surly but was rather rude - and replied "Not going to happen!". Our service was slow and the waiter could not remember who ordered what. The food was good overall. We had the hummus and avocado toast at our table while the other table had the charcuterie board. Lots of drink orders as well as food. I also mentioned that it was my husband's birthday that we were celebrating and they did present us with a small cake to celebrate the occasion. Didn't take many photos of our meal as it was a big group. They do have a nice patio set up with a live band over the weekend. The band was pretty good.

This is an amazing local establishment that provides a refined and classy space for dining. The front staff to the wait staff to the cooks and others, we are greeted with smiles, warmth and delicious foods. You might spot a few stars or let's well know individuals here too for fun!

Four of us stopped by for coffee and tea after dinner on a busy Friday evening. It was a bit chilly tonight, so we sat next to the fireplace inside the Menlo Tavern. It was so cozy. Our server, Celina (or Salina?), took great care of us and truly made our evening. We'll definitely be back soon for a full dinner!

Had a lovely Christmas lunch here! Service was amazing. Food was very good. Yes, a little pricey, but that is expected given the ambiance and location. Their avocado toast was very very good. I would come back!

Lovely outdoor Sunday brunch. Excellent food, great service, and Spirit & Sound live music was amazing for the ambiance. Will definitely return!

Delicious food, attentive service, varied menu with something for everyone. Sufficient parking.

The usual expensive steakhouse....except I ordered scallop. It was good! Ambience was nice. Food was good. Parking was easy. I would come back for the ambience and sit outside on a nice California evening.

The place is lovely but they are just off in a few details. The biggest issue is their music in the patio. If you see their website, it looks very nice. All pictures have an acoustic guitar and give an impression of a folksy, mellow music that is fitting with the restaurant's setting. However, we got to experience a rock band that played Guns 'n Roses, AC/DC, LED Zeppelin and Billy Idol while we were trying to enjoy a family dinner conversation. It was just wrong. Then the service was just lacking. Making a reservation through their automated phone system didn't work and I had to go in person to do it. The lamb chops we ordered medium rare and they came medium well to well done. We were a large party and were split across two adjacent tables and by the time the second table got their food, the first table was done. I had to order the check three times before it came. Then the check had five instances of the same dish but one of the instances had a slightly higher price than the other four. All in all not terrible but it has the potential to be great and yet they are shooting themselves in the foot for lack of attention to detail.

Great service and even better the food. Went there for brunch a few times and loved it

A hidden gem. We were first introduced to Menlo Tavern because we stayed at Stanford Park Hotel during our wedding weekend in 2015. Loved it then, and love it now. Solid food, great ambience, impeccable service and.... Never crowded! I am almost always surprised that it's not more crowded because the space is just beautiful. While the sophisticated ambience might lead one to think it's not a place for kids, we've always found the place to be super kid friendly and welcoming to all.

Nice place. Elegant and the staff were all welcoming courteous professional and friendly including the bartender We had the octopus and meatball for appetizers rack of lamb and the Wagyu beef steak especially . Everything was good except the Wagyu beef steak. Wagyu beef is supposed to be soft and melts in your mouth. This one didn't. Hard to slice and we ordered medium rare. Dessert proliferates was good. Service from our server great but she forgot to give us plates though she knew we were sharing. Apart from that she was great and friendly. Good experience over all.

What a beautiful place! The aesthetic is 5-star worthy and I appreciate the care that goes into the overall ambiance. The wine and appetizers were lovely and there were plenty of gluten-free options to choose from. The entrees were good but I do have one piece of feedback. Both the burger patty and salmon were extremely seasoned. The fried artichoke hearts as well. Perhaps this was a one-off and we just got unlucky but I would encourage the kitchen to dial it back a bit, especially on the burger and artichoke hearts. My boyfriend, who is so polite he will eat just about anything in front of him, didn't finish his burger because of how salty it was. Not a deal-breaker as our entire experience overall was VERY satisfying. And lastly, I'd definitely come back to see Chip Gale play more live music, too. That was a TREAT!

Inedible. We ordered three dishes--caesar salad, fire roasted tomato soup, and turkey club sandwich. The soup was a marinara sauce in a cup, so thick it should've been on top of spaghetti. Maybe some folks like their soup with a fork ... I couldn't drink it. The flavors also more suited for spaghetti or something. The caesar had zero taste, no flavor, insipid. It was drowned with an unappetizing douse of cheese, zero proportion or balance to the dressing or leaves as a whole. Where it came to the table, it looked very good, whole crisp romaine leaves with a creamy dressing and croutons. No tang of lemon, no anchovy, no garlic, no pepperoni salt ... no anything, it was as if someone poured mayo over the leaves. It was so awful, I had no hopes for the turkey sandwich and we canceled the order. Paid for what we did NOT eat and left. The only good thing I can say is: the ingredients were fresh, e.g. the tomatoes in the "soup" and the romaine lettuce were fresh. But someone needs to know how to cook back there. Serves me right for going to a hotel restaurant. What was I thinking? Not thinking. The ambience with its fireplace and amber lighting and warm setting is beautiful, the customer service is very sweet and attentive, we were welcomed with warmth at the entrance ... for the quality of "cooking" here, the prices don't justify it. Hard pass. I can't give it a one star because I can imagine people eating it if they wanted a quick bite for fuel, and the service was sweet. But other than that, there's no reason for eating here.

We went as a group of 6 on a lovely Friday evening. Requested patio seating - highly recommend! It's so beautiful. Seating, table and settings high quality. Most of the staff friendly, professional and cooperative. The cocktails were distinctive. The mushroom soup was velvety smooth with enough piquancy to keep it interesting. My scallop entree was so enjoyable with a perfect balance of flavor and texture. Five stars except for an issue that marred our experience - the ear splitting volume of the excellent band (they have a following of folks who come to dance). We were seated on the outer edge of the patio as far away as possible and still couldn't converse with each other or the staff members without shouting.

I attended a business event and had a meal there. I will not return there for my own dinner! Food: 1/10 stars. Appetizers (pretty much everything on the menu ordered) and bottles of wine: Nothing special. Did not taste great but was not bad. I cannot find a reason to complain nor praise. 1) DAY BOAT SCALLOPS eggplant caponata. polenta fritter. sweet pepper coulis for $43. There were 3 pieces of scallops on the plate. It was salty but tasteless. The polenta fritter was dry. The presentation was beautiful but the taste was C-. Although there was so little food on the plate, I managed to leave the food on the plate since it did not taste good. I had better scallop dinner than this before. For the price and the fanciness of the ambiance, I expected much more but throughly disappointed. 2) CAJUN PRAWN FETTUCCINE roasted garlic. basil. grana padano. My guest said the noodle was over cooked, soggy and the cream sauce was too much. He left more than half untouched on his plate. 3) HERITAGE PORK CHOP gorgonzola stone ground grits. fig compote. ninja radish My other guest pushed the food around trying to find something to eat. He ate half the plate saying that the grits were too soggy and gooey. The food was too sweet with fig compote dumped everywhere, the pork pieces were too fatty and the quantity of the meat was so little. It was supposed to be "pork chops" but no meat, just few pieces of fat sliced fancy. He could not find anything decent on the plate to eat and left most of the food on the plate. Dessert: 1/10 stars. The portion was sickening too much. There are "appealing-generous portion" and there are "overwhelming sickening portion" that takes away your appetite. It was later. I had apple bread pudding. Upon arrival, I felt overwhelmed with the amount I had two bites of a very blend bite and I left the rest. Could not even take it to go since it had so much ice cream and apple compote and was too soggy to eat past two bites. I ordered after dinner tea. It was lukewarm colored water. There were too much quantity of lukewarm water for not enough tea bags so no taste. My guests had ice cream. Fancy presentation, fun theme with lots of toppings but the portion was sickening too much. They had just few bites but was too overwhelmed with the quantity to finish it. Service: 10/10 stars Amazing. Attention to detail, perfect for business setting, maybe that alone is a reason to go for an awful tasting over price meal? Ambience: 10/10 stars The table was set in a quiet, corner, separated area. Again, perfect for business purposes. We did accomplished the business. But the food was memorably awful!

I was sitting at the bar last night, near the end where servers pick up drinks. One grabbed a (fortunately) clean straw, stuck it into the drink he was going to deliver, put his finger on the top, then pulled out the straw and drank the contents. Set the used straw on the counter, took the tray, and left to deliver the drinks. I was so stunned I didn't know what to do. Except post this.

Fantastic brunch here. The food is great. Live music and nice outdoor patio for ambience. Service was very good and prompt.

Beautiful place, ambiance unforgettable, met up here for my mother-in-laws 86th birthday. We sat outside on a warm sunny Saturday around noon. Two ppl ordered the turkey club, two ordered the Tavern Burger, one ordered the huckleberry pancakes, and per suggestion of the waiter (who was super helpful), I ordered the special, farro (salad) w/ corned beef and poached eggs and a side of cottage potatoes (which were essentially the most amazing looking and hash brown rectangular blocks of deliciousness (see photo). The food was all very well presented and yummy. Definite 5 stars for excellent service. We had special requests--music too loud, can you move the umbrella, my MIL is allergic to garlic, can poached eggs be over medium, etc... all of which the waiter (wish i got his name) was super attentive to and helpful with. The meal concluded w/ a decadent slice of complimentary cheesecake for the birthday lady and scoops of Marianne's ice cream (chocolate, vanilla) and mango sorbet for the rest of us. We took photos by the sitting area and fire pit and now trying to think of a reason to stay at the hotel there too

I love this place! Their food is always fantastic. On the weekends they've got live music on the patio and the fire pits make it cozy. From the dinner menu, I've had both the salmon and the lamb. The salmon is one of the best I've ever had and the lamb is delicious.

The food doesn't taste as good as it looks, but it's not bad either. I don't have much to say except for "fine, but forgettable."

Excellent meal, courteous and attentive staff, nice decor. Only disappointment was their AI phone app. They assured us there was live music, but there wasn't. Obviously not updated information. If you have any questions get a live person on the phone. Otherwise an excellent dining experience.

Always great food, atmosphere and service. The way a night out should be!! Drinks are also great. Live music in the summer is fun

Probably got lucky! Came here 1/1/23 around 11. Seated right away as i also had a reservation but there were plenty of space. Sat at a booth, maybe a bit slow in coming to greet us.. but let's over look that as it is the New Year! Got drinks and put in our food order at the same time. Got the breakfast burrito- pretty tasty! Would come back.

I've been to many restaurants just here in California. It's been a very long time to get greeted by Jeff to open door to get in classy by the way. Then Anna wow what great big smile how can I help you. Immediately she had us sit down with napkin and menus. The rest of the crew Jeremy,Osvaldo,Jazmin were so outstanding. I hope ownership can please let them know how much I appreciate them Thank you

We've had dinner and lunch on the patio and Menlo Tavern is definitely a new go to. The food is pretty good and the music is great! Today we saw Chip Gale acoustic. Four stars because the service was a little spotty.

The management rushes customers out customers after they advertise late hours. We came due to a miscalculation of other restaurant hours.

Booked a business dinner here and needed details regarding private seating options. The manager was very responsive to me, we found the perfect table for our needs and they kept my card on file for convenience. Dinner attendees were thrilled with the food, atmosphere, and service. They were sat at a semi private table by the bar, which is lovely. I was encouraged to remember this restaurant for future business dinners in Menlo Park. Thank you for an amazing experience!

I went to Menlo Tavern for dinner. This place is in the lobby of the hotel. When you are in there, it feels homey. The downside is about once an hour the Caltrain noise echoes through the dining room. There's live music in the evenings as well. The appetizers were good. I did enjoy their flatbread and would recommend for sharing with friends. The salad was okay. They literally dress a head of lettuce and add a poached egg and bacon on it. It was somewhat hard to eat since you are cutting the leaves off the salad then causing the salad dressing to fling places. Service was also quite slow. Given that there weren't that many tables. It was a bit disappointing. They also add on 20% gratuity to your bill. Parking was easy, since it was at the lobby of a hotel.

We went to Menlo Tavern for Father's Day. It had a very nice ambiance out on the patio, with live music - a great vibe for a summer evening. The food was good - the capicola flatbread was amazing (highly recommend). We also ordered the truffle fries which were good, the tomato soup which my mom loved, the kale salad which was decent, the chicken breast which was cooked well and flavorful, and the short ribs which my brother enjoyed, but I thought was okay. The wine selection was great though! Unfortunately there were not many vegetarian options on the menu, and they weren't super flexible with that, which was the only downside. Overall, this restaurant's main attraction to me was the ambiance, and would recommend if you are in the mood for a nice outdoor vibe.

Located in the Stanford Park Hotel, it is a nice lounge-type restaurant. I tried the egg white omlette, a house specialty, which was ok. The service was a little slow and there were no coffee refills, and they did not provide spoons for the coffee service.

Whether you're grabbing drinks after work or doing a fancy dinner, this place has the perfect atmosphere.

On vacation with family, everyone said try this restaurant sad to say it was a big mistake. Butternut soup was watery like someone put water in it place it in the microwave oven. order lamb it was the worst burnt over cooked. If this is the best I don't want to see the worst of Palo Alto restaurants. Stayed 10 days and did not eat out again. Ordered pizza. Yes this was my third restaurant in area.

Came here for our anniversary, loved the ambience with some light jazz and nice lighted outdoor seating. Service was mostly good, all the staff greeted us and wished us a happy anniversary! Food started off fine with good truffle fries and beets with burrata, but main dishes were under seasoned. Dessert was also overly heavy. Overall, come here for the vibe not the food.

Great dinner place with live music last Saturday night. Heard a great band EZ Motion there that played outside. Service and food and drinks were excellent. Our waiter Wyatt was always around to handle our food and drink requests for our large group.

Haven't been here for couple of years bc of COVID. It feels so good to have lunch here again. Still a quite little place to have some great food and actually can have some conversations with friend. Limited but good menu. Fresh and delicious food. Great service! Will be my go to spot for lunch now.

Food, atmosphere, service, and and prices were typical of Menlo Park. It has a more intimate feel than the restaurants on Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park. It's pretty much tavern food with California fresh ingredients. We are definitely returning here again.

The service was outstanding. We split a squash soup and we split a sandwich and the meal was beautifully laid out in two portions, one for each of us. On December 27, the highlight the lunch was the squash soup. It was exceptionally delicious. Kudos to the chef!

We had a delightful Christmas dinner here. The prime rib was wonderfully tender--one of the best I've ever had--and came with an au juice as well as horseradish sauce. The accompanying creamed spinach had a nice texture to it--not cooked into mushiness. My salmon had a thin veneer of crispiness, with a nice, moist inside. How do they do that?! I only wish the brussels sprouts had been blackened. Bread is extra--but served nice and warm with a salted butter. We were too full to have much dessert, but the warm cookie was big enough to split. We appreciated that the waitstaff pointed out that a service fee had already been added. Parking is very easy and service is excellent.

Before the pandemic this was an overpriced OK restaurant. The menu never changed, and I even threw up in the bathroom once over some epically awful fish and chips. But we decided to give Menlo Tavern a try post-pandemic. The difference is night and day. The menu had fresh seasonal items. In fact, they were even out of one item because the chef wasn't happy with the quality. The flavors were bright, and each one of the dishes at the table was some of the best food we've eaten in a long time. The presentation was really delightful. Nothing like the old boring plates. The server said they managed to hire the chef from the old Mayfield Bakery at Town & Country. I loved that restaurant, and that quality shines in the new Menlo Tavern. Oh, and he added they're changing the menu next week to reflect seasonal food. This is my new regular.