President's Terrace

Fun, rooftop bar atop the Graduate Hotel in downtown Palo Alto. Nice atmosphere, basically a bar with a limited but good menu. Seared ahi and seafood tower are good. No cash bar.

Service was incredibly slow despite this being a pretty small venue. Took almost 20 minutes to get one g&t and one of their specialty cocktails. Cocktails were fine and expensive as expected for this area. Also, I felt a little put off that our $20 cocktails were served in plastic glasses. I know it doesn’t really matter, but if they’re trying to create a more high end atmosphere maybe they should buy some real glassware.

We decided to make a pit stop at the President's Terrace for a couple of cocktails and light appetizers before our main dinner at Nobu. We were looking forward to a pleasant afternoon on the rooftop bar. Upon our arrival, we found that the staff seemed tired, likely from a busy happy hour rush. I can't rave about the cocktails or food, as we only tried a couple of dishes, but the view, ambiance, and decor were undeniably appealing. We're definitely considering returning when the weather is more favorable. Overall, the President's Terrace is an excellent spot for unwinding with friends or colleagues after work. It doesn’t seem to accommodate large parties with limited seating. It's also festive and charming, making it a great choice for a fun date as well.

Stopped by here last Wed for some drinks after dinner right around sunset. The rooftop area is fairly small and the fireplace makes it cozy with seats around it. We sat at the bar for better view of the Palo Alto sky. The bartender was very knowledgable on the menu as well. I plan to come back for Desert and the Views.

Spectacular experience! It was my mom’s birthday and we were walking around to digest our dinner and stumbled upon this quaint and artistic hotel. We found out they had this roof top bar and so we had to check it out to continue her birthday celebration… We went up and was surprised by the nice views and ambiance! Rooftop bar in PA? That’s a first for us! It happened to be very windy so the hostess instantly offered us some blankets to keep warm. I heard there are heaters coming soon, but the weather should be perfect in the months to come. Bartenders were phenomenal and the drinks are so unique! The drink tastes just like a Thai iced tea, IMO… and I don’t usually drink brandy! She even got a “Happy Birthday” sung in French! She felt like a superstar!!! Thank you so much for making her feel so special! The lobby and bar downstairs was also top of the line! I highly recommend it!!! I will definitely be coming back with some friends! The whole staff was outstanding! 10/5!

22 years of living in Palo Alto and thinking how amazing a rooftop bar would be, and alas, we FINALLY have one. The fact is people would go here even if it was terrible, but they did an absolutely phenomenal job. Drinks were amazing - great wine by the glass list and some fabulous cocktails. Excellent bartenders and great service all around. Food was incredible, raw bar/light bites with great flavor, fantastic chef. And obviously, the views and the setting are just unbeatable. The President’s Terrace absolutely knocks it out of the park and is sure to become a true Palo Alto institution. I can’t wait to come back!

This is a review for the rooftop bar. TLDR: pretentious and overpriced. First of all, there was a ridiculous bouncer type person trying to keep us out. He asked if we had a reservation. We said no, and ask if reservations were required and he said no. ??? Then he said that they were nearing capacity and we pointed out that there was room. So he finally reluctantly let us in. I hate that. Please. If you're trying to pretend this place is exclusive, then that's just sad. It's a hotel bar in Palo Alto, for heaven's sake, get over yourself! Drinks are pretty, overpriced as per normal in this area. But what was strange was that I could not taste any alcohol in my vodka based drink. My friends tasted the drink too and nobody could actually tell if there's any alcohol in there. Which is not good for an $18 drink that is supposed to have alcohol! We went elsewhere for food, and more drinks. 🤣

We stopped in for a quick drink and despite not having reservations we were able to get seats at the bar. The bartender was really nice and very busy. The view is great. Not sure we will be regulars but if we have time and we are in the area, we will stop in for a drink. The vibe is cool.