Saint Michael's Alley

Food was fine but nothing overly impressive and it’s decently expensive. Like the 3 slices of peaches were almost $20. Service was excellent though and it has a cute ambience

Upscale cafe setting with high quality food, excellent service and a good wine list with a focus on Santa Cruz. Update: So glad this wonderful institution survived covid & the restaurant collapse. Still great. Update: New, seasonal menu. Still excellent 👍

The food is not bad at all, but I simply do not think it is worth the price that you must pay to have it. I had the tomato and mozzarella salad, which was literally slices of two different tomatoes, with three different mozzarella balls with a salmon on the side for $23. The salmon looked like the ones you buy from Costco and it was a little dry. The three scallops are like $40 and the steak as well. For the price you pay, you do not get a good enough portion or quality of food. The service here was also eh for the kind of restaurant it is. Our server forgot our bread without realizing for a while and our waters were not refilled for a long time (it was not that busy at the restaurant). It was also very chilly indoors, granted, it was hot outside so that's probably why the fans were on but it was cold. Overall, this place is okay, but if you're going to spend a lot of money on a meal, I would go elsewhere.

The main dining room is cozy. Service was pretty good. Food wise, I'm not particularly impressed. I mean it's fine but didn't really leave any impression that I want to come back again. There lobster ravioli was delicious and flavorful. My duck breast was so so. The vegetables and fried potatoes really didn't impress me. And the dessert didn't vow me neither. Hence, I

Jules was with no doubt the best server I had in my 51 years of life. She definitely loves what she does: her personality, attention to detail and great energy made my first visit to this restaurant amazing. Everything I had was delicious. Thank you very much!

Great little hidden gem in Palo Alto, and locals favorite. Almost a speak-easy adventure to find it, but well worth it when you do. Get transcended from the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley to the French Riveria. Atmosphere is only bested by the meticulous menu and flavors. We had the Spicy Octopus app, with the swordfish special, and lamb. Treat yourself... you deserve it-

We love to eat at the bar and chat with the bartender and manager. People are friendly, the food is good, the bar is lovely--our favorite place for special meals.

Food quality was ok but serving size was very very small. 3 scallops for $40; clam chowder soup without clams or potatoes (like cream of mushrooms) & salmon portion was small. Overpriced restaurant.

We came here for a team dinner the other night. Food 3/5 : Food was okay. Nothing stood out expect the guava sorbet. I've never had guava sorbet anywhere else, it was perfectly made. Service 5/5 : Service was great, nothing to complain about at all. We were a large party and they were quite attentive and served all the dishes well in time, neither tried to rush us nor made us wait too long. It was perfectly balanced Ambiance 4/5 : We got the outdoor seating which is now covered with white curtains. It got a bit chilly, considering its winters but they were very nice to turn on extra heaters to make it comfortable. The outdoor looks pretty in the summer when the curtains are off but nothing extraordinary about it in the winters

Came here on a Tuesday night and it was fairly busy (good sign!) but had a reservation so didn't have any issues waiting. Got way too much food for 2 people and left very full and satisfied. Ahi tuna tacos: these were a special of the day. Light, refreshing, and tasty. Liked the mix of texture! Wild mushroom cake: this was extraordinary. The flavor, the texture (both the dense and earthy inside and crunchy exterior). Rack of Lamb: risotto was tasty and lamb was cooked well. The rack of lamb was smaller sized but at least they gave a decent amount. Overall a decent dish. Butternut Squash Ravioli: wow this was a star. The ravioli was STUFFED with butternut squash. And the brown butter sauce, mixed with the roasted squash and caramelized onions- just phenomenal. This is a must get. French Fries: I ordered these on a whim. They were just okay in my opinion. Tasted fine although didn't have much crunch. Wouldn't order again.

I no longer work along Homer Avenue, but I miss St. Mike's. When they had lunch service available, we would go here to welcome new colleagues and also celebrate retiring ones. After 7.5 years of service, I left my organization and a dear volunteer took me to dinner here. It was just as I remembered-- beautiful inside, intimate and delicious. I really do wish they would bring back the lunch service as it was on the affordable side but maybe they don't have quite the numbers coming back into the office during the day to justify it. Wish they could be open for lunch or brunch on Sundays at least. I would drive to Palo Alto from about an hour away now just to come here if they were open for lunch. Their service is wonderful and a nice ambiance. Love to support local businesses.

Excellent service. We got the great booth in the bar. Food was also great! Just a nice overall atmosphere, especially for the holidays. Will be back for sure

Saint Michael's Alley is a far bigger restaurant than I expected and beautifully decorated. .Julie welcomed me., Alex was our main waitstaff. We had one other individual that waited on us. Service by all 3 was excellent! Environment was inviting/welcoming,and quite beautiful. It's off the main drag of University Ave, which allows a bit more Intimate dialogue and better parking.. I had the mussels which were underwhelming and lacked wine and seasoning.. My friend had the duck, which was a beautiful serving size and cooked perfectly. The profiteroles were not anything to talk about. The cheesecake, which I asked to be plain without raspberries or coulis, was lemony and delicious. Overall, I would go back again and try different items on the menu. Worth a second chance!

We celebrated a birthday and had a wonderful time. A very decent experience, thanks St. Michael's Alley for the great food, service, and attention to details. Such a distinctive restaurant among many others in the area, definitely stands out!

Booked Saint Michael's for a work Jeffersonian dinner, and was excited to try after looking at the menu. We got the bruschetta ($14) and avocado and burrata toast ($17) for apps. Nothing notable. For mains, they seemed to have a lot of good options. I tried the seared wild sea scallops ($40). Tasty, but this was actually the tiniest entree I've had in my life. 3 mini scallops, 2 bites of noodles, nothing else. Regrettably, I feasted off of bread after to fill myself up. Others agreed that their portions were abnormally small as well. For dessert, we tried the chocolate mousse, cheesecake, and pineapple bread pudding. The mousse was probably my favorite - the pudding was just okay. Ambiance was really nice for a group dinner. Service was okay - our waitress was kind, but seemed a bit uneasy/new to the restaurant. Overall, I'd choose a different spot next time to get more bang for my buck.

I had family in town the week of thanksgiving and we decided to book a reservation here. So glad we did! The brussel sprouts were delicious! I ordered the salmon and it was great as well. Ended the night with shared tiramisu and herbal tea. I would definitely come back.

I don't know why this keeps happening but every so often I'll be asked on a date and the guy will describe the restaurant he chose to me as "a favorite of Bill Clinton". This also happened to me when I lived in Arizona and I feel like 42 really missed his calling by having his main thing be "President" when he really could have been "Big Restaurant Guy". Anyway, we went to this favorite of Bill's on Friday and had a wonderful experience. Our waiter mentioned it was his first time memorizing the specials and he did an excellent job! He checked on us several times, refilled our water glasses often, and our food was delivered quickly. The vibe in there is lowkey fancy but not SUPER fancy. I did that awkward dance outside while I was parking where I parked at the same time as another couple in the car next to me, and then we all got out of our cars at the same time and walked in together even though we didn't know each other, and then were seated near each other and did that thing where we pretended to be friends and waved from our tables and pointed at our food and gave each other thumbs ups. I can't remember why I started telling you about this but I think it was because they were like an older fancy couple and that's kind of the feel of this place. The food was excellent! I had a caesar salad with chicken and a side of fries, my date had the scallops, and we shared two of the specials- the prosciutto and watermelon appetizer, and the chocolate lava cake dessert. Everything was delicious and I can see why this place is a presidential fave. Nice job Bill.

Came by for dinner the other night and it was a mediocre experience. Saint Michael's Alley is located in Downtown Palo Alto on the street level of a condo building. Made a reservation online and our table was ready in the dining room upon arrival. Dining is available in the dining room, bar room, or outdoor. Staff was courteous and some even wore a mask. Started off with the bread basket and it was a touch weak. The bread was pretty crispy and didn't taste super fresh. The butter was on the harder side too... Moved on to the mushroom cake and it also wasn't too fresh, despite being a special for the restaurant. I felt there was too much breading and the oil quality for frying the cake wasn't the freshest... The brussel sprouts were decent and was perfect for sharing. The crab toast was lackluster as it felt like it was canned crab with a mixture of some vegetables over a fresh piece of toast. The scallops were the highlight of the meal although I wasn't a fan of the lentils. Finished off the meal with the profiteroles which was ok. The puff didn't taste too fresh and the highlight were the candied walnut and the flavorful ice cream. ~$60/head after tax and gratuity for dinner.

I went here for a lunch meeting. We were sitting outside, which was not noisy, even though it was a busy street. We had salads, which were good-sized. We both had dinner appointments. Great service and great food.

How have I not reviewed this restaurant before? Super cozy romantic restaurant with excellent food and amusing waiter. The tuna poke and the beet goat cheese salad are my favorite appetizers. Their lamb is as flavorful as Evvia and Taverna. Definitely get it medium rare, as the chef and our adorable little waiter suggested. The scallops are also perfectly cooked. This restaurant is always busy, but somehow manages to also be a romantic date spot for a first date or even a faux three year anniversary one. Perhaps it's the more traditional ceiling which allows one to actually hear their dining companion. Cacophonous restaurants with high ceilings are only suggested if your dining companion doesn't speak the same language or you don't want to hear what they are saying. Thankfully they have LED table candles, otherwise we would have had to flee in a fiery blaze!

I'm glad this restaurant is in the neighborhood that I can do family gathering there often.

The main dining room is cozy. Service was pretty good. Food wise, I'm not particularly impressed. I mean it's fine but didn't really leave any impression that I want to come back again. There lobster ravioli was delicious and flavorful. My duck breast was so so. The vegetables and fried potatoes really didn't impress me. And the dessert didn't vow me neither. Hence, I

I thought this was very good. I came late so didn't get to look at the entire menu but the mussels were good. The salad was delicious. I think I got the spinach one. There were a bunch of appetizers but i football remember. The menu looks seasonal to me. It is small. For entree I had the sea bass. It was really well seasoned. Parking is easy in this area. You might have to walk a bit but it is easy. Overall, I would definitely enjoy coming back. We sat outside and it was a bit chilly but they gave us blankets.

Made a reservation ahead of time for a Friday evening dinner. We were seated pretty promptly. We got the bread basket, wild mushroom cake, salmon, and duck breast. I think the mushroom cake was the favorite. I didn't love the salmon but I think it's because I recently had salmon elsewhere that was delicious. I did like the orzo etc that came on the side and my fiancé enjoyed the duck. We sat outside and heat lamp spacing isn't the most ideal, so we were fairly chilly and it took a long time to get our food. Might come back and sit inside when it's less crowded.

Came to town to visit a friend and he recommended that we check out this place. First time visiting for both of us. It was a Sunday night and we had a 6:30 reservation. It was busy but not overflowing, and we were seated promptly after arriving. We decided to order several things and share them all, which is always fun! To start we had the bread basket. The olive bread was good, though I wish it was warm. For the starters we shared the Brussels sprouts, which also included toasted peanuts. I thought these were delicious! Haven't had that combination before, would recommend. We also shared the bruschetta. Liked that it had goat cheese. Was a nice twist. For the mains we shared the seabass and the duck. Both of the proteins were fine, but the stars were the sauces. The corn, roasted potatoes, and tomato vinaigrette that came with the seabass were particularly excellent. Overall, a good meal, though a little pricy (each of us paid $69.66 after tax and tip). Don't think any particular dish blew us away, but we enjoyed our visit.

Hidden culinary gem !! Had dinner last night with a friend and all I can say is this place has an beautiful ambiance and delicious food . We got seated near the bar, service was efficient and attentive . Food: 10/10 the server recommended the special for the day we went for it. Seafood pasta with angel hair was absolutely amazing seafood was cooked to perfection not dry not over cooked the sauce was rich and well balanced The pork chop was juicy and tender pair with a creamy corn sauce and grilled veggies absolutely delicious they have and well thought wine menu and great cocktails. Service was wonderful always checking on us very attentive and friendly. If you're in downtown Palo Alto I highly recommend this place . Shoutout to the executive Chef Gildardo Virrueta for the amazing dinner. We will definitely come back since they have seasonal specials.

Saint Michael's Alley is a cute spot for a date. It was pretty easy to make a dinner reservation, although I honestly didn't see why there was the need to when it wasn't busy at 6pm. *shrug* It's conveniently located close to Stanford campus, and there was plenty of street parking on a weekday. The ambiance is cute and quaint, and the servers were nice. I ordered sea scallops and brussel sprouts while my friend ordered the Australian filet mignon. Honestly, it's nothing to write home about. Like others have mentioned, for how nice the place looks, the food is pretty lackluster. The 3 scallops (yes, just 3), sat on top of a small bed of spaghetti squash, which was pretty bland, but the little bit of sauce that was drizzled on the side was a nice touch. The brussel sprouts were a side dish, and again, nothing spectacular. They were sauteed with bacon pieces, I believe. But it's something I could've easily made myself at home. My friend ordered the Australian filet mignon "medium rare", but it came out closer to medium-well, which neither of us minded, but a steak connoisseur would probably say otherwise. I wish I could write more about the food, but there wasn't anything outstanding about it, to be honest-nothing spectacular or different from what you could make at home. I liked that they had a selection of white and red wines though. For dessert, we shared a cheesecake. Cheesecake is always good, no matter where you go! Nothing special, just a cheesecake, but a sugary sweet to satisfy the soul. Overall, the dining experience was good, nothing out of the ordinary, but certainly not $200+ worth. I would probably venture elsewhere for a nice meal next time.

A perfect evening with old friends. Waitstaff was perfection and at your table just before you knew you needed them. We were in their main room and it was nearly full but the placement of the tables made it seem like you were in a private setting. Will go back soon.

The branzino was good, but the buerre blanc was a bit heavy. If they have swordfish go for that instead. Choose the molten cake over the panna cotta. Excellent service. Nice cozy atmosphere. Older crowd.

Tasty food, great service and large outdoor patio with heaters -- would recommend the seafood over the other dishes Highlights - smoked salmon toast starter (not pictured) - scallops $38 Would pass on dessert, but enjoyed the meal overall for a special treat!

Well considering how nice the place looks I found the food mostly lacklustre. First off you have to like food with very different food combinations. We had a bunch of the mahi mahi. Came with chipotle risotto so I was curious... But it was completely bland... No flavour at all.. Even salt couldn't fix it... Sad... I thi k the others liked the Japanese fish dish. The only thing I will rave about is the pumpkin bread pudding... Delicious and I don't even like bread pudding... Carmel sauce and nuts... So good. Soft and delicious..

Solid place with a wide selection of wine. It seems like every table was ordering a half bottle of something here. Best dishes: Seas scallop main dish: expertly executed with balanced flavors. Prosciutto with peach and burrata: just the right amount of burrata not to overwhelm the dish, take a bite with all three ingredients with a bit of balsamic vinegar to do this dish a service. Bread: really soft. Good to have with the meal Solid but ok to skip: Carrot with lebnah - like the roasted pine nuts in this dish but standard. Curry duck breast: some of the duck pieces are a bit on the chewy side but like the mashed potatoes that went with it Skip altogether: Tuna tartare - the flavor was a bit off. Not the freshest seafood that I have had. I tried the sparkling rose from alsace - lacks complexity. Settled for a glass of sancerre which was decent.

Saint Michael's Alley is one of those places that make you wish you lived in the neighborhood so you could just keep coming back here. The ambiance is warm and inviting and you feel like you're at home with family. I visited for a work trip recently and had a delicious chocolate cake here - it was so good I didn't even have time to take a picture to save the memory! I am looking forward to coming back when the weather is warmer and enjoying their patio that looks perfect for people watching.

and i'll say it again, ice cream with hot cakes @stmichaelsalley if you're looking for some elevated Californian cuisine , check out @stmichaelsalley ! their menu changes on a seasonal basis so you know you're getting what fresh and in for the season. this is a quaint spot for a date or dinner party, and is great for a summer night dinner or a cozy meal as well. what we ordered: prosciutto with roasted pear & burrata sautéed mussels roasted brussels sprouts wild mushroom cake caesar salad honey roasted duck breast filet mignon roasted lamb chops, mint yogurt sauce profiteroles pumpkin bread pudding stickey toffee pudding

2 star is for the food, everything else was great. Not sure if the quality fluctuates but keeping it stable is a priority for a restaurant. Wine and bread were fine, but the sea-bass & chicken pot pie with side veggie were bland and very underwhelmed. Sea-bass was overcooked and not fresh to begin with, it was so bland the flavor was solely relied on the salt I put on it. Chicken pot pie was mediocre. Veggie was bitter, not enough oil and no seasoning at all. These dishes cannot be prepared by a professional chef, I can't even make them taste that sad on a bad day.

Lovely venue with ok service and variable food - given the price point, a pretty disappointing meal. Bread service was not included but was a $4 extra which seems rather stingy for a $100/plate meal. The highlight was probably the very tasty brussel sprout appetizer with harissa aioli with a delightful amount of spice, cream, and crunch. 4.5/5. The broccoli appetizer was the worst preparation I have ever had: a pile of boiled green stalks arrived vaguely infused with spice but with no salt or umame and were wincingly bitter 1/5. My wife ordered the arugula salad - staff thought they were being kind in just bringing out a split plate for both of us but didn't ask and I don't like arugula so I just gave her my half. She said it was passable. For entree I had the steak medium rare. It arrived cool to the touch and cooked medium to medium-well; the menu promised a coffee rub but very little flavor other than the meat was discernible and there was a meaningful amount of gristle on the outer rim. It also came with a side of...wait for it...bitter broccoli. At these these strands had a chance to mop up some of the steak juice and butter to give it some body. 3.5/5. Honestly when you pay $60 for a steak and think "I could make this better at home and probably have had steak equally tasty at Sizzler for 1/6 the price" it's not a great feeling. My wife had the fish and eggplant dish and rather enjoyed its novel preparation. (4/5?) I finished with the banana bread pudding, which was excellent. It came out quickly with cold ice cream and hot pudding with crunchy edges. 4.5/5. My wife had the chocolate cinnamon cake and really enjoyed it (4.5/5?) The wines by the glass were quite good and reasonably priced for their quality.

Went here for dinner on a Tuesday night with a friend and it was packed. The ambience and service were amazing. Food tasted really good and plated very aesthetically. We ordered a bunch of things and I really enjoyed the tuna tartare and the israeli couscous with chicken. I thought the salmon could have used more seasoning. The highlights for me were definitely the chocolate espresso martini cocktail (SO strong and yummy) and the profiteroles. The combination of vanilla bean ice cream and the almonds was decadent. Overall, it was a pleasant experience and would love to come back someday.

I had been a loyal customer of this restaurant for quite some time, but my recent experience was beyond disappointing. During my visit, I ordered a cocktail, only to find 5 or 6 fat fruit flies swimming in it. Shockingly, neither the bartender nor the server seemed to notice or care about what was floating in my glass of kir royal. The resolution offered was a bottle of champagne, and there was no apology from the owner personally. My disappointment was so profound that we didn't even consider drinking the offered champagne, as our trust in the restaurant had been shattered. This level of negligence and customer service is simply unacceptable.

very kind young woman served us a steak with potatoes truely a wonderful experience All in all reasonably priced for Palo alto

It's our second time here. I'm not sure why we avoided this place for so long. I guess our first time was a bit of just a meh experience which was about 8 years ago. Came back tonight for our regular date night. Just for a change. We were seated inside where it's pretty quiet except for when a large group of people started singing Happy Birthday pretty loudly and actually funny and made us happy. They're obviously was having a fun party. Our server was very attentive. He was consistent on checking on us all through out the night. My husband ordered Trout and I had the salmon for our entree among other things that we got. The food is good. The wine is superb, the ambience is totally great for a date night. I'm glad we came here and gave it another chance. It's pretty cool place for a quiet Fridate night.

Wonderful restaurant perfect for an anniversary date. Food was delicious and the service and restaurant ambience was on par !!!!

Very good to excellent food and wine list.Capable service.reasonable noise level.I enjoy returning.

Great place for a date night. Had the duck which was amazing. Date had the pork chop which was succulent. Dessert was profiteroles which were ok but nothing special. I remember the bread basket was worth it too! Would come back to try other dishes and for another date night. Loved the ambience.

Finally tried this place after having it on my list for so long. Now I'm left wondering why I didn't come sooner! We celebrated my mom's birthday here and thoroughly enjoyed our time here! Our server, Enrique, was incredible and everything we ordered was delicious. I do wish the scallop dish was a bit bigger of portion size, but otherwise no complaints. And definitely order dessert! We loved them!

Came here with my partner for a group event. The food is delicious, great ambience, great service and delicious drinks~ It's a nice spot to lounge and relax at.

Excited to be dining out since the Covid restrictions were lifted last Thursday. So nice to see the restaurants back up running again. Although only outdoor dining is allowed, Saint Michael's Alley made sure the customers were warm with heated lamps and even provided blankets! Definitely makes you feel like you are being well taken care of. Also the tables were positioned so that you were at least 6 ft. from one another. Our server was great! He made sure we had our drinks first then gave us his recommendations on the menu when we asked. The plating was beautiful and the dishes all tasted good. It was our first time there and all of us were very pleased with our meals. My favorite, however, was the Sticky Toffee Pudding. It was very tasty! Just like in England! Thanks Saint Michael's Alley for an enjoyable evening!

After years of hearing how great this place is, I finally gave it a try and was sorely disappointed. $160 for one appetizer, 2 glasses of wine, and 2 mains. Food: Small and unspecial. Appetizer (prosciutto and grilled pears) was not great, and was far too small. 3 slices of pear. Bread is not free. Mains were okay - nothing special. The skirt steak portion was very small and it comes with just a handful of veggies hiding under the steak. Tasted good but I was still quite hungry after finishing that. The sea bass was very good and seemed to be a more adequate portion. Drinks: Average. Inconsistent pricing between the main menu and the wine list for wine by the glass. Seemed like small pours to me when we ordered wine by the glass. Few cocktails listed despite a full bar - feels like a lack of creativity there. Service: Poor. We were rushed through the process and the server never really took the time to listen to us. Ambiance: Poor. We sat outside in "the tent." Tables were close together and ours was right next to a handrail. Other tables had tablecloths, ours did not. The chairs were too low and naturally had you recline away from the table - not dining chairs. A remarkably cheap feeling for such an expensive restaurant. So overall I don't really "get it." Why would anybody go here, let alone recommend it, especially given how expensive it is?

Sorta had higher expectations of this place based on a sneak peak at the menu and space before making our reservation. Double date night with our in-laws and wanted to take them somewhere above average to thank them for doing us a solid. We sat on the patio. We were greeted by a waitress who seemed flustered and/or stressed out. She was not mentally present. We had to provide reminders and repeat ourselves several times throughout the evening. For $18-20 per cocktail and wine pour, we were not impressed. The food was tasty, however way over priced when taking into consideration portion size. For example, a similar presentation and portion of skirt steak at nearby spots run you $25-32, not $40. If the portion was larger than neighboring venues, than totally understand the price jump, however that wasn't the case. It was the same story with all the appetizers and mains. First time in a very long time that I left a restaurant feeling like we overpaid for the food and experience in question. To conclude, if seeking to spend $100 or more per head, take your business elsewhere.

COVID 2020 QUARANTINE UPDATE: Do yourself a favor and order takeout from here. The service is just as impeccable from their front door drop off to your car as it was in their dining rooms. We ordered the family meal with the Cajun turkey meatloaf and holy flavor. We also got an order of the Brussels sprouts. Perfection. I can't wait to order out from them again! I miss date nights and restaurants AMIRIGHT?!? But in the meantime this will more than do.

St Michaels had amazing food & staff! Wide variety of choices and very fast service!!

I don't know why I just read the response from the owner, 8 years later. That's my fault for not checking! And what a liar. We had 6 people in the party and he cooked 6 meals like he wrote in his response. And it was not the right thing to do? Well I don't know what to tell you. We would never give this place a try again with their insulting behaviors. I hope my night of celebration turned into honor serves as cautionary tale for you. Don't eat here, take your money and empty tummy somewhere else where you'll be respected and treated nicely.

The food was very average. We got swordfish, sea bass, lamb loin, chicken pot pie, and a linguini scallop special. Both fish dishes were over cooked. In general, all the sauces have too much sugar in them. The lamb loin wasn't really well cooked despite us asking for it as "medium". The highlight of the meal was probably desert, as both the profiteroles and the rhubarb crunch were very memorable.

It's pricey but tasty. The waitstaff is very well trained. The dining room is old school but in a good way.

Came here for brunch on a Sunday. Small restaurant, but surprisingly not too busy. St. Mike's Omelette: a very large omelette that comes with well cooked bafon, and mushrooms. The cream cheese gave it a creamier and richer profile. Does not come with any sides. Moroccan Spices Lamb Sloppy Joe: Flavor of the lamb was spot-on and paired well with the toasted naan bread. Overall, flavors were good, but definitely on the pricier end.

My partner and I came here for a little date night. The staff was really friendly and the atmosphere was clean and quiet -- I wish I could give both elements 5 stars. But the food really left a lot to be desired. To start, you have to pay for bread and butter, which I'm happy to do... if it's good bread and butter. This bread was pretty average, made worse by the fact that it was cold, colder than the butter (which looked and tasted to just be a chunk from an unsalted butter stick). The poke appetizer was nothing to write home about (just Yelp, I guess). Flavor was kind of bland, and was a bit brown for tuna. We got the duck and skirt steak as entrees. The curry sauce on the duck was fun, but didn't really work with the duck and overpowered everything. The skirt steak was pretty average as skirt steaks go. Both came out a bit cold. Overall, pretty average/below average in terms of nice American restaurants. Too pricy for the quality in my opinion, but the ambiance and the staff are pretty good!

With work colleagues visiting Palo Alto from out of town, we wanted a special evening, so we all met for dinner on Thursday at St. Michael's Alley. I wasn't sure what to expect since I hadn't been there since well before the pandemic. I was delighted! The entire experience was everything I had hoped for. The setting is casual and intimate, not all spread out but comfortable. We had a series of appetizers, all nice, even the brussel sprouts which some places don't serve well; these were light and flavorful. For the entreé I ordered a special: fresh Halibut served with green olives, tomatoes, asparagus and potatoes, as well as some herbs like basil (not sure) and a richly flavored light-lemony sauce. The flavors were wonderful and well balanced. On a whim I ordered a glass of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and remarkably, the heavy Rhone flavor blended perfectly with the dish. A light sorbet for dessert rounded things out nicely. I said hello to owner Mike and he remembered me from years ago; delighted he is still running the restaurant. Already making plans to return soon.

The server was very attentive and helpful. The mushroom ravioli was fantastic. Could eat it again anytime. Crispy mushroom cake appetizer was tasty . Burrata & avocado toast was good combo but toast was too thick . Go and enjoy a happy relaxing well presented meal . Sea Bass