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Bistro Elan, Palo Alto, CA

Bistro Elan

4.6
4.6
21 Reviews
$31 to $50
French

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 12 times today
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for outdoor dining
Bistro Elan serves French dishes created mainly from ingredients obtained from the local farmers. The cozy interior is ideal for a date night or a small celebratory dinner with friends. The open kitchen offers a homey feel where you can enjoy an apple salad or La Quercia Prosciutto before moving on to an entrée of local Petrale sole or a Sonoma duck leg confit. Bistro Elan offers outside seating. Dine on a pan-seared Scallops or Flat Iron Steak in the open air.

Bistro Elan has a modest international wine list that has been carefully chosen to pair well with each dish. Finish the evening meal with a dessert like Coffee ice cream, roasted strawberry ice cream, caramelized Valrhona chocolate mousse or a slice of Almond cake.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French, American, Californian
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Wed–Fri 11:30 am–2:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 5:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (650) 327-0284
  • Website
    http://www.bistroelan.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Barry Stiles
  • Location
    2363 Birch Street, Palo Alto, CA 94306
  • Neighbourhood
    Palo Alto
  • Cross Street
    Also public parking lot is located across the street.
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Additional
    Beer, Dog Friendly, Gender Neutral Restroom, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 21 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Peninsula

    Neighbourhood gem

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Bistro Elan offers a charming and intimate dining experience with "excellent food" and "wonderful service." Known for its delightful outdoor seating and innovative dishes, this Palo Alto gem features a well-curated menu and a "superb meal" every time. Enjoy a selection of great wines and beautifully prepared dishes.

21 Reviews

  1. Tony

    London

    68 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    68 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Always excellent. Very much like a bistro in France. Small and very personal.

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  2. Michael

    San Francisco

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was delicious. I had the scallops and the perssimon salad.

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  3. Tom

    San Francisco

    46 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    46 reviews

    Dined on November 14, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I went to the restaurant specifically to have the tri-tip tartar. Now, steak tartar is raw steak, right? Not at Bistro Elan. The steak was slightly cooked, so it was more like a slice of meatloaf than steak tartar. Disappointing.

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  4. Jennifer

    Vancouver

    25 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    25 reviews

    Dined on November 8, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We really enjoyed our meal, and will return often.

    Is this helpful?

  5. r

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 5, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    I see why they charge a 20 % gratuity. If I would have had to leave a tip based on service, it would have been a 4% tip. Waiter seemed upset that my wife and I were going to share an entree and salad as we always do. After we were served our meal, we never saw our waiter again. We had to ask the busboy to get our check. We will not be going back anytime soon.

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  6. Kristina

    San Francisco

    36 reviews

    5.0

    36 reviews

    Dined on September 27, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is one of my all time favorite restaurants. The food is always excellent. This time I had the mussels in garlic sauce with French fries. Perfection! French fries the way they should be! Fresh and plump mussels in a divine sauce. Wow! My friend had the local Lingcod with Spinach. She loved it. We shared the chilled cucumber soup as a starter. We had a chocolate something for dessert, which was delightful. Cannot go wrong here! The service is excellent!

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  7. Michael

    San Francisco

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on September 14, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We sat outside and the heaters did the trick. Very solid service. I had the Lingcod and it was delecius. in a great sauce, and crispy vegetable.

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  8. Andrew

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 12, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a wonderful experience, super friendly service and delicious/innovative

    Is this helpful?

  9. Tom

    San Francisco

    46 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    46 reviews

    Dined on August 29, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Eat outside if you can -- we were seated in the back, where things were a little claustrophobic. The service was good but not great, but heads-up: you are going to be paying a 20% tip whether you want to or not, no matter the quality of your waiter!

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  10. KatherineW

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on August 25, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 2
    Excellent good & service including servers who’ve worked at Bistro Elan for 30 years (at multiple locations).

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Bistro Elan offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (650) 327-0284.

Bistro Elan is rated 4.6 stars by 21 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 12 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Bistro Elan

2363 Birch Street, Palo Alto, CA 94306

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Also public parking lot is located across the street.
  • Neighbourhood
    Palo Alto
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Wed–Fri 11:30 am–2:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 5:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French, American, Californian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Barry Stiles
  • Additional
    Beer, Dog Friendly, Gender Neutral Restroom, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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