Bistro Elan

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

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.

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!

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!

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

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!

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-)

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!

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.