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Portola Bistro, Portola Valley, CA

Portola Bistro

4.3
4.3
45 Reviews
$30 and under
European

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 14 times today
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Good for special occasions
Portola Bistro is a vibrant new dining destination offering a blend of European flavors with an emphasis on French, Italian, and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with a California flair. The restaurant features a warm and inviting atmosphere, an indoor space, heated patio, and bar, and wood-fired pizza oven. With a carefully crafted menu, Portola Bistro is poised to become the go-to spot for memorable dining experiences in Portola Valley.

The restaurateurs are well-loved for their other popular Bay Area restaurant—Barbayani Taverna in Los Altos.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    European
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Daily 11:30 am–2:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (650) 800-7248
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress

What 45 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.3
4.3 based on recent ratings
  • 4.3Food
  • 4.2Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.8Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Portola Bistro offers a "large varied menu" with standout dishes like lamb ragu, beet salad, and lobster ravioli. Guests praise its "excellent service" and "wonderful atmosphere" in a newly remodeled space. While noise is occasionally noted, the "friendly and attentive staff" make it a neighborhood favorite worth revisiting.

45 Reviews
  1. Christina

    Caribbean

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Our waiter was not very attentive. There were a total of 12 customers there and he felt busy and it took a long time to get order in. Then we closed restaurant down and there was nobody when we left working. It was a ghost town. Odd experience.

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  2. Marcel

    VIP

    San Francisco

    91 reviews

    5.0

    91 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A nice menu with lots of diversity. The fried artichokes and tuna tartare for appetizers were exquisite. Beef bourguignon came with a delightful sauce and the branzino was moist and seasoned just right. Service was excellent.

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  3. Roy

    VIP

    San Francisco

    107 reviews

    4.0

    107 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The staff is trying really hard and is very friendly and helpful. The menu is all over the place and execution is inconsistent. Our second visit and we'll go back.

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  4. Mariquita

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Large varied menu covers both full dinner dishes and lighter fare. Spacious, light, excellent service. Food great!

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  5. Anita

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on January 5, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Their lunch / brunch menu was varied and had good options for egg / pancake / french toast dishes without being overwhelming with breakfast choices. Our table had the avocado toast, eggs royale, and warm cabbage salad, and we finished with affogatos. Everyone enjoyed their meals.

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  6. Claude

    VIP

    San Francisco

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on January 3, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was our second visit. The food and service were very good. This place is much better than the Parkside Grill and we recommend it heartily. We had a 7:30 reservation on a Thursday night. The place did not have many customers and the waiter told us they had had many earlier reservations. This is consistent with our observation that dinners frequently start around 6:00 pm.

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  7. Judy

    VIP

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 28, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful casual but elegant restaurant! Food was amazing and the staff were warm and welcoming!

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  8. Kathy

    San Francisco

    18 reviews

    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on December 26, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent server and dinner for Christmas with our party of 7. Apps included, ahi, deviled eggs, calamari… Entrées of lobster ravioli, beef bourg, cabbage salad, burgers (they loved!) lamb chops for me - we all loved everything! Desserts, affogatos, and tiramisu, our server was so good, balance of friendly & professional, great work! Very memorable Christmas dinner! 🎄

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  9. Megan

    Seattle

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on December 25, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were very happy to find this lovely place open on Christmas Day. They served us a lovely meal with generous portions. The service was impeccable. From the minute we walked in and throughout the meal staff were helpful and attentive. Hope to come back soon.

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  10. Michael

    VIP

    San Francisco

    7 reviews

    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on December 21, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Lamb chops and lobster raviolis were good. Pizzas were okay. Service was good. Restaurant was nice inside.

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FAQs

Portola Bistro is rated 4.3 stars by 45 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 PM
Booked 14 times today
Google Map for Portola Bistro

3130 Alpine Rd, Portola Valley, CA 94028-7549

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Portola Valley
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Daily 11:30 am–2:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    European
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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