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Bistro Elan, Palo Alto, CA

Bistro Elan

4.7
4.7
25 Reviews
$31 to $50
French

Make a reservation

2 people
10:00 PM
  • Neighborhood 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
  • Neighborhood
    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 25 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Bistro Elan in Palo Alto is a cherished gem known for its "excellent food" and "wonderful service." With a charming ambiance reminiscent of a French bistro, it's perfect for a warm evening outdoors. Diners rave about the "fantastic, fresh, food" and the thoughtfully curated wine list. A delightful dining experience awaits!

25 Reviews

  1. Carol

    New York City

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It's a wonderful restaurant - I think one of Palo Alto's best. Very personalized and caring service and really delicious food. And you can hear your own conversation.

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  2. Tim

    VIP

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 13, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best kept secret in the entire Bay Area. Amazing food and the staff/owners are truly wonderful.

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  3. Sivan

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 7, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What an incredible meal! We both got fish (halibut and the sea bass special) plus deliciously crispy bistro fries and everything was amazing! Super flavorful and not too heavy. Highly recommend for a date night. Place is small and intimate - a true bistro vibe.

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  4. harry

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on November 24, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food and service. Not cheap, but it's Palo Alto, so nothing is. Well priced list of very good wines.

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  5. Tony

    London

    69 reviews

    5.0

    69 reviews

    Dined on November 17, 2024

    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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  6. Michael

    San Francisco

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    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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  7. Tom

    VIP

    San Francisco

    47 reviews

    4.0

    47 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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  8. Jennifer

    VIP

    Vancouver

    25 reviews

    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.

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  9. r

    VIP

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    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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  10. 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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FAQs

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

Bistro Elan is rated 4.7 stars by 25 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
10:00 PM

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.
  • Neighborhood
    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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