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Portola Bistro, Portola Valley, CA

Portola Bistro

4.4
4.4
52 Reviews
$30 and under
European

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2 people
19:00
Booked 8 times today
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for outdoor dining
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 17:00–21:00 Daily 11:30–14:30 Fri, Sat 17:00–21:30
  • Phone number
    (650) 800-7248
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress

What 52 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.3Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 3.9Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Portola Bistro offers an inventive menu with standout dishes like the "beef bourguignon," "lamb ragu," and "tuna tartare." The ambiance is casual yet elegant, with friendly and attentive service. Although the noise level can be high, it is a "gem" in a convenient location, promising a delightful dining experience.

52 Reviews
  1. George

    VIP

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Expensive - but the the food and service was good!

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  2. Lisa

    VIP

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was lovely and they made it so wonderful for Valentine’s Day with balloons and everything so festive and so accommodating with my 2 1/2 year-old grandson 

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  3. Weston

    San Francisco

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Very enjoyable dinner. Look forward to returning soon.

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  4. Bing

    VIP

    San Francisco

    10 reviews

    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 6 February 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great neighborhood joint. Has gone upscale a bit versus Portola Kitchen. We are locals and ate there twice already. Hits: seafood linguine, Beef Bourguignon, veal Milanese, fried artichoke, Halibut. Misses: Lobster ravioli. Burger. Service is great. Atmosphere is great. We will definitely come back for more.

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  5. Dave

    VIP

    San Francisco

    42 reviews

    5.0

    42 reviews

    Dined on 3 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I eat out in Bay Area restaurants quite frequently, and must say the Portola Bistro was outstanding!

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  6. Danelle

    VIP

    San Francisco

    79 reviews

    5.0

    79 reviews

    Dined on 24 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is our third time dining with Portola Bistro. Each time, we are very pleased as are our friends. The food is inventive and delicious. The service is excellent. Don't be fooled by the shopping center location. This is truly a gem.

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  7. Linda

    San Francisco

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 16 January 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I had lunch there today with a friend from San Francisco. He had the burger, I ordered the chicken sandwich. We both agreed our sandwiches were good but tasted quite ordinary. The brioche buns quickly crumbled and got mushy, making for a messy experience. The olive tapenade that came with the bread basket was excellent- a nice condiment. John, our waiter, was very attentive and helpful. I was surprised to see the rest was only about 1/3 full by the time we left at @ 1 pm. Linda from Portola Valley

    1 person found this helpful

  8. Christina

    Caribbean

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 13 January 2025

    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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  9. Marcel

    San Francisco

    91 reviews

    5.0

    91 reviews

    Dined on 13 January 2025

    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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  10. Roy

    VIP

    San Francisco

    110 reviews

    4.0

    110 reviews

    Dined on 10 January 2025

    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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FAQs

Portola Bistro is rated 4.4 stars by 52 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 8 times today
Google Map for Portola Bistro

3130 Alpine Rd, Portola Valley, CA 94028-7549

Additional information

  • Area
    Portola Valley
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 17:00–21:00 Daily 11:30–14:30 Fri, Sat 17:00–21:30
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    European
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Privacy Policy
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  • Impressum
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