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Portola Bistro, Portola Valley, CA

Portola Bistro

4.3
4.3
39 Reviews
$30 and under
European

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 10 times today
  • Neighbourhood 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 17:00–21:00 Daily 11:30–14:30 Fri, Sat 17:00–21:30
  • Phone number
    (650) 800-7248
  • Website
    https://portolabistro.com/
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress

Menu

At present, we do not have menu information for this restaurant. Please see their website or wait to visit the restaurant to learn more.

What 39 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

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Portola Bistro is a delightful addition to the neighborhood, praised for its "amazing" risotto and "fantastic" service. The menu offers a well-balanced selection, including standout dishes like lamb ragu and beet salad. The ambiance is welcoming, making it a "new favorite" among diners. Some minor service and noise issues are noted, but overall, it's a promising spot for quality dining experiences.

39 Reviews

  1. Judy

    VIP

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    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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  2. Kathy

    San Francisco

    18 reviews

    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    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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  3. Megan

    Seattle

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    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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  4. Michael

    VIP

    San Francisco

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 21 December 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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  5. Caroline

    VIP

    San Francisco

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 13 December 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Trying to be fairly fine dining. Staff not trained to that level. Venue definitely not: very bright white with unattractive battery LED lamps on each table. Odd location opposite grocery store. Previously was more casual family fare which was much better suited to space

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  6. Linda

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 12 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our waiter Max was terrific. My eggs royale were excellent. My guest had the beet salad and the roasted Brussels sprouts. I sampled a few of them, and we both agreed the sprouts were nice and crispy and cooked just long enough to be tender and neither too hard nor mushy. This is my second visit to Portola Bistro. My guest is from San Francisco so it was her first visit. Our only complaint is the NOISE! It’s almost impossible to carry on a conversation when the dining room is filled.

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  7. alan

    VIP

    Hawaii

    11 reviews

    4.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on 9 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    It was lunch. Nice not noisy conversation perfect. Drink and meal service a bit slow. Suspect kitchen slow. Had a burger.

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  8. Rosemarie

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 29 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food & service were excellent! Beet salad was especially amazing. Beautiful presentation & flavorful selections. Our waiter was exceptional! Definitely will return.

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  9. art

    VIP

    San Francisco

    17 reviews

    4.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on 23 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Very good food, excellent service, but the noise level was deafening.

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  10. Amy

    Hawaii

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 22 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Second time testing this anchor to the Ladera scene. The pappardelle with lamb ragu is excellent —enjoy the mushrooms and the surprise olives. The pizza is outstanding. Served piping hot but not burned, this is thin-crust pizza at its best. More ingredients on top than a true Napolitan pizza but an excellent compromise between Italian sensibilities and Silicon Valley taste buds.

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FAQs

Portola Bistro is rated 4.3 stars by 39 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 10 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
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