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Ethel's Fancy, Palo Alto, CA

Ethel's Fancy

4.9
4.9
504 Reviews
$50 and over
Californian
A photo of Ethel's Fancy restaurant

Ethel's Fancy

4.9
$50 and over
Californian
Palo Alto

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 11 times today
  • Innovative
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for creative cocktails
A hip and fun restaurant with chef's counter dining, serving thoughtful American cuisine, with an emphasis on local seasonal products.

Ethel's Fancy is open at 5 PM Tuesday - Saturday.

We have a small dining room with a limited amount of reservable tables. We do keep our Bar seats and a table in the restaurant open for people to walk-ins. Walk-ins are on a first come basis.

Please do not make multiple reservations with the intention of combining reservations to increase party size.

All guests must be present before your party will be seated.

To help provide a seamless experience for all our guests, we have allocated 2-hours for your group of 2 to 4 people.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Californian, Japanese, Contemporary French / American
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (650) 561-4860
  • Website
    http://www.ethelsfancypa.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Scott Nishiyama
  • Location
    550 Waverley St, Palo Alto, CA 94301-1720
  • Area
    Palo Alto
  • Cross Street
    University Avenue &amp; Waverley Street<br />Hamilton Avenue &amp; Waverley
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 504 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • San Francisco Bay Area

    Innovative

  • San Francisco Bay Area

    Californian

  • Peninsula

    Innovative

  • Peninsula

    Hot spot

  • Peninsula

    Californian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Ethel's Fancy offers an extraordinary dining experience with "fantastic food" and "wonderful service." The menu is creative, featuring unique and flavorful dishes like the "to die for" pork belly and sesame pancakes. The ambiance is vibrant, with attentive staff ensuring a memorable visit. Perfect for foodies, it's a must-try gem.

504 Reviews

  1. Grace

    San Francisco

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was a lovely dinner at our favorite restaurant last night, everything was delicious. Sesame Soft serve was a high note in the end. Thank you Chef and all the supporting staffs.

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  2. anne

    San Antonio

    31 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    31 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved every bite. Interesting and innovative food. I like how you can order a variety of dishes. Especially enjoyed sitting at the bar watching the very skilled staff do their thing. The halibut was the best I’ve ever eaten! Thank you, Chef!

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  3. Leo

    San Francisco

    25 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    25 reviews

    Dined on 24 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fabulous food. Fabulous service. This place should get a Michelin recommendation!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Kathy

    Seattle

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 24 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is our favorite restaurant in Palo Alto. Incredibly delicious and unique food. Incredible service!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Eve

    Mobile

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 23 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    delicious and inventive good and attentive service

    Is this helpful?

  6. Ted

    San Francisco

    64 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    64 reviews

    Dined on 23 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    I try to go to Ethel's Fancy every month or two. Always wonderful interesting food and very good service.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Rebecca

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 23 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food, great service and wonderful ambience. Chef Scott has created a restaurant that is top of its class.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Alex

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 20 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had an amazing anniversary dinner here. The service was incredible from the moment we arrived, and the food and ambience were fantastic. Can’t say enough about what a jewel this place is. We’ll definitely be back.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Dana

    San Francisco

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Ethel’s never disappoints! Still our favorite spot in the Bay Area. Perfection- service, food, ambiance, attention to detail. Food is creative and delicious. Can’t wait for our next visit!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Mahesh

    San Francisco

    55 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    55 reviews

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was amazing. Chef Scott has a special touch. Each dish was a masterpiece by itself. Service was beyond good. Garret was super attentive and caring. GM was very gracious. One of the best places in S Bay.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Ethel's Fancy is rated 4.9 stars by 504 OpenTable diners.

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

A photo of Ethel's Fancy restaurant

Ethel's Fancy

4.9
$50 and over
Californian
Palo Alto

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 11 times today
Google Map for Ethel's Fancy

550 Waverley St, Palo Alto, CA 94301-1720

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    University Avenue &amp; Waverley Street<br />Hamilton Avenue &amp; Waverley
  • Area
    Palo Alto
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Californian, Japanese, Contemporary French / American
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Scott Nishiyama
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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