Son & Garden - Palo Alto

Review summary

1. S

   Sameh

   San Francisco

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   I had an extremely disappointing experience at Son & Garden. The customer service was downright awful, and the staff had an unprofessional attitude toward customers. The service was slow and dismissive, leaving me feeling unwelcome and frustrated. It’s clear that customer satisfaction is not a priority here. I absolutely do not recommend this place to anyone and will never return. Save your time and money—there are far better options out there!
   

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2. K

   Kay

   San Francisco

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined on 9 November 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   This is just for the high tea service- the regular restaurant for brunch is a definite 5 stars. On to the high tea or afternoon tea set. We were very disappointed as we had high hopes. The ambiance is spectacular. 10/5. The food for the afternoon tea set was at best 1/5. Two of the three sandwiches were inedible. We took a bite and didn’t eat the rest. The cucumber was the only edible one. The salmon one was dry. The egg was a total joke as it had a layer of egg that might have been a centimeter high? It also stuck to the roof of your mouth. Desserts were ok, nothing to rave about. The scones looked so delicious when they were brought out, but unfortunately, they had too much baking soda or powder because it had a bitter after taste. I did appreciate the lavender in the scone, which made it unique, but we couldn’t eat more than a bite as it was not only bitter, but dry as well. I think my final draw was the fact that tea water was not hot enough to steep the tea bags. The tea bags were substandard tea. Tazo brand tea would have been better than the offerings here. Overall, I can’t believe I paid $130 for two for such a tea set. For this amount, I would have expected quality loose leaf tea at the minimum. I’m appalled that they charge this amount. I highly recommend going elsewhere for your afternoon tea. There are so many other places that do afternoon tea well. I’d suggest they stick to their brunch, which they do exceptionally well.
   

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3. R

   Rayshell

   San Francisco

   46 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   46 reviews

   Dined on 4 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   We had a nice time celebrating a birthday. We had a reservation for the Enchanted Tea. Everything was gorgeous and displayed beautifully. The birthday serenade was fun and energetic. This location is a great neighborhood gem. Great photo opportunities.
   

   Son & Garden - Palo AltoResponded on 14 November 2024

   Hi Rayshell, Thanks for celebrating your birthday with us and its great you enjoyed the Enchanted Tea! We look forward to welcoming you back soon!
   

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4. B

   Bre

   Philadelphia

   17 reviews

   vip
   3.0

   17 reviews

   Dined on 3 November 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   Delicious food. Ricotta pancakes are a must try!!!
   

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5. A

   Arlenni

   San Francisco

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined on 2 November 2024

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   Supper expensive for no reason,staff apeared to be in a rush,seem to be really rushed experience for the peice.
   

   Son & Garden - Palo AltoResponded on 8 November 2024

   Dear Arlenni, Thank you for sharing your feedback about your experience at Son and Garden. We apologize if you felt rushed during your visit; our goal is always to create a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere for our guests. Your perspective is valuable to us as we continually work to improve our service and enhance the dining experience. We hope you’ll consider giving us another opportunity to welcome you back in the future. Thank you again for your thoughts.
   

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6. J

   John

   San Francisco

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined on 26 October 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   Really tiny space. The nicest spot wasn’t able to accommodate our party size & the restaurant wasn’t flexible to just move a table over which was a bummer. We ended up in the middle next to the doorway and all traffic in/out/through, again bummer. The enchanted tea set wasn’t anything special; dessert bites were mostly too sweet, finger sandwiches okay, samosa was good, but the scone was too sweet. Tea was just bagged so again nothing special. Service was fair - they came by and replenished the basics like water or hot water. They had a little birthday treat which was nice. The ambiance was interesting with the fake flowers on the wall and ceiling, but the giant tv wall really ruined it. I don’t think I would go back, especially not for the tea set. Kind of disappointed about the experience.
   

   Son & Garden - Palo AltoResponded on 2 November 2024

   Hi John, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience at Son and Garden. We’re sorry to hear that the seating arrangement and tea set didn’t meet your expectations. Our Palo Alto location is very cozy and intimate, and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. We generally assign the available option based on party size, and if your party fits the table you wish to have and it’s available at that time, we’d be happy to accommodate you. Our tea set menu is offered during brunch hours and is designed to complement the experience, allow customers to order more from the brunch menu if they wish to have more food. We’ll make sure to notify our team to better inform our customers about this. The tea set is served alongside finger foods and mini bites, but it’s not meant to fill you up if you're hungry. We strive to create a comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere for all our guests, and your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve. We appreciate your comments.
   

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7. A

   Aura

   San Francisco

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 26 October 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Muy bueno todo el lugar hermoso y limpio .agradable
   

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   Son & Garden - Palo AltoResponded on 27 October 2024

   Hi Aura, We're delighted to hear that you found the place beautiful and clean, and that you had a pleasant experience. Please visit again soon!
   

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8. c

   cheryl

   San Francisco

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 20 October 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Food and drinks were not only beautiful to look at, but also taste amazing! It's a fun place! Definitely recommend!
   

   Son & Garden - Palo AltoResponded on 21 October 2024

   Hi cheryl, Glad you enjoyed the flavors and presentation of our food! We appreciate your recommendation and can't wait to welcome you back again!
   

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9. S

   Sheri

   San Francisco

   9 reviews

   3.0

   9 reviews

   Dined on 19 October 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 1

   Could not hear my partner!!! When I got home, I realized that I did not have my credit card returned to me. I called the restaurant and she said that they did not have my card. I am very angry with your organization, as you have lost my credit card!!
   

   Son & Garden - Palo AltoResponded on 2 November 2024

   Hi Sheri, Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent visit to Son and Garden. For payments at our location, we use a portable credit card machine at each table. This allows us to return each card to the customer immediately, and we never hold any credit cards. We also followed up with the location to see if your card was found, just in case. Unfortunately, it was not. We understand how frustrating this situation can be. Based on our process, the card would have been returned to you right after using the handheld machine. We’re truly sorry this happened, and we recommend reaching out to your credit card company for further assistance.
   

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10. R

    Rosanne

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 18 October 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    I was also thinking if we were to do a review I think it’s crazy that they charge a $20 set up fee and then pre-add the tip. That’s usually not done unless there’s a party of six or more. We also had reservations for four but our friend passed away suddenly and I did not think of changing the reservation to three for the rose garden tea. However, we were charged for four. Which I think that was totally unfair.
    

    Son & Garden - Palo AltoResponded on 10 November 2024

    Hi Rosanne, Thank you for sharing your thoughts regarding your visit to Son and Garden. We are sorry to hear about your friend's situation and understand that emergencies can arise unexpectedly. If you made the reservation via OpenTable, please reach out to them directly regarding the fee, as we have no control over third-party services. For reservations made directly with the restaurant, we encourage you to contact the team ahead of time, as this helps us manage the impact on subsequent reservations, especially regarding the tea service. We appreciate your understanding during this difficult time and hope to provide you with a better experience in the future.
    

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