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Bistro Vida, Menlo Park, CA

Bistro Vida

4.8
4.8
2800 Reviews
$30 and under
French

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 29 times today
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
Established in 1998, Bistro Vida is a neighborhood restaurant inspired by the great Parisian bistro culture and traditions of French cooking. Our mission is to bring the joie de vivre, comfort, and community of the City of Lights to downtown Menlo Park. The name " Vida" the Spanish word for life, was chosen as a toast to the enjoyment of life, love, and food. Each delicious detail of the chic interior from the smart bar to the blackboard menus, the huge cylindrical chandeliers to the long mirrors reminiscent of brasseries has acquired a warm patina over the years.

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    French, Bistro, Californian
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street parking all around and public lot directly to the rear of the restaurant.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Ali El Safy

What 2,800 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Bistro Vida is a cherished gem in Menlo Park, offering authentic French bistro dining with "amazing" food and "outstanding service." Ali, the owner, is known for his attention to detail and community involvement. Guests rave about the "best French onion soup" and delicious mussels. A perfect spot for family gatherings or special occasions.

2,800 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner VIP

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Ali and the team always do a tremendous job. It was a lot of fun celebrating my mom’s birthday here with great service and even better food.

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  2. Jocelyn VIP

    San Francisco6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 3, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    The owner Ali embodies gracious hospitality and refined customer service. The food was delicious, ambience felt like we were at a bistro in Paris, perfect afternoon lunch with friends. Rose, Salad Nicoise, frites ... was perfect. This is a neighborhood gem.

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  3. Jacqueline

    San Francisco5 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    We are patrons of Vida for years and appreciate that French Brasserie . Now with the opening of the new Bar,very nice, the noise in the restaurant is extremely painful and annoying. In the restaurant they have also dim the light? The atmosphere of the restaurant is changed ,for me not for the better. Why not keep the doors closed between the Bar and the Restaurant?

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco1 review

    4.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    It was a nice place but very loud. The French onion soup was the best. Our main courses were good but not great. The Vanilla crème brûlée was delicious.

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  5. Alex

    San Francisco15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Love this restaurant. Excellent food every time, and the friendliest most helpful staff!

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  6. R. Eugene VIP

    San Francisco54 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Still our favorite place for weekend brunch. Their Eggs Benedict are the best on the mid-peninsula!

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  7. Lynne VIP

    Los Angeles37 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Bistro Vida is our “go to” in Menlo Park. The food is great, the staff really friendly and helpful. It’s just always a great experience. I highly recommend the sole meunière and the poulet roti for lighter fare. The steaks are great as well. It’s always good to have an enjoyable, high quality alternative that you can count on.

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  8. heather VIP

    San Francisco18 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The aparagus soup was excellent. The risotto with scallops was excellent. And the warm chocolae cake with icecream was the best I've ever had

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  9. Elaine VIP

    San Francisco35 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Second time here in 2 weeks and excellent both times. Started with a cocktail next door at Loretta and then in to dinner at BV. Ali, the owner of both, is the quintessential host. Though he doesn’t know me, he made me feel special and welcomed me with a personal greeting & seating. Our dinner was delish—all 4 of us had different entrees, and we all enjoyed them. I had the swordfish which was done perfectly, and my husband had the scallops with risotto which I recommended to him— he loved the dish! More cocktails were excellent and the service and atmosphere were top notch!!

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  10. John VIP

    San Francisco25 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Bistro Vida is always consistently good - both food and service! Also, enjoy the atmosphere that is both friendly and professional. Cheers! John M.

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FAQs

Bistro Vida offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (650) 462-1686.

Bistro Vida is rated 4.8 stars by 2800 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 29 times today
Google Map for Bistro Vida

641 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    French, Bistro, Californian
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street parking all around and public lot directly to the rear of the restaurant.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Ali El Safy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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