Ethel's Fancy

4.9

509 Reviews

$50 and over

Californian

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 21, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 13 times today

Experiences are available.

Innovative
Good for special occasions
Lively

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
Neighborhood
Palo Alto
Cross street
University Avenue & Waverley Street<br />Hamilton Avenue & 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

Experiences

New Year's Eve at Ethel's Fancy
$195.00 per person
Dec 31, 2024 only
Ring in the New Year at Ethel's Fancy! Celebrate New Year's Eve with a specially curated menu by Chef Scott and our team, featuring seasonal delights like fresh Alba white truffles and dry-aged duck, among other signature favorites. In true Ethel's Fancy style, the evening begins with a glass of Champagne and unfolds with four courses designed for sharing and savoring with your group. $195 per person, optional Wine Pairing is $45 per person; excluding Sales Tax and Gratuity. Please note: Space is limited for larger parties, so for parties of >4guests email: events@ethelsfancypa.com We look forward to welcoming 2025 with you!

What 509 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
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

San Francisco Bay Area
Californian
Peninsula
Best Overall
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.

509 Reviews

W
Wayne
VIP
Los Angeles
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 11, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was amazing and the waiter (LeAndre) was outstanding.
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T
Ted
San Francisco
13 reviews
5.0
13 reviews
Dined on December 11, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great, creative food, great service, love the smaller portion options.
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R
Rohit
VIP
San Francisco
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on December 8, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food and our drinks were inventive and excellent! Our server was attentive, and helpful. Overall, it was a great experience and I look forward to being back soon.
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G
Gina
VIP
San Francisco
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 8, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
It was great. I love the appetizers and the soft serve ice cream.
Is this helpful?
B
Brianna
VIP
New York City
11 reviews
3.0
11 reviews
Dined on December 7, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Service was excellent! Everyone we interacted with were wonderful and on top of it. Food was mixed - the two octopus and crudo share ales were fantastic and I would come back and order those again in a heartbeat. Swordfish was also good, though I admit I didn’t fully read the description and didn’t realize it was breaded. That is fully on me though. Pork belly was well cooked and seasoned but not as fatty as I expected/wanted, which was a bit disappointing. Two cucumber and persimmon apps were fine, but not memorable. The most disappointing were the cocktails - which were just mid - we tried 3 of them. However, our server/bartender offered an off menu option for the 4th that was far & away better than the other three. We told him they should add it to the menu.
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G
Grace
San Francisco
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on November 30, 2024
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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a
anne
VIP
San Antonio
31 reviews
5.0
31 reviews
Dined on November 30, 2024
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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L
Leo
VIP
San Francisco
25 reviews
5.0
25 reviews
Dined on November 24, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fabulous food. Fabulous service. This place should get a Michelin recommendation!
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K
Kathy
Seattle
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on November 24, 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!
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E
Eve
Mobile
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
delicious and inventive good and attentive service
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FAQs

Ethel's Fancy is rated 4.9 stars by 509 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 21, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 13 times today

Experiences are available.

550 Waverley St, Palo Alto, CA 94301-1720

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
University Avenue & Waverley Street<br />Hamilton Avenue & Waverley
Neighborhood
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

Website
http://www.ethelsfancypa.com/
Phone number
(650) 561-4860

Ethel's Fancy

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

Experiences

New Year's Eve at Ethel's Fancy

Menu

What 509 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Ethel's Fancy restaurant rated?

Is Ethel's Fancy currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information