Cetrella

The person who took our order also check us in– which seemed a bit off. He seemed very much in a rush and didn’t even bother to mention the specials. Not exactly the pinnacle of hospitality.
The food itself was so so. They looked great and were very well plated… But the crab cakes were small for the price and nothing special. The duck was a bit dry, and the short rib seemed like it had been sitting around for a bit based on how the sauce has congealed.
The ambiance was nice. It was nice that they had live music but you couldn’t hear it well from the main dining room.
In short — it was ok. Not great.

We ate here last night with another couple on a double date. Wow, it was pretty nice. Here’s the low down…
Food
We really enjoyed our dishes. Some were better than others. To start we shared 2 orders of the crabcakes and the beet salad. The crabcakes were fantastic with a rich taste of crab perfectly combined with filling. Glad we got 2 orders (2 cakes in an order) or else we would have been fighting each other for the scraps!
The beet salad was beets with some green shreds, not really what I think of as a salad. Fine for one person as a snack but not to share and not much of a salad. The taste was nice but nothing like the crabcakes.
I had the scallops with wagyu beef. The scallops were divine — the beef more of a pulled stew. Okay but nothing great.
The hubby had the rib eye, medium rare, and he liked it. Which is quite uncommon because he compares every rib eye to the one he makes at home. And the one he makes is out of this world. so this one must’ve been pretty darn good. We also shared the truffle fries and the brussel sprouts. The sprouts were fine but listen closely — say ‘truffle fries’. OMG, yes! That means, order the truffle fries.
The other couple had the duck and the braised rib pot roast, both of which met with happy yeses and yums.
The waiter recommended a reasonably priced Pinot Noir which we all enjoyed. We also had some cocktails — the makers mark and the cosmo which were made to perfection.
Service
The service was attentive with the waiter making frequent sweeps to make sure we had water, wine filled and anything we wanted.
The food came with the right timing, not too fast, not too slow.
The manager checked in with us a couple of times to make sure we were happy (yes, we were).
Ambiance
The tables and chairs were nice and the room was airy and spacious. Big windows looking out to the street added to the sense of openness.
There was a duo playing at the front entrance and we could hear the music, which was nice (It was Friday night)
It might have been a little bright in the room. A little more mood lightening would have been nice.
Bar
Epic Fail! The room has a big window but when you sit at the bar, you face the wall/​wall of alcohol. This could be a great space with couches for lounging. As it is right now, it feels like a waiting room. I don’t get the sense that Cetrella really cares about the bar. Too bad — lost opportunity.
Price
Yes, its expensive but I feel like its worth the price with the quality and creativity of the food. Its a nice addition to Los Altos. Dinner, appetizers, cocktails and a bottle of wine cost $ 200 for 4 people.
Would I go back? Hell yes.

This year I opted out of cooking Christmas dinner and into a quiet Christmas Eve dinner for 3 at Cetrella.
When we arrived, they showed us to a rectangular dining table — with 3 people this felt like an awkward set up, but as soon as I asked, we were moved to a square 4-​top that made our group feel more comfortable. The one drawback, & perhaps the reason we weren’t given that table initially, is that it’s very near the entry — every time the door opened we were treated to a cold blast of wind (on an extremely cold night — temp was in the low 40’s). This would be easily remedied by hanging a velvet curtain across half the dining room entry; it would not impede the servers or anyone else coming & going, but it would mitigate the uncomfortable, unpleasant drafts. This is the only reason I haven’t given 5 stars for the ambiance.
Although we hadn’t planned on it, it turns out there was a prix fixe menu that evening, so we ordered a couple of additional appetizers & the prix fixe dinners. The appetizers were a bowl of some of the plumpest mussels I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating & they were in a delicious sauce, perfect for dipping bread. Our second choice was a very good carpaccio.
The dinner menu was excellent, with the exception of the soup which we thought was too sweet & otherwise bland. The waiter quickly swapped it out for the other choice, crab cakes, which were very nicely done!
I ordered the prime rib & it was perfect! I can’t remember what the others ordered, I was too focused on my own meal :) The buche noel was every bit as chocolately as it looked!
Cetrella deserves all of the high praise it receives! I look forward to returning.
Now if they just would add that curtain…

Had dinner at Cetrella with the family. IMHO, one of the best restaurants in HMB. Elegant but relaxed (after all, it’s the beach!). Food is excellent. Great service from a well-​trained staff. We had the mussels to start, I ordered the linguine, my wife had the butternut squash agnolotti; daughter had the polenta and son had the salmon. None of us were disappointed. Wine selections were reasonably priced with a full spectrum of options (inexpensive to very expensive).

Cetrella is one of the most beautiful restaurants on the coast; cozy, elegant, and top cuisine. The dining room is comfortable and very upscale, especially for an out of the way coastal community. There is no view, so expect that the ambiance will be all of the dining room. In this case the room makes all of the experience quite satisfying. A large fireplace dominates to one end and perfect for a wintery evening.
I started my meal with a kale salad. All delicious and fresh but a bit overdressed. The vinegar taste was a little overwhelming. I went on to have a scallop entrée that was exceptional. The scallops were large, perfectly prepared and tasty. It sat on a bed with high quality beef underneath that turned out to be a perfect compliment, not what I would have expected to accompany it. The dish was definitely something I’d repeat.
The wine list is not extensive, but wide and varied enough for most palates. I found the white selections to be quite good.
The wait staff is friendly, professional, and very helpful.
For a very nice experience I’d highly recommend trying this establishment.

Great ambiance and quaint, a gem in downtown Half Moon Bay. I had the mussels, which is my default dish for most restaurants. The flavors were robust and mussels were big and fresh. I also had the truffle fries to dip in the wine sauce… heaven! Hubby had the short rib, it melted in his mouth and the flavors were well balanced.
An excellent spot for date night, with that said, we did bring our 3 year old son with us. Granted, our son is a great restaurant diner.

Had dinner at Cetrella last night with a friend. This place has the most amazing service and a really well-​trained staff. I started to carry my drink from the bar to the table for dinner, and a server stepped up with a tray to take it from me and took it there for me. Where do servers do that? Very nice.
The décor is spare with tile floors and glass walls. I enjoyed sitting along the street side watching the traffic and passers-​by.
Cetrella offers a respectable beer and wine selection, which for me means a grapefruity IPA and Sauv blanc from New Zealand.
The kale salad was good, and the portion was large enough for my friend and me to share. The bruschetta was bland, but I remedied that with the salt shaker.
$ 18 for two small crab cakes seemed excessive, especially since they weren’t delicious. The fries weren’t hot when they got to the table, and the green beans were a bit above average.
All in all, I liked my experience here and would come back and try some different dishes.

The overall experience was nice, more likely its for for foods.
–Ginger and Carrot Soup was tasty. Such a nice touch. Our entrée were the duck breast and beef were both delicious.
_​Service was a little bit slow due to short staff maybe. but overall we had a nice experience, just like any other nice dinner place, but not that memorable. We will visit back next time we are back in town.

This remains my favorite restaurant. I was proposed to here, said Yes here, said Good Bye here.
It’s romantic.
The food is wonderful, looks pretty and tastes good (no matter what you get). The wine list is superb.
I’m sorry I haven’t said so sooner. I’ve eaten here at least 50 times! That’s how good it is.

Outstanding lamb. This place is a true gem in the HMB! Happy to see they have expanded to Los Altos. Wife and I went there for my birthday and it was fantastic. The custard desert was beautifully presented and completely delicious. Enjoy.

I had the experience of contracting them for a private dinner and let me tell you… It was the worst decision I could have ever made…
The food was ok but not to the insane amount that they were asking for. for example the stake was not medium rare even if we asked for medium rare… the reception champagne was cheap and the oysters made one of our guests sick after they got home from the event.
On top of all that, we had a reservation for a number people but we managed to get there a few people short. They took the liberty to charge us for all the people on the reservation and above that we were also not allowed to take the other menus (payed in full already) to go.
TOTAL RIPOFF !!
We talked over the phone with the event organizer after the event and all they had to say is that there is a line in the contract that says they are allowed to charge for all the people on the reservation (we were not explained this at all and the contract was signed in a rush…3 days before the event) and that WE SHOULD KNOW HOW RECEPTIONS WORK regarding not being able to get everything else that was charged and not served to go.
We are extremely disappointed with their services and we will never set foot in that place ever again… This is not how one should do business.

The pea ravioli was unique and amazing. Service was great. My nephews had Pene pasta with an amazing red sauce that was made especially for them. Trio chocolate was yummy and the mango sorbet was a celebration for my taste buds

We were seated at a very nice table by the open kitchen would normally would be fun but it was very hot due to proximity to the pizza oven on a warm evening. We were moved to another table but our waiter seemed too busy in that section. It took a long time for him to take our drink order. He seemed like a good waiter but everything took way too long. We started with the fritto misto which was very good. I had the swordfish special which wasn’t the best. The fish was dry and the vegetables (corn, fava beans, etc…) were blah and didn’t seem to go with the fish. My husband’s pork tenderloin was delicious. By the end of the email, our new table was also too warm. Not sure I’ll go back again.

The dishes we had were excellent. Live music was great and atmosphere was on the romantic side. I had the short rib which was prepared perfectly. We also had a side of truffle fries and carpaccio which was also great!
As far as the service it was pretty late after 9 and the kitchen here closes at 9:45 the place was fairly busy, but not by any means overwhelming full with guest. So with that said I feel that the service was slow and took awhile for dishes to come out.
I would come back to try other dishes in the future. Hopefully half moon bay won’t be as foggy as today was.

Went here for dinner to celebrate an anniversary.
Appearance was very formal and modern.
Service was welcoming and very prompt.
Awesome Wine selection.
Food was amazzzzing.
I highly recommend this restaurant for whoever is in the area!

Looking to have a large party here? Don’t bother.
It’s pretty rude when people do not reply to voice mail or web inquiries.
When I just called them out on it, the girl on the phone stated that she’s the one who handles large groups. She took ZERO responsibility and completely disregarded when I said I’ve left messages.
«Oh is this Jennifer?»
«No.»
“Ok then. How many in your party?“
Totally arrogant.
Asked to speak with the owner who is «not in» naturally.
In attempt to book a private party for 50 or so people,
This is off our list.
Won’t even patronize again.
… Guess they don’t need the business.
But they DO need to strongly reconsider who answers their phone (and neglects to respond to sales inquiries).
The sale starts on the phone. Learn the basics.

Went for a birthday dinner on a Thursday and there were only 3 tables being used.
No idea why this place isn’t more packed but could be because it relies on tourist and locals on the weekends rather than tourists and locals on weekdays. Whatever the case is, service was good because there were only three tables and two eventually left before us.
The place looks very nice on the outside as well as the inside and everything is just as you would expect it for $$$. They have a good selection of wines to choose from but they lack on the beers which are just mainly local ones you can find at Safeway, nothing too special.
The food was very tasty. We stated out with some oysters which were very fresh as well as some octopus which was very tender. The truffle fries are also good! Taste of rosemary and truffle oil on a crispy fry.
From there our entrees were the salmon, filet mignon, pork chop and lamb. I only tried the first two I mentioned which were very good. The salmon was cooked perfectly and had a good taste to it. It was not fishy at all and very tasty and of course had a hint of lemon. The filet was also very good. A good sized steak for being filet mignon and not some 4oz cut because who only eats 4oz of steak. It also was not salty at all like most places will try to do. Minimal sauce added to it as well. Comes with potato fingerlings some caramelized onions and spinach. All went with the filet mignon very well.
We finished off with a good chocolate trio and they gave us a complimentary pumpkin dessert. Was kind of like a custard? Anyways a little too much lavender taste to it but he first few bites were very good. Probably would be better to eat that on a hot day rather than a rainy night.
Also check out their wine room, bar and they have a smallllllll cheese room.

The 1^st night of our Pumpkin Festival staycation found us dining at Cetrella
Located at the far end of Main St — this was a nice quiet diversion & our B&B owner told us that lots of convention-​goers from the Ritz usually end up eating here
And I could see that — great ambiance w/​lots of tables & a fireplace in the middle of the room… made it extremely hot the evening we were there but glad we had donned the short-​sleeves
Started w/​the R&R — blueberry vodka, whiskey, 7-​Up & sour mix — this drinky was awesome & had a nice sweet-​tart-​action going on
Shared the Acorn Squash Fritto Misto as a starter… came deep fried w/​shishito peppers & hen of the woods mushrooms along w/​a dill dipping sauce that I didn’t care for but the Mr liked. The pumpkin was nice but I think a light tempura would have been a better batter
Also shared the Truffle & White Cheese Foccacia — this was more like a flatbread pizza w/​just a bit of cheese & the smallest drizzle of truffle oil — you can skip this & save the calories
Entrée for us both was the Farro Risotto w/​Leeks & Chanterelles & this was an a-​ok dish… once I removed that WHOLE stick of lemon butter that they included. Paula Deen would have been proud!
The farro was cooked very well but didn’t have that nice creamy-​texture that traditional risotto has… even with the butter & the lemon is a showstopper for me so I was quick to remove as much as I could (that hadn’t already melted into the dish) We’ve had farro-​risotto before & this was consistent w/​the texture & flavor
Decided to skip dessert since the only pumpkin offering was a panna cotta & that’s a veggie no-​no due to the gelatin
So overall, have to say it was a nice dinner but we weren’t blown away & would probably try somewhere else before coming back

I found this place by luck… Okay, okay, I wanted to wait out the traffic so what better way to kill time than fatten yourself? At first, the staff seems to be moving at turtle speed. Thankfully, we came to realize that everyone in half moon bay is the same. So if you come here, relax and enjoy the peaceful environment.
Onto the food… Amazing! The truffle frites were perfectly made, along with the aioli sauce. The best that I’ve eaten anywhere. I would make the commute back here just for the fries alone. The filet mignon was cooked beautifully to my request and the reduction sauce brought more depth into each bite. I also had the grilled octopus as suggested by other Unilocalers. It was okay.
What I enjoyed most from the entire experience besides the food was how friendly the owner is. He personally came by every table to ask how our meals were and shared small talks. It’s rarely to see that type of interactions nowadays. I definitely appreciated his gesture.

Second time coming to this restaurant, and again sat in the bar area.
The pork chop dish with red chard, mushrooms and carrots was excellent — very moist. I had the margarita pizza which was also very good.
While sitting in the bar is a great option to get food if reservations are booked, don’t expect service to be quick. It’s fine for people having drinks but expect slow /​spotted service if you’re having food and need more frequent service.