Dinah’s Poolside Restaurant

My wife and I ate here consistently when I was on a business trip in Palo Alto. They were great to my wife and kids and the food was fantastic !

What A great little breakfast place! I came here on a Sunday morning and a table was availible immediately. I ordered cranberry juice (ocean spray) and the Sourdough French toast. The French toast was amazing! It was full of vanilla creamy yuminess and lovely caramelized apples. The only thing i would change is since it’s sourdough French toast, bring out a hint of sourness to the French toast as it was not apparent to me. Parking is easy, as you can park on El Camino or in the hotel parking lot.
Overall: A great little breakfast place with easy parking

This is a hidden GEM!!! Super awesome food all Farm fresh. being a food prude, I give this place 5 stars for service and quality!!!

Great place and terrific ambience. We came for happy hour drinks and their sampler plates. Since drinks were ½ off, I expected pours to be a little light but such was not the case. The maitais ann mohitos were excellent! Food samplers were good as well. Shrimp quesadilla and meatballs were very good as well. 3 rounds of drinks and 2 rounds of appetizers and out the door under $ 55 was a bargain! I’ll definitely be coming back!

How have I completely neglected to write about this wonderful hidden gem, practically in my backyard, Dinah’s Poolside restaurant, until now? Comparing myself of the past to today’s me, I used to checkout reviews and tips to decide on a place, but not so much to reflect upon my own experience — that is for the first 50 reviews or so — until I felt that sharing is caring, about 3 years ago? Really upped my game since then! This lyrical observation aside, think Dinah’s — think staycation! The one of resort-​ey, luxury style. Because if you dine by the pool, that’s the experience you get. Wonderfully presented delicious dishes with perfect aroma and exquisite taste. They do holiday brunches and events, give it a try and discover the local place off the beaten path. Unexpected awaits you!

Friendly staff, good amount of selection for breakfast, reasonable pricing, and decent coffee.

Delicious brunch with a nice ambiance and outdoor seating. The berry crepes were delicious with a vanilla bean cream that was not too sweet. The menu had a nice variation as well!

Went here for breakfast with my friend. Its off in the cut, but i thoroughly enjoyed my food. Will definitely go back. Service was great.

Wow, had an amazing Ruben sandwich. We took a friend of ours, to breakfast/​lunch, here Sunday morning. Being a beautiful day, it was busy, but there was no problem. Hostess, had a friendly greeting for us, two waiters, came over to say hi, asked how we were. Nice, that they have good memories, makes us feel good. Our waiter remembered my type of beer, and I asked him which item on the menu, he thought I’d enjoy more. He was spot on, we all had a good time, and they had no problem with substitutions. So glad this place is doing well, as it’s a great place to dine, when the weather is nice.

This is a true hidden gem. The chef is just amazing.
It’s a white tablecloth, cozy and casual place.
The servers have an simple elegance about them, friendly and attentive.
And the food is just so wonderful. Cooked to perfection. Oh my gosh, this is my new favorite place. Every item we had was so delicious. Black cod grilled — outside crispy, inside moist –flavor-​perfect. It comes with black rice and bokchoy.
Their calamari is not greasy. lightly breaded, and so tender.
Everything was wonderful.
The food quality reminds me of the Terrapin Creek Café.

This place is pretty tucked away – even once we were inside the parking lot I wasn’t quite sure we’d found it. You *don’t* need to be a hotel guest to eat here. We came for breakfast on a Friday, and it wasn’t too busy. I was hoping to sit outside, since it was a sunny day and they had lots of open tables, but when we arrived, the server gave us a choice of the room on the left, or the room on the right. I chose a spot next to the window at least. I got the Eggs Benedict, which came with a side of fruit. Our meal came out with no issues, but towards the end of the meal, it became apparent that the kitchen staff was very disorganized, as we overheard several arguments over room service being delivered to the wrong rooms, food orders that were ready but were missing the tickets to identify which table they were for, omelettes that were missing cheese, etc. I’d say that I’d come back, but maybe after they’ve gotten their staff issues ironed out.

I love this hotel and restaurant. The spicy garden burger is amazing. I literally eat it every time I visit Palo Alto. They told me it is made in house and it is one of the best I have ever had.

Note that this review is just for Dinah’s Poolside Restaurant. The Hotel itself will be a separate review.
My wife and I came here for dinner on a Sunday night. Being January, it was a bit chilly so we did not get to fully enjoy the poolside seating, but I can see how it would be nice to sit there and relax when the weather is nice; though I imagine kids in the pool would equal a not-​so-​quiet meal.
Unfortunately we were very disappointed with our meals. Something I kept thinking, and she echoed, is it reminded me of cafeteria food (with non-​cafeteria pricing). I ordered the fried chicken and was surprised that rather than it being pieces of fried chicken, it was two pieces of fried chicken cutlets. My mistake if the menu described it as such, but I’m pretty sure it did not. The chicken was cooked well, very moist; unfortunately it was drastically under seasoned. The same can be said of the green beans: cooked to a good texture but lacking in flavor and seasoning. The corn fritters at least had a lot of flavor once dunked in the honey they are served with.
Somehow, my wife’s steak tasted off. Hard to describe, but it reminded me of an almost mildew flavor. I’ve never had a steak taste like that before, so I really can’t compare. I just know it wasn’t pleasant.
Other than the steak, in my mind the food was edible, but nothing that would prompt me to want to go back again. Overall the quality was hovering just around the mediocre meridian, but for the price we certainly expected more. I was going to give 3 stars, but when the extra $ removes a star.
I must admit that I don’t typically eat at hotel restaurants. I’m thinking I should continue that trend.

This is a wonderful place nestled in the fauna of and enchanted garden setting.
A locals hidden secret gem for years!
The menu has been overhauled and the Quality is superb!
Fast friendly service and great prices.
We’ve had breakfast, lunch and dinner here numerous times.
The Dinah-​mite Benedict is beautifully prepared with a fresh flavorful Hollandaise sauce and has been one of my favorites. though the breakfast burrito, pulled pork skillet and biscuits and gravy are not to be missed either!
For lunch I’d suggest the fried calamari, or baby back ribs with mango relish as a starter and the Reuben or the Patty melt for your lunch. (All portions are good sized so you might want to split an appetizer!) Save room for a crêpe for dessert!
For dinner the Deviled eggs or Shrimp cocktail are my top starter choices.
A main course of the delicious Fried chicken, Seared salmon (Perfection!) or the incredible Lobster Gnocchi will surely impress your taste buds!
Be sure to top dinner off with one of their fantastic desserts. Everything and anything that is chocolate will win you over!
Bön Appetite~

I just literally got back from having breakfast with my co worker about less than an hr ago. I’m glad she took me here because I had a great time.
I love the atmosphere inside this privately spaced breakfast/​lunch restaurant. It felt like a small resort with a high end club house type feel.
It’s a white linen table joint but casual atmosphere. It’s refreshing especially with the fresh pink flowers on the tables. The menu is laid out in front of you so you can pick right from the get-​go.
I ordered the Pancho Villa omelet which has chorizo, pico de gallo, cheddar, and topped with crème fraîche. It was made neatly with a nice portion size for one. The hash browns were golden brown with a nice crisp to it. Everything on my plate was made fresh and plated beautifully, even the sides of my plate were spotless.
The service is right on time with their quick refills, orders, and serving. They’re attentive to details in everyones tables; they stay ahead of the game with their duties.
I’d love to definitely come back here and during the hot spring or summer! It’s a nice cozy spot for a cold early morning. Food and service is very good here!

We were starving after flying in and decided that eating at the hotel restaurant was our best option. It was 4pm on a Thursday and the place was dead. Maybe one other table, at the most.
I had the happy hour margarita for $ 5. It obviously wasn’t the strongest of all time, but it also wasn’t subpar. Worth the price.
We ended up with nachos, fried chicken, truffle fries, and deviled eggs, all from the happy hour menu. The nachos were tasty but a small serving size. The same can be said for the chicken, which was lighter than most fried chicken but only 2 strips. However for $ 14 for all the food, it’s hard to complain about serving size.
I can’t vouch for full price menu items but their happy hour is great! The service was a bit slow for only having one other table, but if you aren’t in a rush, it’s a good place for a bite.

Staying here for a few days and came down for breakfast day one. I am an eggs Benedict fiend and sonI had to order the original version. First off, it is always an absolute plus to me when my food comes out hot and it did. The service and ambience was great. It is a nice location with an upscale feel that has poolside and inside seating. It really was a nice décor. Now for the food. The eggs Benedict were one of the best I have tasted. The English muffins were crispy but not burnt to give a nice crunch. The sauce was I resolve with a nice tang to it. The Canadian bacon was the big surprise adding a nice flavor the the Benedict. The egg was poached to perfection and like I said, everything came out hot. I ordered with hash browns and they were crispy and hot, the way I like them. All in all a great breakfast and I am looking forward to my next meal here. Stay tuned.

This is not Dinah’s Shack, that closed in 1989 (I remember going there when I first moved to CA and lived in Palo Alto).
This is great cuisine, good service in a casual poolside setting. Did I say FANTASTIC food!
There were 4 of us and everyone enjoyed their dinner. It was Saturday night, and sure there were a few noisy kids in the pool (they also have inside seating). But once the food arrived we did not notice. Chicken skewer appetizers with a nice spicy tang. Cute bread muffins with a cheese lace. For the main course the salmon was perfectly cooked the gnocchi with lobster was fantastic, huge salads. Just great food. We did not try any desserts. For coffee they have regular or decaf, no fancy stuff, just good tasting coffee.
We brought our own wine and they do have a $ 15 corkage fee per bottle.
I see they have a Happy Hour, we’ll be back to try that.

Poolside dining here is awesome. Had the pleasure of joining some family members staying at Dinah’s for lunch. Great experience! The food was great. Fresh, not skimp or meek looking. We enjoyed the sandwiches and breakfast plates. Waitstaff was attentive and the ambiance felt as if we were at a resort. Will definitely come back!

Yummy!
Dinah’s is an awesome place for dinner. Their seasonal menu has really fresh options.
One of our favorite spots on Friday nights.