Saint Michael’s Alley

A very pretty restaurant, we were in the back room, very nice like a home setting. Pretty food and outstanding service. The fish was prep spot on. Need to come back for dinner …

We had a great time at Saint Michael’s Alley a few weeks ago, after waiting for a LONG time for a weekend reservation. The food was delicious, the service was attentive and the atmosphere was cosy and inviting. We enjoyed our evening there.
The reason why I am taking one star off is the incorrect wine recommendation from the waiter. We asked for a red wine, full body, not too sweet. The wine recommended ended up being VERY sweet. My wine connoisseur friend was not happy and regretted not tasting the wine when the bottle was opened (trusted the recommendation). This rookie mistake for a restaurant of this caliber was disappointing.
The recommendation is to defer wine suggestions to a sommelier.

Had a family lunch on an overcast weekday, and we had the elegant patio all to ourselves (!)
We tried their Cobb salad and fried chicken sandwich, (both delicious) as well as a rich creamy mushroom soup. The service was friendly and flawless. The prices were reasonable considering the attention to the food, the attentive service and the lovely locale.

I hosted a group of 7 in the semi-​private dining room on Wednesday night, and it was a truly exceptional experience.
Our server, Peter, was STELLAR! He truly made the experience. He provided spot on menu recommendations, and was so passionate and authentic, we absolutely loved enjoying his company. He’s a true professional, you should ask for him.
The food was also outstanding. The seasonal menu offered wonderful variety. Every single dish we ate was seasoned perfectly, cooked to perfection, and the flavors were well developed. It is clear that there is great attention to detail in the kitchen, every dish was presented beautifully and the taste lived up to the presentation. I also have several food allergies, and both Peter and the chef were very careful to steer me away from menu items that would cause an issue.
I worked through Jenny to coordinate booking the room, she was lovely and very easy to work with. The entire process was very simple.
My guests were still raving the next day about what a great time they had and how excellent the food and service was.
All in all, a wonderful dining experience, I would highly recommend visiting Saint Michael’s Alley!

Mike, thank you for a wonderful evening.
Your responses on this Unilocal page are hilarious. I will definitely come back, if only to pretend that my steak is undercooked and to receive 3 desserts on the house as compensation.
It sounds like you have a wonderful team of people working for you. I cannot wait to have my waiter recite poetry for me. (Why would anybody complain about that???)
We will be back!
Thank you, and keep being the way you are

Went for my 30^th birthday on the 7^th.
My salmon dish was divine! I loved it. Perfect texture and juice. The tastes were subtle and full of great flavors.
Boyfriend’s filet mignon was on the rarer side of medium rare, a good thing! It was cooked so well.
Ambience added to the class to the restaurant.
I took a star away for them not comping my dessert and for the lack of creativity in the dishes. Orchard city, Willard hicks, basin, etc dishes offer better rounded dishes (acidity, balance of flavors)

My friends and I came here for a birthday dinner. The restaurant is easy to find and is very nice inside. Very upscale and the chef does an amazing job! Our waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable about the specials, which wine to have, and the best food to eat. Food was served in a timely manner and was very delicious. It is on the pricey side so if I were to return it would be for special occasions. Very nice though!

This is my favorite place in Palo Alto, if not the Bay Area!
— Fantastic service, friendly staff that gives excellent recommendations
— Delicious rotating menu, great cocktail /​wine /​beer list
— It’s a ten-​minute walk from my front door!
— Outdoor patio for warmer nights (with heaters) and beautiful indoor space

Great ambiance, nicely decorated and very Palo Alto-​esque. Wait staff was extremely friendly, but that’s about it for the positives.
Reservations — I called to make a reservation on Thursday afternoon for Friday night’s dinner. The girl who answered my phone call sounded very confused and what was supposed to be a less than 5 minute call (to take down my name, reservation time, and phone number), turned out to be almost 10 minutes. I wasn’t able to get a table at the time of the call, but someone else called back to confirm with me so that was nice.
Food — Their complimentary bread was rustic and served with butter. Their presentation on their appetizers and entrees were pretty, however, the food did not really wow me. Food was as described on the menu, but lacked flavor — everything was very average and fairly salty.
Overall, food is on the pricey side and I was expecting a lot more based on their 4-​stars on Unilocal

I had lunch with my father last week and it was our first time.
Service was good
Food was great.

Came here on the spur of the moment because we found ourselves in Palo Alto with lost reservations at another restaurant and no table available until too late.
Turning to Unilocal,we read reviews and saw St Michael’s, called and headed right over for an early dinner. Very impressed. Beautifully crafted rooms, very clubby and top drawer design and setting. Excellent service from the get go to the check: knowledgeable, served properly, advice when asked but not pushy, friendly, competent, and above all, right on time.
We shared a very tasty Caesar salad. My friend had a delicious boneless rack of lamb and I had some of the best, tasiest, and perfectly prepared sea scallops ever. A lightly seasoned but delicious coating on the scallops was superb.

I absolutely love the waitstaff here. They are so warm, friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and extremely attentive: all the qualities one would want in a favorite restaurant.

A solid upscale restaurant. We went on a Friday afternoon around 11:45am. There are approximately 11 to 13 tables, so its not a big place. When we arrived, we were asked if we had reservations. We did not, but were seated. At the time we were seated there were 4 other tables occupied. So, I wondered why we were asked about reservations when it was not half full. Well about 12:30 it was full. Question answered. Perhaps the lunch crowd dines on the late side here. None of this is a complaint, just information for the reader.
Service was very good. No complaints Desert was a little slow, but the waiter came and told us what was going on, which was nice. They refilled drinks without being asked.
Cleanliness was excellent. Floors, walls, linen were all clean. Bathrooms were very clean as well.
Parking. We found a place down the street immediately. They are off the main University street far enough that they seem to have not the same parking spot issues. Despite having said that, there is not really any nearby parking lots. I saw only curbside parking and one lot (public?) that belonged to Whole Foods. I think parking might be a little challenging. Just allow some time to find parking when you decide when you want to go eat there.
Food was excellent. We had three appetizers (mushroom cakes, clan chowder, and a baguette sort of thing with cream cheese). All were excellent. I liked the baguette in particular because of contrasting flavors. For a main course we had butter nut squash ravioli and Mahi-​Mahi on coconut flavored risotto. Again, all excellent. Excellent flavor and excellent presentation. We shared a dessert of pumpkin bread with ice cream. Unusual dessert with excellent visual presentation and taste.
Price for the meal with 2 drinks, 3 appetizers, three entrees, and one dessert was $ 150, including tip. For the atmosphere, location, quality of food I felt the price was reasonable.
Atmosphere. Well, you better like earth tone brown. That is the color of the décor, table lined, walls, floor… most everything. The décor was upscale and visually appealing. The walls have numerous pastel type paintings. Only modest complaint is the noise level, which comes in part from there being no drapes or furnishing to dampen or absorb noise. The walls pretty much have just paintings and wall. With the wooden floors it means all sound bounces around and nothing is absorbed. As a result I found the place a little on the noisy side. We found ourselves leaning into the table to getcloser so we could hear or repeating ourselves a couple of times.
I would and probably will go back.

Solid choice for lunch.
White bean soup was hearty and flavorful — great for a rainy day
The Croque Madame was superb — excellent bread and bechamel sauce and nice side salad
Hubbie has salade Niçoise — which was prepared in a deconstructed style and worked
Very accommodating toward families. We were seated in the back, past the bar which was perfect. Another family was seated in the booth next to us.
Parking can be difficult, especially with whole foods around the corner

Came here to celebrate with the bf and really enjoyed our meal. Off the main area of Palo Alto downtown there’s a lot of easy street parking and a lot less hustle and bustle– perfect for a romantic night out. We thoroughly enjoyed all the dishes we ordered and it was great chatting with the server who was super friendly and attentive. Learning about the background of the restaurant and location just added to our appreciation for the meal. Thank you!

I recommend Saint Michael’s Alley for dinner, especially if you are looking for outside dining on a nice Fall evening.
Dinner for 8. We experienced really great service, provided by a considerate and knowledgeable waiter.
The California cuisine was great for all, except by one who found the lentils not to her taste.
For me, I ordered, and very much enjoyed, the bruschetta (with goat cheese and a tomato-​herb relish $ 8) and the tomato basil fettuccine (Mediterranean broth, Italian sausage, shaved red onions, and sun dried tomatoes $ 20).
We ordered two wines for the table. One was a Malbec Cabernet meritage (it was excellent) and the other a «J» Pinot Grigio that was complementary to those dining on salmon and sea bass (it was adequate).
I will be back, sooner rather than later.
Enjoy!

Brunch with the girls!
Salmon Benedict was so good!
You can kinda see the kitchen cook, pretty cool!

J and I love eating at Saint Mike’s. Be prepared for a wait, however. If you show up early before it opens, then you might get seated in the first round & then the wait might not be as bad.
Their freshly baked muffins are great (a different flavor each Sunday) — available only on Sundays.
Pretty much everything we’ve tried here has been delicious! We’ve tried their: St. Mike’s omelet, eggs benedict, waffle with fresh fruit, whole wheat pappardelle (pasta), various risottos… all of these have been top-​notch. Our all-​time favorite is their version of chilaquiles. It is delightful!
The only reason why it’s 4 stars and not 5 is that it’s slightly on the pricey side… but it’s not a bad deal, considering the quality of the food & the ambiance.

Had lunch reservations here with my work. Its a nice, fancy restaurant. They accommodated us well and we all sat outside on a nice day. They have a great patio and the décor inside the restaurant is really good as well.
Our server was likely new. He actually forgot to ask for my order – as in, went around the entire table and then just never asked me what I wanted. Then again, we did have like 12 people so its understandable. ANYWAYS. I ordered fish. It was decent, nothing spectacular. Definitely overpriced.
Hopefully I will be back for brunch cus I heard its really super delicious. Maybe, maybe not. We shall see.

Another meal here with grandparents! Loved everything!
Grilled chilled shrimp was good with cous cous,
Gem salad was okay, maybe cuz I am no big fan of Bleu D’ Auvergne.
Scallops were jumbo and fresh
Chicken pot pie was larger than our expected personal size. But very creamy and cheesy. Grandma confessed that it was even better than her own chicken pot pie.
Sea bass was my fav.