Zola

Love it here! From the outstanding and unique menu to the caring, attentive service, Zola never fails to deliver.
First — the staff. Walter and Guillaume take great care of us during each visit. Both are so knowledgable and passionate about food and wine and a delight to visit with.
Then — the food and wine. Zola has put their own unique spin on classic dishes we know and love, but not just for the sake of changing it up. Their dishes are extremely well thought through, elegant without being pretentious. My favorites include the short ribs, steak tartare, and gnocchi, but we’ve truly never tried anything we didn’t like. We always ask for their recommendation on wine (glasses or bottle) and have tried some outstanding choices as a result.
Last but not least — the ambiance. Zola is cozy, personal, equally good for a date as an intimate dinner with friends. Go!

Horrible customer service
Edit: this is for our dinner in Oct 2015, just got around to finish the review
Came here tonight for GF’s birthday. This is the first time the entire party (7 people) has come to this restaurant. Boy do they have one of the rudest customer service!
We got seated close to the door — the door was opened and my friend asked (nicely) if he could close the door. He was greeted with ‘You don’t close the door!’. Frankly I was a bit shocked to hear what the staff said and we weren’t sure how to respond. Service was also slow at times — mind you they weren’t full but we had to make constant request (such as water refill).
Ok moving onto the food. TBH average French (I know this restaurant recently made Michelin list), expect to not have your mind blown despite all the hypes.
I was going to give this place a 3-​star, but rude customer service takes 1 off. Probably not coming back unless this is the last French restaurant standing in the Bay.

We came here for a dinner birthday for the first time. The service was great and the food was really good. The potions are pretty small but filling. We got ricotta gnocchi (best dish), winter salad, flounder, pork, and short rib. My dish was the flounder it was very good but tasted very buttery. For dessert we got the ginger cake and chocolate mousse. Parking was pretty easy to find on the street on a Saturday night. I would definitely come again.

I came here for my birthday dinner with my family when I visited the Bay Area in November. I enjoyed my experience and everything we ordered was delicious. The staff were very friendly and polite too. They even placed a birthday card at our table when we arrived. Overall, it was a pleasant dinner for my family and I. Thank you, Zola!

We started out with the gnocchi, which was delicious!
Unfortunately, the short ribs were a bit too salty for our taste (but everyone has their own preferences).
However, what I expected more from was the service.
We were there to celebrate a birthday, and we wanted to have a good night but it didn’t really look like the waiter cared much. When we told him that it was one of the girl’s birthdays, he just said «Oh, happy birthday» and walked away right after.
I think I expected more from a higher end restaurant like this — even lower end restaurants try to make the birthday girl feel special by bringing out even the smallest dessert.
Not only that, we felt very rushed, the waiter did not seem happy with us there. We were there to celebrate and to talk. Even the girls said that it felt like he was trying to rush us out. We didn’t appreciate this and ended the night a little disappointed.
Anyways, Unilocal is a place for us to go to so that we can leave our honest feedback and experience. So whether the owner decides to respond with a nasty comment like he did to other people’s reviews or not, this is my honest feedback.

I have absolutely zero complaints for this place, and I don’t think the rest of my family does either — which is honestly quite a rarity. We had a reservation for 5:30pm on a Saturday night, but the art class we were attending beforehand ran all the way until 5:45pm (and I didn’t even get to check my phone until then). When I finally did check my phone, I frantically gave Zola a call and explained the situation. I wasn’t hoping for much — just a chance to explain myself -, but they were extremely understanding and told us that our table was actually still reserved for us (until 8:00pm at least, when the next reservation started).
We arrived at around 6:30pm and were seated right away. The restaurant itself was surprisingly small, but I ended up really liking it that way because it made the entire ambience a lot more casual and cozy. Anyway, onto the food — we decided to get the foie gras and duck confit as our appetizers, and I decided on the salmon as my main course. The bread came out almost immediately after we ordered, and it (plus the spread) was amazing. Our appetizers came out fairly quickly too, and — again — the foie gras was wonderful. I loved how its soft, melty texture contrasted against the crunchiness of the crêpe, yet how the flavors were both savory enough to make a nice pairing. And then, the main course… yep, you guessed it — phenomenal. I’m not sure if I’ve had salmon that was cooked better than the one I had here. It was absolute perfection, and I especially loved how it tasted with the pancetta. To be honest, I was doubtful about the pancetta at first because I’m not usually a fan, but the way it’s stronger, meatier taste came out against the more gentle flavoring of the salmon was awesome. And did I mention the mushrooms? I’d never had the particular type before, but I ended up loving it all the same (the texture was especially intriguing).
Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this place to everyone who is looking to have not only great food, but also a great dining experience! The whole vibe and décor are just incredible, the service is fast and personable, and the food… the food is gorgeous in both presentation and taste. I’ll definitely be back!

Awesome place.
Food: all delicious
Dessert: chocolate mouse is amazing
Service: great! The waiter was super helpful.
The ambiance: chic, modern, and warm.
But, the tables are so close to one another so there’s less privacy.
Overall:

I was expecting something more from this restaurant, since it’s always booked at decent hour during the weekend (disclaimer: the place is extra-​small, that’s why is hard to find a table).
I shared a starter with my husband: we ordered the tartare. The portion was small, not even enough for one persone, and it was a surprise (not on the pleasant side) since the meat tasted more like a sausage than regular grounded fillet.
As main course I had the Duroc Pork. The turnips were super hard to chew, and the overall portion was again really small. I had a small sausage (3 inches long), an even smaller belly croquette (this one was very tasty) and a small piece of loin, that was tender but not super flavourful. My husband had the Salmone, and he said it was OK.
We had a glass of wine each, and I had the Crème Caramel for dessert. The caramel on top was burned, but overall it was good.
We spend around 100 $. This place it’s definitely overpriced and overrated.

***************************** 1439 ***************************
Zola is a neighborhood restaurant offering seasonal modern French and Californian influence cooking, and a wine list to match it. Chef Owner Guillaume Bienaime grew up in France and the US. He combines the food from the best of both worlds.
A small, quaint, and intimate spot, it’s a perfect spot for dates, although it can get loud on the weekend.
The Roasted Button Mushrooms «escargot butter» & crumb, the Gratin of Winter Squash
leeks, comté, nutmeg, and the Terrine de Campagne pork, pickled mushrooms & apricot mustard are a few good starters.
The Tartare de Boeuf dijon mustard, capers, cornichons, chive oil and the Roasted Bone Marrow
toast, horseradish, black garlic, herb salad are a few must try dishes.
Supreme of Rockies Chicken corn «coush coush», bacon, mushrooms, vinegared red onions, the Duroc Pork — loin, sausage, belly croquette apples, turnips, sage, cider jus, and the Short Rib «Bourguignon» traditional vegetable mirepoix, parsley bread crumbs are all well made here.
Check out their wine list, the French selection of Champagne and Burgundy are amazing for a small restaurant, well-​priced for this Palo Alto neighborhood.

I had been eye-​ing this restaurant since I read the reviews on a local newspaper… I was so excited when hubby spontaneously agreed to dine here on Friday night! We came in without a reservation and thankfully, we managed to snag the last table for two and didn’t have to wait!!!
The restaurant was small and intimate. Tables are pretty close to each other, so not really private. Very nicely decorated, very modern, simple but cozy furnitures. yet still very elegant!
There were a few tables of two but most other diners were of party of 4 or 6 and I noticed that most people «shared» their food…
We ordered the ricotta gnocchi, foei gras special of the day, Rib-​eye steak special of the day and mushroom (side dish) to share. We could have added foie gras with any of the dishes that we ordered vs ordering it by its own but it costs the same so I opted to have its own dish vs making it an add-​on!
They served sliced french baguette complimentary along with butter whipped with olives… we really liked the butter and wished that we would have gotten more bread!!!
The gnocchi and foie gras came out fairly quickly (within 10 minutes after placing our order!) WOW! Presentation was nice and fancy… the ricotta gnocchi was soooo delicious, very rich, crispy on the outside, fluffy and creamy inside. and the soft-​poached eggs and mushrooms made great compliments. This dish was a bit oily but really delicious!
Foie gras… sorry but I do love the flavor and taste of Foie gras and I was very happy that it’s no longer banned in CA. Again, this dish was a bit on the oily side (though not as oily as the gnocchi) but it was delicious. I really loved the gastric sauce and I thought the sweetness and a hint of tartness was a great compliment to the creamy foie gras. I have had better tasting foie gras dishes though. not this was not a homerun but certainly scored!
As we were licking our plates… the server offered us a few more slices of bread… I wish he would have given us bread when the two dishes were just served as the bread would help with the oiliness/​greasiness of the two dishes…
The main entrée, ribeye, came out about 30 – 40 minutes after the two appetizer/​small plate dishes… a bit too long, imo… but when the food arrived. to our surprised. the entrée was already split into two plates so it was easy for us to share it!!! AWESOME! and the size was certainly of a good portion that one could easily think it was a full (good size, not huge) size entrée for each of us! We asked for medium rare and the steak was more in the medium temperature but flavor was delicious, meat was tender and the mushroom sauce was delicious compliment to the meat! The potato fingerlings was like deep fried mashed potatoes. hubby loved this very much!
We also ordered the mushroom as a side and it was probably my favorite of everything that we had here as it was «different» from what I had of mushroom dishes. Loved the crunch from the bread crums and though it was again a bit oily… the mushroom was seasoned perfectly… and the price tag was extremely cheap for the amount of mushroom that we got! good deal!
We had the crème caramel and orange cake with peaches and plums for desserts. Love love love the crème caramel, very light, smooth, not too sweet, very good ending to a meal. The orange cake was «strong» in orange flavor. the fresh fruits (sliced peaches and plums) were great to balance the orange flavor. This was good too but hubby and I both loved the crème caramel more.
We spent a total of $ 113 before tips… we didn’t order any drinks… and our bellies were fully fed. Certainly not a cheap place but the prices are certainly not very pricey for the quality of food and ambiance.
Nothing that we didn’t enjoy dining here. so deserve the 5 stars!!!

There’s a restaurant that I’ve been wanting to try in PA and finally made reservation for this place. I recommend getting a reservation because this place is absolutely cramped.
We ordered:
— Sweet bread = fried and that’s about it.
— Ricotta Gnocchi = slightly less doughy, dry, need a little more sauce in my opinion.
— Special Foie Gras and fish = this entrée sound exciting and tasty, but it was mediocre. Texture and taste wise was underwhelmed.
— Clams and fish = fish was overcooked, but the clams and the sauce was delicious.
While I was happy with the service, the food was a disappointment for me, in hindsight, I’ll order something else different the next time. Cheers!

Absolutely divine. I took my family here for Mother’s Day and had the opportunity to try out many things on the menu.
Ricotta Gnocchi (⁵⁄₅): This was my favorite dish of the night. Soft boiled egg, fragrant mushrooms, and perfectly cooked gnocchi. I’m glad it wasn’t overhyped for me. As we were leaving, our waiter gave us the recipe to make the gnocchi! Excited to try it though I’m doubtful I can make it as delicious.
Roasted Button Mushrooms (³⁄₅): Nothing special. No point getting this if you get the Ricotta Gnocchi because that has mushrooms too.
Roasted Bone Marrow (⁵⁄₅): Yum. The toast that comes with it is also really good.
Short Rib «Bourguignon» (⁵⁄₅): Tender af. It smoothly falls apart.
Foie gras (⁵⁄₅): I thought I didn’t like foie gras because the one I had in Paris did not entertain me. But this one completely changed my mind. Not sure how it tasted so different! Give it a try.
Flounder (⁴⁄₅): Good but not as great as the short rib.
Salmon (³⁄₅): Not memorable
Service was also very attentive. Almost too attentive haha. I said to my family AFTER our main courses, «I kinda want another gnocchi.» 3 mins later the waiter comes by and asks if I wanted more gnocchi. lol.
Be sure to make a reservation! It’s a small restaurant that seats about 25.

Came by for dinner the other night and it was surprisingly a mediocre experience. Started off with a reservation 6 weeks in advance and still wasn’t able to get a 6:30 pm reservation… only 6:15 pm… The hostess did call a day prior, to reconfirm the reservation.
Upon arrival, the restaurant was on the smaller end, typical of European-​styled restaurants.
Started off with the complimentary bread which was a pass… it was too hard.
Moved on to the foie gras appetizer and it was surprisingly decent… might have been the highlight of the meal.
The Short Rib «Bourguignon» was mediocre. As other Unilocalers mentioned, the beef was very tender and not fatty. Unfortunately, it was on the bland side. The vegetables were fresh and cooked to perfection but the dish had random crystals in it…
The chocolate mousse was also a miss… it also had some random salt crystals along with some Oreo-​like toppings on top of the Chocolate mousse.
Service was decent throughout the meal… however towards the end of the meal, our waiter kept on coming by, suggesting that it was time to head out… rather awkward in my opinion…
…I was also very thirty after the meal… for a few days after the meal… constantly drinking water did somewhat help…
~$ 63/​head after tax and tip for dinner.

Dude this freaking spot is a gemmmmmm. It’s easy to get lost in all the other restaurants in Palo Alto but Zola stands out among the noise. It’s tucked away on the quieter end of Bryant away from all the noise of university. Zola is super quaint and cute inside perfect for a fun date night. I decided to go with a girlfriend and we decided to share a bunch of small plates for our ladies night.
We started out with the summer scallops special with corn and a lobster butter sauce. Mmmmmmmm the scallops were cooked perfectly. So delicious. We also got the burrata and peach appetizer which was kind of sweet like a dessert but in the best way. They kept the crusty bread coming which was perfect to dip in the extra sauce.
Now let’s talk about the gnocchi. That freaking gnocchi man. I’ve had some gnocchi in my day but this brown butter gnocchi with roast mushrooms and a poached egg. Wow I want to eat that every day if calories didn’t count. So yeah definitely order that. The bone marrow was really solid too. All around a great experience I will definitely be back

Very nice meal at Zola.
Our Ecuadorean waiter was great and I thought the food was excellent. Portions are not large, but quality is high
DH did not like his dish, which was one of the specials, so only 4 stars.
I had the short ribs which were very good
My dessert was the citrus salad, a refreshing way to end a rich meal

I must give five stars, I hardly do that but this is just the perfect spot for a romantic dinner or a quite dinner with good friends.
Service is great, the bread crunchy, the wines are very good and served in the correct glass, and food was tasty too.
Not cheap but worth every penny spent.

So glad Adrienne M. wrote this up last month. Sounded like the perfect place for early dinner. For those of you who have birthday’s within a week of Christmas, you know we never get to celebrate on or about the actual date because everything is booked with office celebrations. We sadly have to wait until at least the second week in January. If you’re a birthday brat like me, though the benefit is that you can spread out all the celebrating through at least the end of January if not longer. So here is my second to last meal treat to honor getting a year older and _​_​_​_​_​_​-​er. I’ll leave that one blank.
Somehow, having to do with a hacked email acct attached to the Opentable account used to make the lost reservation resulted in a last minute scramble. They squeezed us in, albeit it at 5:30. And to their credit, even though we didn’t get up until 7:15, they never made us feel at all rushed.
Service was alternately very good and sometimes strangely unpolished. Things that were good:
Busser was awesome. Always asked first before taking away plates, quick to refill water, replace cutlery, etc.
Server was cheerful and available and always explained if it took her awhile to fulfill a request. When we asked to split our last glass of wine so as to not to be unsafe on the road, she actually poured into two glasses.
Things that could have been better:
Didn’t get bread and butter until our first course was served, well after the people on either side of us, who arrived later than us.
Just before our entrees were served, my companion’s bread plate was removed. She asked for another, and got one, but no bread. Eventually more bread was served.
Our server couldn’t provide any information regarding how Skuna Bay salmon compared to other salmon, but was able to flag down someone else who knew.
Here’s what we had:
Roasted Beets
citrus, french feta, harissa pistachios $ 9: This was good, but pretty standard. I didn’t detect the harissa, but the French feta was lovely
Leeks & Crab
blue crab, sieved egg, pickled shallots, croutons $ 13: The leeks were sliced crosswise about ½ inch thick, making it easy (possibly for my first time) to gracefully eat leeks vinaigrette. Most places leave them in much bigger, tricky to cut pieces. The balance between the light vinaigrette, the fresh, sweet crab and the salty earthy egg was delicious.
Seared Tombo Tuna
avocado, hearts of palm, grapefruit, lemon, chili; $ 13: This was my least favorite dish of the night. I thought the 3 very small slices was stingy. The avocado was a flavorless swipe under the fish, the hearts of palm were barely there, and it was simply lacking in flavor. In fairness, I had them leave off the grapefruit off, because I can’t eat it. Maybe that ruined the balance, but they could have adjusted the lemon to compensate.
Ricotta Gnocchi
slow egg, mushrooms, brown butter, green onions; $ 13: On the other hand, this was a clear favorite, and since S isn’t big on lightly cooked eggs, I got it almost all to myself. The texture of the gnocchi was perfect. I know denseness is the usual complaint, but for me sometimes the chef goes too light and there’s no tooth at all. The brown butter and sautéed mushrooms were nutty with no bitterness, and if you love that just broken egg yolk to lather everything up, this is a heavenly combination.
Flounder «Beurre Blanc» fingerlings, artichokes, sicilian capers, fines herbes; $ 24:
If not for the fact I thought I didn’t care for flounder, I might have ordered this. As it turns out, the way it was perfectly sautéed here, with a slight crunch around the edges, I found I do like it. It’s just the texture isn’t executed as well in most places. We sopped up the velvety beurre blanc with the bread that finally arrived. Maybe not so polite, but necessary.
Ginger Cake with spiced pears: Very good dessert, which unfortunately we almost finished before I took a picture. The cake was wonderfully gingerbread-​y, but with an almost mousse like texture and the cream cheese topping was nothing like the gloppy stuff that comes on most carrot cakes, but light and airy with just enough cheese bite.
So many other things on this menu that I’d like to try, especially all the appetizers and starters. The place is quite small, and as others have said, when it’s full, it’s very loud. They could do with something to baffle/​absorb the sound. I love the dark teal color of the walls. Hope my next birthday dinner is as good!
Food: ³⁶⁄₄₀
Service: ¹⁶⁄₂₀
Amb/​Intang: ¹⁷⁄₂₀
Value: ¹⁷⁄₂₀
Overall: ⁸⁶⁄₁₀₀ 4 Stars for now, but I expect good things here.

Awesome addition to downtown Palo Alto. Small, cozy, comfortable, fun staff, and utterly delicious. 4.8 stars
Food: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Service: 4.5
Cost to worth it rating: 4.5 (starters $ 7 – 15, entrees ~$ 26)
Return worthiness: YES!
Highlights: best flounder fish dish, best mushroom side
Highlights:
— Fish: almost didn’t order it since the meat dishes looked so tempting but it was my favorite of the night. Perfectly cooked with a bit of a sear but still delicate and flaky and the sauce was not too rich. Artichokes and capers were a perfect pairing to compliment but not overshadow the delicate fish.
— Mushrooms with escargot butter: turned me back on to mushrooms. I have not been a mushroom fan for years and this was beyond words delectable.
— Gnocchi: fluffy large pieces in a night broth. And anything with a runny egg gets my vote.
— Brussel sprouts: first time I’ve seen chorizo in a French spot but worked well.
— Potatoes: crispy and paprika-​like tasty
— Pork: well-​cooked and seasoned
— Beef bourguignon short ribs: adorably served in a little cast iron bowl.
— Cheese plate: love cheese plates and fruit compote and thick crackers were fantastic
Midlights:
— Coffee: nothing super exciting but liked the shareable carafes
Lowlights:
— Apple cake: light but not too much flavor
Been raving about this place to anyone who will listen and can’t wait to go back. I already have my next reservation.