Bistro Vida

Fantastic place to have brunch, excellent service, and great staff. The food is lovely we eat the onion soup and the croquet madame, the sorted bread and fantastic coffee. If you are in the area, please visit you will not regret

David Sopkin

Good restaurant, lots of classic French dishes. Had the swordfish and french onion soup. Service was ok, atmosphere is 4 stars because the bar they own next door was playing music, as was Bistro Vida, but the songs were clashing with each other and not coordinated. It made for a really strange dining experience outdoor.

Jan

We love this place, Ali has been welcoming us for years! Last night in his new bar Loretta, we had porn star martinis - ask for one if you haven’t tried it before!

E D

I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner at Bistro Vida! From the warm baguette and butter, Caesar salad, and steak frites to flourless chocolate cake and profiteroles, everything was a delight! Service was excellent and prompt. I do wish they had an option to have profiteroles with whipped cream as the vanilla ice cream felt heavy after a rich meal. The chocolate cake was delicious though and I would definitely order it again. I haven’t tried many French bistro style restaurants in the Peninsula so this was a great experience overall. I’ll be back to try their brunch service.

BJ Hastings

Great staff. Wonderful decor. Delicious food.

Clare Lee

Forgot to take pictures of our main dishes but everything was delicious as always and service was impeccable! The host wasn't at the front but still came out quickly; our super nice waitress came over soon and apologized for keeping us waiting (just a few minutes). The other staff were prompt with water, bread and butter, and refilled our water constantly. It'd been a while since our last visit but good to see them bustling and consistent. The burger wasn't quite up to their usual standard but everything else was great - particularly enjoyed the fondue. Look forward to visiting again soon. I love their cassoulet.

Jessica Martinez

Divine!!!! We were seated promptly with outdoor dining. They have indoor and outdoor dining available. We had a perfect view of the NBA playoffs while we ordered and waited for our meal. From the greeter to the servers, the service was fantastic! Drinks and appetizers and the Burrata Salad were out very fast! Then along came the entrees, I had the pleasure of eating the Boeuf Bourguignon, and let me tell you! The beef just melts in your mouth! The carrots and mashed potatoes perfectly paired the dish the hearty dish. We also enjoyed the New York Steak and Filet Mignon it was all excellent! We can't wait to come back and enjoy more of the delicious offerings here at Bistro Vida!

Olivia Tam

French cuisine in a cozy unassuming setting makes the food even more enjoyable. Consistently good food quality. The coq au vin is very tasty.

Katarzyna Budzianowska

Vida in Menlo Park has become my go-to spot for both personal dining and when I have guests in town. I've been there several times, and every visit has been consistently fantastic. The food is incredible—I've tried many different dishes, and they never disappoint. The portions are generous, especially the desserts, which are perfect for sharing. The staff is always friendly and attentive, making the overall experience even better. If you're in the area, Vida is a must-visit for a memorable meal!

Christopher Frey

Nice neighborhood French restaurant we stumbled upon in downtown Menlo. The bistro style food is solid and service nice. We enjoyed the brunch with well done steak frites. Prices are a little on the high end but in line with the area.

Adam Kaplan

Just the blueberry goat cheese on the cheese plate earns this place five stars. I mean it's that good. But everything else is excellent as well. The prime rib was tender and juicy. The mashed potatoes were fluffy. Our server was affable and took great care of us. The manager was present and added an extra emphasis on customer service. The decor is dark reds and wood finishes, romantic and chic.

Israel Desfassiaux

Fantastic place to have brunch, excellent service, and great staff. The food is lovely we eat the onion soup and the croquet madame, the sorted bread and fantastic coffee. If you are in the area, please visit you will not regret

We had a fabulous dinner at Bustro Vida on Sunday evening. The service is impeccable, the food is excellent and the ambiance is lovely. Highly recommended.

This was our first time here. Great food and friendly service. It was quite busy so be patient. Our waiter gave excellent suggestions for the food and wine. Definitely would go again. It is noisy when crowded but the atmosphere is inviting!

Fantastic food. They can get busy so you will need to be understanding of this. Anyone that gave them a low rating must have been rude, or they have some sort of strange taste preferences. All dishes are great. Bartenders, wait staff are well mannered and working hard.

chris k

Fantastic food. They can get busy so you will need to be understanding of this. Anyone that gave them a low rating must have been rude, or they have some sort of strange taste preferences. All dishes are great. Bartenders, wait staff are well mannered and working hard.

Edward Simpson

I had the Huitres (half-dozen oysters), Bouillabaisse, and Les Fromages (three artisanal cheeses with toasted baguette, honey, and jam). All were perfectly prepared and presented. The service was excellent. The outdoor seating is wonderful on a covered sidewalk in a quiet section of downtown Menlo Park.

Overall, good experience. The food was good but didn’t blow my socks off. My beef dish could have had a bit more sauce. My wife said her scallops were tasty. It was nice to have a Pate and it was good, however it needed more bread on the dish. The beet salad was tasty however I would have preferred the cheese crumbled over the salad as opposed to a fried medallion of cheese. The menu does have variety so there is likely something for everyone here. Decent beer selection with a nice selection of wines that you likely won’t find in most locations. The service was attentive but not pushy which I appreciated. They gave us time to finish our appetizers before bringing the entrees. Overall, worth a visit if you want to have a bit of France 🇫🇷 in a bistro setting. Parking is plentiful. They have both outdoor and indoor seating. We came on a Friday Night with a reservation at 7pm and after that service, it was not crowded. They have short bar but recommend getting a table.

We visited this restaurant after reading reviews online. The day we went the place wasn't busy. First we ordered our drinks and our appetizer. The server asked if we wanted to order our entrees but hadn't decided yet so we requested for him to come back. He eventually did when our drinks and appetizers were all done which to me was strange. My husband ordered his steak medium but got more well done than he wanted. But my beef bourguignon was excellently cooked with lots of flavor. And the portion was great for the price. Overall a good place to have lunch.

We came here on Thanksgiving. The food and service were great. The prime rib special was cooked perfectly. Oysters were fresh. The creme brulee and pecan pie were yummy. And it wasn't even crowded. What a nice way to spend the evening.

The onion soup and the beets salad are delicious. However, the clam linguine is lack of flavor and watery.

Sanjay Subhedar

One of my favorite lunch place in Menlo Park. This time we shared a plate of escargot (6 pieces) and I had the salmon which cooked to perfection and came with lots of veggies

R Klinger

Overall, good experience. The food was good but didn’t blow my socks off. My beef dish could have had a bit more sauce. My wife said her scallops were tasty. It was nice to have a Pate and it was good, however it needed more bread on the dish. The beet salad was tasty however I would have preferred the cheese crumbled over the salad as opposed to a fried medallion of cheese. The menu does have variety so there is likely something for everyone here. Decent beer selection with a nice selection of wines that you likely won’t find in most locations. The service was attentive but not pushy which I appreciated. They gave us time to finish our appetizers before bringing the entrees. Overall, worth a visit if you want to have a bit of France 🇫🇷 in a bistro setting. Parking is plentiful. They have both outdoor and indoor seating. We came on a Friday Night with a reservation at 7pm and after that service, it was not crowded. They have short bar but recommend getting a table.

Ryan Chua

We visited this restaurant after reading reviews online. The day we went the place wasn't busy. First we ordered our drinks and our appetizer. The server asked if we wanted to order our entrees but hadn't decided yet so we requested for him to come back. He eventually did when our drinks and appetizers were all done which to me was strange. My husband ordered his steak medium but got more well done than he wanted. But my beef bourguignon was excellently cooked with lots of flavor. And the portion was great for the price. Overall a good place to have lunch.

Carol cen

The onion soup and the beets salad are delicious. However, the clam linguine is lack of flavor and watery.

Steven Lin

We came here on Thanksgiving. The food and service were great. The prime rib special was cooked perfectly. Oysters were fresh. The creme brulee and pecan pie were yummy. And it wasn't even crowded. What a nice way to spend the evening.

The food and service were underwhelming. When my partner ordered sparkling water, the server asked if it was for both of us. I said I wanted a different drink and ordered that but was served sparkling water anyway. We also ordered a side dish that never arrived, though at least it wasn’t on the bill. As for the food, it just fell flat. The potatoes tasted like plain potatoes, no butter, no cream, no seasoning. The carrots and mushrooms were undercooked, and the beef wasn’t very tender. Nothing on the plate really tied together or felt thoughtfully prepared. My partner liked the onion soup though.

Gabrielle Zhang

The food and service were underwhelming. When my partner ordered sparkling water, the server asked if it was for both of us. I said I wanted a different drink and ordered that but was served sparkling water anyway. We also ordered a side dish that never arrived, though at least it wasn’t on the bill. As for the food, it just fell flat. The potatoes tasted like plain potatoes, no butter, no cream, no seasoning. The carrots and mushrooms were undercooked, and the beef wasn’t very tender. Nothing on the plate really tied together or felt thoughtfully prepared. My partner liked the onion soup though.

Very disappointing evening despite a good variety of French traditional dishes. What went wrong? The service. We had a reservation for 8:30pm but as soon as we sat at our table, they started rushing to the point that dessert turned out to be an unpleasant rush with three servers on our back. This is not the way to treat clients when one claims to have a good local reputation. French food is indeed slow food! Saddly, a very unpleasant moment. And no excuse for that.

Céline Dolimier

Very disappointing evening despite a good variety of French traditional dishes. What went wrong? The service. We had a reservation for 8:30pm but as soon as we sat at our table, they started rushing to the point that dessert turned out to be an unpleasant rush with three servers on our back. This is not the way to treat clients when one claims to have a good local reputation. French food is indeed slow food! Saddly, a very unpleasant moment. And no excuse for that.