Ethel's Fancy

Review summary

1. S

   Susan VIP

   San Francisco14 reviews

   5.0

   Dined today

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We've visited Ethel's Fancy four times now and every visit was delightful. The menu, which changes daily, offers innovative dishes full of fresh ingredients and flavor. The wait staff is delightfully quirky and appropriately attentive. After our first visit, every time we dine at Ethel's Fancy, at least one wait person from a previous visit comes to our table to welcome us back and "just say hi." Incredible!
   

   Is this helpful?

2. V

   Vanessa

   San Francisco1 review

   5.0

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Service, food, ambiance, beverages were all outstanding. I definitely would recommend friends to dine here. Thank you!
   

   Is this helpful?

3. T

   Tara VIP

   San Diego1 review

   5.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent food and service with fresh and unique ingredient combinations. Loved that music wasn’t loud and acoustics kept overall noise level low, even with a full restaurant. Rose Lambrusco was delightful.
   

   • 
   • 

   Is this helpful?

4. A

   Amir VIP

   San Francisco72 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 9 March 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   I'm a fan of this restaurant. Food is always consistently excellent. The cocktails are great and they can make a special one for you if you describe your likes. Very good wine list, too. Service is always solid, very friendly and they work as a team to ensure a good experience. We enjoy everything on the menu. Our top favorites: sesame pancakes w/ smoked fish, charred snap peas, charred cabbage, sashimi over rice, fish katsu, and the steak. And of course, dessert, we love the caramel choc. tart. Menu changes seasonally, the main ingredient may continue on the menu but the sauces and sides will be different, pending what's in season. We look forward to returning soon.
   

   Is this helpful?

5. SB

   SusanB

   San Francisco10 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 6 March 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   I’m never disappointed dining at Ethel’s Fancy, from the minute you walk in the door you are greeted warmly and made to feel like a valued guest. The wait staff is friendly and knowledgeable and I have to say I’ve never had a dish that I didn’t love. It’s my go to for special occasions as well as my number one recommendation (but only to people I really like)!
   

   Is this helpful?

6. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   New York City1 review

   5.0

   Dined on 2 March 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   An absolute gem. Only complaint is the 80’s rock music that plays moderately loud.
   

   Is this helpful?

7. S

   Satish VIP

   New York City34 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 27 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Eclectic menu with 6-star service and attention. Food done well and as tasteful as it gets. More importantly it won’t break your bank for that kind of service and tasteful, good food.
   

   Is this helpful?

8. a

   art VIP

   San Francisco18 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 27 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   The food was outstanding. The service was excellent. The chocolate of the chocolate Carmel tart was terrific, so thick and rich, it stuck to the roof of your mouth, but the coffee rosemary cream was too dainty. In my opinion, it needed a vanilla, even coffee, ice cream scoop. The acoustics had the same problem as the predecessor restaurant in this space: difficult to have a conversation with your dinner partner without shouting half the time. There are plenty of wall absorbing sound solutions.
   

   Is this helpful?

9. M

   Mary

   San Francisco3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 26 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Chef Scott creates elegant, fresh, and tasty dishes. Each dish has distinct and unique flavors, he has mastered the ability to highlight the fresh ingredients and spices in the dish without being overly ‘fussy’. The wait staff and general manager were attentive even during a very busy night. Kudos to Ethel’s Fancy for being an unpretentious culinary gem in Palo Alto.
   

   Is this helpful?

10. OT

    OpenTable Diner VIP

    San Francisco1 review

    1.0

    Dined on 23 February 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1

    The only thing colder than the steak was the outdoor patio.
    

    Is this helpful?