Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Francisco Bay Area
  4. Peninsula
  5. Palo Alto
Ethel's Fancy, Palo Alto, CA

Ethel's Fancy

4.9
4.9
554 Reviews
$50 and over
Californian

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 28 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Lively
  • Innovative
A hip and fun restaurant with chef's counter dining, serving thoughtful American cuisine, with an emphasis on local seasonal products.

Ethel's Fancy is open at 5 PM Tuesday - Saturday.

We have a small dining room with a limited amount of reservable tables. We do keep our Bar seats and a table in the restaurant open for people to walk-ins. Walk-ins are on a first come basis.

Please do not make multiple reservations with the intention of combining reservations to increase party size.

All guests must be present before your party will be seated.

To help provide a seamless experience for all our guests, we have allocated 2-hours for your group of 2 to 4 people.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Californian, Japanese, Contemporary French / American
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (650) 561-4860
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Scott Nishiyama
  • Area
    Palo Alto
  • Cross Street
    University Avenue & Waverley Street<br />Hamilton Avenue & Waverley
  • Parking details
    Public Parking
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 554 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Francisco Bay Area

    Californian

  • Peninsula

    Best Overall

  • Peninsula

    Best Food

  • Peninsula

    Innovative

  • Peninsula

    Hot spot

  • Peninsula

    Californian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Ethel's Fancy delights diners with "amazing food" and "exceptional service" in a vibrant setting. Chef Scott Nishiyama's inventive menu features standout dishes like scallop-stuffed tempura mushrooms and panko-battered swordfish. Patrons rave about the "incredibly delicious" and "unique food," ensuring memorable dining experiences that leave a lasting impression.

554 Reviews
  1. Satish

    VIP

    New York City

    34 reviews

    5.0

    34 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    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?

  2. art

    VIP

    San Francisco

    18 reviews

    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    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?

  3. Mary

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    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?

  4. Diana

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Amazing food. Macdaddy waiter. Was cold by the door though.

    Is this helpful?

  5. rashmi

    VIP

    San Francisco

    38 reviews

    5.0

    38 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    We had an amazing experience, food, service and overall experience was exceptional

    Is this helpful?

  6. Teri

    VIP

    New York City

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent experience. We had a late reservation which worked for us but the kitchen ran out of some dishes which inhibited our ordering. Hopefully the waitstaff communicates to management what diners would have liked to order so the kitchen can have adequate quantities of ingredients.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Brian

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 19 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best meal I have had in a while. They clearly have built a team that is in sync from chef Scott Nishiyama all the way to the person greeting you at the door. Everyone excited to work there. And for good reason. Let's start with the chef and the food: when the morning after you are still thinking about arrowhead cabbage, snap peas and milk bread…. What? The kitchen is sourcing and executing on an extremely high level. Combinations that are thoughtful, surprising - and that resist the temptation to add too many elements. Scallop stuffed tempura maitake mushrooms, and panko battered swordfish. It made me fall in love with those 2 foods in a totally new way. Service was extra-ordinary. Madison had energy and attentiveness even at the very end of the night. Everyone cares. Wine list is approachable if you want something tasty and modest, and expansive if you want something special. We just relocated to the Bay Area and will be back as often as we can justify.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Bob

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 19 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    This is a great place to eat. The staff is friendly and fun and the food is both interesting and outstanding.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Ruby

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 19 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    All the dishes we ordered were tasty and eye-pleasing. Our favorite was the swordfish and pork belly. Broke Da Mout cocktail was yummy, not too sweet.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Andrew

    Hawaii

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 19 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We sat at the counter and got to see all of the dishes being prepared which made for an educational and fun night. Service was great. Food was even better. The dishes were colorful and thoughtful and tasted great. Will be back!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Ethel's Fancy is rated 4.9 stars by 554 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 28 times today
Google Map for Ethel's Fancy

550 Waverley St, Palo Alto, CA 94301-1720

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    University Avenue & Waverley Street<br />Hamilton Avenue & Waverley
  • Area
    Palo Alto
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Californian, Japanese, Contemporary French / American
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Scott Nishiyama
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2024 OpenTable Australia Level 22, 357 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo