St. Michael's Alley

St. Michael's Alley reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. J

   John VIP

   San Francisco33 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   We had a wonderful birthday dinner for my Daughter. I had the branzino special over black rice, it was excellent. They have an excellent and reasonable priced wine list. Service was excellent.
   

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2. D

   D VIP

   San Francisco11 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

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

   SMA remains the gold standard of restaurants in Palo Alto. There is no other restaurant that provides excellent food (one of the best branzinos ever), attentive service, and a charming atmosphere. Our waitress was absolutely lovely (I am sorry that I didn’t catch her name), as was the most amazing Hector who kindly came out to say hello. Importantly, the different spaces within the restaurant provide an intimate, quiet setting, with the exception of the bar area which is lively and fun. SMA is the perfect spot for any occasion - business, a date, a small family gathering, or just friends getting together. Highly recommend.
   

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3. W

   Walter VIP

   Tahoe7 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on 10 April 2025

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

   The place is really cute with a cozy atmosphere, but the food is not up to par, the short ribs were very dry, cassoulet kind of bland, service ok.
   

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4. J

   Jonathan VIP

   San Francisco12 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 6 April 2025

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

   This is s neighborhood gem - a very pretty and quiet dining room - with outstanding food.
   

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5. A

   Amit VIP

   San Francisco3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 30 March 2025

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

   Food and ambiance were great. Service wasn’t that warm or helpful to what you would expect. Food was solid
   

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6. C

   Claude VIP

   San Francisco12 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on 30 March 2025

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

   In summary: meh. There was nothing really wrong with the food, but there was nothing interesting about it either. The Chinese buns with pork carnitas were very bland, we had expected (wrongly it turns out) a little spiciness. The cassoulet had neither bacon nor sausage and the white beans were in a very liquid base, not the think goo of a real cassoulet. The flavor was not bad, just bland. The short ribs were braised much too long, the meat had turned tough. All the dishes were presented well and our waitress was very attentive and very nice. My review may not apply to everyone. We enjoy high flavor dishes, not the Olive Garden. You may have a very different point of view.
   

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7. C

   Carol

   San Francisco86 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 28 March 2025

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

   As always a delightful experience. The food is always very well cooked and presented at a good pace. This time I had the scallops with Beluga lentils - an unusual combination, but perfectly cooked with great flavor and texture. My husband had the seafood pasta and pronounced it to have a very well matched tomato sauce. Our only disappointment was in the Caesar salad which lacked the piquantness of prior versions. Our dessert was a light chocolate mousse cut like a cake and not too sweet - a delicious ending to the meal. The wines - a Chardonnay and a Sancere were well matched to our entrees. The service was prompt, efficient, pleasant and thoughtful. We have been coming to this restaurant since it opened and really enjoy seeing familiar faces in the staff. Keep up the excellent work!
   

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8. E

   Elaine VIP

   San Francisco37 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 26 March 2025

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

   Excellent service, gracious & welcoming atmosphere! Decent prices, wonderful Cosmo sitting at bar before dinner. I ordered scallops and wasn’t wild about the preparation/accompaniment, but next time I’ll give something else a try as I think that dish just wasn’t for me! This is a lovely dining experience just outside of the frenzied downtown Palo Alto scene!
   

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9. A

   Angela VIP

   San Francisco9 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 23 March 2025

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

   It was a wonderful evening celebrating our two friends birthday. We will definitely dine there again!
   

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10. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 17 March 2025

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

    Excellent experience. The food is superb and the service attentive, making this an enjoyable experience.
    

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