Lavanda Restaurant & Wine Bar

Sadly, this restaurant has closed a year ago. One of the great restaurants of its time. Great food, great wine & great memories. more

My order from al a carte menu was entree, one side dish and glass of wine. The skirt steak was tough (hard to imagine); the side order of green beans with prosciutto contained no prosciutto that I could detect. The side of green beans was topped with red pasta sauce, the wait-staff assuring that the sauce was flavored--NOT. They offered to and did replace side with sauteed spinach, not much better. In a location that has access to organic ingredients, this restaurant does not, in my opinion, use. The dining dollars are better spent elsewhere. Pros: Ambience, linens, wait-staff Cons: Poor food, even mis-represented more

I eat out in Palo Alto almost every night. I gave this place a couple tries late last year, because the wine list was so good. The food was not so good then, but this time, WOW. I ate there earlier this week. The bar was maybe half full, the restaurant maybe a little more so. We got fast, friendly service from Patrick the bartender. There are plenty of wines by the glass and half bottle options, and a full bar. I like a place with good champagne by the glass, and these guys have some good options (Nicholas Feullete rose, delish, not too expensive). The wine list is still great- lots of variety from quality producers, Ca, French, and elsewhere in all price ranges. If you bring your own, corkage is only $20! Used to be $30, which was a rip-off. Pros: FOOD, finaly! Good bartender, not too crowded on a Wed. Cons: none recently more

The food is pretty good, despite the somewhat small portions. Just be prepared for a smug, indignent wait staff. Truly unbelievable. We eat out every Saturday night, and this is the second time we've encountered such poor service at Lavanda (and we've only eaten there twice). I've never berated a restaurant before in a review, but this one is deserving. If you're going out in Palo Alto, pick one of the dozens of restaurants where they value your business...it isn't this one. more

Went for a nice night out and picked Lavanda. Was extremely relieved to find valet parking (which became an issue, but save that for later). Had 7 pm reservations, got there around 6:45 pm, was immediately seated at the bar and was offered a view at a very variant wine list - great selections and the bartender was a very generous fellow who offered some good tastings and had some great suggestions. Bought a nice Cab, got seated around 7:15 pm and then things mostly went downhill. Service was very substandard, food apart from the small salads was disappointing to say the least. more

I plan events, many in Palo Alto, and never had such a difficult time arranging a dinner. The customer service was very poor! more

I reserved a table here last night because the reviews were on average very high. But my friend and I were shocked by the amateur standards of the food. Given the reviews, flashy interior and prices, one would have expected something around the standard of Evvia (very good). But we were sorely disappointed. We elected to try several appetizers and a side so we could sample as much as possible at one sitting. The tuna with capers was hard, overcooked and bland. The honey and vinegar dressed artichoke hearts were tough and just vinegary. The sprouts with hazelnuts were the most edible, but ordinary. The bean soup with cabbage seemed to be fresh from the can with a dollop of chili oil for flavoring. And, finally the mushroom appetizer was just mushrooms with oil on them. No subtle flavoring of anything, just salt, oil and vinegar. My friend couldn't finish her share. I can eat dull and amateurish food so I did finish mine. To sum up, the food is edible but nothing beyond that. I think they should try hiring a proper chef. This place is a waste of your dining dollar, given that there are so many other far better choices in the neighborhood. Pros: Decor is nice Cons: Food is extremely unappetizing more

Food is not good. $30 sea bass and it was dry. The presentation was horrible. Way overpriced for this kinda food. I went cuz I was deceived by the 9.2 high rating of citysearch. I would not give more than 5. There are many restaurants in Palo Alto serve much better tasting food at this price range. And I have been to a lot of other restaurants with 8-9 rating and had much much better experience than this one. Pros: Ambience, wine list. Cons: Food, price, presentation. more

We were at Lavanda for a first time and we had a great time. Pros: ambiance, food, service Cons: can't think of one more

I got three small plates for $5 each, not bad and very nice serving. It was delicious. Great wine and desserts. I sat at the bar on a Monday so it was not social but I still managed to dine for three hours. Pros: Excellent wine bar Cons: Staff is professional but NOT warm more

We should have known that anyplace with a last minute reservation open on Mother's Day would not be too good, but everything about this place sounded great. All four of us who went are Bay Area natives, used to great restaurants. Pros: pretty dining area Cons: food, service, and value more

Both the service and food were very good. We ordered the special pasta of the day and it was excellent. We also ordered the fish of the day, a grilled wild striped bass. The flavor was very good. The last entree ordered was the roasted sea bass on the regular menu and it had wonderful flavor and texture as well. They have an extensive wine list which is great and the best thing I liked about having wine there was that when you order by the glass, they pour a little into your glass to let you taste it first. If you don't like it, you're not committed to the glass you ordered. Typically that is only done when you order a bottle. I've encountered another place that let you sample your wine by the glass before committing to the glass, not even wine bars that I've been to do that. That shows true conviction for the enjoyment of any and all wines offered. Pros: Wine offering more

A friend took me to Lavanda for dinner to celebrate a special event, and the service was horrible. The hostess was rude and uninviting. She took us to the table, did not wait until we had sat down, dropped the menus on the table and walked away without saying a word. We wanted to start with a beer, but our waiter could name only one beer they served - listing styles rather than brands, then saying that they did not have anything good, and not even bothering to walk ten feet to the bar to get the information. He then disappeared for over ten minutes without taking our drink order. The first impression was so bad, we left. Restaurant staff need to know that they set the tone. If I am paying high prices for food and drinks, then the service better friendly, prompt and helpful! Pros: Nice atmosphere, Good wine list Cons: Rude staff, slow service, unhelpful staff more

Lavanda is a treasure. Great wine, and knwoledgable staff to help you pick the right one for you. (I love that they let you taste, and encourage you to sample). The food is terrific. The gnocchi in browned-sage butter is decadent, but a great companion to a crisp, dry white which cut through the melted butter as you eat. The desserts are fun and great to share with a dessert wine or coffee. Take some friends and enjoy Lavanda. Pros: Wonderful wine, Great food, Great staff Cons: Busy at time more

A friend and I came across Lavanda on a pleasant Saturday afternoon. I'm new in the San Jose area and probably had not been in Palo Alto in at least 20 years. The meal was outstanding. Service was very good and the surroundings were excellent. It wasn't busy, so I couldn't say what a crowd might do to service or food quality. Not light on the pocketbook. Definite go back. Wish I could do it today. And yes, there are easier places to park, but it was far from being a serious challenge. Pros: diverse menu, prepared with finesse, comfortable spaces more

My husband and I went for our anniversary dinner and had such a great experience. Wonderful food and service made this restaurant one we will come back to! Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance more

Went to Lavanda restaurant last weekend with friends and really had a great meal. One thing that I really liked about this restaurant is the choices that one has. You can order from pasta to entrees and most of the appetizers can be shared. I highly recommend this restaurant. Pros: Great wine list, Delicious food, Not noisy more

Went last night and had a really great dinner. My dinner was the pasta that had artichoke and onions. Since I rarely eat meat this was a great dish. Pros: Not just meat dishes, Wine flights, Nice service Cons: Parking more

In a word this place was pathetic. Food very over priced, staff not giving a damn about customers and not having a clue about their own food and wine. After paying nearly $90 I was still hungry when I left and felt very cheated. Would not recommend this place to anyone. Cons: Expensive, Bland food, Staff more

This restaurant really suprised me. They have been around for a while and flying under the radar. Went in and had such a great dinner that I have not stoped talking about it to my friends. First, a wine list that will totally blow you away. Two pages of pinot noirs when most restaurant only have 4 or 5 selections. Had the flank steak special with artichokes, aspargus & peppers and my companion had the mahi with eggplant, peppers & onions. Simply delicious! Pros: valet, location Cons: parking more