Bella Vista Restaurant

So sad this restaurant closed. It was our special place.

No, no a thousand times no. The food was horrible, the waiter was super pushy and overbearing.
I really really wanted to love this restaurant but I’ll never go again.
We were seated promptly and the view is nice. The waiter sort of listened to what we wanted and then bullied us by saying he was just going to bring it anyways.
If your charging market prices for seafood, then it shouldn’t have been frozen for the last two seasons. Gross. Will NEVER go back. Highly recommend you not make the mistake of trying it.

I wanted to write a review for this place, but just found out it was closed.
By far my favorite restaurant in the Bay area. what a shame.

The place is now closed, which is kinda sad. The location was terrific (albeit a bit of a drive) and the view was really nice. I loved parking between redwoods.
The steak I had was pretty disappointing for the price, but the soufflés were very good. Going there for drinks and dessert would have been a good plan.
Maybe someone will buy the location and revitalize it.

5 stars for view!!!
4 stars for service! Server knew his stuff
but…
²⁄₃ stars for the food. Some of the dinner items were good but others weren’t great. The Grand Marnier dessert I remember being really good!

I teeter between four and five stars for here, and the reason why I went with four is not any fault of theirs, it’s simply that The Wife and I believe the best, and frankly only, time to eat here is during the summer.
I’m rather floored at other remarks complaining about the drive up, how the hell can you get one of the best non-​ocean views in the Bay Area if you are at sea level? Of course all of the routes wind up the road, I usually take Kings Mountain because I ride it on my bike all the time and know it like the back of my hand, but 92 gets you there just fine.
The parking lot is dirt, which makes winter trips a bit muddy and one of the reasons we come in the summer. The other reason is that you need some sunlight to enjoy the bella vista for a while. It’s best if you pick a night when the marine layer isn’t spilling over the top of the mountain.
Try to make it on the early side to help guarantee a view seat, there’s generally not a bad seat but some seats are much better than others. They have released view seats if you don’t make your reservation time, it’s better to arrive early.
We always have had great service, especially the host. The restaurant itself appears to be an older house/​inn/​something converted to the restaurant. The bathroom is a disappointment really.
The waiters are professional, and they know their wines and how they complement the meals. They wear tuxedos, but you can feel comfortable in any collared shirt and slacks (others will wear less, but I prefer to have decent clothes just for the ambiance).
The menu is pretty good, I had the lobster tail on one occasion and it was only okay, I would recommend the beef and chicken dishes first. Definitely get the soufflé, they are their specialty and well worth it. Some of the dishes are cooked at-​table, which is cool, and your table is always well attended. However, and it pains me to say it, it’s not high quality cuisine. It’s good, well worth the time, but not exceptional.
Oh, but the view is exceptional, and it’s always a fun date night. We come once or twice a year, and we look forward to it every time.

Bella Vista has a rustic feel to it. What I would expect at a old restaurant in the mountain. I enjoyed the view driving up to this place. It is best to make a reservation around sunset so you can admire the bay’s beauty as the sun goes down.
The place is small. All tables are pretty close to each other. It was pretty loud in the dining room. The bathroom is quite messy for a fine dining place like this. The bathroom seriously needs an upgrade.
Service was excellence!!! Definitely top notch! The host (manager maybe) greeted us and had us seated quickly by the window. He took our coats and did not accept any tips or fees. Our waiter was very funny and entertaining. His name was Margot I think. The restaurant was very busy but he gave us enough attention. He even gave us a note in the end.
Onto the food: Classic French cooking. Rather heavy. Expect a heavy meal because most of the dishes we had were very rich. Items on the menu sound rich and heavy as well.
–The bread was cold when it came out. We asked our waiter to heat it up. Just your basic sourdough bread and butter.
–Oyster Rockefeller — my bf loved it but I did not. The oyster was too cooked and lost its natural flavor under all that cheese. I used the bread to eat with the cheese topping. That was good. Too cheesy for me. I would skip it.
–Steak Diane — they prepared it in a corner of the room since the place was so small and there was no way to push the preparing cart around. I love my Steak!!! The steak was so tender. I could tell it was not an expensive cut but the preparation made it so tender and melted in my mouth. Steak was quite lean but the sauce was rich.
–Lamb Shank — Huge portion! Very tender and fell off the bone. My bf loved it. It was flavorful but a little too game-​y. I wish that lamb-​ness was little milder.
Wine list was extensive. They have many high-​end wine and price it fairly.

Amazing lamb special and great Caesar salad!
Took my parents to dinner here and we all had a great time. I’m not usually a Caesar salad fan, but I had a bite of my mom’s and really enjoyed it.
The lamb special was cooked in an osso bucco style (slowly braised) and it was absolutely decadent. My favorite thing about any meat is when it falls off the bone and melts in your mouth, and this did exactly that.
We got the highly talked about godiva soufflé (one for each of us, of course) and it was also amazing.
I have been to places that charge more than Bella Vista and are not nearly as good, I was highly pleased by the bill at the end of the meal (Also helped that I had a Bloomspot deal on top of it!)
ONLY downside: It takes forever to get out to the restaurant — but plan a meal out there around 7 or 730 and you can stop on the side of the road and take in the gorgeous sunset on the bay.

Disclaimer: 3.5 rounded up to a 4 for service!
I found a Bloomspot deal for Bella Vista and thought this would be a good place to go for my fiancé’s birthday celebration (and for us to try something new)! The drive up to the restaurant took us through a lot of windy mountain roads, but we made it safely and got to see where all the Silicon Valley CEO’s live, ha ha!
We were seated next to their windows that oversee the Bay, so it was nice to see the transition from sunset to night-​time. Our waiter was very nice and they were very religious about refilling our water the entire night! I was a little disappointed in their bread because the bread was cold & it came with cold/​hard butter…(this is my inner bread/​butter snob speaking)…a little piece of me dies every time this happens at a restaurant…
— french onion soup: my fiancé started with the soup since he loves french onion! The soup was VERY light compared to all the ones we’ve had before… I think it ended up being more fitting for me than him even though I’m not even a fan of soups, ha ha!
— scallop special: my scallops were VERY delicious! The tartar sauce definitely added something extra on top & the dish also came with a sweet potato purée and green beans, which were both super good…
— new york steak: my fiancé’s steaks didn’t come medium rare like he had originally ordered, so we actually had to give it back to them for new ones to be made (sad!). They were very nice about it and brought out the replacement as soon as it was ready (they even offered to keep my dish warmed while we wait for his dish to be corrected)…
— godiva chocolate soufflé: unfortunately, because they messed up on the steak, the soufflé was ready too early and ended up collapsing by the time they served it to us. It still tasted fine to me but they didn’t charge us for it because of the error (I think of it as the complimentary dessert for my fiancé’s birthday, lol!)…

Such a maze going to this place! We had to drive through swervy rodes and lots of trees to get to this forest/​cabin-​y location. My date thought I was taking him into the woods to kill him or something, hahaha. The view on top was amazing though! The view + the service = 4 stars. The food was a mediocre 3 stars– I think you pay for the romantic setting/​scenery of this place.
Escargot– not as fresh or buttery as I would like.
Oysters Rockeller– good, but the oyster was little small. I tasted mostly spinach and cheese.
Blue Point Oysters– fresh with no bad aftertaste. Didn’t really have a special sauce so it was just average.
Steak Diane– this was my least favorite dish of the night. I only got it because the description said it would be cooked in the dining room. It was dry and overcooked (I like my meat bloody) but maybe this type of steak is just not my ideal steak.
Breast of Duck– this was actually good. Hard to make duck bad but this dish had an interesting wine sauce to it.
Soufflé Grand Marnier– this was amazing here! & I don’t even like dessert.
Yeah, this was a dinner for two =X I had a living social deal so I was happy for what I paid for. But if you come here expect mediocre food with an awesome view!

5 star views of sunset over Silicon Valley. The Grand Marnier soufflés were pretty good, above average, and memorable (though foodie me still expected another ½″ of rise on those eggy wonders) — - but my steak Diane, and his salmon en croute… eeeew.
Yes, that is what I said. A middle-​aged adult saying «eeeew» to unevenly cooked beef, so raw at some parts I had to spit it out. Drowning in butter, not my idea of a good Steak Diane. His salmon with phyllo dough was so overcooked, dry, tasteless, and a very small rectangular portion. Only reason mine seemed reasonable was the fact that it was pounded out so flat (and still, the cooked-​in-​dining-​room entrée managed to be improperly cooked). Soups were creamy — decent. Salads pedestrian.
Would not return, but for the precious, peekaboo view. We came early to snag a view table by the window. Like a treehouse restaurant. Pretty special, though dated, and not in a rustic, provincial way either. $$$

We made dinner reservations and dined here on a Friday night. The waiters were very receptive and seated us next to the window to get a gorgeous view of the city lights. This place certainly offers a romantic dining experience.
For appetizers, we ordered Fettucini A La Alfredo and a bowl of Chowder soup. The chowder soup was really good, Fettucini was nicer when I added some salt & pepper to the plate. My husband and I shared a plate of Diane Steak and we relished it. Topped off our meal with the Godiva Chocolate Soufflé. A nice dining experience with great service. Would certainly like to return.
Tip:
Do not take the route via La Honda Road/​Portola Road, the narrow and circuitous roads are treacherous to drive through

Can you say Old School Classy? That is what this place is. If you drive there during the day, enjoy miles of beautiful CA forest, views, and extravagant homes on your way up to this romantic and charming get away spot. If you are driving at night, it is still beautiful… and push aside the feeling that if your car broke down you might end up like a victim in a slasher movie…
Waiters in tuxedos and bow ties. Warm fireplace and a cabin-​esqe feel with a 5 star view. When your grandparents talked about «going out for a fine dining meal» this is what they were talking about. Where is my Chevy convertible, string of pearls and elbow length gloves? That being said, in true Bay area style, dress however you like. Nobody cares as long as you have the money honey.
That being said, if you are in jeans or a Marylin Monroe dress, you will be met with the highest quality service. At fancy places, it’s easy to feel talked down to, but not at Bella Vista! My questions were answered politely and helpfully with no hint of snobbery.
To fit the ambiance, we went with our guilty pleasure martini’s (Belvedere-​up-​with-​a-​twist-​no vermouth for my man ($ 12), Sapphire Gin-​up-​slightly dirty for myself ($ 10)). They were generously sized and expertly made. Not a hint of floating ice! Considering that the cheapest wine on the list was $ 10, I say go for that second round from the cocktail bar. Unless you are dead set on being fancy and having wine pairings (which I’m sure they do expertly as well.)
And my dear readers, I haven’t even gotten to the food! If you want to skip the lengthy bedroom talk about my food adventure, the key words are: Rich, Butter, Balanced, Yummy, Butter and Butter.
Escargot aux Champignons ($ 14):
Perfectly hot and chewy. Served in warm mushroom caps. Drowned in a sea of butter and garlic. Finish with a squirt of fresh lemon and you will take much pleasure in the demise of those little garden eating bastards.
Mixed California Greens ($ 7):
Fresh, simple, bountiful, and has a vinaigrette that was to die for.
Veau Scaloppini Chasseur-​Sauté Veal with Marsala Wine & Mushrooms ($ 28):
Was served with a root veggie purée, buttery green beans, and roasty potatoes. The veal was perfectly cooked, tender, and rich as all get out. My man was in heaven. Loosen that belt, you aren’t going home hungry.
Veau au Poivre-​Sauté Veal with Green Peppercorns in a light Dijon Mustard Sauce ($ 28):
When you have a chance to eat delicacies that would make any good environmental/​animal/​sustainable-​ist cringe, you might as well take advantage of the sinful moment and enjoy. At least I didn’t get the Abalone Dore right? Thus, our second entrée was also veal. Equally as amazingly cooked, I got a flavorful tender wild rice instead of potatoes. The sauce was rich and surprisingly delicate and mild given the multitude of whole peppercorns that topped the dish. The peppercorns for flavorful but not over powering. They were soft and easy to eat with the veal.
Godiva Chocolate Soufflé for 2 ($ 19) —
Brought out to us in all of its fluffy glory, we took in its presence. Then it was whisked away to the in-​room prep station to be scooped from it’s home and drenched in pure Godiva Chocolate Sauce Heaven. Um… yeah, it was divine.
Full and a little bit tipsy from my 2 martinis, all I wanted to do is curl up by the fire and go to sleep. Unfortunately I had to go home. Thank you LivingSocial for allowing me to experience this $ 150 meal for only $ 80.
Next time on «Bella Vista,» Susan tries the steak diane… maninly because she loves saying «Steak Diane» for some unknown reason.

Came here last Thursday and was beyond disappointed. Based on my experience, this place was not worth the long drive up a winding dark road. If you want to dine in Woodside, I suggest you go to Station 1 or Village Pub instead (check my reviews).
Décor – Tacky Christmas décor that actually turned out to be a huge eye sore. They had the really old multicolored lights and ugly wreaths on every wall. I would expect this type of decorations at a nursing home. I have nothing against holiday décor, but there is a tasteful way to display lights.
Service– Despite having reservations, I had to wait over 40 minutes to be seated. It then took them another 20+ to get just our drinks. We then had to wait some more before they finally took our food orders. 3 other tables that came in after me got their food before we did. I was also upset because I had called and was promised a window seat because I was told they have a gorgeous view. I will never know now because they seated me on the other side against the wall. They had 2 tables open with the view but gave them to other diners.
Food– I really was not impressed. They have a very classic French menu and everything took a very long time to bring out.
Soupe A L’oignon Gratinee– My dinner date pointed out that the soup was the wrong color. It should be a dark amber or brown color, not an almost clear broth.
Escargot – Not bad but not memorable either.
Canard Aux Lingonberries– The duck breast was tender but they put on too much lingon berries and sauce.
Veau Scaloppini Chasseur — This actually ended up tasting like overdone pork chop. It was a very thin slice and the mushroom sauce made it taste like bad Chinese food.
Godiva Chocolate Soufflé– I was really looking forward to ending on a good note with the soufflé. It was airy and fluffy but it broke my heart that they showed me the soufflé in the ramikin then took it away, then SCOOPED IT ON A PLATE! It was a bit too light in taste for my liking though.
The best part of my entire meal was probably my glass of pinot noir but that could be because I was drinking on an empty stomach while waiting to order.

Note to others– Car navi systems and the iPhone Map app cannot find this place! You can call the restaurant and they’ll gladly help you find your way there.
I wouldn’t say this place is extremely fancy or requires one to dress up. Most people were wearing chinos/​nice jeans with a nice shirt or a dress. Bella Vista had a very nice view overlooking the cityscape. The service was great, everyone was attentive and friendly. The ambiance is great for a date night or celebration… unless you sit by a large party with voices that may «carry over.» At first, I thought the woman next to us was mean mugging me because she kept on turning her head over and looking at us. After the fourth time she whispered, «You can hear that right?» She was referring to the table next to them who were speaking quite loud. Whew* I thought to myself and nodded yes. We noticed that the tables around us kept looking over at that one particular table — the waiters didn’t say or do anything, possibly the bystander effect?
What we ordered:
French Onion Soup: pretty standard, nice and cheesy
Steak Diane: B liked his but we both agree it was pretty mediocre. The steak was definitely not a huge slab of meat, seared probably to a medium (though we ordered medium rare)
Veau Scaloppini Chasseur: Sauté Veal with (tons) of Mushroom in a wine marsala sauce. Kind of tasted like a Chinese sauted dish. Pretty tasty, but again nothing to rave about.
Soufflé with chocolate sauce and raspberry: Nice consistency but again nothing we would come back for.
Overall it was a solid meal, but we probably wouldn’t return. Really wanted to like this place. The entire wait staff and everyone at the establishment was extremely friendly and helpful. Great service.
~M

Blind business conference planning part 2. Executives wanted a dinner at a nice restaurant around HMB. Again, Unilocal came to my rescue and heavily recommended Bella Vista.
I worked with John (the owner) and Tanya on planning our nice dinner. One good thing is, unlike another restaurant I dealt with, Bella Vista didn’t have a whole bunch of rules I had to jump through in order to secure the reservation. That’s right John runs the ship like my folks and grandpa used to, based on the virtual handshake and promises made by email. No contract, no deposit etc.
They also accommodated my requests regarding the set up and payment of the bill. The service was excellent and the food was fantastic. I received numerous positive feedback from the executives.
This is a really nice place to plan a party or a fancy dinner with that special someone. Thanks BV staff and Unilocal

I give the food a 4 star. They taste very good, though they don’t specialize in presentation. We ordered the dish (Dianne’s steak or something…) that was prepared in the dinning room, which was pretty cool to see them doing it with all the fire in the pan and stuff. Though on the other hand, if you don’t want to get smelly, you might want to find a table farther away from the cooking booth.
Its setting and location boost it to a 5 star — its in the woods! I may like the night view over the day time view there. All the lights and décor just looks a lot more romantic in the evening. And there are some trials near by that i’d love to try next time.
I think the food is a little pricey for the quality, but the view makes it up. i think it worth it for a good change of scenery in the bay area.

My fiancé and I came here for dinner tonight at his suggestion, since he thought the view would be beautiful (he comes biking up here regularly). Unfortunately, although it was a glorious day down in Palo Alto, it was completely socked in with fog when we drove up here and we couldn’t see 10 feet in front of us. So much for the bella vista. Without the view, the restaurant is really a big miss: very mediocre and overpriced food and weird service and atmosphere. But I get that the view is the big attraction, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt & assume its a much better experience if you can see something.
I had the sole meuninere ($ 26) and my fiancé had the chicken Jerusalem (also $ 26). My sole was pretty bad. The fish itself was fine, but it was heavily breaded and seemed deep fried (it might have just been pan fried in a lot of oil). The sauce it was in was a heavy cream sauce that, despite being heavy and rich, seemed to have no flavor to it except salt. The fish was dripping in sauce, when I picked up a piece of fish the sauce would just drip off it for what seemed like a solid minute. The veggies were very over-​salted as well. It was edible but disappointing, especially because fish is pretty healthy and they made it much less healthy than it had to be with no gain in taste. I’m all for eating junk once in awhile, but I want it to taste really good! My fiancé’s chicken (with mushrooms and artichokes in a cream sauce) was better. He really liked it. I tried it and wasn’t wowed, but his sauce was better than mine at least. It had a definite wine flavor (maybe Marsala?) to it, so at least it had a flavor other than cream. It was still over-​salted. I drank about 2 gallons of water after we got home and still feel thirsty. Bottom line, there’s no way these were $ 26 dishes unless you factor in paying for the location.
The atmosphere is really weird. From the outside it looks super tacky, with a giant lit up martini sign. When you walk inside it looks like a dive bar, but then behind the dive bar is a room with tables with white linen tablecloths, roses on the tables, and waiters in tuxes. Its weird.
The parking lot is a mess — granted, it has rained fairly recently but the parking lot was basically liquid, mushy mud, with huge potholes filled with muddy water. It would be nice if they could at least put down some gravel or something. I ruined a pair of ballet flats, so I recommend rain boots if its rained at all recently. There’s also a huge ditch between their driveway and the road, so be careful coming out.

We came to Bella Vista having heard great things about the view and special drive up as well as solid reviews of the food.
When people talk about the drive up, they aren’t kidding. On our night, the fog was impressive and given the small roads and dimly lit areas, we drove quite slowly. Although the GPS did not have the address and estimated the time to get near the address would be 30 minutes, it took a bit longer given the driving conditions and a wrong turn or two.
Bella Vista, at the very top of Skyline Boulevard, is however very easy to spot. Well lit, with a large martini sign, and a huge building and parking space, we had no trouble seeing it and immediately knowing we had arrived.
Despite the adverse conditions driving up, I can attest that the view is something else. It seems you’re so high up that you’re above the fog and indeed we had an almost clear view of the city lights despite the fog that had hindered our arrival.
The interior of Bella Vista is homey and cozy. It reminds me of an old style ski chalet with a warm fireplace and bar area that greets you and two large rooms that feature extra large windows for the picture perfect view.
We were seated right at the corner for an optimal view and the two people tables feel cozy and intimate.
Our servers were old school too. Friendly, professional, and wearing tuxes, there was no hint of impatience or hurried staff like you see at some establishments.
The menu is classic American and French cuisine and features lobsters, steaks, and seafood. While it’s not cutting edge in any way, it’s a throw back to classic cuisine, done well.
Salmon Cruti — dough crust wrapped salmon prepared ala wellington. Very tasty, rich, and perfectly cooked.
Steak Diane — a very popular item here and I was impressed by how tender the cut was, how large a steak was served, and the great sauce. It has a ton of butter, so it’s richness is obvious, but I liked it.
Escargot — done simply but good. Could have been a bit hotter.
Onion Soup — the cheese was well melted but the soup could have been a lot hotter. It was warm and the onions weren’t quite caramelized.
Grand Marnier Soufflé — a must order and done very well. For those who don’t see the hype, you must not be soufflé fans. It’s delicious.
After our filling meal, we hung out a bit in the bar/​fireplace area and enjoyed the view some more. I can see visiting some faraway snow covered mountain and hanging out in a place like this. Great ambiance, great food, and a casual vibe despite the romantic and special occasion dinners that occur here often.
Bella Vista accepts credit cards, including American Express.

Word.