Reviews for Protégé in Palo Alto, CA
We had a great dinner here. The service is professional but not stuffy. Similarly, the ambiance is refined yet laid back. The... food was exceptional as well. The fish and chips turned out to be a delicate morsel of tuna with a kick served on a shrimpcrisp. Our sea bream was prepared well and had nice crisoy skin to balance the tender meat. Light horse radish cream notoverpowering. Citrus yuzu. Beautifully plated. Wagyu was served with black garlic and mushroom tempura, topped with salt. It wasprepared well and fatty as expected. The duck was medium rare with crunchy skin, served with an interesting duck confitdumpling. Drinks and desserts also hit the mark. Read more
Dined last night and had an amazing time. Atmosphere was inviting. The food was so delicious. I had the ricotta dumplings and... brick chicken. Can I just say, it was flavorful. The staff was attentive and the manager came to our table to check that we werehaving a momentus time. We will definitely be going back. My ending thought, if you have a chance to dine, do so and you won'tregret it. So def 5 stars and a must! Read more
Amazing firsts each was a real delight. They have an amazing combination of tastes and are also beautiful. We had - Spanish... octopus that was good and beautiful. - ricotta dumplings that are just amazing. - spring greens that are very good. - YellowTailaguachile that was excellent. - crab and caviar that was amazing in both taste and presentation. The mains are good but afterthe firsts you set your expectations high and they just can't make it. We had - brick chicken that was nice. - bone-in Berkshirepork chop that was good. For dessert we had a blueberry pie that was also good. The drinks were excellent. Read more
My hubby and I dined at Protege recently and it was a mixed experience for us. Food and service started off well, and then... turned sideways toward maybe the 3rd or 4th course of the tasting menu. The food became heavier and less well-balanced with notmuch to offset the richness. The dessert was also supposed to resemble strawberry shortcake, but lacked the crumble (or hadvery little) that matches its namesake. We also noticed the service became slower toward the 5th entree course and definitelythe last 7th dessert course, where one table received their dessert, finished their dishes, AND had their plates picked upbefore we even got our desserts. We had hoped to enjoy this, since my husband and I typically don’t spend this kind of moneyeating out. When we do, we try to focus on places that are worth it. This did not meet that expectation for us. Read more
I had an amazing dinner experience here with three friends. Protege had a great atmosphere, friendly staff, and delicious food.... Everything was quite tasty but if I had to pick a favorite from each course it would be the crab and caviar, ricotta dumplings,brick chicken, and espresso cookies. We’ll definitely be back! Read more
There's something about Protégé that comes across modern while not too haughty. It is absolutely chic but welcoming. It is not... daunting yet you know you are about to be have a special experience. Reading about the chef's being French Laundry alumns, wewent in with excitement. And we were not disappointed. The pretzels were wonderful, the sweet potato churros were innovative(but somewhat on the bland side). The oysters and the crab+caviar were definitely eye openers. The sea bass was wonderful andthe octopus was served with a twist of Thai soup. The food definitely does not come across pretentious or overly decorative.They genuinely feel like the chef's pushed culinary innovation and experimentation and it works. You will be treated tosomething you haven't tasted before, and that will put a pleasant smile on your face. Protégé is a special place, but veryapproachable. It is local. It is chic ans proper. And it will create an amazing date night for anyone. Read more
Wonderful. We had the chef’s tasting menu. One highlight was our server, who was delightfully attentive and gave us great... suggestions on wine and cheese selections. I’ve had quite a few tasting menu meals before, and this ranks so highly both interms of food and service quality. The salmon was inCREDible - a smoky sensation but with buttery soft texture. I don’t knowhow they prepared it, but I’ve never quite had salmon like that. The dish with caviar and horseradish was also wonderful. Hopeto be back! Great for special occasions. Read more
Exceptional staff at Protégé! Our waitress was extremely kind, funny, and helpful with her suggestions! We went there on... August 25th at 5pm. I don’t know what the waitress’s name was, but she has been the best waitress I have met in the US sofar. The atmosphere is chic without being “heavy”. The food was good. Nothing exceptional, but good. There wasn’t anyflavour mistakes in any of the dishes. The price was appropriate for the food that was served. Overall a great restaurant!Highly recommend! The only downside was the maître D who kept walking circles every 2 minutes which was slightly intrusive, butthat’s just a minor detail. Read more