Tal Palo

I was intrigued by Tal Palo after reading about it on a couple food sites. It was an unconventional restaurant concept that had me very curious. So a few days after returning from an overseas trip, I made a lunch reservation with a friend. Apparently, reservations are required if you want a proper meal experience. At $35 per person for lunch, including tip but excluding drinks and additions, it still seemed like good value. Finding parking during lunch time in downtown Los Altos was surprisingly difficult. There were no spots available on the Main Street, so I had to park in the lot behind the buildings. As I walked inside, I admired the high ceilings, curved alcoves and glass-enclosed dining room by the entrance. The entire space seemed to be illuminated by a central skylight. Aa

I'm obsessed with this place! 🤩 The decor is stunning and the owner is super sweet. Their Cafe de Olla is a MUST-TRY. Food portions were a bit small, and it was a tad pricey, but totally worth it. If you're in the area, don't miss out 😊

Super super super disappointed! DO NOT VISIT! We two spent $110 only got: two small cups of granola yogurt, one small corn cake, one bowl of corn chips, a small plate of tomatoes, a drip coffee and a watermelon juice.🤯🤯🤯 Well when the set menu was finished, I am surprised there is no protein other than one egg for 2 people, I asked the waitress if the meal is vegetarian. To my surprise, she told me yes! She never mentioned it when she walks us in and introducing the restaurant. She said the chef does not cook meat because it is too much of work.🤯🤯🤯 20% forced tips is ridiculous. We were set to a table in the backyard where they are preparing a big party for a baby. The waitress never asked us if we are okay sitting here. With this sort of service, I guess if they don’t force people to

Atmosphere is good, taste OK. We’ve been told they are no Menu restaurant, which is Okay, so we asked what can we order. She told us: A la cate from $9 to $35 Or the set menu, $35/ person and plus 20% tips. We have 3 people, so we decided to go with the set menu. But somehow the food comes with 2 people portion, we have to share two corn bread and ONE cup of pudding. We did raised our concerns, but she kept telling us- the food is scaled in the kitchen, we are family style so you gotta share. I mean, I don’t mind to share, but this is so confusing. I’d rather you charge more and give me three of each dishes, or make it smaller. And we are still hungry after this.

We joined the mailing list for this amazing cafe, so we can plan to visit because we do not live or work close by. It was worth it. They organized a special dinner open to those on the mailing list. Signing up on a first-come-first-serve basis, the 4-course fixed menu was prepared with love, in keeping with the Valentine's Day season. It was incredible! Gracious, delicious and so worth the trek. Thank you, Tal Palo and Chef "Mama", for a magical experience! We will try to make it for your normal cafe hours sometime soon.