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Recently named by Eater as one of the Essential Restaurants on the Peninsula, BIRD DOG is influenced by Northern California, Japan, and other bastions of fine ingredients. Inventive, seasonal cocktails, a lovely boutique wine list, and genuine hospitality complement the seasonal menu from Chef/Owner Robbie Wilson. Chef Wilson was also a 2023 James Beard Semi-Finalist for Best Chef: California.
Stylish, minimalistic dinner bistro for Californian and Japanese eats made with local ingredients.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 420 Ramona St, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: (650) 656-8180
Website: http://www.birddogpa.com/
Menu Photos
Related Web Results
Bird Dog, a Silicon Valley Fine Dining Restaurant Staple, Is Closing
Silicon Valley fine dining staple Bird Dog will close permanently on Friday, September 27, capping off a nearly decade-long run in Palo Alto.
BIRD DOG Palo Alto (@birddogpaloalto) – Instagram
5.3K+ followers · 216 following · 538 posts · @birddogpaloalto: “@ChefRobbieWilson @50bestdiscovery www.SaveRestaurants.com/letter/”
The Palo Alto fine-dining scene takes a hit with Bird Dog’s closure
After Friday night’s dinner service, Bird Dog in downtown Palo Alto is officially closed. The fine-dining restaurant posted to its Instagram …
Reviews
Seerat singh
Bird Dog offers a delightful fusion of California and Japanese cuisine, making it a standout dining experience in Palo Alto. The atmosphere is minimalistic yet chic, allowing the food to truly shine. The service was exceptional, with attentive staff who enhanced the overall experience.
The menu features small plates, perfect for sharing, with a recommendation to order 3 to 4 dishes per person. Standout dishes included the avocado and the honey gem lettuce appetizer, which combined avocado and pistachio for a fresh, vibrant burst of flavor. Each dish was thoughtfully prepared, showcasing unique textures and flavors that left us wanting more. Bird Dog is a must-visit for those seeking an elevated, inventive dining experience in the heart of Palo Alto.
… moreThe menu features small plates, perfect for sharing, with a recommendation to order 3 to 4 dishes per person. Standout dishes included the avocado and the honey gem lettuce appetizer, which combined avocado and pistachio for a fresh, vibrant burst of flavor. Each dish was thoughtfully prepared, showcasing unique textures and flavors that left us wanting more. Bird Dog is a must-visit for those seeking an elevated, inventive dining experience in the heart of Palo Alto.
Mickey W
Enjoyed our experience dining at bird dog but thought it was A little overpriced.
Tried the chefs menu which was a tasting menu, half the dishes we thought were just alright. Some added flair on otherwise pretty ordinary dishes. The salad was a little too salty for our taste with the seasoning not adequately spread across the dish. Their specialty avocado dish was interesting at first taste but quickly become a little boring.
The wagyu was a highlight as was the dessert.
Service was excellent and the restaurant had a modern elevated vibe.
Overall happy with the experience but definitely there is better value to be found elsewhere where in Palo Alto.
… moreTried the chefs menu which was a tasting menu, half the dishes we thought were just alright. Some added flair on otherwise pretty ordinary dishes. The salad was a little too salty for our taste with the seasoning not adequately spread across the dish. Their specialty avocado dish was interesting at first taste but quickly become a little boring.
The wagyu was a highlight as was the dessert.
Service was excellent and the restaurant had a modern elevated vibe.
Overall happy with the experience but definitely there is better value to be found elsewhere where in Palo Alto.
Travis Baker
Amazing use of flavors and fusions of food. Definitely a science and an art form mixed into one experience. The four of us tried the chef’s sampler and we pretty much got everything from the menu that day. It was all incredible except the pulverized shrimp flavored wafer over an infused pear apple. It was a little out there. The wine paring was enjoyed by everyone at the table except me (the designated driver). I don’t think I’d pay $1,800 (included a healthy tip) for one dinner for four people, but many do without a thought. The service was exceptional but the atmosphere seemed a bit basic for the price. The birds on the wall and hanging from the ceiling were a miss. The food was nothing close to basic. It was a masterpiece. Very unique experience. Oh, the wood-grilled avocado is INCREDIBLE!! The sauce makes it incredible and even the black stuff on top that we assume is literally charcoal ash or something. The flavors were incredible.
… moreayush kalani
Bird Dog is a fine dining restaurant, but my friend and I found their food subpar and really expensive for what you get. We actually had to go to another restaurant after this to get another full meal.
Both my friend and I picked the Chef’s menu to try out a bunch of different items, and we are so glad we did that. Picking those items as a la carte menu would have been more expensive and definitely not worth it.
It cost us $200/person, and there wasn’t a single dish that stood out. For our first course, we got hokaido scallop, hiramasa (apricot vinegar boquerones sansho), and farralon island bluefin. Bluefin was decent, and the hiramasa and scallop were more salty than expected. Scallop smelled very fishy. Roasted cucumber on the scallop didn’t do much. For our second course, we got grilled shittake mushrooms, avocados, and hosui pear. Meringue and the dried shrimp sesame yogurt both were salty, so both of them combined, made the hosui pear dish extra salty. The pear itself was not sweet, so there was nothing to counterbalance the saltiness from the meringue. Pear was also very crunchy, so that texture for me personally didn’t go well with the rest of the dish. Avocado dish is just grilled avocado
I’m not really sure if there was anything special about it. Shittake mushrooms were okay. The dressing on top didn’t add much to the flavor. We started off with drinks. I got a broadside cocktail, and my friend got a Comparish
For our third course, we got salmon, ribeye, and fingerling potatoes. We were expecting potatoes to be soft, but they were crispy probably because they weren’t soaked/blanched enough. I’m not sure if that’s the texture they were going for. Salmon and ribeye were decent. Both were cooked well. Though it was funny to see the contrast between the portion of the two dishes. While salmon was a big piece, ribeye came as 4 small chunks.
We also got the dessert, which I believe was orange flavored shaved ice. It was the most disappointing dish of the night. The white chocolate/macadamia was very oily/greasy, and the rest of the components of the dessert had zero flavors. Everything that added flavor to that dessert was something you could buy from the market.
In terms of service, our server was nice, but she didn’t clean up the table after slightly spilling our drinks. We had a different server towards the end. When she served us the dessert, she described it so fast that we could barely make sense of what it was.
Bird Dog had an open kitchen dining experience with spread out seating. Modern setup with some bird imagery on the walls. My friend used their bathroom and mentioned that the bathroom smelled bad, which is not an experience you’d expect at a fine dining restaurant.
On a side note, they also charge you living wage expenses, and I’m not sure what exactly it is. All I know is that it is never reported by anyone, so be careful.
… moreBoth my friend and I picked the Chef’s menu to try out a bunch of different items, and we are so glad we did that. Picking those items as a la carte menu would have been more expensive and definitely not worth it.
It cost us $200/person, and there wasn’t a single dish that stood out. For our first course, we got hokaido scallop, hiramasa (apricot vinegar boquerones sansho), and farralon island bluefin. Bluefin was decent, and the hiramasa and scallop were more salty than expected. Scallop smelled very fishy. Roasted cucumber on the scallop didn’t do much. For our second course, we got grilled shittake mushrooms, avocados, and hosui pear. Meringue and the dried shrimp sesame yogurt both were salty, so both of them combined, made the hosui pear dish extra salty. The pear itself was not sweet, so there was nothing to counterbalance the saltiness from the meringue. Pear was also very crunchy, so that texture for me personally didn’t go well with the rest of the dish. Avocado dish is just grilled avocado
I’m not really sure if there was anything special about it. Shittake mushrooms were okay. The dressing on top didn’t add much to the flavor. We started off with drinks. I got a broadside cocktail, and my friend got a Comparish
For our third course, we got salmon, ribeye, and fingerling potatoes. We were expecting potatoes to be soft, but they were crispy probably because they weren’t soaked/blanched enough. I’m not sure if that’s the texture they were going for. Salmon and ribeye were decent. Both were cooked well. Though it was funny to see the contrast between the portion of the two dishes. While salmon was a big piece, ribeye came as 4 small chunks.
We also got the dessert, which I believe was orange flavored shaved ice. It was the most disappointing dish of the night. The white chocolate/macadamia was very oily/greasy, and the rest of the components of the dessert had zero flavors. Everything that added flavor to that dessert was something you could buy from the market.
In terms of service, our server was nice, but she didn’t clean up the table after slightly spilling our drinks. We had a different server towards the end. When she served us the dessert, she described it so fast that we could barely make sense of what it was.
Bird Dog had an open kitchen dining experience with spread out seating. Modern setup with some bird imagery on the walls. My friend used their bathroom and mentioned that the bathroom smelled bad, which is not an experience you’d expect at a fine dining restaurant.
On a side note, they also charge you living wage expenses, and I’m not sure what exactly it is. All I know is that it is never reported by anyone, so be careful.
Mark Hassin
At BirdDog in Palo Alto, the food tastes amazing but it’s quite expensive. The seafood, especially the scallop with coconut foam, was delicious. The avocado dish, flavored with charcoal, was creative but surprisingly small for sharing. The wagyu steak and King salmon were both very tasty but also too small. In total, we spent $420 for three starters, three vegetable dishes, and two main courses. So, while the food is good, it’s costly and the portions are small. It’s better to not go there too hungry.
… moreAllen
Food:
We ordered chef’s (tasting) menu, which I think is a great if you’re there for the first time and don’t know what it get. It basically covers most of the items can you order à la carte.
It was a wonder series of small plates, all very unique and creative. My favorite was the mushroom and the grilled avocado. The wagyu beef was also very nice (albeit tiny).
Service:
Overall very nice. I love how they opened the doors for us when we left. However; when I came in, I started telling the receptionist about my reservation, but she walked away to open the door for a couple behind me, which made me feel rather awkward. So, this would be were I make the overall rating 4.5 if possible.
Atmosphere:
Love the bird decorations and the open kitchen. The soundtrack was very cool too (they played “The Killing Moon”!??). The bathroom is also lovely.
… moreWe ordered chef’s (tasting) menu, which I think is a great if you’re there for the first time and don’t know what it get. It basically covers most of the items can you order à la carte.
It was a wonder series of small plates, all very unique and creative. My favorite was the mushroom and the grilled avocado. The wagyu beef was also very nice (albeit tiny).
Service:
Overall very nice. I love how they opened the doors for us when we left. However; when I came in, I started telling the receptionist about my reservation, but she walked away to open the door for a couple behind me, which made me feel rather awkward. So, this would be were I make the overall rating 4.5 if possible.
Atmosphere:
Love the bird decorations and the open kitchen. The soundtrack was very cool too (they played “The Killing Moon”!??). The bathroom is also lovely.
Emil Ochotta
Exceptional food and great service. Modern, clean decor. Impressive wines. Overall, a great find. Serving size is somewhat small, so the water advised ordering an extra dish per course to share among the 3 of us, which worked well. If you order obvious side dishes like potatoes, ask to have them served with the main course. Food was very creative and perfectly prepared.
… moreCody Kwok
We had a team dinner there and we got a sampler type of menu where they have quite a few items for a 7-entree course. Being Japan American fusion the designs are good and the tastes are nice. Some highlights… The butter turnip was very buttery, which is nice, the kanpachi was interesting, the salmon was well cooked as medium raw but the fish itself was lacking flavor, with very strong pepper outside and quite spicy. The wagyu ribeye has an interesting combination of a sauce and mild pepper, it works quite well, and the wagyu itself has some nice meaty flavors, unfortunately there are quite a bit of unchewable tendon across the cut and had to be spit out. Overall it’s good but not great.
… moreVarun Puri
Besides the (half) avocado, nothing else was up to par of a restaurant at this price point.
The sashimi dishes were uninteresting. The most flavorful part was a small dot of yuzu on the plate.
The Tokyo Turnip was tasty, but the portion was extraordinarily small and unbalanced — a small mound of leafy greens cloaking the marble-size turnips underneath.
The biggest disappointment was the wagyu ribeye. Tough and chewy with a lot of connective tissue. I’ve had better steak at Chipotle.
Great atmosphere and presentation, wanted to like it, but the each dish fell short.
We went to In’N’Out afterwards to compensate for the tiny portions.
*** As a note: a restaurant this expensive should not have to charge a “living wage fee”. You’re charging $15 for half of an avocado. If you can’t afford to pay your servers a living wage from that, reevaluate your business model or just raise your prices.
… moreThe sashimi dishes were uninteresting. The most flavorful part was a small dot of yuzu on the plate.
The Tokyo Turnip was tasty, but the portion was extraordinarily small and unbalanced — a small mound of leafy greens cloaking the marble-size turnips underneath.
The biggest disappointment was the wagyu ribeye. Tough and chewy with a lot of connective tissue. I’ve had better steak at Chipotle.
Great atmosphere and presentation, wanted to like it, but the each dish fell short.
We went to In’N’Out afterwards to compensate for the tiny portions.
*** As a note: a restaurant this expensive should not have to charge a “living wage fee”. You’re charging $15 for half of an avocado. If you can’t afford to pay your servers a living wage from that, reevaluate your business model or just raise your prices.
Steve Guttbinder
UPDATE: I contacted the restaurant after writing my review and had a very pleasant and productive conversation with who I think was the GM of the restaurant group that owns BIRD DOG – Emily. She went above and beyond and replied to my feedback from a place of wanting to better everything about my experience and the restaurant. It’s rare to see this type of commitment and am updating my review to reflect that. Although my experience fell below the standard that anyone should have for a fine dining experience – mistakes do happen and everyone is just trying to do their best. I will also heed Emily’s advice to let the restaurant know of a poor experience prior to taking it online – so I thank her for that. Below is the original review with updated language as to take into account a hard working team. Thanks to Emily, I intend to visit again in the future with the same expectations and looking forward to having them be met.
The kitchen staff had an off night this evening. Front of House staff were above and beyond, and sadly taken down by food that did not meet the expectations of a fine dining experience. Dishes were either too sweet, too salty, unbalanced, or too “eh” in the reach to for fusion-esque dining. One sour spot (literally) was the dish we were looking most forward to – their famed avocado – was rancid. Everything looked amazing – but we came to have our taste buds be delighted. We wanted to taste something amazing… and of the 9 dishes we ordered things just felt all over the place in a way that didn’t feel like a tied in experience. In the end our bill did not reflect the experience we wanted which led to a buyer’s remorse/sticker shock reaction of this review.
Additionally, there was a music playlist snafu that took us out of the fine dining element.
… moreThe kitchen staff had an off night this evening. Front of House staff were above and beyond, and sadly taken down by food that did not meet the expectations of a fine dining experience. Dishes were either too sweet, too salty, unbalanced, or too “eh” in the reach to for fusion-esque dining. One sour spot (literally) was the dish we were looking most forward to – their famed avocado – was rancid. Everything looked amazing – but we came to have our taste buds be delighted. We wanted to taste something amazing… and of the 9 dishes we ordered things just felt all over the place in a way that didn’t feel like a tied in experience. In the end our bill did not reflect the experience we wanted which led to a buyer’s remorse/sticker shock reaction of this review.
Additionally, there was a music playlist snafu that took us out of the fine dining element.