Chez TJ

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Address:
938 Villa Street
Mountain View, CA 94041

Neighborhood:
Mountain View

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Cuisine:
Contemporary French

Price: $50 and over

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Chez TJ Details

Dining Style: Fine Dining
Website: http://www.cheztj.com
Email: info@cheztj.com
Phone: (650) 964-7466
Hours of Operation: Dinners only
Tuesdays - Thursdays 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Fridays-Saturdays, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Payment Options: AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Contemporary French
Executive Chef: Jarad Gallagher
Dress Code: Business Casual
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Beer, Fireplace, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Wine
Private Party Facilities: Chez TJ offers four private dining rooms that can accommodate 8 - 30 people. Please call or email at info@cheztj.com for more details.
Private Party Contact: George Aviet (650) 964-7466

Getting there

Cross Street: Shoreline & Castro
Public Transit: CalTrain: Mountain View
Parking: Public Lot
Parking Details: Across the street or in the three story edifice, up one block from your location.

A word from Chez TJ

Attentive service, fresh flowers and soft music surround guests at this intimate, Michelin Starred, restaurant in downtown Mountain View. Inside a lovely Victorian home, Executive Chef Jarad Gallagher creates a contemporary French cuisine that accentuates the vibrant, fresh flavors found naturally… in high quality products. Chez TJ's leads guests through an exciting evening of culinary pleasure. Our prix fixe style encourages a relaxed and enjoyable evening of dining and conversation. Four dining rooms provide an intimate setting for a special dinner with family and friends. One Star Michelin 2012 Guide, "Top Restaurants 2007" SF Examiner, "Three and 1/2 Stars" - San Francisco Magazine and San Jose Mercury News. Top Scores, Zagat & Gayot Dining Guides 2007.Continued

Foodspotting photos

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Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerNotable Wine List
Diners' Choice WinnerRomantic
Diners' Choice WinnerSpecial Occasion

Diner Reviews

"Came here more than 10 years ago - was very French then, now, it is more Californian, a good change to me.. The service was good, food was excellent, the wine paring was good except the dessert wine - too sweet to my taste..."
Dined on 4/3/2014
"It was a lovely experience ! The food was so delicious especially the lamb. Our waiter was very good. He really added a nice touch to the dinner"
Dined on 3/29/2014
"Having dined in many similar restaurants in San Francisco and new York, i have wanted to try chez TJ for many years and my friends and I were not disappointed. The food was really exceptional. We selected the wine pairings which although pricey were interesting and an excellent complement to the food. The service was very good and not overpowering or pretentious like some of this style of restaunat can be. The owner/chef came out to talk to us which is always a great touch. The dining rooms which are simple and not oppulent, are in a small house which makes for a cozy atmosphere. I will definitly return and recommend that my foodie friends dine at Chez TJ."
Dined on 3/28/2014
"Such a wonderful restaurant. Pleasantly surprised; this restaurant had been on my go-to list for a while. I celebrated my 25th birthday here with my worldly parents and had the best time. Not only was the food outstanding but the sommelier was honestly the highlight of the night. The wine pairings were unique and the sommelier, James, was even kind enough to email us the wines that we tasted that night. Overall the experience was far beyond our expectations and we will certainly be back very soon. A+++!!"
Dined on 3/27/2014
"I would recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a very special night dinner or enjoys unique gourmet food."
Dined on 2/22/2014
"Impeccable service and our sommelier, James, was truly knowledgeable, and opened our eyes to some stellar wines. The food was top-notch, innovative, and delectable, and we cannot wait to go back!"
Dined on 3/22/2014
"Amazing experience from start to finish. Dishes were creative, full of flavor, exciting. In house breads were all delicious, desserts were also delicious! Will definitely be back soon. Highly recommend. I had the a5 kobe which was mouth watering and delicious, the octopus dish was the best octopus I have ever had in my life!"
Dined on 3/14/2014
"this is my second review - the last got magicallly lost. I have a chef for a brother-in-law so I am familiar with thiskind of food. Expensive. Different. Beautifully presented. But ultimately not very appealing. (the dinner + wine for 2 cost $500 and I could have eaten so much good food for that amount - although in a less prestigious setting). If you are not a fan of the current cuisine that combines odd tastes in tiny amounts, etc. skip this. Even the dessert couldn't stick to anything pleasant. This is for foodies. Pick someplace else for your anniversary. I like sweet. I like spicy. I can be adventurous. But this place needs to combine all in one bite with info about how they grew it. Not yummy."
Dined on 1/18/2014
"We are so disappointed at the dinning experience from this restaurant. The food was not in par with other restaurants in this category. Too salty and not enough use of different ingredients to bring out the actual flavor of the food. The ingredients used in each dish do not come well together. Service was not attentive and without making an effort to bring what we really want. We had to ask for bread and water. Seating arrangement seem to be selective, who get to sit at the main dinning area."
Dined on 3/8/2014
"The food was good, but very over priced, more expensive for some michelin starred restaurants. The interior is old and musky, not befitting the food being served, a spruce up of the interior would enhance the experience."
Dined on 3/7/2014
"Food here is of the highest art form and comparable to some of the nicer places I have eaten in France. Make sure you have plenty of time to take it all in, especially if you go for the full menu. We added all the embellishments and had one paired wine too. If you do this, make sure you have a designated driver (that was me). Needless to say, my wife was thrilled. I was not as thrilled when I got the $500 check, but if you have a special occasion or want to impress, this is definitely the place."
Dined on 8/23/2013
"The food is amazing! We loved this place and the service!"
Dined on 2/25/2014
"What can I say. It was great. The food was great the service was great."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"I hadn't been to Chez TJ in quite a while but have been twice in the past few months. The tasting menu is a wonderful experience and compares favorably with Baume and French Laundry at a more affordable price point that makes it the kind of place where you can dine more often than once in a blue moon. The ambience is quiet and romantic. The service is attentive without being overbearing and every dish is a taste treat. We especially liked the duck breast which reminded us of pork belly - amazing! Wine pairings were on the adventuresome side and worked best for us to order one pairing and one glass of wine a la carte so we could share and not end up over-wined."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"Great local neighborhood place, worth the money. I had doubts going in, but not anymore. We were celebrating my husband's birthday. He usually snubs fine dining, but this one was an exception. He even said it was "Better than French Laundry!" If you've been to French Laundry, and you have a practical, down-to-earth spouse who usually snubs fine dining, then this comment says a lot. The service was exceptional, they even special-ordered my husband's favorite French Saison beer and had it available when we arrived! My husband was happy, so I'm pleased. Overall, I'll come back to try other creations from their Chefs, the food was well executed. If not with my husband, then certainly with my girlfriends!"
Dined on 2/11/2014
"Dress up and look your finest. The menu is a bit tricky to follow. The plates are small, but artful and exquisite. The rabbit was amazing. We also recommend the scallops. Service is of course top of the line. Wine menu is excellent. Cleanse your palate between dishes and pay attention to the detail, the ingredients, the layout, texture, taste. Each bite is "wow"."
Dined on 2/12/2014
"While Chez TJ continues to impress with it's constant rotation of world class chefs and cutting edge cuisine, price increases have pushed a meal there beyond its value. To put it into context, we are local residents who used to go to Chez TJ two or three times per year. While it was an expensive treat for a special occasion, a meal there was only 3x-4x that of going out for margaritas at our favorite mexican restaurant. So, while the service and atmosphere are still the best, we were surprised on our recent visit to find the cost of the meal more like 6x-8x the cost of a 'margarita night'. The net effect -- we will go to the restaurant half as often, and go out to margaritas more."
Dined on 2/11/2014
"Chez TJ is my absolute all-time favorite place to dine, for its creative menus, spectacular ingredients, luscious wines and thoughtful, experienced pairings, it is simply over the top. No stone is left unturned to please guests. The service is beyond outstanding. I will return again and again."
Dined on 1/28/2014
"We have not dined at Chez TJ in quite some time, but knew of the reputation of the chef and team. We were not disappointed. The locally grown vegetables and intense concentration on flavor and presentation were outstanding. We liked that of the two tasting menus offered, we could choose our 4 selections for the smaller menu from ALL of the dishes offered of the evening. If you go for the full tasting menu, make sure your stomach is empty! Wonderful food, great for foodies…."
Dined on 1/25/2014
"I went there with my wife on our anniversary. We ordered the full course and wine. It was very nicely prepared food with good presentations. The service was very nice. Cost us almost $500 at the end. But I think it's all worth it for an event like anniversary."
Dined on 1/25/2014
"Took a friend here to try out the abbreviated menu. What an experience! The food was well orchestrated and very memorable. I especially liked the tuna wrapped in cabbage and truffle. The front staff provided five-star service. Well done, will be visiting more often!"
Dined on 1/25/2014
"Chez TJ is a wonderful dining experience, worthy of its Michelin star. The cuisine from start to finish, through many wonderful mini-courses, was imaginative, healthy, sustainable, local, and sublime. Service: very responsive and friendly. Atmosphere: elegant, quiet, intimate, and Old World. The sommelier guided us to wines that were exactly what we were requesting -- except even more subtle and smooth than we could have hoped."
Dined on 1/16/2014
"Solid presentation of food and service If diners are into modern surroundings, this is not the place to go. Ideal for couples looking for romantic dinner. Restaurant is decorated in typical country setting - not my type of decor, but that's ok as it will definitely appeal to those looking for Vermont type of country Inn setting."
Dined on 1/15/2014
"Tasting menu not well explained - most items not exceptional for a Michelin starred restaurant. Most importantly, the main dish was served luck warm and even after I asked for it to be warm, it was only slightly warmer. Same thing with my wife's food, except she chose not to tell them. Service was mediocre at best- polite but not attentive and without making an effort to bring what we really want. There was am air of "we know what to serve - you don't need to know much". The cheese selection was pathetic for a French restaurant. Wine selection is average. This is the first review of have ever written of any restaurant and it is not that this was singularly bad experience but for the price, it is definitely NOT WORTH IT."
Dined on 1/10/2014
"We had a great dinner with several creative dishes, but the staff were not as knowledgeable or attentive enough as we were surprised on the responses that we got from our questions about the menu. We will go back again only if we get another discounts from Travelzoo.. Some dishes were too salty and overpowering, but rest were excellent.. The lemon pop with greentea was amazing as well as the guinea Fowl (the best ever)."
Dined on 1/2/2014
"My husband and I met on New Year's Day, so we always have a special dinner. This year we splurged and went to Chez TJ. The food was great! The tasting menu had many courses and thus was one of the few times that I felt the tasting menu was the right amount of food - not too little and not too much. The standout dish of the night was the lamb chop. We eat lamb often, but this was definitely the best I had ever tasted. I can't say enough about the food. My only tiny complaint would be that some tables are close together. Even though it was fairly empty, we were right next to another table. I felt like I could hear them more than my husband at times. The wines were great, too. The sommelier emailed me my wine list."
Dined on 1/1/2014
"We've been to Chez TJ 3 times now. The first 2 were undeniably delicious & everyone was on their game. It was homey, comfortable & elegant. The somm was brilliant. Lovely pairings, & she was so sociable and kind. Since that experience, the chef has changed & so has the atmosphere. We were seated at a small table near a door that seemed to have been added to the room as an afterthought. The courses were rushed, on the small side & "just ok" in flavor. The wait staff was kind but it seemed like they were just going through the motions. One of the courses was served out of order. It just felt off & a bit disappointing following the two spectacular meals we had before. We'll take the opportunity to try someplace new next time we celebrate."
Dined on 12/20/2013
"Listen, it's ridiculously expensive, everyone knows it. If you have the money it's a great place to have a good time spending it, but I just thought I'd go once to see what it was like."
Dined on 12/31/2013
"Excellent food, presentation and service. But pricey, good for special occasions."
Dined on 12/28/2013
"This was our first visit back to Chez TJ under the new Chef (Jared). We had had the full tasting menu with Grand wine pairings. 10 small courses all beautifully presented and tasting very good. Very imaginative and also very nicely paced. Not too fast or slow. Highly memorable dishes for me were the crab and sweetmeat on French fish curry sauce, and the Colorado lamb chop which which was of outstanding quality. The kumamoto oyster was gorgeous. Only critique is the decor really needs some work. I'm sure a designer thinks its wonderful, but as a guest it is verging on off-putting."
Dined on 12/28/2013
"This new chef has come up with the Perfect tasting Menu. We have been coming year for about ten years and yesterday's meal was easily the best! Bravo!"
Dined on 12/28/2013
"Once again, Chez TJ lived up its reputation as the finest Michelin Star restaurant on the Penninsula. The tasting menu was amazing, with the venison carpaccio, Colorado rack of lamb, and the lemon meringue smores as stand-outs. The beautiful presentation, atmosphere, and impeccable service made it a memorable evening of fantastic taste with our teenage children."
Dined on 12/26/2013
"Their new chef is amazing. We (again) discovered new combinations of flavors and textures. Lot of fish / sea food options. Usually this would not have been my main options... but they were so amazingly cooked and prepared that it just changed my mind on sea food :) This is a restaurant where you will talk about your dinner for a long time afterwards."
Dined on 12/20/2013
"Here is a wonderful way to celebrate a special event. Many interesting courses were served and we selected the wine pairing option. The waitstaff was attentive. The wine sommelier did a very nice job describing the origin of the wine. I wish the room had a bit more sound absorption as we were not always able to hear the complete description from the waitstaff or from other guests at the table. I would go again in a heartbeat."
Dined on 12/18/2013
"It was a perfect dining experience. The tasting menu and wine pairing was superb and the vegetarian option never left us feeling as if we missed anything. We would definately do it again!"
Dined on 12/14/2013
"The first thing you notice is the perfect service - not fussy, not obsequious, but attentive. Once the first plate comes, however, you'll forget everything else. Beautiful plates with visual intelligence. An array of flavors and textures that make each bite the best of the night. And do order the wine pairing - smart, unexpected wines that add to the experience."
Dined on 12/13/2013
"We knew this was expensive when we went there but we feel we got our money's worth and more. We had food tasting with pairing wines. The service was unobtrusive and efficient. Both the waiter and the sommelier told us about the food ingredients, method of preparation, why the wine was chosen, where it came from and what characteristics it had. There were three of us and there was not one food or wine that we didn't enjoy."
Dined on 12/10/2013
"For a restaurant of this caliber, I expected to be blown away. Unfortunately, the dishes were fairly lackluster. Beautifully plated, and the wine pairing was excellent -- but the dishes themselves were just not that flavorful (verging on bland)."
Dined on 12/6/2013
"I was here a couple of years ago and it was very good. We went as a family of 4 two days ago and it was outstanding. I am not easily pleased when it comes to huat cuisine but this time they hit it out of the ball park. Service was efficient and friendly. Not stuffy. Food to excellent and wine pairing introduced us to some new Loire valley selections that were stunning."
Dined on 11/30/2013
"The waiter explained the food menu. He spoke too fast to explain the food, so none of us could understand well. We asked him to explain again slowly, and we were fine to understand."
Dined on 11/30/2013

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