Madera - Rosewood Hotel Sand HillI've always had great mealsI've always had great meals at Madera, but I recently ordered the grilled Octopus - it was phenomenal. Not rubbery at all. Wonderful flavor. If you've felt put off by Octopus - this will change your mind. I hope they never take it off the menu.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMThe staff was very attentiveThe staff was very attentive sitting us at a quiet table outdoors and later adjusting the temprature of the heat lamps to that we did not roast.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMA Superb experienceOf course we were there on the perfect summer day and had a table in an excellent location, but that said it was an extraordinary experience. The ambiance is upscale and elegant. The service was attentive without being overbearing. The food was delicious. I look forward to returning for another special occasion.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMDining with our daughterThey did a really good job of taking care of my daughters dietary needs. She loves the kids menu at Madera.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMDisappointedAsked for no anchovies with Caesar salad. Salad had anchovy in it Pointed it out to waiter He just laughed about it6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMA fantastic experience. Thank youWe had a small family gathering. The setting was perfect. Very bright and cheerful. Service was great. And the food was delicious.
Thank you
Dann Thompson6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMStunning locale for a restaurantStunning locale for a restaurant and bar. Service was excellent with a very knowledgable staff. Buss men were prompt and efficient.
Vibrant bar scene on Thursday evenings. Be sure to make a reservation.6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMLove at MaderaWhat's not to love?! My husband and I stayed at Rosewood and had dinner at Madera for our 9-year Anniversary, last year. We loved it so much that we came back to celebrate our 10-year Anniversary. It was even better than the first time. The service was impecable, the food was amazing, and the outdoor dining was perfect for a romantic dinner under the stars.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMBusy Saturday nightWe usually dine on Saturday evenings. This week was particularly busy and we moved outside. It was a really nice evening.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMMSx groupGreat ambiance and lunch crowd quite energetic. If you enjoy observing people, good place to be - quite entertaining.
Great hostess(es), but the waiter who took our drink order was confusing. We asked for iced water and the waiter kept asking us numerous times if we wanted a glass of ice -- what??? For someone new to this place, they would be confused as to why a simple order of a iced water needed clarification. The waiter could have just brought us a glass of ice with the carafe of water. Plain and simple.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMA Treat for European VisitorsThe restaurant is beautiful and has a friendly staff and a gorgeous view. A wine list that is gigantic and so is sure to please anyone. The dinner menu included not many choices and they were all for a very sophisticated palate. The European visitors enjoyed it and counted it as one of their "top ten" eating establishments and they are very well-traveled. I cannot say I actually enjoyed my meal as it was so very, very pretentious and also very expensive, but I would return for brunch or lunch.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMMust be reading these reviewsI must say, they must be reading this, and maybe even taking it a bit too seriously, my last review mentioned the menu was fun and playful, and my last visit they have definitely stepped it up. Our server mentioned a new menu item a cheese tart, with plums and basil salad. That dish, albeit a modest portion, was as wonderful to the mouth as it was to the eye. It looked so vibrant and intricate. We also had a duck confit and a braised bacon sandwich which was also highlighted on the menu, and both were very tasty but my choice goes to the duck hands down. I've never had pinenut butter before, but I would smother that with jelly on toast any day of the week. I really like that both items were light on the stomach, but not unfulfilling.5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMGo for the wine, not the food.Madeira obviously makes their money from their bar, and from their extensive, albeit expensive wine list. I thought I read that they got a Michelin star, but I have a hard time believing that any Michelin rater actually tasted the food - it was over salted to the point where we couldn't taste anything else. Beautifully presentation, though - so my recommendation would be to just go and have wine, and save everyone the trouble.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMSimply GorgeousThis was the best brunch experience I have ever had! The staff was so warm and inviting. They took extremely good care of us, but the service never felt intrusive. The food was all delicious and carefully prepared. I would highly recommend Madera to anybody.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat SteakWe tried the dry aged wagyu special and it was delicious. The kitchen is very creative. They always take really good care of us. Thank you5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMVery fun lunch menuWe opted to try lunch for a change, and though its more casual, it is indeed a much more playful and fun menu. A lot of the items evoke childhood nostalgia, and whether it's intentional or not, it definitely hits the spot. Though there is a lot of variety on the lunch menu, it can seem a bit confusing and hard to decide what to order. The must try's are fish tacos, the grilled cheese, the burrata salad, and the gnocchi. We wanted to try a few other things but will have to come back. I did notice that there is no real wine service for lunch, but I can live with that for now. The kitchen did send something small out from the chef, thanking us for the return visit, its the small details that set them apart.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing Service and FoodDined here on a thursday evening and originally wanted to eat on the patio however we were unaware that Thursday nights are "on the prowl" nights. Fortunately for us we sat inside near the window where you can see all the action happening at the lounge patio. There was a wagyu beef special for the evening with popcorn puree which sounded weird but was actually very quite tasty and playful, the beef was melt in your mouth delicious. The wine service has actually gotten better as well as the table etiquette of the service staff. Will be back again very soon.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMSpecial lunchSelected from the Michelin Guide to California, Madera has a single star. The lunch menu is short, perhaps disappointingly so, although our choices were excellent. If the Michelin experience is what you after, probably better to go in the evening. That said, the lunchtime experience was good - excellent service, with a high ratio of knowledgable wait staff to guests, and an excellent although pricey wine list. The dining room is large, with an outside dining terrace, and was three quarters full on the Tuesday we visited and is clearly well supported by both locally business people and private diners in this wealthy area. Overall an enjoyable experience.5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Saturday NightWe had a really fun evening, the restaurant was comfortably filled but not to loud, it has been to loud in the past. The food was wonderful and our waiter was very attentive. A truly wonderful experience.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMDinner with friendsThe place was hopping on Thursday night, but the service was not rushed or intrusive. The ambience was open and airy. We all loved our respective meals, but I can only personally vouch for what I had. I started with the octopus appetizer, which I was told was their best one. It was delicious with an unusual texture, much better than squid, and the tentacle looked quite startling on the plate, which added to the novelty. The braciole was my entree, and it was lightly flavorful with just the right amount of fat. The accompanying vegetables were perfect. For dessert, I tried the chocolate selection, but I cannot remember the name. It was rich and scrumptious! Dinner for 6 with drinks, wine, and dessert was about $750.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious meal for a nice occasionLoved my meal at the Rosewood. Dishes weren't cheap at about $35/main, but the portion sizes were generous. The octopus appetizer was particularly delicious–smoked and prepared in a Spanish style. I'd go back again for a nice occasion.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMUpscale bar and grillBar and grill atmosphere with open kitchen and yet upscale and contemporary. Beautiful views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, roaring fire in fireplace, jazz wafting in from the bar. The food is excellent--interesting choices, well-prepared with gourmet touches such as an amuse bouche. Extensive wine list. Attentive wait staff. We went for our anniversary and we were served complimentary champagne upon our arrival, and our menus were custom printed with a special welcome. I would recommend this restaurant highly.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMMaderaTook a friend here for her birthday, we sat on their beautiful terrace with the fabulous view. The appetizer of spicy shrimp was very yummy and was big enough it could have served as a main dish, we split it. My friend had the grilled cheese sandwich which she thought was great. I had the fish sandwich on fry bread, it was pretty unwieldy to eat as the bread slid around atop the fish and large stack of slippery tomato, lettuce, etc. It was tasty but not great, too much bread. We both agreed we'd go here again as the food was quite good and the beauty of the restaurant had such appeal. Service was good too.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful food and service.Delicious ---but a bit noisy inside. Business is good!5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and serviceWe had a lovely meal out on the deck. The food was terrific and the service was very attentive and thoughtful. Inside, the noise is very loud so if you don't like that, go out on the deck, which has a great view.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMFood taste great- highly recommendeFood taste great- highly recommended. Great service as well.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMNice ambiance, mixed serviceThe location and decor of this place is realy quite impressive - lovely view, spacious room, nice decor. The food was very good but not standout for the price and a couple of dishes were too salty. The service wa a mixed bag - we seemed to have 2 waiters for this table - one was very nice and attentive, the other seemed to be bent on upselling us to more expensive items and was kind of pushy which is not what you want for a nice evening out. At the end of the evening we had to wait almost 30 minutes to get our check. We would have also liked refreshers on our coffee after dinner sooner than we got them. Overall, very nice place but needs a little more consistant service, and value for the price is not quite there.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMThe Chef made an accomidationThe Chef made an accomidation for my wifes food alergies, it was delicious and appreciated. The sommelier is so knowledgable and friendly. We usually bring a bottle of wine with us and they don't even miss a beat in the service. Some restaurants aren't so willing to spend as much effort on your experience when you bring wine with you but Madera is always very accomidating. We tried the Antelope for the first time, it is my new favorite.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMWe celebrated our anniversaryWe celebrated our anniversary here this year and had a wonderful experience. We were catered to and served beautifully throughout all of the courses of our meal. The staff went above and beyond to make the evening special and in wishing a happy anniversary. Beautiful spot, great food and excellent service. Worth returning to..especially for special occasions!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMBetter than I expected!Had dinner here again with 6 other friends, the kitchen was very accommodating to our vegetarian friends. The dining room was a bit loud at the time we arrived but got quieter as the evening passed. The sommelier was polite, but very fake, seemed like he had something better to do however our server Jessica was awesome. Looking forward to the next visit.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMTop-Notch MaderaI recently had a business lunch at Madera and it was top-notch! From service, to food, to ambiance, everything was perfect.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food and service wereThe food and service were great, we had a wonderful evening. The steak was delicious and well cooked. The desserts were beautiful and scrumptious. Madera always delivers a wonderful experience.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMMostly excellent!It was especially good to be seated outside, where the view was lovely and the noise level very reasonable. The food was good, but the chilled asparagus soup could have been slightly tastier. All the service people were attentive and helpful.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMThe dinner experience wasThe dinner experience was great - I give high marks to the server, service, and food.4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMAtmosphere and decor is stunning.Atmosphere and decor is stunning. Appetizers (asparagus with cavier & truffle pasta) were outstanding. Entrees were good (scallops, duck, halibut, seared tuna) but not memorable for a Michelin Star restaurant.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMSommelier brought the perfectSommelier brought the perfect wines to match. Pork belly with halibut was decadent and yummy4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMA nice spot to grab lunchA nice spot to grab lunch with girl friends on a special occasion. Great view from the patio.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMWhat a magnificent diningWhat a magnificent dining room with an over-size fireplace, and an open kitchen. Get there at sunset and dine on the deck to watch the sky put on a colored light show over the hills to the west.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding ambience but food is okFood variety and choices are limited. For such ambiance and service they should come up with better menu.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMThe service was absolutelyThe service was absolutely outstanding. Everyone remembered that it was our annivesary and treated us as very special guests. We were given complimentary glass of champagne and delicious little dessert with a "congratulations" chocolate decoration. Fantastic!! (oh, and the food was simply divine).4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were at Madera to celebrateWe were at Madera to celebrate my niece's engagement. Everything was just perfect, and the service was impeccable.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMHidden gemI have never been to Madera. What a pleasant suprise, the food was top class, the service was professional and friendly. I will definetly return.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of Menlo Park's BestOne of the best restaurants in Menlo Park. Excellent food at every meal (brunch, lunch and dinner), although my favorite meal here is brunch ($30 bottomless Mimosas!). The view is excellent and the ambiance is modern luxury. This is a great date place. Overall, one of my favorite spots on the Peninsula.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat for a sunny afternoonGreat for a sunny afternoon lunch...food was delish!4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMMy favorite.From the truffled dinner rolls and the marrow/caviar tidbits, to the wonderful entrees and desserts. This is how a restaurant should be.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMWe use to go here becauseWe use to go here because the menu was unique and offered a good variety, but this this time the appetizers were boring and the entrees were fine as long as you liked fish. (The menu on the website did not reflect the menu we had on 04.10.2013. The website menu is more what we expected) The jumbo shrimp cocktail sauce was not much more than ketchup, but the oysters were good. The poussin was dry, but the gnocchi side was quite good. The halibut was good.4/10/2013 12:00:00 AMSunday BrunchCorned beef hash. Their version was original and yummy. Lots of veggies. Egs Benedict with smoked salmon was flawless.4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMNo vegan options. I orderedNo vegan options. I ordered a pear salad....it was shockingly small for $16.00. But then again...you don't go to this restaurant to eat.4/3/2013 12:00:00 AMBest meal I've had in a longBest meal I've had in a long time. Rates in the top 5 meals of my life!4/1/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was well presented,The food was well presented, original and delicious. I had the white asparagus with seed crunch which was both tender and crunchy at the same time. Desert was lovely with sorbettos. Service was courteous and friendly, but the we felt the food was delivered a bit too slowly. I suspect my wife's risotto may have slowed things down a bit.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AM