Dinah's Poolside Restaurant

Good food, great friendly service, nice poolside dining

Food and service good as usual. They sat usour group if 8 out on the patio/poolside which is usually nice but probably still a little too soon weather-wise to open up the enclosed patio area; was kind of cool and windy out there and no heaters. Not a deal breaker though. We still enjoyed ourselves.
Will just have to specify indoor seating next time. .

Love this place. On a nice day, you can sit around the pool in the sun or under the coverage and when it’s too cold, too hot or rainy, you can sit I. The main room or the fireplace more intimate room. Breakfast is very good here, especially the French toast. Lunch salads are very good. I’ve been coming here for years with friends or family.

Went to Dinah's for Happy Hour. Love those truffle fries! And the Trader Vic's Mai Tai's were on the happy hour menu for $7. Can't beat that. And sitting outside, poolside in February is not bad either:)

Wonderful casual and comfortable location near pool. Food excellent and diverse menu. Good for conversation and meetings.

Great to be seated by the pool with friends. This is a classic old Palo Alto experience.

Dina's is another old standby. Totally informal and pet-friendly. Bathing suit and towel, okay. Black Lab puppy; there's a water bowl. Kid spills? They hose it down at night. Great breakfast menu and nice lunch. Limited but appropriate wine menu and good cocktails/long drinks. Indoor seating is somewhat limited but pleasant. Portions are generous without being excessive. I rate the cuisine one star extra because it is comforting rather than trendy or novel. Pool, dogs, kids, omlettes and maybe a mimosa. Irish coffee. Life is good.

I highly recommend this restaurant that has stood the test of time in the Palo Alto/Los Altos area. We enjoyed their 3-course Valentine dinner that was absolutely delicious and on par with any high end restaurant in this area. It was a relaxing, unrushed dinner on an otherwise frenetic holiday for restaurants. We made our reservations for outside seating and the weather was perfect. No need for any of the numerous heat lamps available. I had the Caesar salad with prawns, lamb with spinach and potatoes, and chocolate cake (with vanilla ice cream and fresh berries). Sparkling wine and a red rose started and concluded the meal. A lovely, unpretentious place that’s been here for decades. I hope they never sell out to the greedy developers that have enveloped the area in recent years. I will continue to frequent these places that continue to shine despite the destruction of the surrounding area.

Really disappointing experience. Brought friends from the South Bay and I doubt that they'll ever eat there again. Very different from previous experience. The hostess seemed confused. The restaurant wasn't busy, but we had to ask several times for someone to take our order. It was a good half hour before anyone showed up. One of our party was given the wrong order. The server got into an argument with her that it *was* the correct order and brought the incorrect order back twice. The rest of the party had to assert that it was the right order and ask him to go to the cook and prepare the correct order. The attitude was terrible, the service was terrible. I won't take guests there again.

Nice place which I will revisit in the summer time as I am sure it will be even better. Food was

Love to come here for brunch on weekends. The food and service is always excellent.

Arranged to meet old friends for breakfast and their dog while traveling through town. The end of a rain storm, closed in patio with heaters was entirely comfortable as the clouds broke open and the day cleared. An excellent basic American breakfast menu and excellent service was a real find that allowed the dog to sit quietly by our table as we caught up. The servers and welcome staff were all terrifically friendly and got our meals quickly and hot and kept our coffee cups filled up. We were not rushed, but easily were on our way in time for the event we were heading to.

Excellent food with a great ambiance.. We were looking for a fish n chips place near PA/MV area and just happened to land up on this not at all busy place. It was kind of quiet for a Saturday so that was really surprising considering the quality of food and service! Definitely a repeat for me.

My companions both got Californian omelettes, which they enjoyed. I got the Ruben sandwich, which is served on marbled rye, with a big bowl of showstring fries, which are excellent. I just wish there were a way to keep the bottom side of the sandwich from getting soggy as it lies on the plate.

Excellent place for early morning breakfast. The wait staff is excellent food is very good. Nothing gourmet but substantial and tasty!

It is awesome restaurant during summertime and fall. Winter could be a little cold to seat outside. But personally I don't like the Inside which I rather be cold. However the food is good but definitely could be better. Great place for gathering since we don't need to tell at each other like some other restaurants.

Very friendly staff. They kept my 3 children engaged with some coloring activity while we awaited our meals. Great initiative. Food was excellent.

Disappointed, not prepared or organized. Will not go back.

The calamari, fish & chips, and fried chicken were excellent, and the service was superb. We sat inside by the fireplace on a chilly night. It was a lovely evening.

I've been going here for years with friends and family for brunch and occasionally for dinner. The food is always very good. The servers are always extremely friendly and do a great job. Will continue to go here in the future.

Good food, great service!

Lovely setting next to the pool. Very attentive staff, very personable. Delicious food!

Been to Dinah’s many times over the years for breakfast which has always been very good, with a great setting.

Had dinner a few weeks ago and had a really good meal. This time around however it was not nearly as good. A little disappointing especially since we brought friends this time.

Will give it another shot, however my expectations have definitely been lowered.

Superb “old El Camino Real motor hotel” vibe with updated food and beverage. Outstanding food - a hidden gem!

We love this understated restaurant. The two rooms are small but nicely decorated, the food is interesting and really well prepared and the wine list is interesting and a good value. And, it's sort of fun to know that this must have been a simple poolside snack bar in its original state. I would strongly recommend it to friends.

A hidden gem. Extremely friendly service, diverse menu, and tasty food. And on a nice day, it's beautiful to sit poolside or on the covered patio.

Excellent restaurant to relax, sit indoors or around the pool on a beautiful day and enjoy breakfast or lunch! Never rushed and service is excellent!

This is a gem. When you see the neon sign tucked behind trees and wonderful smelling flowers, and that great Garden Hotel sign... you know you're somewhere special.

Atmosphere is great - aside from the namesake pool, it's quiet (unless there's live music, but even then it's very chill), and the food is great. We've only gone twice, but everything we've tried has been good. That said, we'll probably never not get the burger. The beef is juicy, perfectly ground, and the bun looks to be housemade... but.

The fries.

I don't know if they're fried in lard or what makes them so good, but they're the best fries I know I've ever had.

Cocktails are good, decent wine selection... beer list is small but that's fine by me - sorry tech bros!

Feels like this place has been around for a long time, and I hope it never goes away. One of these days we'll have to stay at the Garden Hotel for a staycation!

I've been there several times now, and they never disappoint! Truly a hidden gem in the Bay Area. I had made reservations, but they weren't busy when we arrived nearly an hour early and they sat us right away - right next to the pool, where I love to sit.

Our Omelettes were absolutely delicious! The fruit bowl had the sweetest and juiciest fruit; we enjoyed everything.

As always, the service was top notch!!! Thank you for another great experience!

What a great find! Food delicious, waiters so friendly - whole vibe is very throwback and unpretentious. Nighttime with lights very pretty!

Relaxing - enjoying good food and company.

Always a great place to eat. Attentive staff, lovely setting, and tasty food.

Always enjoyable!

Fun place with a unique environment. The place is an old school with the motel surroundings and pool. Food is prepared well and tasty, especially with their classic fried chicken . An item not to be missed.

Service is always so wonderful. The setting is just great, as is the food and the nice choices. And reasonably priced!

It’s a lovely place. Every time I go there it’s very nice. Food, service, and setting it excellent.

Good food and service in lovely setting. Perfect outdoor place when temperature is right.

Nice relaxing setting and cheerful service. Pot of chocolate was very generous and delicious.!

After living in the area for over 30 years, I finally tried Dinah's Poolside Restaurant for weekend brunch. Wow! Now I understand how it has been able to survive all the changes in businesses over the year. This is a neighborhood gem!

They are known for fresh-squeezing their orange juice. The mimosa was one of the best I've ever had. Perfect balance and delicious. My omelet was perfectly prepared (I like the eggs cooked soft - French style) and my husband's fried chicken and gravy was yummy! Our wait person, Tony, was helpful and very professional. And sitting poolside on a sunny, summer day felt like being in Hawaii (or Las Vegas). Very retro. The gardens are lovely. Having been here for so many years, the vines are full of flowers, the palm trees are towering, and the mature hibiscus were exploding in blossom. We will be back...many times:)

Was so looking forward to a venue where we could converse but had large party of Northwestern fans following the Stanford football game who were very loud (despite their loss) - nothing the restaurant could do given no other table available. Nonetheless, the food as had been our experience on two previous visits was outstanding.