Spice up a night out with Silicon Valley’s 10 most romantic restaurants.
Quattro at the Four Seasons Silicon Valley
LE PAPILLON
After its opening in 1977, Le Papillon quickly became a favorite among burgeoning tech execs at Apple, Intel and Tandem. Ever since, the menu has evolved to include both tasting and prix fixe menus, featuring decadent dishes like a chilled lobster confit with corn custard and caviar, warm potato mousse with Taleggio and black truffle, and bison tenderloin with green peppercorns and golden chanterelles. 410 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, 408.296.3730, lepapillon.com
MADERA
Arrive early and enjoy a drink in the Rosewood Sand Hill hotel’s handsome bar, which spills out onto a patio (tented in winter) that overlooks the pool. Then, settle in at Madera, where the menu features American fare crafted on the woodfired grill and rotisserie oven. The wine list boasts 17,645 bottles, 2,500 with verticals of older vintages and 54 wines by the glass. 2825 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, 650.561.1540, maderasandhill.com
QUATTRO
Sumptuous northern Italian comfort food is the fare at this restaurant located in Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley. Dinner could include a roasted heirloom carrot salad to start, followed by handmade ancho pepper pappardelle with wild boar ragu, cocoa and fiore sardo pecorino, and an entree of pan-roasted branzino with celeriac puree, oven-roasted tomatoes, purslane and edible flower salad. 2050 University Ave., East Palo Alto, 650.470.2889, fourseasons.com
PARKSIDE GRILLE
Dine among glorious redwood trees at Parkside Grille, a fabulous family-owned establishment serving California comfort food with Asian and Mediterranean influences. Indoor and outdoor dining spaces offer chic environs, while dishes like freshly baked focaccia bread made in the almond-wood oven, Tiger prawn and lemon risotto, and chardonnaypoached Scottish salmon are sure to delight. 884 Portola Road, Ste. A-1, Portola Valley, 650.529.9007, parksidegrille.com
PROTÉGÉ
With much hype, executive chef Anthony Secviar and master sommelier Dennis Kelly, two French Laundry alumni, launched their first restaurant in the heart of Silicon Valley. Serving artful new American fare with Spanish, French, Eastern European and Japanese influences, Protégé more than lived up to its promise by swiftly earning one Michelin star. 250 California Ave., Palo Alto, protegepaloalto.com
Look for rustic Italian fare at Quattro, located in the Four Seasons Silicon Valley.
RITUAL AT MANRESA
David Kinch’s holy laboratory offers no mere meal, instead taking customers through a dozen courses that turn upside down everything they think they know about food. As in any other magic show, almost nothing is quite what it seems at first: What might look like a simple tomato bisque turns out to be a strawberry gazpacho, and that dirtlike substance in your salad is actually a mixture of seeds, stems and ribs from veggies. 320 Village Lane, Los Gatos, ritualatmanresa.com
SELBY’S
Bacchus Management Group is on a roll with this Redwood City Restaurant, perfect for a high-end date night with retro flair. Classic American cuisine (steak, seafood and duck) is served by executive chef Mark Sullivan, the wine list boasts more than 3,000 offerings and servers wheel a martini cart around to make icy gin and vodka drinks on the spot. 3001 El Camino Real, Redwood City, 650.546.7700, selbysrestaurant.com
SUNDANCE THE STEAKHOUSE
Flickering candles, fine mahogany and premium cuts of beef set the standard at Sundance the Steakhouse. Each USDA Prime steak is hand-selected for proper marbling and then aged for a minimum of 35 days, ensuring tasty, tender cuts perfectly seasoned with Maldon sea salt crystals and fresh cracked pepper. Pair your steak with a glass of bubbly from the 450-item wine list. 1921 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, 650.321.6798, sundancethesteakhouse.com
THE PLUMED HORSE
Chef Peter Armellino’s modern California cuisine has won a Michelin Star every year since 2009 and is perfect for the ultimate date night. Grab a spot at the intimate chef’s table overlooking the kitchen before diving into seasonal canapes with caviar and black pepper, parmesan souffle with uni and Dungeness crab fondue, and the beautifully prepared Marin Sun Farm pork chop. 14555 Big Basin Way, Saratoga, 408.867.4711, plumedhorse.com
THE VILLAGE PUB
While you’ll find a pub menu here (with a great burger), the sophisticated cuisine and plush decor belie the casual moniker. The wine list is extensive, and although the desserts change, the chocolate souffle, drizzled tableside with a Grand Marnier creme anglaise, is a mainstay. 2967 Woodside Road, Woodside, 650.851.9888, thevillagepub.net
Photography by: COURTESY OF THE FOUR SEASONS HOTEL SILICON VALLEY
