The Emerald Hour — Restaurant in Mountain View

Went back and forth between 3 or 4 stars, and landed on 3.5 (making it 4 in this app).

The menu for food and drinks rotates by the season here. We were here for the summer ‘22 menu.

The cocktails here were great! I got the Jimbo’s Sour and the Orangesicle Fizz, my boyfriend got the Tequila and Mezcal with Mole drink. The sour and fizz were both the perfect balance of fresh and light and also sweet. The mole drink was well balanced with the Smokey and also sweet notes.

The food was half a win and half a strike out. The Croquetas were good, though somewhat room temperature. They had a nice kick of heat to them with the dollop of chili sauce on top and the sauerkraut-type cabbage they were served on top of was a nice tang to go with it. The mushroom and artichoke dip really fell flat. It was again room temp, and very bland. With parmigiana and manchego I expected a much bolder flavor and it didn’t taste like much. The brioche bread it came with tasted like it had been toasted in loads of butter yesterday, as it was stale and cold (or maybe just room temp, but not warm). We also were not here while it was busy and came close to when it opened so not sure why our food was so cold..?

The ambiance here was nice…it’s in a nice hotel so that helps make it a “nicer” bar. There was a wedding reception or some other party that came in halfway through our time here which made it quite loud, but I think otherwise it would be regularly pretty quiet as it’s kind of off the beaten path.

Pricing I think was too much for what you got, but I think this is pretty normal for the area.

Would maybe come back, but...

I haven’t sat at a bar in over a year. Thanks to a nicely located interior pool and patio, I got to sit at a high top table close enough to feel like I was almost sitting at the stunning indoor/outdoor bar (which is a good feeling if you like bars like I do). Warm weather called for some cold cocktails, and they have several great options. Most intriguing on the list was a long grappa/pisco rhubarb hi-ball style cocktail that was truly unique and delicious. They also have a neat spin on a Paloma with a hint of ginger which is a perfect poolside crushable drink. The food will transport you to Spain or South America. I got a pan con tomate vibe off the blistered country bread when reading the menu, but the dish is decadent and like nothing I’d ever tried before. A quarter loaf of fresh warmed bread immersed in Calabrian pepper butter. Veal sweetbreads with chorizo and date hit the spot alongside another winning dish of sausage stuffed calamari. The Emerald Hour just opened recently, and the friendly staff are there for you, eager to make you great drinks, and tell you about the great things happening in...

Came here with a couple friends for happy hour, we were seated outside near the pool. I asked for a cocktail recommendation, with my preference of sweet and fruity. The server suggested the Jimbo Sour, and it didn’t disappoint! I wouldn’t have selected that just based on the description but it was quite tasty. We also tried the calamari, lamb meatballs, and fingerling potatoes. All the dishes were tasty, my favorite was the lamb meatballs. The place is definitely pricey, due to its proximity to Google I’m sure. It also doesn’t offer happy hour pricing so it will be relatively more expensive than other places. I do like the food and atmosphere, just set your expectations appropriately and...