The Sea by Alexander's Steakhouse — Restaurant in Palo Alto

Alexander’s by the Sea: A Symphony of Culinary Excellence

Nestled in the heart of Palo Alto, Alexander’s by the Sea transcends the boundaries of fine dining, offering an experience that is nothing short of life-altering. Dining here is akin to embarking on a voyage of discovery—one where each plate is a revelation and every moment a masterpiece.

From the instant we entered, the atmosphere enveloped us in understated elegance. the soft glow of ambient lighting created a serene setting that was both refined and inviting. The service mirrored this ambiance, exuding an effortless sophistication that struck the perfect balance between attentiveness and discretion.

The menu at Alexander’s is a culinary opus, each dish meticulously composed to tell its own story. We began our journey with an amuse-bouche that set the tone for the evening—a delicate bite of locally sourced seafood, kissed by the ocean and elevated with a whisper of citrus and sea salt. The Lobster Rocks and Hamachi Shooters were exemplary in every measure of quality and decadence!

The main courses redefined perfection. I will forever remember the tomahawk steak I ordered, aged to an exacting standard and seared to an ethereal crust, was a triumph of technique and flavor. Its velvety richness was complemented by an array of seasonal accompaniments that brought depth and harmony to the dish. The halibut, meanwhile, was poetry on a plate, its delicate flakes paired with a beurre blanc so exquisite it lingered in memory long after the last bite.

Even the simplest of offerings—house-baked bread, for instance—was a testament to the restaurant’s relentless pursuit of excellence, served with seaweed butter that danced with umami complexity.

Desserts at Alexander’s are not merely a conclusion but a crescendo. The dark chocolate soufflé was both decadent and refined, its molten core balanced by the brightness of a passionfruit coulis. A medley of mignardises completed the meal, each a tiny work of art.

Alexander’s by the Sea is not just a restaurant; it is an ode to the art of dining, a sanctuary where flavors converge, and time seems to stand still. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one that lingers in the soul long after the table is cleared.

For those fortunate enough to visit, Alexander’s offers more than a meal—it offers a memory, destined to shine among life’s most treasured moments.

⭐ 5 stars are simply the...

Came here for birthday celebration. The food doesn't disappoint, however, the service did.

The tasting menu caught my eye. You got the best of both worlds (sea and land). It's full table participation. We were served with abalone, scallop, sea bass, waygu steak and a dessert. Everything tasted excellent. The sauce on the waygu steak is bit too salty to my taste and it's still good.

We upgraded our dessert to the soufflé. They have the best soufflé.

We also ordered a couple sides: the brussel sprouts and lobster fried rice. There's nothing special with the brussel sprouts and it's on the greasy side. The lobster fried rice is tasty and cooked with bacon and eggs.

One downside is they started charging for extra bread basket. For such an expensive restaurant (we spent over $500 for 2 ppl), it's hard to believe they nickel and dime customers for $5/extra basket for tiny pieces of breads (bite-size).

Also, they haven't changed their menu (appetizers and entrees) for a few years. Honestly I'm getting bored of the menu. I've tried most of what I wanted to eat during the last few visits. I wish they would bring in a seasonal menu or at least be more creative and change it up once in a while.

Their online website menu seems to be outdated for dessert. They have mandarin soufflé (see the screenshot) listed on their website. However, in the restaurant menu, it has the raspberry soufflé instead. When I asked the waiter about the mandarin soufflé, he said they have not had it for at least 5 months. Why do they still list it on the website? It's disappointing as I really like the mandarin soufflé and was hoping to have it again for my birthday.

Service is ok, not the best. One of our dishes took forever to come and there was no update from our waiter at all. So we ended up ordering a couple side dishes while waiting. A few times when we needed our waiter, he was nowhere to be found and didn't come check on us. For such a fancy restaurant, I thought we would get exceptional services which we didn't get this time. I've had better ones with...

My friend and I went to the bar on a Saturday night around 9. We ordered a $74 bottle of Prosecco. The service was horrible. No water, never checked on us and then when I went to the restroom, the bartender took our bottle and threw it out. I asked my friend if she has poured the remaining Prosecco in our glasses and she said no. There was 1/3 of the bottle left. I asked our bartender and he lied and said the bottle was empty. This is so unacceptable.

UPDATE: I called the manager, Tim, to let him know what happened and he immediately attacked me and said that his bartender didn't throw out the Prosecco and that my friend drank it all. He basically saiid she was a liar and the bartender was telling the truth. The bartender never asked my friend or me if we were done with the bottle. I went to the restroom and when I came back the bottle was gone. Prior to going to the bathroom, I poured my friend a glass and saw there was at least a third of the bottle left. When I asked the bartender about it he said it was empty. Before we left I asked for the manager's card and the bartender threw me a card. I didn't realize until I got home that it was just a general Alexander Steakhouse card. Not the manager's contact information. Again, I stand by my review. Never have I ever been treated so badly by staff at a restaurant let alone a manger. I didn't ask for a refund, didn't ask for anything to be done, I just called to let the manager know what happened and he came after me. In his reply below he mentions I spilled my water - I did and they never replaced it. You can also see from the manager's response below that he is unprofessional and angry. To say my friend has a heavy hand is laughable. Prior to them removing the bottle without even asking if we were done, I was telling her she needed to drink more so we could leave. And Tim says his bartender isn't a liar but is more than happy to call his customers liars. His reaction on the phone and his response below are appalling and a poor representation of...