Mistral Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Redwood City

I really wanted to like this place. It's only 7 mins from my house and having a decent restaurant with a full bar so close would have been awesome.

Where to start. This was probably one of the worst dinning experiences I've had in a long time. Part of my low score comes from my expectations of a restaurant you pay $30+ an entree for. Was the food inedible, no, but I didn't pay Sizzler prices for what I would describe as Sizzler quality.

Drinks

I'm not too picky when it comes to drinks. I will finish a drink even if I don't like it, IF I recognize that my dislike is based on my personal taste (not a fan of darker liquors). I started with the sea salt gimlet which was like drinking sea water mixed with lime. So much salt it was undrinkable. I then went on to the Belmont '75 which was equally disappointing as it had a strange aftertaste that I can only describe as really stale cheap keg beer.

Main Course

Ahi Tuna with Prawn Tempora (+$6). They cover the tuna with what I had assumed was cheese (turns out it's something called Beurre Blanc) and then coat it with sesame seeds and top it off with two "tempura" prawns. I air quote tempura because it was more of a corn dog batter. Really the whole entree looked/tasted like it was designed by a Mid-West mom from the 80s (shout out to Beverley from the Goldbergs).

Service was mixed. We sat at our table for at least 10mins before I had to flag someone down to take our order. By then we'd finished off all the bread (which was pretty good). They forgot our appetizer and the initial waitress didn't seem too into her job except when trying to upsell me on the corn dog prawns. The second waiter was good (offered to get new drink, comped dessert for missing the appetizer etc) and genuinely seemed to want us to have a good experience. I tipped 20% since I didn't want to shaft that guy.

I really want to try again, but it'll never happen unless it's on business. There are way too many decent options within their price point in San Carlos and...

Hidden Gem in Redwood Shore!!

I never write reviews but i feel like I needed to.

I came here for a Date Night with my Girlfriend with no expectations. I couldn't have asked for a better experience! The restaurant seemed pretty busy for a Thursday night, which was a good sign. The location is a bit hidden in Redwood Shores but it is worth it for the views. The waitstaff was very attentive and made us feel welcome. He even got us a bucket of ice for our bottle of wine. Okay, now on to the delicious food!

We started with the Mussels and that fennel broth was great. You get a pretty good amount of Mussels with the order and dipping the bread in the sauce is delicious. They told us, they make the bread in house and you can tell.

For our Entrees we did the Roasted Half Chicken & Special Hawaiian Ono Fish.

The Roasted Half Chicken could have been the highlight of the night! It was so juice and the skin was to die for. I don't think I have honestly had a better roasted chicken. The Maitre d' Hotel Butter is gold on anything and complemented the chicken very well.

The Hawaiian Ono Fish presentation was very appealing. It was plated well and made you feel like you were going to eat something special. The Maltaise Sauce topper was wonderful. My girlfriend wished it was never ending. The Ono was cooked well and had such a unique taste to it for a fish. Hard to describe it other than it tasted great!

We ended with a Dessert but I can't recall what she ordered. It was creamy & smooth and really topped off a wonderful dining experience.

I can't wait to come back and try the different items on the menu. I definitely will be telling others about Mistral and sharing my experience.

My complements to the Chef and the...

I visited Mistral Restaurant & Bar to celebrate my son’s birthday — a special occasion that we wanted to enjoy at a nice place. The food and atmosphere were decent, but what happened afterward completely ruined the experience.

The next day, I realized I had accidentally left my credit card at the restaurant after paying the bill. I immediately called and was told they would “check and call me back.” Hours passed with no response, so I called again — only to be met with a rude and dismissive attitude, telling me, “We’re busy, sir, we’ll call you if we find anything.” I explained that I was traveling the next day and needed to know urgently, but the tone remained unhelpful.

Concerned, I decided to stop by in person. I saw the same waiter who served us the night before, and he immediately recognized me and said, “Yes, I remember — I found your card and put it in the back.” But when the front desk manager got involved, things took a shocking turn. He snapped at me, saying, “You’re the guy who kept calling — I told you we’ll call you if we find it.” When I explained that the waiter just confirmed he had my card, the manager turned on the waiter, then told me rudely to leave the restaurant.

It was an unpleasant, humiliating, and unprofessional encounter — the complete opposite of what you expect from a restaurant of this level. I’m still waiting for any follow-up or basic courtesy call, but it never came.

If you value your belongings and basic respect, be careful dining here. Losing a credit card is stressful enough — being treated this way afterward was truly...