Secco Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in San Jose

Came for a 3 course Valentine's Day dinner at Hilton's new restaurant Secco.

LOCATION/PARKING: Secco is located inside of Hilton next to the San Jose convention center. I normally dread downtown restaurants because street parking, but parking was a breeze since they offer free validated parking in their Hilton garage. (Note, don't confuse with the convention center garage which a separate from the hotel). The restaurant is located across from the check in desk. You will see a bar in the front and restaurant and host desk is located behind the bar.

AMBIANCE: the decor has been greatly updated since I last was at this hotel (think: Greek college formal days) The hotel/bar has upgraded a lot! We were seated right in the center of the restaurant in a lovely beautifully decorated booth. I walked in thinking I was on my honeymoon with rose petals decorated at the entrance. I see an oasis of plants hanging and I definitely felt some honeymoon tropical island vibes but we were indoors with sitting on cool modern furniture. I could not stop taking pics of everything! Every table was decorated with a mini vase with flowers and had a dim gold lamp for a romantic date night feel.

FOOD/DRINKS: at the bar, we ordered a hibiscus highball which was a little strong for my taste but the raspberry drink with Remy was delicious! (Sorry I forgot the name..something rumble) The 3 course meal came with 2 glasses of champagne which I thought paired great with the calamari and crab cakes ordered in addition. The calamari was tasty and went well with the chipotle dipping sauce. The crab cakes definitely hit the spot. I liked the sauces and the seaweed salad that came with it. The 1st course was the beet salad with goat cheese. The sweetness from the beets paired so well with the tartness of the goat cheese. 2nd course, I had the giant prawns and my hubby ordered the filet chateaubriand, which I learned is filet mignon but bigger. Which is fine by me! The prawns were huge and cooked perfectly! And the filet, cooked perfectly at medium, was my favorite. It was so juicy and the asparagus was so tasty. They even pumped mash potatoes to look like a flower!! Talk about presentation! So I ended stealing my husband's entree instead! It's okay he's used to it! :) I was soooo stuffed by the time dessert came. But I still made room..We had heart shaped white chocolate mouse with strawberries. The bottom layer has a crunch like I was biting into a yummy Ferrero rocher chocolate. Not picture was the delicious mocha to go with this last course. I was so satisfied and my belly was so happy at the end of this meal!

SERVICE: by far one of the best dinners I've had in a long time. I definitely appreciated this experience. From our bartender to our server and hosts, everyone that helped us were polite and very knowledgeable when we asked questions. I especially felt very VIP! I felt very welcome and warm from the team. We learned a lot about this new establishment and understand it is hard opening a new restaurant in a doordash delivery post Covid where we don't do go out much. So I encourage people to go out and try new experiences and definitely give Secco a try! I want to bring all my family back...

First off the food was great! The restaurant is very cute and it was lovely outside. The service ZERO stars!!! It ruined our entire experience for a very special occasion. We got there early and got a drink at the bar. The bartender gave us our card and bill to sign and we did. We had dinner reservations and when they sat us we were told multiple times they had a big party coming in. Talk about making us feel not important right off the bat. In fact, the server told us we had to order ALL of our food (appetizers, food and dessert) right away because of another party. It was so rude. Later the bartended came back asking why we didn't pay for our bar drinks, which we had done and they had given us our credit card back. At dinner we asked for 1 thing, extra sauce and never received it after asking the server and then again the manager for it. When the server brought our bill, it was not our check, it was another tables $200. We showed it to her and she brought the correct bill $270. She took our credit card and when she gave us the receipt to sign it was for someone else's bill that was double what our check was $470. She gave us 1 bill and then ran our cards for another bill that was double! HORRIBLE. We then went back to her and the manager to show them they charged us double. It was upsetting, disruptive and ruined the whole experience. The manager and the server never even apologized. I will never come back here because they can't figure out how to properly give you your check and charge you properly across the board. It was a nightmare. If we weren't paying attention we would have paid double for our bill and then had to deal...

My recent lunch experience at Secco Restaurant and Bar in the Hilton San Jose exceeded all expectations. What stood out most was the impeccable service we received, particularly considering the needs of my special needs son.

Upon arrival, the host graciously seated us at a table that was not only comfortable but also easily accessible for my son, without us even needing to ask. This thoughtful gesture set a positive tone for the meal.

Our server, Horacio, was a gem. He went above and beyond to ensure our dining experience was exceptional. He offered insightful suggestions from the menu and was incredibly accommodating, customizing my son's order to suit his special requests. It was evident that he genuinely cared about making our experience enjoyable.

The food itself was outstanding. Each dish was expertly prepared, bursting with flavor and presented beautifully. From the appetizers to the main course, every bite was a delight.

Overall, I cannot speak highly enough of Secco Restaurant and Bar. The combination of exceptional service and delicious food made for a memorable dining experience. If our travels ever bring us back to the Hilton San Jose, we will definitely be returning to Secco. Highly...