The goodMy grapefruit cocktailMy companyThe bathroomsThe badMy dirty menuCheap Disposable chopsticksSalmon belly that was overly saucedLobster in truffle butter that was way overdone (in fairness they took it off the check).The slightly weird crispy rice texture that I think would’ve been good if the balance of texture was better but the crispy rice was chewy vs crispy and the tuna was pasty.The service at several moments there were misses - not bringing fresh chopsticks, missing coffee orders, bringing only one sample of sake for us to ‘share’For a restaurant this acclaimed I expected a lot more - I also hope this feedback helps them refine your evening.
Even though I have gone to many Nobu’s, this one is not my favorite. The miso black cod and tuna never fail me while the lychee martini always hits the spot here! Service is okay.
The hotel is amongst the best I've stayed at, the rooms are clean and comfortable, basically exactly like the photos. A tip to first comers, the hotel check-in is on the 2nd floor, the first floor reception is for the restaurant. I was a bit confused when I got there. Other than that, the amenities are great, the huge TV screen plus the comfy pillows makes me just want to sit in bed and watch TV all day. As some other reviews have said, the aesthetic of the hotel is one of the things I love most. The Japanese touches of it can be seem from the cute electric kettle, the ice bucket (upon request, they gave me a super cute bamboo ice bucket), and the best of the best: TOTO toilet. As someone who's been to Japan numerous times, I was overjoyed to see this toilet again. Plus, for the first time ever in a hotel in the US, they actually provide slippers! The front desk and all the staff I was in contact with were super nice and fulfilled my requests promptly. I would definitely stay here again, it's probably my go to hotel in Palo Alto from now on.
Woo~~ I was so excited at Nobu restaurant.They have elegant foods and nice out side patio. The waiter recommended good menu especially Sashimi Jalapeno, Black Cod, and Tuna Tartare with Caviar which became my favorite.
Honestly, I was disappointed. It’s not authentic Japanese food. They use really good ingredients and cooked really well but the sauce or seasoning is totally overwhelmed, overdo, or too strong - couldn't enjoy the natural flavor of the ingredients. We ordered “Omakase” and four cocktails - all four cocktails were creative and pretty good! So I might come back for a drink but not for food...
I was able to get to a walk up without a reservation, but I also came RIGHT at noon, when they open. The spot at the sushi bar was the best, easy ordering!
I've always planned on heading to Nobu, but I always heard mixed reactions to it: some consider it a must try while others claim that it is extremely overrated. I must say that with my experience at Nobu, I was extremely pleased and will most definitely be coming back. To begin with, the staff was extremely kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. My friend and I decided to go with the omakase menu which proved to be a stellar decision. I loved how in depth our waiters went in with the descriptions about every course. Some of the standout dishes were definitely the yellowtail sashimi jalapeno, sea bass tempura, ribeye with shitake mushrooms, and the tuna tartare with caviar. Surprisingly, the portions were quite large and filling as well. Besides the food, the cocktails were equally as impressive. I went with the Nobu Sidecar, which is a leveled up Old-Fashioned, and my friend with the Lychee Martini. The interior was also very elegant and spacious with splendid décor. Overall, our experience was pretty much flawless.
Everything we had was delicious. It is great to know that whatever problems you may have, you can get through them because you have reservations at Nobu next week. If you know, you know
We were excited to stay at Nobu as we understood, from their marketing, that it was exceptionally cool, exclusive, and boutique. We looked on their site for a nice room and found that the Zen Suite (about $1, 200) was available for the night we wanted to stay, which happened to be that same night. When we landed we checked again to see if it was available and it was, but since we were only a few minutes away we decided to go right to the hotel and check in rather than reserving online. The two young gentlemen at the front desk (early twenties and very inexperienced, but doing their best) laughed when we asked about the suite and said they were all booked and that Expedia was likely having problems. We said we saw it was available, not on Expedia, but on the Nobu Palo Alto site and we pulled it up in front of them. Anyway, don't trust their site for booking, you'd have to call to be certain before putting in your card info to make sure you aren't booking a room that doesn't exist inside the cancellation time. Then it just got stupid... they only had rooms with two queen beds (which by the way they are not queen beds - they are doubles which are really small). Since we were already there and tired we decided to take the two queen room (approx. $650/night). Got to our room and a large panel fell off the wall when my wife opened the safe. The paneling isn't aligned and opening the safe cabinet door was enough to dislodged a 3 by 4 foot heavy panel from the wall which then fell on her. We switched rooms. The next room had a lovely thick black hair in the sink, maybe a dark sushi noodle, not sure. It was end of day so we decided whatever we came up against we would stay. The beds are not queen beds, but I mentioned that already. Rooms are small. TV is enormous and really great, but very limited channels but still - it's a great TV. Shower was ok but no hand held and they have a "Japanese" style wood floor in the shower which serves only an aesthetic purpose, and maybe to hide hair underneath, but damn it hurts the feet. Bathroom is very tiny. The toilet was unbelievably great and the showcase of the room, along with the TV. The toilet is fully automated with remote control, heated seat, squirty things etc. Basically you are renting a toilet and TV with some surrounding furniture. No electrical outlets next to beds - just USB ports which is fine but not if you have new iPhone etc. Carpets are stained, mostly because of the color selection we think which shows an archaeological history of prior guest shenanigans. There is only one elevator which gets tedious. The common areas of the hotel are sort of finished but not really. There is an odd second floor patio that is 8 feet wide with some furniture facing a wall. Nobody was out there. There are surely other spots to stay in the area that would be a better value and still very nice. We couldn't help but think Nobu is more of a marketing and food services company than a hotel company. We give three stars which we think is fair for a three star hotel.
I loved the aesthetic of the hotel aswell as the comfort. The hotel was perfectly clean and the beds very comfortable. Even though Nobu Palo Alto is next to a busy street and the restaurant is very busy, I did not hear any noise. The walls and ceilings must be very thick because I didnt hear any noise from other floors. I will visit the hotel again on my next trip.