Village Cafe

09/27/08

Another good spot!

by lisahazarika at Citysearch

We were there with a few friends on a Saturday evening and thoroughly enjoyed the expensive meal. I specially liked the cheese plate covered in caramelized red wine... it was a yummy treat. The entrees that followed were of course very tasty - we had calamaries, some chicken dish, mussels etc etc. The sizes were a little small. Overall a good experience, however the tab was high in the end... as expected from a santana row restaurant! Will go back for sure!

• Cons: Expensive

03/26/08

Horrible, condesending service

by minifatloaf at Citysearch

We eat at Santat Row at least once a week, we went there a week ago on a Monday...horrible service, waiter was rude and condesending. The waiter said he would be back for drink orders and never did. We then went to the bar and the female bartender would only give my husband one drink, even though we were at a dinner table two feet fromt he bar. We walked out and have NEVER done that before. I then emailed the manager who called to profusely appologize and said he would send out a gift certificate, guess what..never showed. Ran into my sister in law the same evening and she stated they don't go there anymore either due to the service.

Go to the Yankee Pier next door for fresh fish, their service is 100 percent better.

• Pros: NONE
• Cons: contrite, condesending

01/20/08

You won't miss anything if you ever don't go there.

by 1990 at Citysearch

Food is just ok. Service is horrible. We waited approx. 35 minutes to be seated, the waiter came to our table after 15 minutes and our drinks took another 15 minutes. The food was very ordinary, nothing special. The salmon was actually overcooked. They forgot to bring bread and butter to our table when we sat down so they brought it almost at the end of our lunch. Don't ever order lemonade cause it'll burn your throat. We think they use artificial lemon juice as the acid taste is very strong.

11/01/07

Do NOT pass this by!

by 4theloveoflife at Citysearch

I absolutely LOVE The Village. I have been there for lunch, dinner, and obviously drinks! The service is Fantastic! Everyone is so friendly and very knowledgable about their wine selection and pairings. While the wine is great, I would never be able to go in without getting infused vodka. I reccomend raspberry and pineapple mixed if you are lucky enough to go when they have both! I have been for all different occasions, when my parents were in town, a friends 21st birthday and even Valentines Day...The Village is perfect! There is a bit of a wait on weekends and the dinner crowd seems to be a bit late- going early wouldn't hurt, but the bar is a great place to wait, or even eat! The brie is a must and their lamb is to die for! Never had a thing I didnt love! Best place in town!

• Pros: food, drinks, service, location
• Cons: the wait

06/04/07

I believe they have gotten lazy

by maralanders at Citysearch

I first tried this restaurant last summer, and both the food and the service were excellent. However, a second trip in the fall was disappointing. The food was tasteless, especially the fingerling potatoes. The service was okay, until a hurried waiter knocked over a wine glass and sent drops of red wine flying onto my dining companion's white shirt. The only thing that saved the night was the manager's willingness to comp the wine, though he hesitated to do so until he knew which wine we had ordered (i.e., not too expensive).

We gave it one more try this weekend, and again were disappointed. The food tasted good, but the service was lacking - the waiter was unfriendly and ignored us until I embarrassed him by requesting bread. I noted that he and other waitstaff were standing around in the back of the restaurant.

So I don't think we will be going back. I think that this restaurant has become popular, so perhaps they have become lazy. I'd say that if you are going to Santana Row, try Consuelo or Straits instead!

• Pros: Decent wine list; indoor and outdoor seating
• Cons: Unfriendly/unprofessional staff; food does not live up to prices