Manresa Restaurant Review

Exceptionally fresh and inventive food, but over the top expensive. The formal service and michelin star atmosphere are not really to my taste, I like more laid back places. All the same, some of the dishes were amazing. Some were just weird for weridness' sake, though.

My preferred place for American food. really nothing but enjoyable experiences here, i'll be back. it has a good atmosphere. i see why this place has a lot of positive reviews.

I and my dining companions immensely enjoyed the dishes came out, save one, which was quickly substituted for another amazing dish. The service was exceptional, and we were treated as honored guests from beginning to end. All dietary restrictions and preferences were seen to, and nobody felt like a burden at any point in time. The pacing and portions were perfect. Thank you for an incredible, memorable experience!

Amazing service, infinitely knowledgeable. Unbelieveable food with imaginative presentation. Just as much thought goes into their cocktails.

The last time I was at Manresa, I had their Fall Garden menu. Overall, it was a bit of an underwhelming experience compared to those at other Michelin-starred restaurants of the same price. There were only 1-2 dishes among 10 (+ 3 desserts) that stood completely stood out.

The menu was also a bit light. Surprisingly, I wasn't full by the time we got to desserts. As for the desserts, they were a bit too sweet.
Service was just average--another disappointment for a restaurant of this class. That being said, I couldn't thinking of an egregious flaws, but there was also nothing that particularly stood out. I just wasn't a memorable experience.

The venue is quite spacey, and the warm interior is comforting. I would consider it a good location for a fancy date.

The food was incredible. Everything was prepared to perfection.

Too precious. Every serving was a culinary feat but not necessarily delicious The wait staff were like small herds of guinea pigs following each other in small lines delivering dishes to each diner at exactly the same time. Like a ballet

Finally I could visit this place and the experience was lovely. The ambiance was very cozy and superb. The food menu was so attractive and I wanted to try out all the dishes but whichever we tried were extremely fantastic.

Amazing food, wine and deserts. Be prepared to spend $$$$s!

Food: 4
Decor: 5
Service: 5
Michelin: **

My gf made a reservation here to celebrate my early birthday and anniversary. She requested my napkin be made into a dinosaur (stolen from Reddit), and lo and behold, there was a dinosaur napkin waiting for me when we were seated

Since we had a large lunch in LA, we opted for the prix fixe (125 pp, ~8 courses) instead of the tasting (175 pp, ~10-12 courses). Sadly, I didn't see their famous egg or into the garden dishes on either :(

1. Garden beignets and crispy leaves
~Pretty good.

2. Tomatoes, barely cooked, flowering coriander ice
~Very good. Coriander ice worked surprisingly well with the tomatoes.

3. Summer clams, lightly smoked, tomato and lemon ice, savory granola
~Delicious. I have a sweet tooth, and the lemon worked beautifully with the tomato and clams.

4. Abalone and roasted sunchokes, seaweed persillade
~Pretty good, although I was surprised by the persillade texture.

5. Salmon marinated with herbs and citrus, beets
~Pretty good, although a bit of the salmon got stuck in my teeth.

6. Duck roasted in salt crust, fig, and wild fennel confit
~Pretty good. Duck was a bit too fatty for my taste, but I liked the fig component.

7. Chamomile and mint tea
~Pretty good. Decent palate cleanser after main courses.

8. Reine claude plums with buckwheat and Crescenza, saba
~Delicious. Loved the plums, and it went surprisingly well with the Crescenza cow's milk-cheese.

9. Chocolate cake with caramel ganache for birthday and anniversary
~Pretty good. Thought it was funny that they gave us this dessert, since we received an identical one at another restaurant a day earlier in SD.

10. Raspberries and yellow peach curd, basil and peach leaves, old-fashioned vanilla ice cream
~Pretty good, although I think it would have been better with some fresh peach slices.

11. Chocolate and lemon verbena macarons
~Pretty good. Nice finish to meal.

Loved how they had continuous bread service throughout meal until you said you were done. The baguettes were so good I had at least 4 of them

Service was excellent and was reminiscent of Alinea's in terms of attention, although I did find the multiple servers rather unusual.

To top it off, they also give everyone a muffin to take home, as well as a handful of caramels. I had both the day after, and they were both very good.

Came here on a Wednesday night, walked in, nice little restaurant in a house-like structure separated into two dining rooms. Nice decor, with a cute little Christmas tree, very comfy and cosy. The host / hostess gracefully greeted us at the door and we were offered to sit at the bar area while we wait for our friends to arrive. Extensive wine and alcohol list and the sommelier was very knowledge, overall great experience so far.

Ordered the regular tasting menu instead of the seasonal one but overall the food wasn't what I expected of a two Michelin star restaurant. The flavors just didn't quite taste right with too many dishes that were sweet / savory mixed together which made the taste balance kinda off. I enjoyed the scallops but the flavors of the squab and almond tofu was not ok (verging on 'off').

I appreciate the chef wanting to be inventive putting together different ingredients (e.g. cucumber / basil / buttermilk pudding) but unfortunately I didn't love it. I was also disappointed that the staff didn't really explain the dish that I would expect at a Michelin star restaurant (e.g. explain the various ingredients and how you would eat the dish vs just telling us what the dish is). They were very professional and gracious, I just expected slightly more.

One major star of the meal was the brioche, it was divine. Apparently they sell these at Campbell Markets but I have yet to verify this.

I have mixed feelings about this place. I've only been to Manresa twice. The first time was underwhelming. Everything was just OK. The waitress tended to mumble when describing the food. There was nothing special. No passion. No excitement. No surprises. However, the second time was amazing. We had quite a few memorable dishes. So... I really don't know what to think of Manresa due to the inconsistency. I guess I'll just have to increase my sample size in order to form a more conclusive opinion.

Absolutely delicious, The testing menu was incredible we went for my birthday and it was wonderful. Great service and excellent food.

Manresa is 5 stars in normal times, but it shines in a truly unique way in the COVID era. Unlike some other, snobby Michelin star places, Manresa showed no ego in reinventing to meet the current regulations. We've been several times through the pandemic, and it's proved a relatively affordable option for procuring high quality food with excellent service in dangerous times. Sure, there are cheaper options for takeout, but nothing we've found offers so much variety and flavor for the same value. Is it a Michelin star experience? Hard to say. It's a family meal, so forgo any preconceived notions of delicately presented tasting courses. But the curbside service is top notch. The food is delicious, just be prepared to reheat it properly at home (especially the proteins).

The food was good, I think the sweet bread served with the cheese was too sweet.

We had the September seasonal tasting menu. Really beautiful fresh ingredients, prepared with an understated, innovative style and exceptional service. The surroundings and ambience are great too. Yes it is very expensive but totally worth it for an occasional treat.

For a 3 start Michelin restaurant the price is extremely reasonable.

The food was so amazing it's easy to think one died and went to heaven. Each serving was an explosion of finely balanced flavors.

Can't wait to go back.

Excellent place to have some food when in a hurry. The service is efficient, prices are affordable, fantastic atmosphere. Will come back again

The overall food experience was absolutely wonderful and met our group's very high expectations. There were probably more seafood dishes than I cared to have, but the plethora of delicious desserts completely made up for that.

It was a tough night on the atmosphere front, with paramedics being called and multiple times dishes fell and broke. I would have also preferred a little more extravagance in the decor, but the clearly the focus was the seafood and the deserts.

There are also small surprises during various times in the night that made the evening just that much more special. It is definitely worth going to Manresa!

Tried takeout during the lock down. I had welcoming experience as I went in in addition to the food that I enjoyed with my fiance. Pasta was right up there with the best tastes of the city, tender and ready to eat, exactly the way we wanted it to be.

We would love to have this experience again to renew our taste buds with the same sensation we had on this day.

Thanks allot, 3 people tasting dinner was very impresive, flavors were very good verstile and truely seasonal, service was imacluate, too "formal" though, the time spent on service rituals slowed down the pace of the meal and the peak of the meal, the duck dish that was amazing was lacking the feeling of catharsis that occurs at the peak of a great meal...
Nevertheless wine & beverage service was unique professiinal and cool as its director

Blown away by the food. We'll keep coming back for anniversaries. Sommelier service was slow when we were there and by-the-glass wine selection wasn't the best, but that's the only negative I can think of.

I've been to several Michelin 3 star restaurants, and Manresa is head and shoulders above the others. Freshness and creativity are the keys. David Kinch is a genius.

excellent flavors service and atmosphere. very expensive though.

Really enjoyed the daily family meal! The adobo chicken and stir fried squash & green beans where so delicious! Thank you to the chefs who prepared our meal, it was such a fun experience having this food

Came here for a birthday dinner. One of the best meals (if not the best) of my life. Highly recommend the wine pairing.

Great experience and amazing food. You can't believe how they manage to get so many flavor profiles concentrated in their dishes. The staff are also really slick and accommodating. They're really clever and witty when appropriate if you are making conversation about the food and what they're serving you. As a three star I think this has the best value and experience. You won't feel like a fish out of water or like you don't belong.

The food and service were beyond our expectations. We absolutely enjoyed the ambience of this place. Awesome place to take my family out for dinner.

Wow. Very expensive, and very worth it. Service was spectacular and the food was better...

We came here while we were over on holiday from Austraila. It did not disappoint. The wine matching with the food was out of this world. The staff were a little standoffish and cold but the food....... amazing.

I've been lucky enough to dine at Manresa since they opened and have seen Chef Kinch's cuisine and restaurant continue to evolve. In my opinion, Manresa, is still one of the best restaurants in the world. When I compare it to the 3 star restaurants that I've been to in France and California (and we are truly lucky in Northern California to have so many wonderful restaurants), it easily is in the top 3. The cocktails are sensational, the wine list and recommendations from their master sommelier excellent, the service highly attentive, and the food beautiful to look at and devour. Prices are high but fairly priced for this caliber of meal and experience. This restaurant is not for everyone. If you're a picky eater or have major dietary restrictions, while they will certainly cater to your needs (with advanced notice), you may not have the optimal experience. However, if you're someone who will eat or try anything, don't mind spending money on dining experiences, and love food that has layers of incredibly well thought out and beautifully executed complexity, do yourself a favor and try Manresa.

the best in the south bay. especially fish/seafood dishes

nice experience, will be back soon after this crucial period

Tried this place once with a friend and I am obsessed ever since. I liked the great atmosphere and delightful food and drinks. Highly recommended.

Manresa was ok. Would I give it a 3 Michelin star? Absolutely not. Food and service was good butI had better. I dont think I would come back. To be honest, I'd rather pick Gary Danko over Manresa, my personal opinion.

We ordered the take out menu for steak. You need to heat by yourself, it s poorly instructed and quality of the meat is worse than buy from Costco and cook by yourself.

Been here twice. The presentation is spectacular, but I walked away feeling an overwhelming sense of both hunger and dismay at the price.

The wine list was somewhat astounding, and yet had nothing I recognized at any price point. It was almost like someone intentionally wanted only obscure names so you couldn t judge the markup. My comparison was to a dinner at the kitchen table at Charlie Trotters (Chicago), where the sommelier asked what we liked and how much, and then blew us away with his choices!

Wouldn t go back.

Fantastic food experience. Loved all the dishes - really tough to pick a favorite. Come eat!

From the first moment you arrive in that restaurant team give you a nice feeling. Very warm waiters, it is a nice restaurant to pass time with friends and colleagues or with your date. very good cuisine, specialist chef, comfortable pay and attentive service. Highly recommended.

An overdue review of a night that was exceptional. We celebrated our 25 year Anniversary with friends. Each and every course was impeccably presented. The service was executed flawlessly. - from the clearing of plates being discreet to the informative description of what was being presented. We will return for many celebrations to come. Thank you!

The food was absolutely mind blowing, a "culinary concert".

Great food. Great atmosphere. The dishes were unique, well presented, fresh flavors. Very upscale dinning.

Can't argue that this place is a classic, but the price is still breathtakingly astonishing.

I had the fortune to dine here two years ago and it was just amazing. The presentation was top notch, food tasted wow, sadly my only complaint was that I got too full towards the end to fully enjoy the last few courses. Get the full tasting and let the chefs handle the rest. If you asking for special accommodations and you are not allergic, you probably shouldn't be here.

Covid Review: The restaurant is currently closed for covid shelter in place, but they are doing a family style pick up meal with a new menu each day. You order the day before, pull up in front of the restaurant and within a minute someone brings the food to your car. Simple heat up when you get home and you are eating dinner prepared by a 3 Michelin star restaurant for only $50/person. Food was great and portions were good sized. Will definitely be back again and can't wait to go when restaurant is fully open again!

Service, presentation, and atmosphere get 5 stars, but we weren't overly impressed with the food. The staff were overly attentive and friendly, arguably the best wait service. The restaurant is small and cozy. While the presentation of dishes was stellar, we weren't overly impressed by the menu. Flavors were decent but nothing stuck out as memorable.

Excellent 3 Michelin star experience that did not disappoint. Much better than French Laundry.

Loved everything on the menu. The service was perfect.

Best meal we ve ever had. Truly top notch establishment, service was warm and friendly and the atmosphere was inviting. Will come back as often as we can!

One of the best meals of my life. Highly recommend you try this before you die.

Manresa was a wonderful dining experience and my first Michelin star experience as well. I really like that although this is a 2 Michelin star restaurant, you can still wear nice jeans and a button down shirt and be totally welcome aboard (no need for a jacket). The service was wonderful, with every dish brought out in a choreographed fashion, making it as fun to watch as to eat. The tasting menu (we got the "bar bites") was exceptionally varied but had a common themes throughout. Clearly time and effort were involved in creating the menu, and it showed. My favorite dish was the salmon roe with an almond paste of sorts beneath it. Delicious! The cocktails are also wonderful. I can't see myself necessarily doing the wine paring because it is super expensive but maybe for a super special treat. This place is pricey, so expect to pay for it, but for special occasions I can see myself coming back here for sure.

Amazing food experience, impeccable service. We're pleasantly surprised to discover a 3 Michelin star restaurant in a small town of Los Gatos.

The food and service were ahead of my expectations. We truly enjoyed the environment of this spot. Awesome place to take the family out for dinner.

We got the vegetarian Family Meal-To-Go package for around $100. We received Braised endive with beans, citrus segments and cashews, Farro verde with gouda, Roasted Tokyo turnips, Grilled radicchio salad with sour cherries and toasted sunflower seeds with sweet onion and sherry vinaigrette, Garlic Parker House roll, & Peach cake. Although all foods were thoroughly prepared, we were responsible for reheating. There was an abundance of food, the menu items were interesting, & the ingredients were good quality. However, the flavors of these particular dishes were just okay. It was a fun experience and I am glad we tried it, but I'd prefer to have tried a different meal.