Bistro Elan

About Bistro Elan

Bistro Elan is a small neighborhood restaurant on Birch Street, a short walk from the shops and cafes of California Avenue. It describes its cooking as California French seasonal cuisine: lighter takes on classic French dishes served alongside seasonal California favorites. The menu changes with the seasons. The website labels its current dinner menu Fall 2026.

The restaurant has been around for a long time. Its home page says it has been a local favorite for almost 30 years, while its contact page calls it a neighborhood destination for more than two decades. Either way, it has served this corner of Palo Alto for a long time. The website does not name its owners or chef.

What is on the menu

Expect a short, focused list rather than a long bistro card. The Fall 2026 dinner menu shows how the kitchen works with the season.

• Starters. Grilled matsutake mushrooms, a dish built around California pears, a Little Gem Caesar salad, an apple salad, a carrot and orange soup and a potato waffle with smoked salmon. Oysters are offered by the half dozen.
• Mains. Pan seared Maine sea scallops, local lingcod, a Vande Rose Farms pork schnitzel, bucatini Bolognese and a grilled marinated skirt steak.
• Special. The menu lists an entrée special, carne de porco à Alentejana.
• Sides. Pickled gold beets, bistro French fries, Castelvetrano olives and sautéed spinach.

Bread is available on request. The website also posts separate lunch, dessert and wine list pages. The home page also mentions dishes such as gremolata crusted lingcod, crispy duck leg confit, chilled cucumber soup and pan seared scallops with celery root purée, which gives a sense of the kitchen's style across the year. The menu does not label vegetarian or gluten free dishes, so call ahead if you have dietary needs.

Lunch draws on the same seasonal list. The fall lunch menu repeats most of the starters and adds a sautéed corvina sea bass and a grilled flat iron steak among the mains, which makes a weekday lunch a lighter way to try the kitchen.

Wine and dessert

The wine list leans French, with Burgundy, Champagne, Sancerre, Chablis, Bordeaux and the Rhône well covered. California is the other pillar, with bottles from Sonoma, Napa, the Russian River and Paso Robles. Oregon's Willamette Valley shows up for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Many wines come by the glass, the half bottle or the full bottle. Corkage is charged per bottle and is waived when you buy a 750 ml bottle from the list, according to the wine page.

Desserts are a short, classic list: a ground almond cake, profiteroles, an olive oil cake and the ice cream of the day. Dessert wines include a vintage port, a Madeira, a Sauternes and a Banyuls.

The room and the patio

Bistro Elan describes a cozy dining room with an open kitchen, plus outdoor seating on a patio. The website does not give a seat count or mention private dining. A quiet lunch or a relaxed dinner for a small group is the natural fit.

Booking, takeout and events

Reservations go through OpenTable from the restaurant's website. You can also call. For takeout, the site links to online ordering for pickup through Toast. Gift cards are sold online. The restaurant runs an email newsletter that announces winemaker dinners and other special events. Sign up through the website if those interest you, since the events are not posted with dates on the home page.

Tips for visiting

Plan around the schedule. Lunch runs only Wednesday through Friday, dinner runs Wednesday through Saturday and the last seating window closes at 8 p.m. The restaurant lists no hours for Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. Book ahead for Friday and Saturday dinner.

The California Avenue guide covers parking and the rest of the district, which is close to the California Avenue Caltrain station. If you want a bigger special occasion room, our fine dining guide lists other options. For a drink before or after dinner, see the bars and wine guide.

Location and getting there

Bistro Elan is at 2363A Birch Street, Palo Alto, CA, in the California Avenue area of Palo Alto. Our California Avenue guide covers what else is around.

The California Avenue Caltrain station is less than a quarter mile away, a walk of a few minutes.

Parking: street spaces and city garages with posted limits (see parking in Palo Alto).

Hours

Hours from the business's own website, checked October 29, 2026.

What is nearby

• Julian Chase Salon, salon or spa, under 0.1 mi
• Gamelandia, shop, under 0.1 mi
• Tamayo’s Judo, studio or gym, under 0.1 mi
• Cambridge Optometry, practice, under 0.1 mi
• Bar Underdog, bar, under 0.1 mi
• Bowden Park, 0.2 mi
• Peers Park, 0.3 mi
• College Terrace Library, 0.4 mi

Other restaurants nearby: Naschmarkt Palo Alto (under 0.1 mi); Protégé (under 0.1 mi); Anatolian Kitchen (under 0.1 mi); iTalico (under 0.1 mi). Browse the full restaurants list.

Before you go

• Popular dinner spots in Palo Alto fill up on Friday and Saturday nights, so book ahead where the restaurant takes reservations.
• Many kitchens close earlier than in big cities. Plan to order by about 9 p.m. on weeknights unless the posted hours say otherwise.
• If you have allergies or dietary needs, call ahead or check the current menu on the restaurant's website.

About this listing

Checked October 29, 2026 against Bistro Elan official website; Dinner menu; Contact page. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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