The Sea by Alexander's Steakhouse

About The Sea

The Sea by Alexander's Steakhouse is a dinner restaurant at 4269 El Camino Real in south Palo Alto. It belongs to the Alexander's Steakhouse group, whose other restaurants include Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino, Pasadena and San Francisco, the San Francisco restaurant ONE65 and Alexander's Patisserie. Where its sister restaurants center on beef, The Sea puts seafood first. It still serves serious steak, including Japanese A5 wagyu.

The restaurant calls itself a premier seafood dining destination. Its cooking blends contemporary technique with Japanese influences in both ingredients and methods. The Sea shares its site with Dinah's Garden Hotel. The restaurant's website promotes a discounted hotel rate for its guests.

What is on the menu

The dinner menu is divided into cold and hot appetizers, a tasting menu, seafood entrées, steak entrées, sides and a separate section for Japanese wagyu. Cold starters include hamachi shots with ponzu and jalapeño, the day's oysters, Big Eye tuna tataki and Cinco Jotas jamón ibérico. Hot starters include lobster with almond purée and truffle, popcorn crab with togarashi, a fried clam chowder and an abalone risotto made with Monterey abalone.

Seafood entrées name their sources. Recent dishes include a wild Alaskan halibut T-bone with a lemongrass shellfish emulsion, a seared Hawaiian mero sea bass, miso black cod from Half Moon Bay and grilled Maine lobster with lemon risotto. A hot seafood platter combines lobster, mussels, scallops, shrimp and other seafood. The land side covers Upper Iowa Angus filet mignon and New York, a wagyu flat iron, an Imperial Wagyu ribeye and an Australian wagyu strip.

Japanese A5 wagyu from Hokkaido and Miyazaki is cut to order in four-ounce portions. Sides include truffle fries, a mac and cheese made with eight cheeses, shishito peppers and lobster fried rice.

Tasting menu and Sunday prix fixe

The Sea offers a five-course tasting menu with optional wine pairings. Recent courses included a Big Eye tuna tartare with uni and crispy rice, Monterey Bay abalone with hand-pulled noodles, seared Hokkaido scallops and Australian wagyu, followed by dessert. The whole table must take part, it is limited to six guests and it must be ordered before 8 p.m.

The optional wine pairing moves through Champagne, a white from Italy's Amalfi Coast, a Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay, a red from Saint-Émilion and a late harvest dessert wine from Napa Valley. A full wine list is posted online alongside the dinner menu.

On Sundays, the restaurant serves a three-course prix fixe menu, which it pitches as an elevated way to end the weekend. Reservations are recommended.

Who it suits

The Sea is built for occasions: anniversaries, client dinners and celebrations where a tasting menu or a shared seafood platter makes sense. It is not a casual weeknight stop. The age policy also rules it out for families with young children. Couples and small groups who want both seafood and top-grade beef will find both on one menu.

Dietary notes

The restaurant says it is happy to accommodate dietary restrictions and preferences. It asks guests to mention them when ordering so the kitchen can adjust dishes. Many plates involve raw or undercooked seafood and beef, which the menu marks.

Policies and private dining

The Sea does not admit children under 7, a policy it says helps it deliver fine dining and service for every guest. It allows corkage under a posted policy, so check the details before you bring a bottle. The restaurant has multiple private dining rooms for special events, booked through its private dining page. It is closed on Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

Tips for visiting

Book through SevenRooms from the restaurant's website. The Sea serves dinner only, with seatings starting at 5 or 5:30 p.m. depending on the day. Monday closes earliest, at 8 p.m. Plan the tasting menu for an early reservation, since it must be ordered before 8 p.m. Gift cards are sold online.

For other special-occasion dinners, see our fine dining guide. Our seafood guide and steakhouses guide cover other places to compare.

Location and getting there

The Sea by Alexander's Steakhouse is at 4269 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306, in the South Palo Alto area of Palo Alto. Our South Palo Alto guide covers what else is around.

The nearest train stop is the San Antonio Caltrain station (Mountain View), about 0.7 miles away. That is roughly a 18 minute walk or a short bike ride.

Parking: street spaces or a small lot nearby; check posted limits.

Hours

Hours from the business's own website, checked October 30, 2026.

What is nearby

• U.S. Bank Palo Alto South, service business, under 0.1 mi
• Avis and Budget Palo Alto, service business, 0.1 mi
• Heavenly Nail Spa, salon or spa, 0.1 mi
• Palo Alto Montessori School, service business, 0.2 mi
• America's Tire, service business, 0.2 mi
• Juana Briones Park, 0.4 mi
• Terman Park, 0.5 mi
• Robles Park, 0.5 mi

Other restaurants nearby: Dinah’s Poolside Restaurant (under 0.1 mi); Hobee's Restaurant (0.1 mi); Kitchen at Palo Alto (0.2 mi); So Gong Dong Tofu House (0.5 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 30, 2026 against The Sea official website; The Sea: Info; The Sea dinner menu; Alexander's Steakhouse: Locations. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently asked questions