Manzanita

I was in town for an event. While checking into the hotel I saw a happy hour sign. Came down for said happy hour and just sat for awhile. It looked like there were only 2 employees. My party waited patiently. The server came over to take our order. We asked if happy hour was per person or was it buy all items separately. The server didn't understand and gave the impression: pick as many appetizers as you want and it will only be $7.00 per person. Nope. When the bill came each item was $7.00. The server did not come back to the table after our appetizers came. Someone from my party had to chase down someone for the bill. I understand the employees were busy, what I did not appreciate or understand was the miscommunication. Aka... Be cautious and assume nothing as a consumer at this restaurant ! Don't recommend.

No No No Don't go here unless you want slow and indifferent service and puzzling menus. We went for "Happy Hour". Menu says $7 with no explanation. Turns out each item is $7. Tater tots or chips are $7 each. Waiters ignored us. Really no service. They do not explain that each item at "Happy Hour". I was not happy and we left after an hour of torture and being ignored.

Very nice ambiance. I ate at the bar, but the outside patio looked like a very nice place to relax and chit chat. There are fire places outside, so that adds to the relaxing vibes. I ordered during the happy hour, which had a pretty good variety on its menu. I wasn't much of a fan of the shrimp tacos- they were decent but the lettuce and toppings overpowered the shrimp, which was chopped up into tiny pieces. Probably had a total of two whole shrimps in it. The Salmon was very good and the flavors of the sauce were a perfect match for taste.

This restaurant is located inside the Sonesta Silicon Valley hotel. It was pretty empty when we arrived around dinner time (~7 PM) on a weekday. We were super excited to try this place after reviewing their menu on their website but was disappointed when they had a reduced menu that's different from what's online. Wings ($12): These wings were alright. They were not crispy/crunchy so I assume they were lightly baked. They wings were pretty small in terms of size & portion so they were not worth $12.Brussel Sprouts With Nuoc Mam ($8): These were pretty good, but the portion was small. Definitely a unique flavor and something I would get again if I come back.Troparita ($14): This tiny cocktail packed a huge punch of Jalapeño flavor. It woke me up but not something I would want to taste for an entire drink.

Happy Chinese New Year Everyone! Several years ago, I rung in the new year with Panda Express' orange chicken Hey, before you judge, I got the chow mein too...essential for longevity. Though their noodles tend to be all broken AF but that's another story. This year, I'm ringing in the new year with Latin and Asian Fusion food because why the hell not. Opening on January 6th inside the newly renovated Sonesta Silicon Valley is manzanita serving Latin and Asian Fusion cuisine (not related to Traci des Jardins' Manzanita @ The Ritz, Lake Tahoe). I'm usually leery of hotel restaurants and fusion food but I read that the executive chef is a Man Jose native that trained with Morimoto and worked at Plumed Horse and Masa's. Seems very promising so we made plans to go this weekend.Except when we drove all the way from SF and arrived, the only restaurant staff there told me that they're CLOSED for lunch on the weekends with no plans to open for lunch at all.It was reported on The Mercury News AND on manzanita's website that they're open for lunch everyday 11:30 am - 2 pm (see pic). The day before, I called to confirm that they'll be open and even emailed to confirm that the patio is dog-friendly (see snapshot of email, last names and email addies redacted). Both were confirmed.Ugh, please update your website, yo and communicate the correct info to customers!!!

Ate here twice in successive nights and thoroughly enjoyed both meals. Bartender recommended the Elote to start (charred Mexican street corn/huitlaccoche crema/cotija/scallion/chorizo vinaigrette) which was delicious. The Crispy Shrimp dish was very flavorful with just the right amount of spice. Second night had the Manzanita Burger grilled to perfection, tender beef with manzanita beer-bacon jam smothered on top that was exquisite. Very friendly and attentive staff. Will definitely make my way back when in Silicon Valley.

This was the most delectable fried chicken sandwich I have ever eaten, and the staff was absolutely wonderful. I stayed at Sonesta three nights and ordered the sandwich twice. There are not many restuarants of this impressive caliber in the area, so this place is a total gem, even if you are not staying at Sonesta!

I never leave bad reviews and I don't mind overpriced drinks but the same bartender was rude three nights in a row to us.

Had dinner here on Saturday evening (02/01/2020). My companion and I had the seafood paella, guacamole apppetizer, and a house salad for two. The restaurant is beautiful, upscale and well lit. In my opinion, better than many of the restaurants on Santana Row. Since this is a new restaurant, it has not been discovered yet. Consequently, we were able to enjoy Saturday dinner with quiet conversation. The paella was a huge serving. We could have served 2 others. Lots of seafood included in the dish. I thought the paella had too much of a "smoky" flavor. However, that may be because I have a preference for a paella with a chicken stock. This is the reason for the 4 stars, and not 5.The salad and guacamole appetizer were excellent. For a dinner drink, try their specialty drink of wine and sparkling alcohol with a whisper of rum. I forgot what it was called - Portuguese sparkler? I will eat here again. Excellent service, friendly staff, and upscale ambience. The background music was also enjoyable. I think it was light EDM and easy to listen to. We liked it a lot and we are in our late 50's.BTW - the San Jose Mercury News had a write-up on the restaurant. This is the reason I went.

The food is amazing here. We had both breakfast and dinner and not only do they have a great taste in their food but the menu is fun and appeals to all. We will definitely be back!!!