Vanessa's Bistro

Wonderful fun restaurant. Delicious food, good value, full bar and great service. Good for dates, family, or celebrations.

First time eating at the popular Vanessa's Bistro. Enjoyed my refreshing Mint Cucumber Martini and the piping hot French onion soup the most. We ordered the Garlic Noodle Stir fry from the specials menu because of the low price and comes with 2 proteins and vegetables. Sadly the garlic noodles didn't have any garlic and it was lacking flavor over all. The chicken lettuce wraps were good but could use a little more sauce or vinegar to liven it up. Overall the service was fast and food tasted fresh. The bar was packed as we just missed happy hour (4-6pm) and the staff seemed to know a lot of the regular customers which is always a good sign. We will come back and try again!

Lots of space in here so the wait wasn't long. We were able to pick out our own table. Service was ok, they seemed really busy after we sat and had to be flagged down if we needed anything or wanted to order. The salad I got was ok. Missing something, just wasn't quite my taste, kind of plain tasting. I enjoyed the little dessert we shared. Lovely presentation. I'd probably order something different if I were to visit again.

Everyone is sleeping on Vanessa's and I honestly don't know why. Happy hour EVERYDAY?! $10 cocktails and $10 select apps, including spicy crispy tofu? You'll want 2 spicy crispy tofus, it's THAT GOOD. Options for kids (garlic noodles and potstickers) that keeps them happy and excited to visit. My husband said the steak was the best he's ever had. So many specials that made us want to visit again very very soon. Honestly everything was so incredibly good, it was the best meal we've had in a looong time. Service was great, very sweet towards my kiddos. We will be back and you should go too!!!

A nice family run restaurant with a good vibe and pretty decent food. I must say that the Filet mignon they serve is very good quality not exactly melt in your mouth quality but still very good. I ordered the surf and turf which was a nice 8oz. Filet and 2 jumbo grilled shrimp. It was cooked perfectly as ordered medium rare. I felt that it could have been better seasoned but I think they're relying on you to use the jus that came with it but I wasn't particularly fond of it so I was left with an under seasoned filet grilled veggies and somewhat dry mashed potato tower. The shaking filet salad did have a nice flavor though as it was bathed in a garlic brandy butter sauce with nice fresh greens. My wife ordered the lightly battered crispy pork loin salad was pretty good too. The sauce on the fried pork is sweet but the vinaigrette dressing tames the sweetness nicely. The star of the show for this meal though was the salt and pepper crispy garlic fried tofu. The pieces are perfectly sized and fried to perfection that only a deep fryer can render. The tofu was garnished with jalapeño slices, green onion and red pepper and a bit of savory sauce that finished off what we agreed was the best fried tofu that we've been served a a restaurant. Seriously and I'm Asian and have eaten a ton of fried tofu! lol. I had a pear drop which was nicely made and a Vietnamese coffee martini to finish off my meal and it was enjoyable as well. The flan was of good quality and my wife gives it a thumbs up for flavor even though the caramel was a bit thick and was sticking to the plate. If we lived closer we'd prolly frequent this place but it's not a place that we will go out of our way for.

Super delicious Vietnamese fusion restaurant in a quaint and safe Berkeley neighborhood! I've been coming here for over 10 years. Tasty dishes and I've never had a bad meal here. Their appetizers and main dishes are so tasty and hits the spot! Their salt and pepper fried calamari or prawns are a must order. So freshly battered, not heavy or overly oily. Love the salt and pepper flavor every time. I also love their crispy quail and shaking beef salad. Their spring rolls and lettuce wraps are also very good. To be honest, I haven't had a chance to explore the other parts of their appetizer menu because I always go to my favorites! For main dishes, I love the garlic noodles and prawns. That's my go to. Their clay pots and filet mignon are also very nice. You really can't go wrong with what you order, it's just about picking what you are in the mood for and pacing yourself! Cocktails are also really good and they have a full bar with an excellent wine list. The owners are incredible and genuinely care about building relationships with their customers. Vanessa is so friendly and an amazing chef! Vi is so sweet and hospitable, she will make sure you have a good time! They can get quite busy because they have regular patrons who love their food as much as me. I would recommend to try to get a reservation if you can. However, they do take walk-ins. Ample street parking. Bonus: They are dog friendly and have an outdoor area as well! Your dog will be treated like a king or queen because they love dogs. I recall there were heat lamps too to keep you warm. They were also so sweet to make our pup some unflavored chicken. He ate the whole thing in a gulp!

Consistently fresh, delicious and fairly priced. I've tried their shaking filet mignon salad, vermicelli noodle salad, crispy quail, and garlic butter egg noodles - all excellent. I also appreciate how they accommodate special requests like adding chicken to the garlic noodles. It's a small detail but one that makes such a big difference. I've only ordered takeout over the phone, and experienced friendly service each time.Looking forward to trying their desserts in the future. Their bread pudding and Vietnamese coffee cheesecake sounds tasty. If they ever add fried bananas and vanilla ice cream to their menu, I'd be there multiple times a month.

One of the best restaurants in the Bay Area. The Berkeley location just hits different! When we walked in I saw Ms. Vanessa and her daughter sitting down, having a meal before the dinner rush. Ms. Vanessa dressed to impress and a glass of wine (how you will find her anytime she's at either location). We had the pleasure to have Ms. Vanessa and her daughter chef it up for us on our Saturday date. We arrived during Saturday happy hour! The food was amazing, the ambiance was elegant, drinks strong (forgot to photograph the drinks), and hospitality 100%. The food is always flavorful and well plated. This is a true gem! Thank you for the delicious food and wonderful food experience. I love Vanessa's Bistro

My husband and I tried Vanessa bistro. Overall everything was very tasteful. Drinks were made really good as well. I would have given 5 stars but only thing is portions are a bit small. Also we went during dinner time at 5pm and people were there for some drinks and I feel like they are missing some music for a sensible environment especially for those that go for happy hour. Overall I recommend you try Vanessa's bistro.

Best place on Solano Avenue. Food, service, ambiance, and bartender are all outstanding.