Vanessa’s Bistro

Service was friendly. Food is good but small portions. The space is small, could have a better layout.

This place has a fun ambiance, a very creative menu and good food at totally fair prices.
I might have given it only three stars as, although the ambiance is aesthetically appealing, again, «fun», its not super comfortable. Not torturous, but no armchairs for sure.
The food is just short of awesome. Taste was spectacular but my braised beef had a texture that told me that it may have been reheated in a microwave. Of course, it was, at least 9pm by the time that we got there and for the creativity and price point, I’ll sacrifice up to the minute freshness.
Servers were extremely pleasant and responsive. It was our fourth wedding anniversary — and New Year’s Eve — a strangely slow night for them. We told them this but no special treatment. I guess that, too, would’ve put the fifth star on the experience for us.
All in all, the creativity and overall pleasantness of it did make it a win and we will return, but maybe not on a special occasion.

Duck confit and garlic noodles are a must try. The duck was not too salty as I’ve encountered in nearby restaurants. The owners daughter Vi introduced herself to us as she checked on the quality of our food. She was oh so sweet. Very down to earth and pleasant.

The server was nice and she took our orders promptly. We ordered fried shrimp as an appetizer and after we’d each eaten one I noticed that the dark line on our fried shrimp had not been removed. That dark line is the shrimp’s intestinal contents. We were kind of grossed out that we’d already eaten some and set the rest aside. When the server came by next my husband told her the shrimp hadn’t been cleaned all the way. She said she’d let the chef know, but didn’t apologize or really react at all. Her reaction made me wonder if our expectations were unreasonable, but in retrospect I really do think a nice restaurant should fully clean shrimp. She did not remove the appetizer from the bill, which would have mostly made this right. And in the end we didn’t complain further because we were just trying to have a pleasant evening and didn’t want to make a fuss.
My husband had duck confit and said it was excellent. I had lemongrass chicken, and it was pretty good – good flavor but texture was a bit rubbery. Dessert was really excellent – chocolate panna cotta and bananas foster.
I think we won’t try this place again. The gross shrimp and the fact that they could care less outweighed the interesting menu and otherwise good food.

Read all of the 1 and 2 star reviews because those summarize the experience you will have if you go here. The staff is EXTREMELY rude there happy hour is an absolute joke (6 dollar beers and 9 dollar tacos WTF.!?) and whoever handlers the salt has clearly lost all of their taste buds because Jesus the food is so salty it’s almost as if they were trying to preserve it. With so many other options don’t waste your time here.

First off, I have no clue why my family has lived in Berkeley for so many decades and not visited this bistro in the last 10 it’s been open. Shame on us. The bartender, raymond, makes the best drinks in the Berkeley area, by a landslide. He’s a great guy overall, you must meet him. They have an amazing happy hour that no one offers along Solano Ave, so I highly recommend Vanessa’s! Food, drink and service are top notch

Came here for dinner with a fairly large group of friends last-​minute for dinner and they were able to accommodate us on short notice.
I got the clay pot rice, which was decent. I was pleased to see that they didn’t skimp on the number of shrimps, although there was less rice than I anticipated, so I was still a bit hungry after the meal. However, the tofu in my friend’s dish was completely rancid.
Service was friendly, if a bit unorganized at times (had to ask for water refills multiple times, etc). They did remove the offending tofu dish from the bill though, in addition to offering a replacement, which we declined.

This place has fantastic, personable service and awesome food. No complaints here at all.
A friend and I came here on a weekday for dinner and there was no wait. We popped in and were seated immediately and our server (who I believe is the chef’s daughter) was attentive and great at socializing.
We got a Filet Mignon Salad, Maple Leaf Duck Lettuce Wrap, Ahi Tuna Carpaccio, and for dessert we had the Bananas Foster.
Both the filet mignon salad and duck wrap were amazing. Words cannot describe how difficult it was to not order another plate of either dish. The Carpaccio was also very good, not the best I have had but far better than the average. What was so surprising was that admittedly, I did not expect the bananas foster to be as good as it was. and it was good!
The Bay Area never ceases to surprise me with how good the food is.

we love this place. Wonderful drinks, delicious food and super friendly staff! We probably come here too much — but can’t help returning to delicious food and drink and the wonderful hard working owner :)

We arrived at 4:00pm, which was the listed opening time. They were closed. We were curtly told by one of the owners we could not wait inside.
When we returned, I asked to sit at a regular table. Due to a recent injury it is uncomfortable for me to sit at the bar or the high chair tables. No one was sitting in the dining room at the time.
The waitress asked the owners. They absolutely refused my request.
Others have complained of the rude treatment. I am now one of them.

I enjoyed the overall experience of eating here. Even though the interior was small and underwhelming there was plenty of noise. The food was super interesting. I, personally, have never had french onion soup followed by lemongrass curry tofu. An interesting blend of French and Thai cuisine, although though food there leans pretty heavily on the Thai side rather than the French. Soup was super delicious, as well as some other raw fish based appetizers and salads.
Lemongrass tofu was spicier than expected, and even though I am a fan of spicy food, I feel like in this case the heat was too dominant and toned down the lemongrass flavors. It was also a bit dry. So that dish was alright. The mushroom sticky rice was also average, because it had sort of a milky flavor for which the cause is unclear.
Desserts were phenomenal. Pecan pie, bananas fosters, and some chocolate mousse/​pudding were all excellent. And they were nice to include a candle to celebrate a birthday!

Hubbers and I wanted to check this place out on a SunDate dinner… why not.
We started out with their salt and pepper fried prawns. I like that they were placed in a bed of a salad mix as it does make a difference when put together along with their sweet and sour sauce.
We also tried their ahi tuna carpaccio. That was NOT disappointing. I got a lot of different flavors swirling around each bite.
I’m a sucker for French onion soup, so decided to try it. It was different that they used a puffed pastry (instead of the traditional bread) but the flavor of the soup was right on. Not too salty, not too cheesy, but just right.
For an entrée, hubbers decided on the chicken coconut curry and a side of white rice. He let me have a taste, and I gotta say — I’ve had my share of coconut curry, but there was definitely something about theirs that just stood out. It was so yummy!!!
I ordered the stuffed petrale sole for my dish. It came with capers and special sauce in the bottom along with a fried eggplant and bok choy on top. I tried the sole first (with nothing else) and that was quite pleasant. I tried it again with a little bit of everything and it was phenomenal. Would definitely order that again!
What makes this place even better is it’s really good for the money!!!
It’s too bad I live in SoCal. Would love to visit this place again and again and again!

I went here for happy hour and it is decent. The lettuce wraps were a little wilted. The drink specials were ok, not very strong.

Could there be a better date night place? Not really. Its perfect — small, not noisy, fast sumptuous dishes even when the place is full, and simply delicious food and gorgeous cocktails. A mojito in a tall glass with lots of fresh mint and the shaking filet salad to get things going … just perfect. The kitchen is so fast that we waited to order our third and fourth dishes till we could enjoy the first three and our drinks, which was nice. Otherwise, the delicious experience would have ended too soon!
Thanks to Vanessa, her daughter and the staff, who treat everyone as an extremely valued customer — it really creates an incredible atmosphere of genuine pride and caring. Love this place!

I just wanted a romantic night out with my husband for his birthday… read the other fabulous reviews, thought this place was great, and was VERY disappointed.
1. We ordered prawns and noodles topped with mango salsa. We got an OK noodle dish, with a total of 3 prawns on top, with a few cubes of mango and tomatoes scattered over them (which does NOT «salsa» make). The fact that there were only 3 prawns was fine, though, since they were so rubbery it took a good minute to chew through each one, and they were extremely salty, as was the rest of the meal.
2. We also ordered the duck confi, which was inedible due to the sheer amount of salt in it. We sent it back and weren’t charged for it, which is the only reason this place even gets one star.
3. Instead, we ordered chicken with peanuts, which was also way too salty, but edible.
4. We got there when they were about to close (even though I made a reservation for 8 PM and wasn’t told that it’s closing time). The staff made it very clear that they’re closing:
A. The kitchen is open to the dining area. I glanced in there when we were done eating, and saw one of the workers STANDING, SHOES AND ALL, ON THE STOVE-​TOP.
B. Our stay ended with a strong smell of bleach.
A romantic night ruined. VERY disappointing.

Where do I start? I could talk about how I love every salad available or how the tapas are great for sharing over drinks-​oh wait! Drinks! Their wine list is expansive! They even have half off all full bottles on Wednesdays. Don’t like wine? VB also has Mojito Mondays ($ 4 mojitos) to wash down those Monday blues. Missed Monday’s special? Hop over on Tuesday for Taco Tuesday: two fish tacos and a margarita for $ 9. They give you reasons to drink during the weekday with no judgements!
Back to those fish tacos; I can eat them all day every day. Add Vanessa’s homemade hot sauce and you’ve got it going on! I love just about everything on their menu, but I’ll list a few of my faves to help you out: salt and pepper prawns, ahi tuna and noodle salad, the stuffed sole with crab and mozzerella, the filet mignon, and the bread pudding for dessert! I’m so glad y’all can’t see me drooling while typing this out. I’m gonna try to sneak out of work early so I can eat at Vanessa’s Bistro TONIGHT!
Vanessa, her daughter, Vi, and the rest of the staff always provide sweet and courteous service and that’s always a plus. Seriously, you can’t go wrong eating at this hidden gem. It’s good for girl’s night out, boy’s night out, a first date, an anniversary, or eating alone. Ok, I gotta end this review so I can head over now. See you there!

This place is great! Excellent customer service and delicious food!
We have been here a handful of times and always have a wonderful experience. Our go-​to app is the tuna and salmon poke. But this last time we got the fried tofu, which was really good.
I got the lamb chops with vegetables and mashed potatoes and a side of some blueberry sauce thing. Not a big fan of those sauce things but tried a little of it with the lamb and it was pretty good. I loved my dish. It was a special, so it’s not alwyas available.
Husband got the shrimp and garlic noodles. I tried a little and it was delicious. Had a delicious sweet light sauce, and big size shrimps.
I also love their extensive bar. Lots of options. I always get a martini and the size is hefty.
Always leaving a happy customer.
Almost forgot to mention that their outdoor patio seating is dog friendly! :)

How have I missed this local neighborhood gem all this time!!!
How many times have I driven by Solano Ave and completely missed Vanessa’s?!
Well I’m so happy to have found it now! Came in on Sunday night and it was lively and full of patrons.
5 stars for food! We ordered the French onion soup. Not too salty and apparently they use a vegetable base instead of a beef. Couldn’t tell the difference. Still rich and good!
Shaking filet mignon: you can never go wrong with this dish and Vanessa’s makes it with the right combination of sweet and flavorful. I love the lemon dip with salt and pepper.
The special sole fish tacos were decent. Crispy fried fish fillets. Nothing out of this world.
The salmon stew in clayplot was probably the highlight dish. So sweet and savory, the broth is to die for.
For dessert, the Vietnamese coffee and oreo cheesecake was a great way to end the meal. Not overly sweet, but still so good! — which I always look for in desserts.
Portions are on the small side, but it is a tapas place so it’s great for trying a variety of dishes. The hard part will be deciding what to get because everything looks so good.
Service was 5 stars. Definitely sit by the bar so you can get served by V. She makes bombass drinks. I had the most drinkable Manhattan in my life. And V is awesome as well. It’s great to be talk to restaurateurs who are excited by what they do and it’s evident in this family owned business.
Will come back!

I came during peak dinner time (around 7−8pm). I was lucky because I had seats right away. So, please make reservation ahead of time if you want to ensure seats for your party.
LOCATION ⁵⁄₅: The restaurant doesn’t locate next to so many restaurants. It’s great for business of course. Such a strategic choice! Parking, however, is a little tricky. There are always street parkings. Depending on what time and day, you may have to park a little far away from the restaurant. A little walking doesn’t hurt! It can be your ultimate excercise to feel hungry!
SERVICE ⁵⁄₅: The minute I walked in the restaurant, a friendly waitor came to ask whether I had any reservation. Shortly, he sat us down near the bar. Throughout the whole dining experience, all employees were very nice and welcoming. What I appreciated were their smiles!!! It can be very smoothing for those who had a long day at work!
FOOD ³⁄₅: In total, we ordered Saigon salad, spicy tuna tartare, crispy Saigon rolls and chicken curry. The presentation was undoubtedly eye-​catching. The food, on the other hand, did not excite my tongue with exotic fusion flavors. Because I grew up in Saigon, I was expecting distinguished southern flavors. I appreciated the idea of combining flavors between Vietnamese and French culture, some dishes were not up to par. For example, an authentic Saigon salad usually serves with grilled pork on the stick. Chef Dang replaced with bland roasted filet mignon. The crispy Saigon rolls share more similarities with the Filipino lumbia than an authentic Vietnamese roll. As my expectation for Vietnamese-​related food is high, I do recommend trying the spicy tuna tartare and the curry. Both dishes guarantee to explore your palate with a fusion of the East and West!
I will come back for more dishes that sound more French than Vietnamese next time. As for now, I will keep longing for the chicken curry and a bowl of jasmine rice!

Family-​run Vietnamese/​French/​tapas bar? That in itself sounded like an interesting combination worth trying, so we decided to go ahead and make a reservation for our friend’s birthday dinner last night. Since it was a Monday night, it wasn’t too crowded so a reservation probably wasn’t necessary, but we were seated right away and given the happy hour menu in addition to the regular menu. Seriously though, take advantage of the happy hour menu! Your stomach and wallet will thank you. Everyday from 4−7pm they have a wide variety of cocktails, beers, and wines to choose from that range from around $ 4 – 6, and all the small plate appetizers (which are actually pretty big for a tapas plate) are $ 6 which is such a steal. Coincidentally, it was also Mojito Monday and the $ 4 mojitos were a perfect pairing for the tapas plates.
We split 4 of the small plates between 3 people and were almost too full to order actual entrees. The ahi tuna carpaccio was my favorite because it cut thin enough that it melted in your mouth and had a good balance of ginger and soy. The tomato salsa on top was also a nice touch. The spicy oven roasted pork plate was flavorful and tender, but the fried calamari wasn’t anything out of the ordinary since it came with the usual sweet chili sauce. But I did enjoy the green papaya salad with poached shrimp as it was quite refreshing to eat.
As for entrees, some choices seemed to be a bit pricey but they all sounded so delicious that we had to splurge. The birthday girl had the jumbo prawn with garlic noodle entrée which she loved and which I stole a bite from. The garlic noodles had a hint of sweetness which was nice. I had the miso glazed salmon with vegetable pad thai which I thought was just mediocre. The salmon was cooked well, but the vegetable pad thai didn’t taste much like pad thai to me, but more like a simple vegetable stir fry.
The sad part was not having any room for dessert. But I guess that means I’ll have to come back again to try some!