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231 Ellsworth Reviews List
231 Ellsworth
Considered by many to be the San Francisco Peninsula's finest restaurant, 231 Ellsworth is a Michelin Guide recommended restaurant featuring globally-inspired contemporary American cuisine and a world class wine list. This elegant, sophisticated atmosphere offers a curvaceous, intimate full bar presenting light fare or dessert before or after a visit to the Downtown Cinema. We are conveniently located in downtown San Mateo just minutes from the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Burlingame, and Foster City. Please visit our WEBSITE www.231ellsworth.com for more information, pictures, and videos about our restaurant.
We look forward to serving you,
The partners and staff of 231 Ellsworth.
See more 231 Ellsworth details
78 Current Reviews
Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews
Overall
(Outstanding)
4.2
/
5
Rating Breakdown 78 reviews
5 stars
(35)
4 stars
(29)
3 stars
(10)
2 stars
(2)
1 star
(2)
Food
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
3.9
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
Filter Reviews By:
Diners classify this restaurant as:
- special occasion(56)
- fit for foodies(47)
- romantic(41)
- notable wine list(33)
- neighborhood gem(27)
- good for groups(15)
231 Ellsworth Reviews List
Review 1 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Father's Day Dinner
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Dinner was delightful! We enjoyed a varied menu with the three course option and each course was a mix of flavor explosion and beauty. Nice, nice evening."
Dined on 6/15/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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Review 2 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Definitely top shelf!
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"We had been having great lunches lately at 231 Ellsworth, and decided to try them for a Friday night dinner. I love the way you can choose any number of courses for a set price and then can choose to have the wine pairings if you want. We chose 4 courses with the wine pairings, and each one was more delicious than the last. Our young server, Tim, did a great job all around and paired each course with wine that was a perfect match. The rest of the service team is also excellent. I was also interested to learn that if you come in after work for a drink, they offer great dinner options at the bar or in the dining room. All you foodies out there - you definitely should re-discover 231 Ellsworth!"
Dined on 6/07/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, vibrant bar scene, romantic, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, great for lunch, special occasion
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Review 3 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Decor Lacking, feel like caferteria
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Food is good.
Waitress don't have enough time to tend to me.
Decor is lacking"
Waitress don't have enough time to tend to me.
Decor is lacking"
Dined on 5/31/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies
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Review 4 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
First time at 231
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"We had the three course pris fixe menu, sharing dessert with wine parings. Each course was excellent, intersperced with surprise chef free tasting items. Wonderful experience."
Dined on 5/31/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion
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Review 5 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Support your local establishments!
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"231 Ellsworth continues to fill a much needed void in the SM downtown (or Penninsula for that matter) dining scene. The food is well prepared and of the highest quality. Service is impeccable and the wine list is outstanding. Prices are very reasonable (both food and wine) given the effort involved. I work in the area and dine out regularly in SM. There is no question that restaurant turnover is a big problem - it would be truly ashamed if this were to happen to 231 as it's clearly a couple of notches above all the rest."
Dined on 3/11/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, romantic, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, great for lunch, special occasion
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Review 6 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Fantastic food.
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"We really enjoyed this place. We each got the three item menu where you pick three things from the menu. Everything was great. We've eaten at a fair number of Peninsula restaurants and this was one of our best meals."
Dined on 5/11/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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Review 7 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Mothers Day
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"The food was amazing. My lobster salad was great but the venison that came after was incredible. So good. Couldn't say enough about the deliciousness of the food.
This was our first trip to the restaurant and while the food was great, it was clearly not a good place for a toddler. The servers clearly had no experience with placing items on the table in front of toddlers.
Was told there would be ala carte option for the toddler we brought. This was not the case on the day of the brunch and it forced us to rush through meal to get out asap to find some food for our child.
Didn't meet service expectations and still force charged $33 gratuity on top of $179 bill for 2 people."
Dined on 5/12/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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Review 8 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Fabulous Mother's Day Lunch Spot
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"We were served a delicious four-course lunchtime meal for Mother's Day, with kids getting the same meal for 1/2 price. The service was decent but not as perfect as is typical with this restaurant, but I find this is the case for most restaurants on most holidays. I would heartily recommend this as a Mother's Day option, as a nice change from the typical buffet brunch. Plus it's quiet enough that one can converse with others at the table without shouting."
Dined on 5/12/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, special occasion
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Review 9 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
mother's day
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Our visit to 231 Ellsworth for Mother's Day brunch was pleasant and an altogether positive experience. I expected to pay more for an exceptional dining experience, but I was disappointed that they found it necessary to gouge us in the wine pricing ($18.75 a glass for a $40 Argentine cabernet?). I left the selection to our servers, so it wasn't as if I had asked for anything out of the ordinary."
Dined on 5/12/2013
Special Features: special occasion
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Review 10 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
It's a nice experience, but...
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"I came to this restaurant a few times over a year ago and each time the food was phenomenal, the service outstanding and the entire experience worth paying for. This last trip the service remained outstanding and the experience was nice BUT the food wasn't phenomenal. It was very good, but not fantastic and I have come to expect fantastic from this restaurant."
Dined on 5/11/2013
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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Review 11 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Poor)
1
/
5
We had a very bad experience
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Poor)
1
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"We had a very bad experience at this place. Incredibly long wait
for not such a good food.. We arrived at 6:45 and left only at 9:30...
Almost 3 hours! Between my 2 & 3 course I waited for almost an
hour for s little piece of meat...I cried when I saw it...just little piece of
beef...didn't look cute at all - after an hour wait!!!
We'll never go back again! Food was very average for such an expensive
price. We do not mind to pay if its a wow factor, but there were non...
Will recommend to all our friends NOT to try it ...sad..."
for not such a good food.. We arrived at 6:45 and left only at 9:30...
Almost 3 hours! Between my 2 & 3 course I waited for almost an
hour for s little piece of meat...I cried when I saw it...just little piece of
beef...didn't look cute at all - after an hour wait!!!
We'll never go back again! Food was very average for such an expensive
price. We do not mind to pay if its a wow factor, but there were non...
Will recommend to all our friends NOT to try it ...sad..."
Dined on 04/26/2013
2012
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Review 12 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Don's take!
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"We arrived at the reservation time and were promptly seated. The restaurant wasn't very busy so that maybe the reason. They have a pre-fixed menu with a choice of dinners from 3-5 courses. They also had a wine pairing for additional $$ which did compliment the dishes we
ordered. I thought that the food was well prepared and some of the dishes, partridge in particular, unique and nicely done. The servers and staff were attentive and we had an enjoyable evening for our anniversary!"
ordered. I thought that the food was well prepared and some of the dishes, partridge in particular, unique and nicely done. The servers and staff were attentive and we had an enjoyable evening for our anniversary!"
Dined on 04/24/2013
2006
Special Features: notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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Review 13 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
A special place for a beautiful,
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"A special place for a beautiful, elegant meal. The service is well paced and professional."
Dined on 04/13/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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Review 14 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
Black table cloths, black
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Poor)
1
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Black table cloths, black napkins, dark carpet and low lighting set a dark ambiance. The attentive but stiff wait staff, also in black, never smile (all six if you include the manager). Food is small portions served as three plates for $60 each (allow two hours) or five plates for $90. On a Thursday evening, with one glass of wine each and water, two of us dropped $250 for a sombre evening. We enjoyed a laugh at the experience on a lovely night, but for top level American (i.e. eclectic) cuisine, no brainer to go to Flea St next time."
Dined on 04/18/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies
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Review 15 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Original, imaginative food
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Original, imaginative food creations. Choose the tasting menu and prepared to be surprised! Went with a group of 7 and everyone liked it, including the vegetarian."
Dined on 04/15/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups
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Review 16 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Fabulous food with exceptional
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Fabulous food with exceptional service."
Dined on 03/29/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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Review 17 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Celerbration 3/28/2013
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"It was a great experience for us!"
Dined on 03/28/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion
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Review 18 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Chris and team really spolied
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Chris and team really spolied us what a fabulous night with Spike and Patrick. We did 2-5 course and 1-3 course at the table. Two of us did wine pairings which were fabulous. Really great service and a fun visit from Chris."
Dined on 03/18/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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Review 19 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
A very nice experience! We
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"A very nice experience! We came for a special date and felt pampered the entire evening. Our four course choice turned out to be about seven with all the little extras that were sent out. We will definitely be returning."
Dined on 03/21/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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Review 20 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Nice high-end meal. Great
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Nice high-end meal. Great that they had a separate menu for vegetarians, as wife wife eats no meats. Very attentive service. All of the food was well prepared and nicely presented. Certainly not cheap, but worth it for a splurge."
Dined on 03/22/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, special occasion
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Review 21 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Lunch with greant ambiance
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"The food was excellent. Chocolate gnanche was the best I had so far. I had the Angus New York strip which was decent, but could use more flavor. Howeve,r the sea bass that my guest had was awesome. The salads were very good as well. The portion was just right, not too much and not too little. Service was great. Will definitely come again to try some of their lighter dishes."
Dined on 03/19/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, romantic, great for lunch
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Review 22 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Excellent, attentive service. The food was excellent and there were a bunch of little treats from the chef along the way."
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, romantic, special occasion
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Review 23 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
An excellent experience all
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"An excellent experience all around. The service here is professional, but not stuffy - we never felt rushed, and had an excellent dinner here. I was happy to have a wonderful swordfish dish that was being served on the chef menu - even though I ordered from the regular menu. All the extra bites the chef sent out were outstanding. We will definitely be back."
Dined on 03/06/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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Review 24 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Poor)
1
/
5
Extreme disappointment
Food
(Poor)
1
/
5
Service
(Poor)
1
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"We had a very poor experience. The Menu posted was not what was given on the reservation night.
It was fixed price at $125 per versus three choices starting much lower.
Then the service was very slow . The pasta and rice dishes were tasty.
However the important ones such as an abalone tapas (size of a silver dollar) and the prime rib ( too tough to even cut) were of poor quality.
Dessert tasty.
It was fixed price at $125 per versus three choices starting much lower.
Then the service was very slow . The pasta and rice dishes were tasty.
However the important ones such as an abalone tapas (size of a silver dollar) and the prime rib ( too tough to even cut) were of poor quality.
Dessert tasty.
To top it off the bill came which included a set 20 percent gratuity for the two of us. We felt the experience was unacceptable and somewhat unethical as far as restaurants go."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2010
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Review 25 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Decent spot with fun food
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Definitely give this place a shot. My wife and I had a great time at Ellsworth.
That said, everything was just a little off to get 5-stars. The food is good, although portions can get a little big. The interior feels a little too "hotel banquet" for it to be that cozy, but the staff does try very hard to make your stay enjoyable. I think the same team in a slightly better location with a little more refinement on the food and this place would be great."
Dined on 02/08/2013
2009
Special Features: good for groups, special occasion
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Review 26 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Nice Place for Special Occasion
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"We had a great experience dining for a special occasion. The food was great. Wine list could be better, but the cocktails were impressive. Waitress was not bad, but could have been better, given the fanciness of the restaurant. I would dine here again, and I have already recommended this place to a friend."
Dined on 02/16/2013
2007
Special Features: neighborhood gem, special occasion
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Review 27 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Spectacular food, so-so service
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Poor)
1
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"The food is consistently excellent (we've visited four times) and the ambience is lovely. Unfortunately, the service is not up to par with what the restaurant aspires to be. On our most recent visit our waiter didn't bring us a wine list (we had to get one from our bus boy). We ordered a twenty-year-old red which had thrown a lot of sediment, but they didn't decant it. Not once during the evening did anyone fill our wine glasses. Not the end of the world, and the food makes it worth putting up with less than stellar service, but it's a shame. They could really knock it out of the park with a little better training for their wait staff."
Dined on 02/16/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion
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Review 28 for 231 Ellsworth
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
My husband and I went to 231
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"My husband and I went to 231 Ellsworth for Valentine's day dinner and it was great. We enjoyed the 5 course dinner and the additional goodies they gave us. Service was excellent and I would go back again."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2002
Special Features: notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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Ratings-Only Reviews for 231 Ellsworth
Based on the average of (50) ratings-only reviews
Overall
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
18 out of 20 recommend this product
Food
(Outstanding)
4.4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
4.5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
3.9
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate