All Spice – San Mateo

“What an amazing surprise! Friends invited us to All Spice for dinner last night and Everything was Fantastic! We were so warmly greeted and seated immediately, in spite of the fact that we were the first to arrive. Josue warmly walked us through the truly creative and fun menu. You can order as many courses as you like and everything was truly delicious and flavorful. I had a vegetarian roasted onion “steak” that was about the best thing I ever tasted. The samurai Caesar was also uniquely delicious. We also loved the mushroom tart and the waygu strip loin were winners. Oh, and did I mention that the restaurant is housed in a small and charming house with abundant parking? It was a real treat and I can hardly wait to take other friends and family members and go back to enjoy All Spice!”

“Excellent experience tucked away in a corner of San Mateo that I didn't know existed. The restaurant looks like it must have been a house but tastefully and quirkily decorated as a higher end but cozy local fine dining destination. Service was extremely warm and friendly and the dishes were laid out beautifully and artfully. I understand it used to have a Michelin star and service and plating seemed to reflect it. I thought the food was delicious - venison was very tender, not gamey at all and the "haute dot" sauces were packed with flavor but a few other dishes didn't quite reach perfection (for ex.: butternut squash cheesecake had a great flavor profile but the crust was on the mushier side). All in all, a solid experience and one of the better fine dining establishments in San Mateo.”

“My husband and I went here for our anniversary. 4 stars for the food, rounded up to 5 overall. Decently priced tasting menu with a variety of choices. My hubs and I decided on 3 courses each (2 appetizers and 1 main). My two favorite dishes were the complimentary chilled butternut squash soup and the peach and tomato tart. The soup was an excellent start especially on a hot day! The tart was so good and had hints of truffle. Since I've never had venison, I gave it a shot. Unfortunately I did not enjoy this dish as much but I think it's more that I don't like venison vs how it was prepared. It reminded me a bit if how lamb tastes and I do not enjoy lamb either. I was very jealous of my husband's oxtail though. That was amazing ! Everything was presented/plated very well too. Service was also excellent. Very friendly staff and attentive with refilling water quickly and went off their recommendations for some of our choices. The restaurant was also super cute in a converted house with its own parking lot. It is tucked away from the street though and you could easily miss it (thank goodness for Google maps!). The lot was full that day but we were able to snag street parking right behind the lot.”

“Nothing really stood out or felt memorable. The entree meat was tough to chew and overcooked, though the appetizers were amazing. Aside from one or two starters, the mains just weren’t that good. The dessert was decent but also nothing memorable or standout.”

“The environment was quiet and private, and the service was attentive without being intrusive. While the space has some character, the overall setting felt fairly average and did not reflect the level of a more refined fine dining environment. Despite these positives, the food itself did not meet expectations. Most dishes tasted very similar, and the overall flavors were consistently too salty, whether from the seasoning or the sauces. Even for someone who enjoys bold flavors, this felt excessive rather than intentional. The cod we ordered was also slightly burnt, which was disappointing at this price point. For two people, the bill came to over $250. While the ingredients appeared decent, the value was not there. Given the pricing, the dishes lacked refinement and balance, and the experience overall was not one I would recommend.”