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Eulipia Restaurant & Bar
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
374 S 1st StSan Jose, CA 95113
(408) 280-6161
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
48 reviews for Eulipia Restaurant & Bar
Review Highlights
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"nice guy, good personality, very attentive." In 3 reviews -
"...so I had an excellent filet mignon with fingerling potatoes." In 4 reviews -
"...service was wonderful- very attentive and polite without..." In 3 reviews
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48 reviews in English
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Review from Glenn G.
12/28/2011
I set out for Eulipia with my theatre group a couple of Saturday nights back for a post-play discussion of City Lights Theater Company's production of Santaland Diaries.
Because I prefer to go out with my group immediately after the play, lately we've been taking in matinee performances, then going out to an early dinner. Santaland Diaries (a holiday comedy written by David Sedaris) is a fairly short one-act play, so we went to the 8pm show and planned to find a restaurant we could go to at 9:40pm for drinks, dessert, and (for some of us) a late dinner. What I didn't count on is that most fine-dining establishments in downtown San Jose roll up the sidewalks and close their kitchens by 9:30...
I Yelped a few possible targets the previous Thursday, then called and asked about late night arrangements for a party of eight. Eventually, I settled on Eulipia, which is walking distance from City Lights. The manager I talked to said they'd be happy to keep the kitchen open for our 9:40pm arrival, and that they could easily put a large table together for our post-theatre discussion.
The evening of the play, I called a few hours before curtain to confirm our reservation at Eulipia. Everything was all set (or so I thought), but the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry...
The group and I arrived at Eulipia's front door at exactly 9:40pm. The door was locked!?!?! I saw there were still people inside at the bar, so I knocked, and Dave the bartender came over and opened the door. He explained that the kitchen was closed, and there was no record of our dinner reservation!
Now, what would have otherwise been a one-star review gets totally turned around by Dave and his can-do, totally amazing and professional approach to customer service. After I explained what had happened, Dave let us in, then took a minute to rearrange some tables so we'd have a good place to sit for our discussion. He took our drink orders, the went and called one of the departed kitchen staff back to the restaurant so we could have the full dessert menu in addition to drinks.
Dave turned what could have been a disastrous end-of-the evening totally around for us. He was friendly, solicitous, engaging, and went the extra mile to give us the best experience possible.
We ended up having a wonderful conversation and a very pleasant time in Eulipa that evening. The group's discussion of the play, combined with the warm atmosphere and the friendly vibe in the restaurant made the time fly by, and we left to allow Dave to close up for a 2nd and final time that night at 11:15pm.
To acknowledge Dave's 11th hour save, I'm adding three extra stars to the one star I would have given Eulipa had we been turned away at the door. I'll be back one of these days to do an update with a full review of Eulipia, but in the interim, I hope management appreciates the kind of exceptional employee they have in Dave. -
Review from starla s.
Bellevue, WA
2/20/2012
Walter was wonderful and so was the food, ambiance and display. Was in San Jose for the weekend and bought a Groupon for this place. My friend lives in SJ and had never been there. We both rate it with high marks. Dinner at 4:30pm on Sunday is a good choice as we got lots of attention. Thanks Walter, we hope to be back.
P.S. The dirty windows on the outside were a deterrent at first glance, but once we entered everything changed. -
Review from K H.
Mountain View, CA
3/20/2012
Eulipia catered a dinner for nine at our home, it was fantastic. Steve the owner and his son Mike arrived 90 minutes before the guests to setup. The meal was delicious, it included filet mignon and halibut entrees, beet salad and bananas foster. Bartending service and a wonderful selection of wines were provided. The service was excellent. Steve made it so easy, he took care of every detail and they left the kitchen spotless. Our guests had a wonderful time and we are all looking forward to visiting Eulipia in the near future. Highly recommend!! .
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Review from Kimberly E.
San Jose, CA
9/3/2011
I wanted to like Eulipia, I really did. It has been in downtown San Jose since I was in my 20s (now you know how old I am). I hadn't eaten there in probably 20+ years. I tried eating there a couple years ago. I made reservations, but when I'd arrived I was ignored so long I finally left. And the place wasn't even busy that night. But I thought I'd try it again, so my husband and I made reservations for this evening, and thankfully this time we weren't ignored.
The staff was very nice an the service was prompt at first. I was getting my hopes up. I ordered the beet salad, which was very good, and the filet mignon. My husband ordered the mushroom soup and a scallop appetizer, because he wasn't super hungry.
They brought the salad and soup out fairly quickly, but the main course took a long time to prepare. When we finally got our food, both my husband and I noticed that the vegetable side dish of asparagus had grit in it. The filet and the scallops were good, but not great, and for the price I expected more. My filet was rather fatty and the scallops were a little fishy, which indicated that they weren't as fresh as they could be. But seriously, grit in the asparagus? Doesn't the cook staff know how to wash asparagus? We complained to the waiter and he reduced our bill, but it's not about the money. That's not going to make me want to come back. It's about the food, people, the food!
The worst part was that shortly after we left the restaurant both of us had upset stomachs. I don't think we'll ever go back. I'm only giving it two stars, instead of zero, because the wait staff were all so nice. The owner needs to hire himself better cook staff to run the kitchen. -
Review from Sharon D.
San Jose, CA
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
My friends and I were only having an appetizer here, so we ate at the bar and had drinks. What a friendly and good bartender. He made the experience fun and I will definitely be back.
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Review from Vb L.
4/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
It was Happy Hour and the downstairs was completely empty except for the two elderly people finishing up their early meal. I sat at the bar hoping for a delicious glass of wine and a quick artichoke. After 20 minutes I realized the only waiter/bartender was upstairs servicing a large party. I left, went down to South First Street Billiards, asked for a taste of their best wine, took one sip and headed back out the door to Eulipia hoping to get some service. It was fate.
I sat alone at the bar and looked up to where the bartender/waiter was seating more people in the large party, opening a bottle of wine and caught my eye long enough to motion that he'd be right with me. And he was.
Haven more then made up for the time spent waiting. He went out of his way to accommodate my request for off-the-menu garlic bread (which was amazing - cheese, pesto and tons of buttery garlic). The artichoke came and the first half was eaten with the lemon aioli, but I asked for a creative, spicy sauce for the second half. He worked with the chef to come up with a sauce that was delightful.
On top of this, the Merlot was lovely. It was a perfect beginning to a fabulous night. I can't wait to come back for more specialized treatment. I'm a fan! -
Review from Cynthia K.
San Jose, CA
11/27/2011
It's been awhile since I've been here. My past experiences were excellent. This night was not. Disclaimer it was the Friday after Thanksgiving.. but.. they were out of everything. Many people in our party were told more than once that the item they ordered was not available. One person was told that 3 times. Not one after the other ..but order, sit for 5 minutes, waiter returns.. " uh, were out of that", orders something else.. waits 5 mins.. waiter returns.. " uh, yeha,, that one too." Which is fine, that happens, but I would have expected a free drink or dessert.. but nothing.Also I ordered fish and it was below average in every way and it was 30 dollars.. not a big fan, won't be back.
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Review from Maureen S.
Hollister, CA
The personable Mark greets you and starts the beginning of a great dinner.
The food is perfect, wouldn't change a thing. -
Review from Noelle J.
5/25/2008
Saturday nights are good for dinner and theater!
Reservations were at 6 p.m.
The restaurant was empty! The host polite. We were seated in a corner booth. White table clothes, clothe napkins, simple white dishes, silver wear and one glass votive with oil to light the table. He had the Eulipia House Salad which consisted of Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette, Crumbled Bleu Cheese and Candied Walnuts. His main course- the Pan Seared Mahi Mahi with Jasmine Rice, Asparagus & Meyer Lemon Butter. I had the Grilled 10 oz. Angus New York Steak with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus. The service was wonderful- very attentive and polite without bothering our conversation. Our water glasses were always filled and so was my iced tea. The iced tea was a delicious passion fruit flavor, not the Paradise brand but something equally yummy if not better.
Our desserts- Apple Crisp Ala Mode (with cranberries) and Creme Brulee. The Apple Crisp was good but the Creme Brulee was better. I knocked off one star because this restaurant was expensive. The food was good but the price point was slightly high. As a side note 15 minutes after we were seated the restaurant became packed with people. I would not go out of my way to eat here but would again because its close to the SJ Rep.
Noelle's Notes: Diana Krall music softly playing in the background, dinner & dessert by candle light in a quite and pleasant atmosphere. No other steak can compare to the Met in Seattle, not going to order steak if I'm not at the Met.Listed in: Noe's $$ Middle Priced Places…
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Review from avalon e.
Sunnyvale, CA
3/16/2008
Were it not for the great service I'd give them 1.5 stars.
I think I am being too generous giving 3 stars.
Went there @ 6:20 for dinner to catch a performance by Symphony Silicon Valley (not to be confused with Silicon Valley Symphony) across the street.
Our waiter was very nice and considerate enough to brief us about how much time we have to place our order and choose the number of courses accordingly given our concert starts at 8.
Food was another story. For that price I'd expect a lot fancier food, better ingredients, and a heck of a lot better cooking technique.
OK, the salmon was not slimy and stale as one reviewer mentioned, at least it did not stink.
But if you are not sourcing top grade material, a quick caramelizing using a hot hot skillet and finishing in the oven would mask the not so superior quality. Pan searing it in medium heat with some whacky cashew sauce on top just exposes all the negatives.
Seafood pasta could use fresher mussels. Many of them did not open enough to convey confidence to the diners (heck cook them a bit longer!) The pasta itself is bland but the sauce on the bottom is rich but not well tossed with the pasta. De-vein the Costco shrimp and dust your frozen-then-thawed scallops with something before searing it in high heat (yes, high heat PLEASE).
Thank goodness the dishes werent over seasoned like Bella Luna @ Palo Alto.
C'mon guys, you can do way better than this with just some minor changes. -
Review from Billy Q.
San Jose, CA
12/7/2007
We had dinner here one Friday night. I think this was once an upscale restaurant that has dropped a few notches over the years. Wife commented that it looks like a restaurant that would be on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmare. It's not that bad, but you get the idea.
The service was pretty good, but the restaurant had a depressing mood. We went on Friday around 7pm, and there was no wait, with half of the restaurant empty.
The decor is mixed. The front of the restaurant is elegant. The back half is cramped and sorry looking. The restroom is clean, but hardly what you'd expect from a nice restaurant. I've seen better restrooms at McDonald's.
The food is good, but overpriced for the portion size. Wife had the artichoke ravioli, and there were exactly six raviolis. WTF! Oh, and the menu on the website is not up-to-date and misleading. I don't remember exactly, but the actually menu was decidedly more expensive.
Overall, this restaurant has potential, but it needs to show improvement or drop their prices for me to come back. -
Review from Elisabeth C.
Mountain View, CA
2/4/2012
My husband and I came here tonight for a drink. We came here to see the San Jose Jazz Friday performance and the music was great! They definitely have many talented musicians in the bay area! Especially the guitarist Rick Vandivier. All the tables were full so we decided to order a drink at the bar and just listen, I got a glass of Cabernet and my husband got a manhattan. The drinks we good. We were a bit hungry but did not feel like eating a whole meal at the bar so we ordered some appetizers. We ordered the grilled artichoke and the grilled scallops with orange sauce. We were very disappointed when the plates came out. There was absolutely no presentation whatsoever for either plate. The artichoke was split in half and just slapped on the plate with the aioli sauce (it was really just mayo) right next to the artichoke. There was no ramekin with the sauce or anything. The artichoke was cold and it was NOT grilled it was boiled. We also had the scallop plate which consisted of 4 scallops tossed on a plate with some blood orange slices, two asparagus spears arranged randomly and rice just all over the plate. The scallops were tasty but one of them was hidden under some rice because it had been split! This was not done by my husband or I! The scallops were not grilled either, there were no grill marks. They had to have been pan seared.
When it came time to pay our bill I went to the bartender and explained that the dishes were not grilled and he comped the scallop plate. I was happy with that. We finished our drinks and left.
My husband and I will definitely NOT be coming back here. This place needs some major help. There are so many things wrong! There is no excuse to make a dish incorrectly from what is presented on your menu! The only right things are that there was great live music and they had a great bartender!
This place could use Gordon Ramsey for sure! -
Review from Mr. T.
Palo Alto, CA
12/11/2008
The owner is cool since I know him. The service is cool.
I would never eat here. I've had their food. I've had better. I've actually helped clean up the place, and it needs to be cleaned more often.
However. This place needs Gordon Ramsey. I would like to see Gordon Ramsey in Michael's face. Kitchen Nightmare anyone? -
Review from Daniel G.
1/13/2010
I came here with nique for our month-iversary...yes we still celebrate monthly, so what?..and i was definitely not in love with it. We ordered the gaspacho. Okay, I ordered the gaspacho because i had never had it before and it sounded interesting. That was my first mistake, gaspacho isn't nearly as appetizing as it sounds in the description, it's like eating ketchup. Seriously, pour some ketchup in a bowl, add some fresh basil, perhaps some parm cheese and croutons, and viola! You have gourmet gaspacho! I don't hold this one against the restaurant, it was my decision to try it out. I'm sure that it was good for what it was, but it's not for me.
After we ordered, we were informed that they ran out of bread...on a Friday night around 8 o'clock you run out of bread? that's not good at all. :(
After the ketchup, came the fried calamari. Nothing special. Mostly tubes, i'm a fan of tubes and tentacles, so i would have liked more tentacles, but whatever. This wasn't my pick, i also feel like ordering calamari at a restaurant is a like a waste of a dish, especially at a pricey restaurant because you can get it anywhere and it really doesn't vary a whole lot from one place to another, at least in my experience.
Next came the beet salad. This dish was excellent, very simple and fresh. Red beets, oil, arugala, fresh pepper, and it may or may not have been served with cheese, i can't recall at the moment. Portion was small, but it was packed with flavor.
And finally the main course, Nique ordered the filet, like she always does, and i ordered the hanger steak. They were both excellent, though again a bit on the skimpy side. The sauces went great with the meats, not too salty like i was anticipating.
All in all the food was good, 4 stars. And the service was fine. But the fact that they ran out of bread really irked me.
In terms of ambiance, this place is pretty nice...but it was dead! most of the people there were older, lots of gray hair. Not that that's a bad thing, but the energy in the place just wasn't doing it for me. I suppose this place would be nice if you are really looking for a quite place to eat with a loved one...or if you're old, but other than that i don't think i would really recommend this place to anyone.
Funny thing is, on that note, this is the PERFECT place to take my mother-in-law, she loves places like this! but it's not for me. -
Review from Johnny M.
San Jose, CA
12/5/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Do you want to be able a reserve a room or a time for a date night go here (to Eulipia).
[If you want to get your plans Shut down go to Olive Garden, Cheesecake, and all Restaurants that apparently don't take reservations anymore.... Doesn't matter my money was well spent on this amazing place. Nothing against the other Restaurants because I do go there religiously as well but telling me I cannot book a room or table for 10people because you don't take reservations "but come the day of even still may not a table ready"? I laughed and said "you're kidding right." ]
So I recently experienced the food from Eulipia since I myself am a Chamber member and the Manager happens to be providing food for us. Tasting great pasta and deserts, from that moment I had to know who this was because I was to plan a surprise event for my partner and I simply had to have this food again.
So I called and from Day one of my conversation with the Manager he had made it his duty to accommodate to my needs so sweetly and very kind to my wallet. Emails were replied to very promptly which he had also emailed me the Menus to view to see what I would have like to have served for my Partners Surprise Dinner. The selections were great, and he even customized his own menu for the Dinner. That was just the topping on the cake. I was also able to view the Private room before my guest had arrived. Got to meet the server who was to bring all the meals to the guest and he was delightful as well. The Location is great (room was perfect!)
Loved the whole ambiance. I can continue on all the things the manager Mark did to make this the most perfect evening in our week but just come and experience it for yourself. My guest were happy and delighted to eat more.
Thank you EULIPIA !! -
Review from Rosiella I.
San Jose, CA
5/13/2009
I remember come here before and the food was excellent. But a recent visit has changed my mind. It was a Tuesday night and there seems to be 2 servers. There was a party of 10 and 3 tables of a party of 2. Our food took so long and it wasn't that great. We were excited because our first batch of bread was awesome and the calamari/artichoke hearts were pretty good. For main courses, we got cashew crusted salmon and the braised pork shoulder with lingon berries. The cashew crust was good as well as the sauce...but I was hoping that the salmon would be grilled with a bit of crunch to it. The pork was ok, some parts were dry others were juicy and delish. The veggies were a bit overcooked and the gratin was cold... yikes!
Service was so so. He was genuinely nice but kinda aloof. There wasn't many customers but maybe he was thrown off by the party of 10 nearby. He forgot that we ordered wine and then messed.
I hope this place improves. -
Review from Daniel M.
Morgan Hill, CA
4/6/2007
I am going with five stars here because Eulipia has been a dependable standby and reliable friend for many, many years and I have never had a bad meal. I recall when they opened in the late 70's when I was a student at State. As I recall, it opened up as a coffee shop - an unheard of curiosity in San Jose in those days. It had a stage by the front window and featured things like music and poetry readings. Later, it was a jazz club and finally decided to be a restaurant. For a time there was a theatre upstairs where I recall seeing a rather poor production of "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest."
Eulipia and Camera One next door are the foundation of what has become a semblance of life in downtown SJ. Back in the late 70's there were no functioning businesses in downtown except Original Joe's, some pawnshops and the streetwalkers.
Eulipia introduced San Jose to California cuisine and hasn't faltered since. They have a really nice bar and can make a good martini. The food is always good and although it does not seem as innovative as it used to, there are always new dishes appearing. The desserts are great.
I had dinner here with my wife recently. We have been dining here together since I first met her about 25 years ago. It was a weeknight and the place was nearly empty - which was nice. The service was excellent and both meals were a success (short ribs and butterfish). The diners looked older and more establishment than I recall but I suppose that may describe me also. -
Review from Lisa R.
4/17/2010
Good location for starting a pub crawl or for dinner before the theater at the Rep. The food's alright, the service is fairly good. The decor needs to be updated, but it's fairly cozy.
I actually really like the bar area, it's a nice little place to people watch, but I think the clientele is a bit too old for my preferred demographic.
If you're up for a big night, have a nice cocktail, a light dinner and then wander out to the movies and then go clubbing down the row on First Street. -
Review from Shay S.
San Jose, CA
7/19/2007
I had dinner here the other day. I thought it would be a posher place that it actually is. I certainly won't bother dressing up for this place. They had paper table cloths, and you don't get new cutlery for each course! I think that alone is unconscionable. Are they so ashamed of the food that they put out that they think it is more important to save money on washing up?
I went on a weekday night, and was greeted at the door by a friendly matre'd, good start. I had their beet salad to start. It was okay, a little forgettable. The salad is centered on a circle of cream cheese with small cube of beets molded around it. Love the beets, but the cheese was a little bland and poorly seasoned.
For main course, I had their roasted shoulder of pork, with a potato gratin and roasted vegetables. The pork was fork tender and delicious, kind of like pulled pork. The potato gratin was good too, though a little oily.
All in all, the quality of the food was good. Not outstanding, and a little expensive. If I were in a bad mood i might have taken one star off for the paper table cloth and not changing of cutlery, but I'm not so ... 3 stars. -
Review from Paul S.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 2/14/2010
I totally threw the bartender here for a loop when I ordered a Hennesey Sidecar last night. But, she rose to the occasion and made a perfect one! My wife loved her cosmo, too.
Another San Jose Stage opening night gala done very well.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/7/2009
Always did a great job entertaining and making everything run smoothly here for large events with a… Read more »
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Review from Amy L.
Santa Rosa, CA
4/29/2009
After 5 years of going here before just about every single SJ art event we attend, I think it's time to officially declare time of death on old downtown staple Eulipia.
Things have been going downhill for the last year or so, but we kept going more out of inertia than anything. I guess we both hoped the bad experiences we were having were flukes. Sadly, they were not.
The last several dining experiences were poor- slow, poor service, lukewarm food and despite giving ourselves 2 hours for dinner, we were really squeezed to get out of there on time.
This last experience was the nail in the coffin. We had been sitting there for 45 minutes before my dinner partner finally asked about the whereabouts of her salad at which point she was informed they were having some "trouble". Now, I used to be a server- so I totally understand but the waitress should have communicated to us sometime before waiting 45 minutes for a salad. Long lags continued- I ended up canceling part of my order, and my dining partner's salmon arrived (stone cold) 10 minutes before we needed to leave.
And, as if all this wasn't bad enough, the waitress was snotty and rude and the manager/owner never even bothered to come over and apologize.
So, that's it for us and Eulipia. Even in these tough economic times, we were willing to pay a premium to go there because it was a "tradition". But, this is one tradition we're going to have to break for good.
I'd love to hear any suggestions anyone has for other restaurants to eat at in that area. If it's good, it'll likely become our new "old standby". -
Review from Tom T.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 8/17/2009
They have fixed their credit card system so it no longer prints the full CC number on the receipt.
The food is always excellent, the service is great and they take the passport unlimited discount card.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/3/2006
I like the food. I like everything about it except THEY PRINT YOUR FULL NAME AND CREDIT CARD NUMBER… Read more »
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Review from Liz G.
San Jose, CA
8/16/2008
Well, downtown San Jose needs so much help, I do not even know where to begin. Dead, dead, dead...except for a few homeless or deranged people walking around. But this review is not for "downtown".
I do agree with Billy that the restaurant had a depressing mood. A good portion of downtown SJ has a depressing mood. The approach to this restaurant is dingy. The location used to be nicer, before the businesses around it started shutting down, and big high rises started being built. (Do these builders REALLY think they will fill them up?)
It is very upsetting, because Downtown has SO much potential! Why can't we have a cool downtown?!
Eulipia: A Friday night, 7 PM dinner reservations. We walked in, and the host asked if we had reservations.... My thoughts, "ummm, does it matter?". The restaurant was pretty deserted, except for about 5 other tables, all filled with people in their mid 40's and older. I felt like we were on a cruise ship, being the youngest couple (And we are in our late 30s'!)
SO, he takes us to the only booth where another couple was eating....and tries to sit us practically in their laps- when the table right next to it was open. Heck, the whole restaurant was open! That was kinda weird. We asked for the open booth next to it, and opted not to sit in the other couple's laps.
We tried to order 2 different bottles of wine from their list, both of which they were out of. Third times a charm... we ordered a so-so Cabernet sauvignon.
We ordered the portabello mushroom appetizer. Ewww... it was not good. Mushy, almost like a canned mushroom. The spinach on top overpowered the flavor of anything else. Not a good combo.
Our main meals were okay. My steak was quite fatty. My husband's pan seared ahi had WAY too much teriyaki sauce. If they left off some of that sauce, it would have been great.
I feel bad complaining! We ordered creme brulee for dessert, which was good. The total bill was $120 plus tip, not too bad for all that.
But I do think this restaurant is trying to be something it is not. Perhaps it needs to be more like a coffee shop? Maybe on opera nights they are jumping? It currently has a terrible view of the massive condo complex being built directly across the street from it.
However: our waiter was AWESOME! Super nice guy. But he could probably move on to a finer establishment. I hate to see this happening. I really want the restaurants in downtown to thrive. This one needs help, though! -
Review from Amber M.
San Jose, CA
9/4/2008
I love Eulipia - and have used them several times for my corporate work events as well as my own wedding reception.
Very attentive staff, all the food was excellent, and they have catered to my guests desires. For my wedding I chose to have an aphrodisiac selection of foods which they were kind to assist and work with me on. It's been six years and my family just this past weekend are still talking about my food at the wedding! I'm also in LOVE with their butternut pumpkin soup and order a big serving of this for Thanksgiving every year. -
Review from Alexandra D.
San Jose, CA
2/5/2011
As the owner of Emile's, I am quite sure if Mr. Steve Borkenhagen knew who the quiet silver haired lady that was sitting in his establishment quietly drinking coffee and listening to music, he would have been floored. As the close friend of my predecessor, I'm quite sure he would think it'd be the last place I would ever walk into.
I have been very sick of late. Tonight I left my restaurant to go home. As I pulled out of my parking lot this evening, I saw that 1st Street was alive due to "1st Fridays" I was getting another headache and getting dizzy again, decided not to drive and instead decided to take a walk up the street. I was drawn to the sounds of this really great band and looked up. It was Eulipa's. I hesitated, but decided to go in. IThe palce was hopping. sat at a ledge opposite the bar and Steve, not knowing it was me asked if he could help me. He was extremely nice and circumspect. He had a very sweet bartender delivere a cup of coffee and cream to me. I wasn't feeling well at all. I decided to maybe eat a little something. I hailed down a really nice server named William. He got me a menu. The menu was very reasonable and I spied Macaroni & Cheese as both an entree and side. I order the side (5.95)...it was really more like an entree size when it arrived. OMG.... It was THE BEST Mac n" Cheese I had...in....forever. The pasta was cooked just al dente, there was a blend of different cheeses in it and a smattering of bread crumbs on top. Perfect. Sublime. My new 'Must Have" comfort food. I asked for water, then hot tea....and no matter what I asked for, William was pleasant, attentive and kind and got me what I needed. Throughout the time I was there, Steve would make sure to ask me if I was doing okay.
I found the whole experience warm and inviting. Everyone I interacted with, even if they didn't directly serve me was extremely nice. Although I didn't eat an entire meal, the food was perfect. Unfortunately, the band stopped at 10:00 (on a Friday?) and shortly thereafter the crowd was gone. I really wished they would have stayed until 12 and the lead singer outside told me he wanted to stay too. My husband joined me right after the band stopped. He just had a beer and we struck up a converstaion with a really nice guy who works at the Merc. It was just an altogether nice repast for me.
I read all the other reviews, I would reccomend Eulipia's to my discerning customers at anytime.
As we were walking back to our parking lot, I thought about the last time I was in Eulipia's and it was in 1985 or 6. And smiled.
There's a reason folks, Eulipia's is a downtown staple. You don't get to last that long...if it was truly bad. As a seasoned restauranteur my hat goes off to you Steve. Fair is fair. You get 5 stars.
Now I gotta go buy a "mustache" so I can sneak in there incognito and get that awesome Mac n' Cheese ! ;) -
Review from Ellie F.
2/14/2011
It was fine, it really was. But for prices in that region...I need to be wowed.
I wasn't swept away to the fantasy of fine dining, it just seemed like a "nice restaurant." That being said, my complaints are rather petty and trivial. Eulipia's biggest shortcoming (in my eyes) is that there isn't anything truly memorable about it. And if you aren't going to have something that's wow factor, then the rest of it needs to be perfect.
Sadly, it wasn't.
The food:
We got the blackened ribeye, the filet mignon, crabcakes, and a bottle of Cab Sauv. Everything was tasty. However, I'm pretty sure some of my food was cooked in butter of some other dairy thing...as I had quite the lactose-intolerant tummy ache when I got home (and I asked that it not be cooked in butter...). Usually at a higher-end establishment, I only have to ask about a couple things having dairy before the server figures it out and makes sure there's no milk/milk products on my plate. It was also a little difficult to eat my food, as everything was piled on top of each other on a too-small plate. Well, the plate was deceivingly large, but the only area where you can actually push the food around was tiny, and three layers high. It's very tough to cut through filet on top of portabello on top of asparagus. I don't want my minor complaints to detract from the flavor, which really was great. It just didn't come together as a heavenly food experience.
The service:
Everyone was kind and eager, which is very nice and appreciated. However, the servers aren't quite as polished as they could be.
The ambiance:
There was a piano, and I'm hoping when that's playing it improves things. Otherwise...it's kind of bland white-tablecloth. A little light on the color palette for me, and the lighting itself was odd (randomly got
very low midway through our meal).
I might go back, but I would probably check out a new place first. -
Review from Rennis K.
Los Gatos, CA
6/19/2009
Well, a group of us went to Eulipia last night prior to a show. Place was empty except for a few people at the bar, but it was early (5:45pm). We got seated quickly and then the waiter comes over and informs of that they would not accept credit cards. Only cash tonight. "Why", we asked. "Well, the Sheriff Department is here and we've got a little 'tax issue', so we can only take cash tonight". Hmm...sounds a bit dodgy, but we had sufficient cash and went ahead with the meal.
No real complaints about the food or service - it was pretty good (I had the Dijon Glazed Salmon).
However, I felt like we were attending "The Last Supper" at Eulipia's. Shame as this has always been a nice, comfortable place to dine downtown.
What was odd was the waiter had to deliver the "cash-only" message instead of the owner, manager, etc. We were told that the manager was doing a "wine party" or something to that effect and wasn't there.
Hmm... -
Review from Andy F.
Mountain View, CA
4/18/2010
This used to be one of the premier restaurants in downtown San Jose, but after three mediocre visits over the past three years, I'm afraid this place has seen better days.
The positives:
Great location, nice decor, very accommodating hostess/waitress, and nice warm bread. My wife's mahi mahi was excellent, as were all of our side dishes.
The negatives:
Roast chicken was very dried out. The kitchen seemed to be very backed up. Other tables also seemed to be frustrated about the delivery time. On a Saturday night, during prime time, there were only ten tables occupied in the whole restaurant. We were seated at 630pm. We didn't have enough time for desert or coffee because we had an 800pm performance. That's slow.
Three mediocre visits in a row is not a coincidence. -
Review from Barb B.
5/24/2008
Food..two stars. Our waiter and service...5 stars =
Average of the two: three stars.
This place used to be hoppin in it's heyday. We went there on a Friday night and downtown is D-E-A-D. I thought maybe there was some nuclear terrorist evacuation in order we didn't know about by the looks of things. This is the second time I've been here. Same waiter...nice guy, good personality, very attentive. I think he was the ONLY waiter working this particular Friday night too. My steak was nothing to write home about. I have had better at half the price. My bf's pasta dish was, as he said, "eh." He said his salad was good. The last time, I had an appetizer artichoke and it was good. I had better at that little place up at the Santa Cruz summit on Hwy 17 that closed up a few years back and it wasn't quite as expensive either. I guess the bottom line is, the food is so-so, the service was great. I think I am being generous with the three stars but since the waiter was working so hard and so nice....but, we probably won't be going back to pay those prices for so-so food. -
Review from P h i L h.
Cupertino, CA
12/8/2005
Eulipia has a very nice selection of extra classy California style food. I'm a traditionalist, so I had an excellent filet mignon with fingerling potatoes. Their fresh asparagus spears were super tender and cooked perfectly, which is often hard to find. They have a nice wine list too. During the week nights this place is definitely under appreciated, which is actually nice because there's room to show up at the last minute, get a great table and have a wonderfully relaxing conversation with an excellent meal.
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Review from Lori T.
San Jose, CA
5/7/2007
If I would have written a review about this place a year ago, I would have given 4 stars. The last time I went with my husband, the food was horrible. I ordered the salmon and it was smelly and slimey. I had to send it back. I used to be in love with their butternut squash raviolis with brown butter sauce and almonds, but they no longer carry that dish. You can tell they got a new chef , bc the food tasted completely different , even the calamari which we always start off with , was well over cooked. It is a little on the pricey side. Im really disappointed bc my husband and I have had lots of romantic dinners here, but the quality of the food lacks.
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Review from steve t.
Mountain View, CA
5/10/2008
good food and professional service. Pretty quiet. Fancy, good for a date before the opera which is across the street.
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Review from Laurin A.
San Jose, CA
1/2/2007
The food is good albeit a little over priced. I've had several scrumptious meals here, and would definitely recommend coming here for a special occasion. Get an order of their white Vermont cheddar mac and cheese. It's to die for!
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Review from Lloyd T.
Los Gatos, CA
11/12/2006
Nice place . . . if it weren't for the food! I had the seared ahi - nice and seared, but it was pulled straight from a cold fridge - si instead of red and tender, it was cold and not so tender. my wife had the prime rib, which was obviously microwaved initially - so it was hot in spots, cold in others. when we sent it back, they simply threw it in the oven and left it sit for 5 minutes at 500 degrees. needless to say it came back chewy, tasting like a hot well-used oven, and overcooked. would have been nice to get e fresh piece, properly cooked. oh well. miss this and go to in-and-out burger.
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Review from Rachel N.
San Jose, CA
5/19/2005
I've been here a few times for dinner, and everytime I go, it's pretty dead. Does it mean this is not a winner? Not necessarily. The menu is American. They have a yummy ground chuck hamburger that I've been temped to try and a good wine list. It's not overwhelming and you don't feel lost looking over it. Not overly expensive, and worth a trip. I'm a sucker for desserts, so if they still have it, try the chocolate lava cake. I have yet to have a bad one! The decor is dim at night and quaint. Art work hangs on the wall by one of their employees. I almost bought one the other time I was there.
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Review from Kimberly L.
San Jose, CA
11/27/2007
I heard a lot of people tell me this restuarant is really good so I decided to have my birthday there. I was so disappointed. The wait was super long even though we had reservations. Also, the food took forever to be served. I figured we were waiting a while so the food must be really good. Boy, was I wrong. It was not all that people were hyping it to be. It was alright. I even asked for their specialty dish (some chicken dish they had) since I figured they would make that dish the best. It was way too salty and over cooked. I would not go there again since it was way too pricey for mediocre food. Although the decor was nice.
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Review from paul p.
San Jose, CA
6/26/2007 3 photos
we had a pleasant dining experience at Eulipia. we arrived with only half of our party and they were very courteous and friendly offered to take our drinks while we waited for the rest of the party to arrive.
i had the pan sheared mahi mahi which was a little over cooked and uninteresting. the grilled filet mignon was a little chewy toward the center of the cut. drinks were great. i would have given this restaurant a 2 star on the merit of food alone if it wasn't for the service.
our bill was reduced by 50% on behalf of my brother-in-law, a regular guest who plays violin for the opera across the street. overall, we had a great family dinner experience. the atmosphere is relax and friendly, the kids also had a good time here. -
Review from Eric B.
Costa Mesa, CA
11/26/2007
Great people, wonderful food, and an experience everyone should have. Try one of their many signature cocktails and make reservations!
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Review from Ben C.
Saratoga, CA
2/2/2010
Eulipia has been operating at this location for decades. I went about 20 years ago, and it has completely gone downhill. Sadly, with the current quality of their food, service, and high prices, they no longer have a reason to exist.
I went last week, and was excited to re-experience what I hoped would be their former excellent quality. The restaurant was almost completely empty even though it was prime dining time. Silly me, that should have given me a clue.
Despite being almost empty, the waiter virtually ignored us. He was too busy chatting with his friends behind the bar. The food was not good at all. I ordered the brie chicken, on his recommendation that it was their signature dish; I wish I hadn't. It was heavy, greasy, barely warm, and came with inedible side dishes. If that is their signature dish, look out below for everything else!
The ambiance is sterile, and to make it worse they seemed to be saving money on the heat. It is hard to enjoy a meal when you are shivering. I guess at least they are Green in their energy use, even if it does ruin your meal :-)
The bill was shockingly expensive. I ate recently at McCormick & Schmick's nearby for about 30% less, for a similar meal. But M&S was much better food, service, and atmosphere. There are MANY much better choices nearby than Eulipia.
To add insult to injury, they didn't provide the validated parking that they promise. "Sorry, but we can't find any of our validation coupons sir". What great customer service!
I'm sad to report this experience, since I remember the Eulipia of years back. I miss that experience, but you won't find it here anymore. I wish I had listened to the other bad reviews on Yelp before I repeated the error. I now understand the person who commented that they wish that Yelp offered NEGATIVE stars; I would join them in that wish.
I hope that you benefit from my mistake now. -
Review from Mike F.
San Jose, CA
6/5/2010
So a friend and I decided to try Eulipia out the other night. Neither of us had really heard anything about it, but we try to go to new places from time to time, in search of other sources of good food.
We wont be adding Eulipia to our rotation after the meal we had.
I ordered Chicken, She ordered Tuna. both were dreadful.
I'm allergic to seafood, but I've seen enough friends eat tuna before to know its not supposed to take sawing with a knife to cut through. she said all she could taste was the sauce.
I could tell she wasn't enjoying her meal at all.
My chicken itself was dry, while the plate was drenched in liquid, but I hesitate to call it a sauce. There was so much of this liquid that it turned the mashed potatoes into a light paste, which is definitely not good eats.
The service was at least decent and everyone was friendly, but given the lack of food quality, I can't recommend Eulipia. We didn't have anything from the bar, so I can't comment about that portion of the restaurant.
Bottom line is there are MANY much better options in the downtown core. Pick any one of them instead.
