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San Jose Fairmont Hotel - Fountain Room
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
19 reviews for San Jose Fairmont Hotel - Fountain Room
Southbay is my new adopted home. I don't know much about this area. It doesn't have the exciting cool of the City, or the quiet quaintness of the Peninsula, but I'm trying to figure it all out.
Lucky for me I have some Southbay yelper peeps looking out for this Peninsula pup. And since I'm down there once a week or so I've decided to maximize my gas mileage by enjoying all the SBay has to offer. In this episode of "Feed Bryan K," we came here. Now normally for me the thought of eating hotel food, and a buffet to boot, is not my idea of culinary excellence.
The room is spacious, good for large groups. The buffet area is a long gauntlet of food, manned by the lamb and pasta guy. The service is attentive and cheerful. The food? The food is solid, not fantastic, but well yeah, its hotel buffet food. At $29 plus wine and tax/tip for our group it came to roughly $40 each. I suppose that's the going rate for buffet dinner, its 2 bills from the ATM.
Come here with larger groups for a place to enjoy good company and be tended to by friendly service. Bring Your Own Yelpers.
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It's a really nice hotel and the setup is nice but it's not cheap. The rooms are very nice and relaxing and the people there go out of their way for you.They do a great job every christmas with setting up the downstairs with all their christmas display.
Believe it or not, I have a friend on the inside and I have to say, I wouldn't ever eat here. They actually have a "five second floor rule." I couldn't believe it. But they do.
Prior to hearing about that, I've eaten there before. I seriously don't see what the fuss is all about. It's just regular food that's overpriced. Maybe they're charging me for atmosphere and decor.
Alright, let's review the decor. It's nasty. They need to do a better job of cleaning the place. And some of the things need to be replaced and remodeled. I think the whole building needs to be remodeled. I feel like the entire building is stuffy. Shampoo every carpet inside the building would definitely work. After air dusting and feather dusting everything, they should just Fabreeze bomb the entire building and then steam/shampoo the carpets and give it a good mop job. Open up all the windows to dry up the place and reopen it. To me, it's just really that bad and stuffy in there. I really don't like the Fairmont building. It smells too.
The Fountain Room is really stuffy.
decor is tacky.
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For some reason i tried to avoid dining in hotels, but i was desparate for a quick breakfast. On weekdays they have a breakfast brunch, not sure about weekends? Kashi, Kashi, Kashi cereal, mini bagels with lox, cream cheese, capers, tomatoes, and onions, muffins, pastries, fruit, mmmmm!!!!! strawberries, pineapple, cantelope, honey dew, they carry danon fruit at the bottom yogurt, and eggs are made to order with ham, bacon, or sausage, taters and toast.
It can be quite crowded on weekday mornings with all the business folk staying at the hotel, but other than that you really shouldn't have a problem.
Service is quality. I have order to go a few times and after my food had been sitting not more than 15 minutes, they offered to reheat my entree. Definitely in line with the Fairmont quality of service.
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I came here for a co workers retirement luncheon and was not completely impressed. The Fairmont is a beautiful hotel, but I think the decor in the Fountain Room could use some refurbishing. I would especially like to see the large watercolor cow pictures taken down. I really wanted to order beef- but I was seated in the direction of the pictures of the cows. I felt bad! Instead I had salmon, which did not disappoint.
Service could have been better. Our waiters messed up more than a few of the orders. I just feel like I expected a lot out of the Fairmont and they didn't deliver according to my expectations. One thing that caught my attention right away was the fact that the table linens were not as clean as they should be. There were visible stains. I'm not picky- but this is the Fairmont!
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Breakfast here is simply wonderful. The service doesn't miss a beat, and the food is sculpted to perfection.
It really is a unique experience for San Jose where you can find the bright, airy, almost New England-like experience. A do not miss.
Did the sunday brunch after a stay at the Fairmont a couple weeks back. The room is well lit and pretty. The spread is reasonable. It just does not compare to the Hayes Mansion and at roughly the same price I can't see coming back.
The rundown...
The hollandaise on the benedict was BROKEN
The lobster was tough
The desserts were quite delightful
and I have said enough
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I came here for my aunt's wedding party and I really loved it. It was elegant, the food was great and the staff very helpful.
True, the Fairmont is the classiest place to do anything in San Jose, just like it is anywhere. I haven't had the famous Sunday brunch here but I am sure that it is very expensive and very good. Hey, when you sign up for anything at the Fairmont, you ain't getting McDonald's. Wake up people!
The hotel lobby is very expensive and elegant, the Fountain Room is also very "San Francisco-quality" in decor.
People come here just to park and walk around inside. I hope they have wireless in here too, I'll bet they do. Every major hotel in San Jose should provide that basic service by this time.
Came here with 2 former co-workers for Sunday brunch since we've heard great things about it. I guess I was too hyped up and thought the food selection would be huge and that it would taste impeccable. It was not bad but totally was not worth the price per person. I could have gotten similar food for half that price.
Well the hotel itself is nice and the staff was courteous. It was just the food and the lack of selection that knocked down 2 stars.
My sisters and I wanted to have a birthday brunch for my grandmother, who just turned 100 years old, but since her birthday was on Christmas Day, we had to find a place that was open on Christmas Day. It so happened that the San Jose Fairmont was one of the nicer hotels in San Jose that hosted a Christmas Brunch, and lucky for me, they were so stoked to host our party, they bent over backwards to make sure it was a special occasion: They gave us a separate area, above and away from the hoi polloi who were also enjoying a Christmas Day brunch, and they threw in all kinds of extras, like a gift of jade and tea for my grandmother, a delicious and gorgeous tirimisu-like cake and a bottle of Cristal champagne for the rest of us. Happy Birthday!
The brunch was mind-boggling and tongue-tickling: It was a buffet, but man, what a buffet: Besides the normal array of great breakfast foods, there were also several kinds of sushi, including my favorite, unagi, and all kinds of seafood, including a variety of shrimp and crab. There was turkey, ham, and prime rib, and a huge array of salads, stuffing, and dessert. My grandma couldn't believe how fancy everything was, and for us, it was totally worth every penny to make her feel like she deserved brunch at a luxury hotel. She deserves so much more, but this modest lady made us all feel like millionaires, and for a couple of hours, so did the San Jose Fairmont Hotel.
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After being blown away from having Sunday brunch at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, I wasn't sure what to expect from the Fairmont San Jose. Luckily, I was very pleasantly surprised.
Both the hotel lobby and the Fountain Room are beautiful. The dining room is very spacious with a lot of lightning and just enough views of the outside downtown area. The buffet is spread out on a simple straight line with the exception of the desserts which are in a separate round area.
The food was fantastic, with just enough variety to make you satisfied. The various pastries, seared ahi tuna, shrimp, sushi, eggs benedict (with gooey egg yolks!), bacon, sausage, teriyaki mahi mahi, curry chicken, and prime rib (surprisingly very good) were all tasty. The desserts were top notch as well, including a very smooth and creamy tiramisu, apple pie, white and dark chocolate-dipped strawberries, raspberry cake, dark chocolate cake, and banana creme brulee.
Definitely a place I would take family or friends next time they visit.
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The best place in Silicon Valley (not just Downtown San Jose) to have Sunday brunch. The brunch buffet is a bit pricey ($32 per person), but think of it this way. It is, after all, the Fairmont Hotel, and you get what you pay for. The servers are really attentive to details and the food on the buffet actually don't taste like they (a) have been sitting there since 5AM that morning, or (b) were mass-produced so as to feed 40,000 people.
The dining room itself is also screaming money (old and new?) - think a room with lots of sunlights - a direct result of high ceilings and tall windows, huge round table in the middle of the room containing fresh flower arrangement and white linens over tables.
They have the usual breakfast items and then some. Imagine your typical brunch buffet (danish pastries, fresh fruits, sliced meats, and smoked salmon). Then add a carvery (prime rib!) and a table full of nothing but decadent desserts (cakes, tiramisu, and creme brulee). Yes, this does nothing but to reaffirm my theory that it is never too early to have desserts!
For those of you with smaller appetites, they do have a la carte brunch menu. I tried that one out once as well. Their eggs benedict is just as awesome, and it would not leave you feeling guilty afterward. Heavenly.
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On New Year's Day, my Texan wanted to surprise me with a fabulous and luxurious breakfast. So I thought we were just going to a regular IHOP some REGULAR breakfast, but he said no I'm taking my Princess to a nice place. The service here is very attentive and 1st rate. I ordered the Crab and asparagus omelette with a wonderful and decadent Hollandaise sauce. The omelette had chunks of crab meat, avocado, red peppers, and tender asparagus. The Hollandaise sauce was light with fresh herbs. Beautiful presentation. I had requested warm milk to go with my breakfast and was given fresh hot milk from their espresso machines in a matter of minutes. Very attentive, beautiful presentation, en pointe service will have me remembering this moment forever.
My family has been going here ever since I could remember. They have cute desserts and in the past, when I complained that my steak was cold, they actually served me a new one. I was really surprised with this and pretty happy. I will probably go back here once I have a special occassion to celebrate again.
I forgot to mention, this instance happened when I was a kid! Seriously, great service no matter how old you are!
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This place deserves four stars alone for other people's reactions to the phrase, "I'm having brunch at the Fairmont this Sunday."
"Naks! Classy."
"Holy shit, can you bring a guest?"
*neck roll* "My bad, baller!" (I guess no one seems to remember I was laid off from my job in the Silicon Valley in July and have yet to begin a job at a newspaper in 2 weeks)
My two girlfriends and I (one of whom treated us! awww yeah) opted for the Sunday Brunch ($42 a person), which included all the typical breakfast buffet staples (fresh fruit, rolls, croissants, cold cuts, bacon, sausage, lox, cream cheese, butter) and then some (sushi, seared ahi, eggs benedict, teriyaki chicken, prime rib, crusted salmon) - and then some more (an entire dessert table of chocolate-covered strawberries, creme brulee, four different types of cake, and tiramisu), as well as complimentary orange juice. We had exceptionally attentive servers, but maybe that was because the place was almost empty (it was a little past noon by the time we got around to eating - i think brunch technically begins at around 9 and ends at 2pm).
The only thing I wasn't really satisfied with was my hot chocolate - that is usually foolproof at most places I go to, but mine got cold after like 2 minutes and developed some kind of weird skin. Um, no thank you.
Other than that, everything was delicious - this is definitely a special occasion type of place if you're not making over $80K in Silicon Valley, though. The atmosphere is very fancy schmancy, and that applies to a lot of the other people dining around us. Not that the people around me have any kind of effect on my ability to scarf down my breakfast like nobody's business (um, I AM four months pregnant) - but this is the kind of place where you definitely don't want to come here wearing jeans and flip flops.
Now that I think about it, this place is definitely all about the fancy - I've been to a lot of buffets in my time (my dad lives out in Las Vegas, after all) and the biggest difference between this and some of the best ones I've been to out there is about 25 dollars. And unlike Las Vegas, you aren't surrounded by people who smell like cigarette smoke.
But it's definitely a must-try on a special occasion - and who doesn't enjoy getting dressed up to go eat once in a while? =)
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Went here for lunch the other day with my financial advisor. He picked the place, and apparently already had reservations for the two of us, as we were discussing some business matters.
The restaurant is definitely on the high-end and everything is very high-quality and the attention to detail is very nice as well.
Since I had already grabbed a bite before stopping by, I ordered the Lobster salad for my light lunch.
The prices were typical of a classy restaurant, so be sure to dress accordingly! ;)
Service was also top notch.
Overall, a great place to go if you're not paying the tab! ;)
Went to a business conference at the Fairmont and because lunch was included in the price I got a chance to attend the networking lunch in the Fountain Room. This review is based purely on the food I received and not what I saw people around me eat. I got the seared tuna and california roll and honestly I probably should have known better than to get that at a super American restaurant but hey I figured its the Bay Area, can't be that bad...but wow the tuna was the worst seared ahi i've had in a long time. All the pieces of tuna were so uneven, some were fat and others were super skinny, some were super raw and tasteless but others were overcooked and super peppery. The california roll was ok but the rice was on the hard side, it tasted like it was made early in the morning, kept in the refrigerator all day and then taken out and cut when ordered. Even the arnold palmer was super sour (due to the lemonade) and very unevenly proportioned. So in terms of my lunch I did not have a good experience; however, my neighbor on the right who got the 3s (soups, salads and some sandwiches) looked like he was enjoying his. It was presented really nicely on their 3 tiered platter. My neighbor on the left got a shrimp salad with spinach and even that looked pretty tasty as well.
Overall if I go back I would definitely not eat the sushi/tuna there but would try some other dishes. But thats a big IF i ever go back...
1 star is for the good service (waiters were attentive and nice)
1 star for the appearance of my neighbors food
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My husband and I, and a few friends celebrated his 33rd birthday here with brunch. We stayed at the Fairmont the night before, due to an event we attended there and I have to say that the brunch itself was really good.
Don't expect an enormous spread, but expect quality. Everything was top notch from the oysters to the sushi to the sliced beef... excellent. Thye had fruit, chicken teriyaki, eggs benedict, omelettes made to order, breakfast meets and various pastries and breads. The desserts were also equally delicious with small slices of different cakes, chocolate dipped strawberries, a couple pies, and a tiramisu.
I think the only complaint I have is the price. My husband commented that you can eat for less but have more quality at the Bellagio. Of course that's in Vegas, where brunches are plentiful. I think the Fairmont did a good job, but for about $40 per person if you include tax (not gratuity) is kind of steep, so this isn't a weekly jaunt, but something nice for a special occaision.
This evening I went with my son, friend and his mom who was visiting out of town for the holidays to the Fairmont San Jose for Christmas dinner. Keep in mind as you read this review that I am a restaurant server part-time myself so I understand how hard it is to run a holiday dinner - that being said - this was such a sad experience. I really wanted to enjoy a great dinner with friends and family - I was severely disappointed with the service and demeanor of everyone above the wait staff who handled the actual dinner. Our server was great and seemed embarrassed to have to be rushing us thru our dinner.
I originally called on the evening of the 24th and left a message for your holiday reservation dept. I called again the morning of the 25th at approx. 9:10am and made the reservation with the young lady who answered the phone. She called me back a few minutes later as she was returning my call of the night before. I made a reservation for 7pm on the 2th for the sit down dinner in the fountain restaurant. They took my name, number, and credit card information at that time.
We were a party of 4 for dinner and arrived at 7 and checked in with the desk at the restaurant. I was informed that they did not have a reservation for us which was disconcerting but they had space available so it was not a big issue. The second half of our party was caught in traffic directly in front of the hotel due to the Christmas festivities and arrived approx. 15 minutes late. I was told by the hostess at the restaurant that if we did not sit down we would not be served for the evening this was at approx. 7:15pm when we had made a reservation for 7pm. As we did not want to miss the meal my mother and I were seated. As we entered the restaurant what I assume was the manager on duty (a heavyset young woman in black with red hair) pushed past us and said that she was locking the door. We were seated and waited a few minutes for the last 2 members of our party. When they reached the door it was locked and though we could see them it took several minutes to get someone's attention to let them in. During this time our waiter had come to our table at the behest of the young woman in black again telling us that he 'needed to get our orders in while we could still order food' Everyone in our party was seated prior to 7:30pm. We were rushed through ordering and were then sped through a four course meal in a little over an hour. The bill for our evening came to $400.00 even with tax and tip. The food was acceptable though we were not given adequate time to enjoy all of it and there was no choice for dessert since there was 'only one crme brulee left'
While I understand that we were the last seating for the evening and it was Christmas at $100.00 a head for a meal I expect a modicum of relaxed time to enjoy the meal and courteous service that is not trying to shove me out the door. This as my first dining experience at the Fairmont and based on it I will not be back and will not be suggesting it to anyone either. I highly recommend that they re-educate their staff on customer satisfaction instead of cramming people through like it's the McDonalds drive thru.
