Selby’s @ Redwood

Kicking off my birthday celebrations, Darling and I decided to come to Selby’s for dinner as we kicked off a gastronomic spree of 6 Michelin-starred restaurants. 

Located at the corner of Selby Lane and El Camino Real in Atherton, Selby’s celebrates classic American continental cuisine with timeless sophistication. Opened in 2019, it was listed in the Michelin Guide with one star since 2021.

Selby’s offers an exceptional dining experience, complemented by an award-winning wine list featuring a wide range of labels from around the globe. Selby’s is part of the Bacchus Management Group, which also includes Michelin-starred restaurants like The Village Pub in Woodside, and other award winning restaurants like Spruce in San Francisco and The Village Bakery in Woodside.

The Balcony Room, located on the mezzanine overlooking the main dining room, can accommodate up to 40 guests. We were seated here this evening as the main dining room was hosting a private event.

The kitchen team excels at modern takes on classic American cuisine, which get an extra boost from SMIP Ranch—their private farm. Many dishes resemble familiar steakhouse signatures, but they are noticeably elevated here. The menu is pretty straightforward. You select three courses and create your own tasting menu. 

Amuse Bouche

Once we have picked our choices for the set menu, we were served the amuse bouche for the evening. The first small snack was a raw Santa Barbara scallop with heart of palm mousse and decorated with a sprig of shisho leaf. The sweetness of the scallop was beautifully balanced by the peppery shisho. The second snack was a small cheese puff made from Fontina cheese. Fontina has a rich and robust flavour with nutty undertones.

The first bread service was a popover, the US answer to the Yorkshire pudding, a hollow quick bread shaped like a muffin and made from a thin batter of eggs, milk, and flour. The bread was overcooked.

Konbu-Braised Monterey Bay Abalone

English Peas and Carrots, Shisho, Bonito Butter

Konbu-braised Monterey Bay abalone with English peas and carrots, shisho, and bonito butter was available as a supplement to the tasting menu.

It was tasty, the presentation was delightful and the abalone had a good texture, but it didn’t “wow” us.

Crescenza Ravioli

Périgord Black Truffle, Sweet Peas and Sugar Snap Peas

Known for its rich, buttery texture and mild, slightly tangy flavour, Italians cook with Crescenza cheese, a soft, creamy cow’s milk cheese that is ideal for these pasta pillows. The Périgord black truffle is found in the south of France and is the most fragrant of all truffles. Combining the two in a ravioli, you get an interest eat.

This recipe usually calls for pairing with a neutral tasting vegetable like artichoke. Here they used two types of peas, sweet peas and snap peas. The sweetness and grassy taste of the peas paired very well with the cheese and truffle. Finished off with some pea shoots and shave parmesan cheese.

Just before the main course, there’s a second bread service – toasted sourdough. I prefer this much better than the popover.

Flannery Beef Dry-Aged Rib-Eye, 14 Oz

Creamed Spinach and Robuchon’s Potatoes

The ribeye steaks are cuts from Holstein cattle, raised in California predominantly in the Southeast corner of the state. Before these were processed into steaks, these ribeyes were dry aged for 30-35 days.

The delicious dry aged ribeye steak – thick, tender, and packed with flavour – was cooked perfectly at medium rare. Accompanied by steakhouse classic, creamed spinach that was not too heavy with cream (I liked that), and their interpretation of the late chef Joel Robouchon’s mashed potatoes. The waiter explained that the fresh produce all came from SMIP Ranch—their private farm.

With just four ingredients – potatoes, butter, milk and salt, Joel Robuchon’s luxurious purée de pomme really brings the wow factor. Maybe it was the jaw-dropping quantity of butter (2 pounds potatoes to 1 pound butter), or perhaps it’s the vigorous stirring required while incorporating the butter, this silky, creamy, smooth and luxurious mashed potato will definitely knock you off your feet.

Westholme Wagyu Striploin, 7 Oz

Creamed Spinach and Robuchon’s Potatoes

Top chefs and wagyu lovers alike prefer Westholme Wagyu for its extraordinary marbling that achieves a beautiful, caramelised crust, a tenderness that stays juicy all the way through, and a beefy flavour associated with grass feeding on the plains of northern Australia.

Crémeux De Citeaux

Local Strawberries, Marcona Almonds, Olive Melba Toast

This fancy French cheese plate with slivers of strawberry and almonds just didn’t cut it. Crémeux des Citeaux is a French triple cream cheese known for its rich, creamy, and decadent flavour. It’s characterised by a snowy white, bloomy rind and a velvety, almost-liquid centre. The cheese is produced by La Fromagerie Delin and further aged by Rodolphe Le Meunier.

Passionfruit Tart

Toasted Swiss Meringue, Preserved Kumquats

The passion fruit tart as my dessert is perfect citrus to balance the heaviness of the steaks.

As a nice surprise, we also received a complimentary birthday cake. The flavour is strawberry chiffon, and it came with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a single candle.

Petit Four

This destination-worthy restaurant drips with old-school Hollywood charm, matched by the seemingly effortless poise of the sharply dressed service team. The menu is per person for $125 (relatively on the cheaper side for a Michelin star restaurant) but with a surcharge on selected items from the menu where “supplement” is the extra charge. Overall, it was a good experience for a date night. I liked the restaurant and I would probably return sometime in the future. 

Selby’s Restaurant
3001 El Camino Real, Atherton, CA
Tel : +1 (650) 546 7700 (Reservations)

Visited Apr 2025

Michelin California Guide 1 Star 2021-2024