Selby's

Should You Book Selby's?

Getting a table at Selby's takes planning. This is a Michelin-starred restaurant in Atherton; the wealthiest zip code in the United States; and it draws a clientele that books well in advance. Expect to reserve two to three weeks out for a standard weeknight, further ahead for Friday or Saturday. If you have a fixed date for a special occasion, book the moment the reservation window opens. The effort is worth it: Selby's holds a Michelin star for 2024 and 2025, ranked #492 in Opinionated About Dining's 2025 list of leading restaurants in North America. That consistent recognition across two independent systems is a reliable signal that the kitchen is performing at a high level.

What to Expect

Selby's is the fine-dining property of Bacchus Management Group, the Peninsula hospitality operator also behind Spruce in San Francisco. Chef Mark Sullivan leads the kitchen, working in an American idiom that suits the clientele: Peninsula tech executives, old-money Atherton families, visitors who have come specifically for the food. The room is formal without being stiff, the service has the polish you would expect from a Michelin-starred property run by an experienced hospitality group. For food and wine explorers who care about depth, the wine program is a serious draw in its own right.

The list runs to 3,600 selections with an inventory of 20,000 bottles, with particular depth in California, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Italy, the Rhône, Germany, Austria. Wine Director Andrew Green oversees a team that includes Jaime Pinedo and sommeliers Caleb McArthur, Nile Schneider, Sam Cooper, Pamela Fawson. That staffing level signals a genuine commitment to service rather than a decorative list. The corkage fee is $75, the wine pricing tier is $$$, meaning many bottles exceed $100. If you are bringing your own bottle, factor that into the total cost of your evening.

Private Dining and Group Bookings

For groups, Selby's is one of the stronger options on the Peninsula. The Bacchus Management Group's operational experience means private event logistics are handled professionally, which is not guaranteed at smaller independently operated restaurants even if the food is comparable. If you are planning a client dinner, a milestone celebration, or a large table for a special occasion, Selby's can deliver a coherent experience across food, wine, service that holds up at the $$$$ price point.

Groups who want private-room separation from the main dining room should contact the restaurant directly to confirm availability and format, as specific private dining configurations are not published. What the venue offers in the main room already, a deep wine list, experienced floor staff, consistent Michelin-level cooking, carries into group settings. For a corporate entertainment dinner on the Peninsula where the restaurant needs to perform reliably and impress a sophisticated table, Selby's is a defensible choice. Comparable alternatives in the Bay Area that also offer strong group experiences include Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg and The French Laundry in Napa, though both are harder to book and price higher on average.

Pricing and Value

Cuisine pricing is $$$, meaning a typical two-course dinner runs $66 or above per person before wine, tax, or tip. With a serious wine pairing or bottles from the list, a dinner for two will comfortably exceed $300. That is not a reason to avoid Selby's, it is the price of admission for a Michelin-starred dinner with one of the deepest wine programs on the Peninsula. The question is whether the format fits your evening. For a celebratory dinner where food and wine are the point, the value is there. For a casual mid-week meal where you want flexibility and a shorter bill, the price point will feel mismatched.

Among comparable Michelin-starred American restaurants in the Bay Area, Selby's is neither the most expensive nor the most exclusive. The French Laundry sets a higher ceiling on both price and difficulty of booking. Lazy Bear in San Francisco operates a ticketed communal-format dinner that is structurally different. Selby's occupies a practical middle ground: serious enough to justify the occasion, accessible enough to book a few weeks out rather than months in advance.

Booking and Logistics

Selby's is open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner, 5 to 9 pm. It is closed Mondays. The address is 3001 El Camino Real, Redwood City, CA 94061, on the Atherton-Redwood City border, easily reached by car. There is no published phone number available through Pearl's data, so the safest booking route is through the restaurant's reservation system directly online. Given the Michelin star and the OAD ranking, weekend tables are the first to fill. If your schedule is flexible, Tuesday through Thursday evenings offer the leading chance of securing a preferred time with shorter lead time.

For more options in the area, see our full Atherton restaurants guide, our Atherton hotels guide, and our Atherton bars guide. If you are planning a broader Peninsula trip, our Atherton wineries guide and experiences guide are worth checking before you finalize your itinerary.

Pearl's Take

Book Selby's if: you want a Michelin-starred dinner on the Peninsula with a serious wine program, you are planning a group or corporate dinner that needs to perform reliably, or you need a special-occasion restaurant that is easier to secure than The French Laundry or Single Thread. Skip it if: you are looking for a casual dinner, you want a fixed tasting menu format, or the $$$$ price point does not align with your occasion. For American fine dining elsewhere in the region with a different format or price profile, Hilda and Jesse in San Francisco offers a more relaxed experience at a lower price point, Lazy Bear works if you want a more theatrical progressive-American format.