Dio Deka

Don’t be fooled by the suggested cost of this place, smart diners can come out with their wallet intact if you are a fan of tapas style dining Greek style (I’ll elaborate more further in the review. I have been coming to Dio Deka for the last 9 years and they have gone through head chef changes, plenty of seasonal menu changes, but one thing that is always consistent is the quality of the food. I first came with a friend when we were young and let’s say less than eager to part with anything more than $ 20 a person. But being my closest friend who also happens to be Greek I said this is definitely a place we need to try. After years of traveling around the bay area looking for great Greek food, often times only finding it in small family owned restaurants, we found a fine dining restaurant that had a San Francisco charm and presentation but with all the quality of what my best friends mother (my Greek mother) would make for us all the time at home.
Needless to say after that Dio Deka became a place I would bring my parents and eventually the love of my life. To this day conversation about great plates we have had in our lives inevitably ends up with dishes served at Dio Deka. From their seasonal Fried to a crisp Brussel sprouts served with pancetta in a honey lemon brown butter type sauce with a poached egg cracked over the top (one of the true first places that was featuring this dish before it blew up everywhere else), to the Saganaki which is usually a featured cheese dish that is usually served in a cheese sauce which has brown butter mixed in. You heard my correctly a fried cheese that is dressed in a cheese sauce with brown butter. Another main stay of every visit is the silogi which is an assortment of greek dips and spreads that are served with their herb and salted toasted bread… Can I just say that every restaurant has it’s bad nights and some dishes don’t come out the same, This dish has been to die for for 9 years straight.
So here’s where the cheapos like me and the fine dining start to split. The reason I can keep coming back to this place so often is because I’m pretty darn frugal when it comes to fine dining and this place feeds that cheap beast inside. If you stick with appetizers you can walk out positively stuffed and for 2 people and no drinks spend around $ 50. Obviously you throw my personal favorite Greek Mojito in the mix or lets be realistic a second one and now you are getting up there but if you can be on your best budget behavior you can walk out full happy and unscathed. This place has some amazing entrée dishes as well such as their Lamb Shank or their very popular but rather expensive steaks which I will say can be absolutely huge but with some really unique and amazing flavors so you aren’t getting ripped off.
On to the ambiance, I have always loved eating in san francisco, something about the hustle and bustle of restaurants with romantic lighting and the hum of people laughing and enjoying their food. This place would fit right into a much talked about san francisco mainstay. The waitstaff are simply amazing, I have personally taken it upon myself to start learning the busboys and servers names because they are so thoughtful and helpful with every little extra thing they do to help out the main waiters. They are very attentive and can read you pretty well on when to come over and help decide on a dish or see you are having a great time and need to just be left alone.
My Girlfiend and I shared out 3^rd date here and boy was that a show stopper. You’d be suprised that there are still some vegetarian options for people here so herbivores needn’t worry too much. I have shared many wonderful moments with family, friends, colleagues, and future wife. I would recommend this to anyone out there who enjoys Mediterranean food but more importantly anyone that wants great food, great service, and great memories.
There’s a very good chance you will see us there rather often… hope to see more of you Unilocalers there as well.

Nice place. Decent service. Great food. Not much I can say except that u have to get the grill octopus appetizer. Lol.

Without a doubt, one of the very best Greek restaurants in the West Coast. The staff is superb, all dishes excellent, and the atmosphere equal to the task. This is a high-​end Greek place, so if you are interested in gyro look elsewhere. If on the other hand you want to convince someone that lamb chops can be so perfect that they make even non-​lamb-​eaters change their mind, then this is it. There is a good bit of creativity with traditional dishes too, as the chef manages to create versions of well known Greek dishes that renew one’s interest in them. A+

Expectations were very high for that evening — recommended by a foodie colleague, Michelin star, TA Certificate of Excellence, Greek food etc etc. Still there is always a lingering doubt that the actual experience may fail.
Not here… from the reception to the service and finally the food — everything was just great. I had the rack of lamb that was satisfying to see and consume, Wife had the famed moussaka and that too came out with flying colors.
Next time — the lamb chops and fish…

Everything was great… Nothing negative to say… you pay what you get and eat… great food and great service!

Dinner was amazing as always ! We sat outside, weather was gorgeous our only disappointment was our waiter, he never checked on us and had the nerve after over 40 minutes to tell us that he had slowed down our main dish so we could enjoy ourselves, not quite the apology we were expecting, never the less, our dinner was delicious ! But he shouldn’t treat the customers like they wouldn’t know the difference !

A bit overpriced, but the food is quite delicious and service is above and beyond. We came here for our ten year anniversary dinner and they gave us a special menu that said «Happy Anniversary» on it. :) The restaurant looks high end and a lot of people came dressed up. I like that you can see into the kitchen wherever you sit.
Our waiter was super attentive, maybe even a bit too attentive. Every time I looked up or even glanced around he would come running over to our table to ask us if we needed anything. I guess it’s better to have an overly attentive waiter than one who completely ignores us.
Lamb Chops– the meat was tender and had really good flavor to it. I loved the lamp chops! I would definitely get this again when I come back.
Veal– I have to say the lamb chops were better than the veal, but overall the veal was still good.
Mesquite grilled octopus– I don’t normally like octopus due to the texture, but I actually really really liked this dish! It was super tender and was nothing like the usual chewy texture I’ve experienced. Flavor was also spot on.
Brussel Sprouts– recently I have become obsessed with brussel sprouts. The ones I had here were really delicious. I tried to deconstruct it to figure out what they put for seasoning/​sauce because I have never had brussel sprouts that had such an amazing sauce on it. There’s definitely something in it that makes it unique and really delicious.
Baklava– it was a little too dry for my liking. I’ve had better baklava elsewhere.
Beignets– they gave us free beignets as well. I liked these more than the baklava. I probably wouldn’t have ordered the baklava if I knew they would give us free beignets.
Overall, I enjoyed most of the food. I would come here again but probably only for a special occasion due to the price point.
Tip: you can park on the street right next to the restaurant or use the valet parking service they provide.

Mother’s Day brunch was a huge letdown. Menu was barely Greek. Food was way overpriced for what you got. Used to be one of my favorite places for upscale Greek food, but they seem to have now gone overboard with the upscale and forgot all about the Greek.

Some dishes were excellent; others not so much. Octopus appetizer is delish, my wife’s steak was excellent. The baklava was stodgy. Beignets were wonderful. The branzino was not a good dish. The flavors didn’t match and the skin was flabby. The potatoes weren’t crisp so the whole plate was soft.
We ordered 4 sides and they were all well prepared but none had any wow. The fries were hot and crispy but they were just fries.
For the price it was just OK. The wine list is staggering. They have a nice selection of wines by the glass and 10ths. Service was nice.
I might go back and have a glass of wine and the octopus appetizer as a light dinner but it would set me back $ 45.

I crave this place ALL THE TIME. My workplace uses the hotel it’s attached to as a corporate hotel, so I discovered this gem quite on accident and am so glad I did. I probably haven’t tried as much on the menu as I should, but the petite filet is so amazing that I haven’t had the heart (or stomach) to read past it each time I’m scanning the menu. The entire staff is incredibly nice, and I enjoy the experience, ambiance, food, etc. whether I drop in and sit at the bar or make reservations for the dining area. Highly recommended by me and everyone I’ve ever dined here with!

They have a Greek beer called Mythos which I drank all evening — really good. Sadly when I came here with coworkers I was stuffed but I wanted to eat everything with my eyes. It’s an upscale restaurant in Los Gatos and it is beautiful and seems like rosemary and freshly baked pita bread inside. Divine.
I will be coming back to try their entrees and meat.

Service good, food very diappointing
Mousakka lukewarm, lamb chops stringy, beignets mem

Save your money and go somewhere else.
Food is overpriced, over salted and over cooked. The atmosphere is pretentious. The restaurant is crowed and noisy. The vegetarian options consist of the side dishes from the main menu, will cost the same as a steak, and suck to boot. Plan on spending over $ 150.00 per person. Even the desserts are of low quality. No wonder they lost their Michelin star. Eat any national chain instead and use the money you saved buy yourself some nice shoes at Bloomingdale’s. The food will be better.

Dio Deka is a great choice for an upscale meal that is easy to get into without reservations and has the consistency of a Michelin star restaurant (even though they no longer hold that award). They are the slightly less foodgasmic equivalent of Evvia in Palo Alto.
Service is always sharp and the food is always well prepared. If you are craving steak, I’d recommend going to Dio Deka rather then Forbes Mill. Their octopus is outstanding; anyone who has the skills to cook it right automatically gets my seal of approval.
I’ve given 4 instead of 5 stars because I would love to see more interesting dishes on the menu. While I enjoy a good steak, there is potential for improvement if they replaced some of their steak options with more diverse, greek inspired entrees. Also, could you find something a little less boring then pita to serve before the meal starts?
All in all it’s a great place to dine. While most people think that having lost a star is a bad thing, it’s great for me because it makes it easier to get into! Selfish I know.

Dio Dekka was very good. What held back its fifth star is that it lacked a bit of character and failed to capture some of the exclusivity of the top tier Evvia and Kokkari.
The service was very very very good. One notch away from super excellent. Our server was a bit on the energetic side but after the initial interaction service was prompt and unobtrusive.
The food was ⁹⁄₁₀. The octopus was expertly prepared and my lamb chops were ultra tender and ultra flavorful. I was slightly underwhelmed by my girlfriends sea bass though, and I noticed there are several fish options on the menu so I suppose I’d be weary of them.
Prices were very reasonable for such a great experience. 2 entrees, 2 apps, and a $ 35 corking fee was a moderate $ 155.
Easier to get into than Evvia or Kokkari and offers 85% of the experience.
Bravo!

NYE prix fixe dinner for 2, $ 105ea
— Ambiance (⁴⁄₅)
Nothing about particularly screams Greek, though it is warm and cozy.
— Service (²⁄₅)
Considering the upscale nature Dio Deka is going for, I was disappointed in the service. If you’re going to be haughty about dress code, then I expect a coat check perhaps, a more cordial hostess, and servers who spend more time explaining the food rather than dropping it off (in some cases literally dropping it) on the table.
— Bread (³⁄₅)
Fairly good though some olive oil would have been good.
— Crispy Quail (²⁄₅)
A fairly big disappointment. When the menu says crispy quail, the first thing that comes to mind is not fried quail. I was imagining a really nice sear with some crispy skin. Frankly, the fried treatment kind of ruined the quail.
— Chestnut Soup (³⁄₅)
I didn’t think there was any flavor development here– mostly just pureed, semi-​chalky chestnut texture. The tang from the Greek yogurt was a nice touch that broke up the monotony of the soup, and the porcini mushrooms provided a nice relief of texture and salt. But, the chalk just could not be overcome.
— Lamp Chops (²⁄₅)
Mine was burnt on the outside and not seasoned at all. My wife’s were practically raw (not even rare) and needed to be sent back. The sauce on the plate was really sour, and there was nothing to offset it. And a few fried potatoes? Come on now…
— Almond-​Chocolate Cake (³⁄₅)
Not a bad ending, though frankly, I found this dessert to be a glorified brownie a la mode. The supposed banana crème on the plate also had no banana flavor whatsoever.
— Value (²⁄₅)
Fairly poor value considering the mistakes in each of the dishes. Frankly, it felt kind of amateurish.
— Final Word
Felt like I was eating at a traditional place that was trying really hard to execute good food but was kind of stuck in a different era. Nothing wildly creative and most of the dishes had some major flaw in it. I might give it another go with their usual menu, but this experience was quite off-​putting. I had a great time because my wife is awesome (and really hot), and it was NYE, but I could have fun with her doing anything. Never good when at the end of the meal, your wife asks– do you want to see if Pinkberry is open tonight?

Still great. Been here twice and everything was great both times.
I had a chance to sample a number of dishes the second time and wow. Besides the mesquite-​grilled octopus, which is Not to be missed, they had a branzino which was superb. Also loved the lamb and steak.
Service was excellent and the setting always inviting. And getting a table here is not as arduous as other places nearby.
It’s not a bargain, but then finding fine dining in Los Gatos may never be.

Had dinner here with my wife on our wedding anniversary — great service, excellent food, overall nice dining experience.
Restaurant can be a little bit noisy when full (very open table layout with no walls), but not too bad.
Portion sizes were just right so you can enjoy many courses without feeling stuffed.

SO this place is my new absolute favorite. Our server Yiani was great and got to know us really well. Yiani knew what we wanted way more than we knew what we wanted. The drinks are superb and the food was beyond amazing. its def a new experience for me (I eat what I can afford) and this seriously was so delicious, my tastebuds were a little too happy that night. Thank you Yiani!!!

Fantastic Steak! Great portions and atmosphere absolutely recommend

It’s hard to find great Greek restaurants on a business trip. Dio Deka is superb. The food is delicate and beautifully presented. A more expensive venue but worth it. The service was impeccable and I would highly recommend asking to be seated with server Jeremy.

This restaurant is a well oiled machine. Excellent service. Last time I had service at this level was in NYC. The food is entirely delicious. We enjoyed an appetizer of mushrooms on ricotta which was super flavorful, and the Dolmades or stuffed grape leaves. The Dolmades were a little different than the usual lemony rice stuffed version. These had a beef cheek stuffing. Fabulous flavor. Our table enjoyed the Rib Eye, the Filet Mignon, the Branzino, and the Lamb Chops. I sampled them all. Cooked exactly to order for doneness. Really phenomenal seasoning and grill flavors both on the main dishes and the roasted potato and spinach sides. Completely nailed it. Their wine list is really enjoyable as well, lots of great bottle selections as well as by the glass. The ambiance is all about special occasion with it’s warm lighting and fireplace. We were near the open kitchen and enjoyed watching the ballet of service.
Not by any fault of the restaurant, the bar, that is open to the main dining area, is a mecca for the Housewives of Los Gatos. Resulting in the occasional well maintained aged bachelorette party atmosphere of ladies drunk on expensive wine in Santa hats squealing and cackling nearby. I guess you could say they lended some party atmosphere to the ambience at the holidays!

Amazing food great restaurant perfect service what more could you ask for… When I want to enjoy a good meal great service this is the place I go!

I’m a HUGE Greek food lover and this place was ridiculously good. I mean the food, the service, the ambiance. Wow. (Not cheap, but it was on the company’s dime, so I will chalk that one up to employee benefits.) We’re coming back for our Holiday Party and I gotta admit, I’m a little – or totally – excited! Octopus for sure. The lamb chops, holy smokes. Not gamey at all and super tender. Worth it.

Great service. Food is well prepared and cooked properly.

Nice restaurant for a special occasion! Dimly lit, great service, expensive food.
**4 stars if I judge the restaurant solely by the quality of the food.
3 stars if I had to pay for the meal myself. Yay for company outings.
The octopus everyone raves about was indeed fantastic. I don’t normally enjoy octopus /​squid /​things that are too chewy, but I surprisingly really enjoyed this dish! I have no idea how they cook it but the taste/​seasoning/​sauce was phenomenal.
The bone-​in filet mignon was good. Was it worth $ 80? No. Maybe only those blessed (or cursed) with the most developed palate can tell appreciate a $ 10 per bite dish, but I ain’t that person. Everything else on the menu was around $ 40 though, so maybe those are very worth it!

We are staying at Los Gatos hotel and had dinner there last night. Our first time here. So many issues. First it was sweltering and the AC wasn’t running the excuse was doors were open and Manager said it would take 3 hours to cool off! Really? Then on a 100 degree day turn it on 3 hours before you open and close the darn doors! This is a $$$$ restaurant for crying out loud. We are paying your electric bill.
Second the food was lackluster. My lamb shank was half fat, the peppers were left off, had to tell the busy busy waiter. My guys Solomis salmon had the skin on, and it was undercooked, fishy.
Service was after the fact and apologetic. Waiter offered complimentary dish, mistakes on wine, and ended up charging us for all of it, but did correct it once informed.
Very dissatisfied with the whole experience, restaurant and hotel. That will be a separate review unless the Manager does the right thing. Stay tuned.

Disappointing.
Dio Deka was one of a couple restaurants in Los Gatos my wife and I hadn’t tried yet, so we went this week. I got Moussaka and she got an 8oz filet mignon.
This was the first time I had been to a Michelin star restaurant, so maybe my expectations were too high, but there are definitely many other restaurants in the area that are better.
The pita bread they give you before the meal is pretty good.
I thought the Moussaka was kind of bland. I much prefer the one at Opa nearby.
The filet (ordered medium) was quite dry and chewy. I was expecting something like Forbes Mill, but this was far worse. I felt it was equivalent to what I get at Outback.
My wife also ordered a side of fries, because the $ 55 dry steak didn’t come with any. They were not unique and worse than most restaurants as well.
The meal was also quite salty. Probably because of the sauce my meal came with.
Food aside, the service and ambience were fine.

My 2 best friends took me here for my bday a couple weeks ago. I had the filet mignon and had the Greek salad and ribs for appetizer. The food was soooooo delicious. I can’t get over how good it was! The service was also good; they patiently answered my questions and brought out everything in a timely manner. My friends loved their lobster pasta and rib eye. The lamb shank was just OK. Kinda too mushy for me, but my friends liked it. We ordered 2 desserts and both weren’t that great. They did give me some free beignets. I didn’t like them but I appreciate it! It was very expensive for 3 people. I’ll probably go again if I get a raise at work or something lol the end. Ps. The wine was good!

The food was ok. The presentation was alright. Service was excellent. Starters were minuscule portions. The octopus was nice but nothing to write home about. Lamb shank meat was tender and falling off the bone but there was no taste in the dressing. Moussaka was good but too heavy in fat in the polenta. The much touted dessert of fried dough balls dipped in honey and cinnamon was good but again very ordinary. I felt that this restaurant would have been excellent in the past but somehow the passion for good food may have been replaced by business interest and focus on good wine. Saw lots of genteel clientele from Los Gatos trying to impress their dates and clients. I was there for the food, was partly satisfied, partly regretting.

On Saturday, 5÷23÷15, my girlfriend and I took my best friend out to dinner at Dio Deka for his birthday.
Atmosphere/​Décor:
Dio Deka is located in a nice hotel. The hotel itself is very appealing to the eye. The restaurant was pretty spacious with plenty of tables to sit at. They have a nice sized bar/​lounge area. The décor though out the restaurant looked on the high end side. I liked how you could see the open kitchen no matter where you sit at inside the restaurant.
Food:
A few years ago when I came across Dio Deka on opentable I read that they were known for their steaks. My girlfriend and I are big time steak people and so is my best friend. I ordered the Bone-​in Filet Mignon (16 oz.) My girlfriend ordered the Petite Filet Mignon (8 oz.) My best friend ordered the Bone-​in Rib-​Eye (24 oz.) All three steaks came with grilled bread and Greek Chimichurri sauce served on the plate. I ordered my Bone-​in Filet Mignon medium rare. My steak came out more on the medium to medium well side. I didn’t want to wait another 30 plus minutes for a new steak so I decided to eat my overcooked steak and not say anything to the waiter. The Bone-​in Filet Mignon was decent. I thought it was just okay. It was nothing special or to rave about. You get about 10 ounces of steak with the remaining 6 ounces coming from the bone. The outside texture of the steak had a nice char. I didn’t really care for the Greek Chimichurri sauce.
My girlfriend really liked her Petite Filet Mignon. She said it was cooked perfectly and very tender. She gave me a few bites of her steak and I have to agree with her. It was very tender and juicy. It was way tenderer than my steak. I gave my girlfriend and bite of my steak and she said her steak was way better. You would think that my Bone-​in Filet would have more flavor and be as tender as a regular filet mignon. I guess not. That definitely wasn’t the case here.
My best friend said his Bone-​in Rib-​Eye was delicious. He said his steak was very flavorful and the texture was spot on. His steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare and had a very nice char on the outside. My best friend gave me a piece of his steak. I liked the Bone-​in Rib-​Eye a lot. It was juicy and tasted really good. I enjoyed every bite of the Rib-​Eye.
For side dishes we ordered the Orzo (burnt butter, Myzithra cheese) and the Roasted baby potatoes (lemon, olive oil.) I thought the Roasted baby potatoes were pretty good. The flavor was there. I like my potatoes to be a little bit more on the crispier side but that’s just my personal preference. My girlfriend and best friend really liked the Orzo and Roasted baby potatoes. They said the Orzo tasted really good.
For dessert my girlfriend ordered the Baklavas (Traditional Greek layered phyllo with nuts, vanilla bean pana cotta, spiced orange sorbet) and as a complimentary birthday dessert our waiter brought out some Loukoumathes (Traditional Greek beignets, dipped in thyme-​honey syrup with cinnamon and nuts) for my best friend. My girlfriend liked the Baklavas a lot. She said it was sweet and tasty. My best friend liked the Loukoumathes. He said the beignets tasted really good and the dish had a good amount of sweetness.
Service:
Our waiter Jeremy was nice. He started out very strong but as the evening went on he seemed to be less attentive. I do understand that the restaurant was packed and our table wasn’t the only table he was waiting on but we waited a very long time to receive a dessert menu. I’d say at least 20 minutes. Our waters were always topped off by other employees which is always a sign of good service in my opinion.
Overall:
I thought Dio Deka was pretty good. The restaurant itself is pretty nice and it’s a good place for any type of special occasion. I was really looking forward to the Bone-​in Filet Mignon but it was a huge let down. I don’t see how people consider this steak to be phenomenal or unique in any way because in my opinion it fell short in so many ways. The flavor of the steak wasn’t impressive and it was overcooked. When you’re paying $ 79 for a steak it should be cooked perfectly. Also, a Bone-​in Filet Mignon should taste way better than their regular Petite Filet Mignon that is literally $ 30 cheaper. We drove from Oakland all the way out to Los Gatos to try these steaks. All in all our round trip was a little over 2 hours. If you decide to order a steak at Dio Deka go with the Petite Filet Mignon or Bone-​in Rib-​Eye. Don’t waste your time or money on the Bone-​in Filet Mignon. It’s just not worth it.

Big fan! Fantastic food, authentic experience, excellent service, beautiful restaurant, reasonable prices. You can’t go wrong here!
Entrees enjoyed:
Moussakas–
A traditional layered casserole, ground lamb sliced eggplant and potato, béchamel crust, lamb jus
31.00
Paithakia
Double-​cut, Mesquite-​grilled lamb chops, lemon-​oregano crusted potatoes, whipped spinach.
38.00
Arni Kotsi
Lamb shank braised in egg lemon sauce cheesy polenta, marinated asparagus, myzithra
36.00

Had a great meal with a nice server, but for nearly $ 300, I expected more. Started with the sampler appetizer (Pikilia), which was tasty, but might be better value to just stick to 1 or 2 appetizers. The dolma was prepared a lot differently than I am used to, with less sour flavor from the grape leaf. Then we got the bone-​in filet and petite filet, both were great and cooked to perfection, but quite overpriced. For nearly $ 80 per steak, I’m expecting something to blow me out of the water and these unfortunately did not. Paired the steaks with Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, which helped bring out the taste. Finally, finished off with the sokolata which was the most unique dish of the night.
Good experience overall, but I think it’s overpriced and needs to have more unique dishes that will get me coming back. The atmosphere was nice, but not as secluded or quiet as I expected. I think this restaurant deserves between 3 – 3.5 stars as an appropriate rating.