Palette Tea House serves modern dim sum and Cantonese dishes in a stylish space, blending creativity with classic flavors for a delightful dining experience.
"Yes, there’s excellent dim sum to be had right in the heart of Ghirardelli Square, from the team behind Koi Palace and Dragon Beaux, the legendary Ng brothers. Tourists or not, customers are almost certain to order a steamer of the multi-colored xiao long bao alongside the equally Instagrammable fried taro puffs crafted to resemble black swans. You can also rely on Palette’s pedigreed dim sum chefs to put out solid versions of all the classics including har gow, barbecue pork buns, and pan-fried radish cakes." - Eater Staff, Laura Smith Borrman
"In a city rich with dim sum, Palette Tea House stands out as one of the more modern options with a large, high-ceilinged dining room decorated with warm wood and brick. The location at the top of Ghirardelli Square doesn’t hurt either. The food stands up to the test as well, which makes sense considering the restaurant comes from the team behind Daly City destination Koi Palace and the Richmond District’s Dragon Beaux. For your first visit, get the rainbow-hued XLB, but the real standouts are the classic dishes made with premium ingredients including wagyu beef chow fun, abalone siu mai, and the like. Don’t miss the perfectly fried salt and pepper calamari." - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff
"If you’re looking for a dim sum spot that can fit the entire (potentially hungover) squad, Palette Tea House is a great spot to consider. Not only is the dim sum delicious and photo-worthy, but proximity to the fresh sea air will do wonders." - Dianne de Guzman
"Not feeling turkey? Palette Tea House has you covered. This huge dim sum spot is one of the few destinations that has us braving the tourist crowd and heading into Ghirardelli Square. You’ll get to enjoy the full menu of their excellent dumplings, like colorful xiao long bao, tender lobster ha gow, and shrimp siu mai. Just note that getting a reservation for Thanksgiving day (food is served 11am to 6pm) requires a $15 refundable deposit. " - ricky rodriguez
"Palette Tea House makes a great dim sum option for out-of-town visitors thanks in part to its excellent location at the top of Ghirardelli Square. It’s also from the family behind the legendary Koi Palace in Daly City, so you can bet the quality of the food is top-notch. The menu here skews higher-end than some of the other spots on this list with options like wagyu beef chow fun, lobster-filled dumplings, and abalone siu mai. The photo-worthy rainbow soup dumplings aren’t the best in town, but don’t miss the salt and pepper calamari and salted egg lava bao." - Lauren Saria
