clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
Sliced pork belly with fresh herb garnish on a white plate. Bird Dog

Where to Eat and Drink in Palo Alto

From high-end restaurants where you’ll bump elbows with tech execs to hummus and curries for students on a budget

View as Map

Anyone sleeping on the Palo Alto food scene is doing themselves a major disservice. Yes, there are all the accurate Silicon Valley stereotypes on full display. Yes, the other patrons in the restaurant might be power-hungry college students only pausing briefly from a coding bender running on the last vestiges of a 32-ounce bottle of Mountain Dew. But as new restaurants move in, like Turkish influenced Meyhouse, and with others leaving, like the huge vacuum in coffee excellence left by Tono Coffee Project, there’s an exciting opportunity for diners and restaurateurs alike in the suburban Peninsula city. Be bold and try these restaurants, featuring everything from hummus to ramen to vegetarian mole, and shake off those Palo Alto naysayers.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

Read More
If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Tamarine Restaurant & Gallery

Copy Link

This modern Vietnamese restaurant at the top end of University Avenue has been serving shaking beef, lemongrass sea bass, and hoisin lamb chops since 2002. Owned by two sisters, the space is also a rotating art gallery and a power spot for cocktails. The menu includes a few rotating favorites from Tam Tam, the slightly more casual spot they opened in 2019 and closed in 2020.

Tamarine

Oren's Hummus

Copy Link

At the other budget extreme from the highest-end spots in town, there’s good hummus to be had. Palo Alto is the original location for this wildly popular mini chain, which now ranges down to Cupertino and up to San Francisco. Chef Oren Dobronsky, who’s originally from Tel Aviv, specializes in hummus bowls topped with fried eggplant, roasted cauliflower, and spiced lamb, with plenty of pita for scooping.

Bird Dog

Copy Link

Chef Robbie Wilson (Le Fantastique, French Laundry, Mattei’s Tavern) brought fine-dining pedigree to Palo Alto when he opened Bird Dog in 2015, and the Chronicle declared it “one of the brightest spots on the Peninsula.” The menu ranges from raw fish and fatty meats to locally farmed vegetables and grains, highlighting ingredients like bone marrow, amberjack, and Arrowhead cabbage.

Ramen Nagi Palo Alto

Copy Link

Palo Alto was the first U.S. location for this popular ramen chain in 2018, and fans have been lining up ever since. They get handed menus and markers, and pick out noodle thickness and firmness, as well as garlic and chile levels. The ramen bowls come in four variations: the “original king” with creamy tonkotsu pork broth, the “green king” with fresh basil pesto, the “red king” laced with chiles, and the “black king” darkened with squid ink.  

Ramen Nagi

Bevri had the distinction of being the first Georgian restaurant in the Bay Area, and it’s hard to resist the khachapuri (bread shaped like a canoe and filled with melted cheese), let alone the plump khinkali dumplings. Don’t miss the wine list — Georgian wines are having a moment, but as the restaurant points out, the tradition goes back 8,000 years.

Bevri

Ettan brings Michelin-pedigreed California-Indian cuisine to Palo Alto in a bright, colorful patterned space serving “grazing” snacks of oysters topped with a fennel and curry leaf ponzu and sliders filled with jackfruit. For dinner, plates of sambal shrimp and sesame leaves are piled with mint, tamarind, and crispy bits, and entrees like a whole red snapper make a full feast for two to three people and a meal worthy of a special occasion.

Patricia Chang

Evvia Estiatorio

Copy Link

Not to name drop big city sisters, but Evvia in Palo Alto is the sibling of Kokkari in San Francisco, and for anyone who’s cozied up by the fire and feasted on flame-licked lamb, it has the same warmth and charm. Menu highlights include the dolmathes, grilled octopus, and lamb riblets — but, really, anything twirling over the big hearth.

Evvia

With an emphasis on booze, blues, and New Orleans–style bon temps, Nola is a favorite among Stanford students, now with an even larger outdoor setup for lingering brunches. The three-story restaurant meant to resemble a French Quarter building serves Louisiana classics like gumbo and jambalaya, as well as distinctly non-Louisiana dishes like roasted cauliflower tacos and hot chicken sliders. The drinks are really the star here, with hurricanes, sazeracs, mojitos, and palomas all available in pitchers, as well as a menu of mini and zero-proof cocktails.

Nola

Coconuts

Copy Link

Originally from Jamaica, chef Robert Simpson brought jerk chicken, coconut shrimp, and goat curry to sunny Palo Alto. His colorful restaurant is actually affordable enough for students, and the skinny side patio is criss-crossed with twinkling lights.

Coconuts

The Palo Alto Creamery

Copy Link

Stanford kids, software engineers, and actual children can’t resist the charms of this old-school soda fountain, which boasts a big wraparound counter and red booths. It’s classic California, originally opened in 1923, and still serving burgers, shakes, and damn good pie.

The Creamery

Saint Michael's Alley

Copy Link

Though it originally opened as a bohemian coffee shop in 1959, Saint Michael’s Alley has since been turned into an upscale Californian restaurant by its current owners in 1993. And even though it’s moved around the corner to a new space, it’s still an intimate setting to cozy up with a date.

Saint Michael’s Alley

Telefèric Barcelona

Copy Link

This tapas powerhouse from Barcelona opened its first U.S. location in Walnut Creek in 2015, and Palo Alto followed a few years after. If it’s a chain, it’s a fun one, with a splashy tiled space in Town & Country, where diners can feast on pintxos, paella, octopus, and gin and tonics.

Telefèric Barcelona

Sundance the Steakhouse

Copy Link

If Saint Michael’s Alley is where students can take their parents, Sundance might be the right reservation for grandparents. It’s the tried-and-true steakhouse going five decades strong, with stiff drinks, clam chowder, wedge salads, prime beef, and lobster tails.

Sundance the Steakhouse

Protégé

Copy Link

When two French Laundry alums opened Protégé in 2018, the town buzzed with excitement. Reserve the dining room for the tasting menu experience, featuring five to seven courses and culminating with a cheese cart wheeled tableside. First-timers can also feast on crab and caviar, crudo, wagyu ribeye, and Bavarian pretzels a la carte on the heated outdoor patio.

Protégé

Zareen's

Copy Link

This fast-casual Pakistani and Indian spot always often has a line, but it moves at a good clip, as engineers in hoodies and sneakers load up on kebabs and curries, served on metal plates with lots of exciting compartments.

Zareen’s

Palo Alto Sol

Copy Link

For really good tacos, locals drive north to Redwood City. But tucked away on the slightly sleepier California Avenue, Palo Alto Sol is a comfort nonetheless, serving home-style mole, saucy enchiladas, and fresh salsas.

San Francisco is known for excellent Neapolitan-style pizza, with pillowy and chewy doughs blistered in roaring ovens. But Palo Alto started throwing down when Terún moved into town. With a wood-fired oven that’s stoked and burning bright, these pies are the real deal, as certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (aka the pizza police).

Terún

Shekoh Confections

Copy Link

Shekoh Moossavi is no stranger to cramming a taste of the high life in one bite; Shokolaat, a chocolate bistro in Palo Alto, is where she first brought her experience as an Iranian American to sweets. Her Persian Rose, highlighting a rose petal marmalade with rosewater ganache and a velvety, rose-petal-like texture to the chocolate, is already a hit at her new shop.

La Bodeguita del Medio

Copy Link

For more than 20 years, La Bodeguita has been a Cuban hideaway over on Cal Ave, complete with rum and cigars. The ropa vieja is the star: skirt steak served shredded and saucy with sweet plantains and yellow rice. But the empanadas dipped in coconut-jalapeño sauce also can’t be missed.

La Bodeguita del Medio

Tamarine Restaurant & Gallery

This modern Vietnamese restaurant at the top end of University Avenue has been serving shaking beef, lemongrass sea bass, and hoisin lamb chops since 2002. Owned by two sisters, the space is also a rotating art gallery and a power spot for cocktails. The menu includes a few rotating favorites from Tam Tam, the slightly more casual spot they opened in 2019 and closed in 2020.

Tamarine

Oren's Hummus

At the other budget extreme from the highest-end spots in town, there’s good hummus to be had. Palo Alto is the original location for this wildly popular mini chain, which now ranges down to Cupertino and up to San Francisco. Chef Oren Dobronsky, who’s originally from Tel Aviv, specializes in hummus bowls topped with fried eggplant, roasted cauliflower, and spiced lamb, with plenty of pita for scooping.

Bird Dog

Chef Robbie Wilson (Le Fantastique, French Laundry, Mattei’s Tavern) brought fine-dining pedigree to Palo Alto when he opened Bird Dog in 2015, and the Chronicle declared it “one of the brightest spots on the Peninsula.” The menu ranges from raw fish and fatty meats to locally farmed vegetables and grains, highlighting ingredients like bone marrow, amberjack, and Arrowhead cabbage.

Ramen Nagi Palo Alto

Palo Alto was the first U.S. location for this popular ramen chain in 2018, and fans have been lining up ever since. They get handed menus and markers, and pick out noodle thickness and firmness, as well as garlic and chile levels. The ramen bowls come in four variations: the “original king” with creamy tonkotsu pork broth, the “green king” with fresh basil pesto, the “red king” laced with chiles, and the “black king” darkened with squid ink.  

Ramen Nagi

Bevri

Bevri had the distinction of being the first Georgian restaurant in the Bay Area, and it’s hard to resist the khachapuri (bread shaped like a canoe and filled with melted cheese), let alone the plump khinkali dumplings. Don’t miss the wine list — Georgian wines are having a moment, but as the restaurant points out, the tradition goes back 8,000 years.

Bevri

Ettan

Ettan brings Michelin-pedigreed California-Indian cuisine to Palo Alto in a bright, colorful patterned space serving “grazing” snacks of oysters topped with a fennel and curry leaf ponzu and sliders filled with jackfruit. For dinner, plates of sambal shrimp and sesame leaves are piled with mint, tamarind, and crispy bits, and entrees like a whole red snapper make a full feast for two to three people and a meal worthy of a special occasion.

Patricia Chang

Evvia Estiatorio

Not to name drop big city sisters, but Evvia in Palo Alto is the sibling of Kokkari in San Francisco, and for anyone who’s cozied up by the fire and feasted on flame-licked lamb, it has the same warmth and charm. Menu highlights include the dolmathes, grilled octopus, and lamb riblets — but, really, anything twirling over the big hearth.

Evvia

Nola

With an emphasis on booze, blues, and New Orleans–style bon temps, Nola is a favorite among Stanford students, now with an even larger outdoor setup for lingering brunches. The three-story restaurant meant to resemble a French Quarter building serves Louisiana classics like gumbo and jambalaya, as well as distinctly non-Louisiana dishes like roasted cauliflower tacos and hot chicken sliders. The drinks are really the star here, with hurricanes, sazeracs, mojitos, and palomas all available in pitchers, as well as a menu of mini and zero-proof cocktails.

Nola

Coconuts

Originally from Jamaica, chef Robert Simpson brought jerk chicken, coconut shrimp, and goat curry to sunny Palo Alto. His colorful restaurant is actually affordable enough for students, and the skinny side patio is criss-crossed with twinkling lights.

Coconuts

The Palo Alto Creamery

Stanford kids, software engineers, and actual children can’t resist the charms of this old-school soda fountain, which boasts a big wraparound counter and red booths. It’s classic California, originally opened in 1923, and still serving burgers, shakes, and damn good pie.

The Creamery

Saint Michael's Alley

Though it originally opened as a bohemian coffee shop in 1959, Saint Michael’s Alley has since been turned into an upscale Californian restaurant by its current owners in 1993. And even though it’s moved around the corner to a new space, it’s still an intimate setting to cozy up with a date.

Saint Michael’s Alley

Telefèric Barcelona

This tapas powerhouse from Barcelona opened its first U.S. location in Walnut Creek in 2015, and Palo Alto followed a few years after. If it’s a chain, it’s a fun one, with a splashy tiled space in Town & Country, where diners can feast on pintxos, paella, octopus, and gin and tonics.

Telefèric Barcelona

Sundance the Steakhouse

If Saint Michael’s Alley is where students can take their parents, Sundance might be the right reservation for grandparents. It’s the tried-and-true steakhouse going five decades strong, with stiff drinks, clam chowder, wedge salads, prime beef, and lobster tails.

Sundance the Steakhouse

Protégé

When two French Laundry alums opened Protégé in 2018, the town buzzed with excitement. Reserve the dining room for the tasting menu experience, featuring five to seven courses and culminating with a cheese cart wheeled tableside. First-timers can also feast on crab and caviar, crudo, wagyu ribeye, and Bavarian pretzels a la carte on the heated outdoor patio.

Protégé

Zareen's

This fast-casual Pakistani and Indian spot always often has a line, but it moves at a good clip, as engineers in hoodies and sneakers load up on kebabs and curries, served on metal plates with lots of exciting compartments.

Zareen’s

Related Maps

Palo Alto Sol

For really good tacos, locals drive north to Redwood City. But tucked away on the slightly sleepier California Avenue, Palo Alto Sol is a comfort nonetheless, serving home-style mole, saucy enchiladas, and fresh salsas.

Terún

San Francisco is known for excellent Neapolitan-style pizza, with pillowy and chewy doughs blistered in roaring ovens. But Palo Alto started throwing down when Terún moved into town. With a wood-fired oven that’s stoked and burning bright, these pies are the real deal, as certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (aka the pizza police).

Terún

Shekoh Confections

Shekoh Moossavi is no stranger to cramming a taste of the high life in one bite; Shokolaat, a chocolate bistro in Palo Alto, is where she first brought her experience as an Iranian American to sweets. Her Persian Rose, highlighting a rose petal marmalade with rosewater ganache and a velvety, rose-petal-like texture to the chocolate, is already a hit at her new shop.

La Bodeguita del Medio

For more than 20 years, La Bodeguita has been a Cuban hideaway over on Cal Ave, complete with rum and cigars. The ropa vieja is the star: skirt steak served shredded and saucy with sweet plantains and yellow rice. But the empanadas dipped in coconut-jalapeño sauce also can’t be missed.

La Bodeguita del Medio

Related Maps