Eating & Nightlife
Palo Alto is home to some of the best restaurants in the Bay Area, in many cases rivaling the best restaurants in San Francisco. It is a favorite dinner spot for locals living throughout Silicon Valley and visiting tourists and business people from around the world.
Most of the best restaurants are relatively small and independent, and without reservations you can expect to wait up to an hour or longer, especially on weekends.
Visitors looking for familiar but quality food will find lots to choose from. Chains including The Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, P.F. Chang's, Max's Opera Cafe, Il Fornaio, Gordon Biersch and Buca di Beppo all have Palo Alto locations.
Restaurants are the focal point for nightlife in Palo Alto, and it's not uncommon for them to still be seating customers at 10 or 11 o'clock on weekends. A popular bar scene consisting of mostly non-local young professionals and some Stanford students keeps downtown Palo Alto going until after 1 a.m. A few restaurants and bars feature live music or DJs.
For live theater, check out TheatreWorks, a nationally-acclaimed group that draws from throughout the Peninsula and Silicon Valley. Palo Alto Players, a popular community theater group that was the Peninsula's first theater group when formed in 1931, offers a regular schedule of plays at the Lucie Stern Community Center in Palo Alto. The much-loved Palo Alto Children's Theatre has it's own dedicated stage at the community center and has ignited the acting passion of many local children. Check the calendar for other theater, music and dance offerings in Palo Alto and at Stanford.
View a PDF of a useful listing of restaurants published in the Palo Alto Online printed Visitors Guide.
Looking for a good place for a weekend brunch? These restaurants offer special brunch menus.
Want to limit your search to the places our readers selected as "The Best?" These restaurants, cafes and eateries were the winners in our most recent "Best of Palo Alto" contest.
Restaurant Soleil at The Westin
Soleil is creative Mediterranean cuisine at its finest. Salads, soups and grilled prawns shine at lunch, while salmon, lamb and pastas glow at night.
Sheraton's Poolside Grill
The restaurant at the Sheraton, boasts a pleasant and refined setting and an uncomplicated Italian and American menu.
St. Michael's Alley Annex Best of Winner - Best Sunday Brunch, Palo Alto Weekly, 2008, 2011
Ann's Coffee Shop
Homemade pies, pot roast, soups, milkshakes and sandwiches in an old-fashioned diner with genuinely retro decor. The fresh rhubarb pie may win over even those leery of rhubarb. Breakfast served all day. No reservations. No credit cards.
Bagel Street Cafe
"Breakfast and lunch options at this small chain eatery include salads, sandwiches, soups, quiches and pastries -- and at least 30 types of bagels. Bagels with egg and meats or vegetables are available for breakfast, and there's a full espresso bar."
Bistro Vida
Traditional dishes with mixed results at this Parisian-style cafe. Professional, knowledgeable service and a cozy ambience, but many dishes need attention.
Crepes Cafe
This tiny cafe offers a taste of Europe, serving traditional Breton crepes, great French onion soup, fine cheeses and the best chocolate mousse in a setting that screams French bistrot.
Eric's Gourmet Delicatessan
This delicatessan features fresh-baked meats, hot entrees and home made soups and salads.
Le Boulanger
This mini chain combo of bakery and cafe serves pastries and coffee, as well as a more substantial menu of salads, sandwiches and pizzas. Other locations are in Los Altos, Redwood City and Mountain View.
Left Bank Brasserie Best of Winner - Best French restaurant Left Bank French brasserie, in downtown Menlo Park, is even more popular with local diners since it expanded its outdoor sidew
Left Bank features California-French cuisine in a stylish brasserie setting in Menlo Park, with continuous service all day. Appetizers are interesting and toothsome especially the thin-crusted tartes flambees, pates and salad Lyonnaise. Steak frites is excellent as are seafood dishes and pastas. Desserts are a treat. Appealing wine list with wallet-friendly prices. Full bar. Excellent for families.
Menlo Grill Bistro & Bar Best of Winner - Best New Restaurant, Almanac Readers Choice, 2011
Stacks Best of Winner - Best Breakfast, Almanac Readers Choice, 2011
While the restaurant's pancakes and waffles were quite good (especially the plain Belgian waffle), the egg-and-vegetable dishes managed to be both under- and overcooked. Another big hit on the breakfast table was the bowl of fresh fruit. Burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads are available for lunch -- or at breakfast, for that matter.
Bean Scene Cafe
Located at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, this attractive cafe offers breakfast options, salads, sandwiches and great desserts, including ice cream. But the coffee drinks were on the weak side during a recent visit.
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