This independent guide to downtown Palo Alto is part of the Palo Alto Tourism guide. It contains no affiliate links, sponsored placements, or paid recommendations. Updated on October 27, 2026, by Ardan Michael Blum, who has lived in downtown Palo Alto since 2015.
Navigation note: There are two dedicated pages that you may wish to see as well. The first is about California Avenue. The second is about Palo Alto's Neighborhoods and Local Places.
Downtown Palo Alto’s shopping and dining district lies immediately east of the Palo Alto Caltrain station and Transit Center, with University Avenue as its main street. For a first visit, concentrate on the blocks roughly between Alma and Webster streets and Lytton and Forest avenues. These are useful limits for planning a walk, rather than an official boundary. Restaurants, cafés, shops, historic buildings, and small public spaces give visitors reasons to explore the adjoining streets.
Palo Alto’s early townsite developed beside the railroad in close connection with Stanford University. Originally called University Park, the settlement incorporated as Palo Alto in 1894. The relationship between railway, town, and campus remains easy to see: downtown extends east from the station, while Stanford lies across the railway and El Camino Real to the west.
The present Streamline Moderne station opened on January 25, 1941. Its design drew inspiration from streamlined passenger trains, with glass blocks, aluminum, and strong horizontal lines. It replaced earlier depots, including a makeshift station fashioned from a railway boxcar. For someone arriving by train, the building itself deserves a moment’s attention before the walk into downtown.
Several places described below fit naturally into a downtown visit: the Ramona Street Architectural District, the Stanford Theatre, and the Saturday farmers’ market. Leave time for a meal, a coffee, or an unplanned stop. Downtown can share a day with Stanford, but the campus, Stanford Shopping Center, and California Avenue are separate destinations that need their own time and route planning.
For a short loop, begin at Lytton Plaza, at University Avenue and Emerson Street. Walk east along University to Ramona Street, then turn right toward Hamilton Avenue. The car-free half-block is at the Hamilton end of Ramona. Outdoor dining occupies part of this stretch beside the buildings of the Ramona Street Architectural District.
At Hamilton, cross to the City Hall side, turn left, and continue east past King Plaza, outside City Hall at 250 Hamilton Avenue. At Bryant Street, turn left, cross Hamilton, and continue north to University Avenue. Turn left on University and walk west to return to Lytton Plaza. Use marked crossings and pedestrian signals where provided.
For the longer circuit, follow the same route to Hamilton and Bryant, then turn right instead of left. Walk south along Bryant’s west sidewalk to Forest Avenue. Cross Forest and turn right to reach the Downtown Library at 270 Forest Avenue. Check its opening hours if you would like to go inside.
Retrace your steps to Bryant, cross Forest again, and head north along Bryant’s west sidewalk. Continue past Hamilton and University avenues to Cogswell Park, on your left just before Lytton Avenue. Continue to Lytton, turn left toward Emerson, then turn left on Emerson to return to Lytton Plaza. For a separate residential-architecture walk, see the Professorville section.
These independent editorial suggestions cover a range of cuisines and dining styles, from counter-service noodles and diner breakfasts to a longer evening meal. They form a selective list rather than a ranking or complete directory. All addresses below are in Palo Alto, CA 94301, within the University Avenue commercial district or its adjoining downtown streets.
Georgian, Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern
Bevri serves Georgian cooking, including khachapuri cheese bread baked in a wood oven, khinkali dumplings, grilled dishes, and Georgian wines. The restaurant describes itself as tip-free. Address: 335 University Avenue.
Coconuts Caribbean Restaurant & Bar offers Caribbean cooking with Jamaican favorites such as jerk chicken, braised oxtail, curried goat, seafood, and fried plantains. Address: 642 Ramona Street.
Evvia Estiatorio is a long-established Greek restaurant serving grilled lamb, whole fish, and dishes from a wood oven. Address: 420 Emerson Street.
Meyhouse Palo Alto offers Turkish meyhane-style dining, with meze, seafood, and grilled dishes. For live music, check the separate Meyhouse Jazz program and ticket arrangements. Address: 640 Emerson Street.
Oren’s Hummus serves casual Israeli and Middle Eastern food, including hummus bowls, pita sandwiches, falafel, salads, and grilled skewers. Address: 261 University Avenue.
Indian, Japanese, and Vietnamese
Ettan combines contemporary Indian cooking with seasonal California ingredients. Its dining space includes a glass dome, mezzanine, and patio. Address: 518 Bryant Street.
Khazana by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor serves contemporary Indian cooking and cocktails, with options for celebrations and group dining. Address: 339 University Avenue.
Marugame Udon offers udon bowls, tempura, and other sides in a counter-service setting. Its open kitchen lets diners watch the noodles being prepared. Address: 383 University Avenue.
ROOH Palo Alto serves contemporary Indian-inspired cooking and cocktails, drawing on regional Indian flavors and seasonal California produce. Address: 473 University Avenue.
Tamarine Restaurant serves modern Vietnamese cooking, with weekday lunch, dinner, and a bar. Address: 546 University Avenue.
European and Californian
Ethel’s Fancy offers seasonal Californian cooking from chef Scott Nishiyama, with dishes designed for sharing. It is included in the Michelin Guide. Address: 550 Waverley Street.
Pizzeria Delfina offers Neapolitan-style pizza, pasta made in-house, and seasonal antipasti. Address: 651 Emerson Street.
Zola + BarZola pairs French-inspired bistro cooking with an adjoining bar serving cocktails, beer, and wine. Address: 585 Bryant Street.
American, New Orleans Cooking, and Brunch
Nola offers New Orleans-inspired Southern cooking and cocktails, with several dining rooms and an open-air courtyard. Ordinary dining is first come, first served. Address: 535 Ramona Street.
Palo Alto Creamery is an American diner serving breakfast dishes throughout the day, burgers, sandwiches, pies, and shakes. The restaurant dates its history to 1923. Address: 566 Emerson Street.
Sweet Maple serves breakfast and brunch, including egg dishes, pancakes, and its signature Millionaire’s Bacon. Ordinary seating is first come, first served. Address: 150 University Avenue.
The Stanford Theatre is a working cinema devoted primarily to classic Hollywood films. Despite its name, it stands on University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto, separate from the Stanford University campus. Its neon marquee and restored auditorium make the building part of the experience of attending a screening.
Opened in 1925 and designed by Weeks and Day, the theatre was restored by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation in the late 1980s. It is now owned and operated by the nonprofit Stanford Theatre Foundation. A gallery adjoining the lobby displays original movie posters and other items. Plan to see it during a screening visit, as separate gallery hours are not published.
The Mighty Wurlitzer theatre organ is used for intermissions and silent-film accompaniment. If hearing it is a principal reason for your visit, check the program or call the theatre. Read the complete calendar entry for your date: a program may contain several films and starting times.
Telephone: 650-324-3700.
Screenings: Consult the published calendar for your intended date. If no forthcoming program is posted, call before making a special trip. Interior access outside screenings should also be arranged with the theatre.
Tickets: The official ticket information says tickets are sold at the box office on the day of the show and that cash and credit cards are accepted. Check current prices and, if attending more than one film, the admission and re-entry arrangements for that program.
Accessibility: Contact the theatre about step-free access, wheelchair and companion seating, restroom access, and any hearing or vision accommodations you need. Its published visitor information does not provide enough detail to confirm those arrangements.
Palo Alto Caltrain station is a short walk west along University Avenue. Check the expected finish of a late screening against the return train schedule and any onward connection. Nearby City parking includes the Bryant/Lytton and High/Alma South garages; consult the downtown parking information, the signs where you park, and the all-day visitor-permit guidance if relevant to the length of your stay.
Apple Palo Alto, at 340 University Avenue, is a convenient stop for visitors interested in consumer technology. A session or service appointment may require advance booking.
Store Hours (Apple Palo Alto - 340 University Ave)
Monday – Saturday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
History: Apple’s downtown store opened at 451 University Avenue on October 6, 2001, and moved to its present location in October 2012. Apple’s first two retail stores had opened earlier, on May 19, 2001, at Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia, and Glendale Galleria in Glendale, California.
Note: Palo Alto also has a separate Apple Store at Stanford Shopping Center, at 379 Stanford Shopping Center. Check the address when booking a session or service appointment so that you arrive at the correct store.
The Downtown Palo Alto Farmers’ Market began in 1981 after downtown’s last grocery store closed. Members of Avenidas’s board and staff organized the market to restore access to fresh food. It became an independent nonprofit in 1986 and is governed by an all-volunteer board. The market says it donates its proceeds annually to Avenidas, which serves older adults.
On market mornings, farmers and other food vendors set up in the city parking lots along Gilman Street. The selection changes with the seasons and vendor attendance, but can include fruit and vegetables, bread and pastries, dairy products, honey, olive oil, charcuterie, seafood, and prepared foods. The market works well for breakfast or for assembling a picnic, and some Saturdays include live music.
This is a California Certified Farmers’ Market. In its certified section, agricultural products come from certified producers and are sold by those producers or their authorized representatives. The California Department of Food and Agriculture explains the certification; it should not be taken to mean that every prepared-food stall is a farm stall.
Hours: Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to noon, rain or shine, with a short winter-holiday break. Check the forthcoming closure dates before visiting in December or January.
Location: Gilman Street between Hamilton and Forest avenues, behind the Downtown Post Office. The Hamilton Avenue end is approximately one downtown block south of University Avenue.
Animals: Pets are not permitted in the market area. Service animals are permitted as provided by law.
Before visiting: Check the current vendor roster and market announcements, particularly around the winter holidays.
Developed between 1924 and 1938, the Ramona Street Architectural District brings together a distinctive group of historic commercial buildings. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 27, 1986. The buildings are worth examining individually, but their relationship to one another is what gives the street its character.
Designer, artist, and craftsman Pedro de Lemos helped shape the district through the Gotham Shop at 518 to 522 Ramona Street, designed in 1925. Architects Birge Clark and William H. Weeks also contributed important buildings. The National Register nomination records Weeks’s Cardinal Hotel design in 1924 and Clark’s expansion of the Gotham Shop in 1926. Several projects were commissioned by the Palo Alto Improvement Company as commercial development spread beyond University Avenue.
Spanish Colonial Revival and Monterey Colonial forms dominate the district. Craftsman woodwork appears in several buildings, while the Cardinal Hotel introduces modified Neoclassical elements. Stucco walls, tiled roofs, arches, balconies, wrought iron, and recessed entrances create visual connections across buildings of different sizes.
What to Look For
Changes in scale: Rooflines step up and down, and some façades make one building appear to be several smaller structures. Look above the shopfronts to see how these changes break up the street frontage.
Courtyards and recessed entrances: Arcades, passages, and patios draw the eye beyond the sidewalk.
Craftsmanship: Look for decorative tiles, carved wood, wrought-iron balconies and railings, and varied arches. These details reward a slower walk along both sides of the street.
The district is centered on the 500 block of Ramona Street between University and Hamilton avenues, including historic buildings facing Hamilton at the Ramona intersection. View the architecture from the street and enter courtyards or passages only where access is permitted. Shops, restaurants, and other businesses set their own opening hours.
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