Palo Alto, CA is well known throughout the world as home to Facebook, Stanford and Linkedin.
It is not just a place for Stanford college student espresso shots and venture capital lunches, downtown Palo Alto offers an array of hip boutiques, shops and restaurants. Despite the multi-million dollar homes that surround the downtown University Avenue area, locals are surprisingly casual and unassuming.
Best Clothing Boutiques:
In Her Shoes - Great place for shoes, bags and jewelry. All proceeds benefit Global Fund for Women and Single Moms Connect.
Romi Boutique - Great selection of denim, sweaters, tops and dresses. Love the store layout. They have great sales.
Nalej - Clothing, accessories and GREAT gifts. Reasonable prices. Another store in nearby Santa Clara.
Best Outerwear: Patagonia - Not unique to PA, but just a great brand for the whole family.
Best Eats With the Kidlets: Peninsula Creamery - LOVE the milkshakes! Kids will love the diner feel and kid-friendly menu.
Best Italian: La Strada - Great outdoor seating and classic Italian fare. Great for families. Moderately priced. Osteria is another great pick.
Best Thai: Tamarine - One of my favorites.
Best Asian Fusion: Three Seasons - DELICIOUS! Great outdoor seating. Green beans are delicious!
Best Greek: Evvia - Great ambiance and good food. Some locals have said the quality has slipped a bit, just a very little. Still a good choice. Kids may enjoy this as well.
Best Indian: Junnoon - light and fresh Indian fare or Mantra - bold and spicy, great environment. Leave your little kids at home.
Best Brunch: St. Michael’s Alley - delightful, intimate hidden gem. It’s been around forever and consistently delicious.
Best Bar: Nola’s - Great cajun food.They have private rooms with plasma screens and a great bar. Lively and fun, especially at night. Kids will like the fun decor. Try the crawfish dumplings.
Best Toy Shop: Palo Alto Sport Shop and Toy World - from bathing suits to Lego’s, board games to footballs. They have a little of everything.
Best Deli and Bakery: Prolific Oven - They have been around forever. Try their lemon cake. Light and just a little sweet. Yum! They also have sheet cakes for parties.
Chocoholics: Try a meal at Shokolaat. An “experience” and especially fun if you love chocolate.















