Downtown Palo Alto’s main street is a continuation of Stanford’s Palm Drive after the university stretch reaches the Caltrain station. Shops, restaurants, and an always popular Apple Store (it’s no different than other stores but considered special since Steve Jobs lived nearby) line the blocks of the street until it becomes residential.
The crown jewel is the Stanford Theatre ( 221 University Ave.), a magnificent ode to classic Hollywood. Across the street is Lytton Plaza, a spacious, eclectic gathering place where surely somebody will be putting on an impromptu concert or protest. Toward the eastern end of the downtown area is what previously was another Hollywood Golden Age cinema, the Varsity Theatre. Its classic Colonial Spanish and Mission Revival–influenced architecture is still stunning as a tech shared workspace and a Blue Bottle Coffee café ( 456 University Ave.).
There are dining highlights up and down University Avenue, led by contemporary Vietnamese stalwart Tamarine ( 546 University Ave.) and the silky hummus specialty at Oren’s Hummus ( 261 University Ave.). The quieter side streets off University Avenue also feature several standout restaurants including Ramen Nagi ( 541 Bryant St.), the Georgian cooking of Bevri ( 530 Bryant St.), craft cocktails with excellent French bistro fare at Zola and BarZola ( 565 and 585 Bryant St.), contemporary Indian cuisine in lavish surroundings at Ettan ( 518 Bryant St.), Taverna’s ( 800 Emerson St.) excellent modern and rustic Greek dishes, and Bird Dog’s ( 420 Ramona St.) captivating contemporary Californian menu.