Sekoya

About Sekoya

Sekoya is a restaurant and cocktail lounge at 417 California Avenue. The name nods to the redwoods. The restaurant leans into the theme. Its About page invites guests to "come into the forest" and says it wants to capture the feeling of standing among the great trees it is named for.

The restaurant describes itself as a gathering place for the people of Palo Alto, something intimate, collective and warm. It was built to work for a cocktail and a bite at the bar, an upscale dinner at a banquet-style table or a late, intimate drink after dinner elsewhere. Sekoya opened in 2023. In 2026 it celebrated its third anniversary and called itself "a 3-years young Palo Alto gathering place." Eater SF and What Now SF covered its opening as a new project from the Peninsula restaurateur behind Pausa Bar & Cookery.

What is on the menu

The kitchen is led by Chef Ray Saad. The restaurant describes his cooking as a seasonal California fusion menu. The October 2026 dinner menu is a good snapshot:

• Starters: oysters, an embered scallop, kampachi crudo with kombu dashi, tuna tataki and a caviar service with mini blini
• Small plates: summer squash tempura, a chicken liver mousse served with banana bread doughnuts, 24-hour crispy calamari and grilled Spanish octopus with romesco
• Bread: Parker House rolls served hot from the oven with cultured butter
• Plates and salads: charred cabbage with smoked labneh, a Caesar and a Sekoya grass-fed burger on a house-made sesame bun
• Entrées: eggplant katsu, wild Alaskan halibut, roasted Mary's chicken, roasted duck breast, a pork chop, a bavette steak and a dry-aged New York strip
• Skewers: a hibachi grill section

Sekoya recently launched an in-house dry-aging program for its steaks. The menu changes with the seasons. The restaurant posts dated PDFs on its Menus page.

Cocktails and wine

Drinks are a big part of the identity here. The restaurant says its cocktail program is seasonal throughout, from herbs simmered and steeped for house-batched simple syrups to hand-picked garnishes. The wine list focuses on high-elevation wineries. The restaurant says the kitchen aims for flavors of the same character.

Amber Hour

Sekoya's happy hour is called Amber Hour. The restaurant says it dates to 2023. It runs Monday through Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m., with its own menu. For the third anniversary, Sekoya introduced The Amber Hour Three, a three-course prix-fixe served only during Amber Hour.

Private and group dining

Group dining is a focus. Besides reserved experiences in the lounge and at its Tree Table, Sekoya offers two private rooms. The Pacific Room has wallpaper, modern lighting, two skylights and fixed A/V for business meetings. It seats up to 18 at one table or 24 at three tables. The Sekoya Terrace is enclosed, with windows for airflow and heaters for cooler months. It holds 30 people seated or standing. Private events can include custom cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Inquiries go to the events email listed on the website.

Who it suits

Sekoya fits an anniversary dinner, a client dinner or a cocktail with friends after work. The private rooms suit company dinners and milestone celebrations. The Pacific Room's A/V setup also helps with a working meeting over a meal. With raw bar starters, a caviar service and dry-aged steaks, the menu leans toward a special night out. The burger, the skewers and Amber Hour offer a more casual way in. Vegetarians have fewer choices than meat eaters, though the eggplant katsu, the charred cabbage and several starters are meatless.

Tips for visiting

Sekoya is dinner only and closed on Sunday. Reserve through the link on its website. Arrive early if you want Amber Hour. The restaurant is a short walk from the California Avenue Caltrain station. Our California Avenue guide covers parking and the Sunday farmers market. For a special night out, see our date night ideas and our guide to bars, wine and beer.

Location and getting there

Sekoya is at 417 California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306, in the California Avenue area of Palo Alto. Our California Avenue guide covers what else is around.

The California Avenue Caltrain station is less than a quarter mile away, a walk of a few minutes.

Parking: street spaces and city garages with posted limits (see parking in Palo Alto).

Hours

Hours from the business's own website, checked October 30, 2026.

What is nearby

• UMe Tea, cafe, under 0.1 mi
• Mediterranean Wraps, quick-service spot, under 0.1 mi
• Vin Vino Wine, food shop, under 0.1 mi
• Leaf & Petal, store, under 0.1 mi
• The Cobblery, store, under 0.1 mi
• College Terrace Library, 0.3 mi
• Bowden Park, 0.3 mi
• Peers Park, 0.4 mi

Other restaurants nearby: La Bohème (under 0.1 mi); Lotus Thai Bistro (under 0.1 mi); Palo Alto Sol (under 0.1 mi); Sun of Wolf (under 0.1 mi). Browse the full restaurants list.

Before you go

• Popular dinner spots in Palo Alto fill up on Friday and Saturday nights, so book ahead where the restaurant takes reservations.
• Many kitchens close earlier than in big cities. Plan to order by about 9 p.m. on weeknights unless the posted hours say otherwise.
• If you have allergies or dietary needs, call ahead or check the current menu on the restaurant's website.

About this listing

Checked October 30, 2026 against Sekoya official website; About Sekoya; Group dining; Dinner menu, October 2026 (PDF). How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently asked questions