Terún Pizzeria

About Terún

Terún is a Southern Italian restaurant and pizzeria at 448 South California Avenue. It opened on February 8, 2013. It is best known for Neapolitan pizza from a wood-fired oven. The restaurant is certified as a Verace Pizza Napoletana restaurant, meaning it follows the traditional standards for true Neapolitan pizza.

Three founders, all born in southern Italy, started Terún: Franco Campilongo, Maico Campilongo and their close friend Kristjan D'Angelo, who is the executive chef. The restaurant tells the story of Kristjan arriving from Italy with a pizza shovel that the kitchen still uses. Within about three years, the founders say, Terún had become one of the Bay Area's most popular pizza restaurants.

The name is a statement. Terún is the dialect form of terrone, a word once used in northern Italy for people from the south, often as an insult. The founders reclaimed it to stand for their roots, family, hard work and hospitality.

What is on the menu

Pizza is the center of the menu, made the Neapolitan way. The dough is naturally leavened, the tomatoes are Italian and the mozzarella is fresh. The restaurant uses flour from the Italian mill Petra Molino Quaglia. Every pizza is baked in the wood-fired oven.

Beyond pizza, the kitchen serves handmade pasta, steaks, fresh seafood and seasonal dishes inspired by Southern Italy. The bar pours Italian aperitivi and craft cocktails. The wine list draws on Italian and California producers. Outside wine is allowed for a corkage fee per bottle. Menus change, so check the website for current dishes.

The space and live music

Terún has indoor dining plus a patio and a veranda. Its newest space is The Terrace, a covered patio that seats up to 49 people or holds up to 70 standing. The restaurant's site lists live music on Mondays and says meals are often accompanied by live music.

The restaurant also has a cycling club. Its Bici-Amici project runs the Terún Ride, a group ride of roughly 120 to 140 kilometers that starts from the pizzeria after coffee and ends back there for pizza, beer and wine.

Reservations, groups and takeout

Reservations go through SevenRooms. The restaurant strongly recommends booking, especially for dinner and on weekends. Tables are held for 15 minutes. Walk-ins are welcome when there is room. Parties of eight or more count as large groups and may carry a service charge, which is disclosed when you book.

For events, Terún offers semi-private spaces, private patio events and full buyouts. A vegan or vegetarian group menu is available on request. If Terún cannot fit your party, the team points to iTalico, its sister restaurant across the street. Online ordering, pickup and gift cards run through Toast. The restaurant adds a 3.5 percent employee care fee to bills to support wages and benefits.

In the press

Terún's website links to coverage from Eater San Francisco's guide to Peninsula restaurants, a 2023 San Francisco Chronicle feature on Bay Area Italian restaurants, Food Network and a 2014 restaurant report in The New York Times. Those articles are a good way to see how the restaurant has been described over more than a decade on California Avenue.

Who it suits

Terún suits a date night, a family pizza dinner or a group celebration on the terrace. Pizza lovers come for the certified Neapolitan style. The pasta, seafood and steak give non-pizza eaters plenty of choice. The FAQ says the kitchen does its best with allergies and dietary preferences but cannot promise an allergen-free environment.

Tips for visiting

• The kitchen closes between 2 and 5 p.m., so plan for lunch or dinner, not a late afternoon meal.
• Street parking and a parking garage are right behind the restaurant. After 5 p.m. there is no time limit.
• Terún also runs Impasto Pizzeria by Terún in San Carlos.
• Our California Avenue guide covers the street. Nearby are Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels and Naschmarkt Palo Alto. On Sundays, pair a visit with the California Avenue farmers market.

Location and getting there

Terún Pizzeria is at 448 South California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306, in the California Avenue area of Palo Alto. Our California Avenue guide covers what else is around.

The nearest train stop is the California Avenue Caltrain station, about 0.3 miles away. That is roughly a 7 minute walk.

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

Hours

Hours from the business's own website, checked October 29, 2026.

What is nearby

• Backyard Brew, cafe, under 0.1 mi
• California Avenue Optometry, practice, under 0.1 mi
• Country Sun, food shop, under 0.1 mi
• Lee Aldinger Insurance, firm, under 0.1 mi
• Kali Greek Kitchen, quick-service spot, under 0.1 mi
• College Terrace Library, 0.3 mi
• Bowden Park, 0.4 mi
• Peers Park, 0.4 mi

Other restaurants nearby: Jin Sho (under 0.1 mi); Namaste (under 0.1 mi); Ramen Kowa (under 0.1 mi); Lotus Thai Bistro (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 29, 2026 against Terún official website; Terún about page; Terún FAQ; Terún group dining. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently asked questions