Zareen's

About Zareen's

Zareen's is a halal Pakistani and Indian restaurant at 365 South California Avenue. It is run by chef and owner Zareen Khan and is one of four Zareen's restaurants, alongside Mountain View, Redwood City and Sunnyvale. The restaurant describes itself as a MICHELIN Guide 2020 restaurant. The Palo Alto location is now the brand's flagship.

Khan's family comes from Karachi, Bombay and Punjab. She learned to cook from her mother, aunts and sister. After 12 years in corporate America she started Curry Village Foods, which began with cooking classes in Saratoga before growing into home kabab and curry offerings and corporate catering. The About page dates that business to 2011. The first Zareen's restaurant opened in Mountain View in March 2014. The Palo Alto restaurant followed in October 2016.

The kitchen takes what the restaurant calls an all-natural approach, avoiding preservatives and artificial flavoring. In the owners' words, "The food at Zareen's is the food we and our kids enjoy at our home."

A bigger California Avenue flagship

Zareen's has grown on California Avenue. Its press page links a Palo Alto Online story about the restaurant taking over the former Starbucks space next door, which turned the Palo Alto location into its flagship. The same coverage mentioned a new Zareen's on Murphy Avenue in Sunnyvale, which is now open at 135 South Murphy Avenue.

What is on the menu

The menu mixes street food, grilled kababs and home-style dishes. Snacks include chicken Memoni samosas, chicken shami kebabs and masala fries. Paratha rolls, also called kathi rolls, come in versions such as the gola kabab paratha roll and the chicken tikka roll. Beef gola kabab and a Punjabi chicken burger show the range. Biryani and kababs are central to the menu.

Comfort dishes include yellow daal with basmati rice and halwa puri. Larger plates include a chicken boti sizzler, thali meals and tikka masala. For dessert, look for malai kulfi and kheer. Mango lassi is on the drinks list. The restaurant's website does not list vegan or gluten-free labels, so ask staff about ingredients if you have dietary limits.

Ordering and catering

You can dine in, take food to go or order online through the ordering link for each location on the Zareen's website. Gift cards are sold online. Catering is a large part of the business. Zareen's caters office lunches, company retreats, weddings and parties at home, with orders placed online and confirmed before the event. Its website lists corporate catering clients such as Stanford University and Hospitals, Google, Microsoft and Nvidia, along with several venture firms.

Who it suits

Zareen's suits a casual lunch, a group dinner or a late bite after an evening out. Paratha rolls and samosas work for a quick meal, while biryani, sizzlers and thali plates suit a slower dinner. Diners who keep halal can order from the whole menu. Groups who want to share can mix kababs, rolls and rice dishes across the table. For an office or a party, the catering service is built for volume, with a track record of corporate clients.

If you are not near California Avenue, the other locations offer the same brand. Mountain View, home of the first Zareen's, now has a restaurant on Plymouth Street. The Redwood City restaurant is on Broadway and the Sunnyvale branch is on Murphy Avenue. Hours vary by location, so check the locations page before you go.

Tips for visiting

The Palo Alto restaurant keeps long hours, from 11 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. every day. After 11 p.m. it switches to takeout only. That makes it an option for a late meal on California Avenue. For parking, the restaurant points to City of Palo Alto Lot 7, which it describes as free and right behind the restaurant. Our California Avenue guide covers the rest of the district. For more South Asian and other Asian food, see our Asian food guide. Our cheap eats and late night guide lists more casual meals. If someone in your group wants pizza instead, Square Pie Guys is a few steps away.

Location and getting there

Zareen's is at 365 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 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 29, 2026.

What is nearby

• Square Pie Guys, quick-service spot, under 0.1 mi
• California Paint Company, store, under 0.1 mi
• ZombieRunner Coffee, cafe, under 0.1 mi
• Spoke & Weal, salon or spa, under 0.1 mi
• Massage Therapy Center, salon or spa, under 0.1 mi
• Bowden Park, 0.3 mi
• College Terrace Library, 0.3 mi
• Peers Park, 0.4 mi

Other restaurants nearby: iTalico (under 0.1 mi); Anatolian Kitchen (under 0.1 mi); Sun of Wolf (under 0.1 mi); Palo Alto Sol (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 Zareen's official website; Zareen's locations; About Zareen's; Zareen's press page on the Palo Alto expansion. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently asked questions