Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food in Palo Alto

The eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East are well covered in Palo Alto. Emerson Street downtown has a long-running Greek restaurant with a wood-fired grill, a second Greek restaurant on a corner a few blocks south and a Turkish meyhane between them. University Avenue has an Israeli hummus restaurant. California Avenue has a falafel counter that has been on the street for decades and an Anatolian restaurant. Stanford Shopping Center adds a mezze restaurant from José Andrés.

Each restaurant named here was confirmed as open in October 2026 through its own website, a verified directory page or Stanford Shopping Center's dining list. For Persian food, head to Arya Steakhouse at 140 University Avenue. It pairs dry-aged steaks with kabobs, saffron rice and Persian stews. The whole menu is halal. Our Arya Steakhouse listing has the details.

The cuisines, briefly

These kitchens share olive oil, lemon, yogurt, grilled meat, flatbread and chickpeas, but each has its own habits.

• Greek. Grilled fish and lamb, salads with feta, spreads such as tzatziki and pastries made with phyllo.
• Turkish. Meze small plates, kebabs, flatbreads and slow-cooked dishes from Anatolia. A meyhane is a tavern where meze and drinks stretch over a long evening.
• Israeli. Hummus served warm as a meal, pita, grilled meats, salads and pickles.
• Lebanese. Mezze such as hummus, baba ghanoush and tabbouleh, plus grilled skewers.
• Levantine street food. Falafel, shawarma and kufta, often rolled in a wrap.

The common thread is sharing. A table orders several small plates, then a few grilled dishes, then dessert.

Where the restaurants are

Emerson Street downtown is the center: Evvia at 420, Meyhouse at 640 and Taverna at 800, all within a few minutes' walk. Oren's Hummus is on University Avenue, one block over. California Avenue has Mediterranean Wraps and Anatolian Kitchen. On El Camino Real, Stanford Shopping Center holds Zaytinya and Hummus Mediterranean Kitchen and Town & Country Village has Oren's Hummus Express. Our downtown guide covers parking near Emerson Street.

Greek

Evvia, 420 Emerson Street

Evvia Estiatorio was founded by two couples, George and Judy Marcus and Kenny and Angie Frangadakis, to share the cooking of their Greek heritage. Estiatorio simply means restaurant in Greek. The kitchen is built around a wood-fired grill and a large open kitchen. Its sister restaurant is Kokkari Estiatorio in San Francisco. Its website lists a chef's table for up to 18, a covered patio for up to 40 and inside dining for up to 80. It is listed in the MICHELIN Guide without a star.

Taverna, 800 Emerson Street

Taverna is a Greek farm to table restaurant on a downtown corner. It opened in April 2018 and was founded by longtime friends Thanasis Pashalidis and Hakan Bala. It is open every day, with weekday lunch, weekend brunch from 10:30 a.m. and dinner nightly. There is an outdoor veranda and private rooms for up to 25, 40 and 70 guests. Separate menus cover lunch, brunch, desserts, fine wine and kids.

Turkish and Anatolian

Meyhouse, 640 Emerson Street

Meyhouse describes itself as a convivial meyhane, with a menu drawn from contemporary Turkish cooking and the culinary heritage of Anatolia. Meals center on meze, grilled dishes, wine and long dinners. Sister restaurants operate in Sunnyvale and San Ramon. The Istanbul Room seats up to 38. It serves lunch daily from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner every night.

Anatolian Kitchen, 340 California Avenue

Anatolian Kitchen's website says that after strong demand it is serving in Palo Alto once again. It describes a menu that blends traditions from the western shores to the eastern regions of Anatolia. It serves lunch and dinner, takes reservations and offers catering and online ordering. Check its site for current hours.

Zaytinya, Stanford Shopping Center

Zaytinya, at 180 El Camino Real in Stanford Shopping Center, comes from chef José Andrés and the José Andrés Group. Its mezze menu is inspired by Turkish, Greek and Lebanese cooking, served as shared small plates with cocktails and Mediterranean wines. Reservations are made through its website.

Hummus, falafel and wraps

Oren's Hummus, 261 University Avenue

Oren's Hummus Shop is the original location of an Israeli restaurant group that began here in 2011. It serves fresh hummus, pita and grill plates and says it uses Angus beef, all-natural chicken and organic eggs. It runs an online waitlist instead of reservations and a happy hour Monday through Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. The smaller Oren's Hummus Express at Town & Country Village takes its own pickup and delivery orders.

Mediterranean Wraps, 433 South California Avenue

Mediterranean Wraps has used the tagline "A Palo Alto Hit since 1997." The menu splits into vegetarian wraps and plates, meat wraps and plates, salads, soups and sides. Choices include falafel, shawarma and kufta, a baba ghanoush plate made with charbroiled eggplant, dolma and mujaddara, a plate of rice, lentils and grilled onions. It opens at 11 a.m. and handles pickup, delivery and group orders.

Hummus Mediterranean Kitchen

Hummus Mediterranean Kitchen appears on Stanford Shopping Center's dining list. It is a quicker option for Mediterranean basics during a shopping trip. See our Stanford Shopping Center guide for the layout.

Dietary notes

• Vegetarian. This is one of the easier cuisines for vegetarians. Mediterranean Wraps has full vegetarian sections and a Veggie Combo Plate. Meze menus lean heavily on vegetables, legumes and yogurt.
• Vegan. Hummus, falafel, baba ghanoush and many salads are often vegan, but yogurt sauces and butter appear in many dishes. Ask.
• Gluten-free. Mediterranean Wraps lists gluten-free options. Oren's pours a gluten-free beer. Pita, phyllo and bulgur contain gluten.
• Ask first. Meyhouse asks guests with vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free needs to contact it before ordering. Taverna's menu does not label vegetarian or gluten-free dishes.
• Halal and kosher. None of these restaurants states halal or kosher certification on the pages we checked. Ask directly if it matters to you.

More options appear in our vegetarian and vegan guide.

Reservations and ordering

Evvia takes bookings on its website and says it will not take or change reservations by email. Reserve ahead for Friday and Saturday dinner and during Stanford events such as commencement in June. Meyhouse books through its website and welcomes walk-ins, though seating is limited. Taverna requires parties of eight or more to order from one of its family style menus. Oren's uses an online waitlist.

A good way to order for a group:

1. Start with three or four spreads and salads for the table with bread.
2. Add one grilled dish for every two people.
3. Finish with a shared dessert and Greek or Turkish coffee if offered.

Quick lunches suit Oren's Hummus Express, Mediterranean Wraps and the counters at Stanford Shopping Center.

Nearby in Mountain View and Menlo Park

Oren's Hummus also runs a restaurant in Mountain View, part of a group that includes San Francisco, Los Gatos, Cupertino and Lafayette. Downtown Mountain View's Castro Street has many more restaurants within a few minutes of the train station. We did not confirm a Mediterranean restaurant in Menlo Park for this guide. See our Mountain View and Menlo Park guides.

Frequently asked questions