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Eating out in Los Altos means going downtown. The city keeps almost all of its restaurants inside the small triangle around Main and State streets, which makes it easy to park once and decide on foot. The mix is wider than the town's quiet reputation suggests: a food hall with a dozen counters, omakase sushi, modern Indian, an oyster bar, Italian, Mexican and a wood-fired grill.
Every restaurant on this page was checked against its own website in late October 2026. We do not rate or review places. Descriptions come from what each business says it serves. Restaurants open and close often, so check a site again before you drive over. For background on the area, see our downtown Los Altos guide.
How dining in Los Altos works
A few patterns help when you plan a meal here:
- One district. Main Street, State Street and the short cross streets hold nearly everything. A few plazas off the main streets, such as Plaza North and Central Plaza, have restaurants too.
- Early evenings. Many kitchens close around 8 or 9 p.m. on weeknights, a little later on Friday and Saturday.
- Lunch matters. Downtown is busy at midday with office workers and parents. Several places run separate lunch menus.
- Easy parking. Free public plazas sit behind the storefronts. Time limits stop being enforced at 6 p.m.
State Street Market food hall
State Street Market at 170 State Street is the simplest choice for a group that cannot agree. It is a food hall with separate counters around shared seating. Its website lists these stalls:
| Stall | What it serves |
|---|---|
| Konjoe Burger | Burgers |
| Konjoe Eatery | Counter service; see the market's menu page |
| Laughing Monk Brewing | Beer |
| Little Blue Door | Counter service; see the market's menu page |
| Little Sky Bakery | Baked goods |
| Orenchi Ramen | Japanese ramen with pork or vegan broth and street food such as karaage |
| Orenchi Sushi | Sushi |
| The Good Salad | Salads |
| The Penny Ice Creamery | Ice cream |
The market's own website has each stall's menu and the building's hours, which run later on Friday and Saturday. Individual counters can keep shorter hours than the hall, so check the stall you want. The market also takes group reservations and hosts the downtown holiday markets on Thursday evenings in December.
Main Street restaurants
Main Street holds the older storefronts and several sit-down restaurants within a few blocks of each other.
The Post
The Post at 395 Main Street is a restaurant and bar with a seasonal menu built on local ingredients, according to its site. It serves lunch and dinner, has a bar and happy hour menu and offers a kids menu. Bookings go through Resy. Its site lists holiday closures on Thanksgiving (November 26) and on December 24 and 25.
Hiroshi
Hiroshi at 328 Main Street serves a Japanese omakase menu, a set sequence of courses chosen by the chef. The restaurant says it focuses on sourcing Japanese ingredients. Plan and book ahead, since omakase seating is limited and timed.
Rustic House Oyster Bar and Grill
Rustic House at 295 Main Street is a seafood restaurant with an oyster bar. Its site lists a Fourth Annual Champagne Tasting on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 6 p.m.
LuLu's on Main
LuLu's is a family-owned taqueria with several Peninsula locations. Its Los Altos branch is on Main Street, listed by the Los Altos Village Association at 163 Main Street. It is a casual counter-service option for burritos, tacos and salads. For more in this style around Palo Alto, see our guide to Mexican and Latin food.
State Street and the plazas
Aurum
Aurum at 132 State Street is a contemporary Indian restaurant. According to the restaurant, its menu reinterprets regional Indian dishes. It serves lunch and dinner with takeout and catering. Our Indian food guide covers similar places in Palo Alto.
Pompeii Ristorante
Pompeii at 100 State Street is an Italian restaurant serving pasta, pizza, salads and antipasti. Its site offers reservations, dine-in, takeout and online ordering.
State of Mind Public House and Pizzeria
State of Mind at 101 Plaza North is a pizzeria and public house. Its site says it hand-stretches slow-proofed dough and bakes pizzas in a high-heat electric oven. The menu also covers shared plates, salads, sandwiches and wings. It has a second location in Redwood City.
Sumika Grill
Sumika Grill at 236 Central Plaza describes itself as a Japanese izakaya. Its site lists lunch and dinner seven days a week, with a later dinner close on Friday and Saturday. It also notes an 18 percent service charge for parties of six or more.
Los Altos Grill
Los Altos Grill, listed at 233 Third Street, has been in town since 1996. Its site highlights house-smoked salmon, rotisserie chicken cooked over a wood fire, margaritas and a California wine list. Its website has a reservation link.
Bakeries, coffee and sweets
For a morning pastry or an afternoon treat:
- Manresa Bread lists a Los Altos cafe among its locations, with same-day pickup and preorders on its website. It also has a Palo Alto cafe on El Camino Real.
- Little Sky Bakery has a counter in State Street Market and also sells at the seasonal farmers market.
- The Penny Ice Creamery serves ice cream in State Street Market.
The Thursday evening Downtown Los Altos Farmers' Market adds prepared food stalls, baked goods and wine by the glass in season. It ran from April 30 to October 29 in 2026. For more sweets in Palo Alto, see our bakeries and desserts guide.
Choosing a place
- Families with young kids: State Street Market lets everyone order something different. The Post offers a kids menu.
- A quick lunch: LuLu's, The Good Salad or a ramen bowl at Orenchi.
- A special dinner: Hiroshi's omakase or a reserved table at Aurum, Rustic House or Los Altos Grill.
- After a hike at Rancho San Antonio: downtown is about ten minutes north. Pizza, burgers and ramen are all close to the parking plazas.
- Drinks: The Post's bar, Laughing Monk Brewing in the food hall or the bar at Los Altos Grill.
Beyond downtown Los Altos
Los Altos has a small restaurant scene by design. If you want more choice, two larger dining streets are a short drive away. Castro Street in Mountain View has one of the longest restaurant rows on the Peninsula, with a big range of Asian restaurants. California Avenue and University Avenue in Palo Alto are each about 15 minutes north. Our Palo Alto food and drink hub covers them in detail.
Good to know
- Hours change often. Each restaurant's own site is the most reliable source; we have not listed hours here except where a site states a holiday closure.
- Thursday evenings from late April to late October are the busiest, since the farmers market fills State Street.
- Parking is free in the downtown plazas. After 6 p.m. the time limits are not enforced.
- Visiting for a food weekend? You can compare hotels near Los Altos, since the city itself has few rooms.
Frequently asked questions
What is State Street Market in Los Altos?
State Street Market is a food hall at 170 State Street in downtown Los Altos. Its website lists stalls including Konjoe Burger, Konjoe Eatery, Laughing Monk Brewing, Little Blue Door, Little Sky Bakery, Orenchi Ramen, Orenchi Sushi, The Good Salad and The Penny Ice Creamery. It also hosts holiday markets in December.
Where can I find Japanese food in Los Altos?
Downtown has several choices. Hiroshi at 328 Main Street serves omakase. Sumika Grill at 236 Central Plaza is an izakaya. Inside State Street Market, Orenchi Ramen and Orenchi Sushi have counters. Check each site for hours and booking.
Do Los Altos restaurants take reservations?
Many do. The Post takes bookings through Resy, Los Altos Grill has a reservation link on its site and Hiroshi books ahead for its omakase. Food hall counters are first come, first served. Weekend dinner tables fill earliest.
Is there late-night food in Los Altos?
Not much. Downtown is quiet after about 9 or 10 p.m. even on weekends. For later meals, Castro Street in Mountain View and University Avenue in Palo Alto stay open later.
Is parking free near Los Altos restaurants?
Yes. Downtown has about 1,400 free public spaces, mostly in plazas behind the storefronts. Time limits are posted and enforced from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, so evening diners rarely need to watch the clock.