Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Palo Alto

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Places in Palo Alto

Coffee, cafés & 5,520 local spots in Palo Alto

5,520 places in Palo Alto: 536 places to eat and drink, 432 shops, 303 things to do and 75 places to stay. Local spots first, with directions to every one.

All places
5,520
82 per 1,000 residents · most nearby
Eat & drink
536
8 per 1,000 residents
Shops
432
79 gifts · 6 antiques · 12 books
Things to do
303
97 outdoors · 51 arts · 43 landmarks
Places to stay
75
1.1 per 1,000 residents

What kind of places does Palo Alto have?

Read from every listing. The page puts what stands out first.

A coffee town70 independent cafés, coffee shops and bakeries, 127 with the sweet shops and chains.Galleries & stages51 galleries, museums, theaters and music venues.Gear up & get out21 outfitters, rentals, charters and gear shops.Farms & markets12 farms, farm stands and markets.
The map

Where Palo Alto gathers

1,059 of Palo Alto’s 5,520 places sit within a five-minute walk of University Ave.

University Ave
1,059places in a five-minute walk of University Ave19% of Palo Alto’s places
★ What stands out · Eat & drink

536 places to eat & drink

361 restaurants, 127 cafés & treats, 36 bars & breweries. Local spots first.

See all →
See all 127 cafés & treats →
Things to do

303 things to do

112 fitness & sports, 97 parks & outdoors, 51 arts & culture. Local spots first.

See all →
See all 51 arts & culture →
Shops

432 shops

126 clothing, 79 gifts & boutiques, 47 home & hardware. Local spots first.

See all →
See all 18 outdoor gear →
Places to stay

75 places to stay

72 hotels & inns, 3 camping & rentals. Local spots first.

See all →
See all 72 hotels & inns →
Everyday

3,578 errands & services

Groceries, gas, the barber, the vet, the bank.

See all →
Health care 1,391Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy · Stanford Chiropractic Center · Palo Alto VA Medical CenterOffices & pros 740Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP · Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati · Merrill Lynch Wealth ManagementBanks & insurance 259Bank of America · Wells Fargo · Frank, Rimerman + Co.Home services 169Palo Alto Community Child Care · Stanford Arboretum Children's Center · California Self StorageHair & beauty 151Midtown Hair Studio · Drybar · Simply Be Beautiful Day SpaAuto & gas 96Anderson Honda · Audi Palo Alto · Volvo Cars Palo AltoPets 28Animal Hospital of Palo Alto · Downtown Dogs · Modern AnimalGroceries & convenience 16Ernie's Wines & Liquors · Safeway Pharmacy · Crossroads Specialty FoodsOther services 728CHC · Bay IVF · My Gym
Community

596 schools, churches & public places

Where Palo Alto learns, worships and gets things done.

See all →
Schools & childcare 290Living Wisdom School · Kumon Math and Reading Center · Bowman SchoolCommunity groups 140Palo Alto Elks Lodge · Midpen Media Center · Institute For The FuturePlaces of worship 87Congregation Etz Chayim · Congregation Kol Emeth · St Mark's Episcopal ChurchTown & public services 79Palo Alto Family YMCA · Palo Alto Fire Department · Santa Clara County Superior Court
Next door

Palo Alto and its neighbors

Palo Alto has the most places per resident of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its places.

Places per 1,000 residents · all places listed
Palo Alto82Menlo Park68Los Altos56Mountain View49Stanford33Portola Valley27East Palo Alto16Los Altos Hills11

Talk & tips

Favorites, openings and closings from Palo Alto neighbors.

Town Square →
Weigh in
Is La Baguette the best coffee in Palo Alto?

Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.

Share a tip

Some place details from Overture Maps (CDLA-Permissive-2.0), checked against the Census town line. Places added by neighbors go live once a second neighbor confirms them. Spot a mistake? Open the place and tap Edit mode.

How we sort and count

Each list puts neighbor favorites first (ratings and photos), then the most complete listings (a website, a phone number, a note), with local, independent spots ahead of national chains. Categories come from each place’s map category, so a café filed under “Shops” still shows up with the cafés. “A five-minute walk” is a quarter mile from the busiest spot on the map. Per-1,000 figures use the Census population.