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About Yutori
Yutori is a Japanese cafe, convenience-style deli, market and restaurant in one building at 3375 El Camino Real. In Japanese, yutori means space, or having room to breathe. The owners built the place around that idea, as somewhere to slow down over a morning matcha or a long dinner. Yutori also describes itself as a gathering space where food, art, design and community meet. By day it serves matcha, coffee and packed lunches. At night a separate restaurant and bar serves Japanese food through what Yutori calls a California lens.
The founder is Jerome Ito, who describes himself in a letter on the website as a fourth-generation Japanese American from Los Angeles. He learned sushi in Los Angeles and udon in Japan, worked at Google's first full sushi bar and later opened Go Fish Poke Bar and Taro San Japanese Noodle Bar. He opened Yutori with partners. Press coverage collected on the site dates the cafe and market opening to spring 2026 and the debut of dinner service to late September 2026.
Cafe, konbini and hot deli
The daytime side has three counters, each with its own hours.
- Cafe: premium matcha from Mie, Japan, small batch coffee from a rotating lineup of roasters, house-made pastries and Asian-inspired bakes. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Konbini: a Japanese corner store case of seasonal bentos, sandos, onigiri and sushi, made by hand in small batches each morning and packed to go. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Hot deli: hot sandos and breakfast items made to order, served until 3 p.m.
Yutori warns that the konbini case sells out most days, so the full selection is there in the morning. Online ordering is limited to drinks and pastries, Monday to Thursday. Menus for each counter are posted as PDFs on the website.
The restaurant and bar
Dinner is built around plates meant for sharing. The current menu moves from oysters, a mizuna salad and a wagyu nori crisp through chawanmushi with blue crab and scallop, a maitake mushroom pasta and a seafood pasta with lobster and mentaiko. Larger dishes include a bone-in tonkatsu for two, a whole roasted branzino served as lettuce wraps, a cauliflower katsu with Japanese curry mole and A5 wagyu from Japan. Desserts include a hojicha Earl Grey tiramisu and a sudachi key lime tart. The kitchen ferments, works with koji and makes as much as it can by hand, Ito writes.
The bar pours Japanese-inspired cocktails, sake, wine and spirits, plus zero-proof drinks. House cocktails lean on Japanese ingredients such as shiso, ume, yuzu, hojicha and shochu. The list also includes a Yutori martini made with Roku gin and sake vermouth. Two zero-proof cocktails cover anyone skipping alcohol. Menus change with the seasons, so read the current version on Yutori's restaurant page before you go.
The market
The market sells pantry staples, snacks, drinks, stationery and ceramics. Ito says the team imports many items itself from small makers in Japan, such as Yamanaka woodwork and Shigaraki pottery. It is a good place to find a gift or stock a Japanese pantry. Gift cards are sold online.
Reservations and events
Dinner reservations go through OpenTable from Yutori's website. Walk-ins are welcome at the bar. The restaurant serves dinner Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m. It is closed for dinner on Monday and Tuesday. For private dining, buyouts and events, Yutori asks guests to write to its events address, listed on the restaurant page.
Tips for visiting
Yutori notes additional parking behind the building. Come before mid-morning for the widest konbini choice, or plan a weekend dinner with a reservation. The cafe works as a quick breakfast stop on El Camino Real, while the restaurant suits a date night or a small group that likes to share. Our Asian food guide covers more Japanese and other Asian restaurants around town. For more cafés, see our Palo Alto coffee guide. Our groceries and specialty food guide lists other markets for pantry shopping.
Location and getting there
Yutori is at 3375 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306, in the Barron Park area of Palo Alto. Our Barron Park guide covers what else is around.
The nearest train stop is the California Avenue Caltrain station, about 0.7 miles away. That is roughly a 18 minute walk or a short bike ride.
Parking: street spaces or a small lot nearby; check posted limits.
Hours
| Cafe, daily | 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Hot deli, daily | 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Konbini and market, daily | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Restaurant and bar, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday | 5:30 to 9 p.m. |
| Restaurant and bar, Friday and Saturday | 5:30 to 10 p.m. |
Hours from the business's own website, checked October 29, 2026.
What is nearby
- Tie Mu Zhen, restaurant, under 0.1 mi
- Opus 1 Music Studio, school or studio, under 0.1 mi
- Building Kidz of Palo Alto, Lambert Avenue, service business, under 0.1 mi
- INDO Restaurant & Lounge, restaurant, under 0.1 mi
- Driftwood Deli and Market, food shop, under 0.1 mi
- Boulware Park, under 0.1 mi
- Bol Park and its bike path, 0.7 mi
- Bowden Park, 0.7 mi
Other cafes and coffee shops nearby: Starbucks 3885 El Camino Real (0.3 mi); Fambrini's Cafe (0.6 mi); UMe Tea (0.6 mi); SIGNAL Coffee (Sunday Pop Up) (0.7 mi). Browse the full cafes and coffee shops list.
Before you go
- Weekday mornings bring a rush of commuters and students, so expect a line between about 8 and 9:30 a.m.
- Some cafes limit laptop use at busy times or have few outlets. Ask before settling in for a long work session.
- Hours often change with the school calendar and holidays. Check the cafe's site or map listing before a special trip.
About this listing
Checked October 29, 2026 against Yutori official website; Cafe and konbini; Restaurant and bar; About Yutori; Press page. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Yutori in Palo Alto?
Yutori is at 3375 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306, in the Barron Park area. The nearest Caltrain stop is the California Avenue Caltrain station, about 0.7 miles away.
What is Yutori in Palo Alto?
Yutori is a Japanese cafe, konbini, deli, market and dinner restaurant under one roof at 3375 El Camino Real. The cafe serves matcha, coffee and pastries, the konbini sells bentos, sandos and onigiri made each morning and the market stocks pantry goods and Japanese ceramics. The restaurant and bar serve shared plates and cocktails at dinner.
Do I need a reservation for dinner at Yutori?
Reservations for the restaurant are taken online through OpenTable. Yutori says walk-ins are welcome at the bar. For private dining, buyouts and events, the restaurant asks guests to email its events team.
When should I go to Yutori for the konbini?
Go early. Yutori says the konbini case is made fresh each morning and sells out most days, so the full selection is there soon after the 8 a.m. opening.
What are Yutori's hours?
Cafe, daily: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Hot deli, daily: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Konbini and market, daily: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Restaurant and bar, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday: 5:30 to 9 p.m.; Restaurant and bar, Friday and Saturday: 5:30 to 10 p.m..