El Merkat Spanish Market

About El Merkat

El Merkat is a small Spanish food market at Town & Country Village, the open-air shopping center on El Camino Real across from Stanford. It belongs to Telefèric Barcelona, the Spanish restaurant next door. The restaurant describes it as its adjacent market. The pitch is simple: walk next door after a meal for the same Spanish ingredients the kitchen uses and take a bit of Barcelona home.

Telefèric Barcelona was founded in 1992 in Sant Cugat del Vallès, a town just outside Barcelona, by the Padrosa family. Its Palo Alto restaurant opened at Town & Country Village in 2019. The company also runs restaurants in Walnut Creek and Los Gatos. El Merkat is listed by Foods and Wines from Spain, the Spanish trade promotion program, among its certified colmados from Spain. Colmado is the traditional word for a neighborhood grocery in Spain.

What it sells

The market focuses on imported Spanish pantry goods and deli items. Telefèric names these on its Palo Alto page:

• Spanish olive oils
• Manchego and other cheeses
• Ibérico ham
• Conservas, the tinned seafood and preserves that are a staple of Spanish tapas bars
• Pantry staples imported from Spain
• Paella kits for cooking at home

The certified colmado listing describes the range in general terms as gourmet products and deli items sourced straight from Spain. Stock depends on shipments, so ask what is in that week if you are after a particular brand or cut.

Paella kits and cooking at home

The paella kits are the most practical item for a home cook. The restaurant says it builds its own paella with bomba rice from Valencia and saffron from La Mancha, the two ingredients that matter most to a good result. A kit removes the hunt for those pieces at a regular supermarket. If you have never made paella, a wide, shallow pan and a hot burner or grill matter as much as the ingredients. Let the dish rest briefly before serving so the rice finishes.

Conservas and a wedge of Manchego make an easy tapas spread without cooking at all. Add bread and olives and you have a light dinner or a picnic for a nearby park.

Who it suits

El Merkat is a good fit for home cooks who want Spanish ingredients without ordering online. It also works for anyone hunting for a food gift. A bottle of Spanish olive oil, a tin of good conservas or a paella kit makes a host present that travels well. It is a shop rather than a cafe, so plan to eat at the restaurant next door if you want a meal on the spot.

Pairing a visit with Telefèric

Most people find El Merkat through the restaurant. Telefèric Barcelona serves tapas and several styles of paella, with a large all-Spanish wine list, an open kitchen and a patio facing the center. It takes reservations and also offers takeout and delivery through its own online ordering and the usual delivery apps. Telefèric's Palo Alto page lists its restaurant hours, which run from late morning into the evening every day. The market sits right beside it, so a quick browse before or after a meal is easy.

Tips for visiting

Town & Country Village has free parking in its own lot, which Telefèric points out on its website. That makes El Merkat an easy stop on an errand run along El Camino Real. Trader Joe's and several bakeries share the center, so you can finish a full grocery run in one parking spot. The market does not post separate hours online, so call the restaurant at the number on its Palo Alto page before driving over for one item.

Our Town & Country Village guide covers the other shops and restaurants in the center. For more places to stock a pantry with imported goods, see our groceries and specialty food guide. If you plan to cook paella for friends, our picnic spots page lists parks where a tapas spread travels well.

Location and getting there

El Merkat Spanish Market is at 855 El Camino Real, Suite 130, Palo Alto, CA 94301, in the Town & Country Village area of Palo Alto. Our Town & Country Village guide covers what else is around.

The nearest train stop is the Palo Alto Caltrain station, about 0.5 miles away. That is roughly a 13 minute walk.

Parking: the center's own free surface lots.

What is nearby

• Telefèric Barcelona, restaurant, under 0.1 mi
• Hudson Grace, store, under 0.1 mi
• Manresa Bread, bakery or dessert shop, under 0.1 mi
• Wildseed, restaurant, under 0.1 mi
• Trader Joe's, food shop, under 0.1 mi
• Town & Country Village, 0.1 mi
• Stanford Stadium, 0.3 mi
• Heritage Park, 0.4 mi

Other quick bites and takeout nearby: Boichik Bagels (under 0.1 mi); Oren's Hummus Express (under 0.1 mi); Palmetto Superfoods (under 0.1 mi); Roost & Roast (under 0.1 mi). Browse the full quick bites and takeout list.

Before you go

• Ordering ahead online or by phone saves time at lunch, when downtown and Cal Ave spots get busy.
• Delivery apps cover most of Palo Alto, but prices and menus there can differ from ordering in person.
• Check the posted hours before a late-night visit, since closing times vary by day.

About this listing

Checked October 30, 2026 against Telefèric Barcelona Palo Alto page (El Merkat section); Foods and Wines from Spain certified colmado listing. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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