Anatolian Kitchen

About Anatolian Kitchen

Anatolian Kitchen is a family-run restaurant at 340 California Avenue that cooks the food of central and eastern Turkey. The restaurant describes its focus as fresh, made-to-order dishes built on the flavors of the Anatolian plateau, the wide stretch of land between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean that gives the restaurant its name.

Longtime Palo Alto diners may remember Anatolian Kitchen from its first home at 2323 Birch Street, a short block away. In October 2022, a city permit showed plans to move into 340 California Avenue, then home to a Portuguese chicken restaurant. A report at the time named Dino Tekdemir as the owner and described the menu as Turkish and Kurdish home cooking made in-house. The restaurant's site now greets guests with a note that it is serving Palo Alto once again.

What is on the menu

The website posts separate menus for lunch, dinner, dessert, wine and catering. The lunch menu on the site is dated April 2026, so the details are recent, but dishes still change. Use the dishes below as a guide to the style of the kitchen rather than a fixed list.

• Mezze: small plates for the table, including muhammara, a dip of walnuts and roasted red peppers served with pita.
• Kebabs: grilled meats, including the Alexander kebab, which layers ground lamb and beef over pita with tomato sauce and yogurt.
• Baked dishes: moussaka made with lamb or beef, eggplant and kasar cheese, served with rice pilaf. Manti, the small Turkish dumplings, have also been part of the menu.
• Dessert: kunefe, a warm pastry of shredded kataifi dough, melted cheese, kaymak cream and pistachios.

The restaurant's OpenTable listing says guests can watch the open kitchen at work, including bread being made. Fresh bread is a big part of a Turkish meal, so it is worth ordering a dip or two to go with it. A wine list rounds out the dinner menu.

The OpenTable listing splits the day into a lunch service from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and dinner from 4 p.m. until closing. That long lunch window makes a late midday meal easy, which is handy on a Saturday of errands around California Avenue. OpenTable files the restaurant under Turkish, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, a fair summary of a menu that moves from dips and salads to wraps, kebabs and baked dishes.

How to book and order

For a table, call the number listed on the website for reservations. The restaurant also appears on OpenTable, but the phone is the surest way to confirm a time, especially for a group. Takeout is ordered online through Toast, which also sells gift cards. The site links to an events page as well. If you are planning a private party, call to ask what the restaurant can offer, since the page does not list room sizes.

The catering menu is a separate PDF on the website. It is a practical option for office lunches near Stanford Research Park or for a family gathering, since mezze and kebabs travel well and suit a buffet.

Who Anatolian Kitchen suits

The all-day schedule makes Anatolian Kitchen an easy pick for a weekday lunch on California Avenue or an unhurried dinner. Shared mezze work well for groups with different appetites. Families will find familiar choices like grilled meats and rice. The website does not label vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or halal dishes, so ask your server or call ahead if you have dietary needs. Several mezze are meatless by nature, but confirm the details on the current menu.

Tips for visiting

California Avenue is closed to cars along its main blocks, which gives the street a relaxed, pedestrian feel. Street and lot parking in the district has posted time limits, so read the signs. The California Avenue Caltrain station is a short walk away, which makes this a good stop on a car-free day.

The Sunday farmers market brings crowds to the street, so expect a busier lunch on market days. Our California Avenue guide covers the rest of the district. For more Turkish, Greek and Middle Eastern cooking around town, see our Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food guide. The farmers markets page has the Sunday market details.

Location and getting there

Anatolian Kitchen is at 340 California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306, in the California Avenue area of Palo Alto. Our California Avenue guide covers what else is around.

The California Avenue Caltrain station is less than a quarter mile away, a walk of a few minutes.

Parking: street spaces and city garages with posted limits (see parking in Palo Alto).

Hours

Hours from the business's own website, checked October 30, 2026.

What is nearby

• ZombieRunner Coffee, cafe, under 0.1 mi
• Spoke & Weal, salon or spa, under 0.1 mi
• California Paint Company, store, under 0.1 mi
• Massage Therapy Center, salon or spa, under 0.1 mi
• Victoria Ballet, studio or gym, under 0.1 mi
• Bowden Park, 0.3 mi
• Peers Park, 0.3 mi
• College Terrace Library, 0.3 mi

Other restaurants nearby: iTalico (under 0.1 mi); Zareen's (under 0.1 mi); Sun of Wolf (under 0.1 mi); Palo Alto Sol (under 0.1 mi). Browse the full restaurants list.

Before you go

• Popular dinner spots in Palo Alto fill up on Friday and Saturday nights, so book ahead where the restaurant takes reservations.
• Many kitchens close earlier than in big cities. Plan to order by about 9 p.m. on weeknights unless the posted hours say otherwise.
• If you have allergies or dietary needs, call ahead or check the current menu on the restaurant's website.

About this listing

Checked October 30, 2026 against Anatolian Kitchen official website; OpenTable listing; WhatNow report on the move to California Avenue (2022). How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently asked questions