Zola + BarZola

About Zola

Zola is a French restaurant on Bryant Street in downtown Palo Alto, now run together with its cocktail bar under the name Zola + BarZola. The restaurant's events package says that since 2014 Zola has been a source for market-driven French cuisine. It is one of the Palo Alto restaurants listed in the MICHELIN Guide. It does not hold a star, but the listing keeps it on the short list for a special dinner downtown. The San Francisco Chronicle has also featured it among top French restaurants in the Bay Area, a story Zola links from its home page.

The business now gives its address as 585 Bryant Street. Its current menus and events materials all use that number. Older listings, including OpenStreetMap, show 565 Bryant Street. Use 585 for directions.

Zola's website also links press coverage of former Stanford and NFL quarterback Andrew Luck teaming up with the Zola owner on a Palo Alto restaurant venture.

What is on the menu

The dinner menu follows the shape of a Paris bistro, with seasonal produce from named California farms. Highlights from the current menu include:

• Hors d'oeuvres: French onion soup, burrata with heirloom tomatoes, a cheese and charcuterie board, meatballs called boles de picolat, roasted bone marrow and steak tartare, plus a caviar service
• Bread: a baguette from Midwife and the Baker and Parker House rolls
• From the shell: escargots in garlic and parsley butter with puff pastry, plus West Coast oysters on Friday and Saturday
• Salads: a salade verte and a frisée salad with stone fruit
• Les plats: Parisian gnocchi, a fish of the day, king salmon, roast chicken, duck confit and a pork chop
• Steak frites: a Creekstone hanger, a Creekstone flat iron and a dry-aged Flannery Beef ribeye, all with house-cut fries

Sides include mixed beans, stone-ground grits, macaroni gratin and pommes frites with a Dijon sauce. The menu changes with the seasons, so check the current PDF on the website.

The early bistro menu

Monday through Thursday from 5 to 5:30 p.m., Zola serves a set bistro menu: soup or salad, then hanger steak frites or king salmon, then a choice of dessert. It is a good way to try the kitchen early in the evening before a show or a train.

BarZola

BarZola serves cocktails, beer and wine in what the restaurant calls a sophisticated setting, along with a dinner menu from the Zola kitchen. The bar opens at 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, an hour before dinner service. It stays open until 10:30 p.m. early in the week and until 11:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The drinks list covers wines by the glass from France, California and elsewhere, draft and bottled beers and a seasonal cocktail list.

Private events and groups

Zola + BarZola has more private space than most downtown restaurants. Its events package lists The Gallery, a fully private room with A/V and a private restroom, for up to 20 seated or 30 at a reception. The semi-private Library holds standing receptions of up to 20. The two rooms can also be combined for a reception followed by a seated dinner for 20. The full Zola dining room can be booked for up to 40 seated or 50 standing. A fully covered, heated outdoor patio holds 20 seated or 30 standing. The Bar Lounge seats 8 for an intimate dinner. The package also covers set menus, cocktail party menus and add-ons. It includes a 360-degree virtual tour link for each space.

Who it suits

Zola works for an anniversary, a business dinner or a celebration with family in town for a Stanford event. The bar makes it just as useful for a cocktail and a plate of fries after work. The menu is built around meat and seafood, with gnocchi and several salads and starters for vegetarians. Ask about allergies when you book, since the kitchen cooks with butter, cream and cheese in the French tradition.

Tips for visiting

Book through OpenTable from the website, especially for Friday and Saturday. Zola is closed on Sunday. The restaurant is an easy walk from the Palo Alto Caltrain station and University Avenue. Our fine dining guide covers other special-occasion restaurants. Our date night ideas suggest what to pair with dinner. For parking, see our downtown Palo Alto guide.

Location and getting there

Zola + BarZola is at 585 Bryant Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301, in the Downtown area of Palo Alto. Our Downtown guide covers what else is around.

The nearest train stop is the Palo Alto Caltrain station, about 0.3 miles away. That is roughly a 7 minute walk.

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

• The UPS Store Bryant Street, service business, under 0.1 mi
• Bella Beauty Salon, salon or spa, under 0.1 mi
• Timothy Adams Chocolates, bakery or dessert shop, under 0.1 mi
• Chase Hamilton Avenue, service business, under 0.1 mi
• DUXIANA, store, under 0.1 mi
• King Plaza and City Hall, under 0.1 mi
• University Avenue, under 0.1 mi
• Pacific Art League, 0.1 mi

Other restaurants nearby: Curry Up Now (under 0.1 mi); Ramen Nagi (under 0.1 mi); Ettan (under 0.1 mi); Curry Pizza House (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 Zola + BarZola official website; Dinner menu (PDF); Private events package, September 2026 (PDF); MICHELIN Guide. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently asked questions