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Pizza and pasta are some of the easiest meals to find in Palo Alto, but the range is wider than it looks. California Avenue has a certified Neapolitan pizzeria run by founders from southern Italy. Downtown has a branch of one of San Francisco's well-known pizzerias. A Michelin-listed Italian restaurant serves house-made pasta in a brick barn built as a winery in the 1880s. And El Camino Real has a slice shop for a fast lunch.
Each place named below was confirmed as open in October 2026 through its own website, a verified page in our business directory or Stanford Shopping Center's dining list. Menus change with the seasons, so we describe what each restaurant says it focuses on rather than individual dishes.
Pizza styles you will see
Palo Alto's pizza menus use a few labels that mean specific things:
| Style | What it means | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Neapolitan | Soft, thin center and puffy, blistered rim, baked fast in a very hot oven. Certified restaurants follow rules on dough, flour, tomatoes and cheese. | Terún, Pizzeria Delfina |
| New York | Large, thin, foldable slices, often sold one at a time | State of Mind |
| Sicilian and square | Thick, rectangular pies baked in a pan | State of Mind |
| Hand-tossed | A middle ground with a chewier crust | Howie's |
| Fusion | Pizza used as a base for another cuisine's flavors | Curry Pizza House |
Italian menus beyond pizza usually move from antipasti (starters) to primi (pasta or risotto) to secondi (meat or fish). Nobody expects you to order all three. Sharing antipasti and pastas is common.
Where the restaurants are
Italian food clusters in four places. California Avenue has Terún and its sister restaurant iTalico facing each other across the street. Downtown has Pizzeria Delfina on Emerson Street and Curry Pizza House on University Avenue. The Stanford Barn on Welch Road, near the hospital, holds Vina Enoteca and the Tootsies cafe. El Camino Real has Howie's at Town & Country Village, Delarosa at Stanford Shopping Center and State of Mind in south Palo Alto.
Places to try
Terún, 448 South California Avenue
Terún opened on February 8, 2013. Its three founders were all born in southern Italy and executive chef Kristjan D'Angelo still uses the pizza shovel he brought from Italy. It is certified as a Verace Pizza Napoletana restaurant and bakes every pizza in a wood-fired oven, using flour from the Italian mill Petra Molino Quaglia. The kitchen also makes handmade pasta, steaks and seafood. The Terrace, a covered patio, seats up to 49. If Terún is full, the team points diners to iTalico, its sister restaurant across the street.
Pizzeria Delfina, 651 Emerson Street
Pizzeria Delfina is the Palo Alto branch of the pizzeria Annie and Craig Stoll started next door to their Delfina restaurant in San Francisco. It serves Neapolitan-inspired pies, housemade pasta and Italian wine. It is open for dinner every day and for lunch from Wednesday through Sunday. A 5 percent surcharge is added to all checks.
Vina Enoteca, Stanford Barn
Vina Enoteca is an Italian restaurant and wine bar in the Stanford Barn on Welch Road, built in the 1880s as a winery. It serves fresh pasta and pizza with an Italian wine list and is listed in the MICHELIN Guide without a star. Dinner runs Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m., with happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays are reserved for private events. It is close to Stanford Hospital, which makes it a practical dinner for families visiting patients.
Howie's Artisan Pizza, Town & Country Village
Howie's is chef Howie Bulka's restaurant, which recently marked its fifteenth anniversary. It serves hand-tossed pies, handmade pasta and sandwiches on house focaccia. There are about 60 seats inside and 30 more on a heated patio. It does not take reservations and is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
State of Mind Slice House, 3850 El Camino Real
State of Mind says it makes its food from scratch with local and seasonal ingredients. Its dough is slow-proofed and hand stretched, then baked in a high-heat electric oven. It sells slices in New York, Sicilian and gluten-free square styles. See our cheap eats guide for other quick meals nearby.
More Italian options
- Tootsies at the Stanford Barn, 700 Welch Road. An Italian-style cafe serving espresso, pastries, breakfast plates and panini on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. It compares breakfast there to sitting in a cafe in Bologna.
- Delarosa, Stanford Shopping Center. Listed on the center's dining page alongside the mall's other sit-down restaurants.
- Curry Pizza House, University Avenue. Indian fusion pizza, open until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Our Indian food guide covers it.
Dietary notes
- Gluten-free. Pizzeria Delfina offers a gluten-free crust on its white and red pies and gluten-free pasta on request. State of Mind sells gluten-free square pies. Howie's says plainly that its kitchen is not gluten-free, since its bread, pizza and pasta doughs all contain gluten. Vina Enoteca does not mark gluten-free dishes, so call ahead.
- Vegan. Howie's pizza dough is made of flour, water and starter, which makes it vegan. Its vegetarian sauces include marinara and pesto. Pizzeria Delfina's Vegan Pie comes with tomato sauce and three vegan toppings, but it cannot be made on the gluten-free crust.
- Vegetarian. Vina Enoteca marks vegetarian dishes. Terún offers a vegan or vegetarian group menu on request.
- Allergies. Terún says its kitchen tries to accommodate allergies but cannot promise an allergen-free environment. Pesto often contains pine nuts.
Reservations, fees and ordering
The sit-down restaurants each use a different booking system. Terún strongly recommends reservations through SevenRooms, especially for dinner and weekends. Tables are held for 15 minutes. Pizzeria Delfina books through OpenTable. Vina Enoteca books through Tock. Howie's is first come, first served, so arrive early for weekend dinners.
Read the bottom of the menu for fees. Terún adds a 3.5 percent employee care fee and Pizzeria Delfina adds a 5 percent surcharge. California requires restaurants to disclose such charges on the menu.
Ordering tips:
- Order one pizza per person or two people, depending on appetite. Neapolitan pies are personal size.
- Eat a Neapolitan pizza soon after it lands. The soft center softens further as it cools.
- Plan around kitchen breaks. Terún's kitchen closes between 2 and 5 p.m.
- For takeout, Terún sells online through Toast and Howie's, State of Mind and Curry Pizza House all take pickup orders.
Nearby in Menlo Park and Mountain View
Downtown Menlo Park along Santa Cruz Avenue and Castro Street in Mountain View both have long rows of restaurants with sidewalk seating, a short drive or train ride away. We did not confirm a specific Italian restaurant in either city for this guide, so walk the street and check menus posted at the door. Our Menlo Park and Mountain View guides cover parking and transit.
Good to know
- Vina Enoteca is closed to the public on Sunday and Monday.
- Parking near Terún is free without a time limit after 5 p.m., according to the restaurant.
- The Sunday farmers market fills California Avenue in the morning. See farmers markets.
- For a dressy Italian dinner, see our fine dining guide.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Neapolitan pizza in Palo Alto?
Terún at 448 South California Avenue is certified as a Verace Pizza Napoletana restaurant and bakes its pies in a wood-fired oven. Pizzeria Delfina at 651 Emerson Street downtown serves Neapolitan-inspired pizza from the San Francisco team of Annie and Craig Stoll.
Is there gluten-free pizza in Palo Alto?
Yes. Pizzeria Delfina offers a gluten-free crust on its white and red pies and gluten-free pasta on request. State of Mind Slice House sells gluten-free square pies. Howie's Artisan Pizza says its kitchen is not gluten-free, though some starters and salads can be.
Where can I get pizza by the slice in Palo Alto?
State of Mind Slice House at 3850 El Camino Real sells slices in New York, Sicilian and gluten-free square styles. Its website lists hours until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Do Palo Alto Italian restaurants take reservations?
Most sit-down ones do. Terún books through SevenRooms, Pizzeria Delfina through OpenTable and Vina Enoteca through Tock. Howie's Artisan Pizza does not take reservations and seats diners first come, first served.
Which Italian restaurant in Palo Alto is good for kids?
Howie's Artisan Pizza at Town & Country Village is a common family choice, with pizza, pasta and simple sandwiches and a bar that welcomes diners of all ages. Pizzeria Delfina and Vina Enoteca both have pizza and simple pastas on their menus.