Vegetarian and vegan in Palo Alto

Palo Alto is an easy place to eat without meat. Two fully vegan restaurants operate inside city limits. Indian, Greek and Japanese kitchens downtown carry long vegetarian menus. The two weekly farmers markets keep the city stocked with produce year-round. A short drive south, Mountain View adds vegan Chinese and vegetarian Indian restaurants.

Every restaurant named here was confirmed as operating in 2026, mostly through its own website or an August 2026 roundup of Peninsula vegan and vegetarian restaurants in the Almanac. Menus change, so check current offerings before you go, especially if you have allergies.

The fully vegan restaurants

Wildseed, Town & Country Village

Wildseed is a 100 percent plant-based restaurant at 855 El Camino Real in Town & Country Village. Its first location is in San Francisco. The menu draws on several traditions: mushroom-based smashburgers, flatbread pizzas, curry, poke-style bowls, salads and mezze plates. It has a full bar with house cocktails, sodas and juices. Wildseed takes reservations and handles group events and catering, which makes it a practical pick for a mixed group where only some people are vegan.

Tane Vegan Izakaya, 461 Emerson Street

Tane is a vegan Japanese izakaya downtown. The Almanac's 2026 roundup lists avocado rolls, tofu California rolls, agedashi tofu, specialty rolls, ramen and yakimono, the grilled skewers of the izakaya menu. It sits on the same stretch of Emerson Street as several downtown bars, so it works for a casual dinner before or after drinks.

Vegetarian-friendly restaurants

These restaurants serve meat but have deep vegetarian menus. Many dishes are vegan or can be made vegan if you ask.

Indian and Pakistani

South Asian cooking is the easiest route to a big vegetarian meal in Palo Alto. Zareen's on California Avenue serves halal Indian and Pakistani food at casual prices and has more locations in Mountain View, Redwood City and Sunnyvale. Paneer and vegetable dishes are a big part of the menu. At the upscale end, Ettan on Bryant Street is listed in the MICHELIN Guide and cooks dishes from across the subcontinent, including slow-cooked black lentils. Our Asian food guide has more on both.

Greek and Mediterranean

Greek kitchens bring salads, spreads, grilled vegetables and rice. Kali Greek Kitchen on California Avenue is a fast-casual option with patio seating on the car-free street. At Stanford Shopping Center, Zaytinya serves mezze from José Andrés' restaurant group. Many of its small plates are vegetables, beans or grains. Hummus Mediterranean Kitchen and Tender Greens at the same center add quicker options.

Japanese

Beyond Tane, Japanese cafes are friendly to vegetarians. Yutori on El Camino Real sells salads, hot dishes, sandwiches and baked goods in its cafe and market. Check labels if you avoid fish, since dashi is common in Japanese cooking.

Mexican and pizza

Reposado on Hamilton Avenue marks dishes on its menu, including a queso fundido made with soy chorizo. State of Mind Slice House on El Camino Real sells pizza by the slice and offers gluten-free square pies. Taquerias usually offer bean or vegetable burritos.

Fine dining for vegetarians

Tasting menus can be hard for vegans. Protégé, the city's Michelin-starred restaurant, says it cannot offer a vegan tasting menu and that its stocks and sauces contain cooked alliums. Vegetarians should list their needs when booking and expect the kitchen to adapt where it can. À la carte rooms are easier. Ettan, Evvia and Zola all have vegetable dishes on their regular menus. Our fine dining guide covers booking rules for each.

Farmers markets and groceries

Cooking for yourself? The farmers markets are the easiest source of local produce. The downtown Saturday market lists organic vegetable farms, berry and stone fruit growers, microgreens, olive oil and nut butters among its 2026 vendors. It also lists ready-to-eat stalls with vegetarian food:

• Roti sells Pakistani breads, curries, dals, chutneys and pickles, with many vegan and gluten-free choices.
• Obour Foods makes small-batch organic hummus, tahini and pita chips.
• LeafyVeda grows microgreens on a small urban farm.
• Minimalist Eats sells nut butters made in San Jose.

The Sunday California Avenue market accepts EBT and matches up to $15 a day for fruits and vegetables. See the markets guide for details.

Vegan and vegetarian restaurants nearby

The Almanac's August 2026 roundup lists several more plant-based restaurants within a short drive. Mountain View's stretch of El Camino Real is the closest cluster, about 10 to 15 minutes south of Palo Alto by car. Sunnyvale's Lawrence Expressway corridor has more vegan Vietnamese and vegetarian Indian food. Burlingame is the farthest at about 25 minutes north by car. Twelvemonth there suits a special plant-based dinner.

• Garden Fresh, 1245 W. El Camino Real, Mountain View. Vegan versions of Chinese classics such as sesame "chicken" and sweet-and-sour "pork."
• Veggie Garden, 2464 W. El Camino Real, Mountain View. Vegan Chinese with some Thai dishes and vegan cakes.
• Chaat Bhavan, 165 E. El Camino Real, Mountain View, with two more locations in Sunnyvale. Vegetarian Indian snacks, thalis and Indo-Chinese dishes.
• Merit Vegan and Happy Flower Eatery, Sunnyvale. Vegan Vietnamese and Southeast Asian dishes.
• Twelvemonth, Burlingame. Plant-based dishes with a seasonal chef's tasting menu.

A plant-based day in Palo Alto

If you are visiting for a day or a weekend, here is one way to string these places together without a car for most of it.

1. Morning. On Saturday, walk the downtown farmers market on Gilman Street for fruit, Pakistani rotis and curries or a crepe. On Sunday, do the same on California Avenue.
2. Late morning. Take a coffee break downtown. Plant milks are easy to find at specialty cafes. Our coffee guide has the list.
3. Lunch. Eat a casual Indian and Pakistani lunch at Zareen's or a Greek plate at Kali, both on California Avenue.
4. Afternoon. Visit the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford, which is free, or walk the Dish loop.
5. Dinner. Book Wildseed at Town & Country for burgers and cocktails or walk to Tane on Emerson Street for vegan sushi and ramen.

Tips for plant-based diners

1. Ask about hidden ingredients. Fish sauce, dashi, ghee, butter and chicken stock show up in dishes that look vegetarian.
2. Use the menu labels. Many restaurants mark vegan (VG or V) and gluten-free (GF) dishes on their menus.
3. Mention allergies when booking. Kitchens can plan better with notice.
4. Go to lunch. Lunch is usually the cheaper meal at sit-down restaurants.

Frequently asked questions