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Downtown Palo Alto’s dining scene is constantly shifting, with old businesses shuttering and new ones moving in. With recent closures of popular restaurants such as Son & Garden and Sushirrito, new eateries are set to take their place. Here are seven restaurants joining the neighborhood.
Bistro Demiya
Cupertino residents Demi Ebara and husband Arthur de la Cueva are opening their sixth Bay Area restaurant this summer in downtown Palo Alto.
Bistro Demiya is an elevated version of their casual chain Demiya, which specializes in Japanese curry. Expect 70% of the menu to be new, focusing on yoshoku, a style of Japanese cuisine that reimagines Western dishes through a Japanese culinary lens. Dishes will be served tapas style, with breakfast offered on weekends. A selection of Japanese sake and beers will be available.
Omurice, a Japanese-style omelet served over tomato-seasoned rice with chicken, Japanese sausage, onions and mushrooms and finished with housemade sauce, at Bistro Demiya. Courtesy Bistro Demiya. 
Curry doria, a yoshoku dish of baked rice with Japanese curry, Japanese sausage, spinach, mushrooms and onions, topped with cheese and oven-baked until golden, at Bistro Demiya. Courtesy Bistro Demiya.
Located in the former Poke One space, the restaurant seats about 25, with an additional 10 in the backyard.
Ebara moved to the U.S. from Japan in 2011, opening the first Demiya in San Jose in 2016. She noticed that Americans often associated Japanese food with just sushi and ramen and wanted to showcase home-style cooking, particularly curry rice. She hopes to eventually take the company public and turn Demiya into a franchise.
Demiya, 407 Lytton Ave., Palo Alto; Instagram: @demiya_inc.
La Corneta Taqueria
La Corneta Taqueria, which is expanding to downtown Palo Alto, offers a variety of Mexican food, including burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, tostadas and more. Courtesy La Corneta Taqueria. 
La Corneta Taqueria’s fifth restaurant will replace SliderBar on University Avenue in Palo Alto. Courtesy La Corneta Taqueria.
A 31-year-old taqueria is expanding to the former SliderBar location. La Corneta Taqueria was founded by Joel Campos in San Francisco in 1995 and has since expanded to Burlingame and San Carlos.
Now it makes its way to University Avenue, serving the same burritos, tacos and plates it’s known for in other cities. La Corneta Taqueria is expected to open before Cinco de Mayo May 5, according to co-owner David Perez-Campos.
La Corneta Taqueria, 324 University Ave., Palo Alto; Instagram: @la.corneta.taqueria.
Mints & Honey
Prosciutto and ricotta waffle platter at Mints & Honey in San Carlos ($20.95). Photo by Adrienne Mitchel. 
Pumpkin cloud chai, left, and iced pumpkin spice latte at Mints & Honey in San Carlos ($6.50-$6.95). Photo by Adrienne Mitchel. 
Mango and Tajin toast with avocado, basil and honey on sour batard at Mints & Honey in San Carlos ($11.95). Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.
Peninsula brunch restaurant Mints & Honey is expanding to Emerson Street. The cafe was founded in San Carlos by sisters Dot and Canna Teng in 2017 and expanded to Burlingame in 2022.
A variety of sweet and savory waffles and toasts are on the menu. Find waffles served with housemade rose jam, organic yogurt and honey or with prosciutto, ricotta, fig jam and a soft boiled egg. Toasts include ones topped with mango, avocado, basil, Tajin and honey or with curry chicken. Sandwich options include smoked salmon, turkey avocado, albacore tuna salad and more.
Mints & Honey offers an expansive coffee and tea menu, with various flavored lattes (think lavender or Nutella), iced tea lemonades such as passionfruit honey jasmine or butterfly pink lemonade, matcha beverages (including matcha caramel and matcha mango lattes), fruit teas and milk teas.
An opening date has not yet been announced.
Mints & Honey, 728 Emerson St., Palo Alto; Instagram: @mintsandhoneycafe.
Peng’s Kitchen
A new Chinese restaurant is coming to the former home of Son & Garden. The restaurant has more than 60 locations in China and Hong Kong, according to its Instagram. An opening date has not yet been announced.
Peng’s Kitchen, 535 Bryant St., Palo Alto; Instagram: @peng.s_kitchen.
Rikyu
A rendering of the interior of Rikyu in downtown Palo Alto, expected to open mid-May. Courtesy Rikyu. 
A variety of Japanese sandos will be available at Rikyu, including a classic strawberry sando on milk bread. Courtesy Rikyu. 
Rikyu in downtown Palo Alto will offer chirashi, or deconstructed sushi bowls. Courtesy Rikyu.
The team behind Los Altos omakase restaurant Hiroshi is opening a matcha cafe in the former TOMO Tea House footprint. In addition to matcha and coffee beverages with housemade syrups, Rikyu will also offer Japanese sandos (including katsu-style chicken, Japanese A5 wagyu beef and shrimp katsu), chirashi and matcha desserts.
Owner Daiji Uehara expects a mid-May opening, pending final inspection.
Rikyu, 121 Lytton Ave., Palo Alto; Instagram: @rikyupaloalto.
Taste of Anatolia
A cafe specializing in Turkish coffee, tea, breakfast and sweets is coming to the former Round Table Pizza on University Avenue. According to its Instagram, Taste of Anatolia will offer boxes of colorful Turkish delights and assorted baklava. An opening date has not yet been announced.
Taste of Anatolia, 263 University Ave., Palo Alto; Instagram: @toa_tasteofanatolia.
Urban Momo
A local Indo-Nepalese chain is opening its fourth location in the former Sushirrito space. Established in San Jose in 2017 by Sama and Bharat Acharya, Urban Momo specializes in Nepalese dumplings as well as Indo-Chinese dishes. Urban Momo expanded to San Mateo in 2018 and to Pleasanton in 2024. The chain also has a sister restaurant, Himali Bistro, in Burlingame.
The menu at Urban Momo’s newest location will be more Nepalese-focused versus Indo-Chinese, more comparable to Himali Bistro’s offerings, according to Ajay Narayan, a restaurant consultant working on the project.
Standout Nepalese dishes include kwati, a soup made from nine types of sprouted beans and lentils; mustang aloo, a spicy potato dish made with Sichuan pepper; and momo, which will come in vegan, vegetarian, chicken and lamb varieties.
Narayan expects Urban Momo to open in downtown Palo Alto sometime this week.
Urban Momo, 448 University Ave., Palo Alto; Instagram: @urbanmomopa.
Zingster’s
A halal Nashville hot chicken and smashburger joint is opening in the former Cafe 220 space this week.
Established in Fremont in 2025, Zingster’s is hosting its grand opening Friday at 5 p.m. on University Avenue. For its grand opening, Zingster’s is giving the first 100 customers a free burger and offering 20% off all purchases plus a raffle.
Zingster’s, 220B University Ave., Palo Alto; Instagram: @zingsterspaloalto.
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