Home to Stanford University and just 40 minutes from San Francisco, Palo Alto has much to offer in its local business landscape. From vintage stores to coffee shops, here’s a selection of the best spots in Palo Alto.
Bevri
Serving traditional dishes such as khinkali (dumplings stuffed with juicy meat and rich spices) and khachapuri adjaruli (a bread boat loaded with cheese, butter and eggs), Bevri offers Palo Alto a slice of Georgian cuisine. Along with their tasty cuisine, Bevri has a large selection of wines — a Georgian specialty — and is decked out with vibrant decorations and attentive staff.
Head server Kirill Chub has worked at Bevri for two years. During his time, he’s found the most enjoyable part to be working with his colleagues and meeting all kinds of customers — even though, as a “true European restaurant,” Bevri does not currently offer tips.
Bell’s Book Store
Classics, fiction, biographies — Bell’s Books has something for everyone.
Founded in 1935 and located in a tiny room rented from a bike shop, Bell’s Books has expanded into a beautiful bookstore with a massive catalog of books. The staff’s love for reading has kept the bookstore up and running for 90 years.
Faith Bell, the current owner and manager, grew up helping her father, the founder of Bell’s Books, run the store.
“I was dusting the books when I was five, sweeping the sidewalks when I was 10, and working beside my folks when I was 16,” Bell told The Daily.
Despite working here for so long, Bell is always learning something new from the different staff members’ interests and perspectives. For her, learning from those around her “keeps [the bookstore] fresh,” she said. “Everyone here is more patient than I am, so I try to learn patience from them.”
The world of books is so vast that “Every step of the way, you are constantly delving into different things,” Bell said.
Blue Bin Vintage
Whether you’re into streetwear or upscale clothes, Blue Bin Vintage should be on your list of vintage stores to check out. With multiple locations on University Avenue and in San Francisco, the store has a great selection of secondhand clothing, appealing to a plethora of styles.
Blue Bin Vintage employee Sean Smith was originally drawn to the store because of his love for fashion. When he started working in 2022, he appreciated the store’s calm atmosphere. While he described the store as cute and quaint, Smith would love to expand their selection.
“We definitely have some really cool stuff here and people seem to like it, but [if I were to run the store] I’d probably focus … a bit more on higher end items,” Smith said.
Covour Coffee
Since May 2024, Covour Coffee offers rich pastries and fresh coffee in a modern atmosphere. Owners Gia Salah and Marc Sayeed aim to make their coffee shop welcoming and warm, where anyone of any age can enjoy their quality coffee. The couple had always envisioned “opening a neighborhood coffee shop where people can walk in and get their morning cup of coffee,” Salah said.
Their main goal and biggest priority is to serve the best food and coffee for their customers. They use single-origin beans, homemade syrups and pastries from BAKA Bakery, according to Salah.
“Our favorite part of Covour is making our customers happy,” Salah said. “We want every sip to be enjoyable, and we love hearing feedback from our community.”
To the untrained eye, Palo Alto might seem like a small place with not much to offer. But as one goes through the city, there are multiple hidden gems that are special and unique.