Menlo Park

Menlo Park is vibrant during the afternoon and evening with plentiful places to get good food. Most businesses close by 10PM; there isn't too much to do after that.

By train

The easiest way to get in Menlo Park is to take the Caltrain. Many trains stop at the Menlo Park station. From the station it's about a 2-block walk to downtown. Trains tend to run every 30 minutes - 1 hour and stop around midnight.

• Menlo Park stationServed by Caltrain.

By bus

SamTrans is a Bay Area regional transit system that serves much of the Bay Area. It has several routes which service the area including along El Camino Real, Sharon Heights and Marsh Manor.
Stanford runs a free shuttle called Marguerite that makes stops in Menlo Park. It's good for getting between Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Stanford.

By Plane

Menlo Park is equidistance to the San Francisco airport and the San Jose airport.
If you fly into San Francisco it's possible to get to Menlo Park via public transit- take the BART train from the San Francisco airport to Millbrae, then connect to Caltrain and get off in Menlo Park.

Menlo Park has a small walkable downtown area that's centered on Santa Cruz Avenue. It's about 2 blocks from the Caltrain station.
For exploring further into Menlo Park biking is a good option, the regional Sam Trans busses can get you around, or ride sharing apps like Uber and Lyft are very usable.

• Facebook Headquarters

  address: 1 Hacker Way
  A stronghold squeezed between the freeway and the Bay, Facebook's headquarters neighbor the less-privileged Belle Haven area of Menlo Park. The large, iconic thumbs-up sign is located right in front of the campus; it is too large for selfies, but there will probably be geek tourists around to take your picture. On the other side of the sign, cloaked by the trees, you can still find the rusting logo of Sun Microsystems—the defunct tech company, once hailed for its advocacy of open-source software, which used to be headquartered here until its acquisition by Oracle in 2010. Back then, the offices used to be nicknamed "Sun Quentin", due to their resemblance with the prison of San Quentin in the North Bay.

• Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

  phone: +1-650-926-2204
  address: 2575 Sand Hill Rd
  A state of the art physics research faculty, SLAC is run by Stanford University for the Office of Science of the US Department of Energy. SLAC is also home to the world's longest building. SLAC offers public and private tours of the facility. For public tours, there is a signup sheet online. For private tours contact the public affairs office.

• Menlo Park Farmers MarketOn Sunday morning Menlo Park hosts a farmers market with fresh foods from the local area. You'll find fresh produce, nuts, bread, soap, meat, and flowers.

• Off The GridA collection of local food trucks and, frequently, live music.

• The Guild TheatreIndependent movie theatre that shows mostly new indie films. They often do a midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show.

• BicyclingMenlo Park has a bicycling paths that interconnect with other cities in the south bay. Bicycles can be rented at Menlo Velo

• Hike Bedwell Bayfront ParkA nice place to walk, bike, and bring children for exploring California nature.

• Summer Concert Series

  address: Fremont Park
  During the summertime Menlo Park puts on a series of free concerts in the park. Local bands play a variety of music. There's a local grocery nearby, Draegers, where you can buy snacks and drinks to enjoy while listening to the concert.

• Menlowe BalletCommunity ballet company that performs several times per year in the community art space.

• The United States Geological Survey

  phone: +1 650-853-8300
  address: 345 Middlefield Rd
  The USGS has a huge office in Menlo Park where you can obtain detailed maps before setting off on an expedition to a remote location.

• Kepler's BooksOne of the last independent bookstores on the peninsula. It features a large selection of tech-y, science-y, and local interests as well as best sellers. Kepler's is a frequent stop for many authors on book tours.

• Allied Arts GuildA collection of shops selling art and hand made crafts. There are also gardens, and a restaurant. Some proceeds going to local children's hospital.

• PenzeysA specialty spice store. You can get spices and dried herbs from all over the world.

• Menlo Velo

  address: 433 El Camino Real
  High-end bicycle shop. Rents bicycles by-the-day for exploring the Bay Area.

Breakfast and brunch

It's common in Menlo Park to hear "Let's meet for breakfast!" Even on weekday mornings you'll find people catching up and trading ideas before heading out to work.
On weekday mornings the preferred place for locals to meet and talk is the retro-cool Anne's Coffeeshop. It has a wide counter and booths and is a good place to stretch out and talk. On the higher-end side Coffeebar is a favorite for getting coffee and an artisanal baked good.
On the weekends Cafe Borrone is always busy for brunch service with its seating that spills out onto the patio. Since Borrone is right next to Kepler's it's easy to buy a book or a newspaper and spend the morning reading.

• Anne's Coffeeshop

  phone: +1 650 322-0043
  address: 772 Santa Cruz Avenue
  An old school diner with a big counter and booths. It's popular in the morning and on weekends and is a good place to people watch. It's cash only.

• Cafe Borrone

  phone: +1 650 327-0830
  address: 1010 El Camino Real
  A Menlo Park favorite for breakfast and brunch. It has a big seating area that spills out onto the plaza. The food is a California-style and tends towards being healthy.

• Stacks

  phone: +1 650 838-0066
  address: 600 Santa Cruz Ave
  Hearty American breakfast foods with generous portions in a family-style atmosphere.

• Posh Bagel

  address: 869 Santa Cruz Ave
  A bay area chain that serves bagels with cream cheese and eggs. The bagels are made onsite and are often fresh from the oven. The seating area is limited so it's better to get bagels to go.

Lunch

For lunch in Menlo Park there are a variety of choices along Santa Cruz Avenue. For a quick bite try Mama Cheli's Salvadoran food- there isn't much seating but it's easy to take-away. For a hamburger in a retro dinner you want Jeffrey's Hamburgers. For a date Mademoiselle Colette is a great choice. There are also chain options available along Santa Cruz if you hankering for fast food.

• Jeffrey's HamburgersA 1950s style hamburger joint. It has big booths, a counter, neon signs and car references. There's lots of seating so even when it's busy it's easy to find somewhere to sit down. The food is American staples- hamburgers, grilled cheese, milk shakes, and French fries.

• Kyosho SushiUpscale sushi restaurant close to the Menlo Park train station.

• Mademoiselle Colette

  phone: +1 650-644-8469
  address: 867 Santa Cruz Avenue
  A Parisian restaurant serving lunch and pastries. The food is rich and the atmosphere cozy. There's outdoor seating for warm afternoons. It's a lunch-only spot and closes before dinnertime begins. It's a good spot for a date or an intimate conversation.

• Mama Cheli'sServes tacos, pupusas, quesadillas, burritos, and tortas. The freshly made pupusas are worth the trip. It has some seating but it's a grab-and-go kind of place.

• Tu Casa Taqueria

  address: 875 Hamilton Ave
  At Willow Road. Parking is terrible for weekday lunch due to proximity to Facebook. This Mexican restaurant has a wide array of choices with filling portions at great prices. Try the Chile Relleno plate. You get all the chips you can eat with a light salsa. Also serves Salvadoran food. Bring cash or use the in-house ATM.

Dinner

Menlo Park has you covered for French inspired food, Mediterranean, and Japanese food. There are numerous options along Santa Cruz Avenue so it's easy to walk along until something strikes your fancy.

• Black PepperA newer restaurant to Menlo Park. It's sits on El Camino Real. The food is Singaporean inspired.

• Bistro VidaOne of the two great French restaurants in town. It has a dark, cozy vibe with a large bar. It can get very busy and sometimes there's a wait. Has outdoor seating.

• CarpaccioLocal favorite for Italian food, very close to Menlo Park's downtown. It's often busy even on a Tuesday night. The crowd is slightly older.

• CamperCalifornia comfort food. The name is a portmanteau of California (CA) and Mewl Park (MP). If you want to eat at somewhere that's uniquely Californian, this is the place to do it. The food is fresh Californian fare and is accordingly expensive. Has outdoor seating.

• Galata BistroMediterranean comfort food. Has outdoor seating.

• Left BankThe other French restaurant in Menlo Park. It's bigger than Bistro Vida and has a more lively bar. The atmosphere is friendly and bright. Has outdoor seating.

• Sajj

  phone: +1 650 322-7255
  address: 883 Hamilton Ave
  Mediterranean fast food. Excellent falafel, pita and salads. Close to facebook for a quick working lunch.

• SultanaGreat Mediterranean food. The falafel and hummus are local favorites.

Dessert

Along Santa Cruz Avenue there are several chain ice cream restaurants. For a dessert that you can walk and eat at the same time look to Miyo Yogurt. If you'd like to sit down and enjoy the evening Cafe Borrone has you covered with plated desserts, coffees and teas, and alcoholic drinks.

• Miyo YogurtServes frozen yogurt with a build-your-own sundae approach. Usually has 8 flavors of yogurt and dozens of toppings.

• Cafe Borrone

  address: 1010 El Camino Real
  Right next to Kepler's Books, open late, serves drinks and desserts.

Alcohol

Most restaurants in Menlo Park close by 10 PM which makes it challenging to have a late night drink. While nearly all restaurants in town serve wine and beer and most have a bar there are a couple that stand out as a nice place to have a drink.

• British Bankers Club

  address: 555 Santa Cruz Ave, Menlo Park, CA 94025
  If you're looking to have a drink somewhere nice British Bankers Club is hard to beat. They have two bars, one inside and one of the roof. The inside one is a long wooden bar with big windows surrounding it. California is a casual place but it's not uncommon to see men in a tie or women in a dress. The rooftop bar serves oysters and is more relaxed. Even when Menlo Park is hot the rooftop bar is still an oasis of cool.

• RefugeRefuge is a standout for its long list of drinks on tap. There's something like 30 beers and ciders to try on tap and many many more it bottles and cans. It's very casual. The food is American-style sandwiches with an emphasis on rich comfort food.

After everything in Menlo Park closes if you'd like to continue to drink it's best to move over to University Avenue in Palo Alto. Palo Alto is 1 train stop away or a very quick Uber or Lyft ride.

Coffee

Menlo Park many coffee shops. Local favorites are:

• CoffeeBar

  address: https://www.coffeebar.com/pages/menu
  An upscale coffeeshop. Has a variety of espresso and pour-over coffee options and a small selection of treats and lunch options. During the day it can be hard to find a spot and there are a lot of people working on laptops.

• Pete's CoffeeA California-native chain of a coffee places. The shop on Santa Cruz was an early location. It's a good place to people-watch with big windows that look out onto the street in one direction and onto a park in the other.

• Best Western Riviera

  phone: +1 650 321-8772
  address: 15 El Camino Real

• Menlo Park Inn

  phone: +1 650 326-7530
  address: 1315 El Camino Real
  The contemporary and stylish Menlo Park Inn is a unique presence amidst the charm of historic downtown Menlo Park and the Palo Alto area.

• Red Cottage Inn & Suites

  phone: +1 650-326-9010
  address: 1704 El Camino Real
  It's two miles from downtown, with cottage-like rooms with private mini-patios and gardens and complimentary deluxe breakfast bar.

• Rosewood Sand Hill

  phone: +1 650-561-1500
  address: 2825 Sand Hill Rd
  A luxury hotel that offers 123 guest rooms, resort amenities, 12,000 square feet of meeting and event space, a full-service spa, outdoor swimming pool and an on-site restaurant.

• Stanford Park Hotel

  address: 100 El Camino Real
  On the border of Palo Alto next to Stanford Shopping Center and close to Stanford University.

• Park James HotelUpscale hipster hotel that opened in 2018.

The area code for Menlo Park and the surrounding area is 650.
Free Wi-Fi is available at the public library, which is very close to the Caltrain station.

• Menlo Park Library

  address: 800 Alma St

Print media

The local newspaper is the Almanac. It's available for free along Santa Cruz Avenue in newspaper boxes.

Menlo Park is a good base of operations for visiting both Silicon Valley and San Francisco. It's nearby to Palo Alto where there's a more vibrant downtown with restaurants and shopping.