TAVERNA

Farm-to-table upscale Greek kitchen on Emerson Street since 2018, with wood-fired lamb chops, grilled Spanish octopus, and a curated all-Greek wine list.

Taverna opened in downtown Palo Alto in April 2018, founded by longtime friends Thanasis Pashalidis and Hakan Bala. The Greek kitchen works farm to table, with grilled lamb chops, kebabs, a Greek salad of feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and olives, and bougatsa served with pistachio ice cream. The wine list is devoted to Greek bottles, including selections from Santorini. Private dining spaces and a veranda handle larger gatherings, and brunch runs on weekends.