Kappo

Q: What is the dress code for Kappo?

Casual dress, comfortable, informal attire is appropriate for a visit to Kappo.

Q: What's the ambience/atmosphere like in this restaurant?

Kappo is an intimate communal counter tasting experience: an open kitchen where chefs cook and chat, creating a close-up, elegant yet lively atmosphere for an up‑close multi-course meal.

Q: What are the portion sizes like at this restaurant?

Kappo presents a communal chef's tasting menu at the counter, and guests report leaving the meal with a full belly, a satisfying, multi-course experience.

Q: Is this a good pick for date night?

Yes, Kappo's intimate counter seating, open kitchen, and reviewers calling it a "perfect date night" make it a great choice for a special evening out.

4.9 (15)

$50 and over

Californian

180 El Camino Real 1410, Palo Alto, CA 94304

Make a reservation

Kappo

4.9

$50 and over

Californian

Palo Alto

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 6, 2026

7:00 PM

Booked 3 times today

About this restaurant

Charming
Good for special occasions
Innovative

Kappo is a communal counter service style tasting menu that serves an all-Californian adventure. Foraging from the ocean, forest, and farmers' markets, Chef Nik brings you fresh and composed courses that tell a simple story of nature, connection, and craft.

Communal Seating:

Please note that this is a communal dining experience, designed to bring guests together in a shared culinary journey. We kindly ask that you arrive 15 minutes prior to your reservation to allow service to begin seamlessly.

Dietary restrictions:
Please email to check if accommodations can be made for dietary restrictions. We may not be able to accommodate certain extreme dietary restrictions or allergies.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Californian, Farm-to-table, Kappou
Hours of operation
Wed–Sun 5:30 pm–9:45 pm
Contact
info@kappoca.com
Website
https://www.kappoca.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Nik Neuwirt

Location
180 El Camino Real 1410, Palo Alto, CA 94304
Neighborhood
Palo Alto
Cross street
Located on the corner of Dumpling Time of Stanford
Parking details
Public Lot
Additional
Beer, Corkage Fee, Wine

All Experiences

Tasting Menu
$171.36 per person
Prepaid
1 - 7 people
Multiple dates available
Diver, forager, explorer, and chef, Nik Neuwirt brings to you bits and pieces of his adventures throughout California with the finesse of a Michelin-starred chef. This is a communal dining experience. Dinner will begin simultaneously for all guests, so we kindly ask that everyone arrives 10 minutes before the time of their reservation. Guests who arrive significantly after their start time may miss out on some of the journey. We are happy to accommodate dietary restrictions with advanced notice. For the best experience please email or call us to verify when you book. Please Note: For parties larger than 7 please reach out to our events team at- events@omakasesf.com We are located next to the Dumpling Time at the Stanford Shopping Center. We are the all glass unit behind the Dumpling Time patio.

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Videos

Shared by creators who recently dined at this restaurant.

gwenlloves
Stanford Shopping Center just welcomed a 12-seat culinary experience that feels more like a private chef’s table than a mall restaurant. @kappo.ca is an intimate Kappo-style tasting menu, blending chef Nik’s time at two Michelin-starred Birdsong and Michelin-starred Niku Steakhouse into a seasonal Japanese/ California-driven menu. Think ocean, forest, and farmers market, all plated right in front of you. At $140 for 9 courses, the experience feels thoughtfully curated and approachable for the quality. Highlights for me: 🍝 Ink Noodles with Monterey squid, which has a deep, savory complexity, especially with generous truffle shavings added on. 🥣 Seaweed soup: nice ocean sweetness mixed with savory dash and meaty notes. 🍚 Luna Koshihikari Rice and melt-in-your-mouth black cod with optional caviar add-on, although I prefer the original with ikura. 🍖 Umpqua Valley Lamb that absolutely stole the show with Mole sauce 🥟 Cast-iron dumpling, a fun and elevated take on takoyaki (Japanese street food). Optional: You can elevate the dishes like I did, with caviar, truffle or wagyu, if you’re feeling fancy. Chef Nik’s inspiration comes from local foraging and harvesting, and you can feel that connection to California’s landscape in every course. It’s communal, cozy, and a unique Bay Area dining experience. Reserve a spot at Kappo’s intimate 12 seat counter service. 📍 KAPPO @kappo.ca @stanfordshop , Palo Alto #paloalto #bayareafoodie #sfeats #michelinguide #tastingmenu

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Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Kappo.

4.9

(15)

4.8Food
4.9Service
4.8Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

San Francisco Bay Area
Californian
Peninsula
Best Overall
Peninsula
Best Food
Peninsula
Best Service
Peninsula
Californian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Kappo offers an extraordinary dining experience with "phenomenal food, service, ambience" and a warm, engaging atmosphere. Guests delight in "unique and distinctly delicious" cuisine using local and foraged ingredients. The intimate setting allows interaction with chefs, making each visit memorable. Slightly pricey, it remains a "wonderful discovery" worth revisiting.

15 Reviews

S
Sanggyun Gold
San Francisco2 reviews
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A perfect dining experience that’s not easy to find these days. Chef Nick and sous chef Griffin were charming and so so above it all with prep, execution, and explanations. And the food was exquisite. Definitely a revisit soon especially since their menu changes all the time with what’s available from the farmers’ market.
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X
Xin
San Francisco1 review
5.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Nice chat with chef and great exp! Got some amazing photos too <3
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S
Shu
Las Vegas2 reviews
5.0
Dined on October 24, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Super friendly chefs. Food was innovative. Their menu changes seasonally. Would love to try again
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T
Terri Gold
San Francisco73 reviews
5.0
Dined on October 24, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A unique and thoughtful presentation of food in a small setting. All local sources of food and drink. It is not cheap but worth the price. We will be back
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A
Abby
Minneapolis1 review
5.0
Dined on October 22, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our experience at Kappo was incredible. The food was fantastic, the ambiance was perfect, and it was clear that the chefs enjoyed the dishes they were serving. I will definitely be returning and have already told many friends and family members that they should pay a visit!
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S
Stephen Gold
New York City2 reviews
5.0
Dined on September 27, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a wonderful time at the Kappo dining experience. The cuisine was unique and distinctly delicious, and the team was welcoming and an engaging part of the event.
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D
Dana Gold
San Francisco29 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 30, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Fun. Unique. Nik and partner are fun and engaging. Will be back.
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F
Faezeh Gold
San Francisco22 reviews
4.0
Dined on August 29, 2026
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
All the courses were great with excellent taste and presentation, the service very personal and warm, the ambience cozy sitting around the counter and casual conversation with the chefs while they worked. Team of 3 ( chefs and manager) provided a beautiful experience. The only hesitation for returning was the price, $300/person for the food and 3 glasses of wine.
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P
Priscilla Gold
San Francisco43 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 27, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Phenomenal food, service, ambience and the nicest team in any restaurant! The different blends of flavors, texture, local produce, foraged items from the forests and sea is extraordinary ! I have been several times and it is always a treat to taste the creative combinations. Everything is always incredibly fresh, tasty and beautifully prepared - you can truly experience the quality of the ingredients in every morsal! The atmosphere is warm, friendly and you leave at the end of the dinner feeling extra special and more importantly, like family because you know you will return again and again! Highly recommend!!
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B
Brian Gold
San Francisco7 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 20, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
What a wonderful discovery! Only 12 seats at the counter, watching the chefs prepare your meal. It’s a nice show and the chefs are interacting and fun. A welcome change from the usual high end restaurant experience. The meal was fantastic as was the wine parings. The chefs and wine steward explained how they prepared the courses and why they chose the ingredients and wine pairings. Definitely give this new place a try!
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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Californian, Farm-to-table, Kappou
Hours of operation
Wed–Sun 5:30 pm–9:45 pm
Contact
info@kappoca.com
Website
https://www.kappoca.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Nik Neuwirt

Location
180 El Camino Real 1410, Palo Alto, CA 94304
Neighborhood
Palo Alto
Cross street
Located on the corner of Dumpling Time of Stanford
Parking details
Public Lot
Additional
Beer, Corkage Fee, Wine

FAQs

Casual dress, comfortable, informal attire is appropriate for a visit to Kappo.

Kappo is an intimate communal counter tasting experience: an open kitchen where chefs cook and chat, creating a close-up, elegant yet lively atmosphere for an up‑close multi-course meal.

Kappo presents a communal chef's tasting menu at the counter, and guests report leaving the meal with a full belly, a satisfying, multi-course experience.

Yes, Kappo's intimate counter seating, open kitchen, and reviewers calling it a "perfect date night" make it a great choice for a special evening out.

How FAQ content is generated

Make a reservation

Kappo

4.9

$50 and over

Californian

Palo Alto

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 6, 2026

7:00 PM

Booked 3 times today

Kappo

Make a reservation

Kappo

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Tasting Menu

Loved For

Review summary

Additional information

FAQs

What is the dress code for Kappo?

What's the ambience/atmosphere like in this restaurant?

What are the portion sizes like at this restaurant?

Is this a good pick for date night?

Make a reservation

Kappo

Make a reservation