Ettan
Indian restaurant · Palo Alto ·
Cal-Indian venue with skylight serving craft cocktails & fare
Cal-Indian venue with skylight serving craft cocktails & fare
"One of the restaurants associated with chefs Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar, cited as part of the duo's broader culinary ventures that inform their new Menlo Park project." - Paolo Bicchieri
"Chef Srijith Gopinathan brings his impressive pedigree and unique brand of upscale Indian cooking to the south (Palo Alto). With local products at the heart of this carte, Ettan is a sure-fire hit. It's an airy, bi-level setting, with a ring of mezzanine seats on the upper deck. Wood-plank floors, indigo-dyed fabric, floral wallpaper, and a beaded chandelier decorate the skylit room.Kulchas are a menu highpoint, deliciously stuffed with the likes of peak-season peas and ricotta and served with a bright green kale chutney. Deep-fried cauliflower florets flecked with cracked black pepper and arranged with Asian pear deliver a delightful contrast of tastes; while crisped branzino with a chutney of green garlic, herbs, and chilies is all heart and soul." - Michelin Inspector
"Walking into this Palo Alto spot is described as "a sensorial experience so rare in Palo Alto I almost swore I was in some other city," with bold interior choices — huge splashes of blue, delicate wallpaper, tall portraits, art pieces and chandeliers — that set it apart from the surrounding, more generic dining rooms. The food is characterized as buttery and indulgent even when playing lighter: the paneer burji is called "an entree worth its weight in gold," with the nutty cheese bolstered by creamy avocado and tomato curry saucing the dish; "The snap peas in this dish are supreme: It’s the backbone all this soft, chewy goodness requires." The reviewer also notes a regional comparison: "Copra in San Francisco may be the sexy sophomore, but this vibrant mainstay in Silicon Valley defends its title — and then some." —Paolo Bicchieri" - Paolo Bicchieri
"One step into this two-floor Indian restaurant will make you forget about the alley you walk through to get here. The domed skylight looks like it could belong in a cathedral, and intricate blue flowers line the walls. Ettan (from the same folks as Copra) serves dishes from across the subcontinent like a maa ki dal with slow-cooked black lentils, a wonderfully crispy Kerala fried chicken, and a paratha with enough paper-thin layers to qualify as a book. Expect every plate to be as elaborate as the space, filled with pops of color like an intensely maroon beetroot with the shrimp." - julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez, gabi moskowitz
"Ettan brings Michelin-pedigreed and James Beard-nominated California-Indian cuisine to Palo Alto in a bright, colorful patterned space serving “grazing” snacks of oysters topped with a fennel and curry leaf ponzu and sliders filled with jackfruit. Chef Srijith Gopinathan opened San Francisco’s Copra in 2023 — it’s still worth checking out his Silicon Valley outpost." - Becky Duffett