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The new year is set to be an exciting one already: A cat cafe serving Korean drinks and snacks will open in Santa Clara, a robotic food truck brand is opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant in San Mateo, and a “Top Chef” and “Iron Chef” winner is opening a restaurant in Sunnyvale.
Here is a roundup of 15 restaurants and eateries expected to open in winter and spring 2025.
January
Eylan, Menlo Park: This highly anticipated Cal-Indian restaurant “is a proclamation of wood-fired Indian cuisine with a Bay Area sensibility,” according to a recent Instagram post. The 200-seat restaurant will be located in the new residential complex Stanford Middle Plaza and is the fourth restaurant concept created by chef Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar, who also own Ettan in Palo Alto, Little Blue Door in Los Altos and Copra in San Francisco.
Eylan, 500 El Camino Real, Menlo Park; Instagram: @eylanrestaurant.
Nabi Cat Cafe, Santa Clara: Sip on a tiramisu latte, snack on a waffle, and play with – or even adopt – a cat at this Korean-inspired cat cafe, expected to open in January. Created by sister-in-laws Christine Hedeen and Ailee Kim, Nabi Cat Cafe aims to find forever homes for rescue cats. The cafe will operate on a timed entry fee system, where one ticket is good for an hour at the cafe and one complimentary drink that can be upgraded to a premium drink with an additional charge.
Nabi Cat Cafe, 2255 The Alameda, Santa Clara. Instagram: @nabicatcafe.
From top clockwise, mango calamansi agar boba drinks with mint, beef steak Tagalog over rice, veggie fritters, chicken empanadas, lumpia and boneless chicken adobo from Pamilya in Redwood City. Courtesy Pamilya. 
Lumpia from Pamilya in Redwood City. Courtesy Pamilya. 
Pamilya, formerly a Redwood City ghost kitchen, is opening its brick and mortar in January or early February. Courtesy Pamilya. 
Pamilya in Redwood City offers a variety of Filipino bowls, including its garlic shrimp bowl. Courtesy Pamilya. 
Pork barbecue from Pamilya in Redwood City. Courtesy Pamilya.
Pamilya, Redwood City: Pamilya, meaning “family” in Tagalog, began in 2022 as a Redwood City ghost kitchen. Owner Jhed Yuzon is expanding his Filipino concept into a brick-and-mortar restaurant, with an expected opening in January or early February. The fast-casual restaurant will offer beef kaldereta (beef and vegetable stew), sinigang (tamarind soup) and lechon (roasted pig), as well as sweets like halo halo, sweet corn bibingka mochi cake and ube white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.
Pamilya, 756 Woodside Road, Redwood City; 650-374-9332, Instagram: @pamilya_sf.
The OLHSO fully automated “robot” kitchen prepares a bowl of jap chae in Foster City on July 29, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
The inside of the OLHSO cook-en-route truck’s fully automated “robot” kitchen in Foster City on July 29, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Charles Kim, Chief of Operations for OLHSO, holds up a bowl of jap chae prepared by OLHSO’s fully automated “robot” kitchen in Foster City on July 29, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.
OLHSO House, San Mateo: A robotic food truck is getting its own brick-and-mortar restaurant at the end of January. Korean for “that’s right,” OLHSO House will offer a hands-on dining experience where guests can grill marinated beef, pork and chicken at the table, as well as enjoy Korean dishes like japchae glass noodles.
OLHSO House, 236 S. B St., San Mateo, Instagram: @olhsohouse.
Bees in Provence with honey mascarpone cheese and with Marcona almonds, lavender lemon whipped ganache, honeycomb plaque and Marcona almond sable Breton. Courtesy Craftsman and Wolves. 
The red kouign with blood orange strawberry confiture, blood orange ganache and a miniature macaron is Craftsman and Wolves’ owner Lawrence Lai’s favorite. Courtesy Craftsman and Wolves. 
The exterior of Craftsman and Wolves in Mountain View. Courtesy Craftsman and Wolves. 
Easter carrot cake with brown sugar sponge spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, caramelized passion fruit jam, ivoire pate a glace and whipped cream ganache. Courtesy Craftsman and Wolves. 
Batards at Craftsman and Wolves. Courtesy Craftsman and Wolves.
Craftsman and Wolves, Mountain View: This popular San Francisco bakery is expanding south in early 2025. Founded in 2012, Craftsman and Wolves is known for its unique creations like the “Rebel Within,” a savory muffin made with pork sausage, asiago, Parmesan and scallions and stuffed with an entire soft-cooked egg. New pastries are introduced about every three months to reflect seasonality.
Craftsman and Wolves, 400 San Antonio Road #4, Mountain View; Instagram: @craftsmanwolves.
Pork pita with tomatoes, onions, French fries and tzatziki from Nick the Greek. Courtesy Nick the Greek. 
Nick the Greek, a souvlaki and gyro franchise, is opening a location along University Avenue in Palo Alto. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel. 
Three flavors of pita from Nick the Greek. Courtesy Nick the Greek.
Nick the Greek, Palo Alto and Mountain View: Mountain View’s Castro Street and Palo Alto’s University Avenue will soon sport a fast-causal souvlaki and gyro franchise that originated in San Jose in 2014. Both expected to open in the first quarter of 2025, Nick the Greek offers pitas, plates, gyro bowls, salads and fries and has over 70 locations nationwide.
Nick the Greek, 322 University Ave., Palo Alto; 298 Castro St, Mountain View; Instagram: @nickthegreek.
February
The interior of Ali El Safy’s new bar, Loretta, on Dec. 13, 2024. Loretta is next door to Bistro Vida, at the site of the former Grateful Dead hangout Magoo’s Pizza Parlor, in downtown Menlo Park. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
The interior of Ali El Safy’s new bar, Loretta, on Dec. 13, 2024. Loretta is next door to Bistro Vida, at the site of the former Grateful Dead hangout Magoo’s Pizza Parlor, in downtown Menlo Park. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
A sign for the new bar Loretta in downton Menlo Park decorates the windows on Dec. 13, 2024. Loretta is next door to Bistro Vida at the site of the former Grateful Dead hangout Magoo’s Pizza Parlor. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.
Loretta, Menlo Park: Bistro Vida’s sister bar will open Feb. 3 in the space directly adjacent to the French restaurant. Expect classic cocktails, seasonal specialty cocktails, beer, wine, snacks, tapas and charcuterie in the building where the Grateful Dead played its first gig. Paying homage to the band, the bar’s Wednesday playlist will be entirely that of the Grateful Dead. Guests may also order food from Bistro Vida while at Loretta.
Loretta, 639 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park. Beginning Feb. 3, open Wednesday to Saturday from 4-11:30 p.m. Beginning late March, open Tuesday to Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight.
A rendering of the main dining room at Macarena in downtown Palo Alto. Courtesy Adean Studios. 
A rendering of the bar area at Macarena in downtown Palo Alto. Courtesy Adean Studios. 
A rendering of the entrance of Macarena in downtown Palo Alto. Courtesy Adean Studios. 
A rendering of the host stand at Macarena in downtown Palo Alto. Courtesy Adean Studios. 
A rendering of the private dining room at Macarena in downtown Palo Alto. Courtesy Adean Studios.
Macarena, Palo Alto: A traditional Spanish restaurant is coming to downtown Palo Alto’s former Bird Dog space. Expect tapas, paella, oxtail, croquettes and burnt Basque cheesecake, as well as craft cocktails and an extensive Spanish and Californian wine list.
Macarena, 420 Ramona St., Palo Alto; 415-427-7429, Instagram: @macarena.group. Beginning February, open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Zörek, San Bruno: The brothers behind popular Mediterranean eatery Mazra are opening a bakery and cafe focused on the Turkish pastry borek. Expect sweet and savory versions of the flaky pastry, as well as specialty coffee drinks made from Grand Coffee Roasters’ beans.
Zörek, 799 El Camino Real, San Bruno; Instagram: @cafe_zorek.
Jagalchi, Daly City: A former JC Penney is transforming into a giant Korean food complex featuring a 160-seat restaurant specializing in bansang; a supermarket with a seafood counter, oyster bar and sushi bar; a 60-seat bakery; and two bars. Executive chef Tony Yoo is the first chef in Korea to win a Michelin star.
Jagalchi, 63 Serramonte Center, Daly City; Instagram: @jagalchi_official.
March
Valley Goat, Sunnyvale: “Iron Chef” and “Top Chef” winner Stephanie Izard is opening her first Bay Area restaurant at a new hotel in Sunnyvale. The James Beard Award-winning chef will offer seasonal cuisine with globally inspired flavors, and Valley Goat’s menu will have a small amount of overlap with that of Girl & the Goat, which has locations in Chicago and Los Angeles.
Valley Goat, 1100 N. Mathilda Ave., Sunnyvale; Instagram: @valleygoatsv.
Two piece fried chicken with boneless chicken thighs, sriracha honey, corn esquites and mac and cheese from Horsefeather. Courtesy Horsefeather. 
California Cooler with gin, thyme, Sauvignon blanc cordial, celery, fresh lime and sparkling white wine from Horsefeather. Courtesy Horsefeather. 
Whisky butter cake with brown butter, shiro miso, coconut milk and grilled pineapple marmalade from Horsefeather. Courtesy Horsefeather. 
Golden hour with turmeric honey gin, amontillado, masala brandy, toasted coconut water cordial, lime, madras tincture and acid phosphate from Horsefeather. Courtesy Horsefeather. 
Double cheeseburger with chuck and brisket, smoked onion, lettuce, special sauce, pickles and a brioche bun from Horsefeather. Courtesy Horsefeather.
Horsefeather, Palo Alto: New American restaurant and bar Horsefeather is expanding out of San Francisco with a new location in Palo Alto’s Town & Country Village. Much larger in size than the original location, the Palo Alto Horsefeather will feature a similar dinner, brunch and cocktail menu. Signature dishes include the two-piece fried chicken with sriracha honey, corn esquites and mac and cheese, as well as the double cheeseburger with smoked onions, lettuce, special sauce and pickles on a brioche bun.
Horsefeather, 855 El Camino Real #151, Palo Alto; Instagram: @horsefeather.
May
A 3D rendering of Cafe Vivant, a full-service restaurant specializing in California heritage breed chicken and wine coming to Menlo Park in early 2025. Courtesy Cafe Vivant. 
A 3D rendering of the attached wine retail component of Cafe Vivant. Courtesy Cafe Vivant. 
Jason Jacobiet (left) and Daniel Jung are the co-owners of Cafe Vivant, a full-service restaurant specializing in California heritage breed chicken and wine, coming to Menlo Park in early 2025. Courtesy Cafe Vivant.
Cafe Vivant, Menlo Park: California heritage breed chicken and wine are the focus of farm-to-table restaurant Cafe Vivant. Created by sommeliers Daniel Jung and Jason Jacobiet, the upscale restaurant will have an attached retail component that will offer wine tastings, seminars and education events with world-class winemakers, as well as a small grocery section with items produced in the kitchen.
Cafe Vivant, 720 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park.
Winston Champagne Bar, Los Gatos: A cozy Champagne bar named after Sir Winston Churchill is coming to Los Gatos. Created by Los Gatos resident Melanie Bauer, Winston Champagne Bar aims to be a spot for Champagne novices and experts alike to try interesting and hard-to-find Champagnes. Caviar and an assortment of truffle-flavored light bites will also be available.
Winston Champagne Bar, 3 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos; Instagram: @winstonchampagnebar.
The interior of Mazra San Bruno before its renovation. Photo by Devin Roberts. 
Mazra San Bruno’s renovation will bring the charcoal grill indoors. Photo by Devin Roberts. 
Mazra co-owner Jordan Makableh serves a customer food at Mazra San Bruno. Photo by Devin Roberts. 
Rotisserie chicken at Mazra San Bruno. Photo by Devin Roberts. 
Mazra San Bruno’s outdoor charcoal grill will be brought indoors during its renovation. Photo by Erin Ng.
Mazra, San Bruno: You won’t have to wait too much longer for Mazra’s iconic Mediterranean fare to return to San Bruno. Created by brothers Saif and Jordan Makableh, Mazra draws long lines and has placed twice on Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat. The original San Bruno location has been closed for renovations since March as crews work on recreating “every single aspect of the restaurant, from the floors to the ceiling to the walls and everything decor-wise,” and it will reopen with its charcoal grill inside, Saif Makableh said. “In San Bruno, I gotta say it’s gonna be so much nicer than Redwood City,” he added.
Mazra, 504 San Bruno Ave. W., San Bruno; 650-225-9027, Instagram: @eatmazra.
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Editor’s note: The opening date of Loretta has been updated from a previous version.
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