The Top 10 Bars Around Palo Alto And Stanford University, California

Locals love Antonio’s Nut House. This historic spot is on California Avenue, where Grateful Dead music often plays loudly, billiards teams compete throughout the night, and there is always another basket of peanuts to eat. The endless free peanuts give the Nut House its name, although the typically rude bartenders and offbeat clientele are also good candidates for the title. Big groups of friends can always find a big table to sit at in the Nut House’s expansive space. It’s known for cheap drinks, billiards, retro arcade games, and the Mexican restaurant on one side of the space.

A wine bar that also serves fancy craft beer? Absolutely. This modern and spunky spot is sure to elevate the students’ drink palate. Its menu wins points for diversity and for a range of prices that’s student-friendly. The staff are the friendliest in town; be sure to ask for a recommendation and they’ll take you quite seriously, working with you to find you your perfect drink for the night.

The nightly rotating selection of craft brews on tap and the bottle selection at Rose and Crown is the best in town. The bar itself is a tight fit and has the typically dark and small feel of an authentic dive bar, strengthened by the fact that it only serves beer. The crowd is professional and friendly, making this bar a great place to stop for a sophisticated brew after a day of work or studying. Tuesdays there’s trivia and beer specials.

The Patio famously stacks each week with events – DJ nights, trivia nights, happy hours, karaoke nights, and even Sunday brunch. The indoor space and the heated outdoor patio are both comfortable spots for a late night of dancing and mingling or for a boozy day of Sunday football. For students, it’s a must go last stop after a night of Palo Alto bar hopping. Stop by Pizza my Heart, located just a couple of blocks away, afterward to refuel.

With the most TV-per-capita of the bars, the Old Pro is the place for sports fans to cozy up to new friends at a communal table to cheer on the team or to share a giant ‘beer tower.’ The restaurant also serves an extensive menu of American food and cheap pitchers during happy hour. The arrangement of sports artifacts on the walls, the prominent location next to NOLA, and the mechanical bull at the front all make this another loud and lively stop.

Hot buttered rum sounds like a welcome treat in the cold northern California winter, and believe it or not, there’s a place you can find it. Alice’s Restaurant serves delicious, reasonably priced food and boasts a small menu of hot drinks like the hot buttered rum or Mexican coffee with tequila, Kahlua, and crème de cacao. It’s located up a winding road only twenty minutes away from the Stanford campus, but the small town atmosphere feels 20 states away. Check out the frequent live music on the events calendar, and cozy up with a date or friend.