Rara

Name: Rara
Address: 201 California Ave, Palo Alto, CA, United States, 94301
Telephone: (650) 485-1055
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.5

4.5 (36)

$30 and under

Nepalese

201 California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 16, 2025

10:30 PM

Booked 9 times today

About this restaurant

Vegetarian-friendly
Neighborhood gem
Good for groups

Rara, a charming Nepalese restaurant located in Palo Alto, California, derives its name from the breathtaking Rara Lake in Nepal. This enchanting lake, known for its pristine beauty and serene surroundings, serves as an inspiration for our culinary journey.

Just as Rara Lake captivates all who visit with its natural allure, our restaurant aims to captivate your senses with the irresistible flavors of Nepal. Our commitment to providing authentic Nepalese food with a modern touch is a tribute to the authenticity and beauty of Rara Lake, and we invite you to experience the harmony of tradition and innovation in every dish we serve. Come dine at Rara and embark on a culinary adventure that carries the spirit and name of Nepal’s stunning Rara Lake.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Nepalese
Hours of operation
Daily 11:00 am–10:00 pm
Phone number
(650) 485-1055
Website
https://rararestaurant.com/
Dress code
Business Casual

Location
201 California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Neighborhood
Palo Alto
Parking details
None

What 36 people are saying

Rara reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.3Service
4.1Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

36 Reviews

s
s
Hawaii1 review
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food. The cauliflower and potato appetizers, shrimp curry, Momas, and noodle dishes were delicious each with unique flavors. The waitstaff were very friendly and helped us choose the dishes and the right amount of food for our party of 8. Would definitely eat here again!
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Iris VIP
San Francisco Bay Area18 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 24, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Very friendly service, very delicious food. We ate here four days ago and came back last night. Great addition to the neighborhood.
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A
Alex
San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews
4.0
Dined on April 18, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
The food was authentic, good and well served. We enjoyed the full course: appetizers, soup (beans) was nice and cozy (if I can apply "cozy" to soup (-;), and a few other dishes. My guests - first timers enjoyed themselves.
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P
Paranjay
Los Angeles1 review
1.0
Dined on March 20, 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
Food was very bland especially the chowmein & sizzler despite us requesting the food to be spicy. So if you're looking for spicy and tasty food, this is not the right place for you. Also portion size was pretty small for the high priced items. And servicing was very slow to respond and accommodate our requests.
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S
Susan VIP
San Francisco Bay Area149 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Food was excellent. It was really busy on a Tuesday night but the food came quickly & was hot & tasty. We liked everything we ordered. Food is spicy except the momos.
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K
Karen VIP
San Francisco Bay Area217 reviews
4.0
Dined on February 26, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
We enjoyed our lunch here. Nice ambiance, albeit a little dark. But quiet. We both had curry dishes. I had the mixed vegetable curry, and my friend had the lentil curry. The lentil curry was more like a soup. I liked the mixed vegetable curry. I would have tried something else, but the rice and breads start at $5, a little steep, unless it’s enough for two. The service was OK, but the waiters didn’t speak English very well. I may come back and try something else.
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A
Amy
San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 22, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food. Great value. Will definitely recommend Rara to others and go back myself. It was pretty noisy in there but maybe that was due to the large party. And the service was off - not so helpful from time to time. Had to remind them a couple of times to give us serving utensils and clear plates from appetizers. But overall it was excellent. They have a large menu with a lot of interesting dishes. Great Nepalese dishes. Loved it!!!
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D
Decker
San Francisco Bay Area3 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I consider Rara quite a find. The food was delicious, mildly spiced as we asked, and authentic - we'd never had dishes like these before. The Momo dumplings were special. The goat was deliciously prepared as were all the side dishes. The service was cheerful and prompt and unobtrusive. We enjoyed the paintings and lighting fixtures. A most enjoyable experience.
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C
Carrie VIP
San Francisco Bay Area10 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 31, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Great food and outstanding food. We will return with family and friends!
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R
Ryan
San Francisco Bay Area4 reviews
5.0
Dined on November 20, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Tried Rara for the first time with my family. I’ve had Nepali food before, they have not. All of us enjoyed Rara. Service is casual, so it can take a bit of time to flag down a waiter, but it’s on par with other similar restaurants. Cozy ambience. Some of the food is very spicy, and not always clearly marked as such, so definitely ask before you commit. Standouts for us were the gorkhali lamb shank (fell off the bone and the rice was great too), the momos (we didn’t think there was a need to get the sizzler, so we just got the regular momos), and the very spicy mushroom chhoila. We also enjoyed the goat taas (also pretty spicy) and the paratha. The lassi was also good (and helpful with the spicier food). We didn’t try the curries but they also looked very good; it seems like they do a really good job with slow cooked meats or really anything that has to braise/simmer. Definitely a good place to order family style so that you can try everything (they don’t make it obvious that you can do it that way). Flavors were rich and deep, but the food wasn’t overly heavy either - really well-cooked. Will definitely go back!
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FAQs

Rara is rated 4.5 stars by 36 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 16, 2025

10:30 PM

Booked 9 times today

201 California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301

Additional information

Neighborhood
Palo Alto
Hours of operation
Daily 11:00 am–10:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Nepalese
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
None

Website
https://rararestaurant.com/
Phone number
(650) 485-1055

Rara

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Menu

What 36 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is Rara restaurant rated?

Is Rara currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information