Menlo Park, California
Where the
sea finds
your table.
Whole grilled fish, Aegean island wines, and evenings that drift like the tide β under the olive trees of our Menlo Park courtyard.
A Taverna Born
from the Islands
βThe best Greek food needs no embellishment β just exceptional sourcing, proper technique, and time.β
Thalassa β the ancient Greek word forthe sea β was founded by Eleni and Kostas Papadimitriou, who grew up on the island of Naxos where dining has always been an unhurried, communal act: fresh-caught fish on charcoal, wine poured freely, evenings stretched long into the dark. When they arrived in the Bay Area, they found every ingredient they loved and nowhere quite like home.
Opened in 2018 beneath a canopy of mature olive trees, Thalassa is their answer to that absence. The kitchen is built around a wood-fired grill and a deep conviction that the best Greek food needs no embellishment β just exceptional sourcing, proper technique, and time. Whole fish arrive weekly from Monterey Bay and the Pacific coast. Octopus hangs to dry in the sun before it ever touches flame. The wine list is entirely Greek, drawn from small-production island estates many of which you will not find anywhere else on the Peninsula.
This is not a restaurant about performance. It is a place to stay a while.
Est. 2018 Β· Menlo Park, CA
What Stays
With You
From our guests
The whole branzino arrived at the table and we just sat quietly for a moment. That kind of food doesn't need a word said about it. The Assyrtiko they poured with it was perfect β a dry Santorini white we'd never encountered before.
Marina L.
I've eaten octopus all over Greece and Portugal. The charcoal octopus here is the real thing β that char on the edge, the chickpea underneath. We sat outside under the olive trees for three hours. Menlo Park felt very far away.
David K.
Thalassa is what happens when people who genuinely love this food decide to share it without compromise. The galaktoboureko was transcendent β crisp, custardy, just enough sweetness. Save room. Actually, make room.
Sophia R.
Reservations
The table is set.
The evening is yours.
Reserve under the olive trees β dinner service nightly, Wednesday through Sunday.
Reserve a TableFind Us inMenlo Park
Hours
Wed β Thu 5:30 β 10:00 pm
Fri β Sat 5:00 β 11:00 pm
Sunday 5:00 β 9:30 pm
Mon β Tue Closed