Ettan, which means "breath" in Sanskrit, is currently under construction at 518 Bryant St. Owner Ayesha Thapar took over the space after Three Seasons Restaurant closed in 2018 due to a kitchen fire.
Thapar, an Atherton resident who has spent about half of her life in India, said she hopes Ettan will "further redefine how people experience Indian cuisine" with its "confluence of the Indian palette with California farm-to-table ingredients."
Renderings of the Ettan dining room hang outside the Bryant Street space in downtown Palo Alto. Photo by Elena Kadvany.
The idea for Ettan grew out of conversations with friends about their desire for more diverse dining options on the Peninsula, Thapar said. She eventually found the available space on Bryant Street and brought on a "talented Michelin-starred chef-partner" who has not yet been announced.
The Ettan menu will feature starters, entrees and desserts as well as large-format, shareable dishes and a personalized section featuring Thapar's family's favorite dishes.
"We hope that the food at Ettan will set a new standard for what is defined as contemporary Indian cuisine," she said.
Thapar has worked in a range of industries, from internet marketing and real-estate development to fashion, but this is her first restaurant.
Ettan is not the only modern Indian restaurant coming to downtown Palo Alto. The owners of Rooh in San Francisco and Baar Baar in New York City are opening a new Indian restaurant on University Avenue this fall.
