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The Bay Area is home to popular, innovative restaurants such as Chez Panisse in Berkeley and Commis in Oakland—for which reservations must be made well in advance. Expect an emphasis on locally grown produce, hormone-free meats, and California wines. Many Marin cafés don't serve dinner, and dinner service ends on the early side. (No 10 pm reservations in that neck of the woods.)
Alice Waters's legendary eatery, the birthplace of California cuisine, first opened its doors in 1971. It's still known for a passionate dedication to locally sourced heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables, heritage breeds, and ethically farmed or foraged ingredients. The restaurant offers formal prix-fixe menus and personal service, while its upstairs café serves simpler fare in a more casual setting. Both menus change daily, and legions of loyal fans insist that Chez Panisse lives up to its reputation. Reservations are practically essential.
A slender, unassuming storefront houses the first East Bay restaurant with a Michelin star (two of them, in fact). The room is minimalist and polished: nothing distracts from the artistry of chef James Syhabout, who creates a multicourse prix-fixe experience based on the season and his distinctive vision of modern and classic creations. The signature slow-poached egg yolk with smoked dates and steel-cut oats is now a Bay Area icon.
Los Gatos is home to one of the country's finest restaurants, David Kinch's three-Michelin-starred Manresa, which serves an exceptional nightly tasting menu of Northern California dishes that features the freshest local ingredients ($225; $198 wine pairing).
A pair of French Laundry alums—protégés of some of the culinary world’s greatest chefs—are the driving forces of this fine-dining standout near the train station on California Avenue. The restaurant is split into two parts: the main formal restaurant with an elaborate tasting menu at a high price point; and the sleek lounge area where the menu is à la carte. Co-owner/master sommelier Dennis Kelly is one of the country’s brilliant wine minds, and his restaurant undoubtedly has one of the Bay Area’s truly magnificent wine programs. Co-owner/chef Anthony Secviar spearheads the excellent haute French-seasonal Californian cooking.
This Woodside institution actually is a Michelin-starred fine dining destination; the only similarity with an actual pub is that the bar has its own casual menu (the main dining room is prix-fixe with multiple choices per each course) and is frequently a gathering place for well-heeled regulars. The suave dining room with red velvet chairs and booths is a beautiful backdrop for intricate dishes that often feature produce from the nearby organic SMIP Ranch. It's the flagship restaurant for a local group that includes the acclaimed Spruce in San Francisco,
San Jose’s only Michelin-starred restaurant and the most ambitious destination for Portuguese-influenced cuisine in the Bay Area is this fantastic tasting menu-only spot. Seven-course dinners weave together meat and seafood plates, where the Portuguese fish staple of bacalhau (codfish) might be incorporated into a cannelloni, before leading to a delicately seared A5 Wagyu dish. Each plate is meticulously composed and presented. The sharp design carries over to the pleasantly quiet bistro-like space with fine glassware, tablecloth-free tables, a glass-enclosed wine cellar, and a striking blue-and-white tile mosaic covering one wall.
For those who think that French-influenced fine dining is passé, San Jose’s gastronomic stalwart will change a few opinions. It’s the best of both culinary worlds, where timeless luxury meets a contemporary approach. Here, Burgundy snails are paired with stinging nettle agnolotti (similar to small raviolis) and grilled Hawaiian swordfish is presented with a pinot noir–miso sauce. Diners enjoy a three-course or four-course menu with several options available in each course, or a preset six-course tasting menu. The posh dining room (located at the edge of a a nondescript mini-mall by a liquor store) isn’t overly grand but has a refined aura with closed shutters, floral arrangements, and crisp white tablecloths.
After several years as a leading chef in San Francisco, Mark Liberman crossed the Bay Bridge to open this deeply personal restaurant that channels his Colombian heritage in a contemporary way. There are two tasting menus available—a long and a short. Both start with an arepa course (like cornmeal pancakes) and then weave their way through a series of intricate compositions that are never overly elaborate and often lean on produce from nearby farms.
Some of Oakland's finest chefs have come through the ranks of this locally renowned eatery that anchors Market Hall in the Rockridge neighborhood. The elegant upstairs dining room serves a daily menu of high-caliber Italian cuisine, while the downstairs marketplace café and bar offers everything from a morning espresso to pizza or a full-blown Italian meal.
Kim Levin’s ode to rustic Italian cuisine in a lofty, natural light–filled space continues to thrill fervent regulars each week. Around 10 pastas are offered each evening, making it very difficult for diners to decide from the many tempting options. Classic preparations like tagliatelle Bolognese and spaghetti puttanesca are given unique touches, like adding pancetta to the former and day-boat scallops to the latter. The adjacent lounge shakes and stirs Half Moon Bay’s best cocktails.
Plumed Horse is a venerable institution for outstanding luxury mixed with the brightness and freshness of local ingredients. The posh, shimmering space is highlighted by a giant glass wine storage area. Chef-owner Peter Armellino offers an elaborate tasting menu or full à la carte menu for guests. As formal as the restaurant can seem, it’s also a place where locals come to celebrate and have fun.
It’s a trip back in time at this elegant retro sibling to the Village Pub. Dishes are grand and elaborate, often with luxurious flourishes, yet deeply rooted in the seasonal focus that is the hallmark of California cuisine. It’s a delicious tie between the sensational black label truffle burger and the honey-lacquered duck breast for what is considered the signature dish here. The main dining room serves a three-course menu with several choices in each category; the bar menu is à la carte. The handsome mid-century modern design is worth a trip alone with impeccable details like perfectly smooth white tablecloths, miniature lamps on tables, a roaring fireplace, and a dramatic arched bar backdrop in the lounge.
It’s almost a rite of passage for Stanford students and visiting families to visit this steak-house stalwart. Since 1974, it's been the place to go for shrimp cocktail followed by juicy prime rib. The clubby, wood-heavy décor definitely is on point for a classic steak house, but the vibe is a little more relaxed and energetic than at many of its peers. While the menu has all the traditional items of the genre, several dishes include elements from different cuisines of Asia, like filet mignon spring rolls.
Expect a warm welcome and a lively atmosphere at this longtime Rockridge favorite. A neighborhood gem in the truest sense, Wood Tavern serves contemporary American brasserie food with quality wine, well-crafted drinks, and refined service.
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