The Bay Area Restaurants
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Bay Area - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
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79 Recommendations
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1. Chez Panisse Café & Restaurant
$$$$ | |Alice Waters's legendary eatery, the birthplace of California cuisine, first opened its doors in 1971. It's still known for a passionate dedication to locally sourced heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables, heritage breeds, and ethically farmed or foraged ingredients. The restaurant offers formal prix-fixe menus and personal service, while its upstairs café serves simpler fare in a more casual setting. Both menus change daily, and legions of loyal fans insist that Chez Panisse lives up to its reputation. Reservations are practically essential.
1517 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, California, 94709, USA510-548–5525-restaurantKnown For
- Sustainably sourced meats
- Attention to detail
- Pizzas and fruit galettes upstairs
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch in restaurant. No lunch Tues.–Thurs. in café, Reservations essential -
2. Dad's Luncheonette
$ | |Talk about a career pivot—after years of cooking at San Francisco fine-dining standouts Saison and Benu, chef-owner Scott Clark traded in formal kitchens for a revamped caboose along the Half Moon Bay coast. Here, he opens for limited hours and serves a concise menu of outstanding hamburgers and mushroom sandwiches that are a perfect example of wholesome comfort food done with the careful technique and ingredient sourcing of a chef from a gastronomic background. There is no seating inside the caboose, so diners either sit at one of the few outdoor tables or hustle their burgers to the beach for a particularly special picnic.
225 Cabrillo Hwy. S, Half Moon Bay, California, 94019, USA650-560–9832Known For
- Hamburger sandwich with fresh oak lettuce and melted cheese
- Homemade potato chips
- Photogenic setting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. No dinner -
3. Duarte's Tavern
$$ | |Along with a stunning state beach, the tiny, adorable, largely agricultural community of Pescadero is known for this coastal dining legend. Dating back to the late 1800s, no other coastal restaurant comes close to the celebrity status of Duarte’s. If it’s lunchtime, a significant number of tables in its series of intimate wood-paneled rooms will surely be enjoying the Dungeness crab melt and perhaps a Bloody Mary. Later in the day, the “tavern” portion of the restaurant kicks into gear as locals come to the bar area for stiff cocktails or a few beers. At any time of day, guests enjoy the signature green chile and artichoke soups, with the latter being a classic preparation for one of the most unheralded local produce specialties.
202 Stage Rd., Pescadero, California, 94060, USA650-879–0464Known For
- Green chile and artichoke soup served together as half and half
- Olallieberry pie
- A definitive cioppino
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. No dinner Mon., Wed., and Thurs. Dinner ends at 6 pm Fri.–Sun. -
4. Fentons Creamery
$ | |Beloved by the Bay since 1922 and featured in the Pixar film Up, this is the leading name locally for ice cream sundaes and good old-fashioned soda fountain fare. Kids of all ages adore the signature black-and-tan sundae with toasted almond and vanilla ice creams layered with caramel and chocolate sauces. Of course, there’s a cherry on top.
4226 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, California, 94611, USA510-658–7000Known For
- Nostalgic atmosphere
- Ice cream sundaes
- Tuna melt
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5. Fish
$$ | |Unsurprisingly, fish—specifically, fresh, sustainably caught fish—is the focus at this gleaming dockside fish house a mile north of downtown. Order at the counter and then grab a seat by the floor-to-ceiling windows or at a picnic table on the pier, overlooking the yachts and fishing boats. Outside, kids can doodle with sidewalk chalk on the pier.
350 Harbor Dr., Sausalito, California, 94965, USA415-331–3474Known For
- Fish taco plate
- Fish reuben sandwich
- Local tuna poke
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Hog Island Oyster Co. Marshall Oyster Farm and the Boat Oyster Bar
$$ | |Take a short trek north on Highway 1 to the gritty mecca of Bay Area oysters—the Hog Island Marshall Oyster Farm. Here, the Boat Oyster Bar is an informal outdoor café that serves raw and grilled oysters, local snacks, and tasty beverages. Every afternoon it's open, the dining patio area feels like a carefree party with some of Northern California's greatest wines, oysters, and cheeses. Ninety-minute oyster farm tours ($40) are also available.
20215 Shoreline Hwy., Marshall, California, 94940, USA415-663–9218Known For
- Fresh, raw, and grilled oysters
- Local fish crudo
- Hog Shack shellfish to go
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Oyster Bar closed Tues. No dinner, Reservations only Fri.--Mon. -
7. Luka's Taproom & Lounge
$$ | Uptown | AmericanHip and urban, with an unpretentious vibe, Luka's is a real taste of Uptown with its Belgian-inspired California comfort food and plentiful selection of Trappist ales, local drafts, and international bottles of beer. The late-night menu is a favorite of bar-hoppers, and DJs in the adjacent lounge keep the scene going well past last call.
2221 Broadway, at W. Grand Ave., Oakland, California, 94612, USA510-451–4677Known For
- Plentiful pints
- Late-night noshing
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8. Luna Blu
$$$ | |Friendly, informative staff serve Sicilian-inspired seafood in this lively Italian restaurant just a stone's throw from the ferry. Enjoy views on the expansive heated patio overlooking the bay, or cozy up with friends on one of the high-sided booths near the bar. Weekend brunch and lunch menus feature paninis, burgers, and organic omelets. The impressive wine list is almost exactly half Italian and half Californian, and there's an interesting selection of a half dozen sparkling cocktails.
35 Main St., Tiburon, California, 94920, USA415-789–5844Known For
- Sustainably caught seafood and local, organic ingredients
- Homemade pastas
- Rock crab bisque
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. No lunch weekdays -
9. Manresa Bread
$ | |In a region with several outstanding destinations for fresh baguettes and levain breads, the freshly baked loaves here deserve some of the highest praise. Everything in the display case and on the cooling racks is absolutely dialed in, from the kouign-amann (like a decadent glazed dessert version of a croissant) and cookies to slices of custardy quiche and simple avocado toast.
40 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos, California, 95030, USA408-402–5372Known For
- Excellent breakfast and lunch sandwiches
- Almond croissant
- Terrific locally roasted coffee and espresso drinks
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner -
10. Parkside Cafe
$$ | |Though this place is popular for its 1950s beachfront snack bar, the adjoining café, coffee bar, marketplace, and bakery shouldn't be missed either. The full menu serves up fresh ingredients, local seafood, and wood-fired pizzas. Creeping vines on the sunny patio shelter diners from the wind, and heat lamps offer extra warmth on colder days; for a cozier ambience, eat by the fire in the dining room.
43 Arenal Ave., Stinson Beach, California, 94970, USA415-868–1272Known For
- Espresso and pastry bar
- Tasty fish-and-chips
- Rustic house-made breads
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11. Sam's Anchor Cafe
$$ | |Open since 1920, this beloved dockside restaurant is the town's most famous eatery, and after 99 years, a bright remodel includes floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass doors and an 80-foot heated bench for deck views on cool days. Remnants of Sam's history are evident in some vintage decor, the hamburger and Champagne specials, and the free popcorn. Most people flock to the deck for beers, views, sunsets, and exceptionally tasty seafood. Ask about the old trapdoor used to haul in whiskey during Prohibition. No deck reservations means you can expect a wait for outside tables.
27 Main St., Tiburon, California, 94920, USA415-435–4527Known For
- Excellent raw bar
- Pink lemonade and margarita "bowls"
- Dungeness crab Louie
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12. Sam's Chowder House
$$$ | | SeafoodThis East Coast–style waterfront seafood joint may not be textbook Cape Cod, but that's okay—dine here, and you'll get the best of both coasts: fresh West Coast seafood prepared with traditional East Coast recipes. Indoor seats are in several long dining rooms; cozy outdoor seats are warmed by gas fire pits and heaters on chilly days; and every seat in the house looks out to the water.
4210 North Cabrillo Hwy. (Hwy. 1), Half Moon Bay, California, 94019, USA650-712–0245Known For
- New England–style clam chowder
- Award-winning lobster rolls
- Fresh local seafood
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13. Side Street Kitchen
$ | |Rotisserie meats and veggies sourced from local farms steal the show at this former mid-20th-century truck stop and diner. It's a go-to for tri-tip and pork belly sandwiches or house-seasoned roasted chicken, best eaten with a host of sides, sips, and sweets, like crispy Parmesan Brussels sprouts, New Orleans–style cold brew coffee, and butterscotch pudding. Colorful Iris Hockenos mural art adorns the remodeled café, which has countertop dining indoors and a welcoming patio and picnic table seating outdoors.
60 4th St., Point Reyes Station, California, 94956, USA415-663–0303Known For
- Rotisserie chicken and lots of vegetarian dishes
- Dog-friendly outdoor patio
- Apple fritters
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner after 6 pm -
14. Standard Fare
$ | |Just look for the hungry crowds and the smell of freshly baked muffins; breakfast-lunch-brunch paradise is here in a far-flung corner of Berkeley. Kelsie Kerr's daytime-only restaurant/bakery started in 2014 and has been a sensation ever since. For the indecisive, this place is a nightmare. Everything looks outstanding and truly is. Buttermilk biscuit egg sandwiches tend to be the morning staple, while lunch sees a little more creativity and quintessential Berkeley farm-to-table elements, like in a long-roasted pork shoulder and beet greens sandwich.
2701 Eighth St., Berkeley, California, 94710, USA510-356–2261Known For
- Brunch salads anchored by organic pasture-raised eggs
- House-made hummus plate
- Sourdough waffle with seasonal fruit and house-cured bacon
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No dinner -
15. Station House Café
$ | |The Station House Café has been a stalwart venue for local music and a staunch supporter of local farms and food artisans. The community-centric eatery serves a blend of modern and classic California dishes comprised of organic seasonal ingredients, sustainable hormone-free meats, and wild-caught seafood. Creative and classic cocktails are a bonus here—a great way to wind down the day after lots of hiking or kayaking.
11180 Hwy. 1, Point Reyes Station, California, 94956, USA415-663–1515Known For
- Signature popovers
- Special weekend brunch items
- Fresh local seafood
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed. and Thurs. -
16. Sushi Ran
$$$ | |Sushi aficionados swear that this tiny, stylish restaurant is the Bay Area's finest option for raw fish, but don't overlook the excellent Pacific Rim fusions, a melding of Japanese ingredients and French techniques. Book in advance or expect a wait, which you can soften by sipping one of the bar's 30 by-the-glass sakes.
107 Caledonia St., Sausalito, California, 94965, USA415-332–3620Known For
- Glorious pristine raw fish preparations
- Local miso-glazed black cod
- Outstanding sake and wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.–Thurs., Reservations essential -
17. The Cheese Board Collective
$ | |A jazz combo often entertains the line that snakes down the block outside Cheese Board Pizza; it's that good. The cooperatively owned vegetarian and vegan takeout spot and restaurant draws devoted customers with the smell of just-baked garlic on the pie of the day. For just a nibble, the Cheese Board Bakery & Cheese shop next door sells cookies, bialys, and some of the best sourdough baguettes in town.
1504–1512 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, California, 94709, USA510-549–3183Known For
- Cheese varieties
- Green sauce
- Daily changing toppings
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues. Pizza: no lunch; bakery: no dinner -
18. The Marshall Store
$ | |It's oyster bliss at this very friendly daytime restaurant along Tomales Bay. There are a few indoor seats, but the in-demand spots are on the outside deck, where heaters keep guests somewhat warm even on the chilliest days. It's the restaurant wing of the Tomales Bay Oyster Company, so every table has one or more kind of oyster preparation (grilled, smoked, or raw). House-smoked fish and meats as plates or sandwiches round out the menu since it's probably best not to only eat oysters for lunch.
19225 Highway 1, Point Reyes Station, California, 94940, USA415-663–1339Known For
- Pristine Pacific Preston Point oysters
- Local bread, cheeses, and dairy soft-serve
- Chorizo fish stew and clam chowder
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.–Thurs. No dinner -
19. The Village Pub
$$$$ | |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,
2967 Woodside Rd., Woodside, California, 94062, USA650-851–9888Known For
- Chocolate soufflé
- Pub burger on an English muffin
- Deep wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.–Thurs. -
20. Alice's Restaurant
$ | |At the prominent intersection of Skyline Boulevard and Highway 84, this indoor-outdoor restaurant is a landmark for weekend breakfast and lunch. Alice's is surrounded by redwood trees, so sitting outside at the picnic benches is beautiful but almost always on the chilly side. The inside is like a cozy alpine diner situated in a wooden cabin.
17288 Skyline Blvd., California, 94062, USA650-851–0303Known For
- Vast menu including several burgers
- French toast and blueberry pancakes
- Dog-friendly outdoor deck
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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