1438 Best Restaurants in California, USA

In business since 1964, La Ginestra—named for the flowers that grow on Mt. Vesuvius, in the owners' homeland—is a Mill Valley institution renowned for its no-pretense Italian meals and impressive wine list. Given that Naples is a primary inspiration for the menu, the handful of Neapolitan-style pizzas are certainly a highlight of any visit, as are the homemade tiramisu, spritzes, and barrel-aged Negroni cocktails.

A longtime Bay Area caterer opened this retail shop serving soups, salads, sandwiches, and a few entrées to go or eat indoors or on the front patio. Supplementing staples like turkey, tri-tip, and roasted portobello sandwiches—the Caesar salad is a town favorite—are surprise items, says the owner, "we just feel like cooking, like pot roast when it rains or Thai wraps on sunny days."

The burritos, tacos, and quesadillas here will fill you up before wine tasting or help absorb what you've imbibed. The Super Burrito laden with cheese, beans, sour cream, guacamole, and your choice of meat provides a day's fuel in itself (wine workers also swear by the crispy carnitas); for breakfast (before 11), there's a burrito with eggs, your choice of meat, and potatoes, beans, and salsa.

Right on the water's edge, this perpetually popular destination courtesy of global mega-chef Gastón Acurio imports the signature flavors of his home country, Peru, to San Francisco. Fresh seafood is a big draw here, including a long list of ceviches and the can't-miss causas (whipped potatoes topped with a choice of Dungeness crab, chicken, or vegetable salads). Even though Acurio has many restaurants around the world, this one always feels extra special since it was his first to open in the U.S. back in 2008.

Delectable samplings of Spanish cuisine and a lively setting with expanded outdoor seating (Thursday through Sunday only) keep this tapas bar brimming with energy amid savory smells of seafood dishes and small plates of peel-and-eat prawns, lamb sliders with harissa mayo, or goat cheese–stuffed piquillos rellenos. The bar's passion for Spanish cuisine and culture is evident in the wines, the Mediterranean flavors, and the cozy setting with tile mosaics.

Colorful on-a-stick natural fruit bars and ice cream bars known as paletas in Mexico are the main draws at the equally brilliant-hued roadside building where they and a few other sweet frozen delights are made. Mango, pineapple, lime, and guava are popular among the fruit-flavored items; rice pudding's the sleeper hit on the ice cream side.

A charming taste of Provence in a 19th-century locale with vintage French posters, country tables, and a seasonal flowering patio, La Note serves thoughtfully prepared rustic food. Enjoy breakfast and lunch outdoors with fresh, crusty breads and pastries, eggs Lucas with house-roasted tomatoes, and lemon gingerbread pancakes. Breakfast is served all day, so don't worry if you're in the mood for a ham-and-cheese omelet at noon on a Tuesday.

Just look for the swaying Italian flag at a strip mall on Hillhurst and Melbourne, and you’ll stumble into La Pergoletta, a cozy little space. Though the decor is decidedly frenzied, it still maintains a chic yet rustic quality that looks like it was cobbled together by an Italian nonna; more important, the food tastes like it was made by her, too.

Authentic Italian fare made with fresh local produce lures diners into this cozy, modern-rustic restaurant. Nearly everything is made in-house, from the pizzas and breads baked in the brick oven to the pasta and the vanilla-bean gelato.

The most well-known—and quite possibly the best—of the burrito choices around town forgoes rice in the filling (almost all burritos in the Mission include rice) to focus on tender meats. The carne asada is the house favorite, but you can't go wrong with the carnitas either. While the burritos deservedly get the hype, the tacos and quesadillas are also worth trying.

Chef Ken Frank serves French-inspired cuisine in a formal dining space, his dishes complemented by a wine lineup that has earned a coveted Wine Spectator Grand Award for a decade. Ingredients appearing on the à la carte and six-course prix-fixe tasting menus often include caviar, bluefin tuna, Wagyu beef, and rich cheeses in dishes prepared and seasoned to pair with wines jointly chosen by the chefs and sommeliers.

Enormous tortas (Mexican sandwiches with meat, avocado, queso fresco, and refried beans on a soft-interior/crunchy-exterior roll) are a culinary specialty of the state of Puebla in Mexico, and they're also the signature item of this Mission District daytime favorite. The tortas come in two sizes (you likely only need the smaller one). Beyond the must-order house specialty, the extensive menu includes everything from coffee and breakfast to tostadas and tacos.

This diminutive addition to Little Italy was once a pet store and grooming shop, but the Buslacchi family swapped fur and feathers for fringe and a bit of a frou-frou feel. Come for a drink and appetizer of short rib arancini before heading next door to Barbusa for dinner, or stay and enjoy a plate of gnocchi with a Lala martini, a surprisingly spicy take on the classic cocktail.

When you're craving spaghetti and meatballs, this wood-paneled roadside spot with a cordial staff and loyal clientele is the place to go. Other good old-fashioned Italian American classics—served to tables with red-and-white-checked cloths—include lasagna, ravioli, chicken and veal piccata, eggplant Parmesan, and Sicilian-style pizzas. 

Using his grandmother's passed-down family recipes from Mazatlán, Mexico, Florencio Delgado and his wife opened their original restaurant in 1973. Five decades later, the Delgado descendants are still pumping out hearty and traditional plates of fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, and harder-to-find stuffed-pepper dishes like chile en nogada. Imported art and crafts lend festive charm to this casual but crowded culinary institution, which has an expansive garden patio.

One of the oldest restaurants in San Diego, having opened in 1933, Las Cuatro Milpas ("The Four Cornfields") feels like a closely held secret in Barrio Logan. Open until 3 pm, it almost inevitably attracts a big lunchtime rush, though the wait is worth it for the homemade tortillas, beans with chorizo, and rolled tacos. The menu is simple, though everything is delicious, and the interior—with checkered picnic tables—looks like it hasn't changed in 85 years. Don't forget your wallet, as they only accept cash.

In 1981, Señora Mendoza created a home-cooked menu that is still used today, making this one of North County's best Mexican restaurants. Across the street from Cardiff Beach---you can grab a margarita or some fish tacos before heading off to view surfers awaiting their next wave---expect big platters of fajitas, chiles rellenos, and chicken taquitos served with rice and beans.

Coffee and hot cocoa, wine and beer (including local brews from Lassen Ale Works), and sandwiches, burgers, soups, salads, bagels, and pizzas are served in this casual eatery inside the park's only year-round visitor center. There's a fireplace indoors, but if the weather is fine, the patio with its mountain views is the place to be.

Swing through wooden doors and into a spacious dining room that re-creates an authentic Old West saloon, decked out with a wooden bar and furniture, mounted animal heads, fugitive wanted fliers, film posters, and other memorabilia. The traditional steak-house menu includes ribs, filet mignon, flat iron steak, along with crab cakes, salmon, pizzas, and pasta.

It may seem like everyone at this bagel shop/pizza joint knows each other, and they probably do. This place has become so popular in the neighborhood that several new businesses have sprung up around it. Come in the morning for some of the best New York--style bagels in the city (takeout only) or in the evening for thick-crust rectangular pizza. Favorites include the classic pepperoni and the broccoli with shaved fennel; spring for the truffle honey for a surprising lift. Wednesdays they also serve smash burgers---beef and veggie---and there's always a good wine and beer selection.

Boonville locals and frequent visitors love Lauren's for its down-home vibe and well-sourced comfort food—vegetarian and ground-beef burgers, hand-cut fries, chicken tostadas, fish-and-chips, and Thai-curry bowls. Chocolate brownies and (seasonally) apple tarts and honey-baked pears are among the desserts worth a trip on their own.

This romantic bistro with a spacious outdoor atrium decked out with flowers, twinkle lights, and pops of the namesake color has several weekly specials (e.g., no-corkage-fee Sunday) and a lengthy menu of fancy meats, seafood, and old-school salads. Always save room for dessert.

Neighborhood residents love the dauntless Le Beau, one of the few remaining family-run grocery stores in the city. It's fun to browse around, and their sandwiches are a highlight. If you've never had a sandwich on Dutch Crunch bread (a semisweet, softer, baguette-like roll with a spotted crust thanks to a topping of rice flour), this is a perfect place to pick one up to go.

Situated inside the Hotel Normandie in a minuscule space, Le Comptoir is a 10-seat French restaurant helmed by chef Gary Menes that features veggie-forward food in an unstuffy setting. The counter spot earned a Michelin star for its organic kitchen and intimate atmosphere that gives guests one-on-one attention from the chef who is making and plating your food right in front of you.

The Sausalito waterfront isn't exactly going to remind anyone of the French Riviera's beaches, but everyone enjoys the traditional bistro fare at this longtime bayside classic in a relaxed setting that feels like a sidewalk café merged with an artist's garage studio. The restaurant is both charming and petite, so make reservations or arrive early. While the concise menu might not be trailblazing, there's no better place for miles to enjoy such perfect tried-and-true standards like escargots and duck confit.

For those who think that French-influenced fine dining is passé, San Jose’s gastronomic stalwart since 1977 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 beef tenderloin is elevated by roasted plum and a marrow emulsion. Diners enjoy a three- 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.

The only thing separating this bluff-top wood-and-glass restaurant from the Pacific Ocean is a great view. Entrées evoke the flavors of southern France and include hearty bistro dishes—stews, cassoulet, and pastas—and large portions of grilled meats and freshly caught fish (though the restaurant is also vegetarian friendly).

Try something beyond the same old pad thai at this authentic Thai standby. Thai herb sausage and papaya salad with salted egg are good appetizers to share, while the pork belly with crispy rind and basil leaves and duck larb (meat salad) come packed with flavor and heat. The food is such a hit that the restaurant has two other spots in the Mission and Hayes Valley. It's a favorite for late-night dining.

 Expect a great selection of baked goods and an unpretentious atmosphere at Lestat's three locations: Normal Heights (open 6:30 am to 11 pm), Hillcrest (open 8 am to midnight), and University Heights (open 24/7). The Normal Heights location is adjacent to Lestat's West, a music venue offering live music, comedy shows, and open mic nights.

The Soracco family has been baking Liguria's focaccia genovese for more than a century, and their fresh-baked Italian flatbreads (such as plain, rosemary, and tomato slathered with green onions, and on Saturday, pesto) are the city's best. Bring cash and arrive before noon: when the focaccia is gone, the bakery closes.