1438 Best Restaurants in California, USA

The perfect pairing of simplicity and complexity, Momed serves Mediterranean fare that feels comforting yet upscale. The welcoming atmosphere is just as perfect for a romantic date night as it is for a more convivial brunch with friends.

Over the past decade, this coveted ocean-view spot in Del Mar has seen restaurants come and go, but finally Monarch did it right by transforming an 8,000-square-foot facility into dining space, an entertainment venue, and a sundeck for patrons and their pups. Inside, the California coastal menu itself is as cool as the 1970s decor, with rattan furniture and a poster of Tom Selleck greeting you at the bar; outside a bridge connects the restaurant to “Monarch On The Deck” where grab-'n'-go goodies can be enjoyed with live music Sunday from 3 to 6. Good luck wrapping your mouth around the short rib pastrami sandwich, brined for five days and piled high on toasted marbled rye. There’s no skimping on the lobster and shrimp sliders, and the boat fries are perfect for scooping homemade ranch or aioli dip. Burgers, salads, and wood-fired smoked wings are just the right portions to save room for the Hawaiian doughnuts with Tahitian vanilla gelato.

Get soft-serve ice cream, burgers, and fries at this hopping shack in the middle of Lee Vining, but be prepared to wait in line. There's some indoor seating, but unless the clouds are leaking, take your food to nearby (and quiet) Hess Park, whose views of Mono Lake make it one of the best picnic spots in eastern California. The park has a playground and tennis court, too.

Casual yet stylish and always packed, this seafood restaurant is removed from the hubbub of the wharf. The bartenders and waitstaff will gladly advise you on the perfect wine to go with your poached, blackened, or oak-grilled seafood.

A 100% plant-based establishment in Koreatown shouldn't be a thing that works, but Monty's Good Burger has the neighborhood fooled, as its Impossible Burger makes believers out of the most devout carnivores. Perfectly pressed plant-based patties come with oozing vegan cheese and fries or tots that melt in your mouth. The small counter spot usually has lines out the door (especially late night) of Angelenos who are now hooked on healthy burgers, epic shakes, and perfectly fried food.

Head here for contemporary-Cal cuisine in a sexy dining room with pumpkin-color walls, burgundy velvet banquettes, and art-deco fixtures. The earthy, sure-handed cooking showcases organically grown ingredients: look for ahi poke, snazzy pizzas bubbling-hot from a brick oven, braised lamb shanks, pan-roasted wild game, fresh seafood, and organic beef.

The chef-owner at this light-filled restaurant in a strip mall 1½ miles southwest of downtown incorporates seasonal organic produce, free-range meats, sustainable line-caught fish, and cage-free eggs in his cuisine. Staples include salads, fish tacos, pasta dishes, and burgers (standard, veggie, or teriyaki mushroom Swiss) for dinner daily and lunch except on Sunday, when buckwheat pancakes, French toast, and two variations on eggs Benedict headline the brunch menu.

For a deliciously sweet pick-me-up, check out the rich ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet made fresh daily on the premises. Dessert nachos made from waffle-cone chips are an unusual addition to an extensive sundae menu. Just look for the statue of Elvis on the sidewalk in front.

Not to be confused with chef Masaharu Morimoto's flagship sushi palace a few doors south, his pan-Asian restaurant serves dim sum, spicy Szechuan mapo ramen, orange chicken, and a slew of other Chinese-inspired apps, soups, salads, and entrées in a light-filled space with Napa River views. This culinary concept previously worked well for the chef in Orlando and Waikiki.

Iron Chef star Masaharu Morimoto is the big name behind this downtown Napa restaurant where everything is delightfully over the top, including the desserts. Organic materials such as twisting grapevines above the bar and rough-hewn wooden tables seem earthy yet modern, creating a fitting setting for the gorgeously plated Japanese fare, from straightforward sashimi to more elaborate seafood, chicken, pork, and beef entrées.

The eastern Mission's seasonal Californian charmer is a delightful stop for a concise menu of "won't ever leave the menu" dishes, plus a few always-changing farmers' market–driven creations. Owner Paul Einbund is one of the city's top sommeliers, so, on cue, the wine list is particularly impressive, and so is the industrial yet cheery dining room and impressive parklet. The bathroom is a trip—literally—where the decor is film footage of a countryside drive set to a soothing musical score.

A friendly neighborhood Scottish pub, the Morrison comes with a bit of an upmarket flair, a kids' menu, and even dishes for your canine friends. And of course it serves a hearty, boozy brunch. Come here for a laid-back-pub vibe with slightly elevated dining.

Every "best patio" article in the Bay Area features this oceanfront restaurant (and former speakeasy) with a beautiful view, whether it's sunny or foggy. The menu is always fresh and fun with a general emphasis on fish and seafood. In reality, it's just as well known for the many dogs who adore the patio. The drinks menu is uninspired, but any beverage will taste better with a sunset vantage point like this restaurant has.

This local chain of women- and Filipino-owned coffee shops opened in Hillcrest in 2024, bringing with them their selection of award-winning beans ethically sourced from farms around the Philippines. Try one of their milk-based espresso drinks crafted by talented baristas on-site, or sign up for a coffee subscription to get a variety of blends and roasts mailed anywhere for free in the U.S.

With Mourad's stunning, grand design, it's easy to get distracted from the intricate cocktails and excellent cooking served here on the ground level of the magnificent 1920s art-deco PacBell building. However, chef-owner Mourad Lahlou is the great voice for his native Morocco's cuisine in the Bay Area, and this restaurant is his showcase, where dish after dish is as splendid as the bathrooms' tile work and the chandeliers above the dining room. Ask for a downstairs table; the mezzanine seating lacks the design and atmosphere of the rest of the space.

The owner of this bright storefront restaurant and marketplace across from Sonoma Plaza's southern edge escorts her customers on a round-the-world journey via street-food mashups like tandoori “tacos” on naan and healthful “blue zone” salads for lunch, retaining many of these items for “supper,” which might also include berbere-spiced chicken thighs. The through line on the dishes is that all are baked (nothing’s deep fried), their ingredients from reputable purveyors employing sustainable growing practices.

A popular meeting place for casual connections and grab-and-go goodness, this café–bar–market is a great place to start your day with an energy boost like avocado egg cups on toasted sourdough or smoked salmon toast with jalapeño and micro greens. Later in the day, place your order at the counter for a sandwich like the prosciutto with mozzarella and pesto, afternoon nibbles like smoothies and charcuterie boards, or cocktails and wines by the glass. If you’ve ever grabbed a bite at a café and wished you could replicate it at home with signature ingredients, the market portion of this space will make you very happy.

Cordelia Knott's fried chicken and boysenberry pies drew crowds so big in the 1930s, that Knott's Berry Farm built a park to keep the hungry customers occupied while they waited. The Western-theme restaurant serves crispy home-style fried chicken, along with biscuits, mashed potatoes, gravy, and Mrs. Knott's signature chilled cherry-rhubarb compote. The adjacent Marketplace has a grab-and-go counter to order and take home Knott's fried-chicken dinners. Both eateries are open to the public without a park ticket.

This boisterous family-friendly restaurant with six flat-screen televisions serves the best burgers—beef, buffalo, or elk—in town. The traditional diner menu also features country-fried steak, turkey dinner, Black Angus beef, and blueberry pie.

The scene's light and lively indoors and out at this pub whose 16 taps dispense everything from pale ales to studly stouts. The kitchen turns out well-made snacks, salads, burgers, wraps, and a slew of sandwiches on various breads.

Many patrons at this restaurant serving seasonal California cuisine are attending performing-arts events at the Mondavi Center a short walk away or visiting their kids at UC Davis. With hardwood floors and soft lighting, the dining room is cozy and romantic, but when the weather's fine, the tree-shaded patio out back is the best place to enjoy dishes like tomato bisque crowned with a puff pastry or herb-crusted rack of lamb.

Cindy Pawlcyn’s restaurant fills day and night with fans of her hearty cuisine, equal parts updated renditions of traditional American dishes—what Pawlcyn dubs "deluxe truck stop classics"—and fanciful contemporary fare. Barbecued baby back pork ribs and a lemon-lime tart piled high with brown-sugar meringue fall squarely in the first category, and sweet corn tamales with tomatillo-avocado salsa represent the latter.

Fantastic flavors and gracious owners have earned this humble roadside restaurant with river-stone columns, pine-paneled walls and ceilings, and Thai statues and ornamentation the loyalty of Tahoe residents and regular visitors. The aromatic dishes include crab pad Thai, basil lamb, sizzling shrimp, and numerous curries.

Bookended by culinary gardens and constructed of corrugated-metal former shipping containers, redwoods felled by wildfires, and other recycled materials, this 3½-acre open-air hangout has a block-party feel, especially at weekend brunch or when area musicians perform. The gardens (like the restaurant temporarily occupying a site slated for development into a hotel-commercial complex) inspire the seasonal comfort-food menu, with staples like fish tacos, grilled chicken wings, and plant-based variations appearing year-round.

A longtime refuge from California's lean cuisine, Nate 'n' Al's serves up steaming pastrami, matzo ball soup, and potato latkes. Big-time media and entertainment insiders are often seen kibbitzing at this old-time East Coast–style establishment. There can be a bit of a wait, so plan accordingly.

Some of the city's flakiest and most impeccably baked croissants, pastries, and other treats draw big crowds every morning. It's walk-up only, so plan on enjoying your tarts, bostocks, sourdough loaves, and coffee elsewhere if one of the few picnic tables outside are full. Many of the pastries and espresso drinks by Paper Son Coffee (a pop-up turned permanent part of the bakery experience) have a unique spice or flavor from Asian cuisines, like a bubbly coffee soda with guava foam or a char siu (BBQ pork)-filled croissant.

Dungeness crab, the Bay Area’s favorite local seafood, is showcased in a consistently fantastic sandwich on grilled sourdough bread at this timeless Pacifica restaurant and lounge. It’s an all-day restaurant attached to a motel right by the beach, with a vintage Americana atmosphere that looks like a blend of a coastal diner with maritime decor and a throwback martini bar with dim lighting, wood paneling, and tufted leather banquettes.

Owner Nico Gibbons has been a familiar face in the San Diego seafood scene for years, and he finally found a permanent location for his popular pop-up in 2024. Located just a block from the oceanfront, the small suite contains both a dining area and market case stocked with rotating cuts of fresh ahi tuna, shrimp, halibut, swordfish, red snapper, and more. It doesn't get any fresher than this.

Be sure to try Nico's homemade habanero-guava-carrot hot sauce, or purchase your own bottle to take home.

Easy to spot from its red neon sign perched above the front door, Night & Day Cafe offers simple, hearty Mexican food with counter service and ample portions. The hearty breakfast burritos, bacon cheeseburgers, and fish tacos provide more than enough sustenance for two meals.