1438 Best Restaurants in California, USA

The idea of a chic, contemporary steak house didn't really exist in San Francisco before this runaway favorite opened by the Design District's traffic circle. It's one of two high-end restaurants for the popular Omakase Group in this immediate area (the other being nearby luxury sushi bar Omakase) and perfectly balances a menu of creative small plates and flame-kissed mains. The one downside is that most of the steaks aren't south of $100. But if you're going to splurge on a tasting of different Wagyu beef cuts, this is the place to do it. During the daytime (and at a fraction of the evening cost), the adjacent Butcher Shop by Niku Steakhouse offers one of San Francisco's greatest burgers.

An architecturally significant century-old bank now houses the Nimble & Finn's artisanal ice cream parlor and a small room with historical Guerneville displays. Along with cups and cones of ice cream handmade from local organic dairy products, the shop sells cakes, candy, shakes, floats, and coffee drinks.

As the American child of a Japanese immigrant—the definition of nisei— Chef David Yoshimura wants us to know that there's more to Japanese cuisine than ramen and sushi. At his new, low-key and elegant black-walled restaurant—already awarded its first Michelin star—Yoshimura puts his own creative spin on washoku, traditional seasonal Japanese cooking, to deliver what he calls "Japanese soul food." The multicourse tasting menu may include examples of the bold flavors and stark contrasts he favors such as banana dorayaki (filled pancakes) with caviar and black curry with sweetbreads. The wine pairing is a good bet, as the chef is also a sommelier.

For a little bonhomie before the symphony, it's hard to go wrong with this buzzy (and typically crowded) ramen spot. Noodles are the star of the menu, and deservedly so, but you'll also find izakaya-style small plates, including pot stickers and chicken fritters. Seating is at a premium in the mod Japanese/San Franciscan dining room with windows overlooking Franklin Street.

Nomad Asian Bistro draws an army of dedicated locals to feast on Chinese halal dishes featuring toothsome, hand-pulled noodles (at a nominal extra fee, but worth it in every way). Nomad offers a wide range of conventional and inventive options, with abundant vegetarian and gluten-free choices in addition to classics like short ribs and shrimp. Be warned: if you order the sesame flatbread and aren't paying close attention, you'll inhale it all and ruin your appetite. Wash down your meal with a glass of their housemade, fresh-pressed ginger beer. The restaurant's ample size makes it a great option for large parties, and free parking is abundant—a rarity in Long Beach. Patio dining is available.

The doughnuts at Nomad are big, fluffy, colorful, and would make Homer Simpson drool. Its rotating menu of internationally inspired doughnut flavors is made with natural ingredients, like real fruit, and almost all of them have a vegan counterpart as well. Just make sure to show up early—doughnuts this good don't stick around for long.

Those in the mood for a fresh take on both common and seldom-seen Mexican dishes will adore Nopa's nearby little sibling. All the tortillas are made from organic house-ground masa, and Mexico's peppers find their way into many of the spice-filled offerings. Standout dishes include a robust, tender plate of carnitas and a powerful fish-filled ceviche verde. The casual atmosphere is popular with families, while adults adore the margaritas and tequila selection. Reservations aren't accepted and waits can be daunting at peak times, so plan strategically.

Owner Kelsey McNair's obsession for detail in his beer is equally apparent in his NYC-style pizzas, which come in 12" and 18" options. Toppings range from house marinara sauce to fresh basil, Calabrian chili peppers, capicola, and meatballs straight from his mother's recipe book.

Bring quarters for the two pinball machines.

The Noyo River Bridge looms high above this family-owned harborside restaurant, whose outdoor tables have views of the river emptying (via Noyo Bay) into the Pacific. No surprises with the straightforward, beer-friendly, seafood-oriented cuisine—fried calamari, fish-and-chips, prawns scampi, and the like—but it's executed well, especially the grilled local salmon.

Tucked into the back of Sugarfish (a popular sushi chain) in the middle of Beverly Hills, this secret omakase sushi spot has only 10 seats, where master chef Osamu Fujita slices up the freshest cuts of raw fish from a 20+-course tasting menu. If you ever wanted to get a one-on-one with a culinary wizard, this is your chance as you sit a foot away from the chef while he prepares your perfect portions. Reservations aren't easy, but can be made 60 days in advance.

After surviving three major setbacks (a fire, the pandemic, and mudslides) this family-owned restaurant, a traditional steak house with a modern twist, is now one of the best eateries in town. Classic American dishes have a Southwest-meets-Californian influence, as evidenced by the cowboy burger, steak house asada tacos, lobster mac and cheese, and salmon with honey-ginger carrots. Among the 10 “handhelds” is the top-seller “OG Burger” with your choice of shoestring or hand-cut fries or a side of onion rings. This upscale saloon draws a crowd for the all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch with bottomless mimosas.

Built in 1881 as a general store, Oakville Grocery carries high-end groceries and prepared foods. On summer weekends, customers stocking up on picnic provisions—meats, cheeses, breads, pizzas, and gourmet sandwiches—pack the place, but during the week it serves as a mellow pit stop to sip an espresso out front, picnic out back, or taste wines at Oakville Wine Merchant next door.

Chef-owner and Napa native Tyler Rodde is ever on the lookout for fresh produce to incorporate into his rustic southern Italian cuisine. His restaurant, a brick-walled contemporary space with tall windows and wooden tables, is a lively spot to sample thin-crust pizzas and house-made salumi and pasta.

Locals and visitors alike flock to this sleek, Asian-inspired restaurant across from Stearns Wharf and East Beach (reserve a second-story table for killer views). The eclectic menu focuses mostly on small plates of classic dishes meant for sharing—sushi, sashimi, yakisoba, ramen soup with pork belly, black-garlic filet mignon—but it also has creative surprises like the halibut-crab-avocado "lollipop" or the lobster-tempura-Wagyu beef roll.

Despite Old Town's (somewhat accurate) reputation as a tourist trap, Old Town Mexican Cafe has been a favorite for locals and tourists since opening in 1977. Expect crowds from open until close, with a line of guests hungry for popular breakfast dishes like chilaquiles, omelettes, and huevos rancheros, as well as lunch and dinner specialties like fish tacos, carne asada, enchiladas, and much more. Wash it all down with one of their famous margaritas or michelada made with lime, clamato, and your choice of beer (any Mexican Lager strongly recommended).

Don't count calories here, because you'll lose track at this old-fashioned sweet shop with over 22 types of fudge, 43 flavors of ice cream, 15 different candy apples, and chocolate made in house. Their retro, and viral candy, will take you back in time. 

Sophisticated Italian cuisine with an emphasis on Sicily is served at this restaurant near the Arlington. The veal scaloppine is popular, but surprises abound here, with unusual dishes such as the duck ravioli or the ribbon pasta with quail and sausage in a mushroom ragout.

A three-decade-old favorite for business lunches and special dinners, this white-tablecloth spot caters to suits brokering deals and well-dressed romantic dates, who carve their way through upscale dishes accented by local produce and often intricate sauces. Its menu skews seasonal and meaty, and its largish front bar is popular for Financial District/pre-commute happy hour. At lunch, New York-style deli sandwiches and smoked salmon-topped latkes (originally a COVID-19 pandemic pivot that proved so popular it couldn't subsequently leave) take center stage.

It's hard to describe this ode to France's many culinary specialties without a map diagram, as this is a full six-story, four-concept venue just a block from Union Square. The shimmering gem of the house is upstairs, the exquisite fine-dining tasting menu space O' by Claude Le Tohic (tasting menu from $210); the other floors house a modern cocktail bar (Elements), a ground-floor bakery and patisserie, and a more casual and worthwhile bistro and grill.

Clubby, vibrant, and radiating old-school charm, this San Francisco mainstay has been serving classic Italian American fare since the 1930s. Folks flock to this third incarnation---run deftly by the third generation of the founder’s family---for classic cocktails and large portions of favorites like prime rib and chicken parmigiana. Expect high decibel levels, high energy, and a wait.

Opened in 1924 by Dewey Logan, this classic diner's former claim to fame is that it never closed in the entirety of its run. Currently owned by former L.A. mayor Richard Riordan, the diner has more limited hours and serves American food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and is known for cakes, pies, steaks, and chops. The establishment is also a Los Angeles historic cultural monument.

In an immaculate setting boasting a long communal table, firewood as decor, and an enormous open kitchen, chef-owner Seth Stowaway's complex and invigorating tasting menus change their concept every few weeks. However, the firewood is a hint at the overarching theme of every experience: live-fire cooking incorporated into every dish. That touch of flames might be demonstrated by a more subtle smoke influence in a sauce or delicate, direct grilling for an elaborate meat or seafood centerpiece.

Chef David Bush, who achieved national recognition for his food pairings at St. Francis Winery, owns this tavernlike small-plates restaurant inside an 1890s storefront that incorporates materials reclaimed from the building's prior incarnations. Starters often include oysters, ceviche, and deviled eggs with Dungeness crab and homemade yellow curry, meant to be enjoyed before moving on to barbecued pork ribs, shrimp and cheesy grits, Moroccan-spiced salmon, and similar items.

Between music by Pavarotti, the checkered tablecloths, and the sight of homemade pasta and free-flowing vino, you’ll swear you’ve died and gone to Italy. At this cozy La Jolla Shores eatery, northern and southwestern Italian flavors have fused into culinary magic—homemade bread, sauces, gnocchi, and pasta like pappardelle with braised lamb and linguine with mussels—since 2004. The breaded veal and lobster ravioli are both exceptional and pork osso buco in port wine sauce is a popular main course that can be enjoyed alfresco on warm summer nights on the dog-friendly patio. Despite its size, the tiramisu with espresso-dipped ladyfingers goes down way too easily.

Sophisticated yet unpretentious European-inspired California cooking is the order of the day at this intimate and stylish bistro, whose seasonal menu might include such items as seafood risotto or crispy duck breast in a pomegranate reduction sauce. The creative concoctions poured at the slick marble bar include whiskey mixed with apple and lemon juice or tequila with celery juice and lime.

This energetic Japanese dining venue (part of Michael Mina's high-powered group) is a sleek, wonderful place that hosts both date nights and business deals at its tables and cocktail bar. The substantial menu can be overwhelming, so it's best to just graze around the sushi rolls, charcoal grill items, and a few small and large plates like seafood chawanmushi (egg custard) and spicy cod roe spaghetti.

Also known as the Fish Shop, this is a favorite among locals. Peruse the customizable menu that lets diners select a type of fish, marinade, and preparation style (grilled or fried, and taco, sandwich, salad, or plate) that suits their tastes. You can dine on the heated patio, order your food to go, or buy the daily catch to cook at home.

This casual beachy-style eatery offers sweeping ocean views and seasonal Pacific Coast fare that reflects California's Mexican and Asian influences with dishes like sea bass tacos and ahi poke bowl. Evenings are a scene, as attractive beachy types sip microbrews and well-priced wines along with morsels from the sushi bar; dinner in the spacious dining room or on the sunny patio brings porcini-crusted scallops with corn-truffle puree, or plum-ginger–braised short ribs washed down with a margarita that sings with fresh lime and lemon juice.

The view of the shimmering Pacific from this lovely restaurant perched atop Del Mar Plaza is one of the best along the coast, and complements the simply prepared, beautifully presented seafood. The highly innovative menu is frequently rewritten to show off such creations as barbecue sugar-spice salmon with mustard sauce and soy-glazed halibut. The crowd ranges from young hipsters at the bar to well-dressed businesspeople on the outdoor terrace overlooking the surf, where glass screens block any hint of a chilly breeze. For something more casual, head to Pacifica's Breeze Café on the ground floor for breakfast and lunch.