98 Best Restaurants in The Bay Area, California

Busy D'Angelo's is known for its standout house-made pastas; there are even gluten-free options. Another draw is the scene, especially in the side bar area, which hosts a lively cocktail hour in the contemporary trattoria space. The restaurant encompasses a bright, main room with hardwood floors and white tablecloths and an inviting heated garden patio in the back.

Modern Mexican farm-to-table creations and inspired cocktails are the focus of this festive indoor-outdoor space that's popular for its firepit, made-to-order masa station, and happy hour. An open kitchen serves up locally sourced, organic, and sustainable dishes like ceviche, grilled fresh fish tacos, enchiladas with mole sauce, and braised pork quesadillas. 

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.

Many restaurants have direct relationships between nearby farms and the kitchen, but very few are truly co-owned. Here, this Oakland restaurant's owner, Aomboon Deasy, is also part of the family that owns the renowned K&J Orchards, a supplier of top-tier produce to some of the Bay Area's greatest restaurants. This is literally farm directly to table when the winter puntarelle salad features that orchard's Satsuma oranges at their seasonal peak. And many other farms, orchards and ranches are given headliner status on the menu, which features a strong ensemble of contemporary Californian starters, medium-sized plates, and main courses.

Originally a terrific pop-up during the COVID-19 pandemic, chef-owner Anthony Salguero's Salvadoran-Californian restaurant quickly became a Bay Area-wide hit at its permanent Old Oakland home. Lighter-style, minimal-intervention wines pair wonderfully with the squid ceviche or the unique chicken wings with homemade hot sauce. Green walls and expansive windows add a cheerful vibe to the already energetic crowd enjoying the signature creative pupusas and excellent cocktails like a Martini Colada that is exactly as it sounds (a coconut and pineapple-flavored martini), except somehow is meticulously pulled off.

The East Bay is saturated with excellent pizzerias, but arguably the best of the esteemed group is hiding in plain sight on busy University Avenue, right by the heart of downtown Berkeley. Day and night, diners enjoy whole pies (no slices) in the cozy dining room and pleasant back patio. The pizza style is a crispy but not crackery thin crust—kind of its own personality. And those pizzas sure are delightful, whether topped with broccoli rabe and garlic confit or burrata, olives, and capers.

On sunny weekend afternoons, the enormous tree-covered, creekside beer garden of this countryside dining icon feels like the epicenter of Silicon Valley. It’s a popular destination for professors and graduate students to enjoy brews and sandwiches, located just beyond campus in the pastoral town of Portola Valley. And over a century ago, it was a saloon that lasted through California's rapid growth in the late 1800s and then Prohibition. Nowadays, it's a gathering spot for local families, out-of-towners looking to eat in a quintessential Northern California setting, and the many cyclists who go on rides around the nearby rolling hills.

This breezy spot has been a locals' go-to for Baja Mexico–style tacos with distinct Californian influences since the early 2000s. Diners tend to choose two or three kinds of tacos for a meal, perhaps free-range chicken roasted in achiote, and the namesake one with sautéed shrimp, onion, and bell pepper. The menu goes well beyond tacos, including enchiladas, fajitas, chilaquiles, and an entire section devoted to vegetarian diets.

Bright and welcoming, this American bistro on Ark Row is known for its standout seafood starters (BBQ oysters, crab stacks, grilled salmon tostadas) and salads as well as shareable dishes and burgers, grilled steaks, and ribs. The cheerful, bistro-like setting makes it easy to linger in the evening and then consider returning for a breakfast of Dungeness crab and avocado Benedict or ricotta pancakes.

Oysters shucked moments after they're taken out of Tomales Bay and a tightly curated list of excellent wines are the keystones of this charming oyster bar. With indoor and outdoor patio seating and a concise, creative menu, this spot makes for a welcome post-hike or post-beach indulgence. True to the spirit of the region, it's dedicated to sustainable farming, foraging, and fishing. Locals swear the oysters here are as fresh as it gets. Note that it's cash and Venmo only.

It’s a little backwards to enjoy Maine lobster while gazing out at the Pacific, but when the crustacean meat is as wonderful as it is at this coastal icon, nobody cares what ocean is in the distance. Chowder may be in the name, but Sam’s is all about that glorious lobster roll, served “naked” (warm with butter) or "dressed" (chilled with lemon aioli). There’s an enormous menu beyond the lobster roll, but most tables don’t get very far beyond the central staple dish. The restaurant can be a hectic scene on weekends, so it definitely pays off to come at non-peak hours or to reserve a table ahead of time.

High ceilings and red-leather booths add to the friendly, retro atmosphere of Saul's deli, a Berkeley institution that is well known for its house-made sodas and enormous sandwiches made with Acme bread. Locals swear by the pastrami Reubens, stuffed-cabbage rolls, and challah French toast. Don't overlook the glass deli case, where you can order food to go. 

Live music and dancing complement Tuscan seafood and pasta specialties here and make the Seahorse one of Sausalito's most spirited supper clubs. Sample an abundant antipasti menu and homemade gnocchi on outdoor patios or enjoy the band inside with a seafood pasta or lasagna layered with beef ragout.

Jordan-inspired street food is not easy to find in the Bay Area. The unique Californian catch here is the use of flour tortillas, which are a savvy base for the foot-long, narrow wraps that are pressed on the flat top for an extra level of caramelized delight to each bite (a pita option is also available). It’s irresistible, whether filled with the signature slow-roasted yogurt and spice-marinated chicken shawarma, lamb/beef shawarma, or falafel.

San Jose’s most well-known dining destination might be this Detroit-style square pizza specialist that only found a full-time home in 2022 after being a pop-up in a nightclub. Now it’s part of a multipurpose entertainment space called San Pedro Social, just a block away. New York–style and cast-iron baked Sicilian square pizzas are also offered. Everything is fantastic and uses the highest level of ingredients, from the olive oil, to the flour, to the four kinds of cheeses used in the house blend.

A unique blend of African culinary influences along with flavors from various Latin American countries are the draw at chef Nelson German's restaurant. Each tapa is compelling (there are no main courses, though there are more than enough tempting dishes to satisfy a group) and nicely ties together the two geographic regions. This is a perfect example of a bar with excellent food or a restaurant with standout cocktails—it toes the line perfectly between the two. The decor is sleek with a gentle island theme as if it's a hip supper club in Miami. Every night feels like a party.

Hard to miss along the tiny stretch of Main Street, this café is an easy destination for a pre-beach sandwich or post-surf bar bites and cocktails on the heated patio in the afternoon. Beach-cottage hardwood floors and a wood stove add to the warmth of the rustic seaside interior, while a mountain view and firepit enhance the deck.

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 decor 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.

This family-owned eatery specializes in southern Italian recipes with strong California influences, including Dungeness crab agnolotti; house-baked focaccia; juicy Florentine-style steak; and a handful of fresh, lighter fish crudo and salad starters. After spending two decades in a prime spot by the ferry, the restaurant returned in 2023 to its original Ark Row home where it all started in 1977. Along with the main intimate dining room, there's a casual enoteca next door and garden patio seating.

The Chopra family has been selling excellent chaat (Indian street food snacks) to East Bay diners since 1989. It's part market, part bustling fast-casual restaurant with more substantial meat dishes and daily specials, dosas, and the staple homemade chaat that tend to be crunchy and/or fried (like samosas or puffed puri shells filled with mint water). It's quite a scene—the restaurant estimates that it serves 2,000 meals a day.

Palo Alto is filled with Italian restaurants, but the best in town resides in Leland Stanford’s old brick barn (where Stanford's own wines were briefly produced), on the edge of campus. Homemade pastas are served with an idyllic toothsome al dente texture. Not to be outdone, the puffy Neapolitan pizzas are equally notable and any mozzarella starter is worth an order. Since it’s removed from the slightly congested downtown, the restaurant has plenty of outdoor space in a charming courtyard. The bar is a popular post-work hangout for the nearby medical center and stirs one of the finest Negronis around.

Serving a mix of contemporary Indian and Pakistani fare, this popular fast-casual restaurant started near Google in Mountain View in 2014 and now has two other Silicon Valley locations. Flavors are bold and riveting, whether it’s a handheld lunch like a naan wrap filled with chicken boti (a spice-marinated kebab) or a comforting slow-cooked lamb gosht stew. Thali platters (an entrée, rice, lentils, and a pickled salad) are quite popular in the evening and the various sandwiches tend to be the main choice for hurried daytime diners. Make sure to start with the chicken Memoni samosas, a savory pastry recipe that is supposedly known by only 23 Memoni grandmothers in the world.

Exposed brick walls, maps of Louisiana, ceiling fans, and New Orleans music create a festive atmosphere at Angeline's. Specialties include Voo Doo Shrimp, crawfish étouffée, and buttermilk fried chicken.

"Purveyors of ethnic confusions," this family-run Marin minichain offers California Indian fusion combinations that locals revere. The warmth of service, willingness to cater to dietary needs, creativity of the food, and reasonable prices more than make up for the uninspired space.

Nothing elevates wood-fired food more than beachside tables and a blazing fire pit ... except maybe a game of bocce. Modern Californian cuisine, local beer, and signature sangria are served inside the snazzy bar and out on the patio, which opens to Richardson Bay.

Spanish-inspired small plates and craft cocktails are served late at César, Berkeley's premier tapas spot. Couples spill out from street-level windows on warm nights, or rub shoulders at the polished bar and communal table. Founded by a trio of former Chez Panisse chefs, César is like a first cousin to the stalwart eatery next door.

The coast at its most dressed up, Cetrella is all polished wood and pressed tablecloths, and it hits every mark: adventurous wine list, live jazz on Friday and Saturday night, and a creative menu that pairs regional produce and fish with choice imported ingredients. The resulting dishes are sophisticated but not stuffy. The bar has a smaller and cheaper but no less delectable menu, and Sunday brunch is popular.

The walls and tables are made of reclaimed wood at this small, stylish roadside gathering space whose knowing, tattooed bartenders serve potent cocktails. A great neighborhood joint for every meal of the day (including brunch), Chop Bar implements a farm-to-table concept and serves upmarket gastropub grub. On sunny days when the glass garage door is raised you'll feel like an insider who's stumbled upon an industrial neighborhood's cool secret.

Decked out in a nautical theme with surfboards and buoys, the Coast serves weekend brunch and dependably good American lunch and dinner fare, including local fresh fish, grass-fed steaks, and wonderfully fresh vegetarian and vegan dishes. Find patio seating in the front and back and live music during dinner on Thursday and Sunday.

A neighborhood favorite with bright red walls, authentic Mexican artwork, and a festive outdoor patio, this sunny spot in Oakland's Temescal District serves seasonal Mexican fare to a hip but low-key crowd. Margaritas and horchata abound; brunch is served on weekends.