31 Best Restaurants in The Bay Area, California

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 a three-course prix-fixe experience 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.

Tiburon's dining scene is mostly low-key and casual—except for celebrity chef Michael Mina and partner Brent Bolthouse's hip restaurant right next to the ferry dock. It's certainly a scene and a place to dress up, yet it's also a compelling destination for terrific eats that don't adhere to many rules or cuisines other than high-quality ingredients. There's phyllo-crusted petrale sole and King crab bucatini, and then there's also Mina's signature lobster potpie and a popular burger with onion jam. It's a restaurant that's hard not to love and have fun at.

After a terrific tenure as the chef at San Francisco's True Laurel, Geoff Davis crossed the bay and opened his debut restaurant in the Temescal neighborhood in 2023. The result is clear: Burdell isn't just one of the greatest soul food restaurants in the Bay Area—it's one of the most enjoyable dining experiences in any corner of the region. Everything on the nicely organized menu is excellent, from boiled peanuts and magnificent stone-milled yellow-corn corn bread, to the compelling salads and heartier entrées. The chicken liver mousse with a crispy cornmeal waffle is already one of the East Bay's hall of fame dishes.

If there’s such a genre as refined camping fare, then that is what chef Greg Kuzia-Carmel offers guests at his warm, bustling restaurant. Local fish, meats, and produce are highlighted, with dishes that beautifully blend pastoral with contemporary. Pastas are a particular strength, as are cocktails from the fun bar. It’s a big city–feeling restaurant where it’s possible to have an ambitious meal of Baja kampachi crudo then English pea agnolotti, but it’s also a relaxed spot for a casual date night or to come solo for a quick cheeseburger (with an incredible “secret sauce”). 

Friendly, informative staff serve terrific homemade pastas, filet mignon meatballs, rock crab bisque, and much more at this lively, traditional-meets-contemporary 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 wave-evoking 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. Save room for the excellent homemade desserts.

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.

Open since 1920, this beloved dockside restaurant is the town's most famous eatery and it still feels relevant and hardly stale, now including more modern touches like 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, but there's no doubt it's much more polished than it likely was a century ago. Most people flock to the dog-friendly deck for beers, views, sunsets, and usually quite delicious 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.

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 hearty heirloom bean cassoulet with bratwurst, 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 Isis Hockenos mural art adorns the café, which has countertop dining indoors and a welcoming patio and picnic table seating outdoors. For visitors in town on select weekday mornings, this is the best place to go for breakfast.

Just look for the hungry crowds and the smell of freshly baked muffins; an all-day culinary paradise is here in a far-flung corner of Berkeley. Kelsie Kerr's restaurant/bakery started in 2014 and has been a sensation ever since. For the indecisive, this place is a nightmare. 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 roast chicken and golden beet sandwich. Dinner is a slightly less casual affair with some table reservations and a concise menu that might feature a delightful sautéed local lingcod with sauce Gribiche.

Station House Café has been a stalwart venue for local music and a staunch supporter of local farms and food artisans. The community-centric, light-filled, bustling eatery serves a blend of modern and classic California dishes comprised of organic seasonal ingredients and high-quality meats and fish. Creative and classic cocktails are a bonus here—a great way to wind down the day after lots of hiking or kayaking.

Arguably the most talked-about tacos in the entire Bay Area are at this colorful, cheery spot operating from a shipping container in an alley in between Uptown, Temescal, and Piedmont Avenue. Fillings are always packed with flavor, complemented by dialed-in salsas like a peanut–arbol chile one with carefully charred broccoli. There are always multiple tempting vegan tacos offered, which is extremely rare to find. As popular as the tacos are, the creative tostadas (perhaps topped with Dungeness crab or cactus) have an equally devoted following.

One of the Peninsula’s best-known restaurants is this funky, family-friendly brunch specialist in the heart of tiny downtown Woodside. The restaurant is a gathering spot for the tech company executives and venture capitalists who live nearby, but it’s ultimately a blend of a saloon and a diner, where many hungry locals come looking for omelets and tuna melts. You can also get decent beer and wine. It has an outrageously eclectic design full of knickknacks and odd curiosities, like license plates on the bar, planes and bikes hanging from the ceiling, old maps and artifacts of Bay Area history, taxidermy, and about a hundred other bizarre pieces of memorabilia that would never be brought together anywhere else but here.

House-smoked meats, wood-grilled steaks, classic salads, and decadent desserts bring locals and visitors back again and again to this 1937 lodge–style roadhouse. Enjoy a Roadhouse martini at the cozy bar or sip local wine beside the river-rock fireplace. Outdoor dining now extends to a heated garden patio. The Buckeye Joe coffee kiosk offers drive-by java and pastries on weekday mornings.

Legendary farm-to-table fine dining chef David Kinch co-owns this casual restaurant. It’s a loving ode to the good times and great cuisine of New Orleans. With Mardi Gras beads and French Quarter–inspired wrought iron throughout the space and jazz on the soundtrack, it’s hard not to feel transported to the bayou. The renditions of NOLA standards here like oyster po'boys and hurricane cocktails are superb—sometimes even superior to their peers close to Bourbon Street.

There is no more glamorous and lively dining setting in San Jose than this downtown sibling to the acclaimed bar Paper Plane—and it isn't even close. With dramatic lighting, loud music, plants throughout the space and gallery-worthy chic design across two levels, this is the energetic (but not clubby) and sleek destination for cocktails and contemporary Mediterranean cuisine that the city needed and didn't have until 2024. Don't miss the loukoumades (like beignets) for dessert.

All things local, organic, seasonal, and sustainable harmonize at Gather. This haven for vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores alike serves up market and grain salads, shareable vegetable plates featuring roast carrots or brussels sprouts, roast chicken with mole sauce, and more in a vibrant, well-lit space that boasts funky light fixtures, shiny wood furnishings, and banquettes made of recycled leather belts.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

With its frequent fog and ocean breeze chill, coffee is all but mandatory along the coastline. The best café in the region for your buzz is a lofty, garage-like roastery/café right by Pacifica’s state beach with excellent espresso-based drinks and pour-overs from beans roasted in-house. The food menu is fresh and extensive, with breakfast bowls, toasts, soups, and sandwiches offered throughout the day. 

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.

Inside a charming flower-covered house, this restaurant serves dishes that reflect the entire Mediterranean region. The menu, constantly changing and unfailingly great, depends on the availability of fresh seasonal ingredients, and the two-level dining room is cheerful and light. Excellent and long-lived but not flashy, the restaurant has a legion of dedicated fans.

A cozy spot with a dose of Scandinavian flair and a long counter bar that abuts an open kitchen, this local diner has been a favorite breakfast (served all day) and brunch destination for decades. Expect a wait, but rest assured it's worth it. You'll thank us when you're digging into eggs and bacon and downing bottomless cups of coffee.