48 Best Restaurants in The Bay Area, California

It's oyster bliss at this very friendly daytime restaurant along Tomales Bay. There are a few indoor seats, but the in-demand spots are on the outside deck, where heaters keep guests somewhat warm even on the chilliest days. It's the restaurant wing of the Tomales Bay Oyster Company, so every table has one or more kind of oyster preparation (grilled, smoked, or raw). House-smoked fish and meats as plates or sandwiches round out the menu since it's probably best not to only eat oysters for lunch.

Along with a stunning state beach, the tiny, adorable, largely agricultural community of Pescadero is known for this coastal dining legend. Dating back to the late 1800s, no other coastal restaurant comes close to the celebrity status of Duarte’s. If it’s lunchtime, a significant number of tables in its series of intimate wood-paneled rooms will surely be enjoying the Dungeness crab melt and perhaps a Bloody Mary. Later in the day, the “tavern” portion of the restaurant kicks into gear as locals come to the bar area for stiff cocktails or a few beers. At any time of day, guests enjoy the signature green chile and artichoke soups, with the latter being a classic preparation for one of the most unheralded local produce specialties. 

Beloved by the Bay since opening in 1922 (the creamery itself dates back to 1894) and featured in the Pixar film Up, this is the leading diner name locally for ice cream sundaes and good old-fashioned soda fountain fare. Kids of all ages adore the signature black-and-tan sundae with toasted almond and vanilla ice creams layered with caramel and chocolate sauces. Of course, there’s a cherry on top.

Unsurprisingly, fish—specifically, fresh, sustainably caught fish—is the focus at this gleaming dockside fish house a mile north of downtown. Order at the counter and then grab a seat by the floor-to-ceiling windows or at a picnic table on the pier, overlooking the yachts and fishing boats. There are too many signature dishes to count here, and even the fish sticks on the kids menu follow the general theme as breaded and fried seasonal fish with homemade tartar sauce.

Take a short trek north on Highway 1 to the gritty mecca of Bay Area oysters—the Hog Island Marshall Oyster Farm. Here, the Boat Oyster Bar is an informal outdoor café right on Tomales Bay that serves raw and grilled oysters, local snacks, and tasty beverages. Every afternoon it's open, the dining patio area feels like a carefree party with some of Northern California's greatest wines, oysters, and cheeses. Ninety-minute oyster farm tours ($48) are also available on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. For a more proper Hog Island oyster-centric lunch or dinner experience, visit their Tony's Seafood restaurant, just south of the Boat Oyster Bar.

Though this place is popular for its 1950s beachfront snack bar, the adjoining café, coffee bar, marketplace, and bakery shouldn't be missed either. The full menu serves up fresh ingredients, local seafood, Niman Ranch beef burgers, and much more. Creeping vines on the sunny patio shelter diners from the wind, and heat lamps offer extra warmth on colder days; for a cozier ambience, eat by the fire in the dining room.

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.

The Temescal neighborhood's dining anchor is a quirky wine bar with a powerful food program. A substantial amount of the seating is outside, lending a Parisian indoor-outdoor café vibe to the air of this appropriately named spot with a signature escargots and cashew miso dish. The small chalkboard menu always has tempting, deeply flavored offerings that don't really adhere to particular cuisines but are always riveting. The rustic interior has a striking chessboard-evoking floor and has a welcoming, slightly worn feel like a bistro that has been around for decades (except it only opened in 2021).

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.

Hip and urban, with an unpretentious vibe, Luka's is a real taste of Uptown with its Belgian-inspired California comfort food and plentiful selection of Trappist ales, local drafts, and international bottles of beer. The late-night menu is a favorite of bar-hoppers, and DJs in the adjacent lounge keep the scene going well past last call.

Tucked along the restaurant row of Caledonia Street, Arawan Thai is a noteworthy destination for some of the tastiest Thai dishes in Marin County. The elegant and cozy interior lends an intimate quality to this wonderful locals' favorite known for its generous variety of  soups, salads, and grilled specialties, along with shareable dishes, such as spicy angel wings (stuffed chicken wings) and prawn and cream cheese puffs. There's a wide selection of local and regional wines, and traditional beverages like Thai iced tea and iced coffee are not to be missed.

Bay Area residents could debate for days about who truly makes the region's greatest pasta, but this Rockridge shop and restaurant from pasta whisperer Michele Belotti is more often than not on that short list. It's a perfect blend of traditional and comforting with modern influences. Soft potato gnocchi is joined by a Bolognese sauce made of six meats, while wild boar sugo is soaked with grappa and sangiovese wine, then served with tagliatelle. It's not unheard of to see more pasta dishes on a table than diners around it.

As one of the few Georgian restaurants in the Bay Area, many diners from around the region come to this small, cheery spot to learn all about the Caucasus Mountains–region country’s important culinary heritage. Every table has an order of the two iconic dishes from Georgia: kinkhali (juicy dumplings filled with various meats) and the “cheese boat” of khachapuri, which is a trapezoid-shaped, ultra-moist, somewhat puffy bread with cheese in the center and an egg yolk. Georgia's esteemed wine regions are considered possibly the oldest in the world.

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.

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.

Sunny patio seating, hand-tossed pizza, and organic local ingredients are the selling points of this laid-back café. The semi-industrial dining room, built around a brick oven, features glazed concrete floors, warm-painted walls, and a barnlike soaring ceiling. The outdoor patio's picnic tables are a wonderful choice for seating if the weather cooperates. 

Every coastal area needs a great fish-and-chips shop; for the peninsular coastline, it’s this casual establishment that has been serving Pacifica diners since 1969. The batter for the fish is light and sports just the right crispy texture, while fries are of the thick, potato-forward style popular at classic English pubs. There are various other fried seafood options and, in quite the State Fair cuisine twist, deep-fried Twinkies and Mars Bars for dessert.

This longtime Rockridge favorite is all about seasonal and globe-spanning small plates, family-style eating, and excellent drinks. Intimate dining nooks, natural light, and a heated patio make this an ideal destination for couples, families, and the after-work crowd.

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.

Reservations are recommended at this hot spot where the outdoor seating is ideal for people-watching and the Japanese country food is uniquely prepared. Locals come for seasonally changing, eclectic dishes made with a blend of local ingredients, such as perfectly delicate vegetable tempura and tamari-kombu cured salmon or a wonderful salad combining various kinds of sashimi with a spicy miso dressing.

Diners enjoy sampling the unique specialties presented by this friendly eatery, one of the few Somali restaurants in the Bay Area. The go-to dish is “kay kay,” a sweet-and-savory stir-fry of chopped chapatti bread, spice-rubbed beef or chicken, African tea, onions, and bananas—and yes, you read that last one right.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.