14 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.

Restaurants in Berkeley and San Francisco tend to get most of the credit for launching the local ingredient–focused farm-to-table California cuisine movement in the 1970s and 1980s. However, chef Jesse Cool played an enormous role in that as well when she opened this venerable restaurant in 1980. It’s a formal restaurant that also manages to be relaxed, where the menu changes frequently and always mentions many acclaimed Bay Area farms, ranches, and gardens. Pasta, gnocchi and risotto (when they're on the menu) are a big strength for the restaurant, but the most excitement tends to come in the first course section, which includes vegetable preparations and a few compelling local seafood creations. Make sure to save room for the always satisfying, unfussy desserts. 

It’s a trip back in time at this elegant retro sibling to the Village Pub. Dishes are grand and elaborate, often with luxurious flourishes, yet deeply rooted in the seasonal focus that is the hallmark of California cuisine. It’s a delicious tie between the sensational black label truffle burger at the bar and the honey-lacquered duck breast in the dining room for what is considered the signature dish here. The main dining room serves a three-course menu with several choices in each category; the bar menu is à la carte. The handsome mid-century modern design is worth a trip alone with impeccable details like perfectly smooth white tablecloths, miniature lamps on tables, a roaring fireplace, and a dramatic arched bar backdrop in the lounge. 

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”). 

Alice Waters's legendary eatery, often considered the birthplace of California cuisine, first opened its doors in 1971. It's still known for a passionate dedication to locally sourced heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables, heritage breeds, and ethically farmed or foraged ingredients. The restaurant offers formal prix-fixe menus and personal service, while its upstairs café serves simpler fare in a more casual setting. Both menus change daily, and legions of loyal fans insist that Chez Panisse lives up to its reputation. Reservations for both dining rooms are practically essential.

A pair of French Laundry alums—protégés of some of the culinary world’s greatest chefs—are the driving forces of this fine-dining standout near the train station on California Avenue. The restaurant is split into two parts: the main formal restaurant with an elaborate tasting menu at a high price point; and the sleek lounge area where the menu is à la carte (and half the price for a full meal). Co-owner/master sommelier Dennis Kelly is one of the country’s brilliant wine minds, and his restaurant undoubtedly has one of the Bay Area’s truly magnificent wine programs. Co-owner/chef Anthony Secviar spearheads the excellent haute French-seasonal Californian cooking.

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.

A open, well-lit space inside with plant-printed wallpaper and a comforting fireplace sets the scene at this lively eatery. The menu features flavor inspirations from all across the globe, from shrimp and grits, to barramundi (a fish) in miso broth. Diners enjoy their meals in the sleek modern-meets-retro dining room with tufted leather booths or the covered outside patio.

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.

In a cozy setting down a quiet alley with a beautiful brick-walled courtyard, peak seasonal ingredients are highlighted on the concise, well-composed menu that balances between being comforting and ambitious. Start with one of the beautifully fresh salads or local halibut ceviche before continuing on to a rustic yet refined main like duck breast with sweet potato hash and blackberry gastrique.

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.