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The Bay Area is home to popular, innovative restaurants such as Chez Panisse in Berkeley and Commis in Oakland—for which reservations must be made well in advance. Expect an emphasis on locally grown produce, hormone-free meats, and California wines. Many Marin cafés don't serve dinner, and dinner service ends on the early side. (No 10 pm reservations in that neck of the woods.)
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.
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.
