The Bay Area Restaurants
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Bay Area - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
Sort by:
14 Recommendations
{{numTotalPoiResults}} {{ (numTotalPoiResults===1)?'Recommendation':'Recommendations' }}
0 Recommendations
Loading...
-
1. Camper
$$$ | |If there’s such a genre as refined camping fare, then that is what chef Greg Kuzia-Carmel offers guests at his warm, bustling restaurant. Local fish, meats, and produce are highlighted, with dishes that beautifully blend pastoral with contemporary. Pastas are a particular strength, as are cocktails from the fun bar. It’s a big city–feeling restaurant where it’s possible to have an ambitious meal of charcoal-stained spaghetti with Dungeness crab, but it’s also a relaxed spot for a casual date night or to come solo for a quick cheeseburger (with an incredible “secret sauce”).
898 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park, California, 94025, USA650-321–8980Known For
- Cast-iron buttermilk cornbread
- Smoked half chicken from Petaluma
- Excellent wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch -
2. Luna Blu
$$$ | |Friendly, informative staff serve Sicilian-inspired seafood in this lively 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 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.
35 Main St., Tiburon, California, 94920, USA415-789–5844Known For
- Sustainably caught seafood and local, organic ingredients
- Homemade pastas
- Rock crab bisque
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. No lunch weekdays -
3. Sam's Chowder House
$$$ | | SeafoodThis East Coast–style waterfront seafood joint may not be textbook Cape Cod, but that's okay—dine here, and you'll get the best of both coasts: fresh West Coast seafood prepared with traditional East Coast recipes. Indoor seats are in several long dining rooms; cozy outdoor seats are warmed by gas fire pits and heaters on chilly days; and every seat in the house looks out to the water.
4210 North Cabrillo Hwy. (Hwy. 1), Half Moon Bay, California, 94019, USA650-712–0245Known For
- New England–style clam chowder
- Award-winning lobster rolls
- Fresh local seafood
-
4. Sushi Ran
$$$ | |Sushi aficionados swear that this tiny, stylish restaurant is the Bay Area's finest option for raw fish, but don't overlook the excellent Pacific Rim fusions, a melding of Japanese ingredients and French techniques. Book in advance or expect a wait, which you can soften by sipping one of the bar's 30 by-the-glass sakes.
107 Caledonia St., Sausalito, California, 94965, USA415-332–3620Known For
- Glorious pristine raw fish preparations
- Local miso-glazed black cod
- Outstanding sake and wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.–Thurs., Reservations essential -
5. Bistro Elan
$$$ | |One of the Peninsula’s leading examples of a small, farm-to-table-driven, local ingredients–centric establishment is this homey dining room with sidewalk seating just off California Avenue. For more than 25 years, Bistro Elan has been the understated gathering place for many business and celebratory meals, where professors, CEOs, and longtime residents enjoy the signature potato waffle with smoked salmon and a smartly curated wine list. This is a perfect example of a Californian-French bistro, where a Parisian staple like duck confit is almost always on the menu. but the duck is sourced from a nearby farm and the ingredients change based on what is in peak season nearby.
2363A Birch St., Palo Alto, California, 94306, USA650-327–0284Known For
- Cast iron–seared steak frites
- Tiny dining room
- Exquisite almond cake
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
-
6. Bungalow Kitchen
$$$ | |Tiburon's low-key, mostly casual dining scene received a jolt of energy when celebrity chef Michael Mina and partner Brent Bolthouse opened this hip restaurant right next to the ferry dock in 2021. 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 jalapeño shrimp toast and sweet potato pancakes topped with gravlax, and then there's also Mina's signature lobster potpie and a cacio e pepe pasta with shaved truffles. It's a restaurant that's hard not to love and have fun at.
5 Main St., Tiburon, California, 94920, USA415-366–4088Known For
- Tuna tartare and yellowtail sashimi preparations
- Festive, prix-fixe weekend brunch
- The rare Marin restaurant with food on weekends until midnight
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch weekdays -
7. César
$$$ | North Berkeley | SpanishSpanish-inspired small plates and craft cocktails are served late at César, Berkeley's premier tapas spot. Couples spill out from street-level windows on warm nights, or rub shoulders at the polished bar and communal table. Founded by a trio of former Chez Panisse chefs, César is like a first cousin to the stalwart eatery next door.
1515 Shattuck Ave., at Vine St., Berkeley, California, 94709, USA510-883–0222Known For
- Lively bar with outstanding drinks
- Grilled bocadillos
-
8. Cetrella
$$$ | | MediterraneanThe 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.
845 Main St., Half Moon Bay, California, 94019, USA650-726–4090Known For
- Excellent cheese course
- Fresh local seafood
- Extensive international wine cellar
- Spanish-influenced small plates
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.; no lunch -
9. Flea Street
$$$ | |Restaurants in Berkeley and San Francisco tend to get most of the credit for launching the local ingredient–focused farm-to-table California cuisine movement in the 1970s and 1980s. However, chef Jesse Cool played an enormous role in that as well when she opened this venerable restaurant in 1980. It’s a formal restaurant that also manages to be relaxed, where the menu changes frequently and always mentions many acclaimed Bay Area farms, ranches, and gardens. Pastas are a big strength for the restaurant, but the most excitement tends to come in the first course section, which includes vegetable preparations and a few compelling local seafood creations. Make sure to save room for the always satisfying, unfussy desserts.
3607 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, California, USA650-854–1226Known For
- Local-ingredient salads
- Grass-fed slow-braised short ribs
- Strong local-centric wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch -
10. Lalime's
$$$ | North Berkeley | MediterraneanInside 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.
1329 Gilman St., at Tevlin St., Berkeley, California, 94706, USA510-527–9838Known For
- Seasonal Mediterranean-inspired specialties
- California wines
- Cozy bungalow ambience
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch -
11. Le Garage
$$$ | |Brittany-born Olivier Souvestre serves traditional French bistro fare in a relaxed, bayside setting that feels more sidewalk café than the converted garage that it is. The restaurant seats only 35 inside and 15 outside, so make reservations or arrive early. The menu is small, but the dishes are substantial in flavor and presentation.
85 Liberty Ship Way, Sausalito, California, 94965, USA415-332–5625Known For
- PEI mussels and house-cut fries
- Popular weekend brunch
- Outstanding bouillabaisse
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential, Closed Mon. No dinner Sun. -
12. Mama Oakland
$$$ | |This classic Italian meets Californian menu is a stellar value where three courses clock in at less than $40 (the optional supplements are worth adding on). The quality is sky high, with no corners cut. It's an energetic, fun place with guests of all ages coming to enjoy exciting pastas preceded by a soup or salad. Each course has two options to choose from.
388 Grand Ave., Oakland, California, 94610, USA510-974–6372Known For
- Signature meatballs
- Stellar wine list
- Homemade focaccia
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch -
13. Paseo: A California Bistro
$$$ | |In a cozy setting down a quiet alley with a beautiful brick-walled courtyard, peak seasonal produce and Northern California farms and artisans are highlighted on chef Brandon Breazeale. Start with one of the beautifully fresh salads before continuing on to a rustic yet refined main like duck breast with yellow mole and squash blossom tamale.
17 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley, California, 94941, USA415-888–3907Known For
- Locally rooted menu with exciting global influences
- Fantastic selection of wines and cocktails
- Weekend brunch dishes like huevos rancheros with homemade chorizo
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch weekdays -
14. Picco
$$$ | | AmericanIn an ivy-covered, redbrick building, the creative crew at Picco's serves fantastically original food comprised of local seasonal ingredients. Dramatic lighting and modernist decor set the stage for these artful dishes and tasty cocktails. if there's a long wait, start with small dishes at the bar or try Pizzeria Picco next door.
320 Magnolia Ave., at King St., Larkspur, California, 94939, USA415-924–0300Known For
- Creative small plates made with local sustainably grown ingredients
- Specialty and barrel-aged cocktails
- Risotto from scratch
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
-
{{ (numCurrentPage-1)*numPageLimit+index+1 }}. {{ item.name }}
{{ item.price_tag }} | {{ item.neighborhood }} | | {{ item.first_keyword }}{{ item.address }}{{ item.phone[0] }}Known For
- {{ capitalizeFirstLetter(pro) }}
{{ item.details.title }} Details
{{ item.details.content.toString() }} -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
No Restaurants Results
Please try a broader search, or expore these popular suggestions:
There are no results for {{ strDestName}} Restaurants in the searched map area with the above filters. Please try a different area on the map, or broaden your search with these popular suggestions:
