The Top 100 Places to Eat and Drink Near Mrs Khan
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Rank 1. Mrs Khan
Uyghur
Uyghur food is genuinely hard to find anywhere, and Mrs Khan does it better than almost anyone in the Bay Area. It's a spacious, sit-down restaurant in downtown Menlo Park with long communal tables, mint tea, flaky meat pastries, and serious hand-pulled noodles in forms you didn't know existed. The crowd is curious and adventurous, which is exactly the right energy for a cuisine most tables have never tried before.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Chinese food and restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #94 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Palo Alto, San Jose, the Peninsula and South Bay
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Rank 2. Yeobo, Darling
Korean Taiwanese
A cozy fine-dining spot in the heart of Menlo Park where Korean and Taiwanese flavors get the white-tablecloth treatment without the stuffiness. The menu is built for sharing, so you and whoever you're trying to impress will be trading plates all night. The crowd runs Silicon Valley casual, meaning expensive sneakers and someone definitely talking about their Series A. Go hungry and order generously.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #48 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #3 · U.S. Barista Championship · Jason Yeo
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Coffee in the Bay Area
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Rank 4. Eylan
Indian
Srijith Gopinathan runs this sleek Menlo Park dining room where contemporary Indian cooking gets a serious California makeover, and it earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for good reason. The wood-fired grill does a lot of heavy lifting, and the kitchen finds a genuinely compelling balance between regional Indian flavors and the kind of produce the Bay Area does well. It draws a well-heeled Peninsula crowd that knows exactly what it's doing when it orders.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #70 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 5. Camper
Californian New American
Camper is the kind of California-casual restaurant that makes you realize Menlo Park isn't just a place you pass through on the way somewhere else. The corner room is full of natural light and the crowd skews tech-adjacent but relaxed, nobody's doing a deal. The kitchen leans into serious, layered cooking without making a big deal of it, which is basically the California way.
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Rank 6. Ettan
Upscale Indian
Upscale Indian in the heart of Palo Alto, where the tech crowd comes to celebrate a funding round or quietly impress a date. The room is airy and beautiful, all indigo fabrics and a skylit ceiling, and the cooking matches it, drawing on California's seasonal produce to make Indian food feel genuinely alive. The kulchas alone are worth the trip. Go hungry and dress like you mean it.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants for outdoor dining in the Bay Area
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Rank 7. Evvia Estiatorio
Greek
Evvia is an upscale Greek restaurant in central Palo Alto where the wood-burning fireplace and hanging copper pots give it just enough rustic warmth to make the prices feel almost reasonable. Almost. The lunch crowd skews toward tech money being casual about it; evenings tip romantic. Most things come off the wood-fired grill, and the lamb souvlaki alone is worth the trip. Dress like you have somewhere to be afterward.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 17 Best Restaurants in Palo Alto
- San Francisco Chronicle The best Palo Alto restaurants
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Rank 8. Ramen Nagi
Japanese Noodles
That line snaking down Bryant St is your first clue this ramen shop is doing something right. It's a Tokyo import with a pork bone broth so rich and creamy it basically counts as a meal and a nap in one bowl. You can dial in exactly how you want it, or just trust the chef. No reservations, but you can order while you wait, so the bowl hits the table right as you sit down.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best ramen restaurants in the SF Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle The best Palo Alto restaurants
- Eater The 17 Best Restaurants in Palo Alto
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Rank 9. Zola
French
Zola is the kind of French bistro that makes Palo Alto feel less like a suburb and more like somewhere worth dressing up for. The menu leans classic, with California quietly running the kitchen, so everything feels familiar but a little brighter. The bar draws the tech crowd unwinding after a long day of disrupting things, while the dining room skews more date-night. The cocktails and wine list both punch well above their weight.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best French restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle The best Palo Alto restaurants
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Rank 10. Bevri
Georgian Eastern European
Georgian food is one of those cuisines most people haven't tried yet, and Bevri is a genuinely fun place to fix that. It's a casual sit-down restaurant where the khachapuri, a boat-shaped bread loaded with melted cheese and egg, will make you rethink bread entirely. The khinkali dumplings are equally dangerous. A giant chalkboard covered in Georgian script sets the scene, and the wine list doubles as a tutorial nobody asked for but everyone appreciates.
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Rank 11. Rooh
Progressive Indian
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Rank 12. Ethel's Fancy
Californian New American
Ethel's Fancy is a shared-plates spot in Palo Alto where the chef traded in a fine-dining kitchen for something looser and more fun, and the food got better for it. The menu is short and Californian, built around whatever's in season and prepared with real skill. The room draws a crowd that looks like it came for a casual dinner and got pleasantly surprised. Friendly service without the stiffness is rarer than it should be, and this place has it.
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Rank 13. Vina Enoteca
Italian
Palo Alto's tech-money crowd has quietly adopted this Italian restaurant and wine bar as their go-to, and honestly, fair enough. The pasta is the reason to come, made in-house and tasting like it. Vegetables come straight from the Stanford farm up the road, which feels very neighborhood even if the neighborhood is Palo Alto. The room is airy and relaxed enough to work for a casual dinner or just wine and snacks at the bar.
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Rank 14. Coconuts
Caribbean
Caribbean comfort food in a sit-down setting, with a rum bar to keep things interesting. The kitchen does jerk chicken the way it should be done, properly seasoned and falling-off-the-bone moist, and the braised oxtail is the kind of thing that makes you understand why people braise oxtail. The crowd is mostly locals who already know the deal and order without looking up. Come hungry and let someone else drive home.
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Rank 15. Quattro Restaurant and Bar
Modern Italian
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Rank 16. The Village Pub
Contemporary New American
Don't let the name lull you into expecting pub grub. This Michelin-starred spot in Woodside is actually a polished, prix fixe dining room where the room runs formal and the wine list leans heavily on serious French Burgundy. The crowd is affluent and unhurried, the kind of people who own horses nearby. Everything is executed with real care, and the Parker House rolls alone will haunt you for days.
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Rank 17. Madera
Contemporary New American Coffee Shop
Fine dining inside the Rosewood Sand Hill hotel, set against the Santa Cruz Mountains with vaulted ceilings and a fireplace that makes the whole room feel like a very expensive ski lodge. The crowd is exactly what you'd expect: Patagonia vests on people who could afford cashmere. The kitchen keeps things elegant but unfussy, leaning on local ingredients and an almond wood-fired grill that quietly improves everything it touches.
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Rank 18. Selby's
Classic New American
Selby's is a Michelin-starred fine dining room that pulls off old Hollywood glamour without feeling like a museum piece. The service team is sharp, the crowd leans dressed-up-for-a-reason, and the kitchen does elevated American classics with ingredients pulled from their own private farm. Order a steak, or don't, but something on this menu will remind you why occasion dining still matters.
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Rank 19. Macarena
Spanish
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Rank 20. Protégé
Contemporary New American
Two French Laundry veterans run this Michelin-starred spot in Palo Alto, and the pedigree shows without making you feel underdressed. It's upscale-casual fine dining where the tasting menu is genuinely thoughtful and the wine list is the kind that makes the table go quiet for a minute. The lounge does à la carte if you'd rather not commit to the full experience. The crowd skews tech money with the good taste to spend it here.
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Rank 21. Oklava
Turkish
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Rank 22. Zareen's
Indian
Zareen's is a casual South Asian spot that earns its James Beard recognition by doing something genuinely clever: taking homestyle Pakistani and Indian cooking and running it through a California sensibility. Street food classics stay faithful, but a chapli kebab burger and tikka masala burrito keep things fun without feeling like a gimmick. The chai is excellent, the prices are kind, and the crowd is mostly tech workers who actually know good food.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Indian, Pakistani, and South Asian restaurants in the Bay Area
- Eater The 17 Best Restaurants in Palo Alto
- San Francisco Chronicle The best Palo Alto restaurants
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Rank 24. President's Terrace
Californian
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Rank 25. Meyhouse
Turkish
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Rank 26. Mazra
Middle Eastern
Mazra is a cozy Levantine restaurant where the open-flame cooking does most of the talking. Everything comes off the grill with a satisfying smokiness, from spiced chicken to beef kebabs to a whole head of cauliflower that somehow steals the show. The room is bright and plant-filled, and the crowd runs from families loading up on mezza to solo diners working through a shawarma wrap like they have somewhere to be. A James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: California.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Middle Eastern restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Palo Alto, San Jose, the Peninsula and South Bay
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Jordan Makableh and Saif Makableh
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Rank 27. The Sea by Alexander's Steakhouse
Modern Seafood
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Rank 28. Tamarine Restaurant
Modern Vietnamese
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Rank 29. Sushi Shin
Omakase Sushi
Tucked into downtown Redwood City, this intimate omakase counter is the kind of place where serious sushi people quietly eat very well. The chef runs the room with real warmth, guiding you through a seasonal parade of small plates and flavor-forward nigiri that goes well beyond the usual tuna-and-salmon routine. It's a proper omakase experience, so clear your evening, bring someone you actually want to talk to, and let the chef take it from there.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
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Rank 30. Saint Michael's Alley
Californian
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Rank 32. Flea St. Cafe
Farm-to-table New American
Flea St. Cafe has been around forever, and the fact that it still feels like dinner at a friend's well-decorated house is exactly why people keep coming back. It's upscale farm-to-table in the best unfussy sense: a cozy bar, small rooms full of artwork, and a seasonal menu built around whatever's good nearby. The crowd skews local and loyal, the kind who already know what they're ordering before they sit down.
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A torta shop on the Peninsula that's basically a lunch cult, and once you go you'll understand why. Over 20 varieties, all on crusty telera bread with grill marks, loaded with refried beans, avocado, queso fresco, and whatever protein situation you're feeling. The Cubana stacks breaded steak, ham, chorizo, and more onto one sandwich, which is either ambitious or reckless depending on your afternoon plans. Seating is tight, so most people just take it and go.
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Rank 34. Wildseed
Californian
Wildseed makes a genuinely compelling case for plant-based eating without ever making you feel lectured at, which is harder than it sounds. It's a polished Californian restaurant near Stanford, drawing the kind of crowd that orders thoughtfully and actually reads the menu. The servers are good about walking you through the vegan cheese rabbit hole if you're curious. Go with an open mind and leave quietly reconsidering some life choices.
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Rank 35. Telefèric Barcelona
Modern Spanish
A proper Spanish tapas spot in a Palo Alto shopping center sounds like a punchline, but Telefèric pulls it off. The Barcelona-based group brings pintxos, paella, and Catalan classics to a crowd of tech workers who've loosened their collars and, somehow, their schedules. The kitchen leans into spectacle alongside the food, so expect some theatrical presentation. Grab a few small plates and browse the attached shop for Spanish wines and tinned fish on the way out.
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Rank 36. Mediterranean Wraps
Mediterranean
This low-key Mediterranean wrap spot on California Ave has been around for decades and is the kind of place Stanford professors and startup workers eat lunch side by side without making a thing of it. The shawarma wraps and vegetarian platters are affordable and genuinely good, and the back patio, all ferns and natural light, is a surprise given how fast-casual the front feels. The handmade desserts are worth grabbing on the way out.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Middle Eastern restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle The best Palo Alto restaurants
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Rank 37. El Paisa by Los Alegres
Mexican
A Mexico City-style taqueria in Redwood City with a proper al pastor trompo slowly spinning in the window, which tells you everything you need to know. Tiny tacos on double corn tortillas, the kind that locals and night-shift workers eat standing up. The lengua comes sliced into real slabs rather than sad little cubes, which is the move. Your table is a communal one, or the hood of your car.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best tacos in the SF Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Palo Alto, San Jose, the Peninsula and South Bay
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Naranjos is a no-frills taqueria where the barbacoa tacos bring in the crowds, but the regulars know to order the cachete or lengua. The corn tortillas are soft and the salsa verde is sharp enough to cut through all that beefy richness. Parking is a genuine puzzle and seating is tight, so you'll likely be eating on your feet, which honestly feels right. The San Francisco Chronicle called it the best tacos in the Bay Area, and it's hard to argue.
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Rank 39. La Viga Seafood & Cocina Mexicana
Seafood Mexican
A casual seafood spot named after Mexico City's legendary fish market, La Viga punches well above its price tag. The room is nothing fancy, which suits the lunchtime taco crowd just fine, and the dinner regulars who pack in for heaping bowls of fideos loaded with fresh seafood aren't there for the ambiance. Bold flavors, generous portions, and prices that make you feel a little smug about the whole thing.
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A classic Palo Alto steakhouse that's been around forever and has absolutely no intention of changing. The crowd skews older, golfier, and wealthier, and the vibe is very much "power lunch, second glass of cabernet." Dry-aged beef is the whole point here, and the slow-roasted prime rib is what everyone's cutting into on the patio. Sides are a la carte and genuinely good. Reliable in the best possible way.
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Rank 41. Naschmarkt
Austrian German
Austrian food in Palo Alto sounds like a punchline, but Naschmarkt pulls it off with real elegance. This is a proper sit-down restaurant where the service is crisp and the menu splits the difference between Vienna and California, which turns out to be a genuinely interesting place to eat. The crowd skews tech money on a date night, jackets optional. Grab a spot on the parklet if the weather cooperates.
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Rank 42. Sun of Wolf
Mexican
Sun of Wolf is a funky little Mexican spot on California Avenue where the outdoor seating spills onto the car-free street and the whole vibe feels like a cool antique shop that got a liquor license. The food is creative and genuinely weird in a good way, with dishes that lean vegetable-forward and use ingredients most menus would never touch. The Sunday brunch crowd during the farmers' market is your people-watching jackpot.
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Rank 43. Terún
Neapolitan Pizza
Wood-fired Neapolitan pizza in a crisp black-and-white room that somehow makes the food look even more vivid. Terún has been the go-to spot for Italian expats on the Peninsula for years, which is usually a good sign. The crust comes out of the oven light and charred in all the right places, and the kitchen doesn't overthink it. Expect California Ave regulars, families, and anyone who knows that simple done well beats complicated done okay.
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Rank 44. Sekoya
Mediterranean
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Rank 45. Vesta
Wood-fired Pizza
Vesta is a wood-fired pizza shop in downtown Redwood City that takes its pies seriously without making you feel bad about it. The blistered, slightly charred crust is the whole point, and the toppings know better than to fight it. Casual enough for a weeknight, good enough to make the drive. The crowd is mostly locals who've already claimed their regular order and aren't sharing it with you.
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Rank 46. INDO Restaurant & Lounge
Indonesian
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Isarn Garden is a Thai restaurant in San Carlos with a serious focus on the bold, funky flavors of northeastern Thailand, the kind of regional cooking most spots don't bother with. The room is sleek with hanging plants and bamboo lanterns, and the crowd looks genuinely curious about what they ordered. The bamboo shoot salad and grilled pork jowl alone are worth the drive down El Camino.
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The Midwife and the Baker is a bakery that moonlights as a sandwich destination every Friday, when popup Rōzmary Kitchen rolls in and builds seriously good sandwiches on bread baked in-house just for them. The Dutch crunch and sesame rolls alone are worth the trip, and whatever gets stacked on top of them tends to be pretty creative. Expect a mix of locals who know the Friday drill and a few lucky people who stumbled in at the right time.
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Rank 49. Aurum
Contemporary Indian
Aurum is a fine dining room in Los Altos that takes contemporary Indian seriously, digging into regional recipes most restaurants have quietly forgotten. The space is warm and vibrant without trying too hard, and the crowd leans toward date nights and celebratory dinners with people who actually care what's on the plate. The cooking is precise and the flavors keep surprising you, which is exactly what you want from a Michelin-selected kitchen.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Indian, Pakistani, and South Asian restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 50. Little Blue Door
Californian Indian Coffee Shop
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Rank 51. Saffron
Indian
Saffron is the kind of neighborhood Indian restaurant that makes you wonder why you ever bothered with the big-city versions. The room feels relaxed and put-together, drawing a mix of regulars who could recite the menu and couples on a low-key date night. The kitchen pulls from across the subcontinent, and the cooking is warm and confident without being showy. Go hungry and order generously.
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A proper izakaya built around a glass-encased binchotan grill that sits right in the middle of the room, which tells you everything about priorities here. The skewers are the reason to come, and the crowd of regulars who never glance at the menu probably all have a personal shortlist. The oyakodon, smoky grilled chicken over rice with a runny egg, is the kind of simple thing that makes you annoyed you didn't order two.
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Katsu is an eight-seat omakase counter in Mountain View where the chef has been quietly doing Edomae-style sushi his own way for years. The fish is often aged, the flavors are intense and briny, and the whole thing is soundtracked by free jazz, which either makes perfect sense or really doesn't. Either way, it's a serious night out for people who want to actually pay attention to their food.
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Rank 55. Navio
Contemporary
Fine dining inside the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, where the Pacific puts on a show through the windows whether you ask it to or not. The kitchen leans into the coastal setting with polished, ingredient-forward cooking that feels luxurious without being stiff. Couples dressed just a little too nicely for a Tuesday fill the room, and honestly, that's the right call. Sunset reservations go fast for obvious reasons.
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Rank 57. Plumed Horse
Californian New American
Saratoga's answer to a proper splurge night, Plumed Horse is a Michelin-starred fine dining room where couples dressed like they're celebrating something important sit across from couples who are not celebrating anything but dress that way regardless. The kitchen runs tasting menus and multicourse prix fixe, all seasonal Californian cooking done with real ambition. The wine cellar is literally glass-walled, so everyone can see how serious they are about it.
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Rank 58. Annachikadai
Chettinad Indian
Chettinad cooking is the spicy, bold cousin of the South Indian food you already know, and Annachikadai is one of the better places in the Bay Area to meet it. Everything lands on a banana leaf, most people eat with their hands, and the heat is real. Weekend unlimited thalis draw a crowd of regulars who came for brunch and stayed for three rounds. Casual, cheap, and genuinely good.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Indian, Pakistani, and South Asian restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Palo Alto, San Jose, the Peninsula and South Bay
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Rank 59. Wakuriya
Japanese
A Michelin-starred kaiseki counter in San Mateo where the chef single-handedly turns out a monthly changing tasting menu that treats California ingredients with serious Japanese technique. This is quiet, unhurried, grown-up dining, the kind where the regulars already know to just let the kitchen do its thing. The room is small and focused, which sets the tone perfectly for food that earns your full attention.
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Rank 60. Alexander's Steakhouse
American/Japanese
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Rank 61. Sushi Yoshizumi
Edomae Sushi
Eight seats, a cypress bar, and an omakase that earns every penny of the wait to get in. Sushi Yoshizumi is as focused as it gets, the kind of room where the chef's work station is basically the whole show and nobody in the room minds one bit. The crowd skews quiet, reverent, and genuinely grateful to be there. Getting a reservation takes some doing, but that's the price of Edomae sushi done this carefully.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
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A sushi spot in San Mateo that rewards you for looking past the sushi menu. The chef has been around long enough to have serious regulars, and he keeps inventing new reasons for them to stay loyal. The chirashi bowls alone are worth the trip, and the lunch crowd has quietly figured out that the chicken curry is something special. Casual, neighborhood-y, and the kind of place where the best things aren't always on the first page of the menu.
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Rank 63. Kajiken
Japanese Noodles
Kajiken is a casual noodle shop that does one thing most people here have never tried: abura soba, a Nagoya-style broth-free ramen where the flavor comes from a blend of oils and sauces coating springy, house-made noodles. The table comes loaded with vinegars, hot sauces, and powdered nori so you can dial it in yourself, which the regulars clearly enjoy doing. A solid move for anyone whose usual noodle order has gone stale.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best ramen restaurants in the SF Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Palo Alto, San Jose, the Peninsula and South Bay
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Rank 64. Los Carnalitos
Mexico City Mexican
Bib Gourmand Hayward taqueria bringing genuine Mexico City street food to the Bay, and the kind of place where the families and off-duty kitchen workers at the next table have clearly been coming for years. Started as a food truck, so the cooking has that focused, no-nonsense quality. The menu goes deeper than most, with dishes like huaraches and quesadilla de huitlacoche you won't find many other places around here.
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Rank 65. LeYou
Ethiopian
Ethiopian food that actually surprises you, which is rarer than it should be. LeYou is a sit-down restaurant where the chef takes the cuisine somewhere lighter and more inventive than the usual. The room feels warm and lived-in, with greenery everywhere and coffee-bag burlap under the tabletops. The crowd is a mix of regulars who know exactly what they want and first-timers who are very glad someone brought them.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #43 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 67. Duc Huong
Vietnamese
A Vietnamese bánh mì shop that's been keeping San Jose fed for years, Duc Huong is the kind of place where you show up with a bag and leave with more sandwiches than you planned on buying. The bread alone is worth the trip, soft with a crackling crust, and the dac biet combo loaded with cold cuts and pâté is the move. Expect a line of regulars who already know their order, and expect to join them.
- San Francisco Chronicle The best Vietnamese restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best sandwich spots in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In San Jose
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- Sprudge The Sprudge Guide To Coffee In San Jose, California
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Coffee in the Bay Area
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Rank 69. LUNA Mexican Kitchen
Mexican
This Bib Gourmand Mexican kitchen takes sourcing seriously without making you feel like you're attending a lecture about it. Tortillas are pressed in-house, the beans are proper, and the fish tacos and sizzling parrilladas taste like someone actually cares. The cantina vibe draws a relaxed neighborhood crowd who come here on a Tuesday like it's a special occasion, which honestly it kind of is.
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Rank 70. Mi Rinconcito Oaxaqueño
Oaxacan Mexican
Genuine Oaxacan cooking is nearly impossible to find in the Bay Area, which makes this food truck parked at a gas station kind of a big deal. The tlayuda alone is worth the trip, a saucer-sized crispy tortilla piled high and best eaten at the picnic tables before it loses its crunch. The crowd is mostly regulars who know exactly what they're ordering, and you should too.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Mexican restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In San Jose
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in San Jose
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Rank 71. Be.Stéak.Ă
Steakhouse
A proper steakhouse where the beef actually earns the elegance, Be.Stéak.Ă pulls a dressed-up crowd happy to linger over well-sourced cuts and a menu that wanders through the Mediterranean before getting down to business. The room feels grown-up without being stuffy, the kind of place where couples and groups of four split a bottle and argue about doneness. Go for the steak, stay for the sides, and don't sleep on the clams casino.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Italian food and restaurants in SF Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants for outdoor dining in the Bay Area
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Rank 72. Pausa
Venetian Italian
A Bib Gourmand Italian spot in downtown San Mateo that punches well above its strip. The chef is Venetian, the food is genuinely regional, and the vibe draws smart couples and laptop-free tech people who've figured out that leaving the city is sometimes the move. Wood-fired pizzas and handmade pasta share the menu with a charcuterie aging room you can actually see from your table, which is either appetizing or unsettling depending on your mood.
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Rank 74. First Born Los Gatos
Fusion Vietnamese
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Rank 75. True Laurel
American
- The Pinnacle Guide 2 Pins
- 50 Best 2025 · #64 · World's 50 Best Bars
- 50 Best 2026 · #14 · North America's 50 Best Bars
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Rank 76. Falafel's Drive-In
Middle Eastern
It looks like a classic burger stand from the outside, complete with a retro neon sign, but Falafel's Drive-In has been quietly making San Jose regulars very happy for a long time. The falafel is crisp, saucy, and tucked into a pita, and the banana shake is the kind of thing people drive across town for. Picnic tables outside, cash-in-hand vibes, locals who know exactly what they're ordering before they pull up.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Middle Eastern restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In San Jose
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Rank 77. Petiscos
Portuguese Mediterranean
Petiscos is a casual small-plates spot in San Jose doing Portuguese tavern food the way it's actually eaten in Lisbon, which is to say with drinks in hand and friends arguing over the last bite. It's a Bib Gourmand pick, and the menu leans into sharing: grilled sardines, codfish croquettes, octopus salad. The crowd is relaxed and clearly a regular crowd. Come hungry, bring someone worth sharing with.
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Rank 78. Walia
Ethiopian
Walia is a sit-down Ethiopian spot in a San Jose strip mall that earns every bit of the trek through the parking lot. The room runs on Ethiopian jazz and honey wine, which together do more for your mood than any ambiance overhaul could. The food is the careful, spiced-right kind that regulars argue about in the best way. Bring a group, order the injera spread, and plan to stay longer than you meant to.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In San Jose
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Taishoken is a Tokyo ramen institution that's been around forever, and this is one of its first U.S. spots. The move here is tsukemen, where you dip cold house-made noodles into a thick, concentrated broth that coats everything aggressively. It's a messier, more involved experience than a regular bowl, which the slurpy regulars here seem to regard as a feature. Order the cucumber salad to reset between bites.
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Rank 80. Backhaus
Bakery
Backhaus is a downtown San Mateo bakery and coffee shop that looks like a library someone filled with carbs instead of books, loaves stacked on shelves and pastries glowing behind glass. The laminated dough here is genuinely good, and the croissants lean creative without being annoying about it. Grab an espresso tonic and something from the case, then take it to the patio with the other people making excellent morning decisions.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best bakeries in San Francisco Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Coffee in the Bay Area
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Rank 81. Sifu Wong Kitchen
Chinese
Serious dim sum attached to a Sunnyvale Ramada Inn, which sounds like a punchline until you're actually there watching kitchen videos on the wall TV and wondering why you ever ate anywhere else. The har gow and barbecue pork buns are the real draw, but the chile oil quietly runs the whole show. Grab a spot in the sunroom if you can, and save room for the charcoal custard buns everyone keeps coming back for.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best dim sum restaurants in the SF Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Palo Alto, San Jose, the Peninsula and South Bay
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Rank 82. Mariscos Costa Alegre
Mexican
Every table at this San Jose mariscos spot gets a free cup of smoky, spiced seafood broth the moment you sit down, which tells you everything about the vibe. The tri-colored shrimp aguachile is a genuinely good reason to visit, built around different chiles for each hue. Chase the heat with a chamoy-rimmed michelada and you've got the move. The crowd runs local and loyal, the kind who know exactly what they're ordering before they walk in.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best seafood restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In San Jose
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Rank 83. Top Hatters Kitchen
Vietnamese-Californian New American
Vietnamese-Californian cooking in a cozy San Leandro neighborhood spot that somehow pulls people across the bridge and earns a Michelin Bib Gourmand for the trouble. The menu mashes up Southeast Asian and California flavors in ways that feel genuinely inventive without being precious about it. The cocktails riff on the building's past life as a hat shop, which is exactly the kind of nerdy local detail that regulars love to explain to you.
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This Japanese grocery in San Mateo is the kind of place regulars treat like a secret, though the packed aisles of Peninsula Japanese American families suggest it's not much of one. The sashimi-grade fish is the real draw, but the prepared foods hold their own, from seaweed salad by the pound to bento boxes and onigirazu stuffed with Spam and egg. Show up near closing and the pre-cut sashimi gets heavily discounted.
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Sunnyvale's dim sum spot that does things its own way: you order off a paper slip, but the food still rolls out on carts, which feels like the best of both worlds. The barbecue pork buns alone are worth the trip, with that glossy, pillowy dough wrapped around savory filling. The room runs loud and busy, filled with multigenerational families who know exactly what they're ordering before they even sit down.
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Rank 87. Miller & Lux
Steakhouse
Tyler Florence's elegant steakhouse near Chase Center is a genuine reason to dress up, even if the arena next door is doing its best to lower the bar. The room has quiet glamour, marble and leather, the kind of place where couples on big nights and suits celebrating deals both feel at home. The dry-aged steaks are the main event, the raw bar is serious, and the martinis arrive exactly right.
- World's 101 Best #25 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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A food truck that does exactly one thing, and does it so well that desis drive across the Bay Area for it. Pav bhaji is Mumbai street food at its most comforting, a thick, spiced vegetable gravy loaded with butter and served with soft, toasted rolls for scooping. Get it with cheese if you can, order extra bread no matter what, and plan on eating with your hands. There is no other way.
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Rank 89. Rasa
Indian
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Rank 90. Pizzeria Delfina
Neapolitan Pizza
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Chaat done right is one of those things that makes you wonder why you ever ate anything else, and this cheerful counter-service spot in Sunnyvale has been pulling families in since its street food truck days. The indoor dining room and plant-filled patio give it a little more breathing room now. Come hungry for puffy bhatura and puri you crack open yourself, fill with tamarind water and potato, and eat before anyone judges you.
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Rank 92. Sons & Daughters
Fine dining
Two Michelin stars in a spot that feels more like a dinner party than a temple of fine dining. Sons & Daughters does a Nordic-influenced tasting menu where vegetables and foraged things get treated with the same obsessive care as anything else on the plate. The room is roomier now, the service is genuinely world-class without being stiff, and the crowd leans creative and curious rather than expense-account.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide 2 Stars
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: California · Harrison Cheney
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Rank 94. Lazy Bear
Fine dining
A two-Michelin-star tasting menu spot in the Mission that somehow feels like a very wealthy person's mountain cabin, and pulls it off without irony. The food is big and confident, the kind of cooking that winks at comfort and nostalgia while doing something genuinely ambitious with it. The crowd leans festive and dressed up, people celebrating something or just treating a Tuesday like it deserves a occasion.
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Rank 95. Shugetsu
Noodles
Fremont doesn't get enough credit, and Shugetsu is a good reason to make the drive. It's a compact ramen shop where the move is tsukemen, the style where the noodles and broth come separately so you dunk rather than drown. The broth is thick and intense, the noodles are chewy and satisfying, and when you're running low on dipping liquid the staff just tops you off with hot stock. Casual crowd, serious bowls.
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Rank 96. Le Papillon
European
Le Papillon is the kind of old-school fine dining room that has been around forever and still earns it, a proper white-tablecloth night out in San Jose where the staff actually seem happy to see you. Come for a special occasion or a fancy date and choose between a six-course tasting or a shorter prix fixe built around whatever's seasonal. The room skews quiet and grown-up, which is exactly the point.
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A Lanzhou-style hand-pulled noodle shop tucked into a Fremont strip mall, and it deserves the detour. The move is the beef noodle soup, a big bold bowl with stretchy flat noodles, tender beef, and a broth that somehow feels light despite all the chile oil doing its thing. The crowd is mostly regulars who know exactly what size noodle they want without looking up. Get the pigs ears while you wait and thank yourself later.
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It's a halal grocery and meat market in Sunnyvale that also happens to fire up charcoal-grilled skewers while you shop. Koobideh, chicken tikka, steak, and a few veggie options land on an aluminum tray lined with lavash that soaks up all those smoky juices. The whole thing takes about fifteen minutes and costs next to nothing. Grab enough for a crowd, just plan to pick up sides somewhere else.
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Rank 100. A Slice of New York
NY-Style Pizza
A no-frills slice shop doing New York pizza better than most places in New York do it. The move is exactly what it sounds like: a plain cheese slice, because the crust, sauce, and mozzarella are all doing their job perfectly and don't need any arugula to distract you. The regulars already know this. The garlic knots are chewy and right, and the cheesecake is the real thing, imported from Long Island.
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