The Top 100 Restaurants Near Dream Inn
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Rank 1. Mentone
Pizza
A barn-like room with dark green doors draws a neighborhood crowd eager for pizza that justifies the trip to Aptos. The kitchen moves deftly between indulgences—fried sardines with Meyer lemon aioli, a pesto pie layered with three cheeses—though the real argument is whether to end with pizza or the house-made pistachio ice cream.
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Rank 2. Plumed Horse
Californian New American
An elegant room in a seventies-modern cottage on the peninsula, where Chef Peter Armellino builds his California cuisine around house-made pastas and the occasional flourish—a black pepper soufflé gilded with uni and crab, vegetables treated with the same conviction as beef cheek ragu. The wine program, visible through glass behind the bar, suggests a proprietor unafraid of depth.
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Rank 3. First Born Los Gatos
Fusion Vietnamese
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Rank 4. The Bywater
New Orleans-inspired Cajun & Creole
The zinc bar gleams under pressed tin, and jazz spills from speakers as an open kitchen stacks bottles of hot sauce like trophies. David Kinch's New Orleans love letter serves andouille gumbo z'herbes, oyster po'boys with white chile sauce, and a chocolate-pecan chess pie that tastes like devotion. Locals arrive early; the spell holds.
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Rank 5. Dio Deka
Greek
A fireplace anchors the stylish dining room where Los Gatos money gathers to eat Greek food that transcends taverna conventions. Pan-seared local salmon arrives with roasted peppers and artichokes; braised beef cheek fills delicate grape leaves. The wine list trades predictability for Greek discovery, and the burnt-honey mousse with almond and lemon justifies saving room for dessert.
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Rank 6. ASA South
Californian New American
A sleek dining room with silver-bark wallpaper and a horseshoe bar sets the stage for cooking that balances ambition with levity. The kitchen excels with a rigatoni so layered with mushrooms and supporting players that the menu abandons listing ingredients, and with sustainably sourced fish prepared across a menu that accommodates multiple appetites without compromise.
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Rank 7. Jubba Restaurant
Somali
- San Francisco Chronicle Top Doughnuts in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #79 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Top Peninsula and South Bay Restaurants
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Rank 8. La Foret Restaurant
French
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Rank 10. Alexander's Steakhouse
American/Japanese
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Rank 11. Orchard City Kitchen
International
A shopping-center outpost where Jeffrey Stout orchestrates a roving menu of global small plates meant for shared eating. Hamachi arrives with avocado-dill purée and sunomono's bright vinegar; shrimp-and-pork dumplings carry a dusting of peanuts and chili oil heat. The room—polished bar, sprawling patio—rewards the kind of crowd willing to order wide.
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Rank 12. The Sardine Factory
Seafood
A converted cannery on Monterey's waterfront trades industrial grit for silk curtains, monogrammed seatbacks, and a glassed conservatory that feels less warehouse than dowager's drawing room. The kitchen executes classical seafood—crispy sand dabs, lobster ravioli in cream—with the assured hand of a place that has pleased three generations. There's camp in the pageantry, but also genuine care.
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Rank 13. Coastal Kitchen
Contemporary
A staircase descent through a hotel lobby leads to bay views and Chef Michael Rotondo's tasting menu, where local seafood—black cod from the wood-fired oven, pristine halibut sashimi—mingles with global spice and technique across each course. The room is polished; the cooking is restless, layering flavors until each plate becomes a small argument between restraint and abundance.
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Rank 14. Be.Stéak.Ă
Steakhouse
Chef Jeffrey Stout's steakhouse trades in Mediterranean flourishes—clams casino with pepperoni, rigatoni all'amatriciana—but the real draw is beef handled with precision: a bacon-wrapped filet arrives glossy with horseradish cream and demi-glace, sided by king oyster mushrooms. The room maintains an elegant composure that feels neither fussy nor austere.
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Rank 15. Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant
Ethiopian
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Rank 16. Le Papillon
European
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Rank 17. Mi Rinconcito Oaxaqueño
Oaxacan Mexican
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In San Jose
- San Francisco Chronicle Top San Jose Restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle Top Peninsula and South Bay Restaurants
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Rank 18. Saapaaduu
Indian
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Rank 20. Pèppoli
Tuscan Italian
The dining room frames ocean and fairways through windows, but the menu looks steadily toward Tuscany. Owned by the Antinori winemaking family, Pèppoli serves wood-fired rusticity—hand-rolled orecchiette with house sausage and vibrant green pesto, tiramisu that tastes like tradition—while their own bottles anchor an Italian wine list. A lesson in how privilege and authenticity need not contradict.
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Rank 21. A Slice of New York
NY-Style
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Rank 22. Bertucelli's La Villa
Italian
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Rank 23. Paprika Café
Mediterranean
At this six-table Mediterranean café near the aquarium, the chef-owner moves between dining room and tiny kitchen, greeting guests before returning to cook straightforward, affordable dishes. Spanakopita and baba ghanoush anchor a menu generous to vegetarians, though the homemade baklava—vegan, golden, packed to carry—is what lingers.
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Rank 24. Fitoor
Modern Indian
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Rank 25. Aubergine
Contemporary
In a historic hotel on Carmel's main drag, Justin Cogley orchestrates a tasting menu that marries classical discipline with contemporary flair—think cabbage tacos layered with caviar and braised treviso, or dry-aged beef brushed with wagyu XO. The dining room hums with understated refinement, and the wine list rewards close attention. It's cooking that feels rooted in place yet stubbornly its own.
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Rank 26. Tay Ho
Vietnamese
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Rank 27. LeYou Ethiopian
Ethiopian
The dining room at LeYou breathes with tall plants and coffee-bag tables under glass, a contemporary setting for chef Aida Taye's lighter take on Ethiopian cooking. Her tuna kifto and crisp, chili-dusted kategna suggest a kitchen intent on reimagining tradition rather than merely preserving it.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle 2025 · #46 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Top Peninsula and South Bay Restaurants
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Rank 28. Walia Ethiopian Cuisine
Ethiopian
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Rank 29. Petiscos
Portuguese Mediterranean
At a corner bar alive with the hum of Portuguese conversation, small plates arrive meant for sharing—broa, octopus salad, grilled sardines—each one a study in restraint and imported authenticity. The braised pig ears, dressed in citrus and herbs, taste like home cooking elevated just enough to matter.
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Rank 30. Falafel's Drive-In
Middle Eastern
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Rank 31. Maligne
New American
A hip Seaside loft with effortless hospitality and a menu that threads Italian-American and French classics through a California sensibility. Chef Klaus Georis treats even a Caesar salad like a fine-dining exercise in ingredient quality, while a warm tarte tatin with whipped cream proves technique matters as much as sourcing.
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House-made pasta arrives al dente and generously portioned at this family-run Italian-American spot near the airport. Fresh mozzarella and thin-crust pizzas share the menu with rustic classics that reward a from-scratch approach.
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Rank 33. Kunjip
Korean
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #67 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Top Peninsula and South Bay Restaurants
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Rank 34. Montrio
Contemporary
A converted 1910 firehouse with soaring ceilings and a mahogany bar houses a kitchen devoted to local sourcing and sustainable seafood. Golden-fried calamari arrives with charmoula; the wine list tilts heavily toward California pinots. The place welcomes children and casual diners with equal warmth, making formality feel beside the point.
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Rank 35. LUNA Mexican Kitchen
Mexican
The moon rises over San Jose in the form of a kitchen where owner Jo Lerma-Lopez sources Rancho Gordo beans and Mary's chicken, then presses fresh tortillas by hand for crisp fish tacos and sizzling parrilladas that taste of real conviction. The cantina hums with the ease of a place built on principle rather than trend.
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Rank 36. Bo Ne Phu Yen
Vietnamese
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle 2025 · #42 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Top Peninsula and South Bay Restaurants
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Rank 37. Stokes Adobe
French
A historic adobe house in Monterey trades its shadowed past for genuine warmth and graceful hospitality. The kitchen grounds itself in French and Italian fundamentals, turning out maltagliati in prosciutto-parmesan broth and duck confit with roasted apples with quiet confidence. Substance prevails over flourish here, a principle that extends through comforting finales and cocktails by the firepit.
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- San Francisco Chronicle Top San Jose Restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle Top Peninsula and South Bay Restaurants
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Rank 39. Zona Rosa
Mexican
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Rank 40. Thiên Long Restaurant
Vietnamese/Chinese
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Rank 41. Hue
Vietnamese
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Rank 42. Chez Noir
Mediterranean
In a Craftsman house above their own kitchen, Jonny and Monique Black cook Mediterranean food drawn from California waters—abalone and skate treated with unshowy precision. A prix fixe menu offers choices, but the real reveal comes at the end, when ethereal canelés arrive with their caramelized shells and silken centers, a quiet statement of restraint and technique.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Best New Restaurant
- Esquire 2023 · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 43. Mommy's Bánh Mì
Vietnamese
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Rank 45. 10 Butchers Korean BBQ
Korean Barbecue
- San Francisco Chronicle 2025 · #74 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Top Peninsula and South Bay Restaurants
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Rank 46. Pho Duoi Bo
Vietnamese
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Rank 47. MYSelera Bistro
Malaysian
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Rank 48. Pho Ga Nha - Chicken Pho House
Vietnamese
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Rank 49. Back A Yard Caribbean Grill
Caribbean
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Rank 50. Green Lotus
Vietnamese Vegetarian
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Rank 51. Gombei
Japanese
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Rank 52. Acopio
Mexican
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Rank 53. The Yellow Chilli
Indian
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Rank 54. Yafa
Mediterranean Cuisine
The aroma of charring meat draws you in; the owner's embrace keeps you coming back. Yafa trades in straightforward Eastern Mediterranean cooking—charred chicken kebabs with tomatoes, lamb and beef kafta rich with Aleppo spice—but the real draw is the mezze: a sprawling plate of hummus, cucumber salad, and sundried tomato dip meant for tearing into warm pita alongside genuine warmth.
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Rank 55. ADEGA
Portuguese
Adega pairs a Portuguese tasting menu of sardines, bacalhau, and octopus with one of California's deepest collections of Portuguese wines. The understated dining room lets the kitchen's contemporary technique and wine program command attention.
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Rank 56. Mariscos Costa Alegre
Mexican
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Rank 57. Casanova
Rustic French
A 1920s cottage remodeled after a Belgian farmhouse serves rustic French and Italian cooking in an intimate Carmel setting a block from the main street. The wine cellar, dug by hand, anchors a dining experience marked by simplicity—think grilled peach with pickled onion and torn basil.
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Rank 58. Stationæry
California New American
A sunlit cafe where California meets comfort: potato pancake paired with Korean short ribs and kimchi, avocado toast scattered with radishes and seaweed, a lobster roll on Ad Astra brioche. The cooking is playful without affectation, local without pretense.
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Rank 59. Cultura Comida y Bebida
Oaxacan Mexican
Oaxacan-inflected cooking in a courtyard dining room lined with deep red booths and wrought-iron accents, where house-made mole arrives with warm tortillas for assembly. Desserts like chili-tinged chocolate brownies suggest ambition beyond casual experimentation.
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Rank 60. Akaoni
Sushi
A cramped sushiya with two hands and a tank of local spot prawns behind the counter, where the nigiri—simply plated, finely cut—carries a purity that justifies the pilgrimage to this corner of Carmel. The daily specials board matters more than the menu; skip the cooked dishes unless the vegetable tempura calls to you.
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Rank 61. La Bicyclette
Mediterranean French
A corner bistro in Carmel with hanging copper pots and bicycles overhead, where the kitchen drifts between seasonal California cooking and French classics like duck confit. The wood-burning oven turns out excellent bread and pizza, while a buttery tarte Tatin arrives golden and caramelized.
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Rank 62. Mariscos El Charco
Mexican
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Rank 63. La Jacaranda Oaxaquena
Oaxacan
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Rank 64. Annachikadai
Chettinad-Style
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Rank 65. Sifu Wong Kitchen
Chinese
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Rank 66. Nanos Chicharrones
Mexican
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Rank 67. The Sea by Alexander's Steakhouse
Modern Seafood
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Rank 68. Mariscos El Aguachile 8
Michoacán-Style
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Rank 69. Duc Huong
Vietnamese
- San Francisco Chronicle Top Peninsula and South Bay Restaurants
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In San Jose
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Rank 70. Zareen's
Indian
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Zareen Khan
- San Francisco Chronicle Top Palo Alto Restaurants
- Eater The 17 Best Restaurants in Palo Alto
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Rank 71. Protégé
Contemporary New American
Chef Anthony Secviar, a French Laundry alum, pairs refined but unfussy cooking—think sablefish with sweet onion dashi, morel lasagna—with a sommelier's wine list in a relaxed modern room. The lounge's à la carte and trolley desserts balance the tasting menu's ambition without pretension.
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Rank 72. Madera
Contemporary
Madera's vaulted dining room overlooks the Santa Cruz Mountains while an almond wood-fired grill lends restrained smoke to ingredient-driven pastas and steaks. Silicon Valley's power brokers come here less for ostentation than for quietly confident cooking and the hotel's tranquil, mountain-lodge sophistication.
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Rank 73. INDO Restaurant & Lounge
Indonesian
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Rank 74. Koi Palace
Cantonese Chinese
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Rank 75. Mediterranean Wraps
Mediterranean
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Rank 76. Royal Thaali
Vegetarian Indian
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Rank 77. Terún
Neopolitan
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Rank 78. Sun of Wolf
Mexican
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Rank 79. The Village Pub
Contemporary New American
Behind a modest roadside name lies a polished dining room where the kitchen works with precision: a raviolo bursts with runny yolk and potato; duck breast arrives seared and austere. The wine list tilts toward serious French bottles, but the meal's true anchor is warmth—those Parker House rolls, buttered and golden, arriving at every table.
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Rank 80. Naschmarkt
Austrian/German
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Rank 81. Ettan
Upscale Indian
Srijith Gopinathan's upscale Indian restaurant occupies an airy, skylit bi-level space in Palo Alto where indigo fabrics and floral wallpaper set a refined stage. Kulchas stuffed with seasonal peas and ricotta arrive alongside bright green kale chutney, while crisp branzino meets green garlic and chili—each plate built around local ingredients and a cook's genuine conviction.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Srijith Gopinathan
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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A wood-fired hearth and copper vessels warm this central Palo Alto dining room, where grilled vegetables emerge smoky and tender, lamb souvlaki stays impossibly moist, and pumpkin cheesecake balances sweetness with poached fruit. The scene runs formal and prices follow accordingly, though lunch offers a lighter touch.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Top Palo Alto Restaurants
- Eater The 17 Best Restaurants in Palo Alto
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Rank 84. Sekoya
Mediterranean
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Rank 85. Eylan
Contemporary Indian
Chef Srijith Gopinathan's Menlo Park dining room marries regional Indian technique with California ingredients—a flatbread of Dungeness crab and fennel-poppy sauce announces the approach immediately. Wood-fired cooking lends char and smoke throughout, whether to gulf shrimp or whole sea bream, each plate balanced enough to stand alone.
- 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 86. Zola
French
Zola trades pure formality for the ease of a French bistro steeped in California light. Mussels swim in vermouth cream; a soft egg breaks over Parisian gnocchi thick with mushrooms; filet mignon arrives with pommes purées and sauce Périgueux. The room splits between intimate dining and a livelier bar where cocktails and a wine list balancing Bordeaux with Napa feel equally at home.
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Rank 87. Quattro Restaurant and Bar
Modern Italian
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Rank 88. Coconuts
Caribbean
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Rank 89. Ramen Nagi
Japanese Noodles
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Rank 90. Wildseed
Californian
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Rank 91. Telefèric Barcelona
Spanish
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Rank 92. Bevri
Georgian Eastern European
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Rank 93. Ethel's Fancy
Californian New American
Chef Scott Nishiyama trades fine dining for casual California cooking, crafting a small shared menu where swordfish katsu meets spiced kumquats with understated grace. Rustic-elegant rooms and desserts like hojicha tapioca pudding with rice cracker bark make this Palo Alto spot feel like a refined dinner at a friend's table.
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Rank 94. Rooh
Progressive Indian
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Rank 95. Vina Enoteca
Italian
An Italian owner's passion project in an industrial-chic space with soaring ceilings and soft leather chairs. House-made pastas—particularly spinach tagliatelle wound with local pork and beef ragù—anchor a kitchen that sources heavily from Stanford Education Farm and crafts its own breads and pizzas. Friendly, efficient service whether you're at the bar or the table.
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Rank 96. Flea St. Cafe
Farm-to-table New American
A converted house in Menlo Park where chef Jesse Dunford Wales sources vegetables from nearby farms for unfussy, ingredient-driven cooking. The small rooms and eclectic artwork preserve the intimate feeling that has defined the place since 1980.
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Rank 97. Lucia Restaurant & Bar
New American
The dining room's garden feeds the kitchen's seasonal intelligence, yielding vegetables of uncommon tenderness and lamb that tastes like the valley itself. Casual elegance—fireplace, vineyard views, patio dining—makes this one of those rare hotel restaurants that guests travel to rather than stumble into.
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Rank 98. Saint Michael's Alley
Californian
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Rank 99. Meyhouse
Turkish
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