The Top 100 Restaurants Near Gusto Mio
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Gusto Mio is a Roman-style sandwich and pizza counter that makes a bologna sandwich feel like a genuine occasion. The focaccia is thick and cloud-soft, and they stuff it with cured meats and fillings like pistachio butter or artichoke cream, then pile on stracciatella cheese that melts into everything. The deli case of pizza and hanging salumi sets the scene nicely. It's a lunch crowd that looks pretty pleased with their life choices.
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A burger joint that leans hard into the louder-is-better philosophy, Broderick Roadhouse is the kind of place where the music is up, the booths are leather, and nobody is counting calories. The burgers are genuinely over-the-top in the best way, and the room feels like a Western saloon that got into rock and roll. Cold beer is the obvious move here, and the crowd mostly agrees.
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Rank 3. Lita
Modern Caribbean
Modern Caribbean cooking with a nightclub pulse, Lita is the kind of spot where the vibe is doing at least half the work. Gold trim, hanging ferns, and a back wall that lights up to the reggaeton make it feel like a warm-up for a Miami night out. The fish fritters and empanadas are genuinely good, and the spit-roast jerk chicken tacos are worth tracking down on the menu. Skip anything that sounds like a stunt.
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Rank 4. Havana
Cuban
Walnut Creek's go-to Cuban bar and restaurant, where the mojito menu is basically its own document and the vibe skews festive whether it's noon or midnight. Weekend brunch packs the patio with groups who came for bottomless cocktails and stayed for the empanadas. Floral booths, a long communal table, and the kind of crowd that ordered another round before the first one landed. Good food, better drinks, no complaints.
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Rank 5. World Famous Hotboys
Nashville Southern
Hot chicken done right, in a space that looks like a fever dream your coolest friend decorated. World Famous Hotboys is a Nashville-style fried chicken shop packed with string lights, vintage CRT screens running old-school video games, and the kind of loud, happy energy that makes waiting for your order feel like the point. Get the sandwich or bone-in chicken, and if you think medium heat sounds safe, it'll remind you it isn't.
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Rank 6. Slice House
Pizza
Tony Gemignani is a genuine celebrity in the pizza world, and Slice House is his laid-back, no-ceremony slice shop where you point at what looks good and eat it standing up if you want. Four styles rotate through: New York, Sicilian, grandma, and Detroit, each reheated to order so nothing sits around going sad. The crowd is pretty much everyone, which is usually a good sign.
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Gott's is a modern roadside grill that does the California burger thing properly, sourcing its beef from Niman Ranch so the classic cheeseburger actually tastes like something. The fries are dangerously good, especially the garlic version. Grab a seasonal milkshake and sit outside with the families and weekend-errand crowd. It's the kind of place everyone agrees on, which is rarer than it sounds.
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Rank 8. Babushka Market & Deli
Authentic Eastern European
Part Eastern European grocery store, part deli counter, Babushka is a low-key strip mall find where you load up on imported snacks and order something warm to eat in the courtyard. The piroshkis, hand pies stuffed with meat or potato, are the move, and the regulars all get theirs warmed up. The shelves are packed with things you won't find anywhere nearby, and the whole vibe feels like someone's grandmother is quietly judging your lunch choices.
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Morucci's is an old-school deli with the quiet confidence of a place that knows it doesn't need to explain itself. The Italian sub is the move, packed with salami, hot coppa, mortadella, and provolone on a flour-dusted ciabatta that does a lot of heavy lifting. The line is usually out the door, which the regulars treat as proof of something. A few seats inside, more outside, and the crew keeps things moving.
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Rank 10. Manakish Oven & Grill
Mediterranean
A fast-casual Lebanese and Palestinian spot that earns its hype despite leaning hard into the influencer aesthetic. The room is tiled and colorful, the crowd is very online, and the food actually holds up. Manakish, the pizza-sized flatbreads, are the move, but the wraps, bowls, and kebab plates all deliver. Grab something spicy on the side and save room for the kanafeh.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Middle Eastern restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Walnut Creek
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Rank 11. Rêve Bistro
French
A proper French bistro tucked into a Lafayette strip mall, which sounds like a punchline until you walk through the iron gate onto a candlelit patio draped in greenery and realize the suburbs occasionally get it right. Inside, exposed brick, chandeliers, and a tight French menu done with real conviction. The crowd leans date-night and neighborhood regulars who already know the wine list runs deeper than the obvious bottles.
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A no-frills Afghan spot in Concord that punches way above its weight, delivering the kind of layered, aromatic cooking that makes the strip-mall setting feel irrelevant. The crowd is mostly locals who know exactly what they're ordering and don't need a menu. Get the narunj palow, a saffron rice dish built around a lamb shank that practically dissolves, and don't skip the chapli kebabs.
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Rank 13. Spicy Joi
Laotian
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A proper izakaya tucked into a Concord strip mall, which sounds like a punchline until you're two sake pours deep and working through a spread of kobachi small plates. The move is to order a bunch of little bites and let them pile up, though the grilled meat sets and tempura can anchor things if you want something more substantial. Order a shochu sour and the owner herself will come squeeze the citrus at your table, which is a nice touch.
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Rank 15. 11th Tiger
Thai
A Thai street food spot in the suburbs that actually feels like someone's aunt runs it, in the best possible way. The room is full of odd little touches, wooden figures here, a googly-eyed tiger there, and the whole vibe is cozy rather than curated. The khao soi is the move, a rich curry broth with egg noodles that earns the drive out to Danville on its own.
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Rank 16. Burdell
Soul food
Soul food cooked by someone who actually grew up eating it, which is rarer than it sounds. Burdell is a cozy Temescal dinner spot where the chef riffs on his grandmother's cooking with enough creativity to keep things interesting without losing the warmth. The wine list is genuinely thoughtful, and yes, fried chicken with champagne is a move. The crowd skews local and loyal, the kind of people who already have a regular order.
- Food & Wine 2024 · Restaurant of the Year
- Food & Wine 2025 · #1 · The Top 15 US Restaurants
- Food & Wine 2024 · Roast Duck · Best Dishes Our Editors Ate This Year
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Rank 18. Joodooboo
Korean
Joodooboo started as a tofu and banchan shop and quietly grew into something genuinely special. The Korean food here leans gentle and seasonal, so the menu shifts constantly with whatever's good right now. The crowd tends to be people who actually care about eating well without making a big deal of it. The housemade tofu alone is worth the trip, and the rotating banchan make it hard to visit just once.
- Food & Wine 2025 · Steve Joo · Best New Chefs
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #14 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Emerging Chef · Steve Joo
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Rank 19. Sun Moon Studio
Fine dining
A Michelin-starred tasting room tucked into an Oakland industrial unit, which sounds like a riddle but turns out to be one of the better meals you'll have in the Bay. The menu chases California's seasonal produce with real technical chops, and the baked goods alone justify the trip. It seats barely anyone, so getting a reservation feels like a small victory. Dress nicely, bring someone you actually want to talk to.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: California · Sarah Cooper and Alan Hsu
- The New York Times 2025 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 20. Rose Pizzeria
Pizza Wine Bar
Rose Pizzeria is a casual pizza and wine spot on University Ave that doesn't sweat regional allegiance, borrowing from Neapolitan, New York, and Chicago traditions and then doing whatever it wants. The result is thin, crispy pies with serious toppings and just enough funk to feel considered. The patio is ringed with actual roses, which sounds precious but mostly just means it's a genuinely nice place to sit. Berkeley locals and UC couples fill the room on weeknights.
- 50 Top Pizza 2025 · #50 · 50 Top Pizza USA
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants for outdoor dining in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #27 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 21. Mama’s Boy Pizza
NY-Style Pizza
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Rank 22. Viridian
Northern Californian
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar
- Punch 2025 · Best New Bartenders · Kat Parsons
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. West
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Rank 23. 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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Rank 24. Bombera
Mexican
A Bib Gourmand contemporary Mexican spot housed in a former Oakland fire station, which is a detail too good to ignore. The wood-fired oven runs the whole show, and the cooking threads fine dining technique through genuine respect for heritage Mexican traditions. The crowd is loyal, local, and loud in the best way. Order whatever comes with the handmade blue corn tortillas and a mole, then figure out the rest.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Mexican restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 25. Acquerello
Italian
Acquerello is the kind of two-Michelin-star Italian fine dining room that actually earns the fuss, with handmade pasta and bold, precise cooking that makes other places feel like they're just trying. The vibe is warm and grown-up, full of people who dressed up and mean it. The Italian wine cellar goes embarrassingly deep, and when the mignardises cart rolls over at the end, you'll understand why everyone looks so smug.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide 2 Stars
- World Culinary Awards 2025 · Nominee · North America's Best Italian Cuisine Restaurant
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Rank 26. 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 27. Tacos Oscar
Mexican
Tacos Oscar is a taco spot built inside a cluster of painted shipping containers in Oakland, with café lights strung overhead and a chalk menu that changes whenever it feels like it. The vegan options are genuinely as good as the meat, which is a sentence you rarely mean. Expect a line of people who look like they bike to work and care a lot about it. Get there when the doors open, grab a beer, and thank yourself later.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Bon Appétit 2019 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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Rank 28. Tanzie's
Thai
Brunch spots that actually surprise you are rare, and this cozy Berkeley cafe pulls it off by rooting the whole thing in northern Thai cooking from Chiang Mai. The room feels like someone's living room, painted mint green, filled with regulars who clearly know what they're doing. Flavors run sour, spicy, and deeply fragrant, nothing like the pad thai you were expecting. Dinner is now on the table too, for the adventurous.
- The New York Times 2025 · Khanom Krok · The Best Restaurant Dishes We Ate Across the U.S.
- Eater Restaurant Where We'd Want to Be Regulars
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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- Food & Wine 2025 · Les Eggs · Best Dishes Our Editors Ate This Year
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar Program
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In Oakland
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Rank 30. Angler
Seafood
Angler is a Michelin-starred seafood spot on the Embarcadero where live fire does most of the talking. The open kitchen pulls focus the whole night, and you can taste the smoke in almost everything that comes out of it. It draws the kind of crowd that orders confidently and dresses like they mean it. The wine list is serious, and dessert is genuinely not optional. Budget accordingly, and snag a reservation.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The Infatuation Soft Serve Sundae · The San Francisco Dessert Bucket List
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Rank 31. Mister Jiu's
Chinese
Mister Jiu's is a Michelin-starred fine dining room in the heart of Chinatown that does something genuinely hard: it makes modern California cooking feel completely at home in Cantonese tradition. The crowd skews date-night and special-occasion, everyone dressed just enough. The Peking duck is the move, and the cocktails are serious enough to linger over. Go hungry, go with someone you want to impress.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Time Out The best Chinese restaurants in America
- World Culinary Awards 2025 · Nominee · North America's Best Chinese Cuisine Restaurant
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Rank 32. Popoca
Salvadoran Mexican
Popoca is a live-fire Salvadoran restaurant in Old Oakland where the cooking feels genuinely one of a kind, the kind of place the New York Times and Bon Appétit both noticed. The chef grew up in the tradition and then pushed it somewhere new, with heirloom-corn pupusas cooked over wood flame and mains that'd make you rethink everything you thought Salvadoran food was. The room is low-key and the crowd skews curious, adventurous, and very happy they came.
- The New York Times 2025 · Guaca-mol With Tortilla and Asiento · The Best Restaurant Dishes We Ate Across the U.S.
- Bon Appétit 2024 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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Rank 33. Yank Sing
Dim Sum Chinese
Yank Sing has been doing dim sum in the Financial District forever, and the suits filing in at lunch alongside families with strollers are all here for the same thing: cart after cart of genuinely great dumplings. The xiao long bao and har gow are the real draw, and if a cart rolls by without what you want, the staff will radio the kitchen for you. Bib Gourmand, reasonable prices, and almost no pretension.
- Time Out The best Chinese restaurants in America
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Francisco Chronicle Best dim sum restaurants in the SF Bay Area
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Rank 34. Soba Ichi
Japanese
Getting to this tiny soba bar in deep industrial West Oakland takes actual commitment, but a Bib Gourmand and a 45-minute wait that you'll spend drinking sake in a sunny garden has a way of reframing "inconvenient" as "worth it." They make only a hundred portions of buckwheat noodles a night, hot or cold, and when they're gone, they're gone. The crowd tends to be patient and deeply smug about the fact that they made the trek.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #13 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 35. Four Kings
Cantonese
Snagging a reservation here is basically a sport, and if you lose, you line up outside before doors open and hope for the best. This buzzy Chinatown spot does contemporary Cantonese in a lively, quirky room where the crowd is young, loud, and very pleased with themselves for getting in. The cooking leans on traditional flavors but wears them loosely, and somehow that formula just works.
- Food & Wine 2024 · Squab · Best Dishes Our Editors Ate This Year
- Esquire 2024 · Restaurant of the Year · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Bon Appétit 2024 · America's Best New Restaurants
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Rank 36. Tony's Pizza Napoletana
Neapolitan Pizza
- 50 Top Pizza 2025 · #3 · 50 Top Pizza USA
- Sunset 2025 · Inspired Italian · Where to Eat and Drink
- The Infatuation The 19 Best Pizza Places In San Francisco
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Rank 37. Michael Warring
Contemporary
Vallejo is not where you'd expect a tasting counter serious enough to make you feel underdressed in a hoodie, yet here we are. The room is tiny, the kitchen is right in front of you, and the chef treats California's seasonal produce like it owes him something. It's the kind of focused, personal cooking that makes a long drive feel completely reasonable. Book ahead, because those seven counter seats go fast.
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Rank 38. Mama
Italian
A Bib Gourmand prix-fixe in a genuinely pretty room on Grand Ave, Mama Oakland keeps things bracingly simple: pick one of two options per course, eat well, pay a reasonable tab, and go home happy. No reservations, so you show up and roll with it like the regulars do. The house-made pasta in braised pork and beef sugo is the whole origin story of this place, which tells you everything. The wine list, naturally, is excellent.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Italian food and restaurants in SF Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In Oakland
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Rank 39. Great China
Chinese
Great China is a Michelin Bib Gourmand Chinese restaurant in Berkeley that somehow satisfies Cal students, local Chinese families, and food-obsessed adults all at once, which is basically a miracle. The cooking is mild and ingredient-forward rather than heat-forward, so spice chasers should adjust expectations. It gets packed, tables go to larger groups first, and the line out front is basically part of the experience.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Francisco Chronicle Best seafood restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Chinese food and restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 40. Ippuku
Japanese
Ippuku is a Berkeley izakaya that genuinely feels like someone airlifted a corner of Tokyo and set it down on Center Street. Low tables, serious woodwork, and a shochu list long enough to be its own commitment. The yakitori off the binchotan is the reason to come, smoky and a little salty in all the right ways. The crowd is casually in the know, the kind of people who found this place by accident and never told anyone.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #91 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 41. Niku Steakhouse
Japanese Steakhouse
A Michelin-starred Japanese steakhouse tucked behind a gold door in the Design District, Niku takes the idea of a steakhouse seriously in ways most don't. The kitchen runs a whole-animal butchery program, ages its beef carefully, and cooks everything over a binchōtan robata grill. The crowd skews tech money and special-occasion couples who dressed up for this. Grab a counter seat if you can and watch the fire do its thing.
- World's 101 Best #49 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The Infatuation #20 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
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Rank 42. Boulevard
American
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Rank 43. Sirene
American Wine Bar
Sirene is a neighborhood wine bar in Oakland where the menu somehow pairs marinated raw fish with fried chicken and makes it feel completely inevitable. Belly up to the bar for a glass of something interesting or a Chartreuse slushy, or settle into the vine-covered back patio for a full meal. The crowd is the kind that knows what they're drinking and isn't showing off about it. Exposed brick, warm service, zero pretension.
- Wine Enthusiast 2025 · Top 50 New Restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Coffee in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #73 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 44. FOB Kitchen
Filipino
Filipino food done with real personality, FOB Kitchen is a tiny Temescal spot that started as a pop-up and earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand without getting precious about it. The room fits maybe a few dozen people, the wallpaper is cheerful, and the crowd is the kind that actually talks to each other. Grab a cocktail at the bar while you wait, because you will wait, and it's worth it.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Francisco Chronicle Best brunch restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Oakland
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Rank 45. Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya
Japanese
A stylish izakaya on Shattuck with a neon sign out front and an open kitchen inside, Fish & Bird is the kind of place where a round of skewers turns into a full evening without anyone minding. The menu bounces around in the best way, from hot pot to rice boxes to sandos, and the kitchen handles all of it with real confidence. Expect a younger, casually dressed crowd who showed up hungry and definitely ordered too much.
- Esquire 2021 · #38 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 46. House of Prime Rib
Steakhouse
A classic SF steakhouse that's been around forever and shows zero interest in changing. The drill is simple: a salad spun tableside in an icy metal bowl, then a carving cart rolls up and someone in a white coat slices you a serious slab of roast beef with potato and gravy. The room is dark, the martinis are cold, and everyone is dressed like they're celebrating something, even if they're not.
- Esquire 2025 · Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Outstanding Hospitality
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
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Rank 47. 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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Rank 48. Hilda & Jesse
Fine dining
A Michelin-starred brunch spot where the menu is a surprise, because they don't hand you one. The team has serious fine dining pedigree, and it shows in a cooking style that's bold and a little chaotic in the best way, big flavors and genuinely unexpected combinations. The room feels like a modernist diner, bright and unpretentious, and the crowd shows up dressed like they might have places to be later but aren't sure.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- San Francisco Chronicle Best brunch restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #32 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 49. Belotti
Piemontese Italian
A cozy Piemontese restaurant on Rockridge's main strip, Belotti is the kind of spot where regulars post up at the bar and chat with the team in Italian like they own the place. The house-made pasta is the real draw, rich and deeply comforting in that northern Italian way, but the menu rewards you no matter where you land on it. Wear whatever you want; nobody here is keeping score.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Italian food and restaurants in SF Bay Area
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This Laurel District Thai spot has a Bib Gourmand and a genuinely playful menu that isn't trying to be your textbook pad thai situation. The kitchen riffs freely on Thai flavors, pairing them with things like smoky brisket, and the spice levels are adjustable so nobody has to suffer for the aesthetic. The cocktail list is worth your attention too. Expect a lively neighborhood crowd that clearly eats here way too regularly to feel guilty about it.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Intu-on Kornnawong
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Rank 51. Barcote Ethiopian Restaurant
Traditional Ethiopian
Oakland's Telegraph Ave has no shortage of Ethiopian spots, but Barcote earns its place at the top of the row. It's a casual, unpretentious restaurant where the spicing is genuinely layered and the injera arrives with care. The team runs the room like they're feeding family, which the regulars clearly know since they never look at the menu. Grab a table on the shaded patio and don't be in a hurry; this is a slow-meal kind of place.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 52. Cafe Colucci
Ethiopian
Cafe Colucci has been an Oakland institution for years, and the move to a bigger spot in Emeryville only made things better, since they now share the space with their own spice company. It's a casual Ethiopian restaurant where the vegan and vegetarian dishes quietly outshine everything else, which says a lot given how good the meat dishes are. Come hungry, bring people who like to share, and grab some spice blends on the way out.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #82 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In Oakland
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Rank 53. Kin Khao
Thai
Michelin-starred Thai in a hotel lobby sounds like a trap, but Kin Khao is the real deal. The room is nothing to write home about, yet the cooking is genuinely exciting, drawing on Thai tradition while leaning hard into Northern California produce. It's creative without being precious, and the spice levels are no joke. The crowd skews adventurous eater over tourist, which tells you something.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Thai restaurants in the SF Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #58 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 54. Vik's Chaat
Indian
Vik's is a counter-service chaat spot in a warehouse-sized building in Berkeley, and it's exactly the kind of place you'd never find on your own but will immediately want to move into. The chaat is the reason to go, but the lunch specials are a genuinely ridiculous deal. Families, students, and regulars who've been coming for years all pile in together, which tells you everything. The kitchen closes early, so don't sleep on it.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Indian, Pakistani, and South Asian restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #62 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 55. The Progress
Californian
This Michelin-starred sharing-plates spot near the Fillmore Theater pulls off something genuinely hard: food that looks stunning and actually tastes as good as it looks. The vibe is warm and lively, two floors of wood and stone filled with people who came dressed for a proper night out. The California-meets-Nordic cooking is bold and a little unexpected, and the duck, when it crosses the room, turns heads for good reason.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Esquire 2023 · The Progress Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski - Atomic Workshop
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Rank 56. Horn Barbecue
West Coast Barbecue
There's always a line outside this Oakland BBQ spot, and it moves just slow enough for you to convince yourself you're not that hungry, then you walk in and smell the smoke and suddenly you're ordering everything. The brisket and pulled pork come out on trays, no fuss, just good. The warehouse space draws a mix of locals and across-the-bay pilgrims, all looking equally committed. Get the pit beans, skip nothing.
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Best New Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Esquire 2021 · #5 · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 57. Nari
Thai
Nari is a Michelin-starred prix-fixe spot inside Hotel Kabuki where the cooking genuinely earns the dramatic room it's served in. The chef runs contemporary Thai through a California filter, and the results are sharper and more interesting than that sounds. Dishes come family-style, which loosens things up nicely. The curries alone are worth the trip. Expect well-dressed couples and food-curious locals who definitely Googled the menu beforehand.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Best Chef: California · Pim Techamuanvivit
- The New York Times 2021 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 58. Verjus
French wine bar
Reservations here are tough to score, so show up early and charm your way onto a barstool. Verjus is a French wine bar and bistro tucked near the Transamerica Pyramid, where the crowd leans into natural wine with the conviction of people who've given it real thought. The kitchen keeps things deceptively simple, leaning on great seafood and whatever's in season, and the duck pâté en croûte has become something of a reason to return.
- The Infatuation 2025 · #9 · The Top-Rated New Restaurants
- Bon Appétit 2019 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Eater 2019 · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 59. Bánh Mì Ba Le
Noodles
The bread is the whole story at this no-frills banh mi shop on International Blvd, crackly outside, pillowy inside, and cheap enough to make you feel like you found a loophole. There's always a line of regulars who've clearly done the math on Oakland lunch budgets. The meatball and egg sandwich is the move, peppery and rich and genuinely filling. Order a Vietnamese iced coffee while you wait and don't overthink it.
- San Francisco Chronicle The best Vietnamese restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best sandwich spots in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In Oakland
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Rank 60. San Ho Won
Korean
Korean BBQ gets the Michelin star treatment here, and somehow it doesn't feel ridiculous. San Ho Won is a nice-casual spot where the cooking lands somewhere between your favorite home-cooked Korean meal and something genuinely refined, with ingredients that earn the price tag. The room is sleek and minimal, packed with people who planned ahead to get a table. Book early, because you're not the only one who heard about this place.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The New York Times 2022 · The Restaurant List
- Eater 2022 · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 61. State Bird Provisions
Californian
Michelin-starred State Bird Provisions runs dim sum-style service with California cooking, meaning carts roll past your table and you grab whatever looks good. It's a genuinely fun way to eat, letting you build a meal out of whims instead of a menu. The room is loud and full of people who planned ahead, because getting a reservation takes real effort. Worth every refresh of the booking page.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski - Atomic Workshop
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #36 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 62. Iyasare
Japanese
Japanese technique meets California produce at this relaxed but seriously good Berkeley restaurant, and the result feels genuinely its own thing rather than a compromise. The menu shifts with the seasons, so regulars come back often and never quite know what's landing on the table. Order a bunch of small plates, let the sake list do its work, and settle in. The heated patio pulls the kind of crowd that's clearly done this before.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 63. Fikscue
Indonesian-Texas barbecue
- The New York Times 2024 · The Restaurant List
- Eater 2024 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #41 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 65. Spruce
Modern New American
Spruce is the kind of polished neighborhood restaurant that actually earns its reputation, a proper sit-down dinner spot in Presidio Heights where the regulars look like they own at least one piece of real estate nearby. The cooking is refined California seasonal without being precious about it, and the wine list leans into the state's best producers. Lunch is relaxed; dinner turns up the formality a notch. Worth the splurge either way.
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Rank 66. Via Aurelia
Italian
- Esquire 2025 · Via Aurelia Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #66 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 67. Delage
Omakase Japanese
Tiny counter, serious omakase, and a crowd that planned weeks ahead just to be here. Delage, tucked next to Swan's Market in Old Oakland, runs a focused eight-or-so courses mixing sharp nigiri with thoughtful kaiseki-style dishes, all built around whatever's actually in season. The room is relaxed and unfussy, which somehow makes the food hit harder. Getting a reservation is the real sport, so book before you do anything else.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
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Rank 68. Sfizio
Italian
Rockridge's favorite counter-service pasta spot, Sfizio keeps things simple and affordable in the best way. You order at the register, grab a seat inside or out, and wait for fresh, seasonal pasta that somehow costs less than a cocktail at the bar next door. The crowd is mostly locals who've quietly made this their regular Tuesday night move. The spaghetti is always on and always worth it.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Italian food and restaurants in SF Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In Oakland
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- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. West
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
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Rank 70. Alexander's Steakhouse
American/Japanese
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Rank 71. Cotogna
Italian
Cotogna is the kind of Italian spot where the pasta alone justifies the reservation, and the wood-fired meats make you wish you'd ordered more. It's a convivial, mid-upscale trattoria with exposed brick, a copper bar, and an open kitchen that keeps the room buzzing. The crowd runs from Pacific Heights regulars who know the menu cold to date-nighters who feel very sophisticated. Michael Tusk also runs the fancy place next door, so the pedigree is real.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Italian food and restaurants in SF Bay Area
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Rank 72. The Morris
New American
The wine list here is the real reason locals keep coming back to this unfussy Mission bistro, built by a sommelier who clearly knows what he's doing. The food holds its own too, leaning into California meat and seafood without any fuss. The smoked duck is genuinely worth ordering. Regulars at the bar look like they've never once glanced at the menu, which is always a good sign.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
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Rank 73. Rooh
Indian
Progressive Indian in SoMa, where the menu takes the subcontinent's flavors and runs them through a very modern filter, think oysters and burrata sharing a menu with tandoori and proper spice. The cocktails are genuinely creative rather than an afterthought, and the small-plates format means you can graze widely. The crowd skews date-night and tech-adjacent, everyone dressed up just enough. Prices reflect the ambition, so come hungry and order around the table.
- Sunset 2025 · Top Tables · Where to Eat and Drink
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Indian, Pakistani, and South Asian restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 74. Rintaro
Japanese
An izakaya that feels like someone built it in a forest, Rintaro holds a Bib Gourmand and earns it. The space is genuinely beautiful, all redwood and cedar, and the kitchen brings a NorCal farmers-market instinct to Japanese small plates. The crowd skews creative-class, speaking quietly over charcoal-grilled skewers and soft tofu that somehow tastes like a flex. Come hungry enough to order widely and you'll leave very happy.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Chef · Sylvan Mishima Brackett
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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Rank 75. Lunette
Cambodian
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #35 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in San Francisco
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Rank 76. Reem’s
Middle Eastern
Reem's is an Arab bakery and cafe in the Mission that earned its James Beard Award by doing something simple really well. The star is the mana'eesh, flatbreads cooked on a dome-shaped grill called a saj, thin and crisp and genuinely hard to stop eating. The bright dining room draws a neighborhood crowd that looks like it actually lives here, which in the Mission these days is saying something.
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Outstanding Chef · Reem Assil
- Eater The All-Time Eater 38
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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Rank 77. World Famous Hotboys
Nashville Southern
What started as a popup is now a full-on Nashville hot chicken institution with a '90s aesthetic and a loyal East Bay following. The fried chicken here is legit, from hefty sandwiches to bone-in pieces, and the heat levels are no joke past medium. The comeback sauce is your best friend if you get ambitious. Expect a casually dressed crowd that knows exactly what they're doing, because regulars never hesitate on their order.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best fried chicken restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In Oakland
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Rank 78. Shan Dong
Chinese
Shan Dong is a no-frills Northern Chinese spot in Oakland's Chinatown that's been around forever and earns every bit of its loyal following with handmade dumplings and rope-thick noodles buried under sesame paste. The room is packed most nights with regulars who already know what they're ordering. Small parties often get seated at a communal table with a Lazy Susan, which sounds awkward but always ends up being a good time.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Chinese food and restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In Oakland
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Rank 79. Abacá
Filipino
Filipino cooking done with real creativity, not just nostalgia. Abacá sits inside the Kimpton Alton Hotel in Fisherman's Wharf, and it draws the kind of crowd that actually dresses for dinner but keeps things relaxed. The kitchen roots itself in traditional flavors and techniques, then goes somewhere interesting from there. If you can't decide, let them decide for you and go family-style. You'll eat well either way.
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Nominee · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Vince Bugtong
- Esquire 2021 · #28 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- The New York Times 2022 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 80. Ok's Deli
Vietnamese
A tiny Telegraph Ave deli where the chef's fine-dining background shows up in sandwich form, and the results are genuinely kind of unhinged in the best way. The Sichuan-dusted fried chicken sandwich has a cult following for good reason, but the pig head sisig bolillo and the banh mi hold their own. The menu shifts with the seasons, the room fits about twelve people if everyone's friendly, and the line moves.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best fried chicken restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #30 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best sandwich spots in the Bay Area
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- Time Out The best bakeries in America
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Brunch Spots In SF
- The Infatuation The 19 Best Pizza Places In San Francisco
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Rank 82. Copra
South Indian
Kerala cuisine finally gets the swanky Fillmore treatment at Copra, where the chef channels his home region of southwestern India into a menu built for sharing. The room is lush, the lighting is great, and the crowd knows it, so expect a few people angling for the shot. Order generously, because the portions reward ambition, and maybe reconsider your white shirt before the crab curry arrives.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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Rank 83. Bon Délire
French
A Paris-channeling bistro on the Embarcadero where brunch comes with a DJ and butter is basically a food group. The horseshoe bar is gorgeous, the crowd is dressed to be noticed, and the vibe runs on hip-hop and French classics done right. The team handles croque madame and steak frites with real confidence, and the baked-to-order madeleines at the end are genuinely hard to argue with.
- Sunset 2025 · Fabulous French · Where to Eat and Drink
- San Francisco Chronicle Best brunch restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best French restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 85. Chez Panisse
Californian New American
Alice Waters basically invented the "local seasonal ingredients" playbook that every farm-to-table spot has been copying ever since, and this is where she did it. It's a proper sit-down restaurant with a fixed menu downstairs and à la carte upstairs in the café. The wood-burning oven perfumes the whole room, and the crowd skews Berkeley professor energy, people who genuinely care where their salad was grown.
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Rank 86. Cheese Board Pizza
Vegetarian Pizza
A worker-owned vegetarian slice shop that's been a Berkeley institution for years, and somehow the pizza still feels genuinely inventive. They rotate one sourdough pie daily, loaded with seasonal vegetables and interesting cheeses, so you either trust it or you don't. Get the green sauce, because you absolutely should. The line wraps around the block, but it moves fast, and the outdoor parklet scene is half the point: students, locals, and everyone in between eating on their feet.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the SF Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants for outdoor dining in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Berkeley restaurants
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Rank 87. 3 Bottled Fish
Vietnamese
This cozy Vietnamese deli in Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood runs on a rotating weekly menu, so the regulars and the first-timers are equally in the dark about what's coming next. The banh mi are a constant, stuffed with whatever the chef feels like that week, and the beef rice porridge shows up often enough that people plan around it. The vibe is unhurried, the kind of place where browsing a shelf of books while waiting for your order feels completely normal.
- San Francisco Chronicle The best Vietnamese restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #52 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Oakland
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Rank 88. Mägo
Fine dining
Mägo is a tasting menu restaurant that somehow skips all the stiffness that usually comes with one. The walls are painted Colombia's flag colors, Latin pop drifts through the room, and the vibe is loose in a way that feels genuinely earned. The chef reworks his Latin American roots into dishes that are clever without being showy, and the whole thing comes in at a price that makes the fine-dining crowd quietly relieved. The drink pairing is worth the splurge.
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #22 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best fine dining restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Oakland
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Rank 89. Wood Tavern
Italian-inflected New American
Wood Tavern is the kind of neighborhood spot that makes you wish you lived closer, a Bib Gourmand-recognized restaurant on a College Ave block full of bookshops and antique stores, which tells you everything about who's inside. Regulars nurse something at the copper bar while couples share Italian-leaning California food that actually changes with the seasons. Unpretentious, warm, and genuinely good without making a fuss about it.
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Rank 90. Yank Sing
Cantonese Chinese
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Rank 91. El Tacostao
Mexican
This no-frills Oakland taqueria runs out of a family home and specializes in tacos al vapor, specifically beef head tacos in five cuts, so yes, you are ordering exactly what you think you're ordering. The consomé, slow-simmered and silky, is equally worth your attention whether you're dipping tacos into it or nursing a rough morning. Weekends bring goat birria and menudo. The crowd knows exactly what they came for.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Mexican restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best tacos in the SF Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Oakland
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Rank 92. Vientian Cafe
Vietnamese
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In Oakland
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Oakland
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Rank 93. Flour + Water
Italian
Handmade pasta is the whole point at this Mission neighborhood restaurant, and the kitchen takes it seriously without making you feel like you should too. The room stays loud and packed with the kind of regulars who already know to order half portions so they can try more than one. It's casual enough for a Tuesday but good enough that you'll think about it the following week.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation #9 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Italian food and restaurants in SF Bay Area
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Rank 94. Harborview
Cantonese Chinese
This is what happens when Cantonese cuisine gets a serious budget and a view to match. Harborview is a sprawling, polished restaurant inside Embarcadero Center, with sunny patio views of the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge that people will absolutely use as their phone wallpaper. Dim sum runs at lunch, and the Peking duck at dinner is the move. The crowd skews business lunch by day and date-night by evening, dressed accordingly.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best dim sum restaurants in the SF Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 17 Best Restaurants Near The Embarcadero & Ferry Building
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Rank 95. Zuni Café
Californian
Zuni has been around forever and it still runs the room, a California institution where the wood-burning oven perfumes the whole place and the copper bar fills up early with people who know exactly what they're doing. The brick-roasted chicken for two is the reason most of them are here, and ordering it feels like passing a test. Business lunchers, tourist converts, and locals who never need the menu all share the same sun-drenched dining room.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
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Rank 96. Foreign Cinema
Californian New American
Foreign Cinema is a Californian restaurant on Mission Street with a secret courtyard out back where foreign films flicker on a 35mm projector while you eat. It's romantic in a way that feels genuinely accidental rather than engineered, and it's earned a James Beard Outstanding Restaurant nod to prove it's not just atmosphere. The crowd runs heavy on first dates and anniversaries, everyone quietly pleased they found the place.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best seafood restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Brunch Spots In SF
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Rank 97. Comal
Mexican
Berkeley's casual Mexican restaurant scene didn't need a Bib Gourmand to tell it Comal was good, but there it is. The open kitchen shows off the flat griddles the place is named for, the back patio fills up year-round, and the mezcal list is genuinely serious. It draws the kind of crowd that argues about tortillas, which checks out because these ones are worth the argument.
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Rank 98. La Marcha
Spanish
A Spanish tapas bar on San Pablo that takes paella seriously, which is rarer than it sounds. The room fills up with groups sharing big pans of rice alongside the classics, tortilla Española, croquettes, the whole deal. Happy hour at the L-shaped bar draws the after-work crowd looking for a free tapa and cheap wine, which honestly sounds like a pretty good Tuesday. Lively, unpretentious, and an easy yes for groups who can never agree on anything.
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Rank 99. Bombay Brasserie
Indian
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Rank 100. Azalina's
Malaysian Indian
Malaysian cuisine done with real California soul, in a prix fixe format that changes often enough to keep regulars guessing. The room feels like a tropical escape, which is a genuinely funny trick to pull off in the Tenderloin. The chef grew up eating this food, and it shows in every handmade detail. Expect a crowd that came specifically for this, not just to fill a table, and dessert that proves pastry training never goes to waste.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #64 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area