Must-see restaurants in Northern California

  • Mister Jiu's

    North Beach & Chinatown

    Success has been celebrated in this historic Chinatown banquet hall since the 1880s – but today, scoring a table at Mister Jiu's is reason enough for…

  • Rich Table

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    Impossible cravings begin at Rich Table, where mind-bending dishes like porcini doughnuts, sardine chips, and burrata (mozzarella and cream) funnel cake…

  • Swan Oyster Depot

    San Francisco

    Superior flavor without the superior attitude of typical seafood restaurants. Justifiably famous since 1912 for signature oysters and crab salads, there's…

  • Atelier Crenn

    The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

    The menu arrives in the form of a poem and then come the signature white chocolate spheres filled with a burst of apple cider. If this seems an unlikely…

  • Al's Place

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    The Golden State dazzles on Al's plates, featuring homegrown heirloom ingredients, pristine Pacific seafood and grass-fed meat. Painstaking preparation…

  • Taqueria El Paisa@.com

    Oakland

    Yes that is the name of this place, and no, we don't know how to say it out loud (a lot of locals just call it 'El Paisa'). Honestly, we would call this…

  • Larrupin Cafe

    North Coast & Redwoods

    Everybody loves Larrupin, where Moroccan rugs, chocolate-brown walls, gravity-defying floral arrangements and deep-burgundy Oriental carpets create a…

  • Kaiyo

    The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

    For a deliciously deep dive into the cuisine of the Japanese-Peruvian diaspora, head to Cow Hollow's most playful and inventive new restaurant, where the…

  • Acquerello

    San Francisco

    A converted chapel is a fitting location for feasts that turn Italian culinary purists into true believers in Cal-Italian cuisine. Chef Suzette Gresham's…

  • Arsicault Bakery

    San Francisco

    Armando Lacayo left his job in finance because he, like his Parisian grandparents before him, was obsessed with making croissants. After perfecting his…

  • Frances

    San Francisco

    Rebel chef-owner Melissa Perello earned a Michelin star for fine dining, then ditched downtown to start this market-inspired neighborhood bistro. Daily…

  • 1760

    San Francisco

    Every night is a culinary throw-down at 1760: chef Carl Foronda must find the right techniques and culinary inspirations to highlight today's star…

  • Restaurant at Meadowood

    Napa Valley

    If you couldn’t score reservations at French Laundry, fear not: Meadowood – the valley’s only other three-Michelin-star restaurant – has a slightly more…

  • Californios

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Parades – from Carnaval to Día de los Muertos – are a Mission specialty, and the parade of Latin-inspired flavors nightly at Californios does justice to…

  • Golden Boy

    North Beach & Chinatown

    'If you don't see it don't ask 4 it' reads the menu – Golden Boy has kept punks in line since 1978, serving Genovese focaccia-crust pizza that's chewy,…

  • Outstanding in the Field

    San Francisco

    Dinners with guest star chefs like Alice Waters and this Bay Area–based crew pop up in the unlikeliest places – strawberry fields, sea caves, sand bars,…

  • French Laundry

    Napa Valley

    The pinnacle of California dining, Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-star rated French Laundry is epic, a high-wattage culinary experience on par with the…

  • Commis

    Oakland

    The East Bay's only Michelin-starred restaurant, the signless and discreet dining room counts a minimalist decor and some coveted counter real estate…

  • Oxbow Public Market

    Napa

    Graze at this gourmet market and plug into the Northern California food scene. Standouts: Hog Island Oyster Co; comfort cooking at celeb-chef Todd…

  • Tartine Manufactory

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    What began as a baking powerhouse has evolved into a veritable smorgasbord of delicious, collaborative, artisanal everything, set within an expansive yet…

  • June Bug Cafe

    Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada

    Guests of all ages and backgrounds convene at this friendly eatery, decorated with adventure equipment. While sharing hiking stories, folks eat delicious,…

  • Mr Pollo

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    This hole-in-the-wall restaurant contains just six tables and serves one of the most delicious, but least expensive, tasting menus in all of San Francisco…

  • Chez Panisse

    Berkeley

    Foodies come to worship here at the church of Alice Waters, inventor of California cuisine. Panisse is located in a lovely arts-and-crafts house in…

  • The Mill

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    Baked with organic wholegrain stone-ground on-site, hearty Josey Baker Bread sustains Haight skaters and start-uppers alike. You might think SF hipsters…

  • Hook Fish Co

    San Francisco

    There's a reason you packed that puffy coat: to visit this delightful fish joint out in the windy abyss also known as the Outer Sunset. Order over a small…

  • RT Rotisserie

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    An all-star menu makes ordering mains easy – you'll find bliss with entire chickens hot off the spit, succulent lamb and pickled onions, or surprisingly…

  • Ciccio

    Napa Valley

    The small, frequently changing menu at this family-owned Italian place is dependent on the season and likely to include just a couple of veggies, pastas,…

  • Kantine

    San Francisco

    Brunch is served with a side of hygge (cozy happiness) at Kantine. Take your pick of five to seven seasonal Scandinavian-inspired dishes – velvety bay…

  • Gio Gelati

    The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

    Gelato chef Patrizia Pasqualetti was well-known in Italy for her family's gelato shop, and here in SF she's re-creating those tried-and-true flavors, only…

  • Erna's Elderberry House

    Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada

    With wall tapestries, oil paintings and ornate chandeliers, the Californian-French restaurant at Château du Sureau could be a castle. But you don't have…

  • Avatar’s

    Sausalito

    Boasting a cuisine of ‘ethnic confusions,’ the Indian-fusion dishes here incorporate Mexican, Italian and Caribbean ingredients and will bowl you over…

  • Hot Sauce and Panko

    San Francisco

    What's for lunch? Just wing it at Hot Sauce and Panko, an eccentric hilltop corner store stocking hundreds of versions of two namesake items, plus 30 (!)…

  • Wako

    San Francisco

    Chef-owner Tomoharu Nakamura's driftwood-paneled bistro is as quirkily San Franciscan as the bonsai grove at the nearby Japanese Tea Garden. Each omakase …

  • Café Maddalena

    Mt Shasta Region

    Simple and elegant, this cafe put Dunsmuir on the foodie map. The menu was designed by chef Brett LaMott (of Trinity Cafe fame) and changes seasonally to…

  • Mauerpark

    San Francisco

    Break brot (bread) with friends, and share platters piled with wurst, salami and cheese. Raised by German immigrants in the Bay Area, Salome Buelow serves…

  • Fentons

    Oakland

    If you have children, or love ice cream, you owe it to yourself to stop by this institution. The range of ice cream flavors is encyclopedic in range,…

  • Indian Paradox

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    Hit the high-low sweet spot between the Upper and Lower Haight at this cozy storefront serving zesty Indian street food with inspired wine pairings…

  • Gai Chicken Rice

    San Francisco

    Who's got the solution to cold snaps and tentative tummies? This Gai. The tender Hainan-style poached chicken here is free-range and antibiotic-free,…

  • Penny Ice Creamery

    Santa Cruz

    With a cult following, this artisan ice-cream shop crafts zany flavors such as bourbon-candied ginger, lemon-verbena–blueberry and ricotta apricot all…

  • Mission Community Market

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Back-alley bounty brings ravenous crowds on Thursdays to this nonprofit, neighborhood-run market, come rain or shine. More than 30 local farmers and food…