Must-see restaurants in 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…

  • SingleThread Farm-Restaurant-Inn

    Healdsburg

    The most ambitious project in Northern California is SingleThread, a world-class restaurant and, secondarily, an inn, where omotenashi (warm hospitality…

  • 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,…

  • Fishetarian Fish Market

    Coastal Highway 1

    A fish market, deli and great place to eat with reggae as the soundtrack, an outdoor deck near the water and an expansive menu that includes colorful and…

  • 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…

  • Rose Café

    Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey

    This sprawling Venice institution (established 1979) was recently given a major, very welcome makeover. If the new version is less funky (though you'll…

  • Gjusta

    Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey

    The folks behind the standard-setting Gjelina have opened this very casual, very gourmet, very Venice bakery, cafe and deli behind a nondescript…

  • 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…

  • Mercado La Paloma

    Los Angeles

    If you're near Expo Park or USC, it's totally worth the five-minute walk under the freeway to this fabulous food hall. About a dozen restaurant stalls…

  • 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…

  • Yoichi's

    Santa Barbara

    Headline: kaiseki (traditional Japanese multicourse dining) comes to Santa Barbara and wows locals. It might have limited hours, take a chunk out of your…

  • 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,…

  • Standing Room

    South Bay Beaches

    New brick-and-mortar incarnation of the gourmet fave, Korean-fusion burger stand that started in Redondo Beach. It's a hipster-cool spot for the Cash…

  • 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…

  • Petit Trois

    Hollywood

    Good things come in small packages…like tiny, no-reservations Petit Trois! Owned by acclaimed TV chef Ludovic Lefebvre, its two long counters (the place…

  • Gjelina

    Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey

    If one restaurant defines the new Venice, it's this. Carve out a spot on the communal table between the hipsters and yuppies, or get your own slab of wood…

  • 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…

  • Ember

    Central Coast

    Chef Brian Collins, who once cooked at Alice Waters' revered Chez Panisse, has returned to his roots in SLO County. Out of this heart-warming restaurant's…

  • 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…

  • Ramos House Café

    Coastal Orange County

    The best spot for breakfast or lunch in Los Rios Historic District, this Old West–flavored, wood-built house from 1881 (with brick patio) does organically…

  • Cowgirl Creamery

    Marin County

    Perhaps the best cheeses made in Northern California, Marin, and probably beyond. Reserve in advance for an artisanal cheesemaker’s demonstration and…

  • 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,…

  • Liberty Public Market

    San Diego

    The culinary heart of a 1920’s-era naval training center turned artistic urban playground, this hip food hall presents around 30 local artisan vendors who…