Oakland
A top pick at Jack London Sq, this high-ceilinged pizzeria and craft-beer bar spills out on to the bay-view patio. Classic cheese and meat pizzas are…
Must-see restaurants in The Bay Area
Berkeley
Feel like you're on Montreal's St Laurent Boulevard in the heart of Berkeley. Augie's serves its own Montreal-style smoked meat on rye bread (smoked,…
Marin County
Catapulted to fame by peripatetic chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain, this ramshackle, often-packed country store lets you slurp down Tomales Bay oysters …
Oakland
Sweet Bar is as fresh and tasty a way to start your day as anywhere in Oakland. The airy dining room of this buzzing bakery is filled with happy customers…
Oakland
The wait will be worth it at this raucous Caribbean bar with a groovy soundtrack, where oxtail stew, salt-fish fritters, fried plantains and goat curry…
Marin County
With hard-to-find bottled brews and a few of its own (from Fort Point Beer Company in San Francisco) among the dozen or so on tap, beer-lovers can pair…
Marin County
At Cavallo Point lodge, dine on locally sourced meats, seafood and produce – perhaps grass-fed organic beef burgers or Dungeness-crab BLT sandwiches – in…
Excelsior
It’s hard to miss Glaze – look for a gigantic mural of the neighborhood running along the side of the shop on Excelsior Ave. Inside, you’ve got great…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Izzy's casual dining room is a throwback to Barbary Coast saloons, with old-time memorabilia and trophy heads lining the walls. Of all the steak houses in…
Sausalito
Upscale fresh Mexican with a Mediterranean twist is served in bright, modern, lively surrounds. The ceviches and slow-cooked meats are especially yummy…
Berkeley
What could be more in tune with Berkeley's granola-crunchy, latter-day-hippie vibe than a vegan deli? Gorge yourself on imitation deli meats and cheeses…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
When you're hungry for a wholesome meal but don't want to fuss, Pluto's serves good food fast, with build-your-own salads, burgers, stick-to-your-ribs mac…
The Peninsula
Downtown's most ambitious restaurant marries Bay Area ingredients with all-modern cooking techniques; even a simple sandwich is anything but when it's…
Berkeley
Pick up some organic produce or tasty prepared food at North Berkeley's weekly farmers market, operating year-round. Also operates a market downtown on…
Marin County
This chic 'backyard-to-table' restaurant offers delicious yet simple pizza and salads and a yummy wine list. You can also stay in one of the two small,…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Despite its location in a rougher neighborhood of SF, this vegan eatery is bright and cheerful, serving up affordable Pan-Asian soups, salads, noodle…
Berkeley
Fresh, pretty Comal serves Mexican food, although many come for the cocktail list. Grab a flight of tequila or mezcal, a plate of Latin American-inspired…
Marin County
Originally opened as a roadside stop in the 1930s, the Buckeye is a Marin County classic, and it always feels festive here. Stop off for upscale American…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
If being at Fisherman's Wharf makes you crave fish and chips, skip the expensive restaurants lining the water and instead find this little food truck,…
Marin County
Casual snack bar near the ferry dock at Ayala Cove sells 'notorious' nachos, salads, sandwiches and ice cream. From June to October, there's live music…
The Peninsula
A downtown institution, this sparkling chrome-and-red-boothed beauty from 1923 is famous for its frothy milkshakes, hefty hamburgers and pies made from…
San Francisco
Surfers and start-uppers cross town and climb hills for Za – because dude, you don't get gourmet, cornmeal-dusted, thin-crust slices like this every day…
Oakland
Every city deserves an old-school Italian deli and grocery store, and Oakland's contribution to this genre is Ratto's, a vintage spot that might as well…
The Peninsula
Not just another shopping-mall eatery, this healthy chain is a refreshing antidote to fast food. Quinoa and grass-fed beef burgers, ancient-grains bowls,…
Oakland
Old Oakland's 100-year-old marketplace has been turned into a gourmet food court, where the wooden tables are always full, day and night. Fare ranges from…
Excelsior
Solid Mexican fare is served in a dining room that goes all in for the adobe chic look. The food is very good and packs customers and their families in –…
Oakland
Great for breakfast or lunch but beware: this bakery co-op is not for the weak-willed. Gourmet vegetarian pizza, chewy breads and gigantic scones, all…
The Peninsula
Create a picnic with made-to-order deli sandwiches, homemade artichoke salsa and a chilled bottle of California wine. Don’t go breezing out the door…
Berkeley
This is a buzzing breakfast spot, especially on the weekends. It dishes up baked soufflé pancakes and German-style potato pancakes with applesauce, plus…
Berkeley
From food truck to a brick-and-mortar shop, this Korean-Japanese fusion eatery makes addictive short-rib and braised-pork sandwiches out of garlicky fried…
Berkeley
With a line out the door, this corner shop smooshes together ice-cream sandwiches (or tacos!) with creative flavors (salted caramel, churro etc) and…
Oakland
You'll likely smell Firebrand before you see it, and you'll be smiling when you sniff, because this spot pumps out some delicious wood-fired baked goods…
Marin County
At the former Olema Inn, a creaky 1876 building, this local chef's dining room delights with Marin-sourced seasonal bounty such as Tomales Bay oysters,…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Parked permanently at Fisherman's Wharf, the Tanguito food truck makes exceptional Argentine empanadas with chicken or steak, stellar saffron rice and…
Oakland
The name plays off its former identity as a cobbler's shop, but the current patrons pack this brick-walled place for its wood-fired pizzas, original…
Marin County
Wood-fired pizzas, fresh market salads and create-your-own burgers stacked hands high will sate your grumbling stomach at this downtown brewery, bar and…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
You have to know where you're going to find the Brazen Head, a tiny pub with low lighting and cozy nooks, and reliably good onion soup and steaks. The…
Marin County
There's no better stop for picnic lunch supplies than this roadside deli and grocery store, which sells handcrafted sandwiches, as well as local cheeses…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
It's remarkable that a food truck could contain a wood-burning oven, but herein lies the secret to Carmel's remarkably good single-serving blistered-crust…
Sausalito
Many Marin residents claim this place is the best sushi spot around and it's hard to argue. If you didn't reserve ahead, the wine and sake bar next door…
