Ever-changing menus take center stage at chef James Syhabout’s intimate Commis, the East Bay’s only two-starred MICHELIN restaurant. Expect dishes that spotlight local ingredients with Southeast Asian influences, like the fan-favorite slow-poached egg yolk with smoked dates and onion cream, all in a modern 12-seat space that feels like you’re eating in someone’s cool living room.

Fine dining vet and James Beard finalist Geoff Davis returns to his roots with this totally fresh take on California soul food. Expect iconic dishes like barbecue shrimp and boiled peanuts alongside heirloom tomato salads and slow-simmered collards. The retro design and vintage plates make every meal here feel like Sunday supper with family—no wonder Food & Wine named Burdell its 2024 restaurant of the year.

Open since 1949, this legendary destination is the king of San Francisco steakhouses. From luxurious carved-to-order prime rib rolled out on carts to chefs spinning salads to extra-large martinis with sidecars, every meal in the restaurant’s old-school dining room decked with ruby-hued booths is rollicking and unforgettable.

Eating at a MICHELIN-Starred restaurant can feel like a serious event, but that’s never the case at State Bird Provisions. The hardest—and best—part about eating here is sticking to your order, as a dim sum cart rolls by with plates like cheesy sauerkraut pancakes and other New American dishes with Asian accents. Thanks to an ever-changing menu from James Beard Award-winning chefs Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, each visit is better than the last.

From the bright, two-story space to the shareable California-inspired plates, this MICHELIN-Starred spot from James Beard Award winners Nicole Krasinski and Stuart Brioza lives up to its motto: the greatest dinner party ever. Start with the whimsical caviar potato “cloud” before digging into show-stopping dishes like the Liberty Farm duck topped with crispy peanut fried rice—you won’t be disappointed.

Drop a pin in Chinatown for your mapo spaghetti needs—the playful Four Kings pop-up now has a permanent address. Watch chefs Franky Ho and Mike Long prepare crowd favorites like fried squab and chili crisp pig head in an open kitchen in the lively dining room, complete with retro '90s and Y2K Hong Kong memorabilia and a Cantopop soundtrack.

Expect bold, seafood-focused dishes cooked over an expansive wood-burning hearth and equally outstanding Bay views at this MICHELIN-Starred stunner. With exposed brick, wood paneling, and a prolific taxidermy collection, the sophisticated lodge-like space is a lively setting for digging into standout dishes like grilled hand-dived scallops and hot-fried frog legs with cardamom crème fraîche.

This Presidio restaurant—where the food is just as stunning as the Bay views—is founders Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz love letter to the Eastern Mediterranean. The menu is meant for sharing; the fluffy pitas are a must-order with hummus and muhammara. Better still, go for the chef's menu, so you can get the best of Dalida's juicy kebabs and seafood that landed it a spot on Esquire's Best New Restaurants list.

Packed since it opened its gilded door in 2019, this swanky steakhouse is the spot for prime Japanese and American Wagyu, dry-aged at the next-door butchery. Grab a seat at the 18-seat chef’s counter to watch Dustin Falcon (of Lazy Bear and French Laundry fame) throw down the tomahawk steaks and crispy pig ears that helped the one-of-a-kind restaurant earn one MICHELIN Star.

Chef Gary Danko’s namesake institution is where you go for classic French fine dining with a California twist. While the menu changes seasonally, the dishes are always peak luxury—seafood-studded risottos, decadent souffles, and extravagant cheeses served tableside by smartly suited servers. With an award-winning, 15,000-bottle wine list and lavish floral arrangements, the restaurant is the ultimate destination for special occasions.

Come to Chef David Yoshimura’s MICHELIN-starred spot for one of the city’s most innovative tasting menus. He expertly fuses Japanese techniques with Northern California ingredients to create bold, modern dishes that could include anago (salt-water eel) with fiddleheads or crispy kakuni (pork belly) with snap peas and ramps, paired with clever wines and sake for a singular dining experience.

You know you're in for an outstanding meal when it's cooked by James Beard Award-winning chef Claude Le Tohic. His flagship, MICHELIN-Starred tasting menu restaurant serves up innovative French fine dining using the best Californian ingredients. Ultra-luxe dishes evolve but could include barbecued langoustine with braised leeks, sea urchin, and green curry—resulting in a unique experience on every visit.

At Saison, chef Richard Lee turns out one of the city’s best seasonally driven tasting menus that marries his Chinese heritage with premium local ingredients. In a rustic-chic space with soaring oak ceilings and an open hearth, watch Lee craft innovative dishes like a dry-aged Sonoma duck with a salted cherry leaf sauce that have earned the restaurant two MICHELIN Stars, a spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, and a Wine Spectator Grand Award for its next-level pairings.

With its ivy-draped building and two-story space outfitted with modern art and rich leather, Selby’s is a glam Peninsula escape. Expect elegant takes on steakhouse classics—think beef Wellington and dry-aged ribeye with produce from the restaurant’s farm, plus a 20,000-bottle wine list and decadent extras like caviar service that have earned the spot a MICHELIN Star.

For hyper-local California fare with French and Mediterranean twists, head to this approachable MICHELIN-Starred restaurant, which sources 80% of its produce from a nearby organic farm. In a cozy dining room dressed with dark wood and red chairs, dig into sophisticated, seasonal dishes that could include lobster consommé with asparagus and potatoes and saffron-poached halibut with glazed spring onions. Bonus points for an award-winning wine list and the shaded, greenery-filled patio.

Few restaurants can rival the accolades of this Wine Country powerhouse: Three MICHELIN Stars, a Green Star for sustainability, and a spot on the coveted World's 50 Best Restaurants list. That's because chef Kyle Connaughton and head farmer Katina Connaughton have put together a one-of-a-kind experience that includes a 10-course Kaiseki-style menu that draws largely from the restaurant's lush 24-acre farm in Dry Creek Valley.

Welcome to the sushi show. With limited seats in the intimate Redwood City space, you’re guaranteed a front-row seat to chef Jason Zhan’s ambitious omakase menu starring fresh seafood mostly imported from Tokyo's renowned fish market. Refined, delicately seasoned uni and nigiri make it one of the Bay Area’s most coveted reservations.

Open since 1952, South Bay’s pioneering The Plumed Horse is a fine-dining destination for its California-inspired tasting menus. At the MICHELIN-Starred stunner with a nearly 20,000-bottle wine cellar and fireside lounge, chef Peter Armellino dazzles with dishes like black pepper-parmesan soufflé with uni and blue crab fondue. Taken just as seriously as the food, the award-winning sommeliers and bartenders craft exquisite pairings to level it all up even more.

When it opened in 1982, Chez TJ helped usher in a new era of fine dining in the South Bay. Whether at an intimate table inside the historic Victorian home or on the lush outdoor patio illuminated by string lights, the romantic setting and MICHELIN-Starred tasting menu of updated French-leaning classics make every meal feel like a celebration. Bonus points for the onsite garden growing fresh ingredients.

With floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open onto a lush terrace with peak vineyard views, Auro is the ultimate Napa Valley fine-dining destination. The French Laundry alum Rogelio Garcia serves up luxurious, MICHELIN-Starred seasonal tasting menus starring the best local ingredients, many from Auro’s on-site garden. Elegant, contemporary American dishes could include black truffle gnocchi and dry-aged squab with Sonoma red beets and Napa cabbage.