Diners' Choice: Best Overall restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for the best overall restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Sushi Hashiri

5.0

5 (216)

$50 and over

Sushi

SOMA

About the restaurant

A progressive approach executed from a deep history of Kappo and Omakase Edomae Sushi. Two of Japan’s historical culinary concepts brought together combining hyper-seasonal ingredients and premium fish selections direct from our private purveyor inside the world renown Toyosu fish market in Tokyo, Japan. Hashiri’s focus is to exemplify its re-evolving cuisine to showcase Japan’s richest seasonal ingredients.

HASHIRI "KODAWARI EDOMAE SUSHI" - $300
Hyper seasonal multi course Kappo & Omakase Edomae Sushi dining experience at the sushi counter.

HASHIRI " OMAKASE EDOMAE SUSHI" - $200
Hyper seasonal Omakase Edomae Sushi dining experience at the sushi counter.

Due to our limited seating and the effort involved in curating our menu with internationally sourced ingredients, we kindly ask for your understanding regarding our cancellation policy. Cancellations or no-shows within 72 hours of your reservation will incur the full cost of the dining experience.

Top review

ShigeVIP

Dined 6 days ago

great experience overall - great service and food!

Discover more

Experience

"OMAKASE EDOMAE SUSHI"

Experience

"KODAWARI EDOMAE SUSHI"

The Caviar Co.

4.9

4.9 (54)

$50 and over

Seafood

Tiburon

About the restaurant

The Caviar Co. Champagne Lounge is nestled in charming downtown Tiburon. Our menu features caviar flights, light bites, and an extensive champagne list to indulge in. Whether you are new to caviar or a seasoned connoisseur, our tasting room has offerings for every palate!

Our tasting room is currently licensed for guests 21+.

Top review

Drusie

Dined 5 days ago

Perfect location for delicious caviar and champagne. Service was exceptional and we liked the feel of the space. Thank you!

Discover more

Experience

Afternoon Tea

Velvet 48 Wine Bar

5.0

5 (72)

$31 to $50

Wine Bar

Burlingame

About the restaurant

Velvet 48 is a premium wine bar in downtown Burlingame started by 20-year wine industry veteran, Jason Cooper. We offer over 40 wines by the glass, 1100 wines by the bottle, a cultivated beer selection, and a variety of delicious savory and sweet small plates.

We have wines across every price point so there is something for everyone, from the casual wine drinker to the wine aficionado, who will be impressed by a wine collection that houses some of the finest wines in the world. We aim to cultivate an experience for our guests that starts with a complimentary splash of our house label, Velvet 48 Sparkling wine, followed by outstanding service from our Wine Specialists to guide you through our expansive list. We offer a discount of 25% off bottles purchased TO GO.

Due to the nature of our alcoholic license, we are unable to allow anyone under 21 on the premises, including infants.

Thank your for your understanding.

Top review

Barry

Dined on Dec 4, 2024

Always a great time at Velvet 48 - Austin the manager gave me a great recommendation of a Burgundian wine (I typically go Californian Pinot Noir) and I really appreciated him suggesting some new geographies to enjoy!

PintxoPote

5.0

5 (478)

$31 to $50

Spanish

Los Gatos

About the restaurant

Bienvenidos a PintxoPote! (pronounced 'pincho potay') a pintxos (tapas) bar offering a dining experience showcasing the range of traditional flavors typical of the Basque country in Northern Spain. Here, you will be transported to the world's most acclaimed culinary region: the seaside resort of San Sebastián, a region whose cuisine is distinguished by the excellence of the ingredients and the simplicity in cooking techniques.

Pintxo Pote is the only place in the SF Bay area that offers a current expression of authentic pintxos.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 7 days ago

Everything we had was amazing! Tortilla espanola, octapus, goat cheese plate, chocolate cake amazing (and gluten free). Please try this place -they also just won an award for outstanding food.

Sushi Shin - Redwood City

4.9

4.9 (29)

$50 and over

Sushi

Redwood City

About the restaurant

Sushi Shin is an Authentic Japanese Fine dining. Featuring an Omakase menu, which is chef's choice for the most fresh, top quality of fish and seafood. Mostly imported from Tokyo fish market. Other best ingredients from all around the world. Serving Japanese Sakes and bottle Japanese beers. You can experience authentic Edomae-style sushi.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Nov 14, 2024

Best sushi in the city, hands down. Incredible service and experience.

Discover more

Experience

Sushi Shin Omakase

Auro

5.0

5 (194)

$50 and over

American

Calistoga

About the restaurant

Join us in celebrating Calistoga’s only Michelin-rated fine dining destination, Auro. Our intimate dining space showcases a seasonally inspired, five-course tasting menu by acclaimed Chef Rogelio Garcia and his team. Set against the stunning backdrop of sprawling the Palisades Mountains, this is wine country dining at its finest.

Top review

Bob

Dined on Dec 7, 2024

Great dining experience overall. Several of the courses were outstanding, including the black cod with buttery flesh and perfectly crispy skin. Most dishes had an excellent balance of salt, acid and spice with the occasional misstep such as the item billed as porcini and truffles but was no more than a bean and corn mess. The gnocchi supplement with white truffle needed salt and should have been 4x larger for the price. Shockingly small. Indeed most portions were too small and while I fully understand the desire to make it a tasting experience and serve up lots and lots of tasty small portions, these portions bordered on the obscenely small. But everything was beautifully presented and the service was very good - though not excellent (for example, for these prices, when my glass of water or wine is empty, it’s reasonable to expect that someone will be on it, and here they were at best slow to react). Worth it to try once, but in no hurry to return as no course (other than maybe the black cod) was too memorable.

Discover more

Experience

Michelin-Star New Year’s Eve Dinner at Auro

Experience

Savor The Stars - Christmas Day at Auro | Dec. 25

Hashiri Bettei Kaiseki Aoki

4.9

4.9 (22)

$50 and over

Japanese

Saratoga

About the restaurant

We, Hashiri Bettei Kaiseki Aoki, deliver the experience of “kaiseki ryori,” a type of Japanese fine dining which historically developed to be served in the Japanese tea room. The tea room, as a space, symbolizes the home of the Japanese tea ceremony, a simple yet transformative experience offering a pause in time to appreciate the seemingly small experience of sharing tea. As such, we’ve designed both the architecture and the experience, to condense an infinite expanse into an extremely small space.

The space is designed sans distracting elements. Lighting will be subtle and architectural details are clean yet warm. Designed to allow dishes to remain the focal point of the experience, our space represents the endless potential for an intimate dining experience that continues to linger on pallet and in mind well after the end.

Top review

Kevin

Dined 7 days ago

One of the best Kaiseki experiences in the Bay Area!

Discover more

Experience

Chef's Tasting Kaiseki Experience

lelé kitchen

4.9

4.9 (26)

$50 and over

Californian

Los Gatos

About the restaurant

Lele Kitchen is a continuation of Lena Leskina’s beloved bakery and cafe, now expanding into upscale dining with a California farm-to-table and Eastern European twist. Chef Ulad Skoblia curates a menu that celebrates bold Slavic flavors — caviar, smoked fish, dill, and root vegetables — infused with California’s seasonal ingredients.

Nestled near the scenic Santa Cruz Mountains, our location inspires both our seasonal cuisine and wines. Advanced Sommelier Fedar Kamkou guides the wine program, highlighting Californian winemakers to pair perfectly with each dish. Our casual upscale atmosphere blends classy sophistication with a relaxed vibe, perfect for any occasion — whether it's a cozy dinner with friends or a special family night out. And yes, we’re kid-friendly, with special touches like a small children’s menu.

Whether you’re savoring oysters, clay pot-roasted rabbit, or treating yourself to our dessert at Lele Kitchen, you’ll experience the best of creative, chef-driven cuisine.

Top review

RodVIP

Dined 7 days ago

I'm not quite sure where to start with this review as lelé kitchen defies the typical food review. Let me say that the recent SF Chronicle review of the restaurant doesn't do this place justice. The Blossom Hill Road location is quite unassuming to say the least, but don't be fooled by a book's cover as the saying goes. Do not pass up the oysters! They are presented in a unique and yet simplistic manner, no bed of crushed ice for these succulent beauties which are seasoned way beyond a typical tartar sauce along with horseradish. The Wagyu and halibut entrees were artistically presented along with vegetables which were perfectly prepared. The apple cake is one of those rare desserts that you will remember for its creativity and exquisite tastes. Life is short, eat dessert, and be prepared to be wowed. The service was also very attentive, knowledgeable, and personable. They understand the magic that happens in the kitchen, and they do an excellent job of completing the entire experience. lelé kitchen is destined to be a jewel in the SF Bay Area dining scene! I'm glad I found this culinary treasure in its early days as getting reservations are going to be a real challenge once the word gets out!

Sonoma Wine Shop & La Bodega

5.0

5 (87)

$31 to $50

Mediterranean

Sebastopol

About the restaurant

Gourmet Vegetarian and Gourmet Vegan dining - 5 nights a week.
We make our own pastas, soups, salads, desserts from scratch.
Headquarters for 3,000 member dine and wine club.
Over 1,500 local members live here in Sonoma County .
Cozy West County vibe. Indoor / patio / garden seating.
5 Stars on Yelp. 7 years Nextdoor Fave.
Reservations and pre-ordering preferred.
Talk with us about any dietary concerns.
A true 'find' here in Sonoma County.

Top review

don

Dined 7 days ago

Another amazing plant based dinner, the service is extraordinary and the owners are amazing You feel like you're at their home for dinner rather than at a restaurant I'm not a wine drinker, but I want to, just to try all the awesome wines from all over It's our favorite place to eat

Baci Cafe & Wine Bar - Healdsburg

4.9

4.9 (3704)

$31 to $50

Italian

Healdsburg

About the restaurant

Baci Cafe & Wine Bar invites you to enjoy its fine regional Italian and Mediterranean food, paired with wines from Sonoma, Napa and Italy, in a casual dining atmosphere.
Baci's wine list is thoughtful and well-priced, and features many small artisan wineries. Baci's menu is creative and offers a large selection of dishes. It's focus and commitment to local fresh seasonal ingredients has made it one of our Sonoma County favorites.

Top review

Bill

Dined 6 days ago

Wonderful restaurant and owners!! A little crowded and noisy.

Discover more

Popular dish

Spaghetti alla Bolognese

Popular dish

Gnocchi alla Bolognese

Popular dish

Carpaccio

Explore Diners' Choice best of San Francisco Bay Area