Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are fit for foodies 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!

All Spice – San Mateo

4.9

4.9 (1103)

$50 and over

Californian

San Mateo

About the restaurant

Enjoy our oft-changing 3, 4 or 5-course Chef's menu for dinner inside our charming cottage or on our heated outdoor patio.

Come take a special journey when you dine at our charming restaurant.

Husband-and-wife team Sachin Chopra and Shoshana Wolff have turned a 1906 Victorian house into a pioneering dining destination that showcases Modern Californian Cuisine. It's local and seasonal whenever possible, but is also so much more. Sachin stretches beyond his classical training to create elegantly composed dishes that subtly hint at Indian, Japanese, Norwegian, Mediterranean and other worldly influences. The result is a unique cuisine with its own distinctive point of view. Warm, professional service and a thoughtful wine list enhance the experience.

We can't wait to see you!

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Aug 1, 2024

Exceptional dining experience. Every course, from the pre-appetizer to the post-dessert bites, was delicious. The sauces were perfectly matched to each dish. My salmon was cooked to perfection, tender with a lightly crispy exterior. The cheesecake featured a sweet yet tangy sauce—delicious! The table-side pouring of the onion soup was a delightful surprise. An ideal venue for a special occasion.

808 Zone

4.9

4.9 (11)

$50 and over

Japanese

Foster City

About the restaurant

Getting tired of the same omakase experience? Too intimidated to even go to our first one? 808 Zone may be the perfect place for you!
With a contemporary kaiseki meets omakase fused with western inspiration and unexpected flavor combinations experience, your taste buds are surely to thank you for delighting them with something unique and different. Every dish aims to bring something innovative to the table while highlighting the freshness and beauty of the ingredients themselves.

Top review

Dined 7 days ago

Food was super good. I loved the tastes and the creativity of the dishes. There were not tons of nigiri that's that heavy, the mixture of different types of dish and flavor was very well balanced. The chef Robert was very friendly, perfection oriented. Staffs were very friendly too. Would highly recommend if you're not looking for "traditional" asian food and like to taste new things.

Mago

4.8

4.8 (44)

$50 and over

Contemporary Latin

Oakland

About the restaurant

Mägo is a family owned and operated fine dining restaurant from Chef Mark Liberman. We offer an exciting tasting menu cooked over wood fire, offering our take on Contemporary Colombian fare, anchored in an understanding of using Northern California ingredients, simple flavors in bold combinations.

Our tasting menu focuses on ingredients that are at their most peak in deliciousness .This usually means produce that is in season, which in turn means they are their most flavorful, which is one of the reasons why we change our menu daily. In order to ensure the proper planning of your evening, please allow for 2.5 hours.

We also offer an a la carte dining experience at our bar that is available for walk in guests.

The restaurant’s informal atmosphere features an open kitchen surrounded by intimate tables, outdoor heated garden patio and chefs counter seating. From the warm greeting you receive upon entering until your final goodbye, we invite you to feel at home.

Top review

Stevenvip

Dined today

This was our first visit to Mago and we had a thoroughly enjoyable time with the tasting menu of the evening. We plan to return again with other friends who enjoy this type of dinning. Bravo!!

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Experience

Weekday Dining Room Table | $82/person

Experience

Weekday Chef's Table | $82/person

Experience

Weekend Chefs Table | $110/person

Broma

4.6

4.6 (208)

$50 and over

Spanish

Mountain View

About the restaurant

A modern palette blended with regional tastes embodies an atmosphere that welcomes novel thought and casual gatherings. Inspired by Spanish cuisine, yet influenced by many places, our restaurant is a culinary journey—one that’s as bold and diverse as the flavors found on our menu.
Inspired by his travels through Spain and Portugal, Michelin-starred chef Jarad Gallagher Latin influenced cuisine at Broma.
We work closely with our purveyors to source only the finest ingredients, both local and abroad.
In addition, we offer hand-crafted cocktails from The Emerald Hour, craft beer, American and international wines, and a variety of delightful non-alcoholic options.

Top review

OpenTable Dinervip

Dined on Sep 12, 2024

Food, cocktails, wine and service were all excellent. Scott was amazing and thoughtful with his time and attention with ordering wines. He even surprised us with a very thoughtful gesture at the end of our birthday celebration meal. Will definitely be back!

Abacá

4.6

4.6 (37)

$31 to $50

Filipino

North Beach

About the restaurant

Abacá is an airy, atelier-style restaurant with a cool outdoor terrace, whipping up Filipino-Californian cuisine with flair in Fisherman's Wharf. It's the bricks-and-mortar spin off of chef Francis Ang's pop-up Pinoy Heritage. The lively menu is split up into barbecue sticks, noodles and rice, and small to big plates, but its far more nuanced than just that. Flavourful dishes pull from family recipes and are glazed with modern and heritage technique to result in a vibrancy that's hard to come by. It's grounded by local produce. Smoked Bay scallops lead in the seafood pancit, heirloom tomatoes top homemade tinapay bread, chicken skin is glazed in an adobe before hitting the grill and guinea fowl comes slathered with peanut sauce. A truncated list of creative Southeast Asian libations bring it full circle – if you're on the terrace, cool off with the Baguio breeze slushy – a dreamy mix of pandan-infused vodka, coconut and strawberry.

Top review

Michael

Dined 6 days ago

Great time … delicious and authentic food. Good service. We really enjoyed our time.

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Experience

Chef Dinner Collaboration: Kuya Lord x Abaca

Tacolicious - Palo Alto

4.5

4.5 (204)

$30 and under

Mexican

Palo Alto

About the restaurant

Tacolicious is a casual, modern Mexican restaurant with locations in San Francisco, Palo Alto and Manhattan Beach (LA). We source our ingredients responsibly, take our tacos as seriously as our cocktails, and offer a fun sit-down, full-service experience.

Large party of 12 +? Email us at palo_alto_management@tacolicious.com and we'll fit you in. We have outdoor dining, a great private room and do off-site catering. Go to tacolicious.com for more information; catering requests can be sent to events@tacolicious.com.

Top review

Drew

Dined on Sep 24, 2024

Great service! The manager happened to be standing near our table when we had a question - she was super helpful and kind! Thanks so much!

The Barrel Room - San Francisco

4.4

4.4 (282)

$31 to $50

International

Financial District / Embarcadero

About the restaurant

We're happy to announce that we are reopening! We are now accepting reservations for October 18th, 2022 and beyond.

The Barrel Room offers guests a unique experience with our regionally focused rotating menus. Our menus feature the cuisine, wines, and spirits of regions from around the world, changing each quarter. Our wine list offers our guests small-production, responsibly farmed wines from iconic and influential producers organized into flights or by the glass.

Join us for our current focus: the wines and cuisine of Spain. This menu will be available through October.

Top review

JesBvip

Dined on May 15, 2024

Sent a few team members here for dinner after a business meeting. The food was delicious, the wine was even better :)

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Experience

Birthday Celebration Package

Jang

4.4

4.4 (21)

$31 to $50

Contemporary Korean

Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness

About the restaurant

Experience Korean Dining Like Never Before. At Jang, we honor the essence of Korean cuisine through a daring blend of tradition and modernity. Named after the cornerstone of Korean flavor—fermented sauces—our restaurant is dedicated to celebrating this foundational ingredient while reimagining its role in contemporary dining.

Our chefs craft each dish with the finest seasonal produce sourced from local farms and the best proteins and fish from around the globe. This commitment to quality ensures that every meal is not only a tribute to traditional Korean flavors but also a canvas for innovation. By blending time-honored techniques with cutting-edge culinary artistry, we create a harmonious symphony of ingredients that highlight the rich, umami-packed depth of our fermented sauces.

At Jang, our menu is a curated selection of dishes designed to push the boundaries of Korean cuisine. Offering an unforgettable dining experience that seamlessly merges authenticity with avant-garde flair.

Top review

Julianavip

Dined on Sep 22, 2024

My birthday dinner at Jang was outstanding. The food was delightful, and the drink pairings were on point. Learned about an elevated Korean rice wine and Tasmanian sea trout. I really liked that the dishes were elevated but still recognizably Korean food. I kept thinking about the taste fits "우리 맛." Thanks, 장, for a wonderful experience!

Mantra India

4.3

4.3 (357)

$30 and under

Indian

Mountain View

About the restaurant

Welcome to Mantra India, a Fine dining Indian Restaurant and Bar in the heart of Mountain View. The ambiance of the restaurant is designed to be comfortable and contemporary. With a team of experienced chefs and managers, the Mantra India team is dedicated to customer service and have an innate passion for the restaurant business.

At Mantra India we serve both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Our chefs are trained and well versed with North Indian Mughalai cuisine, and Punjabi traditional village style cooking. To compliment the classy ambiance and exotic foods, we also boast of an exceptional selection of cocktails, beers, fine wine, and traditional Indian beverages.

At Mantra India, we use natural, organic and fresh ingredients in our cooking. We source our vegetables and other ingredients locally through the local farmers network in and around Bay Area.

Top review

Jaydeep

Dined on Sep 26, 2024

Buffet for $20 M-F and $25 S & S is excellent. Food variety is plentiful. You get appetizers, veg and non-veg entrees, tea, and dessert. Great value.

ROOH Palo Alto

4.3

4.3 (242)

$31 to $50

Contemporary Indian

Palo Alto

About the restaurant

ROOH Palo Alto explores open fire cooking in combination with regional flavors. A style of cooking that lends incredible complexity to the simplest of flavors.Wood fired cooking is a cornerstone of Indian food preparations and Chef Sujan Sarkar delves into the exploration of what is already well known, familiar but bringing it into the contemporary world. Offering a taste and appreciation for India, all of India, capturing the beautiful intricacies of its diversity for a unique communal dining experience.
ROOH’s mixology team has created 9 brand new seasonal cocktails based on Ayurveda and its six tastes, or rasas The conceptual cocktails infuse the signature smokiness of the wood fired grill and the story telling culture of India. Californian ingredients shine through, as the cocktails evoke the spirit of different Indian cities with their regional inspired names

Top review

Olgavip

Dined on Sep 2, 2024

Good food. Would love if they had a proper tea service

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