This is a list of the Bay Area's most notable restaurant and bar openings, with new updates published once a week. Did we miss something great? Please, drop us a line.
EMBARCADERO - STK Steakhouse, a newly opened restaurant from One Group Hospitality, Inc., made its debut at 1 Market Street. It's a self-described destination for "Vibe Dining at its finest," according to a press release with "spectacular views and plentiful outdoor space to enjoy elevated culinary selections, world-famous cocktails and live music spun by renowned DJs." As for the actual food, expect steaks, salads, seafood, cocktails, and happy hour specials.
MISSION - Those looking for a bar exploring Spanish wines and small plates should head over to the newly opened El Chato, which took over the space at 2301 Bryant Street. Owner Rafa Saenz is running the food menu, which offers pintxos, salads, and cured meats. Meanwhile, business partner Erin Rickenbaker (formerly the wine director of Bellota) is running the wine program, which heavily features wines from Spain and a sprinkling of options from France, Portugal, and California. There will also be a selection of bottles to-go, and if you've ever wanted the porrón experience - you know, where the wine is poured directly into your mouth - El Chato is more than willing to oblige.
OAKLAND - Those who enjoy the fun vibes and aesthetic of Farmhouse Thai will want to head over to chef Kasem Saengsawang's new spot in Oakland, Noka Ramen. As the San Francisco Chronicle notes, the restaurant will serve various types of ramen, from tonkotsu to showier options like the lobster shio ramen, which comes with a whole dang Maine lobster. The location will also serve whimsical cocktails alongside its "glam jungle" decor.
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EMERYVILLE - Humphry Slocombe, known for its inventive (and occasionally boozy) ice cream flavors, is set to open its third East Bay outpost on Bay Street in Emeryville on September 13. The ice cream shop held a soft opening this past weekend, the Eville Eye reported.
EMERYVILLE - The Eville Eye also caught another opening on the horizon: The Sunday is moving onto Adeline Street, with plans to soft open September 15. The restaurant will serve up "contemporary Korean American fusion" for brunch and dinner.
UNION CITY - Those who've patronized Doughweime at local farmers markets will be pleased to learn that the business has opened a new bakery in Union City, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Expect more of the baked goods that popularized Doughweime - which incorporate Asian flavors such as ube, salted egg, and adzuki bean - to fill up the storefront, which is currently open Thursday through Friday.
SACRAMENTO - New pizza spot Frankie's Pizza threw open its doors last month in Old Sacramento, sliding into the former 2 Grand Saloon location, the Sacramento Bee reports. The pizzeria's "secret weapon" is apparently its high-quality cheese, and the shop serves a thin-crust style of pizza with plans to add deep dish in the upcoming months.
OUTER SUNSET - In the former Le Frio space at 2575 Judah Street, a new cafe quietly took over: It seems Judah Cafe opened in mid-May along the N-Line with a minimal, modern coffee shop look to it. Interestingly, a "Coffee Shop For Sale" sign is already hanging in the window.
BERKELEY - The day has finally come: Cafe Ohlone opens Thursday, September 1 for tea hour reservations, with dinner reservations available in October. The San Francisco Chronicle reports the new location of the much-anticipated restaurant is in the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology at UC Berkeley.
SACRAMENTO - Bodega opened in the former Riverside Sports Bar at 6401 Riverside Boulevard. Valley Community Newspapers sat down with one of the new Caribbean restaurant owners Chris Sinclair who spoke highly of the restaurant's cubanos, empanadas, and mussels.
PALO ALTO - In downtown Palo Alto, the luxurious el PRADO Hotel just debuted its new Tapas Bar. Executive chef Enrique Michel curated the menu for the bar, nestled on the second floor, which centers primarily on small bites, Spanish wine, and custom cocktails like the Fresas del Prado with muddled strawberries, vodka, and fresh lime.
SAN JOSE - Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, a Japanese master chef known for his innovative and signature style of cuisine, will open his popular ramen concept, Momosan Santana Row on Friday, Sept. 2. Hoodline reports the restaurant, located at 378 Santana Row, one of San Jose's mega malls, will feature the Iron Chef's signature and newly developed take on Momosan dishes, plus a wide array of beer, wine, whiskey and sake.
MISSION - The 16th Street fixture Giordano Bros. wasn't going to go down without a fight. Mission Local let readers know the bar reopened under new ownership as Rudi's, as longtime fans Rudi Rughoonundon and Ollie Pender bought the spot with promises to keep the french fry-style sandwiches flowing into the Mission.
UPPER HAIGHT - Kezar Pub's sister bar Mad Dog in the Fog is now open at a new spot, up the street from its former location in the Lower Haight. Hoodline reports the 30-year-old bar managed a phoenix-esque return on August 15 when it reopened in a renovated space across the street from Club Deluxe.
CASTRO - Ultra intimate and classy restaurant Poesia just expanded downstairs (into the former Cafe Reveille space) with Poesia Cafe. Hoodline broke the news that Naples-born Giovanni Liguoro joined the Poesia team to bake goods like cornetto, margherita pizza, and focaccia - all from a mother sourdough starter. At night, the cafe will act as an expansion to Poesia.
EMERYVILLE - Alice Walker must have a pretty good personal chef, right? Calypso Rose Kitchen is the first time the rest of us can be 100 percent sure. Nosh reports Verna McGowan's restaurant opened on August 20 focusing on Caribbean dishes like Guyanese oxtail pepper pot with yellow rice and plantains.
OAKLAND - As of September 1 East Bay sandwich lovers can get OK's Deli at 3932 Telegraph Avenue. SFGATE reports Albert Ok gained a quick following for his riffing on Asian American deli goods, like the Sichuan spiced Taiwanese-style fried chicken sandwich.
OAKLAND - The Rendez-Vous opened at 5526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way and, according to Nosh, husband-and-wife team Johnelle Mancha and Brian Hill are paying a trippy, artsy homage to France. The couple sourced decor made between the 1920s and 1970s to complete its look and serves dishes like beet-cured halibut with a bit of old-school class as of August.
SACRAMENTO - Sacramento born-and-raised Lucía Plumb-Reyes opened Moonbelly Bakery at 6511 Folsom Boulevard on August 19. The Sacramento Bee says to come for croissants, grissini bread sticks, fruit preserves, and much more. The name for the bakery comes from a family nickname.
SOMA - La Societe swings open its doors inside the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SOMA on Tuesday, August 16. It's the first Bay Area project from TableOne Hospitality, the spinoff restaurant group from a cadre of Mina Group alums, and executive chef Alexandre Viriot has a whole host of French bistro and brasserie classics on offer including French onion soup, moule-frites, duck liver pate, and more. Take a first look inside and at the menu here.
MISSION - The Mochi Muffin magnates at Third Culture Bakery officially debuted their newest "showroom" at 1186 Valencia Street. Now you can stop by from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily for mochi everything and iced matcha.
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WALNUT CREEK - Head to the newly opened European Delights Bakery, located at 2236A Oak Grove Road in Walnut Creek, for a menu of savory and sweet baked goods including "muffins, cakes, pretzels, sweet and savory brioches and hard-to-find treats, like eggplant pastries and a Romanian pretzel-wrapped hot dog called a covridog," per the Mercury News.
SAN CARLOS - Byte Kitchen, a restaurant technology company, opened its second Noshery digital food hall on August 20 in San Carlos. Head to the food hall website to order from restaurants including Kasa Indian Eatery, Oren's Hummus, the Little Chihuahua, Humphry Slocombe, and more.
PALO ALTO - As of August 9, there's a new steakhouse open on the Penninsula, Palo Alto Online reports. Arya Steakhouse, from husband-and-wife team Mike and Fera Hashemi, relocated to 140 University Avenue after closing up shop in Redwood City. Reservations and menus are available online.
LOS GATOS - Oakland-based coffee roaster Blue Bottle put down roots at 29 University Avenue in Los Gatos, the Mercury News reports. The new coffee shop is the company's 25th Bay Area outpost and fourth in Santa Clara County.
EL DORADO HILLS - Almighty Food Co., that "hyperlocal" restaurant from Bouchon alum Nick Dedier and partner Alexa Hazelton, has opened at 4355 Town Center Boulevard in El Dorado Hills. Check out the lunch, dinner, and brunch menus on the Almighty Food Co. website.
SOMA - Tablehopper spotted the newly opened Cafe Suspiro in SoMa, a new coffee shop that slid into the former home of Vega Cafe at 1246 Folsom Street. Pop in for the usual beverage options - Americanos, lattes, and good ol' fashioned coffee - while owner Raul Sanchez, works on a fuller build-out, which he's gathering financial support for on GoFundMe.
CASTRO - Also via Tablehopper comes confirmation of the Castro's newest coffee shop and cafe. Poesia Cafe, from the folks behind the cozy Italian restaurant of the same root name, moved into the former Reveille Coffee space and is serving coffee and pastries.
HAYES VALLEY - The latest offering from Hat Trick Hospitality, the group behind the Bixton and Rambler, comes Hazie's, a new restaurant and bar opening in Hayes Valley on Thursday, August 11. The menu spans the usual suspects like a burger, wings, and salmon while cocktails include sharable options designed for two or three drinkers.
DOGPATCH - The many fans of fast-casual Greek sensation Souvla will be happy to hear about the company's latest location, which includes a new meze menu and expanded Greek wine selection. Souvla Dogpatch opens Tuesday, August 16 and in addition to the usual mix of salads and wraps, diners can sit down at the bar for a full-service experience, ordering plates like feta-brined rotisserie chicken, chilled octopus salad, and dolmades. Take a peek at the airy dining room and towering back bar here.
BERKELEY - Delirama opened its doors at 1746 Solano Avenue in Berkeley on August 8 and, as KQED puts it, the owners are "putting pastrami on everything." The new deli comes from the same people behind pop-ups Pyro's Pastrami and Psychedelic Pizza and at this new permanent outpost, they're serving pastrami in sandwiches, tacos, and even bialys.
PALO ALTO - Taiwan-based boba tea shop Rabbit Rabbit Tea expanded its footprint in the South Bay with a new location at Palo Alto's Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto Online reports. The shop opened last month and serves "boba tea drinks and soft serve ice cream inspired by their most popular boba tea flavors."
SACRAMENTO - Though co-owners Rafael Jimenez Rivera, Chris Sinclair, and Emily Neuhauser initially planned to open a Puerto Rican restaurant, when Bodega Kitchen & Cocktails opens at 6401 Riverside Boulevard in Sacramento's Greenhaven neighborhood it'll be a "Californian-pan-Caribbean" restaurant, the Bee reports. Expect Cuban sandwiches, mojitos, Cuba Libres, and ham-and-cheese-filled pan de mallorcas.
SOMA - After two and a half years out of the game, Bar Agricole returns to the Bay Area cocktail scene Wednesday, August 3. Owner Thad Vogler tells Eater SF it was a long road and that "nothing was certain" about the bar's reopening - but now he and a team that includes a number of original core staffers plus former Bar Tartine chef Nick Balla are moving forward under a sociocratic management model. Reservations for the bar and restaurant, which the team calls the "tasting room," are open now on Tock.
TENDERLOIN - Azalina's is back. Or at least, it will be as of September 1 when owner Azalina Eusope reopens her eponymous Malaysian restaurant at 499 Ellis Street in the Tenderloin. KQED reports the restaurant will be open for dinner only and will serve a 5-course tasting menu for $100 including beverage pairings, a significant departure from the plans she shared with Eater SF for the space back in 2020.
HAYES VALLEY - Get your popcorn fix at Fluff Nugget, a new snack shop in Hayes Valley that opened July 21. The menu includes sweet and savory popcorn topped with off-the-wall ingredients like smoked brisket, dried strawberries, and pesto.
SOUTH BEACH - Take yourself out to a ball game and don't forget to swing by the new Underdogs Cantina, which opened last month just outside Oracle Park. The menu includes tacos, burritos, and margaritas in a family-friendly setting complete with Skee-Ball and other games.
EMERYVILLE - Naru Sushi is now serving sushi, bento boxes, and donburi at the Emeryville Public Market from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. the E'ville Eye reports.
BERKELEY - It's dumpling time for the East Bay, which is to say popular dim sum mini-chain Dumpling Time will open its newest location in downtown Berkley on Thursday, August 4. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner starting Friday serving shrimp har gow, soup dumplings, and flaky Chinese doughnuts.
BERKELEY - KoL Juice Bar is now open at 1926 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley. Expect a menu of drinks made with no added ice, sugar, or water; options include cold-pressed juice, smoothies, and "collagen boba" made with agar and collagen.
SACRAMENTO - The Bee brings good news for fans of deep-fried dough: Sacramento welcomed a new doughnut shop called Doughbot and it's backed by the talents of Alison Clevenger, who spent time at some of the city's best bakeries and restaurants including Ginger Elizabeth, the Kitchen, Ella, and OBO' Italian Table & Bar. Pick up a dozen molasses pecan bars and Everything But The Bagel malasadas at 2030 10th Street.
SOMA - After shopping at everyone's favorite tech mogul-owned grocer Whole Foods, SoMa residents can now head across the street for a wide array of Middle Eastern and Yemeni coffees and pastries at Delah Coffee House. The shop opened in late June and held a grand opening on July 15. Ownership says they've had a packed house until their late closing hour of 10 p.m. almost every night.
MISSION - Breakfast Little, the tiny restaurant that welcomed sister location Emmitas Cafe earlier this year, just moved into a much bigger space just up the street. As of July 9, fans of the breakfast burrito or decadent oatmeal can get their fix at 3275 22nd Street. On August 1, indoor dining will be available, but for now, a few tables and chairs decorate the sidewalk out front.
OAKLAND - The announcement of Miss Ollie's closing was bad news across the Bay Area. But now chef-owner Sarah Kirnon has opened Holder's House in the Forage Kitchen events space. According to Nosh, the name comes from the 17th-century plantation Holder's House in Barbados. Kirnon told the outlet it's "a pop-up, basically," so diners need to check Kirnon's Instagram for daily menus and hours. They're looking forward to catering and always happy to discuss their arts preservation nonprofit Sanctuary.
SUNNYVALE - Southern California farm-to-table chain Urban Plates expands its Bay Area footprint with its newest location in Sunnyvale, which opened on July 11. Already in Pleasant Hill and Dublin, the South Bay expansion brings the salads, sandwiches, and paleo power to a whole new pocket of the region.
INNER SUNSET - Residents of the west side of San Francisco no longer need to wonder what will replace Pluto's on Irving Street; El Rancho Grande opened its newest location this week in the former salad shop space. Whether it be on Divisadero or Haight Street, fans know this restaurant for its late hours and birria tacos.
INNER SUNSET - In case you missed it, food-truck-gone-restaurant Lomo Libre opened this month. Chef Jose Calvo Perez grew up in the city, and his latest restaurant is the continuation of his commitment to his family and his Peruvian culture. Drop by the restaurant, in the former Underdogs space on Irving Street, for ceviche, pisco sours, and mezcal.
MILL VALLEY - On July 21 fans of the salad-forward power lunch can head to the first Mixt in Marin County. Not only does this opening break ground for the chain, but it's the only location in the area to offer beer and wine. A grand opening celebration will be held on Thursday, July 28, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
SANTA CLARA - La Casa Mia, a self-described Japanese inspired Italian restaurant, opened on July 15 with a Spanish name. Everything from wasabi French fries to fried oysters to custom pizzas is on deck. The owners also run Orenchi Ramen, Sumika, and Obaitori.
MILPITAS - In related news: Obaitori Ramen opened on July 16 with four different ramens and daily house-made noodles. The restaurant, along with sister business La Casa Mia, announced its opening on Instagram. The San Francisco Chronicle writes that the restaurant may fly under the radar, but to miss the dishes here would be a mistake.
SAN MATEO - Without a whisper, Chinese bakery Simply Cake opened in downtown San Mateo in the beginning of July. Curious diners can anticipate matcha toast, Hokkaido sponge cakes, pork floss buns, and a "Spirited Away"-meets-Bay Area mural on the wall.
SAN MATEO - The Chronicle writes that Ox 9 is maybe the first restaurant dedicated to Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles in the Bay Area. The menu is all about customizable bowls of soup at the third location of this popular Peninsula restaurant. The outpost opened at the top of July.
FOSTER CITY - The Bay Area's newest location of Crumbl Cookies opens July 22. While not every chain restaurant location warrants an write-up, store co-owner Nezar Ateyeh's childhood in San Mateo County, and degree from College of San Mateo and UC Davis, make this a sweet moment for hometown pride. He and co-owner and wife Nora Ateyeh will hold a ribbon cutting Thursday, July 28, at 5 p.m.
MOUNTAIN VIEW - Vinod Guduri and Madhu Salvaji are taking their more than 10 years of restaurant wisdom to Mountain View with the newest location of their restaurant Hyderabad Dum Biryani Indian Cuisine. Palo Alto Online reports the original locations in Milpitas and Fremont, as well as the new outpost, feature 10 varieties of biryani and plenty of smaller dishes, too.
LOS ALTOS - Palo Alto's Bevri, one of the Bay Area's few Georgian food options, opened in Los Altos in the beginning of July, the Chronicle reports. Georgian wines, cheesy khachapuri, and well-seasoned khinkali are all on the menu at the new location, just as they were at the first.
LOS GATOS - An entirely gluten-free Italian restaurant is a heaven send for the paisanos with celiac out there. Yvonne Khananis, owner of Polenteria, is well aware. The Mercury News reports she's excited to offer polenta, yes, but also gluten-free bread, bruschetta, and, someday, her own pasta.
BAYVIEW - The Old Clam House lives once again: The 161-year-old restaurant reopened after a two-year closure that included a sale and change in ownership. Now, the new owners - also behind Mona Lisa restaurant in North Beach - quietly reopened the restaurant in recent weeks, which was spied by Tablehopper first. (And yes, there are clams aplenty on the new, updated menu.)
EMBARCADERO - With the news that 1 Hotel San Francisco opened along the Embarcadero early last month in the former Hotel Vitale spot, comes the fact that its "massive restaurant" Terrene has also thrown open its outdoor patio doors along with it. The San Francisco Chronicle covered the hotel opening, and wrote the restaurant promises to source all of its ingredients within 50 miles of the Bay Area; the outdoor rooftop garden should help with that.
INNER RICHMOND - Cantina Los Mayas is a new wine bar opening on July 14, with the mission of serving Mexican wines exclusively, the San Francisco Chronicle also reports. Although they probably aren't the first in the country to run a Mexico-focused wine list, it will be a first for the Bay Area, and the new bar comes courtesy of the folks behind Taqueria Los Mayas. Expect the food menu to incorporate Mayan and Yucatecan dishes.
MISSION - The rebrand and makeover of Flour + Water Pizzeria is complete, and in its place Yellow Moto Pizzeria opened as of July 6. Owner David White parted ways with the Flour + Water Hospitality Group, redesigning his new pizzeria into "a very fun, tongue-in-cheek, not serious experience." Much of the menu will remain from the changeover, albeit with more "lighter and vegetable-filled options" and a new bar.
MISSION - Ancora is the seafood-focused restaurant from sustainable seafood company Water2Table owners Andi and Joe Conte, and chef Nick Anichini. The new restaurant opened July 6 in the former Locanda spot with an obvious focus on fish and seafood, as well as the Bay Area's abundance of produce.
SFO - Proper Food continues its expansion throughout San Francisco: the grab-and-go chain opened a new location in Terminal 1 of San Francisco International Airport on July 11, perfect for grabbing a salad, soup, or sandwich before heading onto a plane.
SOMA - A new farmer's market is set to open at the new Eagle Plaza at 12th and Harrison streets, starting July 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and running weekly on Saturdays.
OAKLAND - The highly-anticipated Slug is set to open July 22, the San Francisco Chronicle reports, the second spot from the folks behind the ever-popular Snail Bar. Slug, much like its sister bar, will feature natural wines at its Frank H. Ogawa Plaza location, but will be much larger and feature DJs and dishes made by chef Spencer Horovitz, formerly of Itria.
OAKLAND - Oaklandia Cafe opened back in June 2020, but now the cafe is expanding into a second location at 555 City Center. The newer, larger outpost is set to open its doors July 18, and Berkeleyside has the charming backstory to the owners' history at the new location.
OAKLAND - Transplants to the Bay Area who were raised around the Raising Cane's fast-food chain can now partake in its fried chicken once again. The Louisiana-based company is opening its first Bay Area location at 8430 Edgewater Drive in Oakland on Thursday, the Mercury News reported (although there are locations in Vacaville, Stockton and Elk Grove, as well). Also on the horizon are two more Raising Cane's locations set for Berkeley and Hayward, both expected to open this year.
GHIRARDELLI SQUARE - The new flagship location of popular Detroit-style pizzeria Square Pie Guys made its debut at Ghirardelli Square on Saturday, July 2. The San Francisco Chronicle has a first look inside the modern space, which offers views of Aquatic Park and the bay beyond.
MISSION - There's a little silver lining to the dark cloud that is the closure of Cha Cha Cha's Mission District outpost and that's Kuba, the restaurant that opened in the space on July 5. The business is under new ownership, and while the name wasn't included in the sale, the former owner tells the San Francisco Business Times the new proprietors plan to keep the menu and ambiance largely the same.
OAKLAND - Take a look inside Night Heron, the new bar open in Oakland with cocktails on draft and an artful space with murals and snazzy neon art. The bar takes over the former Here's How space, the scene of a widely publicized NIMBY battle with neighbors who opposed the business' presence in their residential building.
OAKLAND - East Bay residents looking for a lamb bowl or chicken pita have a new option in the newly opened Belladi Kitchen, Berkeleyside reports. The casual restaurant located at 378 Embarcadero West, near Jack London Square, comes from a trio of experienced food and beverage entrepreneurs.
SAN CARLOS - Mints and Honey, the Burlingame cafe known for its colorful tea drinks and artful toasts adorned with edible flowers, has opened a second location in San Carlos, the business shared on Instagram. Head to 1524 El Camino Real for your tea fix.
SEBASTOPOL - There's a new bar loosely inspired by the famous children's story of the three piggies that built houses out of various materials, the Chronicle reports. Third Pig Bar, located at 116 S. Main Street in Sebastopol serves cocktails, spirits, wine, and beer.
DAVIS - A new restaurant from the owners of Broderick Roadhouse and Anonimo Pizza debuted at 113 D Street in Davis, the Bee reports. Bones Craft Kitchen serves "burgers, sandwiches and shareable plates such as Gorgonzola/oyster mushroom fries," per the Bee.
SACRAMENTO - The Butterscotch Den opened in early June in Oak Park, a new restaurant from the team behind hit spots including the Snug and Ro Sham Beaux natural wine bar. The retro, 70s-inspired steakhouse is bringing back the freezer martini and grill-your-own format.