California · best-of list
The 40 Best Restaurants in California
We narrowed 52 restaurants from our curated routes in California down to 40, spread across 24 destinations. 1 spot on this list appears on more than one of our routes.
Our curated picks
40 restaurants in California, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Downtown LA 3 picks
Bestia
Downtown LA · On our Los Angeles After Dark route
Arts District Italian with house charcuterie and wood-fired pastas.
Tip: Reservations open weeks ahead; try the bar for walk-ins.
Photo: Bestia · Google
Grand Central Market
Downtown LA · On our Los Angeles After Dark route
Food hall open since 1917 with tacos, egg sandwiches, pupusas and more under one roof.
Tip: Eggslut lines are long; Tacos Tumbras a Tomas is quicker.
Photo: Kamrin Street · Google
Philippe the Original
Downtown LA · On our Los Angeles After Dark route
Claims to have invented the French dip in 1908; sawdust floors and cafeteria service.
Tip: Order it double-dipped with the hot mustard.
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0
Napa 3 picks
Bouchon Bakery
Napa · On our California Wine Country route
Thomas Keller's Yountville bakery for croissants and coffee.
Tip: Arrive at opening; favorites sell out by noon.
Photo: Yoon Lee · Google
Mustards Grill
Napa · On our California Wine Country route
Highway 29 roadhouse serving wine-country comfort food since 1983.
Tip: Order the Mongolian pork chop.
Photo: Ronda · Google
Oxbow Public Market
Napa · On our California Wine Country route
Indoor market with oysters, tacos, cheese and coffee by the Napa River.
Tip: Get Hog Island oysters at the bar.
Photo: Felippe Leite · Google
Big Sur 2 picks
Deetjen's Big Sur Inn Restaurant
Big Sur · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Candlelit dinners and hearty breakfasts in a 1930s redwood inn tucked into Castro Canyon.
Tip: Dinner by reservation only; no dinner Wed-Thu.
Photo: Ed Anderson, HABS photographer · Public domain
Nepenthe
Big Sur · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Clifftop restaurant since 1949 with long coastal views from the terrace.
Tip: Order the Ambrosia burger; Cafe Kevah below is a lighter option.
Photo: California Historical Society · No restrictions
Healdsburg 2 picks
Dry Creek General Store
Healdsburg · On our California Wine Country route
1881 country store with a deli counter and an old bar.
Tip: Grab sandwiches for a winery picnic.
Photo: Robin Granse · Google
SingleThread
Healdsburg · On our California Wine Country route
Three-Michelin-star farm restaurant serving a Japanese-inspired tasting menu.
Tip: Reservations open months ahead.
Photo: SingleThread Farm - Restaurant - Inn · Google
Joshua Tree 2 picks
Crossroads Cafe
Joshua Tree · On our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route
Joshua Tree's go-to diner for breakfast before hiking.
Tip: Breakfast burritos are the order.
Photo: P · Google
Pappy & Harriet's
Joshua Tree · On our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route
Pioneertown barbecue joint and live music venue in an old Western set.
Tip: Book dinner on music nights; walk Mane Street first.
Photo: Pappyswiki · CC BY-SA 4.0
La Jolla 2 picks
George's at the Cove
La Jolla · On our San Diego New Year's Eve route
Long-running restaurant above the Cove with three levels, including the open-air Ocean Terrace.
Tip: Ocean Terrace is the relaxed level; aim for a late lunch on Jan 1.
The Cottage
La Jolla · On our San Diego New Year's Eve route
Breakfast and brunch spot in a small cottage with a patio in the village, open for more than thirty years.
Tip: Open daily 7:30 am to 3 pm; there is usually a line by 9 on Jan 1.
Monterey & Carmel 2 picks
La Bicyclette
Monterey & Carmel · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
French-Italian bistro in Carmel village with wood-fired dishes.
Tip: Reserve for dinner; lunch is easier to walk in.
Photo: Ivan Nekrasov · Google
Old Fisherman's Grotto
Monterey & Carmel · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Family-run Fisherman's Wharf seafood house known for its clam chowder.
Tip: Order the chowder in a bread bowl; ask for a window table.
Photo: Old Fisherman’s Grotto · Google
Old Sacramento Waterfront 2 picks
Ella Dining Room & Bar
Old Sacramento Waterfront · On our Sacramento New Year's Eve route
A downtown dining room near the Capitol with seasonal California cooking and a busy bar.
Tip: A good early dinner before walking 15 minutes to the waterfront.
The Firehouse Restaurant
Old Sacramento Waterfront · On our Sacramento New Year's Eve route
A special-night restaurant in an 1853 firehouse in Old Sacramento, with a courtyard and a long wine list.
Tip: Reserve early for Dec 31; the party is steps from the door.
Photo: Rojer · CC BY 2.0
Palm Springs 2 picks
Cheeky's
Palm Springs · On our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route
Breakfast and brunch spot known for its flight of bacon.
Tip: Breakfast and lunch only; no reservations.
Photo: Cheeky's Palm Springs · Google
Shields Date Garden
Palm Springs · On our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route
Date grove since 1924 serving date shakes and showing date history.
Tip: Get a date shake and walk the garden.
Photo: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Pasadena 2 picks
Pie 'n Burger
Pasadena · On our Los Angeles New Year's Eve route
Counter diner near Caltech since 1963, known for griddled burgers, pancakes and fruit pies by the slice.
Tip: It is cash only; go after the parade crowd has moved on.
The Raymond 1886
Pasadena · On our Los Angeles New Year's Eve route
Seasonal American cooking in the former caretaker's cottage of the vanished Raymond Hotel, with a garden patio.
Tip: Book a New Year's Day dinner; the cocktail bar in back is called the 1886 Bar.
San Francisco 2 picks
Ferry Building Marketplace
San Francisco · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Bayfront hall of local producers: oysters, cheese, bread and coffee under one roof.
Tip: Saturday morning farmers market outside is the busiest and best.
Photo: Ferry Building · Google
Swan Oyster Depot
San Francisco · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Counter-only seafood bar since 1912 serving crab, oysters and Sicilian sashimi.
Tip: Cash only; line forms before the 10:30am opening. Closed Sundays.
Photo: Rafaelquint99 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Santa Barbara 2 picks
La Super-Rica Taqueria
Santa Barbara · On our Pacific Coast Highway route + 1 more
Tiny taqueria praised by Julia Child for its handmade tortillas.
Tip: Order the #16 Super-Rica Especial; expect a line.
Photo: Joseph Dandona Jr. · GoogleBrophy Bros
Santa Barbara · On our Solvang & Santa Barbara route
Seafood restaurant upstairs on the harbor, known for clam chowder and views over the boats.
Tip: No reservations; put your name in and walk the breakwater while you wait.
Sonoma 2 picks
Glen Ellen Star
Sonoma · On our California Wine Country route
Small wood-fired kitchen serving pizzas, roasted vegetables and local wines.
Tip: Reserve; seats are limited.
Photo: Grant Campbell · Google
The Girl & the Fig
Sonoma · On our California Wine Country route
Wine-country French cooking just off the plaza, open since 1997.
Tip: The fig and arugula salad is a signature.
Photo: Sarah Stierch · CC BY 4.0
The Embarcadero & Ferry Building 2 picks
Boulevard
The Embarcadero & Ferry Building · On our San Francisco New Year's Eve route
Nancy Oakes' Belle Epoque dining room in the 1889 Audiffred Building, serving American food since 1993.
Tip: Its New Year's Eve dinner ends a few minutes' walk from the fireworks viewing area.
Photo: LittleT889 · CC BY-SA 4.0Hog Island Oyster Co.
The Embarcadero & Ferry Building · On our San Francisco New Year's Eve route
Oyster bar in the Ferry Building run by a Tomales Bay oyster farm, with a window wall facing the Bay Bridge.
Tip: No reservations; put your name down early in the afternoon.
Capitol Park & Midtown 1 pick
Tower Cafe
Capitol Park & Midtown · On our Sacramento New Year's Eve route
A long-running brunch spot next to the Tower Theatre, known for French toast and a patio full of plants.
Tip: Expect a wait on Jan 1; put your name in and walk Broadway.
Downtown Los Angeles 1 pick
Water Grill
Downtown Los Angeles · On our Los Angeles New Year's Eve route
Seafood dining room on Grand Avenue since 1989, with a raw bar of oysters, crab and caviar.
Tip: An early New Year's Eve seating leaves time to walk to Grand Park.
Downtown San Diego & Gaslamp Quarter 1 pick
C Level
Downtown San Diego & Gaslamp Quarter · On our San Diego New Year's Eve route
Seafood restaurant at the water's edge on Harbor Island, with a full view of the downtown skyline across the bay.
Tip: It serves a New Year's Eve dinner from 5 pm; ask for a patio table facing the towers.
Hollywood 1 pick
Musso & Frank Grill
Hollywood · On our Los Angeles After Dark route
Hollywood's oldest restaurant (1919), with red booths and famously strong martinis.
Tip: Sit at the bar for a martini and the flannel cakes.
Photo: Gary Minnaert (Minnaert)) · Public domain
Lands End & Ocean Beach 1 pick
Beach Chalet
Lands End & Ocean Beach · On our San Francisco New Year's Eve route
1925 building at the end of Golden Gate Park with WPA murals downstairs and a brewery restaurant above Ocean Beach.
Tip: Ask for a window table upstairs; the murals on the ground floor are free to see.
Photo: Daderot · CC0
Los Angeles 1 pick
Langer's Delicatessen
Los Angeles · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Classic deli famed for the #19 hot pastrami sandwich.
Tip: Closes mid-afternoon and on Sundays.
Photo: Josh Lim (Sky Harbor) · CC BY-SA 4.0
San Simeon 1 pick
Linn's Restaurant
San Simeon · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Cambria institution known for its olallieberry pie.
Tip: Get a slice of olallieberry pie to go.
Photo: Highway 1 Road Trip · Google
Solvang 1 pick
Birkholm's Bakery
Solvang · On our Solvang & Santa Barbara route
Danish bakery on Alisal Road for kringle, butter cookies and pastries to eat on the bench outside.
Tip: Go early on weekends before the day-trip crowds arrive.
Tahoe City & Palisades 1 pick
Fire Sign Cafe
Tahoe City & Palisades · On our South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City & Truckee route
West-shore breakfast and lunch cafe in an old cabin south of Tahoe City, serving locals since the 1970s.
Tip: Expect a wait on weekend mornings; put your name in and walk to the lake.
Truckee 1 pick
Moody's Bistro Bar & Beats
Truckee · On our South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City & Truckee route
Downtown restaurant and bar in the Truckee Hotel building, with live music most nights.
Tip: Book dinner and stay for the band in the bar.
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. Our routes include 52 restaurants here; to keep the list readable we show 40, keeping those featured on the most routes and those with an insider tip, and spreading the rest across destinations. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the restaurants in California?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. Our routes through California include 52 restaurants; we show the 40 featured on the most routes, spread across destinations. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of California has the most restaurants on this list?
Downtown LA and Napa lead with 3 each; the other picks are spread across 22 more destinations.
More lists for California
Best restaurants nearby
Destinations on this list
- Downtown LA 3 on this list
- Napa 3 on this list
- Big Sur 2 on this list
- Healdsburg 2 on this list
- Joshua Tree 2 on this list
- La Jolla 2 on this list
- Monterey & Carmel 2 on this list
- Old Sacramento Waterfront 2 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.