The Good Times Restaurant Group is behind some of the biggest Indian hits in the Bay Area: the upscale Rooh in SF and Palo Alto, the casual Pippal in Emeryville, and clubby Fitoor in San Jose. But their waterfront restaurant that opened to raves last year takes a totally different route—Alora in San Francisco does next-level Mediterranean food with some dreamy views of the Bay.
SF Chronicle critic Mackenzie Chung Fegan called the menu “ambitious,” and singled out its breads and dips section a few months after it opened, while Eater SF fell for the many-layered lasagna and salt cod fritters. The restaurant’s been so popular that Good Times has already opened a second location in San Ramon.
Executive chef Nicholas Peters is a big part of that success and oversees both kitchens, but chef de cuisine and Cotogna alum Aline Bueno runs day-to-day operations in SF. We recently caught up with her to chat about the new brunch and dessert menus, where to sit to get the best views, and more.
Read on for how to have the best time at Alora in San Francisco, and book your seat on OpenTable.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What’s the one dish you absolutely cannot miss?
Aline Bueno: We just came back with a new summer corn lasagna. We clean the corn, infuse the cobs in milk for six hours, and use the infused milk for the bechamel. We cook the kernels in butter and herbs and do this beautiful velouté. The outside is a crispy shell and then inside it’s creamy. We grill corn so it’s kind of smoky and put it on top to garnish with basil oil to bring some freshness.
What dishes would you add to build on a perfect meal from there?
Start with the Alora tasting, so you can have a little bit of each dip with warm bazlama bread. [Then] go for the burrata [with] local baby heirloom tomatoes, prosciutto imported from Italy, and housemade focaccia baked every morning. It tastes and looks like summer. If you’re coming for dinner, we have this beautiful izgara (grilled) section to share.
Is there a drink that will go best with this order?
Our beverage director Sergio Blandon has a new menu. He recommends the Parole Che Durano [a clarified mezcal cocktail], the Meadow [a fresh take on green juice with cilantro and serrano], and the Rosé all Day [another clarified cocktail starring rosé gin and lavender sprigs].
Where should people sit to have the best time at the restaurant?
Sit on the patio by the waterfront. Those tables are the best, especially if you come in the afternoon, so you’re able to see the sun set on Oakland. It’s not too hot or cold—we have heaters outside, so even if it’s windy or cloudy, it’s always warm on the covered patio. We’re on kind of a corner of the pier, so you can see Treasure Island, the Bay, and the coast of Oakland.
What’s your pro-tip for a solo diner at your restaurant?
Sitting by the bar is nice. The bartenders always give people good tips. These are very good people that have been working in the Bay Area for so long, so they’re very friendly, and it can be fun. We also do solo seatings on the patio; sometimes people want to enjoy their own company and have a good view.
What advice would you give to larger groups?
We do big parties all the time. We can accommodate up to 30 people on the patio and tables of up to 12 in the dining room. Our events team can offer multiple menus considering the budget. My tip would be to get large plates to share and try a little bit of everything.
What’s the most exciting time to visit your restaurant?
Every time I come with friends, I recommend they come at 6:30 pm. It’s just a good switch, because 6:30 pm right now is so light, but then the sun starts setting down, and everything feels more cozy and like dinner time.
Is there a secret menu item to try?
We have a new dessert menu that we just launched two weeks ago. We have a limoncello tart that’s like a lemon curd but with limoncello and Swiss meringue on top. People are really enjoying it, and it’s going out quickly.
What’s the most underrated thing about your restaurant?
We added brunch the week before Mother’s Day, so people didn’t get to know it yet. We have lobster roll on brioche with salmon roe and caviar. We have steak and eggs but using a beef tenderloin skewer with Moroccan-style seasoning with twice-cooked potatoes and za’atar flatbread. We decided to do avocado hummus with veggies and our homemade bazlama bread. We also have a skillet pancake, baked to order in a cast-iron pan, like a version of a Dutch baby.
Becky Duffett is a food writer living and eating in San Francisco. Her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Eater SF.
