It’s been a strong first half of the year for new restaurants in the San Francisco and the Bay Area. An Afro-Caribbean lounge backed by an NBA star, a glam cocktail bar from an omakase icon, and the latest iteration of a beloved pizza and pasta spot all rank among the best new restaurants in San Francisco in 2025.
From insider tips to must-order dishes, here’s everything you need to know about the hottest new restaurants in Northern California so far this year.
Meet the best new restaurants in San Francisco to try this summer. Book them all on OpenTable.
Cafe Shoji (SoMa)
The x-factor: The masters behind MICHELIN-Starred omakase star Shota are behind this glam, Japanese-inspired cocktail den.
The food and drinks: Come for artfully arranged sashimi, ceviche, and crudité, plus burgers that arrive in a bubbling fondue. Get coffee and matcha brew in the morning, while cocktails and sake come out at night.
The vibe: Sweep down the elegant stone bar, sink into a garnet leather booth, and admire the golden mural roaring with wild animals in the opulent space.
The reviews: The SF Chronicle calls the scene “swanky,” and former Vice President Kamala Harris recently swung by for a drink.
Pro tip: Don’t miss the greenhouse-like back patio covered with white arches.
Caché (Inner Sunset)
The x-factor: This chic modern bistro comes from Frenchman and industry vets Simon Mounier and Florent Thomas, who met at a MICHELIN-Starred restaurant in Bordeaux.
The food and drinks: Come for inventive, seafood-leaning takes on French classics, like a stunning sea bream sashimi set into the shape of the fish, plus a fan-favorite octopus hot dog. For drinks, expect plenty of natural wines from France and California.
The vibe: Steps from Golden Gate Park, the restaurant’s stylish interiors are dressed in earth tones, warm teracottas, and creams. Don’t miss the secluded wooden deck with hanging greenery.
The reviews: The Infatuation proclaims that “no other French restaurant in the city is doing seafood like Caché,” and says it’s a “perfect” date-night destination.
Pro tip: Swing by Green Apple Books next door to browse for cookbooks before dinner.
Fifty Vara (Outer Sunset)
The x-factor: Brewery vet Brian Reccow teamed up with chef Adriana Fleming from vegetable-forward spots Baia and Saluhall for this quintessential Cali-cool neighborhood spot.
The food and drinks: Pair blistered flatbreads with six house beers—including a crushable lager and crisp pilsner—from brewer Jonathan Taylor.
The vibe: The two-story rustic space rises into a barrel ceiling and is decked with hunter greens, warm woods, and lush plants.
The reviews: Tablehopper got the inside scoop, noting this is a personal project for Reccow, who lives only two blocks away. One OpenTable diner calls the restaurant “a best new find,” and praises the “warm and friendly” service.
Pro tip: The brewery recently added brunch, so come through for ricotta donuts.
Jaji (Oakland)
The x-factor: This first modern, upscale Afghan restaurant in the Bay Area comes from power culinary couple Sophia Akbar and Paul Iglesias.
The food and drinks: Chef Iglesias chased his grandmother-in-law around the kitchen to get recipes for fan-favorite dishes like bolani triangles, daal salad, and lamb shank. Cocktails, including the signature saffron martini, celebrate Afghan spices.
The vibe: Poppy orange textiles float like petals over the dining room, and family photos and dresses decorate the walls.
The reviews: The SF Chronicle deems the newcomer “stunning” and “convention-defying.”
Pro tip: Keep an eye out for Akbar’s mother and grandmother, who love swinging by the kitchen.
Eylan (Menlo Park)
The x-factor: For their fourth restaurant venture, MICHELIN-pedigreed chef Srijith Gopinathan and restaurateur Ayesha Thapar of Copra opened this swanky Southwest Indian spot on the Peninsula.
The food and drinks: Dishes on the elegant Cali-meets-Indian menu center around a wood-fired grill—try flame-kissed kebabs or mutabar flatbreads folded around crab or asparagus. The equally elegant wines lean French, Italian, and Californian.
The vibe: Thapar has a remarkable eye for design, and like all of her restaurants, swanky Eylan goes all in on maximalism with bright colors, patterned wallpaper, and plants galore.
The reviews: Oh yes, Eylan has already landed a mention in the MICHELIN guide for its “inventive blend of regional Indian cuisine with a fresh Californian twist.”
Pro tip: If you’re drinking, don’t miss clever cocktails like a refreshing gimlet with za’atar.
Valley Goat (Sunnyvale)
The x-factor: Valley Goat is mega-award-winning chef Stephanie Izard’s first spot in the Bay Area.
The food and drinks: The playful, globally inspired menu includes Izard’s signature goat empanadas dunked in a bright green sauce and sticky toffee plantain cake. The cocktails are just as fun—go for a round of tropical spritzes like pineapple-cucumber or guava-grapefruit.
The vibe: Located inside the brand new hotel Treehouse Silicon Valley, the stylish space is decked with live trees and the odd goat.
The reviews: Silicon Valley influencers are hyped that “the GOAT has landed” in the Bay.
Pro tip: Snap a photo by the 1967, floral-covered Volkswagen Beetle parked in the lobby.
Clark’s Oyster Bar (Menlo Park)
The x-factor: A classic oyster bar from award-winning Austin-based MML Hospitality has dropped legendary lobster rolls in Menlo Park.
The food and drinks: You’re coming for the classics, like lobster roll with shoestring fries, wedge salad with buttermilk ranch, and key lime tart. The drinks are equally classic, with half a dozen martini options.
The vibe: The interiors are a chic take on the retro fish shack, with nautical blues and whites, a saltwater aquarium gurgling at the front, and a marlin mounted over the bar.
The reviews: “Clark’s Oyster Bar is such a welcome addition to Menlo Park,” proclaims one OpenTable diner, saying the restaurant “hits all the right notes” and has “the best clam fettuccine ever.”
Pro tip: The crudo was inspired by Swan Oyster Depot, so you can get your fill of Sicilian sashimi without the wait.
MESKI (Lower Nob Hill)
The x-factor: This new Afro-Caribbean cocktail lounge comes from a trio of power players: chef Nelson German of Oakland’s Alamar and Sobre Mesa, restaurateur Guma Fassil of Meski’s in Berkeley, and NBA player Draymond Green.
The food and drinks: Expect a menu inspired by the owners’ Dominican and Ethiopian roots, from arroz con pollo to yetsom platters full of vegetables and injera flatbread. Playful cocktails riff on standards like the margarita, piña colada, and milk punch.
The vibe: The blackout space drops down to a bar below, and Black artists and designers installed paintings and flowers on both levels.
The reviews: While Meski has become a celebrity hangout, SF Standard says that “unlike a lot of see-and-be-seen spots, Meski takes its food seriously—and even more so the origins of the cuisines it serves.”
Pro tip: The restaurant launched brunch service in June, so swing back on Sundays for cilantro scrambles and coconut pancakes.
A16 Napa (Napa)
The x-factor: This Cal-Ital icon brings its beloved pizza and pasta to Wine Country.
The food and drinks: Chef Yosuke Machida uses the focolare (wood-fired hearth) to flip shrimp, octopus, and lamb with salsa verde and Calabrian chiles that complement the blistered Neapolitan-style pizzas. Award-winning wine pro Shelley Lindgren’s list emphasizes Italian bottles, but also includes Napa selections with Italian roots.
The vibe: Expect a sea of soft neutrals, Moroccan basket shades hanging overhead, and seats that spill out into a front parklet.
The reviews: One OpenTable diner says the restaurant is “a great addition to Napa’s culinary scene.”
Pro tip: It’s hard to go wrong with wine, but Shelley Lindgren’s spouse Greg Lindgren is a cocktail legend in SF, so get excited for limoncello slushies.
From swanky Afro-Caribbean lounge to a stylish oyster bar, these are the hottest restaurants in Northern California right now.
Book a table at one of the best new restaurants in San Francisco on OpenTable ASAP.
For more on the hottest spots in SF, check out these guides:
- These 10 San Francisco restaurants ace outdoor dining
- 10 hottest Japanese restaurants in San Francisco
- 10 hottest brunch spots in San Francisco
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.
