Diners' Choice: Best Ambiance restaurants in San Jose / Silicon Valley

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best ambiance in San Jose / Silicon Valley? 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!

Restaurant Gish

4.9

4.9 (208)

$50 and over

Korean

Santa Clara

About the restaurant

Good People
Good Food
Good Time

Welcome to Restaurant Gish!
For the reservation, please visit our website!

Top review

Constance

Dined 2 days ago

Rotating menus each month are inventive, interesting, and always excellently executed. Lovely ambiance perfect for a date with an open kitchen so you can see the chefs hard at work. A true bay area gem!

lelé kitchen

4.9

4.9 (84)

$50 and over

Californian

Los Gatos

About the restaurant

lelé kitchen combines upscale dining and California farm-to-table with a Eastern European twist. Elena Leskina, well known for her beloved bakery and cafe, with Chef Ulad Skoblia curate a menu that celebrates bold Slavic flavors — caviar, smoked fish, dill, and root vegetables — infused with local seasonal ingredients

Nestled near the scenic Santa Cruz Mountains, our location inspires both seasonal cuisine and wines. Advanced Sommelier (CSM-A) Fedar Kamkou guides the wine program, highlighting Californian winemakers to pair perfectly with each dish. Our casual upscale atmosphere blends classy sophistication with a relaxed vibe, perfect for any occasion — whether it's a cozy dinner with friends or special family night out. We’re also kid-friendly with a small children’s menu

Whether you’re savoring oysters, craving bubbly and caviar, desire a relaxing memorable dinner or treating yourself to amazing desserts, at lele kitchen you’ll experience the best of, creative chef-driven cuisine

Top review

MicheleVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Could not have asked for anything more. Our server Julian was very accommodating and knowledgeable of everything on the menu. We ordered quite a few things to try. Every single one was out of this world. The seating was comfortable and the service was impeccable. Chef came over at one point to bring over a course. He has some major culinary skills. The presentation of every dish was beautiful and absolutely delicious. We will be back!

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Experience

Caviar Happy Hour

Experience

Wine Dinner w/ ASSIDUOUS (Six Courses, $149+)

Hashiri Bettei Kaiseki Aoki

4.8

4.8 (27)

$50 and over

Japanese

Saratoga

About the restaurant

We, Hashiri Bettei Kaiseki Aoki, deliver the experience of “kaiseki ryori,” a type of Japanese fine dining which historically developed to be served in the Japanese tea room. The tea room, as a space, symbolizes the home of the Japanese tea ceremony, a simple yet transformative experience offering a pause in time to appreciate the seemingly small experience of sharing tea. As such, we’ve designed both the architecture and the experience, to condense an infinite expanse into an extremely small space.

The space is designed sans distracting elements. Lighting will be subtle and architectural details are clean yet warm. Designed to allow dishes to remain the focal point of the experience, our space represents the endless potential for an intimate dining experience that continues to linger on pallet and in mind well after the end.

Top review

KannikaVIP

Dined on Apr 12, 2025

I enjoyed this traditional omakase. You can expect excellent and fresh quality in the ingredients they use and I appreciate that there were vegetables too. I’m usually still hungry after eating at an omakase but their portions were spot on for me and I left with a full stomach. I found the portions for wagyu beef to be generous, around 2 oz if I were to eyeball. Overall, I hope to come back!

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Experience

Chef's Tasting Kaiseki Experience

Alter Ego Cocktail Club

4.8

4.8 (81)

$50 and over

Lounge

San Jose

About the restaurant

A dimly lit mysterious cocktail lounge tucked behind the curtain of the vinyl bar, Still O.G., boasting a diverse array of delicious and methodically prepared small plates in addition to wildly imaginative and carefully crafted cocktails.

Small plate offerings include dishes such as steak tartare with puffed rice served in a perilla leaf, Spanish octopus al pastor that is confit then fried and served alongside caramelized pineapple puree and pineapple salsa, and the namesake Alter Ego egg.

The diverse cocktail menu features 16 signature cocktails such as the Kyushu Coffee, a blend of Shochu, black coffee and kuromitsu topped with a black sesame foam or the Buster and Babs; a Rum and Brandy based milk punch inspired by the flavors of carrot cake served in a decanter with glassware for 2.

A seated experience with tableside service in an intimate space, reservations and walk-ins both accepted, although reservations are highly recommended.

ID required (21+ & up only)

Top review

Yannick

Dined today

Great place!! We had an amazing time here. Fun!!!!

La Foret

4.8

4.8 (1734)

$50 and over

French

San Jose

About the restaurant

La Foret offers fine French dining in an old country setting. We are proudly now offering outdoor dining!!!The historically significant building rests next to a quietly meandering stream in the verdant foothills of New Almaden. Picture windows surrounding the entire dining area allow you to fully enjoy the quietly beautiful surroundings during your meal. Specializing in fine French cuisine, La Foret has earned its place among the area's finest restaurants and in fact has been listed among the 50 best French restaurants in the United States.

La Foret ha an extensive wine list, which includes French and Napa Valley selections. It offers a tasting menu and brunch on Sundays.

This restaurant has private rooms for catering banquet-style private events. It also hosts weddings with capacity for up to 130 guests.

Top review

Aaron

Dined 6 days ago

We have tried almost wvery otem on this menu. We have our favorites but every thing here is expertly prepared and delicious.

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Popular dish

Sea Scallops

Popular dish

Soufflé Grand Marnier

Popular dish

Ahi Tuna

JOEY Valley Fair

4.7

4.7 (276)

$30 and under

American

Santa Clara

About the restaurant

JOEY Restaurants is an award-winning, globally inspired brand with a collection of elevated yet comfortable restaurants. JOEY Restaurants’ thoughtfully crafted menu features recipes representing cuisine and hospitality standards from across the globe, curated from journeys by the brand’s leadership and culinary teams. From fire-torched sushi and premium cuts of steak to comforting bowls, burgers and handhelds, JOEY Restaurants is committed to blending local culture with innovative and fresh techniques, resulting in delicious harmony of ingredients. Each JOEY Restaurant location is unique, but they all have plenty in common: great food, lively environments, and exceptional dining experiences.

Top review

Xak

Dined 2 days ago

Thank you! Another great experience!!

PintxoPote

5.0

5 (502)

$31 to $50

Spanish

Los Gatos

About the restaurant

Bienvenidos a PintxoPote! (pronounced 'pincho potay') a pintxos (tapas) bar offering a dining experience showcasing the range of traditional flavors typical of the Basque country in Northern Spain. Here, you will be transported to the world's most acclaimed culinary region: the seaside resort of San Sebastián, a region whose cuisine is distinguished by the excellence of the ingredients and the simplicity in cooking techniques.

Pintxo Pote is the only place in the SF Bay area that offers a current expression of authentic pintxos.

Top review

ShelleyVIP

Dined on Jun 21, 2025

Wonderful food and service. The level of care and passion is evident. I’ve been here 3x’s and have enjoyed each. I’m pledging to go more frequently!

Tasting House

4.8

4.8 (591)

$50 and over

Californian

Los Gatos

About the restaurant

A Unique Culinary Experience Focused on Quality, Classics & Creativity
Tasting House offers a unique experience that reflects global culinary & wine excellence with a bit of adventure.
Award-winning Executive Chef, Julian Silvera, crafts a globally influenced menu that balances sophistication with creativity, using hyper-locally sourced ingredients for the A la carte menu & his 15-course tasting menu. Thoughtful wine parings are recommended for each menu item, enhancing flavors of both the food and wine (think 1+1=3). With 65+ wines offered by the glass 1,000 by the bottle, guests have the option to try wines they may not have experienced previously. The chef's tasting menu combined with the extensive by the glass wine list creates a sense of adventure atmosphere. The space evokes the charm of a European wine bistro. Candlelight and live jazz set the stage for an unforgettable experience. Children are welcome on the patio. Bistro & Champagne Bar seat adults only.

Top review

UmarVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Excellent menu, excellent service, top notch service, beautiful restaraunt.

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Experience

Chef's Tasting Menu Experience

4.6

4.6 (2104)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

San Jose

About the restaurant

The Mt. Hamilton Grand View is a classic restaurant in a breathtaking location, with plenty of outdoor dining, overlooking the exquisite Santa Clara Valley. The memory of a great meal and our sunset views will stay with you long after your table’s been cleared.

Top review

Jamie

Dined 1 day ago

My new favorite restaurant. The ambiance and location are divine (although a bit if a drive), but the food was perfect. Everything was fresh and well prepared. Service was a bit slow, but we didn’t mind too much. The waiter was really funny and knowledgeable.

Valley Goat

4.6

4.6 (42)

$30 and under

Californian

San Jose

About the restaurant

Celebrate the vibrant flavors of Northern California's seasonal ingredients, offering a shareable menu infused with bold, globally inspired culinary creativity by award-winning Chef Stephanie Izard and the nationally celebrated Boka Restaurant Group. Valley Goat is a perfect spot for any occasion-from a casual meal to an evening of cocktails or a lively group dinner.

Top review

Krissy

Dined on Jun 24, 2025

The food was unique, delicious, came out quickly and served and explained perfectly. Jose our server was excellent, knew the menu front to back and helped us make excellent choices!! The whole staff from start to finish were wonderful. This is a Gem in Sunnyvale!

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