A curated set of standout tables and local favorites.
Local favorites & classics
Popoca. Old Oakland · Salvadoran — wood-fired — Named one of Bon Appétit's 20 Best New Restaurants of 2024, Popoca serves wood-fired handmade pupusas with seasonal fillings and braised chicken in fermented…
Wahpepah's Kitchen. Fruitvale Village · Indigenous / Native American — Chef Crystal Wahpepah (Kickapoo Nation) operates one of the only Native American restaurants in California, serving a seasonally rotating menu of…
Champa Garden. Ivy Hill / East Oakland · Lao, Thai, Vietnamese — A beloved neighborhood corner spot serving some of the most vibrant Lao cooking in the Bay Area — bright papaya salad, Lao sausage, and fried rice…
Aburaya. 362 17th St · 4.7★ (1,470 reviews)
The Fat Lady Bar & Restaurant. 201 Washington St · 4.5★ (1,386 reviews)
Belotti Ristorante E Bottega. 5403 College Ave · 4.6★ (1,025 reviews)
Wood Tavern. 6317 College Ave · 4.6★ (871 reviews)
Commis. 3859 Piedmont Ave · 4.7★ (695 reviews)
Cafés, bakeries & casual
Tarts de Feybesse. Uptown Oakland · French pastry / bakery — James Beard Award semifinalist bakery by Chef Monique Feybesse at 324 24th St. The laminated doughs, tarts, and viennoiserie rival anything in Paris. A…
Banh Mi Ba Le. Fruitvale · Vietnamese — banh mi — 24 sandwich varieties on warm, house-baked bread with fillings ranging from grilled pork and pâté to meatballs and headcheese. One of the most celebrated banh mi…
Burdell. Temescal · Soul Food / American — Named Food & Wine's Best Restaurant in America for 2025, Chef Geoff Davis's Michelin-recognized tribute to his grandmother serves elevated soul food — think chicken…
Taquería El Paisa. Fruitvale / International Boulevard · Mexican — Guadalajara-style tacos — Michelin Bib Gourmand. An Oakland institution serving Guadalajara-style tacos on doubled-up yellow corn tortillas; the…
Soba Ichi. West Oakland · Japanese — handmade soba — Michelin Bib Gourmand. Chef Koichi Ishii mills and cuts 80/20 buckwheat-wheat noodles fresh daily; only 100 portions per night are available. Go early or…
Joodooboo. North Oakland · Korean — Chef Steve Joo (2025 Food & Wine Best New Chef) started with a tiny tofu counter and grew it into one of Oakland's most talked-about lunch spots. Michelin-recognized.…
Mägo. Downtown Oakland · Modern Colombian — tasting menu — Michelin-recognized. Chef Mark Liberman presents a nightly-changing Colombian tasting menu in an intimate room with an open kitchen, cocktail…
Gary Danko. 800 North Point St · 4.6★ (2,153 reviews)
Lazy Bear. 3416 19th St · 4.7★ (1,201 reviews)
Millennium. 5912 College Ave · 4.5★ (1,256 reviews)