The Bay Area Restaurants We Loved in 2024
It’s that most wonderful time of year where Team Resy’s scrolled through our respective camera rolls to pin down the meals that’ve stood out to us the most. Whether it be for the hospitality, the food, the vibe (or, in a lot of cases, a magic combination of all three), our 2024 picks have proven yet again what we know and hold dear to our hearts: Restaurants are our homes away from home, acting as the perfect backdrop for all of life’s moments, both big and small.
From the neighborhood spots we love to the pizza dough rooms, sunny rooftops, and everything in between, here are Team Resy’s favorite restaurant meals of 2024.
The great thing about dining in the Bay Area…
… (and the thing that still makes this such a special place to eat) is the presence of ethereal neighborhood restaurants like Pearl 6101, where the entire package is on par with the splashiest new restaurants in the country. Precise cooking, immaculate ingredients, top-tier hospitality. Creativity and comfort. Good vibes all around.
— Paolo Lucchesi, Editorial Director
I can’t leave San Francisco without a visit to…
… Del Popolo. I lived in S.F. for seven years, so everything seems to strike a nostalgic chord for me. But Del Popolo definitely holds a special place. I remember it as a glass-windowed pizza truck with a long (but worth it) line, offering the most memorable sourdough Neapolitan pizza the city had. Now, as a brick and mortar, it’s a must-visit. Go with a friend (or two), so you can try a few different pies (please order the potato), split a bottle of wine, and finish by indulging in their soft serve drizzled with olive oil.
— Catt Flanagan, Regional Manager, West Coast
There’s nothing like…
… hosting your birthday in a semi-private dough room. Thankfully, Flour + Water Pizzeria provides (hint: it’s located just right across from the kitchen’s pass). The special party menu includes salads, their mozzarella sticks, meatballs, pizzas ordered à la carte, and ends with their house soft serve: fior di latte or salted caramel. They bring all their soft serve toppings on a platter, and we politely asked for refills of the cereal crunch, cookies, and hot fudge more than once. It was an exquisite meal.
— Kimia Azimi, Implementation Manager
Still thinking about an epic meal we had…
… at Ramen Shop. We ordered the maitake and shungiku tempura, the Meyer lemon shoyu ramen (my absolute favorite broth of theirs) with added mushrooms, the cod donburi, and the black sesame ice cream sandwich (incredible!). The pork and shrimp dumplings weren’t on the menu this time, but they’re a must if you see them — the warm chile oil they’re served with is perfection.
— Randi W., Bay Area Restaurant Success Manager
My happy place is…
… the roof at Good Good Culture Club, especially once the parade of food starts: Crying tiger shrimp salad. Endive salad with hot mustard dressing. Beef carpaccio and pig ears. That chicken wing. I don’t think there’s anyone in the city putting out food quite like Good Good right now. And I know there’s no setting quite like that roof on a sunny day.
— Paolo Lucchesi, Editorial Director
This Palestinian comfort food haven…
… is always such a treat. At Beit Rima, we got the mezze sampler platter (a must in order to try all the dips), the hand-kneaded bread with za’atar (another great vehicle for all the dips), and the delicata squash (served with brown butter labneh and pine nut dukkah), which was a sweet-and-savory dream. For entrées we got the whole fried branzino and the musakhan (a spiced roast chicken that’s Palestine’s national dish). The musakhan was absolute heaven and was everything we could ever dream of on a plate.
— Randi W., Bay Area Restaurant Success Manager
While I’ve never been to France…
… I can imagine one being easily mistaken they were when dining at Restaurant Josephine. As soon as you step in, you’re wrapped up in warm vibes and hospitality. There’s a tiny bar, daily specials written on chalkboards, no table larger than four guests, and a menu that reads French but with subtle Eastern European touches.
The pro moves would be to start with the daily selection of oysters to whet your appetite, before settling into the steak tartare, duck liver mousse, and whatever glorious, seasonal dip they’re serving. (Ask for extra flatbread, so you don’t miss one ounce of it — ours was pumpkin that night.) From there, move into any of these can’t-miss entrées: steak frites, vareniki (think a cross between gnocchi and ravioli), or the moules-frites. Add a side of the mac and Mimolette, and finish things off with any of their incredibly delicious desserts, particularly the chocolate profiteroles with whey caramel ice cream.
I’ve been here four times now and have been completely blown away on every single visit.
— Daniel Stephan, Implementation Specialist
