Now on Resy: Dragon Well, Octavia, and More Local Favorites

Here’s your new favorite third space: This neighborhood spot has been serving the city classic Chinese fare for almost two decades. The menu covers its bases with tea-smoked duck with handmade bao, crystal prawns, and mu shu pork. And to add to the pot — there’s bookable mahjong experiences six days a week.

This is the kind of spot that morphs to whatever your needs may be: You’ll find shishito peppers and truffle fries, blue corn tacos stuffed with beef tenderloin, and pad Thai-inspired salad alongside za’atar flatbread. Fun soju cocktails, like the Memento Mori, are colorful and make the night worthwhile.

When even the grab-and-go sushi is good, you know the sit-down experience has to be stellar. This popular spot offers fresh nigiri and hand rolls, plus hot bites like tempura, gyoza, and more, all served with perfect panache at its small counter. Pro tip: Order a set-course meal, then add more of your choosing along the way.

Tucked next to Creek Park, the crisp minimalist space keeps the attention on the plates, where smoky hamachi goma aburi and delicate saba nigiri share space with izakaya favorites like karaage chicken. Sit at the sleek bar for snacks and beer, or a full meal with wine, sake, and cocktails.

We think brunch should always look like custardy French toast topped with fresh berries, eggs Benedict with green curry Hollandaise, and bubbly French onion soup served with grilled cheese. Thankfully, Sisteria has you covered, alongside excellent passionfruit mimosas, and other non-alcoholic drinks to keep the day low-key.

Yes, there are a lot of oysters at this trendy Temescal seafood stop. But once you get past those fresh bivalves from Northern California and the Pacific Northwest (chilled or broiled), consider everything else: golden fish and chips, shrimp or crab Louie salad, excellent chowder, and low-intervention wines for sipping. Sitting at the raw bar is lovely, while the outside patio is a party.

Everything is bigger at this Brazilian steakhouse: The room is expansive and great for groups; the skewers brimming with grilled steaks, chicken, links, and seafood only stop coming when you tell them to; and the salad bar is piled high with way more than just salads. What more could you need?

Thomas Keller creates some of the country’s most sophisticated cuisine at The French Laundry just up the street, but he’s an ace with more casual fare, too, as is shown nightly with Ad Hoc’s ever-changing fixed-price menu. Get ready for dishes like Caesar salad and grilled flank steak, but if the famous buttermilk fried chicken is available, don’t miss it. 

Richmond locals have long been fans of this neighborhood staple, especially for its reliable burger, Old Bay chips and dip, and the “Big Ass chocolate chip cookie.” But it’s hard to pass up things like salmon tiradito, zippy ceviche, and a Latin-inspired cioppino.

Chef Gary Danko’s fine dining stalwart still impresses with its tasting menus, massive cheese cart, wine list, and suited servers. Signatures like glazed oysters and Osetra caviar, creamy lobster risotto, and lemon-pepper duck breast are never out of style.

This downtown Livermore spot has a laid-back vibe, with something for everyone — whether you’re looking for a casual drink or a full meal with friends.

This is the place to go to when you want youtiao — long, golden, deep-fried Taiwanese doughnuts — and spiked boba cocktails for brunch, or sesame peanut noodles or a smash burger at night.

The room is charming, and the service is friendly and accommodating — everything you’d want in a go-to Thai spot. The menu brings a coastal vibe, with dishes like fried calamari with tom yum aioli, jumbo prawns in red curry, and lobster tail smothered in yellow curry, alongside more familiar dishes like crab fried rice and noodles.