Best Restaurants in California 🇺🇸

6675 restaurants analyzed across 7 cities · 129085 total identified

California offers an unusually wide-ranging mix of American, Mexican, Latin American, Asian, and Italian food, with strong American and Mexican options at accessible prices. It is a particularly rewarding place to explore quality-driven meals without making every outing a splurge.

Top Restaurants in California

• KEN A+ · Sushi, Japanese · San Francisco Bay Area
• Sons & Daughters A+ · New Nordic-inspired tasting menu, Californian · San Francisco Bay Area
• n/naka A+ · Kaiseki, Japanese · Los Angeles
• Shunji Japanese Cuisine A+ · Sushi, Japanese · Los Angeles
• The Richmond A+ · New American, American · San Francisco Bay Area
• Saison A+ · New American, Contemporary American · San Francisco Bay Area
• Te Isshoku Sushi • Made to Order Take-Out A+ · Sushi, Japanese · Los Angeles
• Atelier Crenn A+ · Contemporary seafood tasting, Contemporary American · San Francisco Bay Area
• Benu A+ · Contemporary Asian, Korean · San Francisco Bay Area
• Acquerello A+ · Contemporary Italian, Italian · San Francisco Bay Area

Top Cities for Dining in California

• Los Angeles — Los Angeles has the most Mexican food of any US city and possibly the most Thai food outside Thailand, shaped by the immigrant communities that define its neighbourhoods - Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Thai Town, the taco trucks on every block east of the 110. The car-dependent sprawl means great food is everywhere but never concentrated, and the casual outdoor-dining culture keeps things less formal than New York or San Francisco. Prices are moderate overall, with strong budget options in the eastern neighbourhoods.
• San Francisco Bay Area — The Bay Area's food scene is shaped by proximity to California farmland and Pacific seafood, with Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Indian cooking forming the backbone across distinct sub-cities. San Francisco's compact neighbourhoods each have their own dining identity, while Oakland and Berkeley add affordability and a more community-driven character. Prices range from budget taquerias to very expensive destination restaurants, with the moderate middle ground being broader than the fine-dining reputation suggests.
• San Diego — San Diego's food scene is defined by its proximity to Mexico - the Mexican food is border-authentic and available everywhere from taco shops to sit-down restaurants. Pacific seafood, craft beer, and a California-casual outdoor dining culture complete the picture. Prices are moderate overall - more affordable than LA or SF for comparable quality.
• Napa / Sonoma — Napa and Sonoma's food scene is inseparable from the wine - winery restaurants, farm-to-table cooking, and tasting-menu dining anchored by The French Laundry and its alumni. The small wine-country towns each have their own character, from Yountville's very expensive fine dining to Santa Rosa's everyday moderate-priced restaurants. The best food-and-wine pairing region in the US.
• Santa Barbara — Santa Barbara has a dining scene shaped by its California coastal location and the agricultural richness of the wine country inland, led by American, Mexican, Californian, and Latin American cooking. The majority of restaurants sit at moderate prices, and the overall quality is consistent. State Street is the main restaurant corridor downtown, with the waterfront and upper State Street neighbourhoods adding range.
• Carmel / Monterey — Carmel and Monterey's food scene is shaped by the Pacific coastline - seafood from Fisherman's Wharf, European-influenced California cooking in Carmel-by-the-Sea, and excellent Mexican and Filipino restaurants in Seaside. Prices range from affordable in the working-class communities to expensive in the resort towns.
• Palm Springs — The Coachella Valley's dining scene is shaped by its resort character - mid-century modern settings in Palm Springs, El Paseo shopping-street dining in Palm Desert, and country-club restaurants in Rancho Mirage. Prices range from moderate in Cathedral City to expensive in the resort towns. The California-casual outdoor dining culture is a year-round advantage.

Grade Distribution

Price Distribution

What California Does Best

• American — 1974 restaurants, 382 rated A- or higher
• Japanese — 585 restaurants, 232 rated A- or higher
• Mexican — 523 restaurants, 118 rated A- or higher
• Mediterranean — 338 restaurants, 108 rated A- or higher
• Italian — 312 restaurants, 87 rated A- or higher
• Southeast Asian — 225 restaurants, 67 rated A- or higher
• Latin American — 339 restaurants, 47 rated A- or higher
• Korean — 156 restaurants, 46 rated A- or higher
• Pizza — 174 restaurants, 40 rated A- or higher
• Chinese — 210 restaurants, 37 rated A- or higher