Lafayette is home to some of the best restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. Whether you're looking for international cuisine or classic American BBQ, the options are endless. While numerous restaurants have recently opened in town, there are a few hidden gems that deserve your attention.
Below are 10 of the best restaurants in Lafayette.
Postino
Photo courtesy of Postino
Postino (housed in a lovely Carr Jones-designed historic building) greets visitors with a celebration of food, family, friends, and life around the dinner table. Serving California cuisine with an Italian flair, Postino is tucked away in the Village of Lafayette. The fireplaces, slate-tiled floors, brick walls, and cozy dining rooms harken to the restaurant’s Italian roots. The fare is equal parts delicious and aesthetically pleasing.
Tutu's Food and Drink
Photo courtesy of Tutu’s Food and Drink
Tutu’s Food and Drink is a combined grocery store and restaurant serving affordable and organic fare. Offering food from the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia, one of their noted features is their all-day breakfast and brunch. The best part of dining at Tutu’s is you can buy groceries in person or order them online, so they’re ready when you arrive. Their market menu has chef-made items that are refrigerated and prepped for home reheating. Tutu’s bar serves delicious drinks using premium spirits and the freshest organic juices.
Batch & Brine
Photo courtesy of Batch & Brine
A vibrant bunch of siblings came together to form Batch & Brine. This restaurant's culture, with origins in New Mexico, the Mediterranean, and California, embodies the owners’ varied cultural backgrounds. Their cuisine draws inspiration from cherished, multi-generational family dishes with strong flavors, mixing their own experiences to create distinctive culinary adventures. Their menu features inventive burgers, sandwiches, sharing platters, salads, and a fantastic weekend brunch.
The Hideout Kitchen
Photo courtesy of The Hideout Kitchen
A quiet local café with a touch of elegance, The Hideout Kitchen is a hidden gem tucked away in Lafayette. The menu’s comfort food is influenced by California's distinct culinary traditions. For those seeking authentic soul-warming cuisine, The Hideout Kitchen is a haven. To reserve a table for a temperature-controlled patio meal outside, contact the restaurant in advance. Weekly lunch and weekend brunch are first come, first served.
Massimo Ristorante
Photo courtesy of Massimo Ristorante
Enjoy the delights of Northern Italian cuisine, including quality meats, poultry, fresh seafood, house-made pasta, and scrumptious appetizers, at Massimo Ristorante. With more than 200 wine options and a full bar, you’re sure to find the right drink to pair with your meal. Diners enjoy the Italian-style ambiance both inside and out with Massimo’s elegant patio and cozy dining room. Their French-inspired menu was recently replaced with modern Italian fare—and the owner has successfully upheld his well-established reputation for premium products, outstanding cooking, and courteous service for over 30 years.
Millie's American Kitchen
Photo courtesy of Millie’s American Kitchen
Millie's American Kitchen features simple and delectable American comfort food made with natural, organic, and sustainably-sourced ingredients. This tasty eatery offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Housed in a historic, 80-year-old farmhouse in Downtown Lafayette and owned by long-time locals Victor Ivry and Aimee Platt, they place a strong emphasis on providing patrons with classic American cuisine, fresh local ingredients, artisan coffee, craft beers, and amazing California wines. Whether you're enjoying their renowned mimosa weekend brunches and pints of beer on the patio, or breakfast with friends and family, Millie’s American Kitchen is sure to impress.
Oyama Sushi
Photo courtesy of Oyama Sushi
The freshness, delicacy, and elegance of Japanese cuisine are faithfully replicated at Oyama Sushi, which has locations in both Lafayette and Greenbrae. Oyama Sushi takes pride in their high-quality, fresh ingredients. Their classic and cutting-edge delicacies include nigiri, sashimi, sushi rolls, and noodles that push the envelope without losing authenticity. The culinary team at Oyama Sushi believes that the overall dining experience is as important as the food itself.
Bonehead's Texas BBQ
Photo courtesy of Bonehead’s Texas BBQ
A ranch-inspired restaurant, Bonehead’s Texas BBQ delivers classic barbecue, including delectable smoked beef brisket and pulled pork, alongside flavor-packed sauces and sides. While their meats take days to prepare, the coleslaw, potato salad, and mac and cheese are made fresh every day. Bonehead’s Texas BBQ doesn’t utilize charcoal or natural gas, opting instead for wood-fired smokers that infuse their cuts with a delicious smokey flavor.
Metro Lafayette
Photo courtesy of Metro Lafayette
Metro Lafayette is a chic restaurant merging metropolitan refinement with a laid-back suburban vibe. They have the largest outdoor patio in the East Bay, making them the ideal location for al fresco dinner among mulberry trees, garden herbs, and trellised vines. Their menu features a diverse range of seasonal California-French delicacies, including West Coast oysters, gulf shrimp salad, and roasted organic chicken breast. Metro Lafayette has a large wine selection that’s great for all tastes. The modern decor, which is curated by Berkeley-based Sheahan and Quandt, creates a chic and modern vibe that’s anchored by a full bar and raw bar.
The Park Bistro & Bar
Photo courtesy of The Park Bistro & Bar
The Park Bistro & Bar at Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa is one of the best eateries in the East Bay. This elegant fine dining establishment charms visitors with their chic French farmhouse-inspired decor, vivacious ambiance, and farm-to-table California cuisine. Guests can enjoy their meal indoors in a cozy nook or outdoors on the iconic patio. Whether you're enjoying a craft beer at the bar, relaxing with friends for an after-work drink, or sipping a glass of wine by an outdoor fire pit, you’re sure to enjoy all that The Park Bistro & Bar has to offer.
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*Header photo courtesy of Unsplash
