Best Bay Area casual elegant dining

Spruce
Mark Sullivan’s interpretation of contemporary American cuisine is inventive and appetizing. Beyond flavor-packed dishes like the honey-lacquered duck breast with foie gras, the restaurant has one of the best high-end charcuterie programs in the city. Add that to the stellar wait staff and you can be sure to have an exceptional dining experience.


The runner-up



Town Hall
Chefs/brothers Mitchell and Steven Rosenthal first restaurant in San Francisco is still their best. Serving inventive preparations of American classics with a southern flair, this is comfort food at its best. Sophisticated yet soulful.


Honorable mention



Luce
If you can ignore the corporate monolith that houses Luce as you cruise the Intercontinental hotel lobby towards the restaurant, you’re in for a treat. Chef Dominique Crenn is as talented in the kitchen as she is charming the dining room stopping at each table to greet her diners.


Well worth a trip



Bazaar, LA
José Andrés high-end tapas are simply put, exceptional. The restaurant serves over 60 traditional Spanish small plates and modern renditions using avant garde molecular gastronomy. The Liquid mozzarella caprese come to mind. Don’t believe everything you see but trust me, everything will be amazing.




Craft NY / Craft LA
Tom Colicchio’s flagship restaurants serve fine dining family style. Despite the somewhat complicated menu, you can order with confidence; everything is of great quality and very well prepared. But if you order one thing, get the octopus.