Diners' Choice: Contemporary American restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Contemporary American cuisine in San Francisco Bay Area? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Firefly Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (3007)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Noe Valley

About the restaurant

We serve food that, more often than not, accesses that part of our deepest soul where genuine expression can flow forth. We have always tried to give our food and service our best selves, as honest and vulnerable as we can muster. We strive to be a place where you might actually have a real connection; maybe with your server, maybe with your food or maybe with your possibly gracious host who is ACTUALLY glad you’re there.

Oh, you wanted a restaurant description? Sorry. Can’t really help you there. We’re not so big on labels. Our food is hard to nail down as we are constantly evolving and entirely seasonal and personal. We’ve used “Food you eat” as a tag line on occasion and that remains accurate. We could also describe it as “Food we really want you to eat”. When you’re here, tell us what you would call it.

Top review

Michelle

Dined 2 days ago

We love Firefly! The food is always delicious and they are extremely vegan friendly. We can go out for a meal and have several options to choose from. The service is always great; we really like the people who work there and the atmosphere is lovely. It’s perfect for a date night or a fun meal with friends. Firefly is our favorite local spot and it’s a treat to come back again and again.

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Popular dish

Fried Heritage Chicken

Popular dish

Key Lime Pie

Walter Hansel Wine Bistro

4.8

4.8 (1947)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Santa Rosa

About the restaurant

We are located just 6 minutes from Coddingtown Mall and 10 minutes from Downtown Santa Rosa surrounded by beautiful vineyards with an onsite garden for fresh, farm-to-table vegetables and herbs.

"An impressive new Santa Rosa restaurant that's instantly one of our best"
Jeff Cox, renowned Wine Country food critic.

If you are unable to find the reservation you want, please call us directly at (707) 546-6462. Thank you.

Top review

BrianVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Dennis and everyone else working there were an absolute delight! The best of everything!

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Popular dish

Caesar Salad

Popular dish

Lobster Bisque En Croûte

Popular dish

Roasted Beet Salad

The Progress

4.8

4.8 (2469)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Western Addition

About the restaurant

The Progress is a vehicle for a completely local production. Innovative meals are served with memorable wine & cocktails. The Greatest Dinner Party Ever.

Top review

Alex

Dined 6 days ago

Second time being here but I brought more of my family this time and it was incredible. I would get everything again, service was amazing too. Would recommend to anyone!

Blossom and Root Kitchen

4.8

4.8 (149)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Danville

About the restaurant

Featuring plant based ingredients, elevated cooking techniques, a creative beverage list and a colorful ambiance with indoor and outdoor seating. Blossom & Root is the Tri-Valley dining destination for anyone curious about - or naturally inclined towards contemporary vegan fare with an "Eat Local" emphasis. Private dining is available. The pretty space is full of blue patterns and hues, with lots of plants (decorative and possibly edible). Featuring just as creative of a bar program as menu. Joe Steiner has elevated the bar program to match our eclectic menu by Chef Chris Johnson. Together the team puts out beautiful food and beverages not to be missed.

Top review

deena

Dined on Dec 19, 2024

Every dish that we ordered with friends was delicious! Service was great! No complaint.s Highly recommended!

Blue Plate

4.9

4.9 (1524)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Bernal Heights

About the restaurant

The Blue Plate opened in 1999 as a casual spot where friends and neighbors can enjoy the best ingredients our seasons have to offer. Owners Cory Obenour and Jeff Trenam have created a space that feels like a home, with three distinct dining rooms each appointed with the work of local artists. In the back, a lush, night-fragrant garden offers an exotic retreat from the bustle of the city. The kitchen stays committed to using the highest quality local produce and meats in classic American and rustic Mediterranean dishes. Through a working friendship with Bay Area farmers, the Blue Plate is expanding the notion of "the blue plate special" to include dining that is casual, affordable, delicious and responsible.

Top review

Jan

Dined on Dec 15, 2024

We had five people who were all pleased with their meals. The chicory salad with blue cheese was a big hit. Great mix of lightly bitter greens with dates and nuts! Very tasty. We felt welcome and the overall experience was festive and fun.

Goldfinch

4.7

4.7 (416)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Sebastopol

About the restaurant

Goldfinch, a modern American bistro located in Sonoma county, celebrates the riches of nature and the rewards of kindness and hard work. Collaboration and community are at the heart of our local and seasonally driven menu, all centered around an open-wood fire. Come eat and drink with us!

Top review

TiffanyVIP

Dined 6 days ago

This place never disappoints. The food is always top notch and the service A+. Look forward to our next visit.

Octavia

4.7

4.7 (2624)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Pacific Heights

About the restaurant

Octavia is the sister restaurant of Frances, helmed by award-winning Chef Owner Melissa Perello. Octavia serves dinner five nights a week in an elegant and relaxed neighborhood setting. Beautifully defined flavors and seasonally driven cuisine are the cornerstones of Octavia’s menu. Leveraging longstanding relationships with the region’s top purveyors and farms, Octavia's daily evolving selections spotlight Chef Perello's commitment to sustainability and the Bay Area’s wealth of agricultural resources.

Top review

Audrey

Dined 5 days ago

The food quality at Octavia is very high. The chefs really know what they’re doing. We had a pre-fixe menu for Christmas Eve dinner and they accommodated dietary restrictions with advanced notice. They actually called a few days in advance of the reservation to confirm the dietary restrictions which was really nice. We had 9 courses I think and they were all delicious. My favorites were the soup and the pasta dishes. The service was also very good, the servers were very attending and accommodating. There was one dish I didn’t eat much of because it had radicchio in it which I don’t like, and our server offered to have the kitchen make me a replacement dish with a different lettuce instead. The only negative of Octavia is that it feels very cramped. The space is small and they squeeze in a lot of tables so you’re sitting basically on top of other diners and it’s a little awkward. Everything else was great though. I would definitely recommend Octavia as a good place for special occasions or bringing out of town visitors.

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Experience

New Year's Eve at Octavia

Experience

Holiday Prix Fixe Menu

Spruce

4.8

4.8 (5407)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Presidio Heights

About the restaurant

Open for lunch (two courses/$65), brunch (three courses/$98), and dinner (three courses/$125), Spruce offers seasonal prix-fixe menus crafted by Chef Mark Sullivan. Each menu offers a wide range of options, as well as luxurious additions (examples: caviar, truffles) for supplemental prices. Our cuisines is complemented by an extensive wine list which holds "Wine Spectator" magazine's highest honor, a Grand Award. The bar/lounge is available for walk-ins on a first-come, first-serve basis. We look forward to welcoming you to Spruce soon!

Top review

Stephanie

Dined 5 days ago

I always enjoy my visits to this wonderful restaurant. The service is the best! The food is incredible and I am never disappointed. Thank you!!

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Maine Lobster Spaghetti

Gatehouse Restaurant at The Culinary Institute of America

4.8

4.8 (1126)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

St. Helena

About the restaurant

Join us for a unique dining experience that is unmatched in the Napa Valley. Set on the historic campus of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone, Gatehouse Restaurant showcases the talents of CIA students who have completed two years of rigorous study, under the supervision of our world-class faculty. Enjoy a meal inspired by local produce from the college’s own farms and gardens, and other high-quality ingredients. Reservations are strongly encouraged.

Top review

Shaeehea

Dined on Dec 18, 2024

Always great food and service love talking to the students regarding their journey into culinary arts chef restaurant management. They now include a 20% scholarship tip on the whole bill. I believe it should be the option to pay or not or tip less since it is for a scholarship fund and not for the servers.

Valette

4.7

4.7 (3788)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Healdsburg

About the restaurant

Contemporary American: Portraying what Sonoma County has to offer with refined elegance and simplicity.

We will showcase what the region has to offer by focusing on the amazing network of farmers and artisan producers in the area. The relationships we have formed with our purveyors have given us the opportunity to work with what is available while providing the flexibility of changing our menu weekly.

We are determined to provide warm and personable service by dedicated professionals who love what they do. Every guest will feel as if we were inviting them into our own homes.

The wine program is inspired by the incredible history and diversity of the region that surrounds us. Here you can explore classic varieties made by the pioneers whose dedication has made Northern California one of the most exciting wine growing regions in the world.

Top review

Chris

Dined 2 days ago

Wonderful experience. Staff went above and beyond for my wife’s bday. All the food was incredible (poke, soup, pork, duck, etc). Generous portions of everything too. Thanks for another memorable evening!!

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Popular dish

Day Boat Scallops en Croute

Popular dish

Coriander Crusted Duck Breast

Popular dish

Prime New York Strip Loin

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