Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area

OpenTable

Updated 05 June 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in San Francisco Bay Area? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you book, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Velvet 48 Wine Bar

5.0

5 (85)

$31 to $50

Wine Bar

Burlingame

About the restaurant

Velvet 48 is a premium wine bar in downtown Burlingame started by 20-year wine industry veteran, Jason Cooper. We offer over 40 wines by the glass, 1100 wines by the bottle, a cultivated beer selection, and a variety of delicious savory and sweet small plates.

We have wines across every price point so there is something for everyone, from the casual wine drinker to the wine aficionado, who will be impressed by a wine collection that houses some of the finest wines in the world. We aim to cultivate an experience for our guests that starts with a complimentary splash of our house label, Velvet 48 Sparkling wine, followed by outstanding service from our Wine Specialists to guide you through our expansive list. We offer a discount of 25% off bottles purchased TO GO.

Due to the nature of our alcoholic license, we are unable to allow anyone under 21 on the premises, including infants.

Thank your for your understanding.

Top review

Michael

Dined on 5 Apr 2025

Hundreds of wines to choose, from local to worldwide. Knowledgable and friendly staff, chic tasting room, always great vibes and good tunes spinning when we visit Velvet 48!

Burma Love

4.9

4.9 (83)

$31 to $50

Burmese

SOMA

About the restaurant

Located in San Francisco, Burma Love is the contemporary younger sister to the Burma Superstar Family of Restaurants.

Our restaurants are divided between a semi-private bar area and main dining room, so whether you are looking for a place to have an intimate dinner date, or an eventful night out with your family and friends, Burma Love fits the bill.

Top review

Sofia

Dined 6 days ago

No notes, best meal start to finish. Platha and dip is a must have, could drink the dip.

Speisekammer

4.8

4.8 (1643)

$30 and under

German

Alameda

About the restaurant

Traditional German cuisine- Pickup-take out & delivery through UberEats, Postmates & Grubhub- Limited outdoor dining.

Top review

Karen

Dined on 24 May 2025

Very fun, large menu, good food, friendly wait staff

Tacolicious - Marina

4.8

4.8 (62)

$30 and under

Mexican

Marina / Cow Hollow / Presidio

About the restaurant

Tacolicious is a casual, modern Mexican restaurant with locations in San Francisco and Palo Alto. We source our ingredients responsibly, take our tacos as seriously as our cocktails, and offer a fun sit-down, full-service experience. We have outdoor dining and private rooms and do off-site catering. Go to tacolicious.com for more information; catering requests can be sent to events@tacolicious.com.

Questions? Please email us at marina_management@tacolicious.com. We reply to emails quickly!

Top review

KatieVIP

Dined on 6 June 2025

The restaurant is oppressively loud. My 6yo was upset about how loud it was the whole time; my husband was so overwhelmed after an hour he was itching to leave; and my 11yo son, mom, and I were frustrated that we had to yell at each other to be heard.

Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge

4.8

4.8 (447)

$30 and under

Cocktail Bar

Alameda

About the restaurant

About
Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge is a tropical vacation spot right in the middle of your hometown! Serving award-winning, world famous classic and exotic cocktails along with many original recipes, along with some tasty snacks, Forbidden Island is a retro-oasis in the desert of your busy modern day! Now open indoors (seated capacity only) as well as outdoors in our Tiki Garden/ Patio, 7 days a week.

* Please note that all reservations are limited to 90 minutes for groups of 1-3 and 2 hours for groups of 4-8.

Top review

JosephineBVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Forbidden Island has always been like a big hug for us every visit . Great staff , friendliest Ohana , corn dogs and chicken bites , and consistently stellar cocktails prepared by the best bartenders always keep us coming back. So grateful to Michael Thanos for keeping it going for 19 years and cheers to many more ! Mahalo !

Saucy Oakland

4.8

4.8 (166)

$30 and under

Asian

Oakland

About the restaurant

Saucy Oakland features fun and delicious Pan-Asian dishes like the Thai Corndog, Hamachi spoons, soy-braised beef short ribs, and garlic noodles. Enjoy our original dishes with a selection of premium sake, sake spritzers, wine, beer, soft drinks, and tea.

We are currently accepting reservations for lunch (Tue-Fri) for parties of 5 or more. We currently DO NOT offer TABLE SERVICE for lunch. We hope to provide this service in the future. Please order at the counter when you arrive.

Happy Hour and Dinner (Wed-Sat).
Brunch on Sundays from 11-2:30PM

Saucy Oakland is a fun and creatively driven project put together by locals Chef Tony and Jenni in 2015. They've partnered up their passion for food to deliver their take on a fun concept that focuses on friends mingling over great food.

Top review

Russ

Dined 6 days ago

Great food and service in a space where you can have a quiet conversation.

Paradise Sushi and Hibachi

4.8

4.8 (94)

$31 to $50

Sushi

Santa Rosa

About the restaurant

Paradise Sushi strives to offer customers a family-friendly service and the best ingredients ranging from our homemade sauces to the freshest fish.

Always looking for a way to innovate its sushi, and the atmosphere to give customers an experience to remember.

Here at Paradise Sushi, our goal os ti provide good food, good service and a place where family and friends can come together to have a great time.

Thank you for choosing Paradise Sushi

Top review

Lauren

Dined on 4 June 2025

Excellent hibachi experience!!! Would definitely recommend to anyone wanting to have a fun celebration!! Wonderful staff. Very nice people!

Spasso

4.7

4.7 (1390)

$30 and under

Italian

San Carlos

About the restaurant

Spasso features Italian, Mediterranean cuisine and Tapas. Spasso has been a new favorite neighborhood destination located in San Carlos on Laurel Street. Spasso features an extensive Napa Valley and Italian wine selection, and a full bar with specialized cocktails are available. Our waitstaff are consistently friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. And, the atmosphere is lively and exciting.

Top review

frankVIP

Dined on 1 June 2025

My favorite place in San Carlos . The food was perfect, our server was great . I love this place for the last 20 years or so .

Tacolicious - Palo Alto

4.7

4.7 (216)

$30 and under

Mexican

Palo Alto

About the restaurant

Tacolicious is a casual, modern Mexican restaurant with locations in San Francisco and Palo Alto. We source our ingredients responsibly, take our tacos as seriously as our cocktails, and offer a fun sit-down, full-service experience.

Large party of 12 +? Email us at palo_alto_management@tacolicious.com and we'll fit you in. We have outdoor dining, a great private room and do off-site catering. Go to tacolicious.com for more information; catering requests can be sent to events@tacolicious.com.

Top review

Neelam

Dined on 6 June 2025

Food was great as usual. Our servers were nice and attentive. Brought us extra chips and salsa and even gave us some to take home along with our “doggie bag”. The also took good photos of us as we were celebrating a graduation. Must try the margaritas and shrimp tacos and fish tacos. Perfectly seasoned and cooked. The 10 tacos plate is a great value and more than enough food for 4 adults. We come often and whenever we try a different Mexican place we always wish we just went to tacolicious!!

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