CALIFORNIA
From Strip Malls to Downtown Gems: The 15 Best Restaurants in San Jose Right Now
By Mei Chen | Aug. 2, 2025
AUTHOR BIO: Mei Chen has worked for nearly a dozen start-ups in as many years, taking her to several West Coast cities. While she’s sure her current day job is permanent, she also has her eye on Carmel.
Years ago when I worked for a little San Jose tech start-up that never quite shed the little part of being a start-up, I became the unofficial lunch concierge for my office. I was the one who knew which taqueria made the carnitas worth the traffic and which noodle shop had broth that could cure a Monday.
These days, I come back often, still chasing the best tacos, birria, sushi, and noodles this city can offer. After eating my way across downtown and the unassuming plazas that define so much of San Jose dining, I’ve finally put all that intel to use. If you’ve ever Googled “restaurants near me in San Jose,” this is the list you actually want. Here are the best San Jose restaurants right now.
Acopio
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Best for: Modern Mexican cooking with deep flavors and creative cocktails
Acopio took nearly a decade to show up after a fire leveled the taqueria that once stood here, but the wait makes sense once you see the place. It feels closer to a sleek spot in Mexico City than anything in this zip code, with a menu that does right by California’s produce. There’s chile‑adobo duck confit under a dark, complex chocolate molé and huaraches topped with mushrooms and hibiscus flowers that are way better than they have any right to be. Grab a table for dinner when the room buzzes, or sit at the bar with a Passion Escondida, a clarified margarita that’s as elegant as the surroundings.
Adega
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Best for: Michelin‑starred Portuguese tasting menus and rare bottles of wine
Adega was San Jose’s first Michelin‑starred restaurant, and after a brief closure in 2023 it returned in late 2024 to the same Little Portugal space. Chef David Costa and pastry chef Jessica Carreira put out a Portuguese tasting menu that blends pristine California ingredients with imported specialties. There’s bacalhau over crisp potatoes, sweet carabineros with lemongrass and seaweed, and a caramelized flan topped with vanilla ice cream. The wine list runs deep with rare Portuguese bottles, the kind of collection that can turn dinner into a long night of discovering what you didn’t know you liked.
AK Kitchen
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Best for: Big‑flavor Vietnamese street food and scratch‑made drinks in a casual setting
AK Kitchen is the kind of neighborhood powerhouse that punches above its weight. Chef-owner Lam Ngo runs the whole show—cooking, serving, even delivering—turning out Vietnamese street food, Korean‑Japanese fusion snacks, and scratch-made South Asian ice cream and egg coffee. Think lobster noodles simmered in coconut broth, shaken beef cubes, popcorn chicken with basil sauce, sautéed baby clams, and a seriously addictive furikake Chex mix. Don’t skip their egg coffee made fresh (no powder), and bubble teas flavored with taro, matcha, or milk tea—plus the lemongrass orange peach tea that nearly steals the show.
Back A Yard Caribbean Grill
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Best for: Jerk chicken, oxtails, and plates that taste like a Caribbean backyard cookout
Back A Yard is San Jose’s go‑to spot for Caribbean flavors done right, with multiple locations around the city. I send coworkers here for jerk chicken that’s reliably smoky and juicy; you can even order white meat only if bones bother you. The beef oxtails fall almost off the bone, and curried goat rich enough to make you nostalgic for a Caribbean grandma you didn’t have. Every plate comes with rice and peas, fried plantains, and if you hit it on a Wednesday, the brown stew chicken is a favorite. Add in corn festivals for sauce mopping and a lineup of jerk tacos, patties, and honey BBQ ribs, and you’ve got a spot that brings real Caribbean cheer to a San José strip‑mall storefront.
Din Tai Fung
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Best for: Perfectly pleated soup dumplings and a side of crowd‑pleasing Taiwanese comfort food
I’ve eaten soup dumplings all over the world, but when I’m here, Din Tai Fung is the one restaurant I trust to deliver the Kurobuta pork Xiao Long Bao that made the chain world-famous. Their precision folding (18 perfect pleats per dumpling) guarantees that just-right pop of hot broth and perfectly seasoned meat in every bite. The menu also features spicy shrimp and pork wontons, Shanghai-style noodles, cucumber salad, and braised beef noodle soup—feel-good dishes done clean and consistent. Go early or snag a seat at the bar if you’re solo; late evenings tend to carry lines, but the food makes the wait worth it.
Eos & Nyx
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Best for: Fine dining that always feels like an event
The former movie theater that houses Eos & Nyx has soaring ceilings, indoor trees, and a liquor carousel that moves bottles between two bars. Chef Nicko Moulinos, who grew up in Corfu and trained at the CIA before stints at Le Bernardin and Kith/Kin, leans into Mediterranean flavors with dishes like duck pappardelle, wood‑grilled New York strip with potato espuma, and mezze plates that arrive meant for sharing. Even brunch goes big here, with Vietnamese bò né alongside cocktails named things like the Jean Claude Pandan and Neon Medusa.
Fitoor
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Best for: Indian flavors paired with an always-fun vibe
Fitoor feels like the bravest thing on Santana Row—and maybe in all of San José—because it refuses to play it safe. Instead of menu crowd-pleasers, you get dishes built to challenge and excite: soft-shell crab fried crisp and drizzled with poriyal and tomato chutney, scallops bathed in a peanut-butter salan, and a whole branzino grilled and topped with coriander‑mint pesto. The small plates and chaats, with names and flavor combinations you haven’t seen before, are all killer. The cocktails are in the same universe—some spiked with black garlic or even manchego cheese—and the jewel-toned dining room feels polished without ever going stuffy. Fitoor doesn’t just raise the bar on Indian food in the city—it tears it up.
La Forêt
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Best for: Old‑school French elegance with wild‑game entrées and tableside soufflé service
La Forêt sits in a former 19th‑century stagecoach stop beside a quiet creek in the hills of New Almaden, and it feels every bit like a relic from a different era of dining. The kitchen leans classic French, serving dishes like elk loin with rich wine sauces, wild boar, and a prawn meunière that would make Escoffier proud. Its Grand Marnier soufflé, finished tableside with crème anglaise, remains the move if you want a bit of theater with dessert. For anyone looking for a white‑tablecloth throwback where dinner stretches into a whole evening, this is still the place.
Le Papillon
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Best for: Classic French fine dining in a room that knows exactly how special it is
Le Papillon has quietly anchored San José’s fine‑dining scene since 1977—this is the white‑tablecloth French restaurant that helped put the city on the culinary map. Scott Cooper, who climbed every station in the kitchen before becoming executive chef, turns out seasonal tasting menus that nod to classical technique while staying aggressively modern. You might find prawn crudo with kumquat and caviar or red deer loin paired with huckleberry and golden chanterelles—every plate is a muted masterpiece. The vibe is quiet and elegant, which is why this is the San José restaurant I recommend to people who are seriously into food.
Mini Boss
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Best for: Cocktails, arcade games, and late‑night snacks in a neon‑lit playground
Mini Boss is the kind of arcade-bar hybrid I never expected would fit into downtown San Jose—until I walked into 30 vintage arcade machines, neon lights and a walk-up Asian fusion counter that turns playful snacks into cocktails companions. The team behind Paper Plane and Still OG opened it in the former Toons Piano Bar space, soaking the historic brick walls and tin ceilings in ’80s nostalgia. You can order kimchi noodles, cheesy Korean rice cakes, or grandma-style pizza next to a game of Street Fighter while sipping fresh cocktails about as colorful as the venue. I still send friends here when they’re looking for a night out that’s part dinner, part mini‑gaming marathon.
Naschmarkt
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Best for: Austrian comfort food—schnitzel, goulash, and plenty of wine and beer to match
Naschmarkt nails the rare balancing act of Austrian tradition and lively California energy—no small feat just 10 miles from downtown San José. Chef Michael Castro runs a kitchen that puts crisp Wiener schnitzel (veal or pork) front and center, served with lingonberry sauce and potato salad, alongside a hearty Hungarian beef goulash with herbed spätzle. I’m a sucker for the golden pan-seared scallops resting on a silky purple cauliflower purée—elegant and unexpected in the best way. Order a sausage trio or pretzel with house cheese sauce, grab a German lager or a crafty cocktail, and call it an evening the right way.
Paper Plane
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Best for: Creative cocktails and bar bites in a downtown spot that’s lively without being fussy
I’ve been pointing people to Paper Plane since it opened in 2013—right in the heart of downtown, where its creative cocktails and casual energy still feel fresh. The bartenders here treat drinks like an art form—think punches, offbeat takes on classics, and a bottle collection that includes spirits you might never have seen. Besides cocktails, the menu features solid bites like chicken tacos, wings, and pot pie samosas whenever hunger strikes. It’s the place I send people when they want serious craft without the pretension—good drinks, simple food, and a vibe that always hits the right note.
Petiscos
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Best for: Portuguese small plates and seafood in a relaxed, share‑everything kind of spot
Petiscos is the casual Portuguese chef‑driven sibling to San José’s post-Adega project—and it’s earned serious buzz in its own right. Expect crispy croquettes and the decadent seafood rice that rivals anything you’d find at its higher-end predecessor. The menu is built for sharing: think fish and seafood plates, pig’s ear salad, and linguiça served with braised peas. The vibe is relaxed but focused—a spot you bring friends to when you want bold, authentic Portuguese flavors without dress codes or fuss.
Still OG
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Best for: DJs spinning vinyl while you sip cocktails and eat bar food that’s way better than it needs to be
Still OG feels like the soundtrack behind San Jose’s nightlife—DJs spinning vinyl in a wood-paneled lounge while people sip draft cocktails and chow down on smash burgers or scallion pancakes. The owners of Mini Boss and Paper Plane reimagined their old beer hall into a cozy bar with music and elevated comfort food—don’t skip the crab garlic noodles or robata skewers of octopus or king trumpet mushrooms. It’s relaxed, energetic, and your go-to when you want sought-after drinks without the fuss—but still with solid food. For friends asking “where’s a good cocktail bar in San Jose,” I still point them here first.
The Table
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Best for: Seasonal California cooking and cocktails in a neighborhood restaurant that feels personal
The Table opened in 2012 from chef‑owner Jim Stump and has grown into one of Willow Glen’s most reliable neighborhood spots. The menu changes with the seasons but keeps to California comfort: Spanish octopus, steak tartare with charred avocado, a rich cioppino, and Stump’s signature pork chop or half chicken with polenta and brussels sprouts. The cocktails follow the same philosophy, built with fresh juices and house‑made syrups, while the wine list leans adventurous without getting fussy. It’s the place I send people who want a serious dinner without the white‑tablecloth attitude.
