The Best Restaurant Openings in Northern California – October 2026

When Bacchus Management Group, the team behind Spruce and The Village Pub, opened Selby’s in Atherton in 2019, it brought a pocket of old-school glamour to the Peninsula. The group is attempting a similar feat with The Old Post Office, which opened October 1 inside Burlingame’s restored 1941 post office, a Spanish Colonial Revival landmark with Art Deco details. Executive chef Jonathan Granada previously worked at The French Laundry and served as culinary director at Otium in Los Angeles. The food matches the room: laminated brioche arrives with butter molded in the shape of the building’s eagle emblem, and a 10-day dry-aged duck is carved tableside. The restaurant is not interested in understatement, and Burlingame is more fun for it.

Anzu has occupied Hotel Nikko near Union Square for years, but its October 5 reopening gives local diners another reason to visit. Executive chef Jason Francisco’s menu runs from crudo and shareable plates to more substantial entrées, drawing on Northern California ingredients and Japanese flavors. The Petite Anzu Omakase, offered through November 12, goes further, with crispy dashi rice, dashi-poached lobster, miso-glazed king salmon, and yuzu crème brûlée. Hotel dining around Union Square could use some fresh energy, and Anzu’s return supplies it.

Bruma extends the month’s hotel-dining streak and scores another win for unapologetically opulent decor. The 80-seat cocktail lounge opened October 12 at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco on Nob Hill. Its name means “mist” in Spanish, a reference to the fog outside. The cocktail list is divided into four sections, but the real showpiece is a martini chilled tableside with liquid nitrogen. Seasonal afternoon tea occupies weekend daylight hours. Later in the day, the food stays in luxurious lounge territory with Dungeness crab rolls, a Wagyu smash burger, and warm Japanese milk bread with cultured seaweed butter.

Delage has served omakase beside Swan’s Market since 2016, making this a handoff rather than a debut. The restaurant reopened September 16 under Kyle Itani after founder Chikara Ono asked his longtime friend to take over. Itani’s East Bay restaurant group also includes Itani Ramen, Itani Sushi, and Yonsei Handrolls, while his Itani Sushi collaborator Jeremias Jimenez now leads Delage’s sushi program. Dinner offers an eight-course, $140 omakase that combines nigiri with miniature donburi bowls and a caviar-topped negitoro hand roll, as well as à la carte sushi. Lunch is new and more casual, with dedicated sets and an à la carte menu.

Shinka did not have to wait long for a dining room. Prelude closed September 19 inside The Jay, and Omakase Restaurant Group reopened the same space as Shinka on October 9. Executive chef Fumio Yonezawa makes his Bay Area debut after more than two decades cooking in Japan and New York, including at Jean-Georges. His $185 tasting menu is kaiseki-minded without being rigidly traditional, applying French technique to Japanese flavors and Northern California ingredients. Opening dishes include mushroom chawanmushi with Dungeness crab and black truffle dashi, locally caught cod marinated in shio koji and dressed with vin blanc, and an ohitashi of heirloom tomatoes and seasonal fruit. At the bar, Japanese whisky and artisanal sake share space with Old and New World wines and cocktails made with Japanese ingredients.

Sorso slipped into Orinda Theatre Square on September 23, technically too early for an October roundup but too useful to exclude. Longtime Orinda resident Daniele Carsano has given his neighbors a place for aperitivo and late drinks without leaving town, with beverage director Lucas Tischler overseeing the bar. Warm focaccia with mortadella, local oysters, crudo, and pizza al padellino round out the food. Cocktails include spritzes and the Spicy Nonna, a punchy combination of tequila, cilantro, and serrano salt foam. On Fridays and Saturdays, the bar stays open until midnight, which in Orinda may qualify as a minor nightlife revolution.