13 Bay Area Restaurants to Look Forward to in 2024

‘Tis the season for looking back at the year gone by — and, of course, looking forward to what’s coming in the new year. When it comes to the latter, there’s plenty of good news for Bay Area diners. This list includes more than a dozen restaurants we’re excited to check out in 2024, and it’s certainly not all-inclusive. Before the calendar turns, Golden Bear Station from the husband-and-wife team who made Animo a Sonoma Country destination will open its doors. Plus, 2024 promises to see the expansion of Nikkei destination Kaiyo into SoMa and the return of the historic Cliff House, though likely under a new name.

For fans of Kansas-style burnt ends, international fine dining, and maximalist ice cream, here are 13 Bay Area restaurants to get hungry for next year.

Early To Rise

Early To Rise

Opening February 2024

Chef Andrew McCormack earned fans running Early to Rise as a brunch pop-up in Nob Hill but in February he’ll move into a space in the NoPa neighborhood. The former fine-dining chef puts a bit of flair and Southern influence on breakfast fare such as doughnuts, bagel sandwiches, and rotating specials. 1801 McAllister Street, San Francisco

Starlite

Starlite

Opening February 2024

Early next year the legendary Starlight Room at the Beacon Grand Hotel just off Union Square resumes its spot in the San Francisco skyline. The cocktail bar’s name has been chopped down to “Starlite” but the team behind the project — which includes Scott Baird (formerly Trick Dog), Alice Crumeyrolle (formerly Ken Fulk Inc.), and chef Johnny Spero — aims to re-establish the bar and restaurant as a destination for both locals and tourists. Beacon Grand Hotel, 450 Powell Street, San Francisco

Ritual at Manresa

Opening February 2024

Almost exactly a year after the closure of three-Michelin-starred Manresa, chef David Kinch is back — and he’s bringing a slew of star-powered chefs with him. Ritual at Manresa will see the former Manresa space turned into a venue for some of the world’s best chefs to post up for three-week residencies. The lineup includes chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants all over the world: Aponiente chef Ángel León from Spain, Lasarte chef Paolo Casagrande from Spain, and the Clove Club chef Isaac McHale of London. 320 Village Lane, Los Gatos

Mestiza

Opening February 2024

Deanna Sison, co-founder of SoMa restaurant Little Skillet, plans to branch out with a new restaurant called Mestiza early next year. The “plant-forward” restaurant will offer lighter versions of Southeast Asian and Filipino dishes and on some evenings will host communal Kamayan-style dinners. 214 Townsend Street, San Francisco

Eric Wolfinger

Che Fico Pizzeria

Opening March 2024

Hot on the heels of debuting a stunning restaurant in Menlo Park, the Che Fico team is gearing up to open their first standalone pizzeria at Thrive City just outside the Chase Center in the coming months. The restaurant will take over the space above Miller & Lux offering whole pies and slices, plus salads, sandwiches, and soft-serve gelato. Thrive City, 1725 Third Street, San Francisco

Stateline Road Smokehouse

Opening March 2024

Chef Darryl Bell and business partner Jeremy Threat have been creeping toward the opening of Stateline Road Smokehouse for quite some time but appear to be holding steady for a late-winter debut. The 100-seat, Kansas-style barbecue restaurant takes over a former auto body shop in Napa and will serve brisket, ribs, chicken, pulled pork, and burnt ends. 872 Vallejo Street, Napa

Moro

Opening early 2024

Chef Mourad Lahlou of Moroccan dining destinations Mourad and Aziza expects to open his long-awaited wine country spot Moro at the Oxbow Public Market next year. It’s been a long time coming and draws inspiration from Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakesh’s night market, with a menu of grilled meats, flatbreads, salads, wraps, spreads, and more. Oxbow Public Market, 601 1st Street Napa

Eylan

Opening summer 2024

Chef Srijith Gopinathan and partner Ayesha Thapar, the duo behind hit restaurants Ettan and Copra, will add another spot to their growing roster with Eylan. The upcoming Menlo Park restaurant will serve a “global interpretation of Indian cuisine” with seasonal produce and proteins cooked over a wood-fired grill. Look forward to a snack cat of chaats, farsans, and other Indian snack foods. 500 El Camino Real, Menlo Park

Rendering by Studio Terpeluk

Bon Delire

Opening April 2024

The former Hard Water space at Pier 3 on the Embarcadero will become Bon Delire, a French bistro from Kais Bouzidi, owner of downtown restaurants Sens and Barcha. Bouzidi, who grew up in Paris, plans to focus on Champagne and cocktails by day shifting to a heavier food menu at night. Expect a stylish waterfront space offering lunch, brunch, happy hour, and dinner, plus a DJ booth. Pier 3, Suite 102, the Embarcadero, San Francisco

Quik Dog Mission Rock

Opening late 2024

As reported in mid-November, the team behind lauded cocktail bar Trick Dog will bring a fast-casual restaurant and bar to a massive upcoming development at Mission Rock. Quik Dog, a spinoff of Trick Dog’s pandemic-era pivot of the same name, will serve burgers, hot dogs, tries, and, naturally, cocktails at the Canyon, the first of four planned Mission Rock buildings. The Canyon at Mission Rock, 1023 3rd Street, San Francisco

Pete Lee

Four Kings

Opening in Q1 2024

Following a summer of sold-out pop-ups, the group behind Four Kings locked down a Chinatown space where they plan to open their first permanent restaurant in the first three months of the year. Former Mister Jiu’s chefs Franky Ho and Mike Long, and their respective partners Millie Boonkokua and Lucy Li, plan to offer what they call “Canto Nostalgia” fare — think pork chop tomato rice and escargot topped with in-house-made XO butter. 710 Commercial Street, San Francisco

Bad Walter’s Bootleg Ice Cream

Opening 2024

There’s no ice cream being scooped currently, but Bad Walter’s Bootleg Ice Cream, which started as a pop-up in 2020, will leap into a permanent space next year. Owner Sydney Arkin signed a lease on the former Smitten Ice Cream space in Rockridge, where she’ll offer three or four permanent flavors and just as many that rotate weekly. Look for fresh-made cones and hot chocolate “chocogatos.” 5800 College Avenue, Oakland

Alora

Opening 2024

Anu and Vikram Bhambri, the couple behind Michelin guide-recognized ROOH Progressive Indian, will bring their latest project to the San Francisco waterfront next year. Alora will move into a space at Pier 3 and aims to “transport diners from the California coast to the shores of the Mediterranean.” The menu promises mezze, pasta, and a mix of seafood and dry-aged meats cooked over a charcoal grill. The Embarcadero Pier 3, Ste 108, San Francisco