New BARTable restaurants in 2025 ... so far
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The Bay Area's restaurant game just keeps getting better and better. Photo courtesy of San Francisco Travel.
The Bay Area dining scene is off to a big start in 2025. New restaurants range from a lounge inspired by Alfred Hitchcock and an eatery co-owned by Warriors star Draymond Green to contemporary Afghan cuisine and classic San Francisco seafood. This year’s notable openings bring fresh flavors and stylish spaces to the Bay. Here are a few BARTable additions to the Bay Area’s diverse and delicious restaurant landscape.
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Afghan restaurant Jaji opened earlier this year in Oakland. Photo courtesy of Jaji.
Jaji | 19th St/Oakland
Jaji is one of Oakland’s most exciting new restaurant openings this year, bringing Afghan cuisine to The Town with a fresh, modern twist. From the team behind Parche, this Uptown restaurant combines family recipes with innovative techniques, serving dishes that are both rooted in tradition, yet creative. Try comforting classics like potato-and-pea-stuffed bolani alongside inventive plates, such as trout and saffron rice with candied Cara Cara oranges, or chicken liver mousse on brioche.
Here, even familiar formats, like skewers and burgers, are reimagined with Afghan flavors, making the food both approachable and distinctive. The Smash’d Chapli Sliders are a twist on the trending smash burger. Made with sumac-spiced lamb chapli kabob, pickled Persian cucumber and fennel and a dollop of creamy tzatziki. Beyond the menu, Jaji’s high ceilings, arched windows and colorful décor create a warm, rich atmosphere perfect for dinner with friends or a date night, and it's only 0.4 miles from 19th St/Oakland.
Don't skip the Millionaire's Bacon at Sweet Maple in Walnut Creek. Photo courtesy of Sweet Maple.
Sweet Maple | Walnut Creek
San Francisco’s Sweet Maple, famous for its Millionaire’s Bacon, officially opened in downtown Walnut Creek earlier this year. The eagerly awaited brunch spot brings its signature sweet-and-spicy bacon, deep-fried French toast and bottomless mimosas to a sleek yet comfortable setting in Contra Costa County. The restaurant uses top-quality, locally sourced organic ingredients to create creative twists on classics that you don't want to miss. The new Sweet Maple is only 0.4 miles from Walnut Creek Station.
Enjoy fresh seafood at the new Crustacean in San Francisco. Photo courtesy of Grubhub.
Crustacean | Montgomery St
After more than 30 years in Nob Hill, Crustacean has officially relocated to San Francisco's Financial District. The new, sleek space features 18th-century carved-wood doors, rose gold accents, and velvet settees. You can expect the same Vietnamese seafood dishes and garlic noodles, but now in a more elevated space.
So, tie on a plastic bib, dig into a local Dungeness crab and become part of a San Francisco legacy. You'll find the new Crustacean restaurant just 0.2 miles from Montgomery St at 195 Pine St.
Grab food to go or dine inside at the new Nopa Fish in the San Francisco Ferry Building. Photo courtesy of Nopa Fish.
Nopa Fish | Embarcadero
The San Francisco Ferry Building has a new restaurant, and it's a popular one! Helmed by chef-owner Laurence Jossel (of the renowned Nopa), this modern seafood market and eatery celebrates the sea with the same values that made Nopa a city staple: integrity, sustainability, and community.
Here, you’ll find responsibly sourced seafood at the market, and a casual menu of fresh fish, sourced from trusted small-boat fisheries in Bodega Bay, Monterey and San Francisco. Expect flavorful dishes, such as shrimp arancini with lemon aioli, rainbow trout, corn and shellfish chowder or even Latkes with house-smoked McFarland Springs trout, pickled beet hummus and horseradish crème fraîche. Visit this favorite neighborhood market and gathering spot, located just 0.3 miles from Embarcadero.
Enjoy bites and booze at the new Carlotta's inside Hotel Julian. Photo courtesy of Hotel Julian.
Carlotta’s Cocktail & Wine Bar | Civic Center/UN Plaza
The newest addition to San Francisco’s Hotel Julian, Carlotta’s Cocktail & Wine Bar, is inspired by Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” and named after one of its most mysterious characters. You'll find vintage nods to film noir throughout the space. Plus, Room 401 was used as a filming location in the 1958 classic.
The sultry, swanky cocktail lounge is sophisticated yet relaxed, providing a welcome escape to enjoy thoughtfully crafted seasonal cocktails and a tapas-style menu by Chef Juan Mendoza. Think charcuterie, oysters, steak sliders and salmon rillette. Whether you’re a movie buff or not, you won’t be disappointed at Carlotta’s, 0.6 miles from Civic Center/UN Plaza at 940 Sutter St.
Fresh seafood and playful cocktails await at the new Maritime Boat Club. Photo courtesy of The Infatuation (Robert Gomez).
Maritime Boat Club | Montgomery St
The Maritime Boat Club, the new sister restaurant to Bar Maritime at Palihotel San Francisco, brings elevated seafood dining to Union Square. Chef Felix Santos (Quince, Atelier Crenn, Sorrel) offers a menu full of fresh seafood and seasonal Bay Area produce. Guests can keep it casual with bar snacks like oysters and French fries, or splurge on “The Kraken,” a $125 tower overflowing with treats from the sea.
Regarding drinks, the curated wine list is extensive, featuring many affordable options, and the cocktails (including zero-proof options) are fun and flavorful. Choose from a classic martini or a Tai The Knot, which blends Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum, St. Benevolence Clarin, cherry, almond, amaretto and lime. Enjoy seafood and more, 0.3 miles from Montgomery St at 417 Stockton St.
For tasty chicken, head to Brasa Bros in the Mission. Photo courtesy of Brasa Bros.
Brasa Bros | 24th St Mission
Arguably the best chicken in town, Brasa Bros is a Peruvian chicken eatery crafted by the family behind the ever-popular Limón. At this fast and casual spot, chickens are available quartered, halved and whole, but you can also get a bucket of tenders or a sandwich. Sides include sweet potato fries, slaw and plantains.
One of the highlights at Brasa Bros is the dipping sauces. There are several options, including aji amarillo, a jalapeño-based option, and a “Brasa Bliss” creation that combines aji amarillo with barbecue sauce. As is tradition with Peruvian cuisine, none are particularly spicy. To try a new delicious spot in San Francisco, head to Brasa Bros, 0.4 miles from 24th St Mission at 1001 S. Van Ness Ave.
New San Francisco eatery, Meski, is full of bold flavors and vibrant design. Photo courtesy of SFist.
Meski | Civic Center/UN Plaza
Meski is one of the most exciting new restaurants in San Francisco. The eatery is co-owned by Warriors star Draymond Green, chef Nelson German (Top Chef contestant who runs Oakland restaurant Alamar Dominican Kitchen and Afro-Latin cocktail bar Sobre Mesa) and Guma Fassil (owner of Berkeley’s three-decade-old Ethiopian restaurant, Meski’s Kitchen and Garden).
The new modern Afro-Latin Ethiopian bistro fuses Dominican and Ethiopian flavors in a lush, colorful space. Expect everything from oysters and East African donuts to dishes like arroz con pollo, braised leg of lamb and Ethiopian-spiced coffee-rubbed steaks. At Meski, you'll enjoy the ambiance as much as the flavors, 0.7 miles from Civic Center/UN Plaza at 1000 Larkin St.
What's your favorite new Bay Area Restaurant in 2025?
by Nicole Findlay
Nicole Findlay is a Bay Area native. As a freelance journalist, she covers travel destinations all around the world, but her favorite place to write about is home.
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