San Jose’s vibrant dining scene is one of the Bay Area’s best-kept secrets. In recent years, dozens of excellent restaurants, breweries, and wine bars have opened their doors in the so-called Capital of Silicon Valley.
The city serves up exceptionally elevated—and varied—dining experiences. Book a table at the Michelin-starred favorite, Chez TJ, for contemporary French cuisine. If a more casual, American-style meat and potatoes meal is what you’re after, head to Henry’s World-Famous Hi-Life, where a menu of steaks, dry-rubbed barbecue, and ribs—plus a variety of beers on tap and delicious sides—has been pulling diners in since the 1960s.
Think of a global cuisine and you’re almost sure to find it in here. Enjoy a kaleidoscope of authentic international flavors, including Ethiopian fare at Zeni Restaurant and Singaporean cuisine, which draws from the culinary traditions of China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India, at Straits Restaurant. With more Vietnamese residents than any city outside of Vietnam, the city is a hot spot for pho, banh-mi, and banh xeo—all of which can be found at the counter-service purveyors at Grand Century Mall in Little Saigon. (For more of a sit-down dining experience, try Pho Kim Long or Bun Bo Hue An Nam.)
Downtown San Jose’s lively, open-late food hall, San Pedro Square Market, is a great place for a casual hang or a grab-and-go meal. How about a bowl of Nepali steamed dumplings from Urban Momo? Or upscale tacos at Loteria accompanied by a tequila or craft beer from Alma Tequileria or Market Beer Company? For dessert, check out Mochinut, serving up mochi doughnuts which are almost too beautiful to eat, as well as Korean rice-flour hotdogs (all naturally gluten-free), and bubble tea drinks. None of your senses goes unserved in the public market’s three halls: Keep your nose peeled for the aroma of roasted coffee beans and wood-fired pizza, while enjoying live entertainment and local artwork.
On sunny days (which are the norm here), take your food out to a table or bench in the adjacent plaza, bordered by the Peralta Adobe (the city’s oldest building; guided tours are offered throughout the year).
Alongside its outstanding eats, San Jose first began making a name for itself in the craft brew scene back in 1988 with the opening of the Gordon Biersch Brewing Company. Their German-style pours adhere to the German Beer Purity Law; try the unfiltered Full Pressure Pilsner, made with three ingredients: malt, hops, and water. If timing permits, aim to pay a visit during one of their Night Market events that happen on Thursdays from May through September, where you’ll find live music, food trucks, and more. Following a different tradition—the Silicon Valley creed of “iterate, iterate, iterate”—Clandestine Brewing brews more than a dozen beers with innovative flavor profiles such as witbier with agave and lime, a smoked porter, and a chili-pepper smoked ale. Strike Brewing Company marries a sports-bar feel (pretzels and ping pong) with upscale Belgian-style beers. At local favorite Good Karma Artisan Ales & Café, you can sip carefully crafted lagers alongside the best vegan food in the South Bay. Enjoy!
