For quite some time now, one of the Bay Area dining scene’s most poorly kept secrets has been that many of the most exciting restaurants aren’t opening in San Francisco anymore, especially on the lower and middle ends of the price spectrum. Instead they’re opening in the East Bay — all over Oakland and Berkeley, certainly, but also in places like Richmond, Hayward, and San Leandro. The truth is, the entire East Bay is jam-packed with excellent restaurants, from high-end tasting menus to cash-only taquerias. Even better, the local dining scene benefits from the tremendous diversity of these food communities.

In other words, the East Bay doesn’t have anything to prove. All that’s left, then, is to identify the very best places to eat. Thus, we present the East Bay Essential 38, our always evolving list of the area’s most excellent restaurants. As with the SF Essential 38, every few months we will add newly eligible restaurants (since candidates must be open at least six months to be considered), or restaurants that we’ve newly discovered, or that have recently stepped up their game.

Note well: There are clearly more than 38 places worth recommending, especially in as vast a geographic region as the East Bay, so omission (or removal) from the list shouldn’t be interpreted as a statement against a restaurant’s quality. This winter 2020 update is particularly wide-reaching, with 20 new restaurants added to the map — a part of our effort to make the Essential 38 a more inclusive and representative list.

Joining the list for this winter 2020 update: La Selva Taqueria, Mississippi Catfish, Sichuan Style Restaurant, Cafe Ohlone, Kiraku, Alem’s Coffee, Minnie Bell’s, Pyeong Chang Tofu House, Soba Ichi, Brown Sugar Kitchen, Grocery Cafe, Lucky Three Seven, Banh Mi Ba Le, Vientian Cafe, La Casita, Lena’s Soul Food, Utzutzu, Mi Zacatecas, Bluebird Pizzeria, and De Afghanan. Coming off this time around are the still excellent: Funky Elephant, Saul’s Deli, Comal, Tharaphu, Iyasare, Ippuku, Henry’s, La Note, Abesha, Ramen Shop, Fentons, Teni East Kitchen, Clove and Hoof, Beauty’s Bagel Shop, Perle Wine Bar, Shakewell, Duende, Shan Dong, Nido, and Pho Ao Sen.

April update: Fenton’s Creamery, Daughter Thai Kitchen, Perle Wine Bar. Coming off: Sequoia Diner, Kiraku, and Vientian Cafe.

July update: Henry’s at the Graduate Hotel, Clove and Hoof, and FOB Kitchen. Coming off: La Marcha, Lois the Pie Queen, and Wood Tavern.

Keep in mind, this list is presented North to South; there’s no ranking involved.

Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.