The top of a new month offers an opportunity to fill your calendar with plans to visit all the new places you’ve been meaning to check out across the East Bay. That’s where this list comes in: The East Bay Heatmap is for those keeping track of the latest noteworthy restaurants, cafes, and bakeries opening on the east side of the Bay Bridge.
Here Are the Hottest New Restaurants in the East Bay, February 2025
The most exciting new restaurants in Oakland, Berkeley, and beyond
Those looking to add more new restaurants to their checklist can also peruse the San Francisco Heatmap for new spots in the city. Read on for the East Bay’s most exciting new places to eat and drink.
Here Are the Hottest New Restaurants in the East Bay, February 2025
The most exciting new restaurants in Oakland, Berkeley, and beyond
The top of a new month offers an opportunity to fill your calendar with plans to visit all the new places you’ve been meaning to check out across the East Bay. That’s where this list comes in: The East Bay Heatmap is for those keeping track of the latest noteworthy restaurants, cafes, and bakeries opening on the east side of the Bay Bridge.
Those looking to add more new restaurants to their checklist can also peruse the San Francisco Heatmap for new spots in the city. Read on for the East Bay’s most exciting new places to eat and drink.
Gold Palm
Shirin Raza and Daniel Gahr of Bar Shiru took over this corner space in the Floral Depot building and installed Gold Palm, a restaurant that serves what the couple dubbed “Pakistani party food.” Diners can tuck into chicken samosas, salads, or the chile cheese toasty, a cheddar- and Gruyere-laden grilled cheese with jalapeño inside. If there’s time, see if there’s room to dip into the attached speakeasy Moonglow for drinks, although be aware that visitors are prohibited from taking photos and videos inside.
Patricia Chang
June’s Pizza
June’s Pizza became a pandemic-era pop-up darling thanks to the strength of its pizza offerings, but it was unceremoniously shut down due to a lack of necessary health permits in 2021. Still, pizzaiolo Craig Murli persevered, reopening June’s at 2408 Mandela Parkway in September 2024. June’s is known for its cheese-dusted crusts and a limited menu consisting of just two pies a night — margherita and a rotating special. Some may think that’s unorthodox for a pizza place, but diners aren’t complaining, as the pizzas often sell out quickly.
Itani Sushi
Chefs Kyle Itani and Jeremias Jimenez took over this long-running sushi counter in 2024 and formed Itani Sushi. They’re continuing on with grab-and-go options, but a good portion of the menu is made to order with some seating available if you intend to stay awhile. The quality and pricing are very reasonable, and most go for the combos to get a sampling of Itani’s offerings.
Nicola Parisi
Mixé
Mixé (pronounced: “Mee-hay”) took over the former Calavera spot this past December, with a focus on Oaxacan food, plus mezcal and espresso drinks. Diners can dig into the restaurant’s plentiful taco menu or experience dishes such as the enchiladas mole Oaxaqueño. Follow that up with drinks from the bar, such as the mezcal Negroni.
Jaji
Contemporary Afghan food is at the heart of Jaji, a new Oakland restaurant from the couple behind Parche. Pulling on co-owner Sophia Akbar’s childhood as an Afghan American, husband (and chef) Paul Iglesias sought to take those flavors and give them a twist. The result is food that has won over Akbar’s family, like the shola-qorooti arancini that turned the Afghan sticky rice dish into more of a croquette. Although alcohol is illegal in Afghanistan itself, this modern restaurant indulges in a cocktail list but has a plentiful nonalcoholic drink selection that will be pleasing to all.
Hardy Wilson
Malibu’s Burgers
Malibu’s made a name for itself based on the strength of its vegan burgers from chef Darren Preston, and while it’s moved a couple of times, it eventually reopened in downtown Oakland at 326 23rd Street in November 2024. One can’t go wrong with the classic Malibu burger, but those who don’t mind a stacked burger may want to go for the onion ring-laden Ghostown with barbecue sauce.
Malibu’s Burgers
Sirene
Sirene is the new restaurant from restaurant partners Paul Einbund and chef Gavin Schmidt, the duo behind San Francisco restaurant the Morris. The menu focuses mostly on seafood, with a few items getting the wood-fired oven treatment, like a grilled abalone dish dressed in garlic butter. Carnivores will also have a few meaty dishes to choose from such as the fried chicken. The Morris’s popular Chartreuse slushies will be ported over to the Oakland restaurant, but oenophiles will want to peruse the wine list from Einbund, a sommelier. Under Einbund and wine director Alec Cummings, the Morris was a finalist in the Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program category for the James Beard Awards.
Sipeos
Mediterranean food pairs with nonalcoholic and low-ABV drinks at this new Walnut Creek bar and restaurant. Led by Dhruma and Hetal Shah of the e-commerce brand of the same name — specializing in selling nonalcoholic beer, wine, and spirits — this space is the IRL manifestation of their ambitions to make dining out and drinking more inclusive to the sober (and sober-curious) crowds. Order a mezze plate to share, if you’re in a group, and sample dips such as the charred eggplant or the roasted red pepper romesco alongside sips of excellent drinks such as the pomegranate and pink peppercorn-flavored Pepper Shandy.
Hardy Wilson
