Best Restaurants for Special Occasions in Bernal Heights

Been to number of top steakhouses in the last year and my family group rates Harris as number 1. Very high praise indeed! The service was perfect. The food was perfectly delicious. The setting is elegant and peaceful. Perfect evening out. Osso is rated number 3 on our list but we’ll give it another try tomorrow night.

My wife and I recently took my sister and her husband, who were visiting from Charlotte, to State Bird Provisions, and it was nothing short of amazing. The food was absolutely exceptional—each dish was a perfect blend of creativity and flavor. My sister and her husband couldn’t stop raving about how unique the food was, especially the bold use of spices. It was a hit with all of us! The ambiance was also fantastic. The space has a warm and inviting vibe that strikes the perfect balance between trendy and comfortable, making it a great spot for both special occasions and casual nights out. What truly elevated our experience, though, was our waiter. He was excellent—extremely friendly, attentive, and impressively knowledgeable about the menu. He had such a genuine enthusiasm for the food and shared thoughtful recommendations, which we greatly appreciated. At one point, we mentioned we’d heard Ryan Gosling had dined here, and he surprised us by saying he’d actually been Ryan’s waiter! He even told us about the time Ryan came in with Eva Mendes and their two kids. Such a cool story to hear directly from someone who was part of it! State Bird Provisions delivered on every level: amazing food, great atmosphere, and top-notch service. My sister and her husband loved it as much as we did. We’ll definitely be back and can’t recommend it highly enough!

Service, quality, flavor: all impeccable. The gardiniera was so perfectly balanced, fresh and interesting with celery, radish, and fennel. I knew it would be great, but was even better than that. My table mate who doesn’t generally care for anything pickled was blown away. The chicories were gorgeous, colorful, and delicious. The tagliatelle was absolutely stunning both texturally and depth of flavor. Tiramisu and chocolate budino are exquisite, truly. Save room for dessert. I loved the NA passion fruit cocktail and sparkling blanc de blanc. Such a treat to have something n thoughtful and delicious for folks who aren’t drinking. It’s a beautiful dining room. I sat on the banquet on the south wall and felt like I was under a spotlite. A little less overhead light intensity would take it from a 9 to a 10.

We returned for a second visit this holiday season; it was wonderful. Got adventurous and had the creamed corn. I noticed my daughters snuck more than an initial half teaspoon taste. It was very, very good. Not watery creamy. This had a nice texture. Try it! The prime rib was exceptional. I had the smaller portion. One daughter had the thinner slices. One daughter had the regular cut. All were sumptuous! Had a baked potato instead of the mashed. It was yummy. We ordered an apple crisp to share between the three of us. It was delicious with a nice amount of apple slices hidden under the topping and surrounded by the usual warm spices. Our server was great! She was friendly, attentive but didn’t hover. Thank you all for a wonderful evening! I may not be back for a while. Palo Alto daughter is moving to Duarte. CA this summer. If she needs help moving, we’ll have to do a farewell visit at House of Prime Rib. Again, thank you!

We LOVED this restaurant. We sat inside so we couldn’t see the movie, but that wasn’t really an issue. The restaurant itself was stunning. Our server David was absolutely lovely. He really made our experience. The food was great, we got the smoked salmon, burrata with pears, sesame chicken, and pork chop. Everything was delicious. For dessert we got crème brûlée and a sort of chocolate mousse. Fantastic. It’s an expensive date but you pay for the food and the experience. Would go again!