19 Favorite Restaurants in Petaluma

Petaluma is awash with great restaurants, but there are some that stand head and shoulders above the rest.


Petaluma is awash with great restaurants, from simple sandwiches to luxurious farm-to-table experiences. It’s never easy to pick favorites, but there are some menus that stand head and shoulders above the rest.

Read on below for our favorite Petaluma restaurants of the moment. Check out the gallery for a peek.

Table Culture Provisions

Table Culture Provisions started quietly, popping up a night or two a week at Petaluma’s Wishbone restaurant. It’s become one of the hottest dining tickets in Sonoma County as owners Stephane Saint Louis and Steven Vargas upped the ante with a Michelin-worthy multi-course tasting menu. From 4 to 6 p.m., TCP offers an a la carte menu of snacks and larger dishes. Reservations recommended. 312 Petaluma Blvd. S., Petaluma, 707-559-5739, tcprovision.com

Table Culture Provisions Petaluma
Table Culture Provisions chef Stéphane Saint Louis serves a collage of late spring bites for two, including squid-ink madeleines, asparagus cappuccino, and golden orbs of Indian pani puri filled with Dungeness crab salad. (Kim Carroll/Sonoma Magazine)
Easy Rider in Petaluma
Clockwise from top left, Cajun Spiced Catch of the Day, Shrimp and Grits, Bacon + Cheddar Hushpuppies, Collards + Mac and Cheese, Southern Fried Chicken Dinner, Smoked Trout + Baby Lettuces from Easy Rider in Petaluma. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Easy Rider

Easy Rider’s approachable, Southern-inspired menu standouts like shrimp and grits, blue crab cakes, collards, Cajun-spice fish and fried chicken draw you in gently rather than forcefully with an overblown caricature of Southern cuisine. Curated local ingredients and California flavors punctuate rather than dominate, accented by Anson Mills grits from South Carolina, Gulf shrimp and Atlantic blue crab. 33 Washington St., Petaluma, 707-774-6233, easyriderpetaluma.com

Street Social

With just six tables and 300 feet of dining space, Street Social feels like the most logical extension of the buzzy underground pop-ups that owners Jevon Martin and Marjorie Pier have hosted up and down the California coast for years. With just over a dozen diners in the restaurant at its busiest, it’s unavoidably intimate and makes you feel like you’ve stumbled across a secret culinary hideout. You have. But with a reservation, anyone’s welcome. 29F Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, 707-774-6185, streetsocial.social 

Quiote

This family-owned taqueria is worth a special trip. Their handmade blue corn tortillas — topped with fresh rock cod, cochinita pibil with pickled onions, or al pastor and salsa verde — always make my “best tacos” list. Add a side of guacamole with serrano chiles and crispy raspadas or brothy Rancho Gordo beans to get the full experience.  While you’re there, I highly recommend the Jalisco-style mole and braised chicken enchiladas. 121 Kentucky St., Petaluma. 707-774-6130, quiotemx.com

Dishes from Quiote in downtown Petaluma, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Dishes from Quiote in downtown Petaluma, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
The simple Margherita pizza at Stellina Pronto pizzeria and bakery in Petaluma. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
The simple Margherita pizza at Stellina Pronto pizzeria and bakery in Petaluma. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
Stellina Pronto
Come for the pastries, stay for the pizza at this Italian bakery cafe. Opened in 2021 with a mouthwatering lineup of baked goods and sandwiches, Stellina Pronto fired up its pizza ovens in May to churn out Neapolitan-meets-New York style pies. Go for the simple yet classic Margherita or the potato and garlic-topped Gianni — one of the bakery’s best white pizzas. Don’t forget to grab a cornetto during your visit.
23 Kentucky St., 707-789-9556, stellinapronto.com
Stellina Alimentari

Part sandwich shop, part Italian grocer, part deli, part bottle shop — Stellina Alimentari defies easy explanation. Owner Christian Caiazzo aptly describes the narrow, brick-lined, mosaic-tiled eatery as having a New York Attitude with Italian Soul. Don’t miss the Il Michelangelo porchetta sandwich, fried risotto balls, panzarotti potato cakes and antipasti. 160 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, stellinaalimentari.com

Brigitte Bistro

Chef/owner Nick Ronan serves the kind of food he loves best: hearty bistro-style dishes like beef bourguignon and duck confit, along with tableside beef tartare and the requisite steak frites. But instead of pandering to us, he brings the flavors of French homeland directly to the table. Ronan’s favorite motto, “Love. Food. Wine. Passion. Life. People” comes through in his comforting, homey cuisine. 841 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, brigittebistropetaluma.com

Brigitte Bistro in Petaluma
French onion soup at Brigitte Bistro in Petaluma. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
Soban Korean in Petaluma
Dolsot Bibimbap, rice topped with vegetables and fried egg in a sizzling stone pot with beef, with traditional Korean side dishes from Soban Korean in Petaluma. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Soban

Routinely recognized as the best “true” Korean cuisine in Sonoma County, Soban serves up an array of hard-to-find dishes like savory pancakes with kimchi, Japchae (glass noodles), Tteokbokki (chewy rice cake that’s a popular street food), spicy pork Bulgogi, sizzling rice bibimbap and soft tofu soup. 255 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, 707-769-3112, sobanpetaluma.com

Sarmentine

The third location of this Santa Rosa French bakery favorite opened in 2024, offering a drool-worthy collection of bakery cases piled with cream-filled desserts like Paris Brest (pate a choux filled with praline cream) and Mille-Feuille, chocolate croissants, brioche buns, fruit tarts (the passion fruit is a favorite) and Madeleines. Tiny caneles have a sticky, crunchy crust and custardy center that buckle my knees with happiness. 840 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, sarmentine.com

Ethel’s Delicatessen

Inspired by his grandma Ethel’s homemade traditional Jewish comfort food, Nicolas Abrams set up a bagel shop in Petaluma. Combining traditional and refined bagel-making techniques with local ingredients — such as Lagunitas beer, used in the boiling process — Ethel’s Bagels churns out wholesome, flavorful bagels that are delightfully chewy with a crisp exterior. While all the bagels receive praise, the standouts are the classic Everything Bagel and the innovative Black Pepper and Parmesan Bagel. The newish deli makes their own pastrami on an impressive Reuben sandwich, plus matzoh ball soup and bagel sandos. 1000 Clegg Court, Petaluma, 707-231-1155, ethelsbagels.com

Ethel's Delicatessen in Petaluma
A Wagyu Pastrami Reuben at Ethel’s Delicatessen in Petaluma, Friday, June 23, 2023. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Kapu in Petaluma
Banana Split at Kapu Bar, a tiki bar and restaurant in the heart of downtown Petaluma on Keller Street, Feb. 1, 2023. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)
Kapu

This tiki-tastic bar goes all out on the vibe and rum cocktails, but the island grindz keep us coming back. Find a quiet hut of your own, or head to the bar for Filipino lumpia, garlic chicken with furikake, fried noodles or the sweet banana split with rum caramel rice puffs. 132 Keller St., Petaluma, 707-559-3665, kapubar.com

Central Market

Dressed in his chef’s coat, Tony Najiola looms large over the dining room — watching every dish go out, visiting every table to ensure his patrons are happy — but he never imposes. The open kitchen, dining room and bar feel airy, with full views of the wood-fired oven and the line. But it’s the food, frequently sourced from Najiiola’s Muleheart Farm, that really does the talking here. Instead of foams and potions and powders, the food is just, well, food. 42 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, 707-778-9900, centralmarketpetaluma.com

Pearl

Inspired by the flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa (with a little Southern French and Spanish thrown in for good measure), chef/owners Brian Leitner and Annette Yang continue to impress with their sunny interpretations of shakshuka, fresh pita, fattoush salad and braised meats, including brisket and lamb. 500 First St., Petaluma, 707-559-5187, pearlpetaluma.com

Shakshuka with chickpea, fava and tomato stew at Pearl restaurant in Petaluma. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
Shakshuka with chickpea, fava and tomato stew at Pearl restaurant in Petaluma. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
Meatballs and mashed potatoes at Stockhome restaurant. (Courtesy of newrevmedia.com)
Meatballs and mashed potatoes at Stockhome restaurant. (Courtesy of newrevmedia.com)
Stockhome

A neighborhood hub for unfussy family-friendly Turkish and Mediterranean street food found in the larger cities of Sweden with homey classics like Swedish meatballs, pickled herring and Swedish pancakes on the menu — all of it with a few nods to California as well. Consider it the United Nations of local dining. 220 Western Ave., Petaluma, 707-981-8511, stockhomerestaurant.com

Lunchette

We love the carefully-sourced, healthy and delicious lunch options at this tiny downtown walk-up. The smoked trout salad with preserved lemon vinaigrette, roasted beets, pickled raisins and cashews is our favorite, along with a warm grain bowl with roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas. Slices of fresh pizza are also available to pair with your salad. 25 Fourth St., Petaluma, 707-241-7443, lunchettepetaluma.com

The Shuckery

Raw oysters are a Sonoma County staple, and I always forget how much I love the small, unassuming Kumamotos at The Shuckery. Dedicated to the humbler oyster, this cozy cafe is a shucker’s dream. Try the Bingos, grilled oysters with Cognac, mayonnaise, Parmesan and garlic. Plus a full bar and outdoor seating. 100 Washington St., Petaluma, 707-981-7891, theshuckeryca.com

The Dozen Oyster plate includes St. Simone, Kummomoto and Hog Island oysters from The Shuckery in Petaluma. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
The Dozen Oyster plate includes St. Simone, Kummomoto and Hog Island oysters from The Shuckery in Petaluma. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Five-piece nigiri at Sake 107 in Petaluma. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
Five-piece nigiri at Sake 107 in Petaluma. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
Sake 107

Chef Eiji Ando, a Hana Japanese alum, has dedicated his life to the craft. It’s awe-inspiring to watch the flicking of his hands as he shapes the seasoned rice and fish into a single perfect bite, and perfect isn’t a word we use lightly when it comes to nigiri. This is seriously awesome sushi and izayaki in downtown Petaluma that reminds us of what great Japanese food can really taste like. 107 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, 707-241-7580, sake107.com

Brewsters Beer Garden

This 350-seat outdoor beer garden in the heart of downtown Petaluma would be packed no matter what the menu looked like — it’s a great place to have a beer. But the food continues to impress, with smoked brisket, my favorite buttermilk fried chicken sando (it’s the goat cheddar) and seasonal salads. Great for a night out with friends or family. 229 Water St. N., Petaluma, 707-981-8330, brewstersbeergarden.com

Wild Goat Bistro

A waterfront classic with insanely good Neapolitan pizzas (like the four cheese fig and pig with prosciutto and fig spread), polenta fries, Early Girl Dip with heirloom tomatoes and pancetta and dinner entrees including Shepherd’s pie, and wild salmon with roasted artichokes. 6 Petaluma Blvd. N., Suite A5, Petaluma, 707-658-1156, wildgoatbistro.com