You may know Albany as a little East Bay suburb in Berkeley’s shadow, home to a defunct horse racing track and a former landfill. But take a stroll down the city of 20,000’s bustling Solano Avenue and you’ll find some of the Bay Area’s best French pastries, elegant sushi handrolls, and a natural wine bar so hip you’ll swear you’re in San Francisco.

Albany has long been home to old-school spots like Sam’s Log Cabin and Schmidt’s Pub, but the city has seen a recent wave of destination-worthy restaurant openings. While the beginnings of this foodie revolution can be traced back to 2017, with the opening of lauded date night spot Juanita and Maude, the momentum has really picked up over the past two years.

In 2024, Solano Avenue welcomed wine bar Best Friends, Latin Californian spot Brezo, and Palestinian-inspired Lulu — which is soon reformatting into a counter-service concept called Lulu’s Little Kitchen. The momentum continued into 2025 with the arrival of health-focused Kitava, a new outpost of Oakland’s Yonsei Handrolls, and kouign-amann purveyor Starter Bakery. 

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The lunch special with doenjang soup and mackerel at Korean Superette in Berkeley, Calif., on Jan. 9, 2025.

Customers hang out at Best Friends wine bar and bottle shop in Albany, Calif., on Jan. 9, 2025.

Now, Albany and neighboring North Berkeley have enough flavor to sustain a whole day of exploring – not just the length of a dinner reservation. The saturation of delicious eats is not only great for Bay Area diners, but also for the businesses themselves, who are thriving in the neighborhood's communal spirit. 

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It’s a Friday morning on San Pablo Avenue, and the air smells like warm, toasty bagels. At Hella Bagels, customers line up to place their orders: toasted sesame bagel with scallion........

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