La Fontaine once again captured multiple Best Of awards this year. The European fusion restaurant serves French and Italian cuisine with special attention to herbs, sauces and garnishes used in old-world cooking. In April, La Fontaine was among a group of local restaurants that participated in the Dining for AAPI campaign, which raised money to combat violence and xenophobia against Asian Americans.
186 Castro St.; lafontainerestaurant.com; 650-968-2300

Best Breakfast/Brunch
Hobee's Restaurant

Founded in Mountain View in 1974, Hobee’s continues its reign as the area's favorite breakfast and brunch spot with its famous blueberry coffee cake and variety of healthy menu items. The casual restaurant chain serves breakfast and lunch at its Mountain View location seven days a week.
2312 Central Expressway; hobees.com; 650-968-6050

Best Chinese Restaurant
Cooking Papa

See Best Takeout, under Food & Drink

Best Coffee House (Independent)
Red Rock Coffee

Red Rock Coffee has been a longtime community gathering spot known for its craft coffee and cappuccino and live music performances and other events. As COVID-19 health restrictions ease, the coffee house plans to bring back its coffee tastings, open mic night, Saturday knitting group, kids story hour and board game night.
201 Castro St.; redrockcoffee.org; 650-967-4473

Best Fusion Restaurant
Gochi Japanese Fusion Tapas

Gochi Japanese Fusion Tapas serves an extensive menu of a la carte items meant to be shared, just like in traditional Japanese izakaya, or drinking establishments that serve food. Its specialties include everything from grilled and pan-sauteed meats, salads, cold and hot udon, clay pot rice dishes, sashimi and desserts to fusion pizza with toppings like spicy cod roe, snow crab, mushrooms and bacon. There are also two additional menus: vegetarian and gluten-free. The restaurant offers patio dining and takeout.
1943 W. El Camino Real; gochifusiontapas.com; 650-965-8301

Best Indian Restaurant
Zareen's

Zareen's is a Michelin Guide restaurant that serves traditional and fusion-style Pakistani and Indian food, including samosas, kebabs and a Punjabi chicken burger with spicy fries made in small batches around the clock. During the coronavirus shutdown, Zareen's also started selling frozen foods to go and expanded to a third location in Redwood City.
1477 Plymouth St.; zareensrestaurant.com; 650-628-6100

Best Italian Restaurant
La Fontaine

See Best Fine Dining Restaurant

Best Mediterranean Restaurant
Mediterranean Grill House

Mediterranean Grill House is a family-owned and operated business that serves classic shawarmas, kebabs and wraps using only all-natural beef, lamb and chicken raised without hormones or antibiotics.
650 Castro St.; mediterraneangrillhouse.com; 650-625-9990

Best Mexican Restaurant
Fiesta Del Mar Too

With an executive chef who blends traditional Mexican flavors with a health-conscious Californian style of cooking, Fiesta Del Mar Too offers one-of-a-kind Mexican menu items, including its famed camarones (shrimp) dishes and specialty margaritas.
735 Villa St.; fiestadelmar.com; 650-967-3525

Best Middle Eastern Restaurant
Mediterranean Grill House

See Best Mediterranean Restaurant

Best New Restaurant
Udon Mugizo

Fresh, handmade udon noodles are the name of the game at Udon Mugizo, which expanded into Mountain View from San Francisco in September 2021. The Mountain View location offers dishes prepared and served at the restaurant or uncooked and ready to make at home.
180 Castro St.; mugizo-us.com; 650-961-8880

Best Patio/Outdoor Dining
La Fontaine

See Best Fine Dining Restaurant

Best Place for a Business Lunch
La Fontaine

See Best Fine Dining Restaurant

Best Happy Hour
Cascal

See Best Happy Hour, under Fun Stuff

Best Seafood
Pacific Catch

This isn't the first time readers have selected Pacific Catch as the Best Seafood Restaurant. This restaurant offers a full bar, patio dining, takeout, catering platter and happy hour Monday through Friday. Hawaiian poke, sushi rolls and tacos are among the many meals that bring customers back for more. The restaurant also is committed to sustainability, including sourcing seafood from environmentally responsible sources as defined by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, using compostable eating utensils and straws, recycling fryer oil into biofuel and composting food waste.
545 San Antonio Road, Suite 34; pacificcatch.com; 650-941-1810

Best Sushi/Japanese Restaurant
Sushi Tomi

Popular for its sushi and sashimi, Sushi Tomi offers authentic and unique Japanese menu items with vegan and vegetarian options. The restaurant is currently taking to-go orders and offering indoor dining.
635 W. Dana St.; tomisushi.us; 650-968-3227

Best Thai Restaurant
Amarin Thai

Winner of Best Thai Restaurant in Mountain View every year since 1999, Amarin Thai features authentic Thai cuisine, including a plethora of curry dishes varying from green curry to golden curry with cauliflower. The restaurant also offers more than 20 vegetarian dishes.
174 Castro St.; amarinthaicuisine.com; 650-988-9323

Best Vegetarian Cuisine
Garden Fresh

Vegans and vegetarians alike have plenty to choose from at Garden Fresh, which specializes in Chinese vegan cuisine prepared with no animal products, MSG, transfats or high fructose corn syrup. In addition to an abundance of vegetable-based recipes like the stuffed Chinese cabbage deluxe, packed with shiitake mushroom, carrot and water chestnuts, the menu includes soy-based meat alternatives including tofu, yuba and soy protein. The restaurant is a Humane Planet-certified business,which means all food comes from farms that follow standards for the humane treatment of animals.
1245 W. El Camino Real; gardenfresh.us; 650-254-1688

Best Vietnamese Restaurant
Pho To Chau

Pho To Chau serves authentic Vietnamese cuisine. The restaurant's appetizers, soups and entrees can be ordered for pickup or delivery. The restaurant recently launched a new app that makes it easier for customers to place orders.
853 Villa St.; photochau999.com; 650-961-8069