Restaurant in San Bruno, United States
Serious Japanese food in an unlikely corridor.
Gintei is a Michelin Plate Japanese restaurant (2024 and 2025) on El Camino Real in San Bruno, rated 4.5 stars across 435 reviews. At the $$$ price tier, it delivers accredited Japanese cooking at a practical Peninsula price point. Book ahead — demand is consistent and walk-in availability is not guaranteed.
San Bruno is not where most Bay Area diners go looking for serious Japanese food. El Camino Real, a corridor of strip malls and commuter traffic, is not the address that springs to mind when you want precision cooking. But Gintei has earned a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025, and its 4.5-star rating across 435 Google reviews is the kind of signal that holds up at volume. If you are driving down from San Francisco or up from the Peninsula, this is worth the detour. If you are already in San Bruno, it belongs at the leading of your list for Japanese dining in the area.
The atmosphere at Gintei is the first thing that recalibrates expectations. The room is quieter and more considered than you would expect given the address, the kind of setting where conversation carries without effort and the energy is focused rather than performative. This is not a boisterous izakaya or a loud ramen counter. The ambient feel reads closer to a neighborhood omakase room than a suburban restaurant on a busy arterial road, which is precisely what makes it a practical choice for occasions where the meal needs to do some work. For food-focused diners who want depth without the full theatre of a $$$$ tasting-menu experience, that calibration matters.
Gintei operates at the $$$ price tier, which in a Bay Area Japanese context puts it above the casual sushi-and-teriyaki segment but below the omakase rooms charging $200-plus per head at places like Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg or the full-commitment formats you find at The French Laundry in Napa. That positioning is part of what makes it interesting. You are paying for Michelin-recognized quality without financing a destination dining event.
The lunch versus dinner question at Gintei is worth thinking through carefully before you book. At the $$$ price point, lunch service at Japanese restaurants of this caliber typically delivers the better value equation: the kitchen is executing the same repertoire, the room is calmer, and you are not competing as hard for tables. For explorers who want to assess the full range of what Gintei does, a weekend lunch gives you time to work through the menu without the evening pressure of a table turn. Dinner, by contrast, is the right call for a special occasion meal where the pacing and the room settling into evening service matter more than price efficiency. The Michelin Plate recognition applies to the whole operation, not just one service, so quality should be consistent across both.
If your priority is value-per-dish and you have flexibility, go at lunch. If the occasion calls for atmosphere and you want the room to feel like it has some weight to the evening, dinner works. Either way, book ahead rather than walking in; a 4.5 rating at 435 reviews means this place has a real local following, and the moderate booking difficulty reflects genuine demand.
Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) is not the same credential as a Michelin star, but it is not nothing either. The Plate designation means Michelin's inspectors believe the kitchen is cooking good food and worth knowing about. For a Japanese restaurant at the $$$ tier on the Peninsula, it is a meaningful anchor: it tells you the fundamentals are reliable, that the cooking clears a consistent quality bar, and that this is not a restaurant coasting on a legacy reputation. Consistency matters more than a single exceptional visit, and two years of Plate recognition suggests Gintei is delivering that. For reference, the Bay Area restaurants that go beyond the Plate into starred territory, like Lazy Bear in San Francisco or Atelier Crenn, are operating at a different price point and require more advance planning. Gintei gives you accredited quality without the logistical commitment.
For context on what Michelin Plate-level Japanese cooking looks like at its apex internationally, you can look at venues like Myojaku in Tokyo or Azabu Kadowaki in Tokyo. Gintei is not operating at that register, but it is drawing from the same tradition of disciplined Japanese technique, applied in a Peninsula context where the competition thins out considerably compared to San Francisco proper.
San Bruno's dining scene rewards patience. If you are looking for a wider picture of what the city offers, Patio Filipino is the other anchor worth knowing about, particularly if you want a completely different culinary direction. For a full view of what is available locally, our full San Bruno restaurants guide covers the range. If you are staying in the area, our San Bruno hotels guide and bars guide are worth pairing with this booking. For wider Peninsula and Bay Area planning, check wineries and experiences in the area.
Reservations: Book in advance; walk-ins are possible but this restaurant has consistent local demand and a 4.5 rating at volume. Booking difficulty: Moderate. Price: $$$ per head — Peninsula-tier Japanese pricing, above casual but well below full omakase formats. Dress: No published dress code in our data; smart casual is a safe read for a Michelin-recognized room at this price tier. Address: 235 El Camino Real, San Bruno, CA 94066. Awards: Michelin Plate 2024 and 2025. Google rating: 4.5 stars across 435 reviews.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Gintei | $$$ | — |
| Le Bernardin | $$$$ | — |
| Atomix | $$$$ | — |
| Lazy Bear | $$$$ | — |
| Alinea | $$$$ | — |
| Atelier Crenn | $$$$ | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Don't let the El Camino Real address set your expectations low. Gintei has earned consecutive Michelin Plates in 2024 and 2025, which means the kitchen is cooking at a level you won't find in most strip-mall corridors. Book in advance — local demand is consistent and walk-in availability is not guaranteed. Budget for the $$$ price point and treat this as a sit-down, considered meal rather than a quick stop.
At the $$$ price point, the Michelin Plate recognition across two consecutive years is the clearest signal that the kitchen earns its cost. For Bay Area diners used to paying similar prices at restaurants without any external credentials, Gintei is a reasonable bet. If you are comparing against starred omakase counters in San Francisco, the gap in credential is real — but so is the gap in price and booking competition.
The venue data does not specify a dress code. At a $$$ Japanese restaurant with Michelin recognition, neat, presentable clothing is a safe approach — think business casual rather than formal. Avoid overly casual attire, but there is no evidence this is a jacket-required room.
Specific menu items are not documented in the available venue data, so naming dishes would be guesswork. What is confirmed: Gintei serves Japanese cuisine at a $$$ price point in San Bruno and has held a Michelin Plate for two consecutive years. Ask the staff for current recommendations when you arrive — at this price level, they should be able to guide you.
For San Bruno specifically, yes — two consecutive Michelin Plates at the $$$ tier is a strong value case when you factor in that comparable credentials in San Francisco come with higher prices and harder reservations. If you are already in the South Bay or Peninsula, Gintei gives you serious Japanese cooking without the cost and friction of a city trip. Diners based in central San Francisco with easy access to starred options may weigh that differently.
It works for a low-key special occasion — the room is quieter and more considered than the address suggests, and the Michelin Plate recognition gives it enough credibility to mark an occasion. It is better suited to an intimate dinner for two than a large group celebration. If you need a private dining room or a high-ceremony environment, verify those details directly before booking.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
