Restaurants in Half Moon Bay

Marqs' modest menu of globally influenced plates offers small plates such as oyster shooters with tropical salsa ($7), filet wellington rolls in a truffle mushroom sauce ($15), and seared scallops with crispy pancetta and saffron risotto ($10). Entrees include pasta surf and turf with filet mignon, sautéed mushrooms, and lobster macaroni ($33). Marqs' chicken potpies, which are made in-house, are pillowy bites of steamy comfort ($14). In addition to getting you a complimentary glass of house wine or a draft beer, this Groupon can be used toward drinks at Marqs' full-service bar (though you must purchase at least one food item).

Crafting each plate from organic ingredients and local produce, Red Lantern's chefs whip up a parade of palate-pleasing dishes from Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian nations for lunch and dinner. Start with a porcine offering of adobong pinoy, adobo-sauce draped pork short ribs ($11), or slurp a bowl of aromatic soto kudus, chicken soup with tofu and a one-two punch of fresh bean sprouts and chilies ($7). A full fleet of regional wines accentuate meticulously designed plates such as pepes udang, a helping of sambal-chili and coconut-milk marinated prawns wrapped in banana leaf ($20), as well as the cambogee beef, wok-tossed cubes of beef tenderloin flavored with a Thai trifecta of lemongrass, galangal, and lime ($24). The martabak unites a Singaporean griddlecake with long-lost twins of spiced lamb and mango chutney ($10), while humans of the vegetarian persuasion can happily feast upon dishes such as the adobo eggplant tossed in a wok with garlic and lemongrass ($8).

Sink into soft cushions beneath honeycomb chandeliers as you slip into the Sunday morning feastival. Menu selections include a prawn salad with chicories and tangerines ($15) or house-made brioche french toast with spiced apples and maple syrup fraiche ($11). Well past noon, gingerly ease into the day as you would with a too-warm hot tub with a sparkling pinot noir ($5) and goat cheese semifreddo with melon granite and peppercorn meringue ($9). Nectar Wine Lounge carries more than 600 bottles of wine, along with standard brunch sips such as mimosas ($7). Eating, sipping, and socializing all take place within a cozy, coolly lit lounge atmosphere with a drizzling of natural light from an overhead skylight.

Diners at Barolo are surrounded by Italian influences in the wooden floors and tables as well as the menu, which features seasonal ingredients and local specialties. Start with an antipasti of fritto misto, made with Monterey calamari, local artichokes, lemon, and caper aioli ($10). Then move on to secondi such as the cornish game hen marinated in lemon and rosemary and served with polenta cake ($17), or the linguini and clams, with Italian sausage, garlic, basil, parsley, and white wine ($10 small plate, $18 large). Have a side such as the truffle fries ($5) and a signature Pax Basilicus cocktail (rum, lime, agave nectar, basil, $10); then, finish with a classic tiramisu for dessert ($7). Reservations are required, so call ahead.

The Van's has earned the admiration of diners and drinkers since 1947, though its historic teahouse structure dates even farther back—to 1915 when constructed to house a portion of the Japanese Exhibition at the Panama Pacific International Exposition. Perched atop a picturesque hillock, the restaurant's second-story dining room offers panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay and close-ups of crisp white linens, complemented by rich, Italian-inspired eats and select wines. The restaurant's bar area boasts the original wallpaper from 1915, as well as historic photographs in which the Peninsula's water incidentally looks the same.

Though it’s been around for 36 years, Piccadilly Catering and Restaurant crafts its mouthwatering cuisine using recipes more than twice its age. Their Cajun dishes include Gulf Coast–original jambalaya and old-fashioned cornbread, and international entrees appear on the menu in the form of chicken fettuccine and prawn stir-fry. In addition to serving guests inside their comfy eatery, Piccadilly’s culinary staff whisk morsels off to a variety of off-site events, such as corporate meetings and noncorporate weddings.