Restaurants in Los Gatos

Aromas of warm brie crowned with fruit chutney and garlic confit, braised lamb shank, and sautéed lemon garlic chili shrimp fill the air at B'zu Café. Servers deliver plates of Mediterranean fare during lunch and dinner, including traditional favorites such as falafel and herb-marinated chicken kebabs and twists on classic dishes such as Zucca's ravioli with butternut squash, lemon cream sauce, and dried cranberries. Behind the full bar, bartenders pour frosty brews, glasses of wine, and shake up cocktails to help train for Yahtzee tournaments.

Supervised by a Culinary Institute of America–trained chef, kitchen staff at Arka simmer gourmet Indian fare, filling a colorful dining room with savory aromas. The seasonal menu fuses tastes from both the Northern and Southern sectors of the subcontinent to create rich curries as well as regional specialties such as chickpea masala or lentil dumplings. Waiters can suggest wine or beer pairings such as Indian Kingfisher beer or Spanish rioja, and printed symbols on the menu indicate which entrees are gluten-free, vegan, or favored by Batman.

Arka—which means "sun"—surrounds diners in brilliant color as they tuck into their elegantly plated fare. Crimson walls melt into goldenrod, lime green, and purple, and one surface hosts a mural of the restaurant's namesake celestial body.

The bright colors and exotic smells of north-Indian fare have swirled through the dining room at Ganesha Indian Cuisine for more than a decade—though the free WiFi waves they mingle with are a relatively recent addition. Classic comforts and attentive service are hallmarks at Ganesha, where servers cart out biryani dishes of slow-cooked basmati rice simmered with saffron and parsley. Creamy curries bathe chicken, lamb, and vegetables in flavorful sauces, such as the spicy vindaloo or the mild tomato base of tikka masala. Like an actor who has agreed to do the director’s laundry for a year, a mesquite charcoal clay-tandoor oven nabs a staring role on the menu, churning out marinated meats and seafood and popping delicate nooks into 10 varieties of naan to soak up overflowing sauces. Yogurt-smoothie drinks, masala tea, and Indian beer wash down exotic meals with similarly worldly flavors.

To maintain the authentic flavors in their Mexican and Salvadorian specialties, the kitchen staff at Olé Taqueria sticks to traditional cooking techniques and ingredients. They shape and bake their own tortillas for each dish, including burritos packed with marinated beef and tacos loaded with shredded pork. Their Salvadorian plates include tamales and quesadillas, as well as pupusas—thick tortillas wrapped around meats and cheeses, much like a last-minute Christmas present from a Mexican restaurant's chef.

Dotted with circles, squares, and rectangles, Olleh Sushi and Tofu House looks a bit like a geometry classroom. Though these wooden shapes could be used for math instruction, they’re instead used as tables topped with Japanese meals and Korean specialties such as tofu soups and barbecued short ribs. More than 75 types of sushi, such as salmon nigiri and crab-and-avo rainbow rolls, pair fresh flavors with vibrant colors that are delivered on plates or in wooden boats. At the bar, mixologists pour Sapporo beer from the tap and deliver bottles of chilled sake in flavors ranging from sweet and fruity to floral and nutty. Nearby, a private dining room welcomes groups with long communal tables and cushy red booths.