Restaurants in Mountain View

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.

Dinner can be a hectic affair, and some families find that getting a filling, nutritious meal onto the table every night is sometimes exhausting. Knowing that dining out every night can quickly break the budget, entrepreneur Jay Cornwall decided to bridge the gap between takeout and at-home meals with a menu of freshly prepared pasta, ravioli, and sauce that can be fashioned into a full meal in 10 minutes. Every day, his chefs create a selection of 20 pastas, 15 sauces, and a signature entree, as well as mac 'n' cheese and lasagna. Chefs also curate a range of sides, bread, and wine, and even offer pairing advice on complementary flavors.

Though it serves breakfast all day, Scrambl'z isn't your typical diner. With a hollowed-out VW van as a seating option and eclectic decor inspired by Disneyland donning the walls, Scrambl'z makes a memorable impression. Owner Jim Angelopoulos dedicates the eatery to the man who first showed him the restaurant business ropes—his father. Continuing the legacy that his parents began in 1979, Jim works to create a family-friendly spot that dishes out breakfasts made from scratch. From orange juice to pancake batter to butter, the staff makes it all by hand. The kitchen cracks more than 18,000 eggs each week, transforming them into omelets, scrambles, benedicts, and edible monuments to Charles Barnard, inventor of chicken wire. Lunchtime favorites also have their places on a menu that offers burgers and sandwiches along with stacks of pancakes, gluten-free french toast, and waffles steeped in syrup.

Candles nestled in chandeliers cast a flickering glow upon saffron-colored walls, exposed stonework, and iron accents. The light dimly illuminates the white tablecloths on the main dining floor and the overlooking mezzanine level, helping weave the aura of otherworldliness that Mythos's name suggests. Amid this visual backdrop, the aromas of West Coast and Mediterranean spices and sauces dance, hinting at the local seafood and produce that the chefs use in their menu. Taking advantage of the local bounty, the grill masters turn their eyes toward the culinary aesthetic of Greece as they braise lamb shanks, flame bathe house-ground burgers and 6-ounce skirt steaks, and sauté vegan plates.

Against a wall of windows, bartenders and stewards pair dishes with handpicked Northern Californian and Greek wines as well as 11 ouzos. They also mix cocktails from eclectic ingredients, such as vegetables pickled in-house and imported pomegranate juice, so diners don’t have to add Mediterranean authenticity by sifting their drinks through a Greek flag.

Above the counter at The Cheese Steak Shop there’s a sign bearing the warning, “CAUTION: MAY BE HABIT FORMING.” Once you’ve sampled the shop’s Philly-style sandwiches—made with thick-sliced beef loin served on an Italian roll—you’ll understand why. Guests can customize their sandwiches with different toppings, adding zest with chili peppers or the flavors of a summer cookout with barbecue sauce. Those with oversized appetites can take on the King of Philly sandwich, a hefty 10-inch cheesesteak loaded with 50 percent more meat and cheese than the shop’s classic offerings.