Restaurants in San Pablo

Scents of garlic, mint, sumac, and jasmine fill the air at Layaly Mediterranean Grill. Across the dining room, tables are packed with dishes such as tabouli with parsley and marinated-lamb kebabs, or hearty tajines, which mingle prawns with squash and kalamatas. Sweet, housemade baklava rounds out each meal.

Each month, Food Inc. Trattoria spotlights a slew of new wines, from Spanish red wines to diverse varietals from Paso Robles. The monthly themes reflect the efforts of the trattoria’s on-staff oenophile, who scours the globe for lesser-known wineries, varietals, and grape trees already cut open, exposing their rings and age. A menu of Mediterranean cuisine complements the wine selection: chefs roll out ricotta gnocchi by hand and stuff ravioli with wild mushrooms and gorgonzola. Additionally, servers are happy to suggest cheeses and pastas to pair with wines.

An enchanting array of aromas spirals around customers every time they enter Vital Tea Leaf, emanating from the jars of dried leaves that line the vibrant walls and shelves. Owner Uncle Gee and son Ming collect more than 400 complex teas of all shades during their trips abroad to China, where they meet with growers and sellers to sample their wares personally. Their business takes the traditional tea house into the modern age by modeling each location after a wine bar, encouraging visitors to expand their palates with complimentary tastings of sweet lychee, antioxidant-packed jasmine, creamy milk oolong blends, and other singular blends.

Patrons browse teas in every form, including loose-leaf, aged bricks, and hand-rolled flowering tea balls. They can ensure proper service of their cups with teaware that ranges from clay and glass teapots to hand-painted tea sets and teacup holders shaped like a hand to practice professional handshakes.

The azure-blue sea and palm-tree-lined beach on El Nuevo Frutilandia's rustic painted sign hint at the Caribbean cuisine served inside. A modest menu highlights multiple courses of Cuban and Puerto Rican dishes, including meatless options such as mofongo vegetariano, a classic dish of fried plantains smashed together with olive oil and garlic. Pork is featured throughout the menu, whether roasted and sliced alongside ham and cheese in the Cuban sandwich, or fried as chops with a spritz of lemon and crown of onions.