Part of Isola, the Capital's live guide to eat, drink & do — open-now status, menus and one-tap directions.
Planning a date in Sacramento? Start with dinner or cocktails, then a sunset walk on the beach, a tiki bar, mini golf or a comedy show. Everything here is date-tested — with hours and live open-now status.
We track 32 spots here, averaging 4.5★. Every listing shows the day's hours, a sample menu with prices, and one-tap call, directions and ordering — plus live "open now" status on the main guide.
On this page: Localis, Mulvaney's B&L, Ella Dining Room & Bar, Camden Spit & Larder, Adamo's, Chef Burma, The Rind, Zócalo Midtown, Mikuni Midtown, Centro Cocina Mexicana, Saigon Alley Kitchen & Bar, Alaro Craft Brewery, Shady Lady Saloon, Trophy Club, Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates, Old Sacramento Waterfront, Sacramento History Museum & Underground Tours, Tower Bridge, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento Zoo, Fairytale Town, Delta King, Ace of Spades, Harlow's, Sacramento Comedy Spot, Crest Theatre, Mix Downtown, Dive Bar Sacramento, Bike Dog Brewing Broadway Taproom, American River Bike Trail (Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail), McKinley Park & Rose Garden and Capitol Park.
Sacramento's only Michelin-starred kitchen, hidden behind a house on S Street — Chef Christopher Barnum-Dann runs a hyper-seasonal, farm-driven tasting menu that locals still consider the city's best special-occasion table, book weeks out.
Hours: Sun closed · Mon closed · Tue closed · Wed 5pm–8:15pm · Thu 5pm–8:15pm · Fri 5pm–10pm · Sat 5pm–10pm
The restaurant that basically launched Sacramento's farm-to-fork identity, tucked into a converted 1920s firehouse — the daily-changing menu can be pricey but the wood-fired dishes and warm service still earn the hype almost twenty years on.
Hours: Sun closed · Mon closed · Tue 11:30am–2:30pm, 5pm–10pm · Wed 11:30am–2:30pm, 5pm–10pm · Thu 11:30am–2:30pm, 5pm–10pm · Fri 11:30am–2:30pm, 4pm–10pm · Sat 4pm–10pm
A downtown power-lunch and legislator hangout with a soaring dining room, marble oyster bar, and an award-winning wine list — polished rather than cutting-edge, but reliably excellent for a splurge near the Capitol.
Hours: Sun closed · Mon 11:30am–9pm · Tue 11:30am–9pm · Wed 11:30am–9pm · Thu 11:30am–9pm · Fri 11:30am–10pm · Sat 5pm–10pm
Chef Oliver Ridgeway's London-inspired spot in DOCO does a proper rotisserie and a genuinely lively bar scene — one of the better reasons to eat near the Golden 1 Center on a non-game night.
Hours: Sun closed · Mon 11:30am–10pm · Tue 11:30am–10pm · Wed 11:30am–10pm · Thu 11:30am–10pm · Fri 11:30am–10pm · Sat 5pm–10pm
A cozy Midtown Italian spot doing genuinely house-made pasta in an unpretentious room — reservations on weekends are basically mandatory, which tells you how loyal the regulars are.
Hours: Sun 5pm–8pm · Mon 5pm–9pm · Tue 5pm–9pm · Wed 5pm–9pm · Thu 5pm–9pm · Fri 5pm–10pm · Sat 5pm–10pm
Sacramento's only Burmese restaurant and one of Midtown's most-loved newer openings — the tea leaf salad and pumpkin curry get name-checked constantly, and the cocktail list punches well above what you'd expect for the category.
Hours: Sun 11am–9pm · Mon 11am–9pm · Tue 11am–9pm · Wed 11am–9pm · Thu 11am–9pm · Fri 11am–9:30pm · Sat 11am–9:30pm
A cheese-and-charcuterie-forward wine bar in the Ice Blocks/Handle District — great for a low-key date or splitting boards with a group, with a well-curated by-the-glass list.
Hours: Sun 11:30am–9pm · Mon 11:30am–8:30pm · Tue 11:30am–8:30pm · Wed 11:30am–9pm · Thu 11:30am–9:30pm · Fri 11:30am–10pm · Sat 11:30am–10pm
Sacramento's original upscale-casual Mexican spot on Capitol Ave — loud, festive, great patio, chips-and-bean-dip are a local rite of passage; go for the tequila list, not for a quiet conversation.
Hours: Sun 11am–9pm · Mon 11am–9pm · Tue 11am–9pm · Wed 11am–9pm · Thu 11am–10pm · Fri 11am–11pm · Sat 10am–11pm
The flagship of Sacramento's homegrown sushi chain — reliably good rolls and a buzzy, modern room; not the most adventurous sushi in town but consistently packed for a reason.
Hours: Sun 11:30am–9pm · Mon 11:30am–9pm · Tue 11:30am–9pm · Wed 11:30am–9pm · Thu 11:30am–9pm · Fri 11:30am–10pm · Sat 11:30am–10pm
From the Paragary's restaurant group — a modern, sit-down take on Mexican classics with house-made tortillas and salsas; a dependable Midtown dinner pick that's less chaotic than Zócalo.
Hours: Sun 4pm–9pm · Mon 4pm–9pm · Tue 4pm–9pm · Wed 4pm–9pm · Thu 4pm–9pm · Fri 4pm–11pm · Sat 4pm–11pm
A modern, cocktail-forward Vietnamese kitchen in the Ice Blocks — more of a night-out restaurant than a quick pho stop, with a menu that's been reworked after a 2023 kitchen fire and reopening.
Hours: Sun 11am–9pm · Mon 11am–9pm · Tue 11am–9pm · Wed 11am–9pm · Thu 11am–9pm · Fri 11am–9pm · Sat 11am–9pm
Took over the old Rubicon Brewing space with a Spanish-tapas-meets-craft-beer concept — over 100 major beer medals and a genuinely good food menu (the octopus and Wagyu burger both earn regular praise) make this Midtown's best brewery-restaurant hybrid.
Hours: Sun closed · Mon 11am–9pm · Tue 11am–9pm · Wed 11am–9pm · Thu 11am–9pm · Fri 11am–9:30pm · Sat 10:30am–9:30pm
A vintage-styled speakeasy-adjacent saloon on R Street with live music, Southern-leaning bar bites, and classic cocktails — good for a first date that wants a little atmosphere without full formality.
Hours: Sun 1pm–1pm · Mon 1pm–1pm · Tue 1pm–1pm · Wed 1pm–1pm · Thu 1pm–2pm · Fri 1pm–2pm · Sat 1pm–2pm
A hidden speakeasy-style cocktail lounge tucked inside Tipsy Putt downtown — well-made craft cocktails and a genuinely secretive-feeling room, good for impressing an out-of-town date.
Hours: Sun 5pm–11pm · Mon 5pm–11pm · Tue 5pm–11pm · Wed 5pm–11pm · Thu 5pm–11pm · Fri 5pm–1:30pm · Sat 5pm–1:30pm
A small-batch chocolate and macaron boutique from a well-known local pastry chef — the truffles and seasonal collections make for the go-to Sacramento gift, and it's worth a stop just to browse the case.
Hours: Sun 11am–4pm · Mon closed · Tue 10am–6pm · Wed 10am–6pm · Thu 10am–6pm · Fri 10am–6pm · Sat 10am–5pm
28 acres of Gold Rush-era boardwalks, museums, and shops right on the Sacramento River — free to explore any time, though the museums, tours, and restaurants inside keep their own hours.
Hours: Sun 12am–12pm · Mon 12am–12pm · Tue 12am–12pm · Wed 12am–12pm · Thu 12am–12pm · Fri 12am–12pm · Sat 12am–12pm
Sacramento's civic story from Gold Rush to statehood, plus the city's only underground tour through the hollow sidewalks built when downtown raised itself out of flood mud. The Underground Tour runs a limited seasonal window (June 2026) — reserve ahead, only 20 people per tour.
Hours: Sun 10am–5pm · Mon 10am–5pm · Tue 10am–5pm · Wed 10am–5pm · Thu 10am–5pm · Fri 10am–5pm · Sat 10am–5pm
The gold-painted 1935 Art Deco lift bridge that anchors every Sacramento skyline shot — free to walk or bike across, with the best sunset views from the West Sacramento side looking back at the Capitol.
Hours: Sun 12am–12pm · Mon 12am–12pm · Tue 12am–12pm · Wed 12am–12pm · Thu 12am–12pm · Fri 12am–12pm · Sat 12am–12pm
The oldest continuously operating art museum in the West, pairing a striking modern wing with the 1873 Victorian mansion it grew from. Closed Monday and Tuesday; stays open late Thursdays to 9pm and goes pay-what-you-wish the third Sunday of the month.
Hours: Sun 10am–5pm · Mon closed · Tue closed · Wed 10am–5pm · Thu 10am–9pm · Fri 10am–5pm · Sat 10am–5pm
A compact 14-acre zoo in Land Park with giraffes, red pandas, and a walk-through aviary — easily done in half a day. Uses dynamic 'plan-ahead' pricing that changes daily, so buy online for your exact date rather than at the gate.
Hours: Sun 9am–4pm · Mon 9am–4pm · Tue 9am–4pm · Wed 9am–4pm · Thu 9am–4pm · Fri 9am–4pm · Sat 9am–4pm
Storybook-themed play park next to the zoo — general admission is cheap, pony rides and slides are separate tickets. Off-season (Nov-Feb) it drops to Thursday-Sunday only, and it closes outright in real rain, so check social media on gray days.
Hours: Sun 9am–4pm · Mon 9am–4pm · Tue 9am–4pm · Wed 9am–4pm · Thu 9am–4pm · Fri 9am–4pm · Sat 9am–4pm
A 1927 paddlewheel riverboat permanently moored in Old Sac, now a boutique hotel with an onboard restaurant, bar, and small theater — worth a drink on deck even if you aren't staying overnight.
Hours: Sun 7am–10pm · Mon 7am–10pm · Tue 7am–10pm · Wed 7am–10pm · Thu 7am–10pm · Fri 7am–11pm · Sat 7am–11pm
R Street Corridor's marquee all-ages music venue — no spot on the floor is more than 100 feet from the stage. Doors are typically Thursday through Saturday for booked shows; it's dark most weeknights, so check the calendar first.
Hours: Sun closed · Mon closed · Tue closed · Wed closed · Thu 5pm–12pm · Fri 5pm–2pm · Sat 5pm–2pm
Midtown's art-deco supper club since 1982 — dinner and a national or local touring act on the same ticket. Reserve a dinner table if you want to sit; otherwise it's standing room near the stage.
Hours: Sun 7pm–12pm · Mon 10am–5pm · Tue 10am–5pm · Wed 10am–5pm · Thu 10am–5pm · Fri 10am–5pm · Sat 7pm–1:30pm
Midtown's scrappy, locally-run comedy club and improv theater — five nights of shows a week, with the long-running Anti-Cooperation League improv troupe as the Saturday 9pm house favorite. Cheap by comedy-club standards, no forced two-drink minimum theatrics.
Hours: Sun closed · Mon 7pm–10pm · Tue 7pm–10pm · Wed 7pm–10pm · Thu 7pm–10pm · Fri 7pm–12pm · Sat 7pm–12pm
A 1949 Art Deco movie palace on K Street mixing indie and repertory film screenings with concerts and comedy on the same stage — not a daily-showtimes multiplex, so always check what's actually playing.
Hours: Sun 12pm–10pm · Mon 12pm–4pm · Tue 12pm–4pm · Wed 12pm–4pm · Thu 12pm–4pm · Fri 12pm–10pm · Sat 12pm–10pm
Rooftop nightclub above Public House at 16th & L with fire pits and city views — weekend nights only, 21+ with a strict photo ID policy, and it fills up fast after 10pm.
Hours: Sun 9pm–1:30pm · Mon closed · Tue closed · Wed closed · Thu closed · Fri 9pm–1:30pm · Sat 9pm–1:30pm
The bar with the 40-foot saltwater aquarium and live 'mermaid' swimmers on the other side of the glass — an only-in-Sacramento novelty stop, open daily to 2am with a real happy hour.
Hours: Sun 3pm–2pm · Mon 3pm–2pm · Tue 3pm–2pm · Wed 3pm–2pm · Thu 3pm–2pm · Fri 3pm–2pm · Sat 3pm–2pm
Heated, covered dog-friendly patio pouring Bike Dog's IPAs and stouts next to Selland's Market Cafe for food. It's the easy Sacramento-side stop now that several other local taprooms (Track 7) have shut down.
Hours: Sun 12pm–9pm · Mon closed · Tue 3pm–9pm · Wed 3pm–9pm · Thu 3pm–9pm · Fri 3pm–9pm · Sat 12pm–9pm
32 miles of paved trail from the river confluence at Discovery Park to Folsom Lake — one of the longest purpose-built bike paths in the country. No rental kiosk at the trailhead itself; rent downtown at City Bicycle Works and pedal out.
Hours: Sun 12am–12pm · Mon 12am–12pm · Tue 12am–12pm · Wed 12am–12pm · Thu 12am–12pm · Fri 12am–12pm · Sat 12am–12pm
East Sac's leafy neighborhood park built around a 1.5-acre rose garden with over 1,000 bushes, peaking in May and June — a quiet, free walk that's also a popular weekend wedding backdrop.
Hours: Sun 6am–10pm · Mon 6am–10pm · Tue 6am–10pm · Wed 6am–10pm · Thu 6am–10pm · Fri 6am–10pm · Sat 6am–10pm
40 acres of century-old trees, the World Peace Rose Garden, and dozens of memorials surrounding the Capitol — open and free daily, separate from the Capitol building's weekday-only tour hours.
Hours: Sun 6am–10pm · Mon 6am–10pm · Tue 6am–10pm · Wed 6am–10pm · Thu 6am–10pm · Fri 6am–10pm · Sat 6am–10pm