Merging urban sophistication with a relaxed suburban attitude, Metro Lafayette is a stylish destination serving big city food. With the largest outdoor patio in the east bay, it's the perfect place for al fresco dining amongst mulberry trees, fragrant lavender and rosemary bushes and trellised vines. Metro has been honored the past three years with the prestigious Michelin Guide Recommendation.

The menu features an eclectic mix of California-French dishes including Tiradito of Hamachi with papaya, carrots, blood orange, chili & ponzu; Roasted Butternut Squash Tortelloni with sage-brown butter; Spicy raw Tuna Poke with sesame rice crackers; Gnocchi Parisienne with winter vegetables & Reggiano cream sauce; and Misoyaki Black Cod with cilantro steamed rice, sauteed spinach & yuzu-ginger sauce.

Owner/sommelier Jack Moore offers a wine list that appeals to all budgets and palates. The sleek interior, by Berkeley-based designers Sheahan + Quandt, make diners feel like they've ventured out of suburbia. Having spent much of his career managing the front of the house for celebrity chefs in northern California, Moore's vision is to offer innovative dishes and refined service in a sophisticated environment. A full bar, raw bar, and large outdoor patio anchor the space. With a culinary background that includes stints at renowned restaurants in the Bay Area and regular inclusion on the San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 Restaurants list, Executive Chef Arnold Pulido creates dishes that impress locals as well as those venturing east of the Caldecott.

Metro recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of Metro Montclair in Montclair Village. Visit www.montclairmetro.com or urbanspoon.com for more information.

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