Walking through Berkeley lately, familiar strips like Fourth Street, Shattuck Avenue, Telegraph, and San Pablo are looking lively again. Long-vacant storefronts are now home to new restaurants that are reshaping how locals eat and explore their own neighborhoods.
What’s New Where You Walk
Fourth Street: Mediterranean Finds
Divan has quietly arrived at 1788 Fourth Street, replacing what used to be Pollara. The modern Turkish restaurant recently soft opened (lunch only for now), with naan-like flatbreads, mezze, kebabs, and hearty Turkish breakfasts. Evening service is expected soon. It adds a much-needed sit-down option in an area once dominated by retail and cafes.
South Telegraph & Campus Edge
Over on Telegraph, near the UC Berkeley campus, a former sushi space has transformed into El Trompudo, bringing bold Jalisco-style tacos and Mexican street flavor where Joshu-ya once stood. It joins several noodle and dumpling concepts that have started clustering, giving this neighborhood a clear, flavorful direction.
Shattuck’s Quiet Renaissance
Along Shattuck Avenue, between University and Vine, you’ll find a wave of openings sparking interest. Dera Cafe has taken over a familiar space, offering lighter fare like tea, coffee, and casual bites. Nearby, Serotonin Scoops—a new ice cream shop—has opened in a long-empty arcade bay. These small entries remind us how even modest fits can lift a neighborhood’s mood.
San Pablo & Sacramento: World of Bread & Spice
Over near Sacramento Street, Narwal Urban Village has opened in the former House of Curries, focusing on tandoori breads and Indian vegetarian dishes. It’s a promising sign of renewal in areas that saw gap-filled windows and warning signs for too long.
Why It Matters
These aren’t just new restaurants—they’re reclaiming places that felt forgotten. Many of the storefronts saw very little activity since 2023, and their revival in mid-2026 marks a shift. Instead of expansion into new construction, Berkeley’s restaurant news has been about change within the familiar: the shops you used to pass by, the blocks you know, the corners you’ve wondered about.
What this means for Berkeleyites: you have more walking-friendly dinner options, more variety on your regular routes, and fresh places to take visitors that reflect how the city always was—with cultural mixing, good food, surprising turns even in places you thought you knew. For those paying attention, every corridor is now worth exploring anew.