Top Hatters Kitchen & Bar in San Leandro is not a place you casually meander by.

Not when it’s nearly right below elevated Interstate 580 with its perpetual congestion of cars, and in a neighborhood with an auto repair shop across the street, and quaint bungalow-style homes all around.

It’s a place you need to know about. And if you find yourself in the East Bay, it’s a place well worth seeking out, which is exactly what my husband and I did recently.

Honored with a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand for serving good food at affordable prices, Top Hatters is named for the longtime family-owned hat shop that once graced the property.

It was opened in spring 2019 by husband-and-wife Matthew Beavers and DanVy Vu to serve up California-Vietnamese cuisine and creative cocktails.

Take a seat in the inviting dining room done up in crisp blue and white. Or best yet, if it’s a nice day, grab a table in the lovely walled-in courtyard, a sweet little oasis with plenty of potted greenery.

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