The East Bay is home to a number of excellent dim sum spots with an honorable mention going to Saigon Seafood Harbor Restaurant. But if you’re looking for a more scenic spot for a group, Hong Kong East Ocean delivers. Located in Emeryville, the window seats of the bayside restaurant offer views of downtown San Francisco to go with a stellar selection of dim sum and seafood. Go for the siu mai and the Shanghai mini dumplings, and if you’re a fan of chicken feet, the restaurant offers three styles.

Perhaps best known for its weekday focaccia sandwich brown bag lunches, Chez Panisse alum Kelsie Kerr’s West Berkeley breakfast and lunch spot also serves a mean Saturday brunch. The menu changes every day, but keep an eye out for sticky buns, sourdough waffles, and picture-perfect fried eggs.

It’s easy to get caught up in the breezy cheerfulness of Babette’s back patio, and thankfully the brunch menu gives diners many reasons to linger. The brunch menu is a mix of standards and items special to Babette. For the brunch traditionalists, order a French toast or waffles; for those who prefer something else, try the tomato, basil, and goat cheese quiche. A group might enjoy sharing a Mediterranean platter as well, which includes smoked salmon, beet hummus, labneh, and more.

Fluid510 opened in downtown Oakland back in May, but now the nightclub is expanding its food offerings to include a new weekend brunch, led by chef Alessandro Campitelli. On the more decadent side, there’s the truffle Benedict made with a truffle hollandaise sauce, as well as a steak and eggs dish that pairs a vibrant chimichurri sauce with flat iron steak. There’s also vegan and vegetarian options to be had, if that’s preferred, with vegan french toast and a couple of salad options for those looking for some greens.

Low Bar has made itself a nightlife destination in downtown Oakland, but it’s also drawing customers during the daytime with a brunch menu filled with standard (and not-so-standard) dishes. Sure, you can get buttermilk pancakes if that’s what you desire, but what you’ll miss out on is a number of egg-laden Mexican dishes, including breakfast tacos and burritos, and Eddie’s Chilaquiles. There’s also a large selection of drinks available, of course, including bloody marys and mimosas, natural wines, and beer and a shot specials, if you’re in the mood.

This cozy coffee shop across from the Temescal DMV serves some of the tastiest Eritrean breakfast dishes around. The shihan ful, a spicy fava bean dip that comes with two warm, crusty French rolls, is the must-order dish, but the cafe’s excellent Eritrean-style “frittata” (like an onion-y scramble) also has its fair share of devotees.

This Rockridge restaurant serves brunch every day. The menu aims to offer something for everyone, from pancakes and Benedicts to morning fare with Korean and other international influences: omurice, morning tacos with kalbi, and Korean fried chicken and waffles.

By far the most popular brunch spot in the vicinity of Lake Merritt (the weekend lines are legendary), Grand Lake Kitchen has an all-day brunch menu that includes both sweet and savory versions of French toast. The restaurant has a second location in the Dimond.

Chef Nora Haron’s style of Southeast Asian food is winning over diners at dinner, but the brunch is where one can see a different side of the chef. There are a couple of options that may be considered “classics,” such as the burger, but Haron puts her own touches to the dish by blending grass-fed beef with roasted shiitake, as well as a sambal aioli. Meanwhile, the beef rendang hash highlights slow-braised beef and potatoes with a fried egg and golden yellow yolk at its center. Add on an order of the kaya toast, if you can.

Denica’s Real Food Kitchen is an East Bay favorite, with three locations spread throughout the Tri-Valley each serving savory and sweet Hawaiian-inflected brunch. Those looking for trendy spiral croissants will turn their heads at the supreme versions done here, such as the ube custard-filled option topped with coconut. But those looking for a heftier meal can order the loco moco fried chicken or the 100 Chile Benny, an eggs Benedict dish with chorizo, avocado, 100-chile hollandaise, and topped with tortilla strips.

If you’re looking for something on the healthier side for brunch, the Press — with locations in Pleasanton and Livermore — has some options for you. Along with a hearty list of coffees and non-alcoholic beverages such as a mint matcha honey latte, there are also toastinis, oatmeal, and many egg-laden options. Try the breakfast queso taco on (bonus: gluten-free) blue corn tortillas or the Nordic toastini with goat cheese, arugula, smoked salmon, and an egg.