Enjoy a taste of France at Estelle, which offers quiche, salads, and simple sandwiches like prosciutto and brie at lunch. The main draws are the city’s most exquisite pastries and desserts, including buttery croissants, fluffy brioche doughnuts, colorful macarons, and beautiful tarts.

Sacramento’s first food hall, the Bank, offers a few eating options — more food stalls are still on their way — but more importantly, three bars and a gorgeous environment in which to drink. The setting: An historic bank building, with decadent gold ceilings and other regal details still intact. Head to the basement for more than 60 self-serve beer taps, allowing you to taste on your own terms.

At this industrial, two-story restaurant splashed with neon, dim sum-style carts roll through with eclectic bites and cocktails all night long. It’s supposed to feel like perpetual happy hour, with the likes of pickled deviled eggs and ambitious cocktails luring you to hang out a little while longer.

Backbone Cafe caters to keto, paleo, and gluten-free eaters with a host of protein-rich, low-carb breakfast and lunch dishes. You’ll find tasty bone broths, bowls, curries, burgers, and more, with a healthy dose of vegan options, too.

It’s tough to choose a favorite roaster in Sacramento’s robust coffee scene, but for many, it’s Temple. This location offers some of the best cappuccino and cold brew near the Convention Center, all in a sleek, contemporary setting.

Bud’s Buffet feels like a relic from another era, with enormous sandwiches featuring hot roasted meats and rotating specials like salisbury steak and meatloaf. The roast beef with au jus is the classic order, but regardless, you’ll want to prepare for a food coma.

Mid-century cocktails, decor, and dishes converge at this fun downtown bar, with the likes of meatballs with grape jelly and deviled Scotch eggs. The cocktails are the main attraction, though, with a mix of creative originals and faithful renditions of classics. Note: Happy hour goes until 7 p.m. daily, with $1 off cocktails and bites.

Descend into the cavernous depths of Empress Tavern, located below the historic Crest Theatre, and find contemporary renditions of old-school American classics like prime rib, fried chicken, and pimento cheese. It’s explicitly meat-heavy, though the vegetable dishes are no joke — nor are the cocktails.

At the all-vegetarian restaurant Mother, meat eaters are known to completely forget their more carnivorous cravings. Try the fried mushroom po boy, or the carrot nut burger, or the chili verde, or any of the fresh pastas. Fun, relaxed, and not remotely preachy, Mother is a solid choice for lunch or dinner.

Sacramento’s political players regularly dine at Ella, a local favorite for its gorgeous interior, elegant Californian cuisine, and fabulous cocktails. Happy hour offers an unusually good bargain for such high-end fare, with Ella’s signature gin and tonic at $6.50 and small plates hovering around the same price. Save room for dessert.

Tony’s has been serving the downtown lunch crowd since 1991 with simple, Italian-leaning sandwiches. It’s fast, reliable, and affordable — most sandwiches cost about $8 — making it an obvious candidate when your conference’s lunch fare looks especially sad.

A pleasant walk across Capitol Park lies Yellowbill, a weekday-only cafe spun off from popular Sacramento restaurant Magpie. Yellowbill serves seasonal lattes and other drinks; house-made baked goods (try the carrot cake sandwich cookie); and squares of pizza al taglio-esque focaccia for a quick lunch.

With more than 30 beers on tap, Capital Hop Shop is a prime choice for post-convention (or post-work) drinks. The selection is reliably strong, with a host of local beers to sample alongside California’s best, plus basic pub grub like burgers and wings.

The owners of this Cal-Italian spot also own Lucky Dog Ranch, which means beef tends to be a highlight, whether it’s in the burger or braised short ribs. Either way, a meal at Lucca is never complete without an order of zucchini chips for the table.

This Mediterranean-influenced, neighborhood restaurant delivers on staples in a rustic, date night-appropriate setting. Start out with a few tapas, like roasted garlic arancini and fried meatballs in yogurt, and then move onto one of the Press’s pastas or braised beef short rib.

Folks with dietary needs should make a beeline for Puskin’s Restaurant, which is entirely gluten-free and offers a sizable vegan menu. Gluten-free baked goods from cookies to breads are attractions on their own, while the shakshuka draws lines for weekend brunch.

This old-school, Italian deli stocks its display case with tempting lasagna, eggplant parmesan, and a fleet of fresh pastas. They’re all good bets, but most regulars keep coming back for the meatball sandwich, loaded up with three cheeses, garlic aioli, pepperoncini, and tangy tomato sauce.

Mulvaney’s B&L is often credited as one of Sacramento’s most influential farm-to-table restaurants. The menu changes daily and always credits local farms, though it’s worth noting a few seasonal staples: seared foie gras, tomato and hand-pulled mozzarella salad, and grilled double-cut pork chop.

The glass-walled butchery room shows where Block Butcher Bar’s priorities lie, but the restaurant also serves composed salads, impressive sandwiches, and top-notch cocktails in addition to big charcuterie and cheese boards. The hip, low-key spot is ideal for whiling away the evening, and you can also order sausages and other German fare from Block’s more rowdy next door neighbor, LowBrau.