LAFAYETTE, CA — Lafayette’s big spring restaurant night is almost here, though there is one important catch: if you do not already have a ticket, the tasting portion is sold out.
The 2026 Taste of Lafayette Restaurant Stroll is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19 in downtown Lafayette. The Lafayette Chamber of Commerce describes the event as “Lafayette’s Favorite Dinner Party,” with ticket holders strolling at their own pace through participating restaurants and businesses for samples.
The Chamber says tickets for this year’s event are now sold out.
That’s great news for Lafayette businesses of course! And there’s good news for you, too, if you don’t have a ticket.
There is still a public part of the evening. Non-ticket holders are welcome to enjoy free music at Lafayette Plaza from 5 to 7 p.m., and the Chamber says people may bring outside food and non-alcoholic beverages. Outside alcohol is not permitted, but beverages will be available at the Plaza Bar.
So you can still join this “Dinner Party” last minute!
A Downtown Dinner Party With a Passport
For ticket holders, the format is simple: bring your Passport, start at any participating restaurant at 5:30 p.m., and wander downtown Lafayette for tastings. Will call will be at Lafayette Plaza from 5 to 6:30 p.m., and the participating restaurants are scheduled to serve tastings from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The evening also includes music at Lafayette Plaza by Generations in Jazz and New You Dance Center. Tickets were listed at $80 early bird and $85 after April 1, plus convenience fees, before the event sold out.
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The Restaurant Lineup Is Huge
This year’s participant list reads like a quick tour through Lafayette’s dining scene. The roster includes Barranco, Batch & Brine, Locanda Positano, Postino, Rancho Cantina, RÊVE Bistro, Sideboard, Social Bird, Swad Indian Cuisine, The Hideout Kitchen, Tutu’s Food & Drink, Wine Thieves, Zoonie’s Candy Toy and Gelato, and many more.
Several names are marked as new for 2026, including 360 Gourmet Burritos, Butter & Batter, Deer Hill Vineyards, Fathers Brewing, Local Vines, Tropa, and Western Flyer Brewing. Some vendors will be stationed in Lafayette Plaza or the Plaza Bar rather than at their own storefronts.
That is the appeal of the event: instead of committing to one dinner reservation, guests effectively get a downtown sampler platter. It is part food crawl, part block party, and part excuse to remember just how many restaurants are packed into central Lafayette.
What To Know Before You Go
The event is within walking distance of the Lafayette BART station, and the Chamber notes that all parking meters will be in effect. Public parking is available throughout downtown Lafayette.
The event has no age limit, but every participant needs a Passport to receive tastes. Guests will need ID at the Plaza Bar and at any location serving alcoholic beverages.
A Local Fundraiser, Too
Taste of Lafayette is also a fundraiser for the Lafayette Chamber and the Community Foundation of Lafayette. The Chamber says the event supports both organizations, while the Community Foundation has supported local nonprofits and projects for more than two decades.
For ticket holders, this is one of the most efficient ways to try a broad slice of Lafayette’s restaurant scene in one night. For everyone else, the free music at Lafayette Plaza still offers a way to make an evening of it — especially with takeout from a nearby Chamber member restaurant or a picnic in hand.
