30 mediterranean restaurants worth the trip across United States, editor-ranked. All cuisines in United States.
Abigail Street ★ 4.8 · Cincinnati
over-the-rhine · 1214 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Abigail Street on Vine in OTR is Daniel Wright's Cincinnati Mediterranean small-plates room, with lamb meatballs, spanakopita and Greek wines.
March ★ 4.8 · Houston
montrose · 1624 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
March in Houston is the Goodnight Hospitality tasting-menu room on Westheimer Road from chef Felipe Riccio, with six- or nine-course menus rooted in one.
Tip: The wine pairings (June Rodil curates) are unusually well-judged. Take them.
March ★ 4.8 · Houston
1624 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
March in Houston is the Goodnight Hospitality tasting-menu room on Westheimer, chef Felipe Riccio's six- or nine-course Mediterranean menus rooted in one.
Tip: The menu changes seasonally; ask which Mediterranean region you are eating before you book. Greece in spring tends to be the strongest.
The Antler Room ★ 4.8 · Kansas City
longfellow · 2506 Holmes St, Kansas City, MO 64108
Nick and Leslie Goellner's Longfellow room in Kansas City is the chef's-counter pick of the city: Persian, Mediterranean and East Asian small plates.
Tip: Nick Goellner is a three-time James Beard Best Chef Midwest semifinalist. Book the chef's counter for a tasting; the dining room runs a la carte.
Estiatorio Milos ★ 4.7 · Las Vegas
3355 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Estiatorio Milos at the Venetian in Las Vegas is Costas Spiliadis's Mediterranean seafood emporium since 2021, a Forbes-recommended dining room with fish.
Tip: Lunch prix-fixe runs the same kitchen at half the dinner spend; book the 13:00 seating for the produce-market plates.
Rioja ★ 4.6 · Denver
downtown · 1431 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80202
Rioja in Denver is Jennifer Jasinski's James Beard-winning Mediterranean dining room on Larimer Square since 2004, a flagship of the Crafted Concepts group.
Tip: Sunday brunch with bottomless mimosas is a Larimer Square institution. The chef's tasting menu changes weekly and is the best way to see Jasinski's range.
Banzo ★ 4.6 · Madison
atwood · 2105 Sherman Ave, Madison, WI 53704
Banzo on Sherman Avenue near east side, the Israeli falafel spot from Netalee Sheinman and Aaron Collins, serves chickpea falafel and hummus plates.
Tip: Closed Sundays; the food-cart history shows in the quick counter turnover at lunch.
Lupi and Iris ★ 4.6 · Milwaukee
downtown · 777 N Van Buren St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Lupi and Iris on North Van Buren Street is Adam Siegel's Mediterranean room with views of the lakefront, wood-fired pizzas and Provencal seafood plates.
Tip: Patio seats face the Calatrava; book sunset on OpenTable two weeks out summer.
Herb and Wood ★ 4.6 · San Diego
little-italy · 2210 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101
Herb and Wood in San Diego is Brian Malarkey's Kettner Boulevard room in Little Italy, a rustic wood-fired Mediterranean kitchen with a courtyard patio.
Tip: The covered patio is the move on warmer evenings; the bar runs full menu for walk-ins.
avec ★ 4.5 · Chicago
west-loop · 615 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661
avec in Chicago is the cedar-walled Mediterranean wine bar next to Blackbird's old space, with the dates-wrapped-in-bacon plate that has run since 2003.
Tip: The communal seating means a walk-up at 17:00 usually beats waiting for a table. Bring a friend who likes elbows.
Abigail Street ★ 4.5 · Cincinnati
over-the-rhine · 1214 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Abigail Street on Vine in OTR is Daniel Wright's Cincinnati Mediterranean small-plates room, with lamb meatballs, spanakopita and Greek wines.
Astoria Cafe and Market ★ 4.5 · Cleveland
detroit-shoreway · 5417 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH 44102
Astoria Cafe and Market on Detroit Avenue in the Gordon Square Arts District, a Mediterranean restaurant and import shop since December 2016, runs mezze.
Tip: Walk-ins seated at the bar; the dining room takes reservations for Friday and Saturday.
Virtù Honest Craft ★ 4.5 · Phoenix
old-town-scottsdale · 3701 N Marshall Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Virtù Honest Craft in Scottsdale is Gio Osso's Mediterranean room behind the Bespoke Inn, a courtyard kitchen with an early James Beard new-restaurant nod.
Tip: The fig-tree courtyard is the seat to request; the tasting menu is the deepest way into Osso's cooking.
Aiona ★ 4.5 · Sacramento
downtown · 1213 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Aiona on K Street in downtown Sacramento opened April 2026 as a live-fire pan-Mediterranean room, an open-kitchen grill setup with a 3,000-bottle wine cellar.
Tip: Closed Sunday. Coral banquettes and an art deco mural by Mike Willcox. Advanced Sommelier curates the cellar.
Ladino ★ 4.5 · San Antonio
pearl · 200 E Grayson St #100, San Antonio, TX 78215
Ladino is a Sephardic-leaning Mediterranean room at the Pearl built for family sharing, where wood-grilled meats anchor a table of mezze, hummus and lamb.
Tip: Go family-style across the mezze and let the grill section anchor the table. The hummus and the lamb are reliable openers.
Lilac ★ 4.5 · Tampa
water-street · 500 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602
Lilac at the Tampa EDITION hotel runs Chef John Fraser's Mediterranean prix-fixe menu with Greek heritage, locally sourced ingredients and an open-kitchen.
Tip: Lilac held a Michelin star 2024 and 2025; dropped to Michelin Recommended in 2026 but still serves the same kitchen team.
Lilac ★ 4.5 · Tampa
500 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602
Lilac at the Tampa EDITION hotel runs Chef John Fraser's Mediterranean prix-fixe with Greek heritage. Held a Michelin star 2024 to 2025, kept on Recommended.
El Five ★ 4.4 · Denver
highland · 2930 Umatilla St, Denver, CO 80211
El Five in Denver is Justin Cucci's fifth-floor Highland tapas room with floor-to-ceiling views of downtown and the Front Range, a Mediterranean small-plates.
Tip: Sunset reservations book out a month in advance. The hidden side patio runs walk-ins; the elevator entrance is on Umatilla.
Petra Grill ★ 4.4 · Fort Collins
campus-west · 1335 West Elizabeth Street, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Petra Grill carves certified halal shawarma and grills kabobs on West Elizabeth Street in Fort Collins, a family room that feeds the CSU crowd.
Tip: Everything on the menu is certified halal and there is no alcohol; the falafel-hummus sandwich is the vegetarian sleeper.
The Lazy Goat ★ 4.4 · Greenville
downtown · 170 Riverplace, Greenville, SC 29601
The Lazy Goat sits on Riverplace looking at the Reedy River, Carl Sobocinski's Mediterranean room with hot mezze plates, flatbreads and lamb souvlaki dishes.
Banzo ★ 4.4 · Madison
atwood · 2105 Sherman Ave, Madison, WI 53704
Banzo on Sherman Avenue near east side, the Israeli falafel spot from Netalee Sheinman and Aaron Collins, serves chickpea falafel and hummus plates.
Tip: Closed Sundays; the food cart history shows in the quick lunch turnover at the counter.
Tre Rivali ★ 4.4 · Milwaukee
200 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Tre Rivali inside the Kimpton Journeyman Hotel on North Broadway in the Third Ward runs a coastal Mediterranean menu with wood-fired pizzas and seafood.
Cardamom ★ 4.4 · Minneapolis
lowry-hill · 723 Vineland Pl, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Cardamom at the Walker Art Center pours Aegean-Mediterranean plates in Minneapolis since 2023. North African and Middle Eastern accents; vegan menu alongside.
Tip: Book the patio overlooking the sculpture garden in summer. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays; Sunday brunch popular.
Barbuzzo ★ 4.4 · Philadelphia
center-city · 110 S 13th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Barbuzzo in Philadelphia is Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran's 13th Street Mediterranean kitchen, open since 2010, anchored by wood-fired pizzas.
Tip: The bar counter overlooking the open kitchen takes walk-ups. It is the room's quietest table on a Friday.
Mediterranean Exploration Company ★ 4.4 · Portland
pearl-district · 333 NW 13th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
John Gorham's Mediterranean room in the Pearl District of Portland, from Morocco to Turkey to Greece in one big family-style menu since 2014.
Tip: Family-style is the move. Two people order three dishes; six people order eight.
Le Great Outdoor ★ 4.4 · Santa Monica
bergamot · 2525 Michigan Avenue, Suite A3, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Le Great Outdoor grills everything outside in the Bergamot Station yard in Santa Monica, lamb chops and tartines off open fire at long picnic tables.
Tip: The kitchen is entirely open-air in the arts-centre parking lot; book Resy for dinner, walk in at lunch.
Petra Mediterranean Restaurant ★ 4.4 · Tampa
north-hyde-park · 1118 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606
Petra on Kennedy Boulevard in Tampa has served halal-certified Jordanian and Palestinian dishes since 2004, with mansaf and shawarma as the table builders.
Tip: Halal-certified; gluten-free menu available except the pita; lunch special runs until 3pm.
Petra Mediterranean Restaurant ★ 4.4 · Tampa
north-hyde-park · 1118 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606
Petra on Kennedy Boulevard has served halal-certified Jordanian and Palestinian dishes since 2004, with mansaf lamb shank and shawarma as the table builders.
Tip: Halal-certified; gluten-free menu available except for the pita; lunch special runs until 3pm.
Rome and Fig ★ 4.4 · Tampa
north-hyde-park · 1701 N Howard Ave, Tampa, FL 33607
Rome and Fig in North Hyde Park runs Mediterranean small plates, a chosen wine list and a creative cocktail bar in a sleek Howard Avenue room.
Tip: Bar seats first-come; the wine room books for special occasions.
Barbouzard ★ 4.4 · Washington DC
downtown · 1700 K St NW, Washington, DC 20006
Barbouzard in Washington DC is chef Cedric Maupillier's French-Mediterranean dining room on K Street since July 2025, the Convivial chef's next chapter.
Tip: Sunday brunch starts at 11:00; the alcove booths take the smaller parties and the bouillabaisse comes with a 24-hour heads-up.