The rooms worth a reservation in Phoenix, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Phoenix. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
Bacanora in Phoenix is Rene Andrade's wood-fired Sonoran room on Grand Avenue, the kitchen that won the 2024 James Beard Best Chef Southwest award.
Signature: Wood-fired tomahawk, Chiltepin salsa, Agave cocktails
Order: Anything off the open flame, finished with chiltepin Andrade hauls from his family's Sonoran ranch.
Tip: The room seats about 32 and books out fast; reserve well ahead or aim for an early weeknight seating.
Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix is Chris Bianco's wood-fired pizzeria in Heritage Square, the James Beard kitchen long called the best pizza in America.
Signature: Wiseguy, Rosa, Margherita
Order: The Wiseguy, with wood-roasted onion, smoked mozzarella and fennel sausage.
Tip: The Heritage Square original has stood at 623 Adams since 1997; arrive at open or expect a wait, no reservations for small parties.
Tratto in Phoenix is Chris Bianco's Italian trattoria at Town & Country, a white-tablecloth room of handmade pasta built around seasonal Southwest produce.
Signature: Handmade rigatoni, Seasonal pasta, Roman dishes
Order: Whatever pasta is on the day's handmade list; the menu turns with the season.
Tip: Tratto runs Tuesday to Saturday dinner only, next to the Town & Country Pizzeria Bianco; reservations fill fast.
Kai at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass is Arizona's only AAA Five Diamond restaurant, cooking Pima and Maricopa ingredients from the Gila River land.
Signature: Tribal buffalo tenderloin, Great Plains bison, Cholla buds
Order: The grilled tribal buffalo tenderloin with smoked corn puree, cholla buds and scarlet runner bean chile.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Saturday evenings only; the drive south to Wild Horse Pass is about 30 minutes from downtown Phoenix.
FnB in Scottsdale is Charleen Badman's vegetable-forward room in Craftsman Court, where the chef won the 2019 James Beard Best Chef Southwest award.
Signature: Braised leeks, Seasonal vegetables, Arizona wines
Order: The braised leeks with mozzarella, mustard, breadcrumbs and a sunny-side egg, a Food and Wine top-ten dish.
Tip: The menu changes with what local farmers harvest; Pavle Milic's all-Arizona wine list is the room's second draw.
The Mission in Old Town Scottsdale is Matt Carter's modern Latin room, drawing on Spain, Mexico and South America in a dark stone-walled dining room.
Signature: Tableside guacamole, Pork shoulder, Latin small plates
Order: The tableside guacamole and the slow-roasted pork shoulder; Carter won the 2024 Arizona Food Pioneer Award.
Tip: The patio under the church wall is the seat to book; lunch runs daily and dinner fills the bar early.
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.
Signature: Crispy-skin branzino, Handmade pasta, Caper brown butter
Order: The crispy-skin branzino with caper-infused brown butter, a fixture on Osso's changing menu.
Tip: The fig-tree courtyard is the seat to request; the tasting menu is the deepest way into Osso's cooking.
Quiessence at The Farm at South Mountain is Dustin Christofolo's seasonal tasting room, plating produce picked hours earlier from the on-site garden.
Signature: Tasting menu, Garden vegetables, Seasonal mains
Order: The weekly tasting menu, built around whatever the garden cut that morning.
Tip: Set on a working farm off 32nd Street; the drive and garden walk are part of the evening, book the patio in cool months.
Different Pointe of View sits 1,800 feet up at the Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, a AAA Four Diamond room pairing American cooking with a wide skyline view.
Signature: Tasting menu, Wine pairings, Mountaintop views
Order: The multi-course tasting with wine pairings, timed for sunset over the city lights.
Tip: Request a window or terrace table at dusk; the room is on North 7th Street, well north of downtown.
Cafe Monarch in Old Town Scottsdale is a family-run tasting-menu room on a string-lit alley, serving a changing eight-course menu of small, refined plates.
Signature: Eight-course tasting, Four-course prix fixe, Seasonal plates
Order: The chef's eight-course tasting, the deepest version of the kitchen's seasonal cooking.
Tip: The candlelit back alley is the seat to book; the menu is prix fixe only, no a la carte.
Steak 44 on North 44th Street is the Mastro brothers' modern Phoenix steakhouse, a high-energy room of prime cuts, raw-bar seafood and a deep wine list.
Signature: Prime steaks, Fresh seafood, Tableside service
Order: A dry-aged prime cut and a tower from the raw bar to start.
Tip: The bar fills early and loud; book the dining room for a quieter night, valet only at peak.
Mowry & Cotton at The Phoenician resort is a relaxed Scottsdale steak-and-cocktail room, plating grilled mains and smoked drinks in a luxe poolside setting.
Signature: Smoked cocktails, Grilled steaks, Wood-fired plates
Order: A grilled steak alongside one of the bar's signature smoked cocktails.
Tip: Set inside The Phoenician on Camelback Road; the resort patio is the seat in cool months.
Tarbell's on Camelback Road is Mark Tarbell's long-running Biltmore-area room, a New American kitchen with a wood oven and a deep wine program.
Signature: Wood-oven dishes, Seasonal mains, Deep wine list
Order: Whatever comes out of the wood oven, paired from Tarbell's own wine store next door.
Tip: Tarbell's the Tavern wine bar sits a couple of doors down at 3209 Camelback for a lighter night.
Marisco Boys on North 7th Street is a 2025 seafood room from the Taco Boy's team, plating Sonoran and Sinaloan mariscos in a converted mid-century bakery.
Signature: Raw oysters, Marinated octopus, Aguachile
Order: Raw oysters with salsa negra mignonette and the marinated deep-fried octopus.
Tip: Built in a converted mid-century bakery; the long bar is good for a solo aguachile and a michelada.
Indibar in Paradise Valley is Nigel Lobo and Ajay Negi's modern Indian craft-cocktail room, opened in 2025 in the former Rancho Pinot space.
Signature: Tasting plates, Craft cocktails, Seasonal curries
Order: The seasonal tasting plates paired with the bar's spice-driven cocktails.
Tip: Set in Lincoln Village shopping center; the cocktail bar is a destination on its own, book ahead for dinner.
Cocina Madrigal in South Phoenix is Leo Madrigal's from-scratch Mexican room, plating handcrafted tacos and homemade enchiladas with house specialties.
Signature: Handcrafted tacos, Homemade enchiladas, Mole
Order: The handmade enchiladas and a plate of the day's specialty tacos.
Tip: On 16th Street near the Wood Street tracks; weekends fill, the patio is the cool-month seat.
Pa'La Downtown is a wood-fired Mediterranean room on Washington Street, the larger sibling of the original 24th Street bungalow, built around grill and oven.
Signature: Wood-fired fish, Paella, Seasonal vegetables
Order: Whatever fish is on the grill and the seasonal paella when it runs.
Tip: The original tiny Pa'La sits at 2107 N 24th Street; the downtown room has the full-service kitchen.
POMO Pizzeria Napoletana in downtown Phoenix is an AVPN-certified Neapolitan pizzeria, baking pies to Naples standards in a wood-fired oven.
Signature: Margherita, Marinara, Wood-fired pizza
Order: The Margherita, judged against the AVPN's true-Neapolitan certification.
Tip: On 1st Street near Roosevelt Row; the lunch pizza-and-salad combo is the value play.
Los Sombreros on Scottsdale Road is a long-running regional Mexican cantina set in a converted house, known for its mole and one of the best patios in town.
Signature: Mole poblano, Cochinita pibil, House margaritas
Order: The mole poblano and a house margarita on the patio.
Tip: The casita patio is the seat to book; weekends and snowbird season fill the small rooms fast.
Otro Cafe in Midtown Phoenix is Doug Robson's Oaxacan-leaning room, the breakfast-and-tacos counterpart to his Gallo Blanco, with local and organic sourcing.
Signature: Oaxacan plates, Street tacos, Weekend brunch
Order: The Oaxacan-style plates at dinner or the breakfast tacos at the weekend.
Tip: On 7th Street in Midtown; the breakfast and weekend brunch menu is the room's strongest hour.
Gallo Blanco in the historic Garfield district is Doug Robson's street-taco and brunch room, a Mexico City-born chef's casual spot with strong veggie options.
Signature: Street tacos, Weekend brunch, Vegetarian plates
Order: A spread of street tacos and the savory weekend brunch.
Tip: On Pierce Street in Garfield, next to Welcome Diner; the bar pours craft beer and specialty drinks.