10 splurge places in Phoenix, editor-picked. tasting menus and the full big-night-out treatment in Phoenix. All Phoenix food.
Kai ★ 4.8
chandler · 5594 W Wild Horse Pass Blvd, Chandler, AZ 85226
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.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Saturday evenings only; the drive south to Wild Horse Pass is about 30 minutes from downtown Phoenix.
Kai ★ 4.8
5594 W Wild Horse Pass Blvd, Chandler, AZ 85226
Kai at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass is Arizona's only AAA Five Diamond restaurant, cooking Pima and Maricopa ingredients on Gila River land.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Saturday only; the drive to Wild Horse Pass is about 30 minutes south of downtown.
FnB ★ 4.7
7125 E 5th Ave Suite 31, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
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.
Tip: The menu turns with the farms; Pavle Milic's all-Arizona wine list is the second reason to book.
Quiessence at The Farm ★ 4.6
south-mountain · 6106 S 32nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85042
Quiessence at The Farm at South Mountain is Dustin Christofolo's seasonal tasting room, plating produce picked hours earlier from the on-site garden.
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.
Quiessence at The Farm ★ 4.6
6106 S 32nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85042
Quiessence at The Farm at South Mountain is Dustin Christofolo's seasonal tasting room, plating produce picked hours earlier from the on-site garden.
Tip: Set on a working farm off 32nd Street; book the patio in the cool months.
Steak 44 ★ 4.5
arcadia · 5101 N 44th St, Phoenix, AZ 85018
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.
Tip: The bar fills early and loud; book the dining room for a quieter night, valet only at peak.
Cafe Monarch ★ 4.4
old-town-scottsdale · 6939 E 1st Ave, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
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.
Tip: The candlelit back alley is the seat to book; the menu is prix fixe only, no a la carte.
Cafe Monarch ★ 4.4
6939 E 1st Ave, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
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.
Tip: The candlelit back alley is the seat to book; the menu is prix fixe only.
Different Pointe of View ★ 4.3
north-mountain · 11111 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85020
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.
Tip: Request a window or terrace table at dusk; the room is on North 7th Street, well north of downtown.
Different Pointe of View ★ 4.3
11111 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85020
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.
Tip: Request a window or terrace table at dusk; it is well north of downtown on 7th Street.