Chef Richard DeShantz Restaurant GroupOmakase, market pricedowntownBook 1 to 2 weeks ahead
Gi-Jin on 6th Street downtown serves sushi, hand-rolls and an omakase counter in Pittsburgh. A DeShantz raw bar pairing gin, sake and Japanese whisky.
Order: Sit at the counter for the omakase, and order a flight off the gin list.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00. Reserve ahead; the counter seats fill on weekends.
Chef Jessica Bauer$$$$mount-washingtonBook 1 to 2 weeks ahead
Altius on Grandview Avenue serves contemporary American cooking with the skyline view from Mount Washington in Pittsburgh. A special-occasion room.
Order: Book a window table at dusk and let the kitchen run the seasonal menu.
Tip: The skyline window seats book first; ask when reserving. Smart but not jackets-required.
Chef big Burrito Restaurant Group$$$$strip-districtBook 1 to 2 weeks ahead
Eleven in the Strip District is big Burrito Group's flagship in Pittsburgh. Contemporary American cooking in a restored warehouse with a deep wine list.
Order: Let the kitchen run the seasonal menu and pair off the cellar list.
Tip: The dressiest of the big rooms. Reserve well ahead and ask about the chef's counter.
Chef Hyeholde kitchen$$$$downtownBook 1 to 2 weeks ahead
Hyeholde near the airport in Coraopolis has served fine American cooking in a storybook stone manor since 1937. A 20-minute drive from downtown Pittsburgh.
Order: A composed seasonal main in the great hall, with a bottle off the long list.
Tip: Worth the drive for a celebration. The garden and the medieval-style room are the draws.
Chef Justin Severino$$$lawrencevilleBook 1 to 2 weeks ahead
Morcilla on Butler Street in Lawrenceville is Justin Severino's Spanish room in Pittsburgh. Charcuterie, sherry and tapas from a James Beard semifinalist.
Order: The charcuterie board and a flight off the sherry list.
Tip: Reserve on Resy for weekends. The standing bar takes a few early-evening walk-ins.
Chef Nik Forsberg$$$bloomfieldBook 1 to 2 weeks ahead
Fet-Fisk on Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield serves chef-driven Nordic seafood in Pittsburgh. A 2025 Bon Appetit best-new-restaurant and James Beard finalist.
Order: Oysters and the open-faced smorrebrod, with a snaps or a low-intervention wine.
Tip: Thursday to Monday, dinner from 17:00. Reserve on Resy; the bar runs later.