When thinking about Phoenix area restaurants, certain categories come to mind. There are the classics such as Carolina's and Duck and Decanter. There are chef-driven spots with big names like Pizzeria Bianco and Barrio Cafe. We've got new rockstars that are making a splash, including Bacanora and Valentine. And then there are the under-the-radar spots that locals know and love, such as Myke's Pizza in Mesa and Cafe Lalibela in Tempe.
All of these restaurants come together to weave a wonderful patchwork of exceptional food across the Valley. They are an integral part of the Phoenix food scene and an essential element of what makes it so great. And they are all included on our 2023 list of the Top 100 Phoenix Restaurants.
Our extensive guide is newly updated for 2023 and comes together as a culmination of months worth of thorough — and very tasty — research. In the full lineup available online, which is searchable by neighborhood and cuisine, you may recognize some spots from our 2020 and 2021 lists, as these restaurants continue to be at the top of their game.
However, since the previous list published in March 2021, plenty of new and exceptional dining destinations have opened all around the Valley. These are the 11 newly-opened restaurants that have made the list for the first time.
All of these restaurants come together to weave a wonderful patchwork of exceptional food across the Valley. They are an integral part of the Phoenix food scene and an essential element of what makes it so great. And they are all included on our 2023 list of the Top 100 Phoenix Restaurants.
These are the restaurants we love, where we take visiting family and friends, and where we eat on a regular basis. They are restaurants worth writing about, worth visiting, and worth remembering. Congratulations and thank you to the chefs, restaurant owners, kitchen staff, bartenders, and servers who bring these dining experiences to life.
Our extensive guide is newly updated for 2023 and comes together as a culmination of months worth of thorough — and very tasty — research. In the full lineup available online, which is searchable by neighborhood and cuisine, you may recognize some spots from our 2020 and 2021 lists, as these restaurants continue to be at the top of their game.
However, since the previous list published in March 2021, plenty of new and exceptional dining destinations have opened all around the Valley. These are the 11 newly-opened restaurants that have made the list for the first time.
Cala
7501 East Camelback Road, ScottsdaleThis signature restaurant nestled in the Hilton’s Senna House in Old Town is helmed by celebrity chef and Sanctuary alum Beau MacMillan. While he willingly handed over executive chef duties to Peter McQuaid, who followed MacMillan from Sanctuary, MacMillan’s stamp is all over the Mediterranean-inspired menu that flaunts farm-fresh cuisine with coastal panache. Items such as the Cala Burger, white bean hummus, and pizza lineup check a lot of hotel restaurant boxes. However, several flash out-of-the-box flair. The blistered shishito peppers are served with fried Spanish chorizo slices and smoky peanut-based salsa macha. The Cala Bolognese made with the classic combo of pork, beef, and veal is hearty and elegant; it can be made vegan with red lentils as the base, if you wish. The patio is packed on the weekends, but the bar at the center of the restaurant offers a great spot for people watching away from the crowd.
Call Her Martina
7135 East Camelback Road, #165, Scottsdale From the outside, Call Her Martina looks like any other business in the fancy Scottsdale Waterfront strip mall. But inside, customers embark on an experience. Take a seat at a table in the modern black-and-white-themed dining room, snag a space at the bar, or hang out with friends at a large group high-top underneath glowing neon signs. Start with a couple of cocktails. The well-balanced creations are as beautiful as they are delicious, with garnishes of real flower petals and charred cinnamon sticks. Then dig into the meal. The stand-out guac comes complete with bright bursts of pomegranate seeds, cold creamy avocado, and the kicker — warm, salty, über-satisfying cubes of steak. Entrees range from extravagant charred octopus to simple birria tacos, but make sure to leave room for dessert. The flan, topped with shards of caramel and fresh mint leaves, is both classic and fresh — and an exceptional end to a meal at this swanky Scottsdale spot.
Espiritu
123 West Main Street, Mesa Espiritu is the sister restaurant to Bacanora, which quickly shot to the center of the Phoenix food scene with Sonoran dishes that captured a crowd and made the Grand Avenue spot one of the hardest reservations to get in town. If you’re looking to taste the food imagined by Bacanora’s lauded chef Rene Andrade — in partnership with other Valley Mexican food royalty, the team behind Tacos Chiwas — head to downtown Mesa. Espiritu is located in the center of Main Street in the growing restaurant hot spot. The menu skews toward cocktails and seafood. Bright, fresh ceviche and aguachile get the meal going, before customers dig into heartier main dishes. This restaurant isn’t strictly Mexican, with a classic bacon cheeseburger and grilled cheese available. The ambiance is moody, and candles drip wax on the long bar that lines one side of the small space. It feels undeniably edgy for Mesa, and is one of the coolest new spots in town.
Feringhee
3491 West Frye Road, Chandler One cliche that proves true time and time again is that some of the best dining experiences are in nondescript strip malls. At Feringhee, which translates to “foreigner,” chefs Sujan Sarkar and Karan Mitta aim to push boundaries with Indian cuisine. Chaat street food dish bhel is made with edamame and avocado, ingredients you likely would never taste in the traditional version of the same dish. The goal is to provide a twist to most of the menu items, including pork belly accentuated by kokum, a sweet-and-sour fruit native to India. Other out-of-the-box dishes include jackfruit biryani and Goan fish curry. Cocktails and creative desserts round out the menu for an exceptional experience at this strip mall spot.
Fire at Will
4912 East Shea Boulevard, #108, Scottsdale Dom Ruggiero’s third concept may be his best so far. Located in the Paradise Village Gateway plaza at the corner of Tatum and Shea boulevards, the dark and moody Fire at Will flaunts a Mediterranean-inspired menu. The neighborhood restaurant is sure to satisfy whether you choose the Macaroni au Gratin with five melty cheeses that form a perfect medley atop elbow pasta, or the lobster roll with creamy aioli and diced celery stuffed inside buttered grilled toast and served with a charred lemon. The Hush Burger, a favorite when featured at Ruggiero’s Hush Public House in north Scottsdale, has a concrete spot on the Fire at Will menu — caramelized onions, Noble Bread brioche bun, and all. Find a spot at the communal table, or bring a date and tuck into a booth to watch staff in the open kitchen plate savory beef bolognese and whole grilled branzino. The Mr. Brownstone, a brown butter bourbon cocktail with black walnuts and brown sugar, is a fitting accompaniment to the dimly lit space.
First & Last's Squash & Ricotta pasta with spinach and roasted toy box squash is sumptuously simple.
Allison Young
First & Last
1001 North Third Avenue, #1
Lom Wong
218 East Portland Street Regional Thai restaurant Lom Wong, set in a black bungalow at Second and Portland streets in downtown Phoenix, packs a piquant punch. Owners Yotaka and Alex Martin have firsthand experience with the robust flavors. Yotaka grew up in San Maket, Chiang Rai, a village in northern Thailand. She spent her childhood cooking traditional dishes alongside her mother and grandmother. Alex met Yotaka in Thailand, and the two began traveling the country together, returning to northern Thailand to dice shallots and stir-fry crab with Yotaka’s family whenever they had the chance. The menu at Lom Wong, which features dishes like charcoal-grilled Thai sausage and eggplant in hand-pounded curry paste, is meant to be shared. Boozy cocktails complement the food well. Thunder’s Piña Colada includes fresh coconut cream and fish sauce, while the Bo Sang is crafted with vodka, lychee, and rosewater.
Santé
15507 North Scottsdale Road, #100, Scottsdale The term “organic” is more than a buzzword at Scottsdale’s Santé. The ethos centers on ethical food sourcing and a keen focus on being green from start to finish. Drinks are the way in with selections such as the Watermelon Mambo, which features elderflower liqueur, basil, and vodka, or the classic prickly pear margarita. Mocktails also are available for those who want to skip the alcohol. Cheese boards have vegan and non-vegan cheeses, and you simply cannot pass up the shishito cornbread, a mixture of peppers and cheddar cheese, with dippable maple butter. Hearty entrees include salmon, sea bass, and polenta cake. Order the sweet potato waffle if you decide to dine during brunch. You won’t regret it. Brunch also features several vegetarian items, such as a vegan burger and burrito. For something sweet, don’t skip the pumpkin pull-apart bread.
Modern French bistro Sottise resides in a historic building in the Roosevelt Row arts district built in 1909.
Sottise
Sottise
1025 North Second Street
St. Urban
5538 North Seventh Street St. Urban offers a vintage ambiance with its mirrors and rose-adorned wallpaper that’s the perfect setting for a girls’ night out or a mid-week date. The quaint brasserie is located upstairs from Neighborly Public House. The cocktail menu offers a selection of creative tipples, including the Walk in Paris, a brandy, passion fruit, and vanilla essence concoction; the espresso-forward French Kiss; and the Crown Jewels, made with bourbon and Montenegro liqueur. The food menu features starters such as deviled eggs with pork shoulder, creole mustard, and paprika; burrata with spicy tomato jam; and salmon tartare. Or try one of the five flatbreads topped with farm-fresh ingredients. Entrees include a chicken pesto caprese, wild mushroom lasagna, and a spitfire chicken breast. Coziness and sophistication — combined with tasty bites and delightful drinks — will convince you to make St. Urban your go-to spot.
The avocado aguachile at Tia Carmen is made with date sesame crumble, Persian cucumbers, and serrano chiles.
Tia Carmen
