Le Bernardin’s attention to detail, stability and quest for perfection still elicits a culinary crusade. (Le Bernardin)
To earn a coveted slot on our Top 40 list, a restaurant needs to create a faultless alchemy of culinary imagination, unwavering technique, and exemplary execution. From the island shores of Hawaii on the Pacific to the island shores of Georgia on the Atlantic --- and the glamorous metropolitan stars in between --- we hope our carefully curated list will help you find the gold standard in America's most remarkable destination dining.
ATLANTA AREA
Bacchanalia
1198 Howell Mill Rd. NW (14th St. NW)
Atlanta, GA 30318
404-365-0410
Owner-chefs Clifford Harrison and Anne Quatrano's cooking is distinguished and rich with detail.
Georgian Room
100 Cloister Dr. (Sea Island Rd.)
Sea Island, GA 31561
888-732-4752; 912-638-3611
The food at Georgian Room draws much from regional traditions while bringing a sophistication to the humblest ingredient.
BOSTON
Menton
354 Congress St. (Thomson Pl.)
Boston, MA 02210
617-737-0099
French-Italian cuisine is elevated to the next level at Barbara Lynch's fine-dining destination Menton.
BOULDER
Frasca Food and Wine
1738 Pearl St. (17th St.)
Boulder, CO 80302
303-442-6966
Fine dining in the guise of a neighborhood "frasca" takes you on a journey through the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy.
CHICAGO
Alinea
1723 N. Halsted St. (Willow St.)
Chicago, IL 60614
312-867-0110
Evocative, small-bite molecular arrangements from chef Grant Achatz help keep Chicago firmly planted on the culinary map.
Everest
440 S. La Salle St., 40th Fl.
Chicago, IL 60605
312-663-8920
French refinement, complete with an art-adorned space, profoundly endures 40 floors above Chicago's Loop.
DALLAS
The Mansion Restaurant at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
2821 Turtle Creek Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75219
214-443-4747
Dallas’s grande dame of dining prevails in fine style.
HONOLULU
Chef Mavro
1969 S. King St. (McCully St.)
Honolulu, Oahu HI 96826
808-944-4714
A dinner at Chef Mavro is a tribute to the bounty of Hawaii's land and ocean.
LAGUNA BEACH, CA
Studio
30801 S. Coast Hwy. (Montage Resort Dr.)
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
949-715-6030
Perhaps OC's most scenic and romantic restaurant with high-class cuisine and a wine list of 2,500-plus bottles.
LAS VEGAS
Joel Robuchon
3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Tropicana Ave.)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-891-7925
Joël Robuchon has achieved the highest level of culinary excellence with this Las Vegas destination.
Picasso
3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Flamingo Rd.)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-693-8865
Picasso was meant for Julian Serrano; the Spanish-born chef steadfastly masterminds this marriage of art and food.
Restaurant Guy Savoy
3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Flamingo Rd.)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-731-7286
Guy Savoy's Las Vegas temple of gastronomy opens your eyes and mind.
LOS ANGELES AREA
Melisse
1104 Wilshire Blvd. (11th St.)
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-395-0881
The epitome of Los Angeles fine dining, Mélisse fluently bridges French sophistication with style.
Providence
5955 Melrose Ave. (Highland Ave.)
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323-460-4170
Providence reinforces what we've long known: Michael Cimarusti is a master with fish.
Spago Beverly Hills
176 N. Canon Dr. (Wilshire Blvd.)
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-385-0880
Wolfgang Puck‘s flagship restaurant features a new look and menu with a slightly more contemporary approach.
Urasawa
218 N. Rodeo Dr. (Wilshire Blvd.)
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-247-8939
Hiroyuki Urasawa conveys tradition, contemplation and wonder with his kaiseki opus.
LOS GATOS, CA
Manresa
320 Village Lane (N. Santa Cruz Ave.)
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Wander away from San Francisco for an introspective eating experience that's far from provincial.
NEW ORLEANS
Restaurant August
301 Tchoupitoulas St. (Gravier St.)
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-299-9777
Chef John Besh's Louisiana upbringing and knowledge of cutting-edge culinary trends enable him to compose menus that hold their own among the most stringent standards of fine dining.
NEW YORK
Bouley
163 Duane St. (Hudson St.)
New York, NY 10013
212-964-2525
David Bouley’s eponymous restaurant in TriBeCa draws those who wish to experience and savor the chef’s exquisite contemporary French cuisine and reclaim the art of dining, if only for a meal.
Corton
239 W. Broadway (Walker & White Sts.)
New York, NY 10013
212-219-2777
Named after the largest area of Grand Cru in Burgundy, Corton is a TriBeCa destination for French cuisine.
Daniel
60 E. 65th St. (Madison & Park Aves.)
New York, NY 10065
212-288-0033
Chef extraordinaire and entrepreneur Daniel Boulud oversees more than a dozen restaurants worldwide, of which his eponymous fine dining establishment Daniel is the apex.
Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave. (24th St.)
New York, NY 10010
212-889-0905
Chef Daniel Humm pays homage to New York, both to its local ingredients and to its longstanding culinary traditions, amidst an elegant Art Deco setting with fine service.
Jean-Georges
1 Central Park W. (60th & 61st Sts.)
New York, NY 10023
212-299-3900
A thousand good meals can't lie. This acclaimed restaurant has a master chef as its inspiration.
Le Bernardin
155 W. 51st St. (Sixth & Seventh Aves.)
New York, NY 10019
212-554-1515
Le Bernardin’s attention to detail, stability and quest for perfection still elicits a culinary crusade.
Le Cirque
151 E. 58th St. (Third Ave.)
New York, NY 10022
212-644-0202
Le Cirque's creator Sirio Maccioni, along with its cuisine, décor and clients, combine to make it a New York gastronomic landmark.
Masa
10 Columbus Cir. (W. 59th & 60th Sts.)
New York, NY 10019
212-823-9800
Money's no object? Then surely spend it at Masa, quite possibly the best Japanese restaurant in America.
The Modern
9 W. 53rd St. (Fifth Ave.)
New York, NY 10019
212-333-1220
Hailing from Alsace, Gabriel Kreuther remains faithful to his roots: mastering the classical fundamentals, uncompromising in his quest for pristine products.
Per Se
10 Columbus Cir. (58th & 59th Sts.)
New York, NY 10019
212-823-9335
While Per Se embodies the same principles of excellence as The French Laundry, anticipate a different transformational experience.
PHILADELPHIA
Vetri
1312 Spruce St. (13th St.)
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-732-3478
Sit back and entrust your hosts, Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin, to offer a feast of soulful Italian cooking.
RED BANK, NJ
Restaurant Nicholas
160 Rte. 35 (Navesink River Rd.)
Red Bank, NJ 07701
732-345-9977
Restaurant Nicholas graces New Jersey with a very fine dining experience: a blend of sophisticated surroundings, professional service and remarkable food.
SAN DIEGO
Addison
5200 Grand Del Mar Way (Carmel Country Rd.)
San Diego, CA 92130
858-314-1900
Savor exceptional, seasonal haute cuisine in a lavish European-style setting at The Grand Del Mar resort.
SAN FRANCISCO
Coi
373 Broadway (Montgomery St.)
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-393-9000
Coi re-imagines California cuisine, acknowledging the sanctified emphasis on ingredients that many area chefs embrace, but also showing a willingness to challenge and invent in an appropriately hushed atmosphere.
Gary Danko
800 North Point St. (Hyde St.)
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-749-2060
Along with a classy but comfortable ambience, delightful food and a wine list with plenty of intriguing options, Gary Danko has what many consider the best service in the city.
Michael Mina
252 California St. (Battery St.)
San Francisco, CA 94111
415-397-9222
Michael Mina’s eponymous restaurant relocated in 2010 and brought with it a decidedly fresher and hipper vibe.
SEATTLE AREA
The Willows Inn
2579 W. Shore Dr. (Melcher Rd.)
Lummi Island, WA 98262
360-758-2620; 888-294-2620
The Willows Inn on serene Lummi Island brings a new culinary vision to the Pacific Northwest.
ST. HELENA, CA
The Restaurant at Meadowood
900 Meadowood Lane
St. Helena, CA 94574
707-967-1205
The Restaurant at Meadowood creates a soigné stage for one of Napa Valley’s most transcendent dining experiences.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
CityZen
1330 Maryland Ave. SW (13th St. SW)
Washington, DC 20024
202-787-6006
Executive chef Eric Ziebold endorses American fare --- and his cooking wins over Washingtonians.
WASHINGTON, VA
The Inn at Little Washington
309 Middle St. (Main St.)
Washington, VA 22747
540-675-3800
Few chefs have a stronger culinary personality and style in this country; self-taught chef Patrick O’Connell is emboldened, his imagination fertile.
WESTERN SPRINGS, IL
Vie
4471 Lawn Ave. (Burlington Ave.)
Western Springs, IL 60558
708-246-2082
Chef-owner Paul Virant's take on Modern American cuisine is thoroughly enjoyed in austere environs.
YOUNTVILLE, CA
The French Laundry
6640 Washington St. (Creek St.)
Yountville, CA 94599
707-944-2380
Thomas Keller continues to thrill diners at his Yountville temple of gastronomy.
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