Must-see restaurants in Eastern USA

  • Bastion

    Nashville

    Behind a nondescript sliding door hides this choose-your-own-adventure foodie dreamland. Chef Josh Habiger (Catbird Seat, Patterson House) has cultivated…

  • Men walking through Chelsea Market, 9th Avenue.

    Chelsea Market

    West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District

    In a shining example of redevelopment and renaissance, Chelsea Market has taken a 19th-century Nabisco cookie factory and turned it into an 800ft-long…

  • Highlands Bar & Grill

    Birmingham

    Frank Stitt's most acclaimed restaurant, Highlands has been serving up modern Southern cuisine using French cooking techniques since 1982 in this elegant,…

  • Wyld

    Savannah

    Hidden along an estuary of the Savannah marshlands, this laid-back, local favorite features a seasonal, New American menu with a heavy seafood emphasis…

  • Macro Close Up Barbecue BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwhich; Shutterstock ID 545251645

    Saw's Soul Kitchen

    Birmingham

    Saw's offers some of the most mouthwatering smoked meat in the city, served in a family-friendly atmosphere. Stuffed potatoes make a nice addition to your…

  • Galatoire’s

    French Quarter

    Friday lunchtime is the best time to visit this revered institution for its traditional Creole cuisine. That’s when local ladies in big hats and gloves…

  • Smorgasburg

    Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick

    The largest foodie event in Brooklyn (perhaps the US) brings together more than 100 vendors selling an incredible array of goodness. Seize stuffed…

  • Dixie Crossroads

    Space Coast

    Rodney Thompson developed the rock-shrimp fishery off Canaveral’s coast in the early 1970s and in 1983 his daughter, Laurilee, opened the Dixie Crossroads…

  • PinPoint

    Coastal North Carolina

    PinPoint was declared by Southern Living magazine as one of the South's best new restaurants – and they weren't lyin'!

  • Le Bernardin

    Midtown

    The interiors may have been subtly sexed-up for a 'younger clientele' (the stunning storm-themed triptych is by Brooklyn artist Ran Ortner), but triple…

  • Eleven Madison Park

    Union Square, Flatiron District & Gramercy

    Eleven Madison Park consistently bags a spot on top restaurant lists. Frankly, we’re not surprised: this revamped poster child of modern, sustainable…

  • O Ya

    Midtown

    With the cheapest nigiri pairs at close to $15, this is not a spot you'll come to every day. But if you're looking for a special night out and sushi's in…

  • Ample Hills Creamery

    Queens

    There is only one Queens location of this storied Brooklyn-born creamery, which has been voted the best ice cream in the US by the Food Network. They…

  • Octopus Bar

    Atlanta

    Leave your hang-ups at the hotel – this is punk-rock dining – and get to know what's good at this unsigned indoor-outdoor patio dive nuanced with…

  • Totto Ramen

    Midtown

    There might be two other Midtown branches but purists know that neither beats the tiny 20-seat original. Write your name and party size on the clipboard…

  • Modern

    Midtown

    Shining two (Michelin) stars bright, the Modern delivers rich, confident creations like foie-gras tart and 'ants on a log' peanut-butter cake. Service is…

  • Fresh Air

    South Georgia

    Congratulations, you have reached swine nirvana. Fresh Air is a glorious warm and friendly pioneer-style wooden roadside shack with outdoor seating and…

  • Ulele

    Tampa

    In a pleasant Riverwalk setting, this former water-pumping station has been transformed into an enchanting restaurant and brewery whose menu harkens back…

  • Blacksmith Bar & Restaurant

    Eastern Shore

    Folks across the Eastern Shore recommend this cozy and congenial spot, which began life as a blacksmith shop and now serves hearty portions of delicious…

  • Columbia Restaurant

    Tampa

    Celebrating its centennial in 2015, this Spanish Cuban restaurant is the oldest in Florida. Occupying an entire block, it consists of 15 elegant dining…

  • Marjie's Grill

    New Orleans

    In one word: brilliant. Marjie's is run by chefs who were inspired by Southeast Asian street food, but rather than coming home and doing pale imitations…

  • Maialino

    Union Square, Flatiron District & Gramercy

    Fans reserve tables up to four weeks in advance at this Danny Meyer classic, but the best seats in the house are at the walk-in bar, with sociable,…

  • Boucherie

    New Orleans

    The thick, glistening cuts of bacon on the BLT can only be the work of the devil – or chef Nathanial Zimet, whose house-cured meats and succulent Southern…

  • Dish Dive

    Atlanta

    Located in a teeny house near some railroad tracks, Dish Dive is cooler than you and it doesn't care. Anyone is welcome here, and the food – fresh,…

  • Catbird Seat

    Nashville

    For the 22 lucky diners perched around an open kitchen, chefs Will Aghajanian and Liz Johnson choreograph an unforgettable 10- to 12-course dining…

  • Gunshow

    Atlanta

    Celebrity chef Kevin Gillespie's innovative and unorthodox Gunshow is an explosively good night out. Guests choose between a dozen or so smallish dishes,…

  • Tan Dinh

    New Orleans

    It may look like a bog standard strip-mall Vietnamese joint when you walk in, but we'd happily contend that Tan Dinh is one of the best restaurants in…

  • Peche Seafood Grill

    New Orleans

    Coastal seafood dishes are prepared simply here, but unexpected flourishes – whether from salt, spices or magic – sear the deliciousness onto your taste…

  • Locanda Verde

    Financial District & Lower Manhattan

    Curbside at the Greenwich Hotel is this Italian fine diner by Andrew Carmellini, where velvet curtains part onto a scene of loosened button-downs, black…

  • Out of the Fire

    Eastern Shore

    For all that this spot puts forward in playful attitude, it's serious about several things, most prominently sourcing sustainable ingredients and turning…

  • Bha! Bha! Persian Bistro

    Naples

    This experimental, high-end establishment takes its name from the Farsi phrase for 'yum, yum,' and that turns out to be a serious understatement. Wash…

  • Balter Beerworks

    Knoxville

    From the communal tables on the patio to the standing-room-only bar to the buzzing dining room, this convivial joint – a former gas station – exudes a…

  • Thames St Oyster House

    Baltimore

    A Fells Point icon, this vintage dining and drinking hall serves some of Baltimore's best seafood. Dine in the polished upstairs dining room with…

  • Clancy's

    New Orleans

    This white-tablecloth neighborhood restaurant embraces style, the good life and Creole cuisine with a chattering joie de vivre and top-notch service. The…

  • Finch

    New York City

    This quiet, residential brownstone block seems an unlikely setting for a Michelin-starred restaurant, but the Finch is the real deal, serving modern…

  • Saltie Girl

    Back Bay

    Here's a new concept in dining: the seafood bar. It's a delightfully intimate place to feast on tantalizing dishes that blow away all preconceived notions…

  • 167 Raw

    Charleston

    There are no reservations at this tiny hole-in-the-wall that unassumingly serves up the city's best seafood. People wait in lines down the block for the…

  • Thyme Bistro

    West Virginia

    This off-the-beaten path gem might be our favorite restaurant in the Mountain State. The memorable flavors create the magic, a result of fresh and locally…

  • Husk Savannah

    Savannah

    After acclaimed success with Charleston, Nashville and Greenville locations, celebrity-chef Sean Brock brings Husk's hyperlocal, agriculturally driven…

  • Wayan

    SoHo & Chinatown

    In his first solo venture, chef Cédric Vongerichten – son of restaurant royalty, Jean-Georges – wields the flavors of Bali with a French flair at Wayan,…