The 27 Most Stunning New Eating places in America in 2023
Christian Harder
As the year comes to a close, it’s a good time reflect—on all the things that matter, yes, but also on all the things that brought us joy in 2023. For us, one of those things were the stunning restaurants that opened across the United States. From big cities like New York and Los Angeles to lauded culinary towns like Chicago and Houston, these were the most beautiful spots we saw this year. Enjoy the feast for your eyes.
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Anto, New York City
Image Credit: David Mitchell Anto’s sleek, minimalist look is a study in materials. DESFA Group used rustic metal and tiles, solid wood, and brass to create a clean space, with natural light coming from skylights and mirrors used to make the restaurant feel even more expansive. Pops of color are seen in bojagi, traditional Korean crafts made from fabric of different shades, as well as in an art installation depicting hibiscus flowers with an infinity lighting effect. The spare design lets the Korean steakhouse’s menu really shine.
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Bad Idea, Nashville
Image Credit: Daniel Brown The design of Bad Idea, by Design Object, is the complete opposite of what the restaurant’s name might suggest. Housed in a former church sanctuary, the establishment has kept the building’s original windows and soaring ceilings, adding a horseshoe bar in the center of the space and placing comfy seating throughout. Colorful furniture and tables are a welcome addition, and installations from the design studio New Hat offer pops of texture. Grabbing a glass of wine and checking out the space sure sounds like a good idea to us.
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Bad Roman, New York City
Image Credit: Christian Harder Bad Roman is one of the most talked-about restaurants in New York for a reason, in part thanks to its design. With GRT Architects at the helm, the space is a study in maximalism. From the moment you enter, you’re greeted by a half-ton cast stone wild boar wearing a neon necklace, and it only gets more over-the-top from there. Bright orange fabrics, trompe l’oeil mosaics, floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over Central Park—Bad Roman has a little bit of everything. And somehow, it all works.
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Bar Blanc, Atlanta
Image Credit: Rocket Farm French restaurants are a dime a dozen, but Ford Fry’s Bar Blanc is still able to stand out. The space, designed by Smith Hanes Studio, features classic elements like marble tables, velvet banquettes, and tiled floors, all coming from Europe. Peek the vintage Murano Glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, or take a seat at the bar and admire the vintage, hand-carved counter salvaged from a 1920s Belgian restaurant. It may not be Paris, but it’s close enough.
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Bar Miller, New York City
Image Credit: Nicole Franzen Bar Miller packs a punch in a cozy space (just 250 square feet!). Polonsky & Friends worked to create a mini oasis, with a dark green quartzite omakase bar complemented by maroon cabinets in the open kitchen. The main wall is taken over by a colorful and oversized screen-printed rosella bird, while the other walls are made of calmer natural oak and burl wood. The Japanese influences of the food, meanwhile, are mirrored in items like the rice-paper ceiling lights and overhead lighting made of milled scallop shells.
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Bōm, New York City
Image Credit: Christian Harder Chef’s counters don’t always have the most interesting aesthetics, but Bōm bucks that trend. Throughout, the AvroKO-designed space utilizes a deep purple, the color of Korean royal courts: It’s found on the wooden wall paneling, on ceramic tiles on the face of the bar, and in the veins of the marble countertop. Look up, and you’ll see the hanok-inspired ceiling, with wooden details and a golden hand-painted wall covering. Eating here, you may start to feel like royalty yourself.
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Café Chelsea, New York City
Image Credit: Annie Schlechter As the first new restaurant to open at the Hotel Chelsea in almost a century, Café Chelsea had to make a splash. Yet the space, designed by Sean McPherson, Ira Drukier, and Richard Born, was meant to feel like it’s been part of the hotel forever. That’s expressed via French accents like a zinc bar, vintage chandeliers, and decorative molding. Plus, the restaurant displays art that has belonged to the historic hotel for decades, making it feel almost like you’re eating in a museum.
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Casadonna, Miami
Image Credit: Ngoc Minh Ngo Tao Group Hospitality is known for its clubstaurants, and while Casadonna is massive (with space for 366 guests), it’s much more bright and airy than you’d expect from the company, thanks to the design of Ken Fulk. Stepping into the double-height Courtyard Bar, you’re surrounded by lush greenery, arched windows, and a second-story arcade. Each following room has its own inspiration: The Garden Dining Room feels like a conservatory, the Loggia Dining Room features parquet wood floors and detailed millwork, and the Ocean Bar allows you to dine al fresco along the bay. Housed in a landmark building that opened in the 1920s, Casadonna is a total dream.
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Che Fico Parco Menlo, Menlo Park
Image Credit: Douglas Friedman Designing a sister restaurant can be difficult, as you want it to feel similar to yet discrete from the original location. Che Fico Parco Menlo is an ideal example, with Jon de la Cruz creating a space with the same conviviality as the San Francisco outpost, but with an identity all its own. Here, a six-color terrazzo floor connects the various spaces, with the main dining room’s wood paneling, red leather booths, and Murano Glass chandeliers stealing the show. Elsewhere, a horseshoe bar shows off the restaurant’s Amari and Aperitivo, and the all-season patio is a great place to sit back with a glass of wine. Make sure you check out the wallpaper that de la Cruz designed specifically for the space in the hallways and the restrooms.
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Copra, San Francisco
Image Credit: Patricia Chang Copra is truly an urban oasis. The restaurateur Ayesha Thapar worked with Schoos Design and Studio Mood to create a space that feels like you’re in a greenhouse. Cotton ropes and macrame drip from the ceiling, with lush greenery bringing a sense of the natural indoors. That’s enhanced by terracotta pots, woven baskets, and more objects that nod to coastal India, which also inspires the restaurant’s cuisine. The whole package is what made Copra our best restaurant of the year.
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Corzetti, San Francisco
Image Credit: Michelle Min Corzetti may be in San Francisco, but its design will transport you straight to Italy. Roy Hospitality has drawn inspiration from the gozzo boats that float in the Italian Riviera. Here, that means two-tone leather banquettes that mimic gozzo seats, as well as portholes that run along the divider between the bar and the dining room. Lemon wallpaper is contrasted with Ferrari-red paint, bringing some modernity to the more traditional design aspects.
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Dalida, San Francisco
Image Credit: Maren Caruso San Francisco’s Presidio is a nature lover’s paradise, and the team behind Dalida wanted to honor the restaurant’s setting. To that end, Jenne Wicht of JAK W designed a space overflowing with nods to the area’s flora and fauna. The dining tables are made of Douglas Fir; colors lean toward greens, mustards, and ecru; and site-specific murals and wallpaper installations by Emily Parkinson lend the space a garden-like aura. If you’re not an outdoorsy person but you appreciate the world around you, this may scratch your itch for being out in nature without actually having to go camping.
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Dante, Beverly Hills
Image Credit: Wonho Lee A rooftop bar and restaurant in Los Angeles is already bound to be stunning thanks to the views. Dante Beverly Hills rivals that with its design, though. The New York transplant—designed by Nathalie Hudson and Sarah Luhtala—has embraced a California cool, with a pool and verdant greens outside. In the dining room, an overhead fresco by the L.A.-based artist Abel Macias depicts local wildlife with a nod to Italian art traditions. Inside or out, you’ll be treated to simply delightful scenery.
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El Presidente, Washington, D.C.
Image Credit: Christian Harder Minimalists may be scared away by El Presidente’s design, but we think that AvroKO did a fabulous job with the new Mexican restaurant in the nation’s capital. Meant to evoke the eclecticism of Mexico City, the space embraces color and art to the extreme. Notably, the restaurant commissioned a wraparound diorama for the bar area and a 33-foot mountainscape mural for the dining room. Those pieces are paired with bright colors throughout, from pistachio-green walls to fringed red bar stools. Whether you’re celebrating or not, it’s a real party inside.
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Enswell, Philadelphia
Image Credit: Jason Varney Art Deco remains a classic design touchpoint, and at Enswell, Stokes Architecture and Design has implemented that inspiration to perfection. Custom chandeliers hang above an antiquated brass bar with hand-painted decals. Quartzite tabletops, meanwhile, sit on the original 1917 floor, with green, saffron, and tomato-red mosaic tiling. The restaurant also worked with local Philly craftspeople to bring a sense of modernity to the space. So while it’s inspired by the salons of yesteryear in Paris and Vienna, it still retains a feeling of the now.
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Green Point Seafood & Oyster Bar, Dallas
Image Credit: Green Point Seafood & Oyster Bar True to its name, Green Point Seafood & Oyster Bar is decked out in multiple shades of green and blue-green, evident most vividly in the show-stopping 24-seat bar with mint and white zellige tiles. The wood paneling throughout helps bring some additional texture to the space, designed by Danyce Bonebrake and Lauren Doan. And a hallway leading to the restroom leans into the restaurant’s beach-town inspiration (Green Point, South Africa, the namesake city): There’s cheeky wallpaper, a custom surfboard, and a framed print of Ernest Hemingway on his boat. We can just imagine the author sidling up to the bar for a strong drink and some seafood.
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Itoko, Chicago
Image Credit: John Stoffer The bright and airy Itoko is a perfect example of the Japandi style (a mix of Japanese and Scandinavian elements) that the designer Brand Bureau was going for. The light wood throughout is further emphasized by the natural light flowing through overhead skylights. Meanwhile, the fish-scale-patterned banquettes are a subtle and unique nod to the Japanese food being turned out by executive chef Gene Kato. For a more literal interpretation of the menu, an active fish counter anchors the dining room. Even that can’t detract from the serene setting, though.
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Juliet, Los Angeles
Image Credit: Shade Degges Jeremiah Brent is well known for his interior-design prowess, but usually he’s working on residential projects. Juliet, the Parisian-inspired restaurant in L.A., is his first hospitality project, and it benefits from his keen eye. The walk-up marble bar is a particular standout, as are the wicker-covered arches and the saffron banquettes. Embroidered light fixtures and the black, white, and oxblood tile near the entrance lend some Parisian flair, and we can’t help but love the fun, curvy wood tables.
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Jūn, Houston
Image Credit: Luke Chang/Jia Media Eating at Jūn is kind of like eating at your stylish friend’s home. The open, somewhat industrial building has been lightened up with welcoming touches by the chefs Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, including art from their personal collections and their homemade pottery. The two worked with Gin Design to bring in a sense of warmth, with Yucatan elements like fluid shapes and natural finishes complemented by minimalistic touches like the spare, striking bar. It’s a space that invites you to settle in and stay a while.
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La Dolce Vita, Beverly Hills
Image Credit: Shelby Moore Back in the 1960s, La Dolce Vita was the playground for Frank Sinatra and other classic Hollywood stars. In its new incarnation, designed by Victoria Gillet of We Are Dada, the restaurant pays homage to that era, while incorporating modern touches like cheetah-print carpet, emerald walls, and mirrored columns. Vintage furniture and objects are truly of the period, and the restaurant worked with Sinatra’s family to display a lithograph created and signed by the crooner himself. If only these walls could talk.
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Le Suprême, Detroit
Image Credit: Matthew Williams Le Suprême is a massive restaurant (6,200 square feet with seating for 210 guests), but Method Studios and Stokes Architecture and Design have somehow created a cozy space nonetheless. When you first arrive, you’ll notice pillars with walnut wood and antique leaded glass that hold up the entire, recently restored Book Tower building. While serving French brasserie food, the restaurant nods to Motor City through its decor, with vintage lamps, furniture, and artwork inspired by the Le Mans car race. It’s a fitting homage to Le Suprême’s locale, with a little bit of French panache.
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Little’s Oyster Bar, Houston
Image Credit: Casey Giltner Little’s Oyster Bar’s take on the tried-and-true navy and white color palette that adorns many a seafood restaurant is a chic update to the standard. Pappas Restaurants’ in-house team built many of the features, including the banquettes, the tables, the millwork, the entry canopy, and the back bar. Playing with inverses, the oyster bar is made of black quartz with white veining, while the cocktail bar is white quartz with black veining. And this being Texas, a 50-seat patio is open year-round: Keep an eye out for when it becomes bathed in neon from the vintage signage atop the restaurant.
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Lowland, Charleston
Image Credit: Matthew Williams Whether you’re opting for a more casual dining experience or a full-on tasting menu, Lowland has thoughtfully designed its two rooms to match the vibe of each. Downstairs, at Lowland Tavern, Method Studios has brought together local antiques with the building’s original 12-pane windows to evoke an English pub. And upstairs, the more formal dining room is centered around an intimate mahogany bar, with a hand-painted mural of Spanish moss around bald cypress trees (by Dean Barger Studios) wrapping the entire room. Feel free to cozy up at one of the restaurant’s many restored wood-burning fireplaces, too.
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MáLà Project, New York City
Image Credit: William Jess Laird It seems impossible to step into MáLà Project’s new Greenpoint location and not be happy. Love Is Enough has designed a space dripping in color: Red, orange, pink, green, lavender—it’s all found here. The inspo of 1990s China is also seen in the checkerboard floors and the use of plastic laminates, stainless steel, and vinyl. It’s an absolutely fun restaurant that has us wanting to add a bit more color to our own spaces.
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Olivine, Maui
Image Credit: Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort The tropical island vibes are strong at Olivine, designed by Tihany Design to incorporate the hues of Positano, whose flavors are found in the food. Greens, yellows, blues, and pinks are found everywhere from the seats to the tile-top tables to the light fixtures. The colorful accents are complemented by wooden pavilions, which bring a touch of nature into the space as well. The oceanfront setting, seen through the large windows, simply feels like an expansion of the interiors.
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Pyro, Phoenix
Image Credit: Stephen Werk As its name would suggest, Pyro is all about fire—open-flame cooking, to be exact. So AvroKo, working with Flagship Restaurant Group, designed the restaurant to spotlight the open kitchen. Beyond that, though, the vibe is 1950s Japanese supper club, with fixtures and furnishings inspired by the era. Floral fabrics, velvets, and a dark color palette make the space feel lush and luxe, almost like you’re chowing down in the jungle. Some of humans’ earliest cooking happened over open flames, too.
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7 Adams, San Francisco
Image Credit: Tara Rudolph San Francisco is home to many nautical-themed restaurants, given that the city sits among the water. 7 Adams takes that inspiration and makes it much more chic, though. Martin Chadwick Kellogg of Kellogg Architects has designed a space that feels like an elegant ship: The walls are covered in walnut paneling, while tones of charcoal, cream, and blue-gray nod to the open ocean and the sky. Lighting is particularly important to the ambience, with illuminated recesses meant to feel like eroding boulders or passing clouds, and white sconces with curvature that mimics sails out on the water. The best part is that you don’t have to worry about getting seasick here.
Authors
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Tori Latham
Source: Robb Report
