If we really do eat with our eyes, some restaurants manage to dazzle long before the first appetizer arrives – and sometimes even before we step through the door. Think elegant historic landmarks, courtyards glowing with string lights, and vibrant dining rooms alive with art. From timeless icons to hidden gems with breathtaking views, here’s our ranking of the most beautiful restaurants across the USA.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the most stunning restaurants the US has to offer, counting down to the most beautiful of all.
We've based our ranking on genuine user reviews, awards and accolades, and on the opinions of our well-traveled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.
The world seems sepia-tinted at Columbia, Florida’s oldest restaurant, operated by the same family since 1905. That is, apart from the flamenco dancers that often entertain diners, lighting up the space with a blaze of color. Columbia opened as a small café in 1905 and now dominates an entire block of Ybor City, an area of Tampa founded by Cuban, Italian, and Spanish cigar barons in 1885. It’s the history that makes it beautiful, showcased through fading frescoes, eye-catching fountains, sculptures, mosaics, and stained glass.
It’s the setting that really elevates this popular date-night spot. The most coveted tables at Chart House Waikiki are on the balcony overlooking Ala Wai Boat Harbor, which looks especially lovely as the sunset casts a pink and golden glow. Beautiful blooms and rustic wooden furniture add to the charm of the restaurant, which is known for its succulent seafood platters, juicy steaks, and generous wedges of chocolate mud pie.
Locally focused Mattie’s doesn’t feel like it belongs in a city. In fact, it doesn’t feel like it belongs in this era; it has a sort of timeless elegance that makes it stand out even in such a dynamic place as Austin. It occupies a 19th-century Victorian building that was once a farmhouse, and it's set amid beautifully kept grounds with a wraparound porch. The inside – where guests can nibble top-notch fried chicken and hearty salads in the family dining room, music room, or bar – is fresh and chic in shades of teal, pink, and duck-egg blue.
A terrace wraps around this restaurant, which perches on a bluff jutting out over Mount Hope Bay. Inside, rows of picture windows line the walls like paintings in a fine-art gallery. So, there’s really no getting away from the views, whether those windows are framing the vivid blue of the water, the sail of a boat, or the golden glow of the sunset. Naturally, given the location, the menu focuses on seafood, cooked into dishes like shrimp fritters and roasted halibut.
From the exterior, with its glossy subway bricks and theater-style sign, to the brick courtyard decorated with string lights, this Mission Street mainstay is gaspingly gorgeous. And that’s even without a classic or cult movie projected on the wall. High ceilings, velvet drapes, tall windows, and impeccable design details – from exposed raw concrete to striking light fittings – all conspire to make Foreign Cinema arguably San Francisco's most beautiful hangout.
Stephanie Inn Dining Room – part of a hotel resort – just happens to have an oceanside perch in one of the coastline's very best bits: Cannon Beach. Sandy beaches the color of shortbread and distinctive sea stack Haystack Rock can be viewed from the restaurant, which combines a quaint, cozy vibe with tall arched windows to make the most of the surroundings. The menu is also rooted in a sense of place, drawing inspiration and ingredients from the Pacific Northwest.
Peekamoose is as cute as its name suggests. Its surroundings are incredible, with the Catskill Mountains and a wild forest preserve on the doorstep, though the interior is equally beguiling. The restaurant occupies a former farmhouse and is beautifully – and quirkily – curated with vintage furniture, taxidermy animals, wooden shelves fashioned from fallen branches, and wall art made with found objects. Warm lighting and a menu of seasonal dishes and house-made charcuterie complete the picture – while an indoor treehouse kicks the décor up another notch.
There are few more special spots for watching the sun go down than Cap’s on the Water, which has tables scattered around the huge outdoor deck and jetty by the Intracoastal Waterway. Trees provide shade and make the restaurant, which specializes in seafood with Southern and Mediterranean flavors, look even lovelier. The indoor areas haven’t been neglected, though, with raffia booths and plush, sofa-style seating, gorgeous light fittings and wall lamps, and windows that can be thrust open to allow the balmy breeze in on warm nights.
Few restaurants marry architecture and landscape as seamlessly as Canlis, perched on the hillside above Seattle’s Lake Union. The dining room offers views of the glittering city and the Cascade Mountains beyond, while wood, stone, and steel accents bring the natural world inside. Even the smallest details feel considered, from the intimate, softly lit bar to the mid-century furnishings and artworks by local designers. Come sunset, the entire space glows with golden light, making the fine dining experience here as much about setting as it is about the celebrated Pacific Northwest cuisine.
The only way to get closer to the outside – and the views of Lake Michigan – would be to remove the walls of Bacchus altogether. The interior décor is just as – if not even more – enchanting, though, with classic, brown leather booths and a gorgeous conservatory (pictured), a light-filled space with graphic floor tiling. Dishes like charred octopus and molten chocolate hazelnut cake with vanilla crème Anglaise, hazelnut ice cream, and candied hazelnuts live up to the surroundings.
Part of Big Cedar Lodge’s Top of the Rock, Osage Restaurant specializes in elevated comfort food such as seared crab cakes, wood-fired rotisserie chicken, and macadamia nut–crusted seabass. It’s also elevated in other ways, too, from its setting on a bluff overlooking the Ozark Mountains and Table Rock Lake to its rustically elegant décor. Chunky wooden tables surround a cylindrical fireplace, which forms the glowing heart of the circular room, while artwork decorates the walls. Huge windows bring the outside in, with the views especially spectacular at sunset.
In the heart of Brooklyn’s vibrant Williamsburg district, this urban winery with an onsite bar and restaurant is the next best thing to an actual vineyard. Exposed brick and wood-paneled walls are warmed by soft lighting and decorated with vertical planting and shelves bearing bottles and lamps, while the floor is beautifully tiled in black and white mosaics. Visitors can take a tour before settling down to delicious cheese and charcuterie boards and sharing dishes such as short-rib tacos and squash arancini.
The elegant exterior of The Olde Pink House looks like something dreamed up for Instagram, with its putty-pink walls and lush greenery. It's housed inside an 18th-century Georgian mansion, with a grand portico entrance and latticed windows. Inside, it’s a jewelry box of grand, impressively decorated rooms filled with art and antiques. It specializes in classic Southern cuisine that perfectly suits the setting, with crispy fried lobster tails among the signature bites.
Part of Dauphin’s beauty is that it’s just so unexpected. It’s tucked away on the 34th floor of a skyscraper in the charming port city of Mobile. This place offers a window – or rather, several windows – onto the city, with downtown streets and Mobile Bay framed by floor-to-ceiling glass. Plates of seafood infused with classic Southern flavors are served in an elegant space, with white tablecloths and breezy blue décor. The chef’s table, which seats six in the kitchen facing a picture window, is another beautiful surprise.
The Dining Room at Simon Pearce is tucked inside a 19th-century woolen mill that’s also home to a glass and pottery workshop – and the dining rooms certainly display an artist’s touch. Exposed brick, lofty ceilings, and arched windows are complemented by polished floors, warm wooden furniture, potted plants, and pieces of glass art. The most spectacular part, though, is the mill’s dramatic perch above Ottauquechee River’s waterfall. Diners can feast on dishes like horseradish-crusted cod with herbed whipped potatoes while gazing at, and listening to, the cascade.
This ornately decorated restaurant in Denville bursts with color and opulence – just as dishes like kung po shrimp and sizzling fillet mignon burst with flavor. There’s a second outpost in Montclair, too, which is all shiny leather booths, exposed brick walls, and statement wallpaper – though this gilded dining room has a little more wow factor, from its grand entrance to the traditional Chinese décor and pressed-tin ceilings.
The Lost Kitchen is located in the hometown of chef and founder Erin French, who created the space in a renovated 19th-century grist mill. Open from spring until the end of the year, the restaurant is a gorgeous space with wooden tables made from reclaimed barn boards and an open kitchen where the chef and her all-female team create an ever-changing tasting menu based on locally sourced produce. The setting, with the building reached via a bridge that crosses a babbling brook, is magical.
Nepenthe arrived early to bag what’s arguably the best spot along one of California’s most beautiful stretches of coastline. The restaurant has been serving burgers and drinks from its enviable clifftop perch on the Big Sur coast since 1949. Its terrace, with colorful parasols and stone benches scattered with cushions, is one of the best places from which to watch the sunset, with views across the treetops down to the creamy beaches that skirt the Pacific. Floor-to-ceiling windows ensure inside diners get a good look, too.
Perched high on a bluff above Lake Travis, The Oasis has earned its reputation as the 'Sunset Capital of Texas.' Multi-level decks cascade down the hillside, offering diners unobstructed views of the shimmering lake. The atmosphere is lively and relaxed, with colorful umbrellas and string lights adding to the cheerful vibe. While the Tex-Mex menu is crowd-pleasing, it’s the panoramic vistas and the chance to watch the sun slip behind the hills that make a meal here unforgettable.
Americana can be blazingly, boldly beautiful when it’s done right, and this dreamy pink diner is a fine example. It’s pure nostalgia, from the bubblegum shades on the wooden exterior and the vintage (pink, obviously) Cadillac parked out front to the classic menu of burgers, fries, and ice cream sundaes. The inside also bursts with retro joy, with baby-blue booths, 1950s memorabilia, and a juke box. There are statues dotted around the grounds, too, including a giant King Kong clutching an airplane and a life-sized Elvis by the door.
Set amid landscaped gardens, 2941 Restaurant feels like a hidden retreat just outside Washington DC. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame views of koi ponds, waterfalls, and weeping willows, blurring the line between indoors and out. The dining room is sleek and contemporary, softened by warm lighting and a rotating display of artworks, while an outdoor terrace offers a peaceful spot to linger on mild evenings. The French- and Mediterranean-inspired menu offers dishes such as butter-poached lobster with fennel-tomato raviolini, and ribeye with pommes rissolées, scallions, and sauce Provençale.
Resplendent in pink, Ladyfinger’s Tea Lounge draws crowds eager to savor its celebrated afternoon tea – and to capture its picture-perfect setting in photographs. Reservations are essential, but well worth it for the spread of delicate finger sandwiches and decadent sweets, tea poured into fine china cups, plush pink velvet seating, Elizabethan portraits and gilded mirrors adorning the walls, and the soft glow of Art Deco chandeliers overhead.
Tucked away on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, Canoe is the perfect spot to swing by if you want to really feel like you’re getting away from it all. With a beautiful riverside location, the restaurant is surrounded by colorful gardens for alfresco dining with a view. Inside is equally striking; the décor combines impressive ironwork, exposed brick walls, and a wooden ceiling, creating a casually elegant atmosphere.
New Orleans’ culinary scene is beautiful inside and out, with restaurants ranging from historic French Quarter classics to bars that resemble opulent jewelry boxes. Yet this legendary restaurant in the Garden District stands out in more ways than one. Commander’s Palace is impossible to miss, with a peppermint-and-white striped exterior that’s both eye-catching and elegant. Inside, Creole classics like seared redfish and bread pudding soufflé are served in warmly lit dining rooms or out on the tree-dotted courtyard.
James Beard Award–winning Sazón could easily pass for the most beautiful of galleries, or perhaps the studio of Frida Kahlo, whose portraits are plastered on the warm, off-white walls. It’s stylish, warm, and chic, with earthy tones that make the paintings, ceramics, and sculptures pop. The zingy Mexican dishes on offer include a delicious nine-course tasting menu featuring the likes of California seabass with mole verde and battered colossal shrimp with Thai chili aioli.
This palace of pink might not be to everyone’s taste, but those who do fall for its kitschy charms tend to return again and again. The entire hotel is a riot of giant boulders, copper countertops, themed bedrooms, and not-too-subtle accents of every shade of pink. But it’s the flamboyant Gold Rush Steak House that really wows. The ceiling is decorated with a glittering tangle of chandeliers, with magenta leather booths below. The menu is a little more traditional than the décor, with a focus on barbecue.
Beautiful restaurants abound in New York City, though Cecconi’s Dumbo stands out thanks to its gorgeous interior décor and incredible location. It’s located in Brooklyn Bridge Park, and some tables have views of the dramatic bridge, while others gaze at the Manhattan skyline. It’s tough to compete with that, though striking design details like striped flooring, sparkling crystal chandeliers, and slate-blue leather bar stools give it a good try.
Beatnik West Town is a glorious example of how apparently clashing colors, patterns, and textures can come together to create something truly beautiful. It’s just a gorgeous space, from the low-lit, velvety dining room to the plant-filled conservatory that floods with natural light by day and twinkles with lamps and chandeliers by night. Inspired by the bohemian beatnik lifestyle of the 1950s, the New American restaurant mixes striking patterns – such as a chevron tiled floor – with unique artworks and salvaged streetlamps.
Chic and cheerful, sleek and sophisticated, warm and welcoming – Gemma would be right at home on the California coast, with its breezy palette of white and ocean blues lifted by wood accents and steel fittings. The owners moved here from California’s Napa Valley, bringing a touch of the Golden State to Dallas’ sleek, cosmopolitan center. The menu is equally fresh and zingy, with dishes like tuna tartare tacos and rabbit pappardelle.
Wright & Company, inside a 19th-century brick building, is a beautifully designed haven of warm, relaxed décor, with curved leather booths that are irresistibly inviting. Industrial-chic elements, like exposed brick and piping, are balanced with touches of vintage glam from chandeliers and bold murals. The menu is equally appealing, with a focus on small plates made to share, like crab gnocchi and grilled scallops.
Housed in a converted church, The Preacher’s Son is simply stunning, with exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and stained-glass windows. The light, airy restaurant also has striking artwork displayed on its white walls, and there's an impressive bar built into a massive alcove complete with gold-painted brickwork. The pièce de résistance is the jaw-dropping installation of 288 gold bells hanging from the roof of the former bell tower.
French brasserie Le Cavalier, in Wilmington’s Hotel Du Pont, first opened in the early 20th century – and it exudes historic splendor, with a few modern touches. Think oak paneling, gilded Spanish chandeliers, plush velvet banquette seating, a stunning, ornate ceiling, beautiful original terrazzo flooring, and a striking marble bar, all of which make for a glamorous dining experience.
A gorgeous fire pit, vintage Italian-style murals, and colorful flowers greet you on arrival at Bottiglia – and the beauty continues inside. The light and airy space, overlooking the Las Vegas desert, features pink and floral–print chairs, a chic tiled floor, and stunning light fixtures. The house special, king crab bucatini with the kitchen's signature lemon sauce, is a must-try.
This Greenwich Village stalwart is set in a historic carriage house, and it’s easy to see why it’s often voted the most romantic restaurant in New York City. Diners are bathed in candlelight with impressive chandeliers hanging overhead, creating a truly special atmosphere. The sumptuous surrounds include navy leather seating, exposed brick walls, a beautiful stained-glass feature window, and stunning flower displays.
New York City has plenty of beautiful restaurants with incredible views. But the best way to look at the Manhattan skyline is from a distance, and the tables at this sleek spot have views of the city that few can rival. Chart House, which specializes in fancy surf ’n’ turf, overlooks the Hudson River, with enormous windows filled with views of those gleaming skyscrapers over the water.
Dining here is a very special experience indeed. Located 6,000 feet up in the Rocky Mountains, Flagstaff House not only offers breathtaking views, but it’s also decorated beautifully, with calming neutral tones and elegant table settings. The restaurant serves New American cuisine, focusing on the region’s rich ingredients. Highlights include Maine lobster with mussel chowder, and Colorado lamb rack with Turkish red wheat 'risotto.'
Set in a beautiful log cabin, Snake River Grill combines elegant touches with a relaxed, cozy feel. The pretty deck area, complete with white tablecloths and umbrellas, has incredible views of the river, while inside you’ll find a candlelit restaurant with huge mirrors, wood paneling, and a shiny oak bar. The restaurant has several James Beard Award nominations under its belt and has a classy menu featuring dishes such as steak tartare pizza with garlic aioli, and roasted pork tenderloin with Carolina Gold rice, summer squash, and Korean chili peach sauce.
The French Laundry in Napa Valley boasts three Michelin stars, and its décor is as sleek, sophisticated, and stunning as the food, somehow combining minimalism with a magical fairy tale–like setting. Tables here are among the world’s most coveted thanks to Thomas Keller’s famed tasting menus and the rustic setting, which adds to the sense of luxury and exclusivity. The restaurant was renovated in 2018 with a modern kitchen, wavy ceilings, and an enormous wine cellar. The gardens, gorgeously lit and dotted with Japanese maple trees, are particularly lovely.
This beautiful brasserie oozes Art Deco–style glamor, with huge, curved windows, a mirrored ceiling, striking light fittings, abstract artwork, and tiled flooring. The George opened in 1924, and while it retains some original features, it's been given a modern overhaul in more recent years. It serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, with standout dishes including black cod with pepper broth, cannellini beans, chorizo, and anchovy butter.
Casa Tua translates to 'your house' – though few homes could rival the elegance of this glamorous Miami Beach villa. Every corner is exquisite, from intimate indoor settings like the cozy Library and Chef’s Table to garden and patio spaces framed by lush greenery and bathed in romantic evening light. Club members enjoy access to a private bar and lounge, but all guests can indulge in the Mediterranean-inspired menu, featuring standouts like eggplant parmigiana and spaghetti with zucchini and cheese.
At high tide, the water comes so close to the huge picture windows of The Marine Room that it can feel like you're dining on a boat. We’re talking a yacht or a glamorous cruise ship, rather than a dinghy, because this is one of the most elegant dining rooms around. The seafood-driven menu perfectly complements the views, which are glorious at any time of day. There's also a lounge area, where you can order drinks and small plates.
Now check out the bucket-list restaurant in every state
Last updated by Jessica Morris.