Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2025: 336 Restaurants — Page 4

A Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognised (2025) prix-fixe dining room inside The Peabody Memphis, Chez Philippe delivers four- or seven-course American-French cooking with a strong wine programme and reliable service. Easy to book and priced below Geneva's top-tier competition, it is the practical first choice for structured occasion dining without the €€€€ outlay.

Bresca is one of Washington, D.C.'s most technically accomplished dinner options: a Michelin-starred kitchen ranked #32 in North America by Opinionated About Dining in 2025. Chef Ryan Ratino delivers Modern French-influenced contemporary cooking in a warm, design-forward room on 14th Street; without the rigidity of a tasting-menu format. Book three to four weeks out; weekend tables go fast.

La Masseria brings Apulian cooking to a converted watermill outside Modena, with a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 and a wine list that punches well above its price tier. The antipasti buffet, house-made pasta, grilled meat format makes it the right book for a relaxed, regionally specific meal. Accessible pricing and easy booking make it one of the lower-risk, higher-reward options in the Modena area.

Ranked #88 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants (2025) and scoring 90 points on La Liste (2026), The Table is the right call for a special occasion dinner in Colaba. The globally-inspired sharing-plate format suits groups of four or more, the food pricing is lower than the awards profile suggests, Sommelier Akshay Magar oversees a solid 130-selection wine list. Book four to six weeks out; this reservation is near impossible on short notice.

FRASSI is Taipei's most focused Italian contemporary option at the fine-dining tier: a seven-course tasting menu, dinner only, with in-house meat ageing and a 400-bottle Italian wine list. Michelin Plate-recognised in 2024, it rewards diners who want structured, technique-driven cooking over flexibility. Book three to four weeks ahead minimum.

Eden holds a Michelin 1 Star and a Wine Star at a €€€ price point, making it the most credentialed and best-value fine dining option in Waalre. Chef Herman Cooijmans runs a contrast-driven menu with Middle Eastern-inflected modern cuisine and a 280-bottle wine list. Book well in advance: this is a hard reservation in a small, boutique room.

A Michelin Plate grill in Lugano that delivers consistent quality at the €€ price tier; well below the city's grand hotel dining rooms in spend, but not in seriousness. The wine list (1,100 bottles, California and Washington strengths) is the standout asset. Book if you want Michelin-recognized cooking without the fine-dining price tag; look elsewhere if lake views or Italian cuisine are the priority.

Sweet Rice is a Michelin Plate-recognized Thai restaurant in Gardena that delivers consistent, quality cooking at the $ price tier; two consecutive years of recognition (2024 and 2025) and make it one of the strongest value propositions in the South Bay. Easy to book and priced under $40 per head, it suits budget-conscious celebration meals where the food is the point.

A Michelin Plate wood-fire bistro in Brighton's Lanes, Embers delivers generous, smoke-driven sharing plates at a ££ price point that justifies the booking. The open fire kitchen, convivial format, technically assured cooking make it the most complete casual-fine dining option in central Brighton right now.

Élevage SoHo Kitchen & Bar holds back-to-back Michelin Plate recognition (2024–2025) and delivers seasonal American cooking at the $$ price tier; two courses under $65; backed by a 140-selection wine list with 1,500 bottles in inventory.

La Table de La Butte holds a Michelin star and a We're Smart 5-Radish rating; the highest in its category; for plant-focused fine dining in coastal Brittany. Nicolas Conraux's kitchen delivers oceanic, mineral flavour profiles entirely through vegetables, fermentations, vegetable charcuterie. At €€€€, this is a destination booking; plan an overnight stay at the on-site hotel and reserve well in advance.

Fairview Dining Room at the Washington Duke Inn delivers Southern American cooking with a wine list depth; 300 selections, 2,800-bottle inventory; that outpaces most restaurants in its $$ price tier. The floor-to-ceiling golf-course views and nightly piano make it the area's strongest option for a relaxed but properly considered dinner. Easy to book via OpenTable or phone.

The Palm is a sensible Boston choice for a celebration or business meal when ease, polish, wine matter more than tasting-menu ambition. Its 2025 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence is the clearest reason to consider it, especially if the group wants a low-risk dinner rather than a more experimental reservation.

Err skips the formal tasting-menu format and goes deep on Thai fermented and preserved cooking; charcuterie, nam prik, pickled vegetables; at a $$ price point that rewards repeat visits. Ranked in Opinionated About Dining's Top Restaurants in Asia three consecutive years. Easy to book, closed Wednesdays, a deliberate step outside Bangkok's mainstream Thai fine-dining circuit.

Forsythia is worth targeting for a polished East Village Italian dinner where the cooking matters more than the scene. It suits dates and small tables better than big groups, with a harder reservation profile and recognition from Michelin, Wine Spectator, Opinionated About Dining supporting the splurge. Cross-shop Lupa for a more casual night or Carbone for a louder occasion.

Enclos is a restaurant on East Napa Street in Sonoma, California.

House of Prime Rib has served 21-day aged prime rib carved tableside since 1949, it remains one of San Francisco's most reliable special-occasion bookings at the $$$ price tier. Pearl Recommended in 2025,, the set-format dinner covers salad, potato, Yorkshire pudding; no decisions required. Easy to book, consistent on execution.

Orchids is Honolulu's most consistently recognized hotel restaurant, ranked by Opinionated About Dining three years running and backed by a 750-bottle wine program with a named sommelier team. Chef Christian Testa leads an Italian and Mediterranean kitchen at a $$$ price point inside the Halekulani. Booking is easy, but plan to spend $150+ per head once wine is involved.

Quenino holds a Michelin Plate (2025) and, making it one of the more credentialed innovative kitchens at $$$ pricing in Singapore. With a 120-bottle wine list at mid-tier markups and both lunch and dinner service, it works for a business meal or a group occasion. Easy to book, but plan two to three weeks out for weekend evenings.

Urban Farmer is a reliable $$$ American and Pacific Northwestern restaurant in Denver's LoDo neighborhood, recognized by Opinionated About Dining three consecutive years. The wine program is a genuine strength, with 1,225 bottles at accessible $$ pricing. Easier to book than Denver's tasting-menu destinations, it's a sound choice for first-timers, hotel guests, wine-focused dinners.

A Michelin Plate-recognised traditional Turkish kitchen inside the Divan İstanbul hotel, operating at ₺₺₺ while its peer group charges ₺₺₺₺. The Çilingir Sofrası set menu is the move: mezze-forward, sharing-friendly, anchored by a Turkish wine list with 190 selections. Book a week out for weekdays, two weeks for weekends.

Chef Cedric Harden works a French-Mediterranean menu backed by a 1,935-bottle wine list. At €€€ pricing with easy booking, it is the clear choice for a special-occasion dinner in Brittany.

CorkScrew BBQ earned a Michelin Star in 2024 and has been drawing lines to a Spring, Texas side street since 2015. Open Wednesday to Saturday, 11 AM to 4 PM only, it sells out fast. Advance ordering is essential. At a $$ price point with prime brisket and beef ribs smoked over red oak, it is the strongest case in the north Houston area for a dedicated barbecue trip.

AVA MediterrAegean is Winter Park's most-validated fine-dining Greek restaurant, holding a 2025 Michelin Plate and. The wine list; 230 selections, 1,540 bottles, with real depth in Greek varietals; is the standout reason to book. Plan at least two to three weeks ahead for dinner; weekday lunch is your best alternative if you need flexibility.

Sazón is Santa Fe's most credentialed fine dining option; Chef Fernando Olea holds the 2022 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest, Pearl named it a Recommended Restaurant for 2025. The $$$ dinner menu draws on Latin and Mexican tradition with a wine list of 175 selections strong in Spain and Mexico. Book well ahead; this is not an easy reservation.

Catch LA on Melrose Ave is a go-to West Hollywood seafood and small-plates venue for celebration dinners and wine-forward evenings. Its 325-selection list with a 3,750-bottle inventory; strong in France and California; is the clearest reason to book. At $$$ per head with easy reservations, it's best suited to occasion dining over culinary precision.

Knox Bistro is Dallas's clearest value case in French dining: Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025, two courses for $40–$65, a wine list with genuine depth in Burgundy and Bordeaux. Book two to three weeks out for weekend evenings. Chef Bruno Davaillon and owner Stephan Courseau have built one of the more technically grounded French kitchens in the city.

Dorset holds consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) and offers farm-to-table cooking under chef Derek Fontenot at a €€€ price point that is competitive for this level of kitchen quality in the Netherlands. With easy booking, an owner-operated service approach, it is the practical choice for a serious dinner in Borne without the cost or planning required by the region's starred alternatives.

A Michelin Plate gastropub on Michigan Avenue that punches above its tourist-corridor location. Two courses run $40–$65, the wine list spans 175 selections with a 3-Star World of Fine Wine accreditation confirms consistent quality. Book it for a credentialled meal near the Art Institute without fine-dining prices.

A Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognised pub on Notting Hill's All Saints Road, The Pelican delivers produce-led British cooking at ££ prices in a loud, convivial Victorian room. Two consecutive Bib Gourmands and confirm the value. Book a week ahead minimum; it fills fast and for good reason.

Rustic Canyon is Santa Monica's most consistent argument for California seasonal cooking; Michelin Plate recognized, Opinionated About Dining top-ranked, priced at $$$ with a 300-bottle wine list that does not gouge. Book for a special occasion or a serious date; reserve at least two weeks out for weekends. The farmers' market-driven menu changes with the season, making return visits genuinely worthwhile.

Antica Pesa earns its Michelin Plate with carefully sourced Roman cooking in a converted Papal grain storehouse in Trastevere. At the €€ price point with a serious 240-bottle wine list and easy booking, it's the right choice for diners who want canonical Roman cuisine in a room with genuine character; and it rewards returning more than once.

A twice-decorated Michelin Bib Gourmand trattoria in Montalcino's old centre, Taverna del Grappolo Blu is the right choice for food and wine travellers who want traditional Tuscan cooking; pici, ragù, tripe; and a serious Brunello-focused wine list without a serious bill. Booking is easy, the owner-run service is consistent, the value case is hard to argue with at this price point.

A Michelin Plate-recognised table in residential Uccle combining French and Asian cooking with a serious wine list of 225 selections. At €€€, it sits below Le Chalet de la Forêt in formality and price but above the commune's neighbourhood bistros in ambition. The back-to-back Michelin recognition confirm consistent kitchen performance. Booking a week ahead is usually sufficient.

The New World is a Michelin Bib Gourmand izakaya inside Shinsaibashi PARCO, Osaka, combining ¥-tier cuisine pricing with a serious 295-selection wine program overseen by sommelier Richard Gallen. Easy to book and consistently reliable, it delivers quality well above what its price point and retail-complex address suggest. The 2024 Bib Gourmand recognition makes the value case straightforward.