Seek out these 5 unique restaurants in Phoenix

by OpenTable team

Updated December 21, 2022

In the Valley of the Sun, more than a handful of restaurants challenge dining norms, inspired by Arizona’s cultural powerhouse.

A tropical rooftop bar in the East Valley is home to almost 50 rescue birds. A North Scottsdale restaurant accommodates practically every known dietary restriction with its clean and cosmopolitan plates.

Each of these five spots breaks boundaries in this lively desert metropolis. Read on for a list of some of the Phoenix area’s most cutting-edge restaurants to grab a reservation at right now.

Kai Restaurant at Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass

4.9

4.9 (2279)

$50 and over

Southwest

Chandler

About the restaurant

It’s not just Kai’s sumptuous chorizo and scarlet runner bean chili that gives it cutting-edge status. Nor is it the Forbes five-star rating. Or the expert execution of plates crafted with indigenous ingredients, such as cholla buds and corn, grown on local tribal farms. It’s a combination of these powerful factors, plus newly appointed chef de cuisine Drew Anderson’s renowned cactus melange. The desert dessert is a tasting platter of Saguaro seed macaron, prickly pear-pitaya fruit, Nopale lime sabayon, and a snifter of prickly pear mead—don’t miss a bowl of cactus sherbet for dessert.

Top review

Kathyvip

Dined 4 days ago

Best restaurant in the state. Loved every minute of our meal.

Quiessence at The Farm at South Mountain

4.8

4.8 (2482)

$50 and over

Unspecified

Central Phoenix

About the restaurant

Chef Dustin Christofolo, the force behind this unique fine-dining spot, is serious about cooking from scratch. Two of the Farm’s ten gorgeous acres—the restaurant is housed in the property’s original farmhouse facing South Mountain—are devoted to an organic garden that produces the ingredients for its multi-course tasting menus and elegant salads. While other area restaurants cook with locally grown bounty, Quiessence bases its menu on what looks freshest in its own backyard, so look for cucumber gazpacho, a micro-greens salad, or an entree served with seasonal jam made from farm-grown fruit.

Top review

connie

Dined 2 days ago

A variety of indoor and outdoor seating areas, excellent service, and the servers are knowledgeable about the dishes. We did not feel rushed at all and enjoyed our 4 course meal plus cheesecake for a birthday dessert over a two plus hour time frame. We got a tour of the beautiful new kitchen and met all of the chefs. We highly recommend it as a lovely date night, celebration, and to try something new! We loved driving through the lit up pecan trees to get back to the restaurant.

The Perch Pub & Brewery

2.5

2.5 (5)

$30 and under

Brewery

Chandler

About the restaurant

A unique animal encounter awaits at this rainforest-inspired retreat in the East Valley. The Perch Pub and Brewery, set on a rooftop in historic Chandler, is home to more than four dozen different tropical rescue birds such as macaws and cockatoos. All watch cheerfully as diners feast on green chile pork and vegan pizzas, washed down with imaginative stouts, ales, and fruit-infused brews; the bar is stocked with over 30 taps, and the selection changes frequently. To all that, add live local music and you’re in for a truly one-of-a-kind meal.

Anhelo

4.9

4.9 (984)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Downtown Phoenix

About the restaurant

There’s sustainability, and then there’s this fine-dining spot, where executive chef Ivan Jacobo transforms throwaways into heavenly meals. Instead of pouring out half-empty bottles of wine, he makes them a key ingredient in marinades and uses them to braise his wagyu Denver steak and beef Wellington. He swaps out piles of kitchen compost for microgreens from local organic farms, then folds them into a tasty beet and yogurt salad. Menus change nightly and are often built around delicacies from Arizona-based Alaskan Pride Seafoods. Anhelo, which means “desire” in Spanish, longs to raise the bar when it comes to locally sourced dining. Thanks to Jacobo’s trailblazing efforts, it most certainly delivers on that mission.

Top review

Craig

Dined 6 days ago

Always spectacular food and service. Looking forward to the new location in Old Town Scottsdale.

Santé

$31 to $50

American

North Scottsdale

About the restaurant

Dietary restrictions are never a problem at Santé. Vegetarians, vegans, paleo, keto, and gluten-free diners flock to this accommodating North Scottsdale gem. Santé’s customizable plates, such as salmon belly crudo with ponzu slaw and raw chilled zucchini lasagna, lean cosmopolitan—but they’re made with organic, locally sourced ingredients. The menu also stands out for offering shareable options for diners with differing dietary needs (both vegan and traditional cheeses appear on its cheese board, for example). With an impressive mocktail list to boot—smoky apple cider, anyone?—it’s a spot that elegantly challenges conventions and expectations surrounding healthy eating and adds new meaning to inclusivity.

Top review

OpenTable Dinervip

Dined on Jan 1, 2023

Loved this place! Great food and ambiance. Will definitely be back

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