5 Best Restaurants in North-Central Arizona, Arizona

On the L'Auberge de Sedona resort property, Sedona's most formal—and most expensive—dining room promises a quiet, civilized evening of indulgence. The menu, a fusion of American cuisine with French influences, is offered as a seven-course meal, and can be paired with selections from the resort's 1,200-bottle wine cellar. Among the house favorites are the filet mignon and the coq au vin. The lavish Sunday brunch is well worth the splurge—or have cocktails and lighter fare creekside at the bar.

At this popular Italian restaurant, owned by top-rated chef Lisa Dahl, expect to find delicious homemade soups and specialties like potato gnocchi with a vodka sauce and pollo piccata (chicken in a lemon, capers, and Chardonnay sauce). Any pasta dish can be made gluten-free with corn fusilli. Renaissance reproductions and café seating give the impression of a Roman piazza. Make reservations for a table, or sit at the bar—good food but far less romantic.

Fresh flowers and innovative cuisine that even the staff struggle to characterize are this attractive café's hallmarks. Local ingredients pepper the menu, giving a Sedona twist to Continental fare; favorites include pecan-crusted, Sedona-raised trout with Dijon sauce and mesquite-crusted rack of lamb. Appealing vegetarian plates are also available, and scrumptious desserts include a phenomenal crème brûlée and a marzipan-filled poached pear with caramel sauce.

The healthful fare at this mostly organic grocery and deli runs the gamut from grab-and-go sandwiches and the well-stocked salad bar to hot items like honey-glazed salmon, cheese or chicken enchiladas, and turkey meat loaf. Get supplies for your red-rock picnic or relax at the indoor-outdoor dining area.

Ease into plush banquettes at this quiet, lace-curtained restaurant for classic French and Southwest-inspired dishes. Rack of lamb is the house specialty, and the Dover sole is a real find, far from the white cliffs. Cherry or banana flambé for two, prepared tableside, is an impressive dessert. There's a well-selected wine list, too. Service is formal, but resort-casual attire is acceptable.