-
$$$ | |
One of two inviting restaurants run by the city's excellent Proper Brewing Company, this contemporary neighborhood bistro on a quiet street in the Avenues is a terrific option for a meal on the terrace on a sunny day or in the postindustrial dining room. Sample the flavorful house-brewed ales paired with eclectic comfort fare like steak frites, Korean pork belly bibimbap, and shrimp and grits. There's a taproom downtown and an additional restaurant in Sugar House.
376 8th Ave., Utah, 84103, USA
Known For
- Lovely sidewalk terrace
- Superb house-brewed beers
- Popular weekend brunches
-
$$$ | |
Foodies flock to this neighborhood café and food market for creative salads and colorful entrées like ahi tuna poke with guajillo chilies and mango, or lobster gnocchi in a saffron beurre blanc with dandelion pesto and candied oranges. Also on the menu are house-made soups and generous deli sandwiches. Big windows and warm mustard and terra-cotta tones lend the setting some Tuscan-style flair, with seating indoors and out.
1026 2nd Ave., Utah, 84103, USA
Known For
- Outstanding list of wines by the glass and bottle
- Hefty deli sandwiches to go
- Panna cotta with creative rotating preparations
-
$$ | |
Being in a city with a major international hub airport has its advantages, including access to daily shipments of incredibly fresh fish, which are the stars on the menu of this postindustrial former warehouse space with a soaring arched ceiling and exposed rafters and air ducts. Expect seafood sourced from East and West—consider Japanese Kumamoto oysters on the half shell, Gulf shrimp and grits, and Prince Edward Island mussels with house-smoked pork belly. Next door, Under Current bar stays open later.
279 E. 300 S, Utah, 84111, USA
Known For
- Ceviche and other raw bar specialties
- Affogato for dessert
- Stellar international wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekends
-
$ | |
A bustling space with high ceilings, brick walls, and live music some evenings, this contemporary take on a traditional Jewish deli is in a cheerful neighborhood on the south edge of Sugar House. It's a must for classic dishes—in enormous portions—of Reuben sandwiches, blintzes with fruit compote, matzo ball soup, and everything bagels with smoked sockeye salmon and a schmear.
2005 E. 2700 S, Utah, 84109, USA
Known For
- Good local beers
- Authentic boiled bagels baked fresh daily
- Rugelach pastries
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
-
$ | |
Employing a team of world-class pastry chefs, including acclaimed owner and Food Network competitor Adalberto Diaz, this sumptuous little cake shop produces artful and delicious sweet treats. Stop by and treat yourself to a guava tart or a slice of raspberry chocolate cheesecake. There's an additional location in Salt Lake City International Airport.
1475 S. Main St., Utah, 84115, USA
Known For
- Colorful French macarons
- Savory baked Cuban sandwich meat pies
- One-day classes on myriad topics
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No dinner
-
Recommended Fodor’s Video
-
-
$ | |
Set in downtown's Gateway Center shopping village and offering several distinct dining stations and seating at gorgeous carved-wood tables, the city's first food hall opened in 2020 and has quickly become a trendy spot to eat and people-watch. The options are varied and consistently good and include Nashville hot chicken, Belgian-style waffles and crepes, slow-cooked ramen, prodigious lobster rolls, and Japanese-Mexican-fusion izakaya fare. There's also a large outdoor dining area with gardens and flowers, and a multiplex movie theater next door.
153 S. Rio Grande St., Utah, 84101, USA
Known For
- Large outdoor dining area
- Great mix of healthy and decadent international options
- Terrific craft beer bar
-
$$ | |
Run by a friendly husband-and-husband team who began with a hummus stand at the farmers' market, Laziz has grown into an outstanding full-service Lebanese restaurant in the burgeoning Granary District, with a cheerfully hip plant-filled dining room and street-side terrace. The most delicious strategy here is to make a feast of a selection of small plates: spiced labneh, eggplant baba ghanoush, grilled Halloumi cheese, kibbeh, fried cauliflower with garlic-cilantro pesto, red-wine-braised lamb shank, and maybe a kafta burger or two. The short but excellent wine list features several Lebanese bottles. There's a second location in Midvale.
912 Jefferson St. W, Utah, 84101, USA
Known For
- Shared dips and mezze appetizer platters
- Blueberry, lavender, and other kefir sodas
- Interesting list of Lebanese wines
-
$$$ | |
More than living up to its promise of farm-to-table freshness, this welcoming, microscopic, chef-driven neighborhood bistro capitalizes on local artisan farmers, with big and small plates anchored around simple ingredients like radishes, beets, or mountain stream trout. There's plenty to satisfy big appetites, too, such as bavette steak with duck fat potatoes, and fettuccine with braised hen, sofrito, pistachio, chile, and lemon. You can also dine at a second downtown location at 341 S. Main Street, which serves lunch on weekdays.
878 S. 900 E, Utah, 84102, USA
Known For
- Cute, art-filled dining in 9th and 9th neighborhood
- Excellent service
- Scene-y weekend brunches
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekdays
-
$$ | |
Visitors are sometimes taken aback to find stunningly authentic, richly flavorful house-made moles, chile verde, carnitas, and other self-described "killer Mexican" dishes in Salt Lake City, and especially in a rambling old yellow-brick building on the other side of I–15 from Downtown. But the lines out the door attest to the longstanding adoration of the Red Iguana, which in addition to doling out great food also serves first-rate premium margaritas, good Mexican beers, and delicious and free salsa and chips. If the crowds have you feeling blue, try the satellite outpost, Red Iguana 2, which is just two blocks away and has many more tables.
736 W. North Temple, Utah, 84116, USA
Known For
- Chilaquiles with a fried egg and pork chorizo
- Richly complex turkey and mole dishes
- Fried ice cream with shredded coconut and cinnamon-sugar
-
$ | |
Families love the gussied-up old railcar that serves as Ruth's dining room and the best creek-side patio in the city—you just have to navigate your way up gorgeous Emigration Canyon to find it. Breakfast (served until 4 pm) has been the diner's trademark since 1930, and it starts with 3-inch-high biscuits followed by massive omelets like the King of Hearts (artichokes, garlic, mushrooms, and two cheeses). In summer the barbecue fires up every Thursday night for ribs, fish, chicken, or whatever the chef concocts, with live music on the patio. Watch the road for deer, moose, and some of the top cyclists in America, who train here much of the year.
4160 Emigration Canyon Rd., Utah, 84108, USA
Known For
- Scenic canyon setting
- Live music on the patio in summer
- Long wait times on weekend mornings
-
-
$ | |
This supercasual café with a smattering of sidewalk tables serves up heavenly biscuits in an assortment of ways, from blueberry-biscuit pudding French toast to fried chicken biscuit sandwiches with spicy pickles and mustard. Head to the refreshment stand at one end of the dining room to order a refreshing raspberry, habanero, or mint limeade. There are additional locations in Draper and American Fork.
54 W. 1700 S, Utah, 84115, USA
Known For
- Limeades with rotating seasonal flavors
- Biscuit eggs Benedict
- Strawberry "tall cake" with fresh cream
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
-
$$$ | |
You'll often see chef-owner Takashi Gibo behind the sushi bar at this hip and lively Japanese restaurant across from the Gallivan Center. Takashi is known for sublime, melt-in-your mouth sushi as well as a slew of izakaya-style treats, like miso-grilled eggplant, baked marinated sablefish, and shiitake lamb shank in Japanese yellow curry. The list of specialty sushi rolls is long and never lacks for inspiration—try the one topped with escolar, sliced strawberry, spicy sauce, and fresh chilies, with toasted almonds and eel sauce on the outside. The full-service bar serves crisp sake and fine martinis.
18 W. Market St., Utah, 84101, USA
Known For
- Barbecue pork ribs
- Riceless sushi rolls wrapped in cucumber
- Superb wine and sake selection
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat.
-
$ | |
In the Liberty Wells district a little west of Sugar House, this eclectically furnished café with cozy armchairs, rotating art exhibits, and high-ceiling rafters is an inviting place to while away a morning or afternoon. Veggie quiche with house-made aioli, thick-cut sourdough avocado toast, and well-crafted espresso drinks provide sustenance, and there's always good music playing.
390 E. 1700 S, Utah, 84115, USA
Known For
- Diverse crowd
- Sweet chocolate chai lattes
- Almond and chocolate croissants
-
$ | |
Savory Tibetan food at bargain prices is the big attraction at this small, clean restaurant decorated with brightly colored Tibetan flags. You can indulge in hearty entrées such as spicy potatoes, chicken curry, and beef phingsha, a traditional Tibetan dish with vermicelli noodles, potatoes, dried mushrooms, and spices.
382 4th Ave., Utah, 84103, USA
Known For
- Bargain-priced lunch buffet
- Herbal teas
- Friendly service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
-
$$ | |
In this comfortable, modern dining room with clean lines and a great location near Trolley Square and 9th and 9th, you might whet your appetite with a selection of cheeses or flatbread, but save room for balsamic-drizzled stone-fired pizzas, hearty baked pastas, and roasted half chicken, all of which vie for attention at this chatter-filled Italian eatery. You'll want to linger for the crème brûlée, flavored martinis, and espresso.
680 S. 900 E, Utah, 84102, USA
Known For
- Terrific weekend brunch
- Enchanting patio with a leafy pergola
- Knowledgeable, friendly service
-
-
$$$ | |
Arguably the best culinary destination in the far South Valley, this trendy bistro with exposed airducts and lofty timber-beam ceilings celebrates the region's vibrant agricultural heritage with a menu of seasonally changing farm-to-table cuisine. Steak from Utah ranches and roasted carrots, Korean-fried cauliflower, and other locally sourced ingredients share the menu with craft cocktails and local ales and lagers.
12234 S. Draper Gate Dr., Utah, 84020, USA
Known For
- Lively, chatter-filled dining room
- Extensive collection of hard-to-find premium spirits
- House-made pudding with Luxardo cherry sauce
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat.
-
$ | |
Whether for a flavor-packed snack or a hearty meal, head to this bustling hole-in-the-wall café near the Salt Lake City and County Building for some of the best fried chicken in the city—this Indian-spiced treat is available with veggie curry and rice, hummus and pitas, or in a salad. You'll find plenty of other tasty Indian and Middle Eastern dishes here, too, including falafel wraps, chicken shawarma, vegetable samosas, and masala chai. Alcohol isn't served.
660 S. State St., Utah, 84111, USA
Known For
- No alcohol
- Hot curry fries
- Colorful, quirky decor
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
-
$ | East Side | American
For more than 40 years, this lively microbrewery inside Trolley Square has offered delicious pub food, house-made beer, loft seating, a sheltered patio, and lots of music and noise. It also offers a great view of the sunset through floor-to-ceiling windows. The menu gets creative with sandwiches such as salmon with pickled ginger-cucumber slaw, whole-meal salads, and Southwestern fare like citrus chicken tacos.
273 Trolley Sq., Salt Lake City, Utah, 84108, United States
-
$ | |
Skip the overpriced breakfast at your downtown hotel and make a beeline for this enchanting Parisian-inspired boulangerie with tiled walls, marble café tables, and sidewalk seating out front. Start the day with beet-avocado toast, stuffed French toast oozing with lemon cream cheese and blueberry compote, or a fruit tart or almond croissant. The espresso and cold brew are first-rate, too.
155 S. Main St., Utah, 84101, USA
Known For
- Short walk to Gallivan Center and Temple Square
- Exquisite French pastries
- French toast stuffed with lemon cream cheese
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
-
$$ | |
Downtown's largest restaurant patio—with its tranquil reflecting pool, canopy of ornamental trees, and eye-catching murals—is an idyllic setting for boozy weekend brunch with friends, dinner and drinks before a show at nearby Abravanel Hall, or a late-night snack between dance clubs. The reasonably priced contemporary American food is consistently good, too, from the braised Wagyu beef Benedict with truffle Mornay sauce at brunch to ahi tuna tartare and cashew-kimchi bowls for dinner. There's a comfy indoor dining area, too, but it's the outdoor space that makes Ivy & Varley special.
55 W. 100 S, Utah, 84101, USA
Known For
- Gorgeous outdoor space
- Sophisticated cocktails
- Lavender lemon bars with honey mousse
