Best SLC restaurants – 2018

One of the most popular questions we’re always answering is: “What’s the best restaurant in Salt Lake City?”. Truth is, we have so many unique restaurants in SLC that it’s impossible to pick just one. To answer this age old question we created this Best SLC restaurants page. The restaurants on this page are all places we’ve eaten at, reviewed and enjoyed. All of these restaurants are places Gastronomic SLC happily recommends and would eat at too.

Best Mexican restaurant Salt Lake City, our pick, Alamexo. Located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, Alamexo serves up traditional Mexican cuisine with a refined and elegant finish. Read our write up here.

Best sandwiches in Salt Lake City, our pick, Feldman’s Deli. A taste of back East, enjoy mammoth half pound sandwiches stacked with legit corned beef, pastrami or both! An authentic NYC-style experience, without the cost of a plane ticket.

Best Italian restaurant Salt Lake City, our pick, Caffe Molise. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, serving rustic, home cooked Italian cuisine. Stop by the pretty patio in warmer months for a real treat. Check out our review.

Best brunch Salt Lake City, our pick, Avenues Proper. Head up to the Avenues to this neighborhood hangout that even brews its own craft beer alongside comfort food executed with elegance. Open seven days a week and late at the weekends.

Best Indian restaurant Salt Lake City, our pick, Saffron Valley. With three locations across the valley, Lavanya Mahate’s clever combo of classic and contemporary offers unique Indian dishes you won’t find at any other Utah Indian restaurant.

Best Japanese Restaurant Salt Lake City, our pick, Kyoto. More than thirty years in business and an SLC institution. Standout picks include tremendous tempura shrimp and classics like katsu, sukiyaki and teriyaki.

Best Brew Pub Salt Lake City, our pick, Red Rock Brewing. For as long as I can remember this has been our favorite brew pub in SLC by far. The extensive menu has something for everyone and now with three locations you’re never too far from a Red Rock brew and bite!

Best lunch spot in Salt Lake City, our pick, Meditrina. One of the very first tapas restaurants to open in SLC’s contemporary dining scene. Chef and owner Jen Gilroy’s restaurant serves up small plates paired with a fabulous wine list. Recently migrated to a new location in the Central 9th neighborhood, the restaurant offers a special lunch in 45mins deal too.

Best Seafood Restaurant, our pick, Current Fish And Oyster. Elegant and upscale and with fresh seafood seven days a week. Located in downtown Salt Lake City and perfect for any occasions.

Best Date Night Spot, our pick, Stanza. This downtown Italian restaurant offers a contemporary creative spin on Italian dining. Pasta is made in house daily by a dedicated pasta chef and head chef Jonathan LeBlanc’s menu changes seasonally amidst the luxurious space. Worthy of note, a dedicated vegan menu too.

Best South Jordan restaurants, our pick, Porch. Easily the most refined restaurant this far South in the valley. Porch offers up classic comfort foods with a Southern twist. While you’re enjoying a magnificent meatloaf, check out their craft cocktail and boutique wine list too.

Best steak Salt Lake City, our pick, Spencer’s for Steak and Chops. A classic old school steakhouse with all the trimmings: sharp waiters, white tablecloths and steaks cooked to perfect every time. See our older review here.

Best breakfast Salt Lake City, our pick: Oasis Cafe. A classic of the downtown dining scene, this cafe has been offering city diners an oasis to escape to for decades. Breakfast seven days a week.

Best fine dining restaurant Salt Lake City, our pick, Log Haven.

Best Chinese restaurant Salt Lake City, our pick, CY Noodles House. Located in SLC’s relatively new China town development, the real treat here is sizzling Sichuan cuisine loaded with chili’s, garlic and Sichuan peppercorns. Build your own noodle bowls are a safe alternative too for those with milder tastes.

Best Vietnamese restaurant Salt Lake City, our pick, Indochine Vietnamese Bistro. Close to the University of Utah on the East benches is this stalwart of the SLC dining scene. Indochine offers a range of authentic dishes and a full bar menu with cocktails, beer and wine. See our review here.

Best Shanghai cuisine Salt Lake City, our pick, Boba World. You’ll have to head North to Woods Cross to find this hidden gem of a restaurant. A blink and you’ll miss it mom and pop eatery, crafts the finest house made ‘fat’ noodles you’re likely to encounter for 1000s of miles around.

Best Downtown Restaurant, our pick, HSL. Chef and owner Briar Handly’s ode to New American cooking is as delicious as it is beautiful. A regularly changing menu is hyper seasonal and powered by the kitchens wood burning oven from the former pizza restaurant space. See our write up here.

Best Park City Restaurant, our pick, Handle. New American cuisine that’s confident, classy and cool.

Best Murray Utah restaurants, our pick, Ice Haus. A fun German inspired food menu that’s loaded with brats, burgers, oh and plenty of great beer too.

Best Middle Eastern food Salt Lake City, our pick, Zaferan Cafe. This family run restaurant on Highland Drive is as welcoming as it is delicious. Everything is cooked from scratch and fresh each day, and the love and care shines through. Check out their perefectly grilled meats and impeccable basmati rice served with most dishes – a skill in itself.

Best fried chicken Salt Lake City, our pick, Curry Fried Chicken.

Best Burgers in Salt Lake City, our pick, Copper Onion. Time and time again, a soul satisfying burger at one of SLC’s best restaurants.

Best Vegan Restaurant Salt Lake City, our pick, Ice Haus. This bar isn’t exclusively vegan, but they do offer a separate vegan menu. And that has vegan poutine, need we say more?

Best Korean restaurant Salt Lake City, our pick, Bumblebee’s KBBQ.

Best Pizza Salt Lake City, our pick, Settebello.

Best sushi Salt Lake City, our pick, Takashi. Get to this downtown hot spot early, or prepare to wait. Takashi’s sushi regularly tops best of lists both in Utah and across the country. See our review here.

Best Thai restaurant Salt Lake City, our pick, Mano Thai. Formerly known as Bon Appe Thai, this South Salt Lake Thai restaurant is a solid pick for staples like green curry and pad gra prow. Bonus points: Mano Thai has a drive through window for when the weather doesn’t want to cooperate with your to go needs.

Best banh mi Salt Lake City, our pick, Oh Mai. See our write up here.

Best BBQ Salt Lake City, our pick, Sugar House BBQ.

Best Sugar House restaurants, our pick, Spitz. A mini regional chain of sorts, but still, we love them for their California take on the classic European doner kebab. This location in Sugar House is always packed, and that should tell you all you need to know…

Best Sandy Utah restaurants, our pick, Crown Burgers. Hey, what can we say, who doesn’t love the signature pastrami topped burger from Crown?

Top 5 places to eat at SLC airport. Looking to make the most of your time at the airport? Check out these five.

Other things you might like…

Best bars in Salt Lake City
Regardless of what mood you’re in, there’s a watering hole ready and waiting for you. From dives to cocktail bars, find out where not to miss in SLC.

Things to do in Salt Lake City
Looking for inspiration for a day’s fun in Salt Lake City, check out our guide organized by interest.

Best new restaurants around town
We’re always trying to roundup the most interesting new openings.

Late night restaurants SLC
Hungry? Past 10PM? don’t worry, there’s good eats to be had.

Most romantic restaurants in Salt Lake City
Celebrate that special moment in style.

Most unique restaurants in Salt Lake City
Looking to eat somewhere unique tonight? These are some truly Utah original spots.

Restaurants open Sunday in Salt Lake
Eat well, seven days a week.

SLC Food Blogs
Our guide to every food blog in Utah.

Utah liquor laws
Confused and thirsty. Let us guide you.

Other sites

shopsmart.guide | Shop smarter when you hit the store, with our sister site full of product reviews.

SLC Menu | A repository of hard to find menus for Salt Lake City restaurants.

The Utah Review | Our sister site covering the brightest and best in Utah arts, entertainment and lifestyle.

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