Top Restaurants in Phoenix, Arizona

NOCA

Cuisine: American
Price: $$$

Combining the simplicity of comfort food and the complexity of upscale cuisine, the meals at NOCA are much more complex than they sound on paper. Even plain-sounding dishes like duck breast or steak frites are prepared with the special skill that only a professional chef can impart: one that transports them from the usual to the extraordinary. This strange conjunction of the ordinary and the indulgent is especially noticeable in the dessert menu: the milk and cookies aren't what you eat at midnight at home, nor are the doughnuts what you buy from the shop on the way to work. For the NOCA experience on a budget, head over on Sunday and order from the Sunday Simple Supper Menu, which presents three courses of selected dishes for one low price. Topped off by great service and a wonderful atmosphere, a meal at NOCA will leave you feeling physically sated and mentally refreshed, ready for the days ahead.

Fry Bread House

Cuisine: Native American
Price: $

Get a taste of something unique at the Fry Bread House, where the specialty is exactly what the name indicates: fried bread. This kind of restaurant is something you'll only find in the southwest, inspired by traditional Native American dishes and flavors. Served up with one of a variety of chilies and stews, the fry bread is far from healthy but incredibly delicious. Hot and crispy on the outside while remaining light and chewy inside, the bread is wonderful dipped into any of the stews served. So popular is the fry bread that even the tacos are made with it then filled with various ingredients and spicy sauces. Owned by members of the Tohono O'oadham Native American tribe, you're guaranteed an authentic fry bread experience in this restaurant in the heart of the city.

Carolina's Mexican Food

Cuisine: Mexican
Price: $

It's just wrong to visit the Southwest without taking a foray into the Mexican cuisine that has so inspired the region's culinary traditions. For this purpose, Carolina's Mexican Food is the best restaurant to check out in Phoenix. Famous for its amazing flour tortillas, it's the food you come for not the ambiance, which is the kind of quick, cheap, order-at-the-counter experience that is often seen at authentic Mexican restaurants in the states. Don't mind the neighborhood, once inside you'll see diners that range from college students to businessmen to neighborhood regulars. Simply order up a burro or enchilada, slide into one of the seats and enjoy the meal: you're sure to want to come back for more the next day.

Yasu Sushi Bistro

Cuisine: Japanese
Price: $$$

Even though it doesn't look like much from the outside, located in a strip mall as it is, once you step into Yasu Sushi Bistro you'll feel transported into a whole different world. Inside, the darkened restaurant feels romantic and inviting, with the kind of service that lets you know this is no ordinary strip mall restaurant. The sushi seals the deal, with authentic Japanese preparation of these amazing pieces that use only the freshest fish and most flavorful ingredients. If anything, the sheer range of options to choose from is the most daunting part of a visit to Yasu Sushi, and that's the kind of tough decision that makes a restaurant great, and well worth returning to again and again.

Postino Winecafe

Cuisine: Italian
Price: $$

Light plates and fantastic wines have popularized Postino Winecafe, making it a favorite place for taking dates and impressing relatives. The bruschetta is by far the house specialty, with a variety of flavors ranging from the traditional tomato and mozzarella to the unusual ricotta with dates and pistachios. For a larger meal order one of the fantastic paninis or go the healthier route with a big, crispy salad. Every dish at Postino is great, but they're best served with a glass of wine. From 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. every day, glasses of wine are only five dollars; great for an early after-work dinner date or a weekend lunch meet up but devilishly tempting during a workday lunch break