These Are the Top 10 U.S. Cities for Luxury Dining Out
Just like travel, destination dining is roaring back, and restaurants are getting competitive again. But when you travel, Stateside, which cities lead haute cuisine?
The number one city might surprise you! New York City, with its vast size and population of over 8 million, provides 45 top-rated fine-dining restaurants across 300.5 square miles. This results in one luxury restaurant every 7 square miles for a lavish meal. La Grande Boucherie and Boucherie Union Square are some of the most frequented restaurants on this list.
But the Big Apple didn’t actually snag the top spot. It was fellow East Coast metropolis, Miami at #1! Miami, Florida (population, 456,000) came out as the best spot for luxury dining—even though it has only 14 Michelin-starred restaurants compared to New York City’s 74—largely because it has an exceptionally high number of five-star restaurants packed into a small area. According to research by Cabo Villa Vegas Dave, there’s one luxury restaurant in the Gateway to Latin America every 1.8 square miles!
The number two spot was taken by San Francisco, which has a robust range of LGBTQ-owned food and drink venues to choose from, along with some high-profile Bay Area LGBTQ+ chefs such as Traci Des Jardins, Elizabeth Falkner, Melissa King, and Dominique Crenn.
Research by luxury villa rental Cabo Villa Vegas Dave analyzed the volume of five-starred fine-dining restaurants for the 50 most populated U.S. cities using TripAdvisor. The findings were compared to each city’s land area to reveal the “Luxury Dine-Out Hotspots” in the U.S.
A spokesperson from Cabo Villa Vegas Dave commented: “It’s pretty exciting to see New York City brimming with five-star restaurants, which really highlights how much New Yorkers love great food. The city’s rich mix of cultures and its focus on culinary innovation make it a fantastic place for anyone who appreciates a gourmet meal.”
These are the top 10 U.S. cities for a luxury dine-out:
- Miami, Florida
- San Francisco, California
- New York City, New York
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Seattle, Washington
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- San Jose, California
- Chicago, Illinois
The study analyzed the top 50 most populous U.S. cities. TripAdvisor was used to identify five-star-rated fine-dining restaurants. The square miles per restaurant were calculated based on each city’s land area. Cities were ranked by luxury restaurant density (restaurants per square mile).
Quick guide to LGBTQ eating out in Miami
Since Miami has come out on top, however, here is a quick roundup of LGBTQ+ dining destinations the next time you are in the Magic City:
Palace South Beach is home to the famed drag brunch, where you’ll be entertained by queens sashaying away on Ocean Drive. From the rooftop pool bar to the sidewalk patio, the scene at the Palace is always vibey, and the menu includes items like the Quesadiva, a braised chicken quesadilla with housemade pico de gallo. This iconic venue took out a Diners’ Choice Award for 2024.
Bakalò Mykonos serves Mediterranean cuisine beachside and is owned by life partners Nikos Nanou and Egidio Guerreri.
Cheese Burger Baby has been catering to the late night crowd on Washington Avenue for over 20 years and is owned by delivery driver-turned-owner and proud lesbian entrepreneur Stephanie Vitori.
Finka Table & Tap is helmed by powerhouse chef Eileen Andrade who serves a fantastic fusion of Cuban, Peruvian and Korean flavors such as kimchee lime mussels and Islas Carnerias croquettas.
R House is part restaurant, part art gallery in a sprawling indoor-outdoor warehouse-style space in Wynwood, and is owned by Chef Rocco Carulli and his husband, Owen Bale, alongside drag queen Athena Dion.
Tâm Tâm, owned by celebrated chef Tam Pham and his husband, sommelier Harrison Ramhofer, is a vibrant Vietnamese eatery in Downtown Miami.
