On February 24th, we celebrated Utah’s robust and growing dining community at our 2025 Dining Awards Ceremony. We’d like to take a moment to shout out all the attendees in raising a glass to our winners and enjoying a night of fun!
The Golden Spoon For Hospitality: Ali Sabbeh and the Team at Mazza
The Blue Plate Award for Community Service: Scion Cider Bar
The Green Thumb Awards for an Outstanding Grower: Frog Bench Farms
The Spirit Award: Alpine Distilling
Hungry for more? Find all our current and previous Salt Lake magazine Dining Awards winnershere! And while you’re here, why notsubscribe and get six annual issues of Salt Lake magazine’s curated guide to the best of life in Utah.
Each year, Salt Lake magazine presents its choices for the best restaurants in Utah in our Dining Awards edition. This year, we considered what we enjoyed on the table and where the tables of the best restaurants are. Utah, as you may have heard, is growing. Amid all that change, new neighborhoods and restaurant scenes emerged. Meanwhile, many of our winners have served to anchor their locales and continue to draw both loyal diners and new fans. We zoomed in on the individual neighborhoods and fast-growing parts of our state that are emerging as dining destinations. But no matter where they are located—be it a busy downtown block or a charming perch in Southern Utah—by our reckoning, these are the best restaurants in Utah (as well as some new hotspots to watch). If you’re new in town, let this be your guide to the dining topography of our state. If you’ve been here a minute, let us remind you of greatness in plain sight. Either way, we are once again proud to share our annual gustatory exploration with you all!
Click the images below to read more about our 19 Best Restaurants of 2025
Restaurants to Watch in 2025
Often a new restaurant comes on the scene with a splash that catches our attention but, hey, it’s a hard biz at any time, much less at this time. But these five newcomers raised our eyebrows and we’re excited to see what happens next
Christie Porter, Salt Lake magazine Managing EditorStuart Melling, Founder of Gastronomic SLCJeremy Pugh, Salt Lake magazine Executive EditorLydia Martinez, Salt Lake magazine On the Table food editorDarby Doyle, Food and Culture writer
Hungry for more? Find all our current and previous Salt Lake magazine Dining Awards winners here! And while you’re here, why not subscribe and get six annual issues of Salt Lake magazine’s curated guide to the best of life in Utah.
Executive Chef Ryan Lowder, Copper Common. Photo by Adam Finkle.
Copper Common starkly contrasts its elder sibling Copper Onion, just a few doors down. It is intimate and elegant and completely idiosyncratic in all the best ways. Inspired by owner Ryan Lowder’s former NYC life, a seductively simple menu blends smartly seasonal ingredients with flashes of global inspiration. Dishes are restrained and uncomplicated, allowing core ingredients to shine; bright farmer’s market tomatoes pop in the summer, rustic soups warm in the winter. A routinely rotating roster means Copper Common reliably delivers visit after visit, always with something new to discover. Beyond the exemplary kitchen output, the 21+ bar/restaurant offers pours from a distinctively unique natural wine list backed by always inventive craft cocktails.
Each year, Salt Lake magazine presents its choices for the best restaurants in Utah. This year, we zoomed in on the individual neighborhoods and fast-growing parts of our state that are emerging as dining destinations. But no matter where they are located—be it a busy downtown block or a charming perch in Southern Utah—by our reckoning, these are the best restaurants in Utah.
Hungry for more? Find all our current and previous Dining Awards winners here! And while you’re here, why not subscribe and get six annual issues of Salt Lake magazine’s curated guide to the best of life in Utah.
Chef Manoli and Katrina Katsanevas have showcased their culinary creativity and care for stellar service in their James Beard-nominated restaurant, Manoli’s. Serving up a variety of Meze, it is a fine dining destination. In 2024, they opened Paréa, a spin-off of the gyro pop-ups they hosted occasionally at Manoli’s. More of a deli/market style experience, Paréa translates to “a close group of friends who gather purely to enjoy each other’s company.” And what great company you will enjoy! Serving up their famous gyros, you can also find to-go salads, take-and-bake mains and ready-to-eat dips and stuffed grape leaves.
Photo by Khloe PhotoPhoto by Khloe Photo
Each year, Salt Lake magazine presents its choices for the best restaurants in Utah. This year, we zoomed in on the individual neighborhoods and fast-growing parts of our state that are emerging as dining destinations. But no matter where they are located—be it a busy downtown block or a charming perch in Southern Utah—by our reckoning, these are the best restaurants in Utah.
Hungry for more? Find all our current and previous Dining Awards winners here! And while you’re here, why not subscribe and get six annual issues of Salt Lake magazine’s curated guide to the best of life in Utah.
Elegance mixed with Scandinavian no-nonsense hospitality, Kimi’s Chop & Oyster House uprooted from Sugar House to Holladay in a move that splashed “Kimistyle” across the walls and onto a decadent and contemporary menu. The new menu has a special focus on shared plates with a nod to Kimi’s background, including a Caviar Onion Dip with Pommes Frites and Toast Smögen with Greenland shrimp, blue crab meat, dill, horseradish créme and Swedish caviar. The Chanterelle Mushroom Soup is a must-order, no matter the season, and of course, the namesake steaks and chops are mouth-watering. Dining here is experiential and opulent without feeling over the top, kimishouse.com.
Each year, Salt Lake magazine presents its choices for the best restaurants in Utah. This year, we zoomed in on the individual neighborhoods and fast-growing parts of our state that are emerging as dining destinations. But no matter where they are located—be it a busy downtown block or a charming perch in Southern Utah—by our reckoning, these are the best restaurants in Utah.
Hungry for more? Find all our current and previous Dining Awards winners here! And while you’re here, why not subscribe and get six annual issues of Salt Lake magazine’s curated guide to the best of life in Utah.
Maggie and Matthew Harris, Tupelo. Photo by Adam Finkle.
19 Best Restaurants of 2025—Tupelo
Damn, that’s gone by fast:2025 will mark Tupelo Park City’s 10th anniversary. Spanning a location move, too many memorable meals to count, and many-a sampling of their stellar wine list and deep whiskey lineup, Tupelo has never stopped impressing us. It’s where we go when we’re craving the comfort of buttermilk biscuits and a superb Old Fashioned. Or are you in the mood for perfectly executed elk carpaccio, braised rabbit raviolo or can’t-stop-thinking-about-it dishes like smoked duck breast with Utah cherries at the peak of their season? Executive Chef Matt Harris, managing partner Maggie Alvarez and their whole talented team are upping the ante each year, and we can’t wait to see what the next decade looks like, tupeloparkcity.com.
Each year, Salt Lake magazine presents its choices for the best restaurants in Utah. This year, we zoomed in on the individual neighborhoods and fast-growing parts of our state that are emerging as dining destinations. But no matter where they are located—be it a busy downtown block or a charming perch in Southern Utah—by our reckoning, these are the best restaurants in Utah.
Hungry for more? Find all our current and previous Dining Awards winners here! And while you’re here, why not subscribe and get six annual issues of Salt Lake magazine’s curated guide to the best of life in Utah.
Chef Damiano Carlotto, and Matteo Sogne. Photo by Adam Finkle.
The 19 Best Restaurants of 2025—Salt Lake
Matteo balances the delicate line between making guests feel like they have sat down at Nonna’s table while experiencing fine dining at its best. Chef Damiano Carlotto has worked closely with Matteo and his family to craft a menu that is both memorable and feels passed down through the generations. Matteo can be found circling the dining room, recommending wines, or adding a drizzle of the famiglia balsamico to your plate. Matteo’s mom bakes the bread, and the Tagliatelle Bolognese will transport you to Modena.
Each year, Salt Lake magazine presents its choices for the best restaurants in Utah. This year, we zoomed in on the individual neighborhoods and fast-growing parts of our state that are emerging as dining destinations. But no matter where they are located—be it a busy downtown block or a charming perch in Southern Utah—by our reckoning, these are the best restaurants in Utah.
Hungry for more? Find all our current and previous Dining Awards winners here! And while you’re here, why not subscribe and get six annual issues of Salt Lake magazine’s curated guide to the best of life in Utah.
Chef Tommy Nguyen, The Pearl. Photo by Adam Finkle.
Is it something in the water? Maybe a cosmic vortex, or an ancient ley line unearthed by nonstop road construction on 900 South? Whatever it is that draws such a concentrated wealth of food and beverage talent to the west side of our city, we hope it never stops. Solidly in this tasty mix: Chef Tommy Nguyen and the seasoned pros at The Pearl. Nguyen’s flavor-packed iterations of Vietnamese and Korean street foods are full-stop phenomenal. Loaded Bahn mi sandos, a brunchy rice bowl with spam and eggs—do your next hangover a favor and savor that goodness with a chrysanthemum-pomegranate daiquiri or boozy Vietnamese coffee—or his mom’s eponymous eggrolls dipped in house-made fish sauce. The Pearl is all magically delicious.
Each year, Salt Lake magazine presents its choices for the best restaurants in Utah. This year, we zoomed in on the individual neighborhoods and fast-growing parts of our state that are emerging as dining destinations. But no matter where they are located—be it a busy downtown block or a charming perch in Southern Utah—by our reckoning, these are the best restaurants in Utah.
Hungry for more? Find all our current and previous Dining Awards winners here! And while you’re here, why not subscribe and get six annual issues of Salt Lake magazine’s curated guide to the best of life in Utah.
The Blue Plate Award for Outstanding Community Service: Scion Cider Bar
Elisabeth Osmeloski and Rio Connelly of Scion Cider. Photo by Jon Barkiple.
There’s barely a week that goes by when we don’t have an email in our inbox from Scion Cider, sharing the news about an event for the community: trivia and game nights, fundraisers, cider classes, live music, dinner series, tastings, and seemingly endless collaborations with other shops, bars, organizations and groups in the neighborhood. How Scion manages to host so many happening parties while being so active in the community is nothing short of impressive. If there’s something cool going down in the Central 9th, Scion Cider is probably involved. It’s that tenacity and initiative that earns them the Blue Plate Award for Outstanding Community Service. And we have not even mentioned that it is a friendly place to meet interesting people, get a tasty cider (on a rotating menu of dozens available from funky to sweet with everything in between), and learn a little bit while you’re there, scionciderbar.com.
The #Randompink Award (Just Because): Harbor Seafood & Steak
Parley’s Way is a desert for good food, awash in fast-food and fast-casual spots amid the offices suited to the Park City commuter. That’s why Harbor Seafood + Steak stands out as, well, a Harbor of dining in that part of town. Randall Curtis, the chef-owner of Harbor is a big part of why. He is there in the kitchen on the floor, mixing cocktails for nearly every service, the chief cook and bottlewasher if you will. In 2016, Randall joined the efforts at Stone Soup, a program that provides regular restaurant quality meals to The Road Home. But something you may not know about Randall. He is Utah’s biggest sports fan. His restaurant serves as a haven for University of Utah football athletes, Utah Jazz and Hockey club players who seek some anonymity and a good meal served by a friendly face. harborslc.com.
The Spirit Award: Alpine Distilling
Sara Sergent, Master Botanical Distiller. Photo courtesy of Alpine Distilling.
Alpine Distilling is not in want of praise and for good reason. In 2024, Master Distiller Sara Sergent received admission to the prestigious London Gin Guild, accepted an award for the distillery’s innovative sustainability efforts and won Gold in the Fifty Best Awards’ Best American Blended Whiskey competition for their Alpine American Whiskey. Our readers at Salt Lake magazine voted Alpine Distilling as the No. 1 distiller in the state. Putting them over the top, at Alpine Distilling’s Park City Social Aid & Pleasure Club, visitors can now make their own gin. Sergent and her team guide amateur distillers through the botanical selection process to make a bespoke spirit, so they walk away with both a bottle of gin and an understanding of what makes a spirit special, alpinedistilling.com.
The Green Thumb Award for an Outstanding Grower: Frog Bench Farms
If you’ve ever been served a cocktail with a compelling sugar pea shrub or a rainbow-hued salad graced with edible flowers, there’s a very good chance that the building blocks for those superlative moments were sourced at Frog Bench Farms. With an extensive solar array, rainwater harvesting system, on-site seed banking operation, and integrated composting cycle, the almost zero-waste business supplies local restaurant chefs and lucky farmers’ market customers alike and does so year-round. Since 2012, this 1.5-acre model of sustainable urban farming has been a passion project for owners Paula Swaner Sargetakis and Joe Sargetakis. Frog Bench Farms is example that quality and even exotic produce doesn’t need to come at the expense of responsible land stewardship, frogbenchfarms.com.
The Golden Spoon For Hospitality: Ali Sabbeh and the Team at Mazza
Decades of attention from Ali have created a community of diners, staff and his purveyors. A dinner out at Mazza is what dining should be, civilized and welcoming. It truly defines hospitality and is worthy of recognition. Mazza had everything that a dining experience should have—community, conversation, food that couldn’t be recreated in any other setting, and consistency in quality that has survived and thrived under Ali’s passion for hospitality. It is a humble place, not flashy or trendy. The best is often merely reliable and, yes, comforting. Thus you’ll find Ali in his soothing, simple cafe, behind the stove fussing over each dish, mazzacafe.com.
Ali Sabbeh, Mazza. Photo by Adam Finkle.
Each year, Salt Lake magazine presents its choices for the best restaurants in Utah. This year, we zoomed in on the individual neighborhoods and fast-growing parts of our state that are emerging as dining destinations. But no matter where they are located—be it a busy downtown block or a charming perch in Southern Utah—by our reckoning, these are the best restaurants in Utah.
Hungry for more? Find all our current and previous Dining Awards winners here! And while you’re here, why not subscribe and get six annual issues of Salt Lake magazine’s curated guide to the best of life in Utah.
It is the unlikeliest of locations, set amid subdivisions and stray parcels of soon-to-be-sold family land in Draper. But there it is. Set back from the road, in a historic Victorian home surrounded by shady oaks, you’ll find The Charleston Draper—an ode to civilization and high style that is the life’s work of its impresario chef Marco Silva. Born in São Paulo, Brazil and trained in Lisbon and Paris, his international sensibilities touch everything from the restaurant’s refined setting, its and, yes, the restaurant’s dress code and adults-only policy. Is it unreasonable to ask that you don’t bring babies or show up in pajamas and flip-flops? Chef Marco reminds us that a night out should come with attention and dignity and will ensure that your efforts to dress for the event will be well rewarded with the atmosphere, service and food on the plate, thecharlestondraper.com.
Each year, Salt Lake magazine presents its choices for the best restaurants in Utah. This year, we zoomed in on the individual neighborhoods and fast-growing parts of our state that are emerging as dining destinations. But no matter where they are located—be it a busy downtown block or a charming perch in Southern Utah—by our reckoning, these are the best restaurants in Utah.
Hungry for more? Find all our current and previous Dining Awards winners here! And while you’re here, why not subscribe and get six annual issues of Salt Lake magazine’s curated guide to the best of life in Utah.
