Don’t Miss These Top Restaurants in the Biggest Cities in the West

Every year the Sunset Travel Awards honor the best in travel in the West. This year we had over 600 entries across all categories (a record number!). These restaurants are the 2023 winners of the Where to Eat and Drink: Best Restaurants category. Check out the complete list of winners here. For our definitive directory to travel in the West, click here.

Best Restaurants

Hansei at the Japanese Cultural & Community Center

Katrina Frederick

Hansei translates to “self-reflection” in Japanese, and chef Chris Ono does exactly that with his modern interpretation of L.A. Nikkei cuisine, translating his experience as a Japanese-American Angeleno into a multi-course menu enjoyed in the tranquil garden oasis hidden in the heart of Little Tokyo.

Merois West Hollywood

Merois West Hollywood

It’s practically impossible to go wrong with a Wolfgang Puck restaurant, especially when you’ve got views like those at Merois, located on the top of the ultra-chic and pleasantly sceney Pendry Hotel. You’ll find Puck’s signature Asian fusion cuisine, including crispy rice crab salad and scallop pad Thai.

Aphotic

Aphotic | bread&Butter

With an emphasis on sustainable aquaculture, this stellar new seafood-focused spot in San Francisco offers guests an exquisite tasting menu and bar program celebrating the foraged and fished bounty of the Western seaboard.

Chez Maggy

Chez Maggy -Thompson Denver

Cozy up to authentic bistro fare from celeb chef Ludo Lefebvre in the bright, airy Thompson Denver lobby restaurant where the people watching is as prime as the LoDo location itself.

The Lark

Ali Beck Photography

A pioneer in Santa Barbara’s now white-hot Funk Zone, this restaurant, which takes its name from the overnight Pullman train that served the city from 1910 to 1968, is celebrating its tenth anniversary of showcasing the Central Coast’s bounty.

Pomella

Douglas Despres

This Oakland-based Israeli spot offers vibrant food drawing from Middle Eastern, North African, Mediterranean, and Eastern European flavors, but starring pristine local produce. The come-as-you-are vibe and convivial team make it a gem of Oakland’s charming Piedmont Avenue neighborhood.

The Goldener Hirsch Restaurant

Auberge Resorts Collection

This Park City restaurant blends Bavarian specialties with regional mountain cooking. Expect refined après-ski sustenance like four-cheese fondue, crispy Wiener schnitzel, and apple strudel. This is updated old-school mountain dining at its best.

Bodega SF

Erin Ng

At this San Francisco restaurant, Matthew Ho evolves northern Vietnamese with dishes such as Viet-Cajun gambas and kale-avocado salad with nuoc mam in an energetic setting.