three square meals us cities

Strolling Through The Best Food Cities In America

Cowboys, Hollywood, skyscrapers, big cars and a world of endless possibilities, are just a few of the things America has been enchanting the rest of the world with. But perhaps, America’s greatest contribution to the world has been its food. In between adventures throughout the countries many impressive cities you need to make sure you stop at a few of our favourite foodie getaways, paired with a curated list of amazing restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Thus I present to you, your guide to getting three square meals a day in the USA, by city. 

When I think about food cities in the US, the first thing that comes to mind is their diversity. There really is something for everyone, from farm-to-table dining to experimental cuisine. Naples in Florida is one of the places that impressed me the most for this variety, as you can find great French, Indian and Italian restaurants there. It’s also known for great seafood, and if you have time I’d advise to travel to Everglades City to sample the stone crab in the place where it originated – you won’t be disappointed!

Suze, Founder & CEO at Luxury Columnist (check her pictures here: Instagram)

San Francisco

Make this bayside city a must-see destination while travelling to the United States. Not only does SanFran abound in creative minds and entrepreneurial spirit, but it is a hotspot for food lovers as well. Some of the best places to eat in San Francisco will leave you waiting in long lines, but they are so worth it!


Travel to: USA


Read a newspaper, slide through your iPhone or go outside of the rush hours, but whatever you do, don’t miss them.

San Francisco, my hometown, will always have the best food in my opinion. I think this comes from all the agriculture that CA has access to year round. Chefs in San Francisco will be continually changing their menus to the seasons, placing a huge emphasis on freshness and appreciating California’s one-of-a-kind culture of farm-fresh produce, wild seafood, delicious meats, and, of course, wines.
San Francisco, because of all of this, tends to attract some of the very best talent in chefs and restaurants. Including The French Laundry’s Thomas Keller, the Food Netowrk’s Michael Chiarello and Michelin-award winner Corey Lee of Benu.
As a travel blogger, I absolutely LOVE eating in San Francisco. In the SF Bay Area, I have had better Japanese food than in Japan (at Omakase or Kinjo), better Spanish food than in Spain (at Coqueta), better Greek food than in Greece (at Kokkari), better pizza than in Italy (at Del Popolo) better southern brunch than in the South (at Fremont Diner), better ribs than in Kansas City (at Farmstead), and better Mexican food than in Mexico (at La Taqueria or Don Pisto’s).
Christina Vidal is a top travel instagrammer and founder of her award-winning luxury blog JetsetChristina.com. She was recently featured by Travel & Leisure as one of their Top 7 Luxury Travel Influencers to Follow, as well as TripAdvisor’s Top Travel Bloggers of 2017. Follow her on Instagram @Jetsetchristina

Breakfast at Craftsman & Wolves

14582515_1301256439919388_5910877191259815936_n
Photo by Craftsman & Wolves

Address: 746 Valencia Street, San Francisco, California 94110

Contact: +1 415.913.7713

Whether you decide to indulge your taste buds with a nutritious egg-filled muffin, a generous portion of some fine granola or a warm and refreshing cup of coffee, a breakfast at Craftsman & Wolves will get your day started with an energy boost teeming with good vibes.

Do you want to travel through USA being part of a small group tour? Check our options here.

Lunch at Hog Island Oyster Bar

14566681_1168898489823696_1938799966000513024_n
Photo by Hog Island Oyster Bar

Address: One Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 94111

Contact: +1 415 391 7117

Looking for a classy lunch with a view? The Hog Island Oyster Bar will provide you with a diverse selection of oysters, a glass of the finest rose wine in the region and a stunning view of the bay.

You’ll soon discover that nothing comes close to a lunch in sunny California.

Dinner at Harris’ Steakhouse

14709604_190305528078999_6911668763809021952_n
Photo by Proper Living

Address: 2100 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109, USA

Contact: +1 415-673-1888

Spend an unforgettable evening in Harris’ wood-paneled dining room while delighting yourself with the best steak in San Francisco. Accompanied by rhythms of live jazz, guests will enjoy refined dry-aged steaks along with a variety of premium wines. It’s as good as it gets.

Trust us on this one!

New York City

What’s at the top of everyone’s list of must-visit cities? New York, that’s for sure! The city that never sleeps, where everything moves at top speeds and where everyone is always in a rush, sipping countless cups of coffee on the go and barely grabbing a bite of their favorite bagel on way to work.

A first timer would surely find this pace a bit overwhelming and quite hard to keep up with. Looking for a nice place to eat is also a challenge, as there are so many eye-catching restaurants, bistros and bars with jaw-dropping menus and alluring atmospheres.

Struggling with finding a great place to eat? Well struggle no more, my friend! Here are our best and favorite picks for how to spend a day eating out in the concrete jungle where dreams are made of. 

Breakfast at Two Hands

14714668_1862991553929878_1558 (1)
Photo by Two Hands

Two Hands Cafe 164 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

Two Hands Restaurant & Bar 251 Church St, New York, NY 10013

Contact: churchst@twohandsnyc.com / mottst@twohandsnyc.com

This is the perfect place for fancy Instagram posts with your morning coffee and healthy breakfast. Avocados are a centerpiece here, so if you’re a fan, then breakfast at Two Hands is something you must experience for sure.

Could it get any better? Of course! Add in the amazingly friendly staff, the wonderful cozy setup and you’re in for a great treat.

Lunch at Russ & Daughters

14482891_631644117007953_2452971035243315200_n
Photo by Russ & Daughters Cafe

Address: 127 Orchard Street, NYC, USA

Contact:  212.475.4881

With over 100 years of history behind it, Russ & Daughters has always been the place where you can find delicious food alongside authentic New York spirit.

Although time has left its mark on what most residents consider to be one of the best restaurants in NYC, it recently underwent a complete restoration that led to a better and more personalized space that was matched with a rich menu.

Give the famous pastrami russ a try or the baked, smoked salmon. Can’t decide? Order both!

Dinner at St. Anselm

1662387_1512929849000661_472763421_n
Photo by St. Anselm

Address: 355 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Contact: + 1 718-384-5054

Looking for the perfect steak in the big city can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. St. Anselm is anything but the traditional American steakhouse everyone and their mom has already tried. The restaurant does not take reservations, so unless you get there in time for opening, you might be left waiting for quite a while.

No worries, though! All that waiting is part of the experience. Everything will become clear once you’re served with the best steak you’ve ever tasted in your life.

When most people think food, they think three cities: New York City, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. New York because it’s the biggest melting pot of cultures from all around the world, with the top chefs and restauranteurs from every global cuisine looking to open their restaurant there. The competition is fierce, and the food expensive, but you have some of the very best restaurants in the world- if you’re willing to pay the price it takes to dine there.

Las Vegas, because, with all the money going around the Strip, it tends to be one of the first places restauranteurs seek to expand. The food quality and dining atmosphere in Vegas is fabulous.

And, San Francisco, holding down the Best Food City of the West Coast title, has a foodie and wine culture all its own, much of which stems (no pun intended) from its proximity to Napa Valley.  California’s wine country has created a culture of pairing farm-to-table fresh food with vine-to-table world-class wines. The food in California has gotten so good that it has its own cuisine type now, a health-conscious, farm-fresh spin on Contemporary American now dubbed “Californian cuisine”.

Christina Vidal is a top travel instagrammer and founder of her award-winning luxury blog JetsetChristina.com. She was recently featured by Travel & Leisure as one of their Top 7 Luxury Travel Influencers to Follow, as well as TripAdvisor’s Top Travel Bloggers of 2017. Follow her on Instagram @Jetsetchristina

Seattle

Surrounded by mountains, vast coastlines, and never-ending forests, Seattle is the largest city in the state of Washington, the home of a few market-leading tech companies and an odyssey of senses when it comes to food.

Breakfast at Portage Bay Cafe

13260962_1718410261745380_1553377117_n
Photo by Portage Bay Cafe

Address: 4130 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105

Contact: +1 206.547.8230

With four locations spread throughout Seattle, Portage Bay Cafe is where you’ll find the best pancakes in town. Topped with fresh fruits, cheese and other sweets, they will not only make for a fulfilling breakfast but will also keep you going until lunchtime.

Lunch at Revel

13712672_1077717082277371_1597684896_n
Photo by Revel

Address: 403 N 36th St, Seattle, WA 98103, USA

Contact: +1 206-547-2040

Owned by a couple of professional chefs who met while cooking in Alain Ducasse’s Essex House back in New York, Revel is the place where Korean food is reinvented every day. The contrasting cooking styles of the two chefs merge into delightful dishes filled with savory and unforgettable aromas.

Grab some pancakes with pork belly and kimchi for your lunch, or one of the specialties that feature noodles and rice. We promise this will be a meal to remember.

Dinner at the Metropolitan Grill

13628507_313520418998898_264849173_n
Photo by Metropolitan Grill

Address: 820 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104, USA

Contact: +1 206-624-3287

Should you long for that early 20th century ambiance, but also for the best steak in Seattle, a visit to the Metropolitan Grill is all you’ll need to remember the good ole’ times. Stews cooked to perfection along with a wide array of fine wines served by the best sommeliers in the city will bring joy to your heart and warm your soul.


Keep our list of the best restaurants in America on hand throughout your travels. A glorious meal and a fun evening with your friends, in any of these locations, is not something you’ll want to miss, we promise. Bon Appetite!

When it comes to food in a new city, I always try and ask the locals ahead of time what their favorite spots are. I’ll also go on Instagram and find top food instagrammers or travel bloggers in each city, search their feed for great food spots and comment asking them their favorite restaurants, or search things like #SFfood #SFfoodies et cetera and see what restaurants look best or what people are instagramming a lot of.

Christina Vidal is a top travel instagrammer and founder of her award-winning luxury blog JetsetChristina.com. She was recently featured by Travel & Leisure as one of their Top 7 Luxury Travel Influencers to Follow, as well as TripAdvisor’s Top Travel Bloggers of 2017. Follow her on Instagram @Jetsetchristina

Antonia is a passionate writer and an avid reader. Eat well, travel often - are some of the words she lives by. When she's not writing or reading, she loves getting out in nature, hiking or losing herself in unknown cities.

Up Next:

75 Phrases to Know When Travelling in Southeast Asia

75 Phrases to Know When Travelling in Southeast Asia