4 Best Restaurants in Boise, Idaho

In some corners gaudy and Gothic, in others plush and exotic, and still others practically medieval, the detail in this remodeled restaurant is otherworldly. Wander under the glowing wine tunnel, past a wiry-haired Medusa, or head upstairs to the open-air Luna Bar and shisha-style Taz Lounge with views of the water. On hot summer days, you can sit on the deck and sip an “ice-tini” from a glass made of ice; at any time, you can enjoy hefty portions of South American–style barbecue, like the fillet with cognac sauce grilled on hot river rock. For dessert, try the ice-cream lollipop tree or glowing cotton-candy cake.

First there were brewpubs, now here's a restaurant–distillery, where the the fixings for the inventive cocktails, like the Prickly Pear Margarita, are truly house made (Bardenay is a nautical term meaning cocktail). Spacious and wood-rich, the restaurant and bar, in the heart of downtown, adds creative Idaho flavor to bar-menu favorites, from burgers and sandwiches to charbroiled salmon and rum pepper steak. There's a whole menu of gluten-free choices, a kids' menu, and in addition to the house distillations, a range of draft beers is available. The place is noisy and vibrant during lunch and weekday dinners, and serves brunch on weekends.

Although this swanky restaurant is known as a steak house, the seafood for dishes like the delicious tower of ahi and hamachi tuna appetizer is flown in daily from Hawaii. With a glowing blue bar that offers a mean “10 minute” chilled martini, Chandlers draws a sophisticated after-hours crowd, while the Boise elite and business travelers converge here for the live jazz and aged center-cut rib eye. Small cosmopolitan touches include vested waiters and a virtual wine list. It's pricey, but worth every penny, though on Sunday you can come for the popular and less expensive prix-fixe menu.

Since it's always packed and bustling, you will most likely have to wait for a table at this breakfast-and-lunch hot spot. A small upstairs seating section overlooks the bar and kitchen, with sunrise-colored orange-and-pink walls. Start with the fruit cup, piled with berries, citrus, and other fruits, and be sure to order something smothered with hollandaise—it’s a house specialty—like the veggie benny or eggs blackstone, and top it off with a “sunrise” mimosa (OJ, mango, guava, cranberry, and optional champagne). Goldy’s coffee shop around the corner lets you enjoy a coffee and board games while you wait for your table.