14 Best Restaurants in Baltimore, Maryland

Chef Kiko Wilson adeptly mixes Latin, Pan Asian, Southern, and California flavors. Tender coffee-rubbed short ribs are balanced by a crunchy daikon cole slaw with miso-ginger dressing. Lamb empanadas are finished with a chipotle aioli. Foreman/Wolf restaurants, Johnny's parent company, is known for its super-fresh ingredients, sourced locally, and excellent service. Johnny's receives high marks in both categories. Just like the food, the decor has a modern twist. Exposed interior brick walls, a Baltimore staple, get an acid-washed update. Comfy booth seating serves as an understated backdrop that allows the food to be the star.

With amazing pancakes, omelets, and French toast, this upscale cafe, now with locations at the Inner Harbor and in North Baltimore's Roland Park, has become the go-to destination for unbeatable breakfast and brunch (neither outlet serves dinner). Lunch entrées like the Chesapeake Club (crab cake, shrimp salad, lettuce, bacon, red and yellow tomatoes, avocado, and Old Bay remoulade on sourdough toast, dusted with more Old Bay) are also excellent. There's another location at 513 W. Cold Spring Lane in Roland Park.

Reservations are a must at Baltimore's best French restaurant. Petit Louis specializes in homey French comfort foods: onion soup bubbling with Gruyere, escargot in garlic butter, duck leg confit, and other things you might find in a French grandmother's kitchen. Save room for the awe-inspiring assortment of French cheeses, and if you're pressed for a decision, order the one with the layer of truffles. The classic bistro setting is enlivened with red velvet banquettes and marble-topped tables spaced elbows-length apart. Once a pharmacy, the Tudor-style building is listed on the National Register as part of America's first shopping center. The service here is exceptional.

In a residential neighborhood of lovely, large row houses, this casual corner bistro serves imaginative, Mediterranean-influenced fare. The seasonal menu includes such dishes as mussels with a green curry coconut broth and sesame-encrusted salmon with honey horseradish crème fraîche. Or choose from one of the chalkboard specials, such as the risotto of the day. On Sunday b is a popular spot for brunch.

A cozy café with a celestial motif appropriate to its name, the Blue Moon is a favorite for breakfast, served until 3 pm daily. Start with one of the enormous house-made cinnamon rolls, but save room for excellent brunch fare such as crab Benedict and sky-high French toast coated in a Cap'n Crunch cereal batter and served with whipped cream and strawberries. On weekends it's open 24 hours, attracting revelers from Fells Point's many clubs and bars. On weekend mornings there's often a line, but it's well worth the wait.

The lofty space and black-and-white tile floors give this casual spot a feeling of classic grandeur. Come here for American fare with a creative twist—shrimp and grits carbonara or juicy lamb burgers. Another standout is the grilled Atlantic salmon with cannellini beans. Service is warm and efficient. For dessert, order the affogato: it's made with salted caramel Taharka Bros. ice cream and served over a steaming cup of espresso. Weekend brunch is very popular.

In the Baltimore Museum of Art, this casual yet classy spot cooks up creative Maryland specialties. Crab cakes, served with a variety of tasty sauces, are one option, Parmesan-crusted salmon is another. Finish with a decadent dessert.

On "The Avenue," funky Hampden's main commercial street, Golden West is the go-to spot for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The place is colorful and eclectic, and so is the menu of diner fare with a Tex-Mex twist. Try the the hefty huevos montuleños—fried eggs with yellow corn cakes covered in beans, feta, salsa, and a fried banana, or the tater tots with a chili-mayo dipping sauce. Large tables make it a good spot for groups, and the bar makes it good for pre- or post-dinner drinks. Occasionally, the café hosts local folk and indie rock bands.

Once a boarding house for the brewmasters of National Bohemian Brewery, which was located across the street, Of Love & Regret is Stillwater Artisanal Ales’ new tasting room and restaurant. Its award-winning craft brews are a far cry from Natty Boh’s rather industrial taste. "Gypsy Brewer" Brian Strumke travels the world to create his saison (pale ale), and the restaurant’s seasonally aware menu complements his whereabouts. Think Bavarian hot pretzels with cheese, enormous broiled crab cakes, ancho-chili rubbed burgers, and Carolina BBQ pork belly. The décor is unpretentious, from the hand-built draft tower with custom, plain taps, to the poured concrete floor and tables sourced from a 120 year-old barn.

A favorite of Johns Hopkins students, this low-key restaurant, café, and bar is open morning until night for tasty vegetarian fare. Settle onto a couch or at one of the small tables for a portobello sandwich with caramelized onions and feta cheese, a wild rice and tempeh burger, or One World's version of that Baltimore specialty: a crabless crab cake. Fresh pressed juices, smoothies, espresso drinks, microbrews, and mixed drinks from the full bar fill out the menu.

Blink, and you may think you’re in South Beach: this trendy restaurant has quickly become the city’s most popular, where the suit-and-tie crowd sidles up to the elevated bar or takes a seat on the cushy outdoor terrace. Try the grilled octopus starter, tossed with lemon juice and capers, or the charcoal-grilled whole fish, be it wild sea bass, sole, or snapper.

A tourist favorite, the Rusty Scupper undoubtedly has the best view along the waterfront; sunset here is magical, with the sun sinking slowly into the harbor as lights twinkle on the city's skyscrapers. The interior is decorated with light wood and windows from floor to ceiling; the house specialty is seafood, particularly the jumbo lump crab cake, but the menu also includes an Angus beef burger, grilled rockfish, and filet mignon. Reservations are essential on Friday and Saturday and for the popular Sunday Jazz brunch.