It's been a sizzling year for great new food in the Raleigh area, from date night spots to pasta shops and more. We've highlighted a range of unique concepts to help find your next night on the town. Let's dig in!
For chef-owner David Ellis, the opening of Figulina—one of just 30 selections by the Beard Foundation up for the title of America's best new restaurant in 2025—is both a pursuit of a new passion and a clever nod to his British roots.
At its core, Figulina is a handmade pasta shop—a cozy neighborhood spot in downtown Raleigh's Warehouse District meant for good wine and good times with family and friends (score a table at the bar for aperitivo hour, or on the patio this spring for the ultimate night out).
In addition to a selection of shareable small plates, the dinner menu features a half-dozen pasta options—rotating on a constant basis—made with local ingredients and influences from the South and beyond.
Recent menus have showcased some beautiful pasta shapes less commonly found—cappelletti, caramelle, rotolo, cappellachi and more. A peak into the open-view pasta room allows guests to see the delicate pasta making and shaping process first-hand.
Ellis—who previously held the title of chef de cuisine at Poole's Diner, perhaps Raleigh's most iconic restaurant—hails from Stoke-on-Trent, England, a city known for being the "world capital of ceramics." The name Figulina can translate from Latin to English as "potter's workshop," and it's fair to say the work within the pasta room is a chef's equivalent craft. You’ll find aesthetic nods to this connection throughout, from the handmade ceramic lights over the bar to the English pottery on display.
This upscale restaurant—opened in the Park District of North Hills in 2024—has more than delivered on its promise of producing an unforgettable culinary experience.
Opened by visionary entrepreneurs Mike Kathrani and Tina Vora, Tamasha—which can translate to "a great performance" in Hindi—provides a chic, high-energy ambiance with the food to match (modern Indian cuisine with contemporary presentation that includes a dash of "gastronomic illusion"). Craft cocktails and an extensive wine list are on offer, too, of course.
Chef Bhavin Chhatwani—new to Raleigh but no stranger to high-end eats—was recruited to help put Tamasha on the map. He has previous experience at San Francisco's Taj Campton Place (the world's only two-star Indian Michelin restaurant at the time) and Adaa in Hyderabad, India (recognized as one of the country's top restaurants).
Tamasha was recently named among the most beautiful restaurants in America by OpenTable (and it's easy to see why). The opulent design was meticulously crafted by owner Tina Vora, an accomplished interior designer.
A dreamy date-night restaurant inspired by the Adriatic coast from one of Raleigh's most acclaimed chefs? Count us in!
Chef Scott Crawford—a six-time James Beard Award nominee—opened his third Raleigh restaurant, Brodeto, within the booming live-work-play Raleigh Iron Works district.
Named for the fragrant fish stews found along the Italian and Croatian coasts, Brodeto serves up its namesake dish (a warm, brothy concoction of monkfish, prawns, octopus and more) alongside a wide variety of lighter, shareable dishes (crudos and salads and hand-crafted breads). House-made pasta options are in no short supply, with the spaghetti al nero—served with sea urchin butter and a chile pangrattato topping—nearly stealing the show as both a palate and a presentation pleaser.
Dessert, of course, is a must. A single serving of hazelnut gelato is large enough for two people to finish off a satisfying meal, but the olive oil cake—topped with whipped mascarpone and seasonal fruit—isn't easy to pass up on, either.
Crawford's other Raleigh restaurants—Crawford and Son and Jolie—remain local foodie favorites, and he also just opened the much-anticipated Crawford Brothers Steakhouse within Cary's Fenton shopping district.
This long-awaited rooftop dining concept from Samad Hachby—the owner of another beloved Italian restaurant, Mulino, in downtown Raleigh—arrived to serious fanfare upon opening.
The ninth-floor restaurant—serving a fusion of Italian and Mediterranean cuisines—comes with one very obvious perk: a view that is likely unmatched by any other Raleigh-area restaurant. Yes, it's safe to say that Raleigh's dining scene has reached new heights thanks to this Warehouse District addition.
The food matches the view, which is to say the crudo, pizza, house-made pastas and other offerings are fit for a celebration (two large bars—one inside and one on the patio—help in this regard as well). Cheers!
Header photo of Brodeto by Jessica Crawford
