It's a great time to be a foodie in Raleigh.
Three highly anticipated dining spots—with incredible food, views and décor—have opened their doors in recent months (and the accolades have already started to roll in).
For date nights, celebrations or just a treat-yourself occasion, these new restaurants—in three different Raleigh neighborhoods—are ready to put on a show.
A note on reservations: These restaurants are extremely popular so planning in advance is strongly encouraged. Reservations are not impossible to come by, but are best made several weeks in advance if you'd like to experience more than one of these new restaurants in the same weekend.
This upscale restaurant—opened in the Park District of North Hills in February of this year—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).
Pictured in the header of this page, 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 in late March.
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 restaurants—Crawford and Son and Jolie—remain favorites among City of Oaks foodies.
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 in April.
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 Tamasha by Harsha Sipani
