The Restaurant With the Best View in Every State
13 min read
The best restaurants keep regulars coming back for ambiance and atmosphere as much as for the food — and nothing says ambiance like a stellar view. Every state in the country is home to restaurants surrounded by stunning scenery that lets you feast with your eyes as much as your taste buds. We scoured reviews and rankings by expert food writers and countless hungry customers to find these 50 restaurants worth visiting as much for what you’ll see as as for what you’ll eat.
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Birmingham
Birmingham Magazine raves about the stunning mountain views that diners enjoy at the Tip Top Grill. The outdoor tables tower high over the region’s wilderness. In fact, the restaurant sits higher than virtually any other eatery in the Birmingham area. Oh, and the burgers and dogs are amazing, too.
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Juneau
The Timberline Atop Mount Roberts serves authentic Alaskan cuisine from the land and sea. You can enjoy crab any number of ways, or salmon and halibut, and you should certainly seek out specialties such as the bison fry bread tacos. No matter what you order, your dinner will be served with a side order of the best views in Juneau. From 1,800 feet above the world’s most rugged wilderness, you’ll gaze down upon the city, the rainforest, an alpine meadow and Mount Juneau.
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Phoenix
Head to Phoenix to dine in style while basking in sky-high panoramic views of the city’s twinkling skyline — and the endless desert beyond. That’s what you’ll get at Different Pointe of View in the Pointe Hilton. The view from the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows is especially striking at sunset.
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Paris
There’s classic Southern cuisine on the menu at Skycrest and rustic furniture and massive interior timbers adding to the ambiance inside. But the mountain lodge also sits 2,753 feet above the Petit Jean River Valley, and Blue Mountain Lake can be seen in the distance.
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La Jolla
The Ocean Terrace at George’s At the Cove offers SoCal cuisine on an elevated bar overlooking the Pacific Ocean. There’s even an extended “ocean view bar” to enhance the already jaw-dropping views.
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Colorado Springs
The name of the Elevations Restaurant says it all. The impressive Front Range of the Rocky Mountains provides the backdrop while you gobble up breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, all of which are served daily inside the Cheyenne Mountain Resort.
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Simsbury
Millwright’s Restaurant, as the name implies, was actually a mill and has a history dating back to 1679. Now, it’s a modern restaurant that serves chic cuisine, but the rustic charm remains — as does the spectacular view of the surrounding landscape, waterfall and all.
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Selbyville
Catch 54 prides itself on coastal cuisine that is simple but elegant — and the same could be said about the views. Perched right on a bay, Catch 54 offers diners expansive views of the area between Assawoman Bay and Little Assawoman Bay.
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Boynton Beach
Locals have been flocking to the Banana Boat since 1978. The place sits right alongside the Intracoastal Waterway, and if you eat there, you’ll have views of not just the waterway, but also of the endless parade of boats that use it as a highway all day long.
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Atlanta
The Sun Dial Restaurant Bar & View takes its name seriously. Perched atop the cylindrical Westin Peachtree Plaza tower, the Sun Dial offers 360-degree views that are unrivaled in Atlanta. If you don’t feel like getting up to check out the views on the other side, don’t worry — the views will come to you. The restaurant itself actually rotates so you’ll have the best view no matter where you sit 71 stories above the city.
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Lahaina
The views from the Sea House Restaurant stand out even by the tall standards of exotic Hawaii. Tucked into crescent-shape beach of Napili Bay, the Sea House serves sea-to-plate cuisine with views of Maui’s blue water, soaring palm trees, and tanned tourists.
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Twin Falls
Elevation 486 is appreciated for its menu, but no reviewer can ignore the sheer beauty of the view. The Snake River winds into the canyon that bears its name under the Perrine Bridge, all of which is backdropped by the Magic Valley. When you dine at Elevation 486, you have boundless panoramic views of it all.
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Chicago
IO Godfrey boasts the largest indoor/outdoor lounge in Chicago. A retractable roof and two-level fire pit make it an all-year escape for diners in search of the ultimate view. The fourth-floor lounge certainly isn’t the highest point in the Windy City, but its views can compete with any of the building’s bigger cousins.
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Lawrenceburg
The views are so stunning at RiverWatch that you might just forget you’re eating in a floating restaurant on the Ohio River. Located in the far southeast corner of the Hoosier State, RiverWatch works hard to give off a Key West vibe in the heart of the Midwest, and if you’re not careful, you might just mistake the Ohio River for the Gulf of Mexico.
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Des Moines
The Cub Club overlooks the outfield at Principal Park in Des Moines, the home of the Iowa Cubs, an affiliate of the Chicago MLB team of the same name. No spot in Iowa competes with the view — unless you pay for a ticket to the game.
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Kansas City
It may not be for everyone — meaning people who don’t like sports — but Turn 2 offers views of both the Kansas Speedway and the gaming floor from its perch within the Hollywood Casino, and the menu ranges from $5 soups to $28 ribeeye steaks.
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Burkesville
Three of the four walls at Island View Restaurant are made of glass. On the other side of that glass are stunning views of Dale Hollow Lake and its many islands. The adjoining Dale Hollow Golf Course often appears in “Kentucky’s best” top 10 lists for its level of play, but also for its powerful natural beauty.
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New Orleans
It’s hard to claim the title of “the best seafood in New Orleans,” but Landry’s does its best to live up to the boast. Fresh-caught Gulf seafood streams out of the kitchen, but the real draw just might be the scenic views of Lake Pontchartrain — the restaurant is right on the shore.
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Portland
Locals and tourists flock to Diamond’s Edge for classic fine island dining — but also for the view. A short boat ride away from the bustling Old Port district in Portland sits a former artists’ retreat that continues to stoke creative thinking with stunning views of Diamond Cove, Casco Bay, and Great Diamond Island.
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Essex
The views greeting diners at River Watch Restaurant include the marina and its surrounding waterways, including the beautiful Middle River and Hopkins Creek. River Watch is as confident in their food as they are in their scenery — the restaurant’s slogan is “where the food is better than the view all year long.”
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Boston
The Venezia makes city dwellers feel like they’re a million miles away. The restaurant describes its boundless Boston Harbor views as “breathtaking,” and the atmosphere and the food have earned Venezia a spot on countless New England “best of” lists.
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Holland
Perched on the shores of Lake Macatawa, Boatwerks is a casual dining staple with massive windows on the north wall and glass walls along the boardwalk, opening stunning lake views to indoor diners. Want to get a closer look? There’s an outdoor patio and deck.
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Waconia
In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, there’s no shortage of awesome waterfront dining options. Lola’s Lakehouse not only offers picturesque views of Lake Waconia, but also the yesteryear, Cape Cod-esque surrounding landscape, complete with split-rail fences, red barns, and docking boats.
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Ocean Springs
All-you-can-eat family-style catfish, chicken, and shrimp are served in massive portions at Aunt Jenny’s. The real draw, however, is the scenery. Indulge in classic Delta cuisine while relaxing on the mouth of the Biloxi Bay surrounded by oak trees that have been growing there for half a millennium.
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Lake Ozark
The Lake of the Ozarks is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and at Baxter’s, you can take in some of the most spectacular views in the region. You’ll be enjoying authentic Midwestern cuisine in one of the country’s greatest and most underrated tourist destinations.
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Whitefish
Head to Casey’s and grab a Huckleberry margarita, which you can sip at the only rooftop bar and restaurant in the Flathead Valley. Casey’s is bursting with live music, fire tables, and a weather-adaptable shade system.
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Omaha
It’s not often you can eat overlooking a rainforest teeming with white-handed gibbons — particularly if you’re at a restaurant in Omaha. But that’s exactly what you’ll get at TreeTops Restaurant, which is inside Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo.
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Las Vegas
Don’t go to Vegas, go above it. At Top of the World at the Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower, customers enjoy some of the highest-end fine dining in the city while sitting 800 feet above the Las Vegas Strip. In case you don’t feel like moving to take in the unobstructed 360-degree views, the restaurant rotates every 80 minutes.
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Portsmouth
Family-owned for more than half a century, Geno’s has won more chowder- and lobster-related awards than it can list — and that’s saying a lot considering it’s in Portsmouth, the heart of New England seafood territory. Then there’s the view. Located on the Piscataqua River, Geno’s has been the subject of countless paintings and postcards, and you can stop in and find out why.
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North Bergen
The best views of New York City aren’t in New York City — they’re across the river in New Jersey. Among the best in the state can be found at Waterside, where an internationally acclaimed chef serves high-end cuisine to match the towering views of the Manhattan skyline.
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Santa Fe
Executive chef Kai Autenrieth is the mind behind Terra, where classic Southwestern fare is infused into cuisine from around the world. You’ll also enjoy The Bar, where indoor or terrace seating provides magnificent views of the surrounding New Mexico mountains and valleys.
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Brooklyn
In praising the restaurant’s off-the-beaten-path feel, Zagat referred to the Manhattan skyline views from the rooftop at Alma as “mind altering.” Even in a city packed with restaurants atop skyscrapers, Alma stands out.
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Asheville
Locally sourced ingredients and hand-cut steaks and chops earn rave reviews for the Omni Hotel’s Sunset Terrace. The views, however, keep the locals coming back. Even for people who live in Asheville, the soaring Blue Ridge Mountain views are awe-inspiring.
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St. Michael
On the shore of Devils Lake is The View, the house restaurant of Spirit Lake Casino & Resort. It’s known for its porterhouse steak specials as well as towering windows that connect customers to the natural beauty beyond.
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Cleveland
The draw of Bar 32 is right there in its name: Part of the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, Bar 32 soars 32 stories above the city. The venue’s “high-style bar menu” is complemented by picturesque views of not just the city, but of mighty Lake Erie beyond.
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Tulsa
The Summit promises that “the experience is as great as the view.” That’s a big statement, considering the fine-dining room is perched 30 stories in the air towering over Tulsa with endless views of the Osage Hills to the north and the Arkansas River to the west.
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Hood River
As early as the mid-1960s, Riverside has been the only waterfront dining option on the Hood River. The ingredients used to make the restaurant’s Italian fare changes every month, but the panoramic views of Columbia River don’t.
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Dauphin
Stoney Creek Inn is one of the few restaurants on this list where you can see and hear the view — because there are indoor and outdoor options. You can dine right next to the roaring Stoney Creek waterfall.
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Newport
Few seafood towns in America are more authentic than Newport, home of The Landing. In the heart of the city’s downtown, it whips up some of the freshest seafood on Earth. Between courses, you won’t have to do much except look east for captivating views of historic Bowen’s Wharf.
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Charleston
The Ashley River and Charleston skyline serve as eye candy for anyone who wanders into the Harborview Restaurant and Lounge. Whether you’re there for a sunrise breakfast or dinner at sunset, you can watch the yachts sail by until you’ve had your fill of the lounge’s genuine Southern cuisine.
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Rapid City
Vertex Sky Bar adopts the art deco style of the Hotel Alex Johnson, where it occupies the 10th and 11th floors. There are no views quite like it in Rapid City, and the steel deck is dotted with fire pits and equipped with standing binoculars that visitors can use to see all the way to the Black Hills, Dinosaur Hill, the southern buttes, and the eastern prairie.
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Memphis
Just getting to the Lookout at the Pyramid is interesting — it requires riding the world’s tallest free-standing elevator to the top of the Memphis Pyramid. The restaurant’s steampunk decor is complemented by a massive indoor aquarium and bordered by 360-degree views of Memphis below.
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Austin
Abel’s on the Lake keeps things interesting with a 60-tap selection including 17 locally brewed beers. While you sip, you can stare through a wall off windows out onto scenic Austin Lake. The massive double deck outside isn’t bad either.
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Salt Lake City
Located on the 10th floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, the Roof Restaurant gives diners stellar views of downtown Salt Lake City’s Temple Square backdropped by far-off rugged mountains. Not convinced? Check out the restaurant’s impressive virtual tour listed on its homepage before you make a reservation.
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Fairlee
The Lakeside Dining Room at Lake Morey Resort isn’t just lakeside. Choose the Lakeside Dining Room and you’ll enjoy lake views that can compete with any other in Vermont; at the country club, you can also dine overlooking the 10th tee of one of the state’s premier golf courses.
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Moneta
Nearly every seat in the Landing Restaurant has waterfront views of Smith Mountain Lake. Inside you’ll enjoy “modern French-American cuisine with a touch of Andean Nuevo influences” — but outside it’s 100% pristine Virginia wilderness.
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Seattle
Seattle has no shortage of restaurants with postcard views — but Ray’s Boathouse might top them all. Situated on the edge of the water, the wall of windows that perimeters the restaurant gives diners blazing panoramic views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.
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Lansing
The New River Gorge is one of the most awe-inspiring natural landscapes in the world — and Smokey’s Steakhouse is perched in the center of its rim. Big portions are served to diners who can’t fully concentrate on their food thanks to sprawling views of the endless Appalachian Mountains.
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Milwaukee
The Harbor House claims “Milwaukee’s best view” — and it’s got good reason to brag. Customers gobble up the restaurant’s trademark fresh seafood with the banks of Lake Michigan stretching to the horizon. But the real view faces inland toward the Milwaukee skyline.
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Wapiti
Founded as a stagecoach shop, the Trail Shop Inn & Restaurant is thick with Wyoming’s Western mystique. Whether you’re inside looking out through the restaurant’s massive windows at the surrounding Wapiti landscape or outside on the log deck, the surrounding mountains will be your dinner guests.
