Diners' Choice: Hot spot restaurants in Baltimore

OpenTable

Updated July 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that are the best hot spots in Baltimore? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Barcocina - Baltimore

4.8

4.8 (908)

$30 and under

Contemporary Mexican

Fells Point

About the restaurant

Barcocina features Mexican inspired cuisine with fresh ingredients and original twists meant to share among friends. Barcocina's cocktail list emphasizes fresh squeezed juices for next level freshness and taste. With amazing open air spaces and uninhibited views of the harbor, Barcocina is the premier place to eat, drink and socialize. The glass and aluminum garage door walls open to a panoramic view of the harbor. Each seat, indoor and outdoor, makes the harbor view a part of the Barcocina experience. Open for Brunch, Lunch, and Dinner daily, as well as late night with live DJs on Friday & Saturday nights makes Barcocina the go to place for all your dining and entertainment needs.

Top review

Reni

Dined on Jun 26, 2025

Love to come to this restaurant! The tacos are absolutely amazing, the pricing is great and the service is phenomenal.

Azumi

4.7

4.7 (2112)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Harbor East

About the restaurant

Opened in 2014 to a 4.5 Star review from the Baltimore Sun, Azumi is located on Baltimore's Inner Harbor in the elegant Four Seasons Hotel. With picturesque panoramic waterfront views, Azumi offers authentic Japanese cuisine with a strong focus on sushi matched with an amazing "hot kitchen." Azumi's Sake and Japanese Whiskey program is one of the largest in the region. Named the city's best Japanese restaurant by Baltimore Magazine, Azumi is also one of the hottest spots for nightlife in the city featuring a live DJ on weekends. Enjoy outdoor dining on our expansive patio. Outside seating can be requested but not guaranteed.

Azumi’s highly-skilled teppanyaki / hibachi chefs are on display in our FLAME ROOM as they cook the highest-quality meats, seafood, vegetables & rice on a solid-surface iron griddle right before your eyes in this intimate & interactive dining experience.

Please call the restaurant to book parties of 8 and larger or for additional reservation assistance.

Top review

Kimberly

Dined 4 days ago

Beautiful restaurant with amazing views of the Inner Harbor. Prices are kind of high in comparison to the portion sizes. Family friendly.

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Experience

Chef Miguel's Monthly Omakase

Experience

Chef Miguel's Monthly Omakase

Experience

Chef Miguel's Monthly Omakase

Tagliata Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (2943)

$31 to $50

Italian

Harbor East

About the restaurant

Tagliata, an Italian chophouse, boasts an impressive menu featuring hand cut steaks, fresh rolled pastas, house made charcuterie & bounty of fresh seafood. Tagliata offers the largest wine list in Baltimore with bottles from around the world & a focus on Italian wines. We host live music in the piano lounge. Open windows overlook our majestic courtyard, which is illuminated with strung lights & features an seasonal outdoor bar.

The suggested dress is business casual. We kindly ask our guests to abide by these suggestions to create an enjoyable environment for all guests.
The following items are prohibited however:
• Gentlemen’s tank tops or sleeveless shirts
• Hats are not permitted indoors for gentlemen
• No exposed undergarments
• Clothing with language or graphics that are vulgar or sexually explicit
• Footwear is required, however there is no restriction on the style
*Children accompanied by an adult are not subject to the Dress Policy*

Top review

selden

Dined 1 day ago

Great food and great service. A little on the expensive side but overall a great experience. Was pretty loud for a while to the point o could barely hear my 15 year old son sitting across from me . Other than that it was great .

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4.6

4.6 (1213)

$30 and under

Latin American

Inner Harbor

About the restaurant

Experience the incredible range and romance of Latin American culture at Maximón,
Stop by for food and drink menus inspired by South American and Mexican cuisines, perfectly complemented by stunning stone architecture, wood and marble furniture, and lush greenery throughout the space.

Stay awhile—listen to live music acts from all across the nation, or blend your own bottle in our tequila tasting room. Even better, spend a gorgeous day at our Spanish-style courtyard, featuring fountains, an outdoor bar, and Inner Harbor views.

Named for a protective Mayan deity, Maximón brings exciting Latin flavor and flair to beautiful Harbor East. Come eat, drink, and enjoy.

Top review

amanda

Dined 2 days ago

The service was impeccable throughout. Good atmosphere for my teenager daughter’s bday.

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Agave Tasting Experience

Rec Pier Chop House

4.5

4.5 (1133)

$31 to $50

Italian

Fells Point

About the restaurant

At Rec Pier Chop House, Chef Andrew Carmellini brings his soulful, urban Italian cooking to an American landmark by specializing in prime steaks and chops. The menu features locally-sourced ingredients, sustainable seafood, farm-raised organic poultry, and some of the country’s best beef from James River, Virginia and Donnely Ranch, Nebraska along with the irresistible pastas that Carmellini is best known for. This Italian chophouse combines the flavor and feeling of a countryside rosticceria with a modern-day steakhouse experience in Baltimore’s Fell’s Point.

Top review

vanessa

Dined on Jun 1, 2025

I celebrated my birthday dinner here, and I was extremely happy thats i chose this restaurant. We were seated at a window table which provided such a pretty view, our waiter was extremely attentive and gracious in creating a great dining experience. He provided us with a wide range of recommendations from the menu and was attentive and patient. The food was phenomenal! I had the linguine fini and the 8 oz steak, both dishes were seasoned to perfection. To end the night oir waitor brought out a birthday dessert to share which really commemorated the occasion. My only critique is the food portion were a bit small but otherwise I will definitely be back to try other dishes on their menu!!

Monarque

4.5

4.5 (1283)

$50 and over

French

Harbor East

About the restaurant

Atlas Restaurant Group presents Monarque, a French brasserie located in Baltimore’s Harbor East. Monarque is inspired by the French era of prosperity when culture boomed and extravagance flourished. The cuisine is complemented by a beverage program with over 500 French wine labels and an extensive collection of Cognac and Armagnac.

Transporting guests to another time and place while being rooted in the present, Monarque hosts a rotation of acts every weekend, with Baltimore's best jazz musicians, cabaret vocalists, burlesque dancers, and more.

Monarque welcomes guests of all ages Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the experience is suited for guests 18 years of age and older, and only adults are permitted to dine.

When making your weekend reservations, note that parties of 1-5 guests will have two hours to enjoy our cuisine and entertainment, parties of 5-8 will dine for two hours and 30 minutes, and parties of 9 and more can enjoy seating for three hours.

Top review

Kevin

Dined on Jun 27, 2025

Amazing, Stripped Bass was delicious. Server was extremely attentive

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Experience

The Monarque Entertainment Experience for Two

James Joyce Irish Pub and Restaurant

4.5

4.5 (149)

$30 and under

Irish

Harbor East

About the restaurant

Experience an authentic Irish pub experience in Baltimore with our cozy and inviting atmosphere that has welcomed locals and tourists alike for over 18 years. With its decor and furnishings imported directly from Ireland, James Joyce will transport you across thousands of miles of ocean to The Emerald Isle.

With a menu featuring traditional Irish fare and a large selection of draft beers, James Joyce will complete the true Irish pub experience by hosting live music 7 nights a week.

Top review

Wen-WenVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Perfect location within walking distance of our hotel. Great service and ambience.

Blk Swan

4.4

4.4 (2381)

$31 to $50

American

Harbor East

About the restaurant

A restaurant concept curated by our Award-winning Executive Chef, Saon Brice, Blk Swan offers a uniquely crafted, "New American" menu, which features exciting, tasty, and comfortable food options presented in a creative culinary approach.

**Parties 8+ please contact us at events@eatatblkswan.com or 443-326-2783 for more reservation information. Thank You!

Top review

Ernest

Dined on Jun 27, 2025

Food was excellent. If you are looking for a great time out this is your place. However it is a little pricey so be ready. Overall I had a fantastic time! Will go again!

Fogo de Chao - Baltimore

4.1

4.1 (4628)

$30 and under

Brazilian

Inner Harbor

About the restaurant

Fogo de Chão is an internationally-renowned steakhouse from Brazil that allows guests to discover what's next at every turn. Founded in Southern Brazil in 1979, Fogo elevates the centuries-old culinary art of churrasco - roasting high-quality cuts of meat over an open flame - into a cultural dining experience of discovery. Please join us in our dining room, in our more casual Bar Fogo, or bring the Fogo Experience to you with Fogo To-Go or Catering. Visit our website to make a reservation or place an order.

Top review

Bateya

Dined on Jun 15, 2025

I made a last minute reservation for Father's Day and it was well worth it. So many choices to choose from and the atmosphere was amazing. Everything we had was great and we will not hesitate to return to this location again.

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Experience

All-Day Happy Hour

Experience

Surf & Turf Cocktail Party

The Choptank - Baltimore

4.1

4.1 (781)

$30 and under

Seafood

Fells Point

About the restaurant

Atlas Restaurant Group celebrates historic Fells Point with The Choptank, a new fish and crab house located in the Broadway Market’s south shed. The Choptank honors the market’s 200-plus-year legacy with authentic local seafood and an energy and hustle true to the area.

Atlas Restaurant Group promotes a dining atmosphere and the suggested dress is business casual. We kindly ask our guests to abide by these suggestions to create an enjoyable environment for all guests.

The following items are prohibited however:

• Gentlemen’s tank tops or sleeveless shirts
• Hats are not permitted indoors for gentlemen
• No exposed undergarments
• Clothing with language or graphics that are vulgar or sexually explicit
• Footwear is required, however there is no restriction on the style
*Children accompanied by an adult are not subject to the Dress Policy*

Top review

Jenifer

Dined 2 days ago

We arrived earlier than planned for our reservation and were given a great table in a booth by the windows so we could people watch the foot traffic outside. Service was a good balance of attentive, friendly without being intrusive. Our server Xavier did a great job explaining the details of the drinks and food. We’ll be back!

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