Diners' Choice: Best Overall restaurants in Raleigh

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for the best overall restaurants in Raleigh? 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 favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Herons

4.9

4.9 (3081)

$50 and over

American

Cary

About the restaurant

Herons, the signature restaurant at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, North Carolina, offers an exceptional fine dining experience for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Located close to Raleigh, North Carolina, Herons is known for its locally inspired, seasonal menus and stunning garden views, Herons showcases a full-view kitchen and an elegant, art-filled dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows. Every detail—from the fresh, regionally sourced ingredients to the curated wine list—reflects a commitment to artistry and culinary excellence.

Top review

Joan

Dined 4 days ago

Servers work as a team really well. Excellent food, customer service and ambiance.

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Oxford Oaks Distillery

4.8

4.8 (239)

$31 to $50

American

Oxford

About the restaurant

A Unique Dining and Libations Destination in the heart of downtown Oxford, N.C.

Oxford Oaks features a micro distillery, specialty cocktail bar and upscale restaurant where the community can gather and enjoy fine spirits, elevated cocktails and delicious cuisine.

Top review

Sherry

Dined 1 day ago

The food was amazing! It was expensive so save your money up to go. lol. It is well worth it. The service was top notch. Our waitress could have came a little more often, but she was great.

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Experience

Chef's Four Course Dinner and Wine Pairing

Anthony's La Piazza Prime - Downtown Raleigh

4.9

4.9 (17)

$30 and under

Italian

Raleigh

About the restaurant

Anthony's La Piazza is a family-owned and operated Italian restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina. The restaurant brand has been serving the community for over 20 years. Anthony's La Piazza is known for its delicious food, friendly service, and warm atmosphere. The restaurant offers a wide variety of Italian dishes, including pasta, pizza, seafood, and steaks. Anthony's La Piazza also has a full bar and a wine list. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Anthony's also has an elegant lounge open late nights Thursday through Saturday. We are located on the first floor of the AC Hotel Raleigh Downtown in the Glenwood South district.

Top review

Kim

Dined 7 days ago

...My party, and I really enjoyed our food and drinks. Everything was amazing. I gave them a 3 on the service because I was seated after a group that came in after me. Their reservation was 745, mine 730. They immediately were served water, bread, and drinks. After I finally was seated. I had to ask for water. Only my glass was filled, although it was 3 others in my group. I had to ask for bread. One of the drinks that we ordered was incorrect and never rectified. I ordered the ribeye, med rare, the first time it came out, it was almost well done. Then, my second ribeye was almost rare. Again, the food was amazing, but the service I saw others receive and what I experienced left me feeling some type of way. I would still recommend this place because the food was truly delicious. One of my very guests is a picky eater, and she didn't complain about her food or drink. Only that she asked for no capers on her order, and it was brought to the table with capers.

Bazil Indian Cuisine

4.8

4.8 (191)

$30 and under

Indian

Raleigh

About the restaurant

Welcome to Bazil Indian Cuisine, a truly unique dining experience in Raleigh, NC. Our restaurant is not just a place to enjoy delicious food; it’s an enchanting story waiting to be savored. At Bazil Indian Cuisine, we pride ourselves on pushing culinary boundaries and introducing new flavors to the vibrant Indian food community in Raleigh. Led by a passionate mother, our restaurant offers an extensive wine list that perfectly complements our fusion menu. Prepare to be captivated by our assortment of dishes, including delicacies like sea bass, lobster, and octopus offerings that you won’t find in other Indian restaurants. We believe in creating an unforgettable experience for our guests, where every bite is an adventure of flavors and textures.As a mother-owned establishment, we strive to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere where families and friends can come together to celebrate life’s moments.

Top review

Debbie

Dined on Dec 11, 2024

The food continues to be excellent! There was an issue with the wine service. We each ordered wine flights as it was Wine Flight Wednesday. The server brought out the wines, set them on the table in a cluster and we had to figure out on our own which wines belonged to whom, and what the wines were. Wine Flight Wednesday is a good idea, however poorly executed.

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Gonza Tacos y Tequila - North Raleigh

4.9

4.9 (1431)

$30 and under

Mexican

Raleigh

About the restaurant

Come experience Raleigh's Colombo-Mexican Tacos y Tequila Joint!

Hand Crafted Latin Cocktails
Extensive List of Tequilas & Regional Spirits
Carefully Selected List of Latin Wines & Latin Beers

Voted Best Latin Restaurant in the Triangle by Wake County Living Magazine!

Won the Indy Award for Best Mexican / Latin American in the Triangle!

Top review

KimberlyVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Amazing food and the service was fantastic! Love love love this place! The music was very loud though

On The Square

4.9

4.9 (1294)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Tarboro

About the restaurant

Due to limited seating, we are only accepting in-house reservations. Please call the restaurant directly for a reservation.

Located in Historic Downtown Tarboro, one of the oldest towns in North Carolina, On the Square Restaurant offers seasonal, sustainable ingredients that are celebrated throughout the ever-changing menu. Open for dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and for lunch on Monday through Friday, we are as proud of our food and comfortable atmosphere as we are of our eclectic and value-driven wine list.

Top review

SueVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Kate, our server, was awesome! She managed our table of 6 and another table of 6 and other orders with grace and efficiency. The bar was pretty "backed up" so took drinks along time to come out. But all orders were correct, food was delicious, and we enjoyed our time

Amalia's Authentic Italian Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (808)

$50 and over

Italian

Wake Forest

About the restaurant

Amalia Fumelli is the inspiration behind Amalia’s Authentic Italian Restaurant. She was born in Italy in 1932, and grew up on a farm. As she grew up, she took an interest in cooking and learned everything about the Italian kitchen from her mother and grandmother. For countless hours each day, Amalia began making hand-made pasta with her rolling pin on an old, wooden table. After many years, she had mastered her pasta creations through her skilled handiwork, precise cutting skills, and the amount of love she put into her work.

Over time, Amalia has passed all of her secrets and knowledge about food along to her children and grandchildren. One grandchild in particular, Filippo Fanfani, gained a passion for the art of cooking through her guidance. As a child, he spent all his days at his grandmother’s house preparing meals for his family. The two have a strong bond, that began with their conjoining love of creating meals that are enjoyable for everyone.

Top review

Brian

Dined 1 day ago

Second time dining here and the food and service is top tier!

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Popular dish

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese

Northside Bistro & Cocktails

4.9

4.9 (1172)

$31 to $50

Bistro

Raleigh

About the restaurant

Welcome to Northside
An upscale neighborhood bistro, with a refined New American style. Whether you're a first-timer or one of our regulars, you'll love the unmatched ambiance and our innovative cocktails that fuels a bustling dining and bar scene.

Top review

Shelia

Dined 7 days ago

Nice atmosphere. Great service Blackened Salmon Caprese was delicious.

Osha Thai Kitchen & Sushi

4.8

4.8 (909)

$30 and under

Thai

Holly Springs

About the restaurant

Osha Thai Kitchen & Sushi, named after the Thai word “osha” meaning, tasty or good, is more than just providing you, the guest, with good food. We are striving each day to deliver an atmosphere that is not only welcoming, but one that you will be happy to share with your friends and family. A consistent experience of authentic Thai food and sushi that will wake your taste buds up and have you asking for more.

For Take Out ordering online, please visit oshathaikitchennc.com

Please note that if you party does not arrive within 15 minutes of your reservation time, we may need to release your table and place your back on the waitlist (if exists) or offer the table to other customers. We will provide you with the current wait time so that you can make an informed decision. If you think you may be running late, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.

We may contact you about this reservation so please ensure your email and phone number are correct when setting.

Top review

Alan

Dined 1 day ago

We had a great lunch there today. Between the four of us, we had a curry, a stir fry, a thai noodle dish, and the rainbow sushi lunch special with a rainbow roll and nigiri Everything was fresh and tasty. The service was good. Would recommend and will return.

Mezcalito Clayton

4.9

4.9 (18)

$30 and under

Mexican

Clayton

About the restaurant

WELCOME TO MEZCALITO

At Mezcalito We're a family, united by our love for great food, vibrant music, and exceptional service.

Thriving to ensure we are the family oriented joint you are happy to dine at.

MEZCALITO was born in early 2015, when founders saw the need for a restaurant for all. Something that would meet in the middle where we could serve food and drinks for all pallets and socio-economic groups, because all deserve to have a unique experience they cannot have elsewhere- nice music, beautiful scenery, good food, and great drinks. This was then when owners overcame their own personal fears of pursuing their real dream of having something of their own after working for decades elsewhere. Always with the purpose to proudly serve flavorful and colorful meals that better describe the origins of Mexican cuisine; bringing new flare and fresh ideas by incorporating trendy and traditional authentic elements.

Top review

Seidy

Dined on Nov 8, 2024

This place is amazing; you should definitely give it a try!

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