The best restaurants in Charlotte, North Carolina – aka The Queen City – offer a variety of cuisines, atmospheres, and styles. Local and visiting diners can choose between soul food, seasonal ingredients, seafood, and more. Out of the picks below, small plate and tapas-styled restaurants seemed to be common.
All of the Charlotte restaurants featured below boast a 4.5 or higher average on Google Reviews (out of five stars). Those with superb 4.9-star averages are Caroline’s Oyster Bar, Dean’s Italian Steakhouse, and Aura Rooftop. Notably, the latter two are located in the JW Marriott Charlotte. Black-owned establishments included in the roundup are Bird Pizza, Fumée Kitchen & Cocktails, and Sol’Delish Restaurant.
Consider checking out the eateries below during a Charlotte staycation or your next visit.
Aura Rooftop
This rooftop restaurant has some of the best views – and Google Reviews – in the city. Aura Rooftop is inspired by the regality of Netflix’s Queen Charlotte. It provides “botanical-inspired” cocktails. During the Regal Vibes happy hour, visitors get $3 off all food. Arguably, one of the biggest draws is the year-round heated pool. This Instagram-worthy spot would be cute for birthdays, dinner with the girls, or a charming mom-daughter lunch.