20 FAVORITE RESTAURANTS iN SCOTTSDALE, AZ

Old Town Scottsdale...

One thing I learned from the Phoenix area: Old Town Scottsdale is the place to be. It is full of life, lights, shops, art, TONS of restaurants, and year-round blue skies. On the down side, with Old Town Scottsdale’s luxurious restaurants, golfing and shopping, it can get quite expensive.

Which is why I believe…

Happy Hour is the Best Hour

For my fiancé’s birthday, I planned a fun filled day of eating, drinking and happy hour hopping in Old Town Scottsdale. It was already busy by 3PM on a Wednesday, so make reservations ahead of time! Old Town Scottsdale is also pretty big so make sure your happy hour spots are walking distance from each other (or simply follow my list below)!

Favorite Happy Hour Spots
in Scottsdale Arizona

1. Kyoto Scottsdale at the Waterfront

A casual Japanese eatery with delicious, inexpensive happy hour specials. We arrived right at 3PM for their 3-6PM happy hour and were sat right away. Make sure to get the Tootsi Sushi Roll & the Cucumber De Cana drink (YUM).

2. Bourbon & Bones

The favorite! Reservations were full so we arrived right at 4PM when they opened, to get a seat at the bar. This restaurant is expensive so if you’re frugal like me, happy hour is the way to go. $16 WAGYU steak hot rock, $7 decent wine, $10 Makers Old Fashioned. Need I say more? Oh & if you’re a bourbon guy, my fiancé would recommend Stagg Jr. Not on the happy hour menu but he was blown away by it.

3. Second Story Liquor Bar

The next spot is right next door! Get a 5PM reservation for outside so you can watch the sunset (or later depending on the time of year your there). We loved the vibe and view here but even more, the customer service. I told the waiter that it was my fiancé’s birthday so he offered him a glass of Blanton’s bourbon instead of dessert. Nothing like feeling like royalty at happy hour.

Happy hour is normally over by 6PM but these are also on my top 20 favorites:

5. Olive & Ivy 5. Dierks Whiskey Row 6. Beverly on Main 7. Zuzu 8. Hulas Tiki.

Tip: Download the free app OpenTable before your trip. It is the easiest way possible to make reservations in Old Town Scottsdale!

Brunch Spots

Scottsdale has endless delicious brunch spots but here are my favorites!

9. Prep and Pastry

Healthy options, fresh & tasty. Try the Breakfast Poutine!

10. Francine

High-toned French spot. On the pricier side but worth it. The Croque Madame is to die for.
(pictured behind)

11. Cartel Coffee Lab

THE BEST COFFEE! We stopped in every day for it. Yum.

12. Butters Pancakes

Known as Arizona’s best lunch & cafe (& I’m not disagreeing).

13. Farm & Craft

Delicious health food with an awesome outdoor vibe.

Tip: Old Town Scottsdale has free parking right across the street from Prep and Pastry

Dinner Time

14. Culinary Drop Out lOVED it here. From the service, to the live music, to the food. Get a reservation because it is poppin. (Pictured to the right). visit Culinary Drop Out

15. Sicilian Butcher
Located in Phoenix. Ambiance & appetizers were our favorites. We got both the charcuterie board & the saganaki before our main meal. visit The Sicilian Butcher

16. Rita's Cantina & Bar Part of the Marriott. Beautiful grounds, at the base of a mountain & delicious food. visit Rita's Cantina & Bar

17. I could go on forever but these are others that you must try: visit FnB 18. The Mission

TIP: DOWNLOAD THE BIRD APP AHEAD OF TIME SO YOU CAN SCOOTER AROUND while trying my top favorite scottsdale & phoenix restaurants

Bars & Activites

19. Coach House Tavern

Came here after a day of drinking & the food & ambiance hit the spot! My new favorite dive bar. visit Coach House

20. Handlebar J

If you’re looking for a fun country bar. Tip: Don’t drink & drive- Get an Uber, Lyft or check if your hotel has a free shuttle service

While in Town:

Go for a sunset
hot air balloon ride
for the most amazing views!

Drive to Sedona for a night (2 hours from Scottsdale)!

Last but not least - Go for a hike!

Stay Tuned: Next blogs will cover hiking in Phoenix & Sedona!

Lastly, the logistics

Before hitting my top 20 favorite restaurants in Scottsdale, you need to get there!

We flew into Phoenix with American Airlines & picked up our car rental through Thrifty. We stayed at Embassy Suites by Hilton Scottsdale Resort. I chose this resort because it is a 15 minute walk to Old Town Scottsdale. It isn’t luxurious by any means but there’s a pool, hot tub, shuttle, complimentary happy hour & yummy breakfast. It got the job done!

Tip: I booked our flights, hotel & car through Travelocity to get the best deal (saved me hundreds). Everything went as smooth as could be.

Check out: Top 6 Hiking Trails in Phoenix