At this sophisticated British café located in the Lake Falls Village shopping center, light, spongy crumpets; softball-sized cheddar biscuits; and gluten-free Nutella financiers emerge from the ovens each day. Breakfast draws a crowd with favorites like the “Fat Egg Sammy,” a griddled and buttered crumpet with a fried egg topped with either TCP bacon or ham. Fridays put fish and chips, another of chef Neill Howell’s homages to his English roots, on the menu.

New Orleans meets Baltimore at Ethel’s Creole Kitchen, where chefs Ed Bloom and Nick Creamer capture the essence of Crescent City flavors in their two-story restaurant. Under the tutelage of the late Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme, Bloom picked up a love for Creole and Cajun cuisine. He and Creamer use Maryland staples to put a local spin on New Orleans classics like jambalaya, gumbo, and fried Chesapeake oysters served with remoulade. To really get into the spirit, order a sazerac, the official cocktail of New Orleans.

There are a few great sushi spots in town, but if you ask most locals, they’ll tell you to head to Chiyo in Mt. Washington. In the heart of the merchant’s village, Chiyo has all the standard nigiri and sashimi you might expect, but we especially appreciate specialty selections like the Orioles roll with white tuna, avocado, and tobiko; udon noodle bowls; and banana tempura ice cream. Eat in at the bar or intimate dining room or order takeout and delivery on the major apps.

It makes sense that husband-and-wife duo Paul and Samantha Mincarelli fell for Abruzzo, Italy, with its sparkling Adriatic coastline and lush Apennine mountain view. Their love letter to the region is Cafe Campli — a sun-filled restaurant on the ground floor of Lauraville’s mixed-used SoHa Union. Just east of Rome, Abruzzo is known for ingredients like white anchovy, oxtail ragu, and spaghetti alla chitarra. Those signature techniques and flavors are all on display, as well as a thoughtful bar program of minerally white wines from Pecorino, herbaceous cocktails featuring Italian amari, and refreshing N/A spritzes. Start with homemade rosemary focaccia, continue with a seasonal pasta (this summer, splurp linguine and baby clams in white wine sauce and capers), order a Sunday Gravy for the table, and finish off with a warm bomboloni, a fluffy fried Italian doughnut oozing hazelnut-chocolate cream.

This Lauraville neighborhood restaurant is committed to supporting local farms. Piloted by Chef Andrew Weinzirl, Maggie’s Farm is a local destination for comfort food and Maryland staples. Enjoy the burger, Maryland crab cake, and fried green tomatoes inside or on the patio.

You might think you’re walking into someone’s apartment building (well, you are), but continue until you find the stately Ambassador Dining Room, which has been serving Indian fare for more than 25 years. The Singh family (owners of stellar spots Peerce’s and Ananda outside the city) sold the business to former employee Gopal Bishwakarma at the end of 2019, but what remains the same is the Ambassador’s beautiful patio, affordable lunch buffet, and weekend brunch options like braised lamb in shahi korma or chicken madras, a South Indian-style curry dish.

An unassuming haven on Falls Road just a few blocks from “The Avenue,” (Hampden’s offbeat dining and shopping destination), Good Neighbor’s enchanting storefront and tranquil outdoor garden sells lovely, functional ceramics; sleek, modern furniture; and books so pretty they should be judged by their covers. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg: Chef Durian Neal has created a menu of chaat dinner plates and playful breakfast toasts that are as thoughtfully considered as everything else at Good Neighbor.

While steamed crabs and crab cakes get a lot of credit for being signature dishes (more on that below), oysters are just as important to the backbone of Baltimore cuisine. And hardly no one knows that any more than Dylan Salmon, who started his business as a pop-up in a Mt. Vernon basement and then opened his own brick-and-mortar corner restaurant in Hampden. Inside, shuckers are constantly unhinging a rotating variety of fresh, raw oysters at the raw bar, while specials of the day are scrawled on a chalkboard wall. Look out for whole fish dishes and don’t leave without trying the green chile cheeseburger and traditional coddies (best appreciated on a Saltine with yellow mustard).

Located in Baltimore’s historic Meadow Mill, La Cuchara brings vibrance to a space that was formerly home to the London Fog raincoat company. The center dining room and ample bar offer views into the kitchen, where chef Ben Lefenfeld prepares Basque dishes like pan con tomate, strip steak with guajillo chile butter, and chilled seafood. The seasonal menu changes daily.

Black Sauce Kitchen is known for its biscuits, but the partly mobile kitchen (found at farmers markets and at its 29th Street storefront) dishes items like braised lamb, crispy eggplant, or oxtail offered on buoyant breads. The market menu can vary from the storefront, so check before going.

Plants in clay pots, twinkling string lights, and simple white walls transport diners at this concrete, Sinaloa-style taqueria in Old Goucher as plates of bubbling queso and silver trays of tacos, ceviches, and more from fly out of the kitchen. Smoky mezcal stars at the James Beard-nominated bar and the chefs grind their own corn for masa in a newly added nixtamalería. 

Chef and owner Chris Amendola built this Station North restaurant around his passion for foraging and finding seasonal ingredients in the woods — and all that hard work was recently recognized by the James Beard Foundation. His hit dish is a mushroom stew with homemade ricotta, poached egg, fines herbes, and pine nuts. Meanwhile, lion’s mane mushrooms turn up in a vegan Maryland “crab” cake served with remoulade. One part of the menu is devoted to pig snout, chin, socket, tongue, and ears.

This transportive dining room at this Venezuelan Station North oasis features a diverse tangle of healthy, green plants, playful wall murals of a fish and a rooster, and a playlist of Latin music in the background. Alma was where top chef Enrique Limardo got his start before heading to D.C. to open Seven Reasons. Now, rising Venezuelan chef David Zamudio meticulously plates Latin gyoza, Caribbean scallops, stuffed arepas, and a stunning burrata salad bursting with South American ingredients. Most of their menu is gluten free, with lots of vegan and vegetarian options. Most recently, Alma owner Irena Stein came out with an arepa cookbook.

After shutting down during the pandemic, the restaurant inside the luxe Ivy Hotel reopened in April with a new “Maryland bistro” menu full of dishes like summer vegetable bucatini and a filet of halibut with creamed corn, chanterelles, and sungold tomatoes. Exceptional desserts from pastry chef Cassidy Lueck include an almond cake served with a scoop of goat milk ice cream; and a strawberry chocolate tart with miso caramel, peanut butter mousse, and candied peanuts. There’s also an extensive selection of whiskeys and cocktails.

This venerable Afghani restaurant has delighted Mount Vernon residents for over 30 years with kaddo borwani, baked baby pumpkin dolloped with yogurt, and mantwo, a pastry stuffed with beef and onions. If choosing one dish seems overwhelming, go with a group of five or more and ask for “family style” service, and the staff will drop off a variety of large portions to share. The restaurant offers takeout, limited delivery, and indoor dining. There’s also a smattering of sidewalk tables along Charles Street.

Tucked between a plethora of dining stall options at Mount Vernon Marketplace, the Turkish fish sandwich stop embraces Baltimore’s love for seafood, with grilled or fried selections on bread, or over rice or salad. The “Real MVP,” a nod to diehard regulars known by name, piles cornmeal-fried hake, melted cheddar, lettuce, tomato, lemon-dill mayo and hot sauce on a brioche bun. Sides include mac ‘n’ cheese or French fries. Online ordering or dining in the market are both options. The College Park original closed in 2019, and this is the only one left.

Though the iconic Lexington Market just wrapped up a $45 million remodel, a stall that didn’t go anywhere was Faidley’s Seafood. The ever-popular seafood stall is still serving fist-sized crab cakes handmade by Nancy Faidley Divine herself, the local “delicacy” (lake trout), soft-shell crabs, clams, and, of course, oysters. (If you’re missing a taste of Baltimore, you can also get the crab cakes shipped). 

At this feel-good, family-run Mexican cafe pulsing with lively, Latin music, queso birria tacos, tortas, breakfast burritos, and huevos rancheros all come out of the kitchen. A pink-hued dining room and a heartfelt hospitality add to an atmosphere that feels like a party.

The owners behind Johnny Rad’s have developed a bit of a mini empire with the addition of sausage bar Snake Hill in Highlandtown and disco dive The Royal Blue in Station North. But it all started in Upper Fells Point with this skate-punk pizza pub. Rotating weekly specials, tons of vegan options, and a local drink list set this place apart. But, of course, there’s the pizza — Neapolitan style crust with a variety of toppings like the charred pepp cups on the Pepe Martinez, mushrooms and spinach on the Trainwreck, and jalapeño and pineapple on the Hisoi. Be sure to fit in a round of pinball or Skee-Ball in the back.

The quaint and quirky Peter’s Inn has had many lives. More than 30 years ago, it was a rowdy biker bar, but Bud and Karin Tiffany have turned it into one of the city’s go-to dining destinations. People flock to the row home restaurant for martini service, incredible garlic bread, an irresistible one-bite scallop dish, signature steak entrees, and a famed chocolate pot du creme. In 2017, a fire closed the restaurant for a little while, but in typical Peter’s fashion, it didn’t keep them down for long. The restaurant is back with a new shiny tin ceiling and the same stellar dishes coming out of the kitchen.

The Harbor East restaurant unites art and style, from the oversized bird’s nest to the Kendrick Lamar quotes plastered on the wall. BLK Swan pays homage to Baltimore staples, including the chicken box and fried lake trout (available for brunch). On weekend nights, DJs spin all kinds of music genres like R&B, EDM, and pop.

The Thai stall in Fell’s Point’s historic Broadway Market has quickly become a neighborhood staple. Recipes passed down through generations use traditional techniques with a street vendor twist as the kitchen puts out regional specialties like khao soi, red or green curry, pad see ew, and a signature pineapple fried rice. Dishes can come very spicy, so keep that in mind when selecting a spice level. 

Peter Chang’s NiHao had a whirlwind debut, opening in the dark days of the pandemic, and quickly gaining national attention for its top-notch Sichuan cooking from the James Beard Foundation. Lydia Chang and JBA-nominated pastry pro Pichet Ong own and operate this 120-seat Canton restaurant where they serve a Chinese menu incorporating vegetarian hits like eggplant and garlic sauce and mapo tofu alongside green peppercorn flounder, dim sum options, and half or whole Peking duck from executive chef Antoni Szachowicz.

To find Thames Street Oyster House, head towards the water and cobblestoned streets of Fells Point. Inside is a raw bar with plenty of local oysters to choose from and a great take on Baltimore’s favorite drink, the orange crush. But the vibe tends to veer more towards New England, with dishes like Block Island scallops or the lobster roll on a warm, buttered bun. Generally expect to wait a while for a table (ask about seats on the back patio), but you can walk around a beautiful neighborhood while you bide your time.

Ashish Alfred’s showcases his precise culinary technique in dishes like a crowd-pleasing croque madame, succulent duck confit, and a burger blanketed by rich foie gras, blueberry jam, and gruyere cheese at his beloved Fells Point French brasserie. Oysters on tiered plates arrive in a chic space lined with burgundy booths and white tiled floor. Duck Duck Goose also has locations in D.C. and Bethesda.

Expansive harbor views surround the opulent dining room at this upscale fish house on the ground floor of the Canopy by Hilton hotel in the new Harbor Point waterfront neighborhood. Its James Beard Award multi-nominated chef, Cindy Wolf, serves hits from the South like a fried green tomato stack and a lobster po’boy on a sweet potato roll. Meanwhile, Wolf’s nearby Lowcountry stalwart Charleston is still a splurge-worthy destination for rich lobster bisque and tasting menus starting at $89.

Planted in the post-college town of Federal Hill beyond the limits of the lively bar scene, Sobo recently celebrated 10 years in its row home restaurant space. Embodying the city’s charming hospitality, owners Ana and Linda Leventis treat everyone like family as the cafe hums with locals and new graduates flocking there to impress visiting parents. The Sobo burger with fingerling potatoes and salad is a winning trifecta, and there are plenty of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes. A newly designed parklet space is prime for happy hour.

This South Baltimore haven from siblings Josh and Stephanie Hershkovitz claimed its place as the city’s top pizza destination when it opened over 10 years ago. The classic wood-fired Neapolitan margherita is a quintessential masterpiece, with rich red sauce and melted mozzarella on a chewy, stretchy, lightly spotted dough. Crispy cauliflower, burrata, meatballs, and other pizza and pasta are particularly wonderful when enjoyed near the near the wood-fired oven or out on the patio.