Charlotte’s Best New Restaurants of 2018
Charlotte is a vibrant and fast-growing city that’s undoubtedly coming into its own. This includes our food scene. What are we known for? What makes Charlotte restaurants and chefs so different from other cities’? These are questions we’re still answering, but thanks to some new restaurants — as well as tried and true favorites that consistently bring their A-game — the Queen City is turning out some impressive, destination-worthy dining options.
The restaurants below offer a variety of cuisines at various price points, but all are helping Charlotte further establish itself as a formidable foodie city. First, you’ll see the most exciting new spots that opened in 2018. Keep scrolling and you’ll see our Best of the Best section, the stalwarts that helped build the restaurant scene and are working to keep it thriving.
The Stanley
Elizabeth
Reservations are a must at this intimate (small) and delicious restaurant
James Beard Award semifinalist chef Paul Verica left Charlotte wondering “what’s next,” after he abruptly shuttered his beloved restaurant, Heritage. He came back quickly with an answer — The Stanley. Verica opened the seasonally driven, locally sourced Stanley earlier this summer. The menu changes frequently, which means you’ll have the opportunity to try something new each time you visit. And that’s a very good thing.
Zinicola
Ballantyne
A trip to the suburbs for Italian food never tasted so good
Named in honor of executive chef Richard Cranmer’s mother and grandmother, Zinicola is like being invited into someone’s home for a family meal. Many of the recipes used in Zinicola are based on the family traditions and recipes passed down from chef Cranmer’s Italian grandmother. From the made-in-house pasta to the wood-fired pizza, Zinicola’s menu fuses Old World recipes with modern techniques and will surely be a hot spot heading into 2019.
Fin & Fino
Uptown
We’ll take an order of the lobster… and oysters
Fin & Fino opened along the Levine Avenue of the Arts in Uptown and makes for the perfect pre- or post-event destination. Grab a cocktail or glass of wine, but don’t sleep on the food. With fish and shellfish delivered daily, you can always count on your meal being as fresh as possible. With dishes like cobia, lobster with truffles, and a minimum of 12 types of oysters on the menu at all times, Fin & Fino is the perfect place for a lover of the sea.
La Belle Helene
Uptown
No passport required for this authentic French brasserie where they bring on the butter
The anticipation for La Belle Helene’s opening was off the charts. The good thing is it lived up to the hype. For your first dinner, order the roasted chicken served with rosemary and garlic Yukon gold potatoes. This dish is meant to show off the rotisserie, which was custom-made in France. In addition to amazing food, the space at La Belle Helene, named for a French opera, is breathtaking and even boasts a bathroom created for patrons to take a memorable bathroom selfie… which may be the only thing basic about this spot.
VIA THRILLIST
