Sedona’s fine dining scene has greatly matured over the last few decades. While the OG chefs like Lisa Dahl and Jeff Smedstad are still very much a part of the dining scene, there’s been an influx of noteworthy restaurants that have raised the culinary bar. The gastronomic choice of restaurants in Sedona AZ is impressive for a town of 10,000 residents. You’ll find James Beard Award nominees, an abundance of locally-grown bounty from the Verde Valley, and award-winning Arizona wines. The best restaurants in Sedona offer a variety of cuisines and cooking styles. Here are six of the must-visit foodie destinations for your next visit to Red Rock Country.

Forty1 Restaurant

This jewel of a restaurant, tucked into the luxurious sanctuary of Ambiente, a Landscape Hotel, features seasonal menus inspired by the organic bounty from the surrounding Verde Valley. Dinner at Forty1 is an intimate experience designed to elevate your culinary senses with vibrant flavors and visually intriguing compositions. Executive Chef Kyle Rhodes has a dynamic style, blending southwestern ingredients with global flavors and French techniques.

Picture the refreshing Ambiente Salad, plated with mezcal marinade citrus, cactus gel, charred pickled asparagus, whipped cotija and ricotta mousse, and drizzled with a smoked chili and honey vinaigrette. Other starters include Red Rock seafood chowder with lump crab, corn, chayote, and Anaheim peppers; or Hamachi Crudo with passionfruit aguachile. The Copper State filet mignon with chorizo and bearnaise sauce is a perennial favorite entrée, and there’s also pan-roasted chicken with leek velouté and oyster mushroom risotto to consider, as well as vegetarian options. 

Dine in the chic little restaurant or outdoors by the poolside firepits, with live music to enhance the ambiance. Plan to spend the night in one of Ambiente’s luxuriously appointed guest atriums and extend your dinner with a nightcap under the stars. Sip a 20-year Tawny Port, or a Louis XIII Cognac and toast to your fine dining evening in Sedona. Forty1 is also open to non-guests for lunch and dinner by reservation.

Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill

Perched atop a bluff next door to Ambiente is Mariposa, which translates to “butterfly”. This is the flagship fine dining restaurant of Executive Chef/Owner Lisa Dahl. Mariposa specializes in South American cuisine with a focus on Argentinian, Chilean and Uruguayan flavors. Think handmade empanadas with chimichurri, Ecuadorian-style gulf shrimp ceviche, and wood-grilled steaks paired with bold sauces and savory sides like lemon mashed potatoes with lobster scampi. For dessert, try the maple coconut flan or prickly pear cheesecake. The wine list is extensive, including South American, domestic, and Arizona wines, plus a variety of sipping tequilas and mezcals. Arrive before sunset to fully appreciate the red rock views framed by 23-foot-tall windows in the dining room.  

Elote Café

Since opening Elote Cafe in 2007, owner/executive chef Jeff Smedstad’s fusion of bold flavors from Mexico and the Southwest has attracted a loyal fan base. He’s been twice nominated for the James Beard “Best Chef: Southwest” Award.   The menu reflects his 20 years of cooking and eating across Oaxaca, Veracruz, Puebla, and Arizona. Popular items include lamb adobo, smoked brisket enchiladas, and the namesake elote (Mexican street corn). Save room for the chocolate pie dessert made with Mexican and dark chocolates, candied almonds and fresh whipped cream. Libations include a variety of margaritas, tequila flights, a tightly edited wine list, and non-alcoholic concoctions like a prickly pear and serrano mocktail. 

René at Tlaquepaque

Tlaquepaque Village is a charming recreation of a Mexican village with flower-decked courtyards and fountains, home to art galleries, boutiques, and a French restaurant called René. This romantic fine dining spot has been Sedona’s destination for special-occasion meals for many years. Classic French fare includes decadent treats like a creamy French onion gratinée with Cognac-carmelized onions, Dover sole à la meunière, rack of lamb, and steak frites. There are also Mediterranean-inspired dishes from Spain, Italy, and Morocco, and a selection of prix-fixe menus including The Caviar Menu.  Enjoy a leisurely lunch in the garden courtyard with a lighter menu featuring  croque monsieur or a bruschetta board.

Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante Italiano

This popular upscale restaurant features a classic Italian menu with sustainably-sourced ingredients – welcome to Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante Italiano. A Wine Spectator Award-winning wine list and live entertainment with jazz piano create a romantic mood. Begin with handmade meatballs in a porcini cream sauce or a fritto misto with lemon caper aioli. The signature dish, Pollo al Rosmarino, is chicken breast sautéed with pancetta, mushrooms, and rosemary‑Marsala served with gnocchi primavera. You’ll also find housemade pastas and traditional entrées like veal piccata and eggplant parmigiana. If you just can’t decide, choose one of the two “Romanticism” prix-fixe menus which come with optional wine pairings. Afterwards, enjoy one of the gourmet coffee drinks laced with liqueur.

Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria

When you’re in Sedona, you’re in the midst of the Verde Valley, which is not only a fertile agricultural area that supplies many of the local products for Sedona’s best restaurants, but a designated viticultural area. If you’re unfamiliar with Arizona wine, this is a great place to start. Just a short drive to the neighboring town of Cottonwood is Merkin VIneyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria.

Owner Maynard James Keenan, rock band frontman, has been a dedicated winemaker in Arizona for decades. At Trattoria, the food is designed to go with the wines from both his Merkin and Caduceus vineyards. Wine flights and curated pairings are available. You’ll find Italian country food like pizza, pastas, salads made with just-picked greens, and gelato. Try the gnocchi with sage-prosciutto cream, or the quirky lasagna cupcakes made with duck egg pasta. The focus is 100% Arizona, with produce and wine grapes farmed in the Verde Valley gardens and orchards or in the on-site greenhouse and vineyard. This is a farm-to-table and vine-to-glass experience. Up on the hilltop, the restaurant and patio overlooks the Verde Valley, a working vineyard and winery.  Be sure to buy a bottle to take home.

These are some of the best Sedona restaurants, and there are more waiting to welcome you.  Plan a getaway to Sedona where dining becomes part of the journey.  With scenic hikes and outdoor adventures by day, followed by delicious dining against the glow of the red rock landscape, you’ll feed body and soul with scenic and unforgettable experiences.