When Tripadvisor ranked the best fine dining restaurants in America, the top spot went to Ristorante Paoletti, an Italian restaurant in Highlands, North Carolina.
The annual Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best awards are based on reviews and ratings collected from travelers over 12 months. Tripadvisor says fewer than 1% of its 8 million listings receive a Best of the Best designation. Ristorante Paoletti beat restaurants in Hilton Head, New York City, Nashville and Las Vegas.
Ristorante Paoletti takes the top spot
Ristorante Paoletti has been serving Italian food on Main Street in Highlands since 1984. The family-run restaurant specializes in Italian and seafood dishes, with a menu that includes handmade pastas, seafood and an extensive Italian wine list.
Tripadvisor diners give the restaurant a 4.7 rating, with recent reviews repeatedly pointing to both the food and service. Tripadvisor’s own description calls out the homemade bread, calamari, pasta specials and tiramisu, along with a staff that helps diners navigate the restaurant’s wine list. Reservations can also be hard to come by, so Tripadvisor advises diners not to wait until the last minute to book.
Steakhouses make up half of the top 10
While this Italian spot took first place, steakhouses have a particularly strong showing across the rest of Tripadvisor’s list.
Five of the 10 restaurants are steakhouses or steak-focused concepts. Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina appears twice, with its New York City restaurant at No. 3 and Nashville location at No. 4. Primal Steakhouse in Las Vegas ranks fifth, followed farther down the list by Brenner’s on the River Walk in San Antonio and Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The rest of the top 10 stretches from Italian restaurants in North and South Carolina to Hakkasan Miami and the waterfront Beach Walk at Henderson Park Inn in Destin, Florida.
The 10 best fine dining restaurants in America, according to Tripadvisor
Ristorante Paoletti — Highlands, North Carolina
Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana — Hilton Head, South Carolina
Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina — New York City, New York
Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina, a Nashville Steakhouse — Nashville, Tennessee
Primal Steakhouse — Las Vegas, Nevada
Hakkasan Miami — Miami Beach, Florida
Beach Walk at Henderson Park Inn — Destin, Florida
Brenner’s on the River Walk — San Antonio, Texas
Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse — Lake Charles, Louisiana
Swizzle Dinner & Drinks — Louisville, Kentucky
Dining and Cooking