Sneak Peeks 2026
These in-the-works restaurants are due to hit the Valley in 2026… or even sooner.
Look for the best of them in next year’s BNR.
By Marilyn Hawkes
Alden
Overlooking the sculpture garden at Phoenix Art Museum, this exciting new on-site restaurant is named for Alden B. Dow, the visionary behind the museum’s original 1959 building. The in-house cafe is open for lunch and dinner, serving New American cuisine highlighting seasonal ingredients. (October 2025)
Pinyon
Hi Noon Hospitality (Buck & Rider, Ingo’s Tasty Food) opened this coastal Mediterranean restaurant on the Scottsdale Mall near AZ88 as we went to press. Pinyon celebrates flavors from Barcelona to Malta and gives diners “an authentic Mediterranean experience” using open-flame grilling. (October 2025)
Cleaverman
Riding a hot streak, Pretty Decent Concepts (Wren & Wolf, Carry On, Filthy Animal) will open this modern steakhouse that “feels both iconic and completely current,” according to founder Teddy Myers, plus two concepts embedded in the restaurant: Filthy Martini, a 62-seat ode to vintage hotel bars, draped in velvet and loaded with martinis; and Uppercut, offering an exclusive, omakase-style experience for 16 guests per night. All at the former Hooter’s spot at the Arizona Center. (December 2025)
Carmen
Julian Wright, the mastermind behind Pedal Haus and Devil’s Hideaway, is scheduled to open this tropical, Mexican-themed restaurant and bar on Tempe’s Mill Avenue with agave-based cocktails and two outdoor bars. (Late 2025)
JING
Jing Hospitality Management Group will open an eponymous restaurant at Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale. With locations in Aspen, Denver and Las Vegas, it serves global fusion cuisine made with locally sourced, organic ingredients. (Late 2025)
Wolf by Vanderpump
Led by restaurateur and reality TV personality Lisa Vanderpump, the scene-y space will occupy the rooftop at Caesars Republic Scottsdale. Inspired by its Lake Tahoe sister location, the menu will feature “decadent twists on classic dishes” and seasonal shareables. Wolf’s brash cocktail program will showcase desert-inspired, Instagram-worthy creations. (Late 2025)
Telefèric Barcelona
With restaurants in California and Spain, this vibe-y tapas restaurant is joining Scottdale Fashion Square’s reanimated porte-cochère nightlife hub, with a focus on Spanish small plates, paellas and innovative craft cocktails. (Late 2025)
DEPWAH
Restaurateur Heather Walker will dip into her Vietnamese heritage to open this elegant French-Vietnamese fine-dining concept “rooted in wellness, cultural fusion and soulful hospitality.” The Old Town Scottsdale eatery will also include a lounge and coffee bar, featuring Vietnamese coffee and artisanal matcha. (Late 2025/Early 2026)
Rosewood
The latest from Charles Barber Jr. (Aftermath Bar & Kitchen, Born & Bred) will open in downtown Gilbert with an upscale, chef-driven menu and innovative cocktails. The eatery, housed in the former The Bar space, will be open for dinner, weekend brunch and late-night cocktails in the lounge. Lunch will be added in the future. (January 2026)
il Bracco
The Texas-based Italian concept will open a 5,000-square-foot, new-construction restaurant with an expansive outdoor patio at Scottsdale Road and Rose Lane in Scottsdale. Expect house-made pastas, handcrafted salads, prime steaks and seafood, craft cocktails and a curated wine list. From Western Addition hospitality group. (January/February 2026)
Clive Collective
Mikis Troyan, Justin Massei and Food Network celebrity chef Beau MacMillan plan to launch five projects in 2026. Clive is opening a second Cala in the reimagined PV development, with Calita – a hidden cocktail lounge featuring sculpted walls and soft amber lighting – carved into a cave-like space inside the restaurant. The hospitality group’s 2026 slate also includes Ada, dishing out wood-fired coastal American cuisine with an emphasis on seafood and seasonal ingredients; KUZA Tori, which will celebrate Tokyo’s backstreet dining culture, featuring robatayaki, fresh sushi and noodle dishes; and Love Call, an intimate neighborhood bar with craft cocktails and locally inspired fare – all located in Downtown Phoenix. (Early 2026)
Commoner & Co.
From Ares Collective Group (Prep & Pastry) comes this Tucson restaurant, moving to Gilbert’s Verde at Cooley Station development. The relocated dining spot will offer modern, elevated fare with indoor and outdoor seating. (Early 2026)
Cowboy Seafood
Featuring meat and seafood cooked over a custom wood-fired grill and rotisserie spit, this restaurant from chef Christopher Collins and Common Ground Culinary (Grassroots, The Collins) will debut at Park Central in Midtown Phoenix. Expect robust barbecue offerings and fresh seafood flown in daily. (Early 2026)
Din Tai Fung
The long-awaited Taiwanese dim sum sensation will open at Scottsdale Fashion Square, serving its signature handcrafted xiao long bao dumplings, cucumber salad, wontons and noodle dishes. (Early 2026)
Harry & Izzy’s
Yet another addition to the reimagined PV development: this “approachable” steakhouse from Huse Culinary, an Indianapolis-based restaurant and retail food group. The menu sports premium steaks, seafood dishes, shareable appetizers and craft cocktails. (Early 2026)
Hornbill
Chef Jennifer Russo and mixologist Jason Asher of Juniper & Jigger Hospitality Co. are teaming up to open a lounge and restaurant centering on the cocktails and street food of Singapore. In the former Market by Jennifer’s space in Arcadia. (Early 2026)
Roman God of Fire
In collaboration with Food Network personality and James Beard Award winner Scott Conant, Pretty Decent Concepts (Wren & Wolf, Filthy Animal) will open this 8,000-square-foot Roman cuisine restaurant that’s “architecturally ambitious, atmospherically charged and gastronomically timeless,” according to a spokesperson. Inside, guests will find a hidden cocktail chapel called Forgive Me, Father, entered through a confessional. Located in Tempe’s Hayden Ferry Lakeside. (Early 2026)
Seafood City Supermarket
Essentially the Filipino answer to H Mart, the California-based grocery store features live fresh fish and crustacean tanks; complimentary cook-to-order service; and a food hall with pan-Asian restaurants serving savory dishes, sweet treats and street foods. Will open at Chandler Fashion Center. (Early 2026)
Pablo’s
The debut concept of Saguaro Nights Entertainment Group will open in Downtown Phoenix in the former McKinley Club. Each room has a different ambiance, with three bars, two intimate lounges, a central courtyard, lively front patio, billiards room and Night Tiger nightclub with dancing and tequila-driven cocktails. “Rumor has it there’s a hidden mezcal room,” a rep says. “But its entrance isn’t listed – it’s earned.” (Spring 2026)
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille
Texas-based Perry’s will open its first Arizona outlet in Gilbert’s Northside at SanTan Village. The menu features Prime USDA aged steaks, prime rib, chops, seafood and chicken entrées with abundant sauces and sides. (Spring 2026)
Drake’s Hollywood
A high-energy chain known for its sultry mood, timeless American fare and the “World’s Coldest Martini,” it will open at First Avenue and Scottsdale Road in Old Town Scottsdale, site of the former Buca di Beppo. Drake’s has locations in West Hollywood, Dallas and Houston. (Mid-2026)
Dining and Cooking