14 Best Restaurants in Downtown, Anchorage

An absolute must for epicures and adventurous eaters, Crow's Nest uses inspired combinations to highlight, but never overpower, the freshest ingredients Alaska has to offer. Located on the top floor of the Hotel Captain Cook, this is also the best restaurant view in Anchorage, spanning the Chugach Mountains to the east, the Alaska Range to the north and west, and the city 20 stories below. The dress code, like everything in Alaska, is relaxed: business casual, but no sandals and no shorts.

The combination of shared small plates and an international wine list makes this Anchorage's most conversation-friendly dining venue. Although it's more fun to share, diners who prefer a plate of their own can also opt for inventive entrees ranging from southern fried game hen to shawarma-spiced lamb chops.

On summer days, Snow City attracts some serious crowds—and for good reason. This modern but unassuming café, convenient to many of the Downtown hotels, serves one of Anchorage's best (and yet reasonably priced) breakfasts all day long. If you're not an early riser or haven't made a reservation, be prepared to wait.

Inside a small frame house built in 1916, this nationally recognized 14-table restaurant opened in 1979 and is still going strong thanks to a regularly rotating menu that highlights classic Alaska ingredients. The wine list encompasses more than 700 international choices. The outstanding made-at-your-table Caesar salad is a superb opener for the baked halibut with a macadamia-nut crust served with coconut-curry sauce and fresh mango chutney. And if the homemade Alaska birch syrup butter pecan ice cream is on the menu, don't skip it.

Alaska's oldest steak house has barely changed since opening in 1957. The restaurant, with its dark wood and old-fashioned feel, serves tender, flavorful steaks of all kinds, along with a large seafood selection. Dinner reservations are advised.

The scones and sandwiches at Fire Island draw bustling morning crowds. There are three locations across the city, but the original is embedded in a cozy neighborhood just blocks from Downtown, and makes a perfect destination for a leisurely morning muffin run.

Beautifully crafted Pacific Rim dishes like Panang curry and spicy ahi tuna are a mainstay at Ginger, where the menu offers food that will please both adventurous and more traditional diners. Decorated in beautiful woods and warm tones, the interior perfectly complements the menu.

The scent of hops permeates the cavernous, wood-beam BrewHouse, where at least a dozen beers are brewed on the premises. Locals mingle with visitors in this noisy, always-busy heart-of-town restaurant, and dinner selections range from chili-lime shrimp to fettuccine jambalaya and fresh seafood (in season). Summer reservations are recommended, even for lunch.

Stop at either the Downtown or Midtown New Sagaya's grocery stores for quick lunches, healthy to-go food (perfect for hiking or camping), and Kaladi Brothers coffee. The in-house bakery and deli, L'Aroma, makes specialty breads, sandwiches, California-style pizzas, and a wide range of snack-worthy pastries.

The menu at Orso ("bear" in Italian) has gradually shifted from its Mediterranean roots, adding Alaska touches like baked seafood mac and cheese to the selection of traditional pastas, fresh seafood, and locally famous desserts. Be sure to ask about the daily specials. If you can't get a table at dinner (reservations are advised), you can select from the same menu at the large bar.

Windows overlooking Cook Inlet vistas, along with the high ceilings and a classic brass-and-wood interior, have long made this an Anchorage favorite. The menu includes prime rib and other steak-house classics, but the main attraction is fresh Alaska seafood. The best tables are adjacent to the tall windows facing the water, and reservations are recommended.

Whether you're at the cozy cocktail bar or on the wraparound lounge couches, this atmospheric fusion restaurant brings upscale Mexican flavors to the far north (the "61" in the name references the city's latitude). Though known for its tacos—including a duck confit option—the restaurant also prepares rib eyes, shrimp ceviche, and chipotle-glazed king crab.

This tiny seafood joint easily offers the quirkiest dining experience in Downtown: almost the entire room is taken up by a boat-prow bar. At the helm, owner Apollo Naff has created a convivial environment where fellow diners become fast friends over plates of Alaska oysters and other briny bites, such as crab cake po'boys, seafood chowder, and seared scallops in umami sauce.

Step inside this Downtown microcreamery for Alaska-inspired ice cream flavors like almond birch brittle and rhubarb crumble. The homemade, small-batch ice cream options rotate constantly, emphasizing local ingredients like honey, blueberries, sea salt, and even beer.