6 Best Restaurants in Anchorage, Alaska

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.

The dining room here offers a range of meat and seafood entrees, while the lounge's separate menu feels suitable for a romantic date or a girls' night out. Kinley's also has a special knack for finding wines that taste luxe, but don't break the bank. Pair with an appetizer or one of their exquisite desserts, such as the mocha bourbon pecan torte.

This refined yet relaxing mountaintop restaurant is perched 2,300 feet up Mt. Alyeska, accessed by a 60-passenger aerial tram (free with dinner reservations, otherwise $29 round-trip). The forward-thinking prix fixe menu capitalizes on local produce and seafood, highlighted in dishes such as scallop bisque with smoked salmon mousse. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook seven glaciers in an unforgettable panoramic mountain view.

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.