When it comes to eating in a high-quality restaurant, Americans are in luck: in almost every region of the country, there are cities filled with five-star establishments, according to a recent analysis.
Metropolitan areas as disparate as Minneapolis, Boston, and Washington, D.C. can all boast about a high density of five-star restaurants, according to the analysis conducted by luxury villa rental service Cabo Villa Vegas Dave. The study looked at the number of five-star rated restaurants per square mile in the 50 largest cities in the United States.
The rankings include some surprising results that challenge conventional wisdom about America’s fine dining capitals. For example, New York City—long revered as the nation’s epicenter of fine dining and home to some of the world’s most celebrated chefs—came in third place, with 45 five-star restaurants across 300.5 square miles.
“The city’s rich mix of cultures and its focus on culinary innovation make it a fantastic place for anyone who appreciates a gourmet meal,” a spokesperson for Cabo Villa Vegas Dave said in a statement.
Despite the vibrant restaurant scenes in cities across the country, the average American’s eating habits have largely shifted away from dining in restaurants. Staffing shortages and increased costs mean that many Americans are choosing to stay at home, according to a study by Black Box Intelligence, as initially reported on by Bloomberg.
These changing attitudes mean that even the absolute best restaurants in the world – the ones that are likely to receive Michelin stars – are stepping up their game to bring in new guests.
“I think that two things happened to the pandemic: The experience of what you could order at home got better. So you developed a whole new generation of great home cooks. So when you go out, you want service, you want theatrical dining, you really want that step up,” celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson told Quartz in July.
“[Diners] want to feel like, ‘I am out, not only am I out here with my friends and family, there are people in this room that makes me feel great. I’m part of something,’” Samuelsson said. “People also have more choices now. And those choices are going to continue to get better and better.”
Continue reading to see which cities have the most five-star restaurants per square mile, according to Cabo Villa Vegas Dave.
