Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. 2019

11. Everest | Chef Jean Joho

Chicago, IL

At Everest, chef-proprietor Jean Joho’s French fare with Alsatian flair is served in an art-adorned space 40 floors above Chicago’s Loop. A spectacular view, impeccable service and one of the world’s largest selections of Alsatian wines enhance the dining experience.

> Everest has previously been featured on GAYOT’s Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. list from 2004-2008, 2011-2015 and 2017-2018.

• Read the full review of Everest restaurant
• Jean Joho was GAYOT’s 2012 Best Restaurateur in the U.S.
• Watch our exclusive video interview with chef Jean Joho.

12. Frasca Food and Wine | Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson

Boulder, CO

Chef/co-owner Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson’s constantly changing menu of Northern Italian fare and master sommelier/co-owner Bobby Stuckey’s show-stopping wine list draw diners to Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado. Although elegant and intimate with starched white linens and vases of fresh flowers, the dining room is refreshingly absent of snobbery.

> Frasca Food and Wine restaurant has previously been featured on GAYOT’s Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. list from 2008-2010 and 2012-2018.

• Read the full review for Frasca Food and Wine restaurant.

13. The French Laundry | Chef Thomas Keller

Yountville, CA

The French Laundry is The French Laundry; there is something almost mystical about it. When visiting Napa Valley, people go to Yountville to see it like they would go to the Louvre Museum to see La Joconde (Mona Lisa), posing in front of it for photos like it is the Taj Mahal. Why? Most likely because of the pristine and impeccable reputation that chef Thomas Keller has built over more than twenty years. What was once a laundry is now a temple of très haute gastronomy.

Chef Thomas Keller has the distinction of being the only chef in the U.S. with two restaurants on GAYOT’s Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S., with Per Se and The French Laundry, garnered with GAYOT’s highest rating of 19 out of 20.

> The French Laundry has previously been featured on GAYOT’s Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. list from 2004-2006 and 2008-2018.

• Read the full review of The French Laundry restaurant
• Thomas Keller was GAYOT’s 2013 Best Restaurateur in the U.S.
• Watch our exclusive video interview with chef Thomas Keller

14. Gabriel Kreuther

New York, NY

Chef Gabriel Kreuther’s Alsatian upbringing is reflected in many ways at his luxe eponymous restaurant in New York, from the sophisticated décor to signature dishes such as the sturgeon and sauerkraut tart.

> Gabriel Kreuther has previously been featured on GAYOT’s Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. list since 2017.

• Read the full review of Gabriel Kreuther restaurant

15. George Trois | Chef Michael Lachowicz

Winnetka, IL

Chef Michael Lachowicz’s 12-course French tasting menu at George Trois in Winnetka, Illinois, creates definitive culinary moments that start and end with style. Guests of the intimate 18-seat restaurant will find the top toque hand-delivering each dish personally in the white-washed dining room, and service that complements his warmth.

> George Trois has previously been featured on GAYOT’s Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. list in 2018.

• Read the full review of George Trois restaurant.

16. The Inn at Little Washington | Chef Patrick O’Connell

Washington, VA

For more than four decades, chef Patrick O’Connell has made The Inn at Little Washington a dining destination for DC patrons trekking the 67 miles from our nation’s capital, as well as gourmands making longer pilgrimages. His refined American cuisine is a hit on every level, reflecting his strong culinary personality and style.

> The Inn at Little Washington has previously been featured on GAYOT’s Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. list from 2004-2010 and 2012-2018.

• Read the full review of The Inn at Little Washington.

17. Jean-Georges | Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten

New York, NY

Chef/restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s flagship New York restaurant reflects his relentless search for new flavors and vibrant, simple cuisine. For the first time since opening in 1997, the restaurant recently introduced dedicated vegetarian tasting menus alongside the omnivore options.

> Jean-Georges has previously been featured on GAYOT’s Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. list since 2004.

• Read the full review of Jean-Georges restaurant
• Jean-Georges Vongerichten was GAYOT’s 2016 Best Restaurateur in the U.S.

18. Joël Robuchon Restaurant | chef Christophe De Lellis

Las Vegas, NV

It was not an easy task cooking under über-chef Joël Robuchon, so imagine carrying on the legacy of the chef who was named the “Cook of the Century” in 1990. At the age of 27, chef Christophe De Lellis took the reins of the kitchen of the Vegas temple of très haute gastronomy, after the departure of chef Claude Le Tohic for his own venture in San Francisco. Rest assured, Joël Robuchon Restaurant is still delivering the same extraordinary experience.

> Joël Robuchon Restaurant has previously been featured on GAYOT’s Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. list since 2005.

• Read the full review of Joël Robuchon Restaurant

19. Knife Pleat | Chef Tony Esnault

Costa Mesa, CA

It is very visible that chef Tony Esnault and his wife, restaurateur Yassmin Sarmadi, put all their heart and culinary forces into Knife Pleat. After a year of construction and menu elaboration, they rolled open the doors in June 2019. Normally, such a young project would appear on Best New Restaurants in the U.S., but chef Esnault’s talent, due in part to his passion and attention to detail, merits going straight on the 2019 Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S.

> Knife Pleat makes its debut on GAYOT’s Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. list.

• Read the full review of Knife Pleat Restaurant

20. La Folie | Chef Roland Passot

San Francisco, CA

EDITOR’S NOTE: LA FOLIE HAS CLOSED

At La Folie in San Francisco, chef Roland Passot takes great pains to leverage local ingredients. His French cuisine is creatively executed, often mixing a variety of textures, ingredients and plate components.

> La Folie has previously been featured on GAYOT’s Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. list in 2005 and 2017-2018.

• Read the full review of La Folie restaurant