Downtown Phoenix Dining

Explore The Improved Dining Downtown Phoenix Arizona Scene

The downtown Phoenix restaurants below are listed alphabetically.

Downtown Phoenix Dining in the Heart of Downtown

Alice Cooperstown Sports Bar & Grill
Rock and roll icon Alice Cooper has combined his love of music and his love of sports into a unique eatery compared to other downtown Phoenix dining spots.

The cavernous Cooperstown is part restaurant, part sports bar, part music venue and part museum. There's interesting memorabilia on display everywhere, even in the bathrooms.

It’s not just about entertainment here though; this downtown Phoenix restaurant has good food too. The varied menu includes sandwiches, burgers, BBQ, vegetarian items, sports bar snacks, salads, soups, and more.

Located within walking distance of Chase Field and U.S. Airways Center, it's a popular place to go before or after a concert or game.

Read our full Alice Cooperstown review.

District American Kitchen and Wine Bar
While staying at the 1000-room Sheraton Phoenix Downtown hotel, we discovered that we didn't have to leave the building for a good downtown Phoenix dining experience.

District is located on the bottom floor of the hotel right at the corner of 3rd and E. Van Buren streets. Natural light from large windows illuminates the upscale, modern décor.

District's menu continues the contemporary theme with locally sourced produce and creative ingredients. The cuisine is American with influences from around the country as seen in dishes such as shrimp ceviche, tepary bean hummus, buttermilk fried chicken, and Louisiana grilled shrimp.

Entrées include a range of chicken, beef and seafood dishes. Small plates, soups, salads, and sides fill out the menu.

Breakfast foods include the Sonoran breakfast burrito, California crab Benedict and prime NY steak & eggs.

Everything we tried – from our breakfast entrées and smoothies in the morning to the cedar roasted organic salmon at dinner – was tasty and well prepared.

A large bar and lounge, featuring local beers, is at the front of the restaurant. DJs play music on Thursday and Friday nights and a live jazz band performs on Saturday nights. Their Happy Hour is quite popular due to its good deals.

District is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is a breakfast buffet on weekends.

Address: 320 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix AZ 85004
Phone: 602-817-5400
Cost: $$-$$$$

My Big Fat Greek Restaurant
We decided to eat at this downtown Phoenix dining spot on a whim while wandering around the Arizona Center shopping and office complex one evening. Thankfully, we were not disappointed.

We found all of the traditional Greek specialties here, including pastitsio, moussaka, souvlaki, stuffed peppers, and a favorite of ours - spanakopita. We really liked the zucchini cakes appetizer too.

The extensive menu also includes salads, pizzas, calzones, pitas, chicken, steak, seafood, burgers, wraps, and pasta.

We didn't go hungry here. Our entrées were so large that having an appetizer as well as main courses was almost too much food.

This is a large downtown Phoenix restaurant with outdoor patio seating and a full bar. Although an Arizona restaurant chain, it has done well enough to expand to other states.

My Big Fat Greek Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner only.

Address: 455 N. 3rd Street #108, Phoenix AZ 85004
Phone: 602-254-5730
Cost: $-$$$

Paradise Bakery & Café
We're fans of Paradise Bakery even though they are a chain restaurant.

This particular outlet has to be one of the more hidden downtown Phoenix dining spots, but it's a good choice for a quick and inexpensive meal.

Breakfast items include ham and cheese croissants, fruit-filled croissants, bagels, cinnamon rolls, and muffins.

The lunch menu features salads, soups, and fresh-made sandwiches. Bakery items include breads, brownies, carrot cake and cookies.

This downtown Phoenix restaurant has a good central location, set in the Collier Center just north of U.S. Airways Center across E. Jefferson Street. You can take an outdoor escalator to get to Paradise Bakery on the second floor.

Paradise Bakery at Collier Center is open for breakfast and lunch only and closed weekends. Free WiFi, indoor and outdoor seating, and takeout available.

Address: 3 South 2nd Street, #205, Phoenix AZ 85004
Phone: 602-256-0462
Cost: $-$$

Greater Downtown Phoenix Dining

Matt's Big Breakfast
Look for the little brick building on the corner of N. 1st Street and E. McKinley Street with a cactus garden out front and you'll know you're at the right downtown Phoenix dining spot.

The interior looks like a 1950's diner with white walls, white chairs and white stools at the tiny counter.

To say this place is popular is an understatement. The wait to get in can be very long because so many are fans of the food here.

Also, it is one of the smallest downtown Phoenix restaurants. So, the earlier in the morning that you can get here, the better.

What's everybody lining up for? Breakfast dishes such as the five spot, the hog and chick, salami scramble, cheese omelet, chop and chick, griddlecakes, waffles, oats, and frosted flakes.

Matt's Big Breakfast uses cage-free eggs, real maple syrup, and organic produce when possible.

Lunch items include a BLT, chicken sandwich, Rueben, egg salad, tuna salad, big butter burger, tossed Cobb salad, and a chili bowl.

Matt's Big Breakfast is open for breakfast and lunch only and breakfast is available at lunchtime also. There's take out too. Matt's is closed on Monday.

Address: 801 N. 1st Street, Phoenix AZ 85004
Phone: 602-254-1074
Cost: $-$$

Phoenix Public Market
This may be the most unique downtown Phoenix dining place.

In addition to housing the Market Café, it's also home to the Urban Grocery and Wine Bar, an open air farmer's market twice a week, and the Royal Coffee Bar at the Market next door.

The Market Café is off to one side of the very small grocery store. Seating is at either a few small tables or a large communal table.

Our lunch of a roasted eggplant & veggie sandwich, apple plum agua fresca, and macro-greens smoothie were all delicious and definitely gourmet quality. We had a tasty summer squash soup, too, but it had a little too much chile for our tastes.

The Phoenix Public Market is managed by Community Food Connections, a non-profit organization created to promote healthy food. The focus is on locally sourced produce, meats, dairy and packaged foods.

After our meal, we enjoyed walking around and discovering interesting grocery items such as Arizona honey and a locally made watermelon sorbet.

The Market Café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Phoenix Public Market is open all day Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday.

The Market is at the northeast corner of Central Avenue & Pierce Street, three blocks south of the Roosevelt/Central Light Rail Station.

Address: 14 E. Pierce Street, Phoenix AZ 85004
Phone: 602-254-1799
Cost: $-$$

Pizzeria Bianco
We'd heard that Chris Bianco's pizzas are so good that we waited outside in the over 110 degree summer heat for his little restaurant to open for dinner.

We were hoping to beat the crowds, so we arrived early.

Unfortunately, many other diners had the same idea. It's to be expected for one of the most famous downtown Phoenix dining eateries.

Located in an historic brick building in Heritage Square, Pizzeria Bianco's wood-fired pizzas are famous for their exceptional quality ingredients and handmade attention to detail.

The menu is small and includes antipasto, spiedini, country bread, salads, pizzas and extras.

See our full review of Pizzeria Bianco Phoenix to see if we'd wait all that time in the heat again.

Sens Asian Tapas & Sake Bar
This is one of the downtown Phoenix dining places that's a good place for people that like to share a variety of dishes.

Chef Johnny Chu serves all of his creative interpretations of modern Asian food on small plates, tapas style.

Meat lovers will enjoy Korean short ribs, pork bun, almond fish, and the Japanese yakitori bacon-wrapped shrimp mint.

Vegetarian items include pineapple ginger tofu, Hong Kong flat rice and papaya soba spring rolls. Note that some of the dishes are very spicy.

Two plates per person are common. Keep in mind, however, that it can be easy to run up a high bill with the many plates and drinks here.

Sens' full bar features cocktails, Japanese beer, and an impressive sake list. The restaurant has a modern interior, an outdoor patio and a lounge atmosphere. DJs play music on some evenings.

Sens is open for lunch Monday through Friday and dinner all week. They stay open very late on Friday and Saturday nights.

Address: 705 N. First Street, Phoenix AZ 85004
Phone: 602-340-9777
Cost: $-$$

Cost Key ( based on average cost of entrées):
($) Inexpensive: $10 and under
($$) Moderate: $11 -$15
($$$) Expensive: $16 - $25
($$$$) Very Expensive: Over $25

Note: This downtown Phoenix dining information was accurate at the time of publication. All hours, contact information, availability, access, directions, and prices should be confirmed directly with the restaurant before visiting or making reservations and/or travel plans.

Legal Disclaimer: Arizona-Vacation-Planner.com accepts no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information.