When it comes to dining, Metro Little Rock serves up an impressive menu. From home-cooking and American, to sushi, Italian, French and Brazilian, the metro area offers restaurants to please every palate. Our favorites are endless. But with the help of Little Rock Soirée magazine and a team of local insiders, we pared it down to 10 restaurants you’ll want to find fast.

ASHLEY’S
new American cuisine  
Located in the historic Capital Hotel, Ashley’s is a gem. Chef Lee Richardson was recently honored by Food & Wine magazine with the People’s Choice award for “Best New Chef” for the Midwest region, and he is committed to using fresh, local ingredients whenever possible. Choose from more than 700 wines, and pair your selection with an inspired entrée like diver scallops with pumpkin, sweet onions and bacon. Make sure to save room for a piece of Southern pecan pie with brown butter ice cream for dessert. For lunch or drinks after work, Capital Bar & Grill, also in the Capital Hotel, is a favorite.
Find it: Downtown Little Rock, 111 W. Markham St., (501) 370-7011


BRAVE NEW RESTAURANT
contemporary American  
This is one of Little Rock’s finest restaurants for dinner or lunch and scores points for food and beverages and a killer view of the Arkansas River and downtown Little Rock from its expansive deck. For dinner, try the pine nut encrusted salmon – fresh North Atlantic salmon lightly dusted with pine nuts, pan sautéed and served with a pesto cream sauce. Insider tips: The dinner rolls are addictive, and the chocolate crème brûlèe is sinfully decadent. Consider yourself warned.
Find it: Riverdale, 2300 Cottondale Lane, Suite 105, (501) 663-2677


CAFÉ BOSSA NOVA
Brazilian   
This is the best spot for tasty South American-style dishes. Start with the Pao de Queijo, Brazilian cheese bread, and then order the Salpicao, which is shredded chicken salad served on a bed of rice. One of the best cocktails in town is served here. Called Caipirinha, one of the ingredients is a sneaky Brazilian rum that you don’t feel until you begin sipping your second. Two of them will make you smile wider than your face. Bossa Nova’s decadent desserts can make that happen, too. Closed Monday.
Find it: Hillcrest, 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd., Suite 105, (501) 614-6682

FERNEAU 
fusion   
Chef Donnie Ferneau is the mastermind behind delectable dishes like the buttermilk fried chicken breast on sweet potato mash with green chili cream, and shrimp and grits with Tasso, green onions and tomato. And if you want to relax with an adult beverage, try the blueberry and pomegranate mojito; it’s our go-to for warm summer evenings or evenings we just wish were warm. The extensive wine list changes often, but you can bet it is always fabulous. Restaurant hours are 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, but luckily on the weekends the kitchen is open late: 10 p.m.-1 a.m. on Thursday and Friday and 10 p.m.-midnight on Saturday.
Find it: Hillcrest, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd., (501) 603-9208

RIVERFRONT STEAKHOUSE
steak
You wouldn’t normally think fine dining and salad bar go together, unless you have been to Riverfront Steakhouse in North Little Rock’s Wyndham Hotel. Start out with a hot bowl of the shrimp bisque to whet your appetite. Then order a cut of the aged-to-perfection beef. Riverfront also serves a variety of chicken, pork and seafood entrées. If you have any room left, we recommend ordering a snow bear, a blend of Blue Bell ice cream, Kahlúa and Amaretto.
Find it: North Little Rock, 2 Riverfront Place, in the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel, (501) 375-7825

SUSHI CAFÉ
sushi
Sushi Café offers an eclectic and delectable menu. For lunch or dinner, we like to start with the Agedashi tofu, which is silky on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside. Our favorite rolls are the fiery Volcano roll—a California roll with spicy tuna and salmon served with hot sauce—and the crisp Naruto crabstick roll, crabstick wrapped in cucumber and seasoned with citrus soy sauce. We also enjoy Sushi Café’s more American-influenced menu items, like the grilled red snapper tacos and the Texas-style hamburger.  
Find it: The Heights, 5823 Kavanaugh Blvd., (501) 663-9888

TERRY’S RESTAURANT
French  
If you’re craving delicious French cuisine, Terry’s won’t disappoint. Located in the same Heights building as Terry’s Finer Foods grocery store, the restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. We recommend starting out with the bubbling-hot baked Brie and following it with a bowl of onion soup. The sautéed chicken breast in mustard sauce is also a great choice, as is the roasted chicken and the shrimp provençale. Really, you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.
Find it: The Heights, 5018 Kavanaugh Blvd., (501) 663-4152

U.S. PIZZA
pizza   
Founded in 1972 by Judy Waller, U.S. Pizza Co. now includes 10 locations across Metro Little Rock and one in Fayetteville. Our favorite pizzas are the spicy chicken and broccoli, Dave’s favorite and Trey’s chloroplast blast. They also have sandwiches and salads and a delish house-made ranch dressing. All of the Little Rock locations have expansive patios, perfect for enjoying pizza and beer in nice weather.
Find it: Numerous locations; visit their website.

WHOLE HOG CAFÉ
barbecue  
A longtime favorite of Arkansans, Whole Hog Cafe has won more awards than we can count, and remains Arkansas’ only “World Champion” barbecue cafe. It was even featured on Food Network’s “Tasty Travels with Rachel Ray” and listed in Fodor’s as a “don’t miss” in Arkansas. The offerings include smoked-to-perfection pulled pork, pork loin, beef brisket, smoked chicken, and of course, Whole Hog’s award-winning ribs, which are slathered in a top-secret, 16-ingredient glaze. Six sauces, ranging from sweet and mild, to tangy, to spicy, please every palate.
Find it: Numerous locations; visit their website.

ZAZA Fine Salad + Wood-oven Pizza Co.
pizza     
Co-owned by chefs John Beachboard and Scott McGehee, ZAZA is a salad lover’s dream come true. Choose from one of 12 menu salads, or mix your own creation from a long list of imported cheeses, roasted meats and toppings. Add a Naples-style wood-fired pizza, and you’ve got a feast. For dessert or just for fun, you must try one of the many flavors of house-made gelato; we love the limoncello.
Find it: The Heights, 5600 Kavanaugh Blvd., (501) 661-9292;
Conway, 1050 Ellis Ave., Suite 110, (501) 336-9292

To discover even more great Metro Little Rock restaurants, visit InArkansas.com/eat.