Top Rated Restaurants & Cafes in Baltimore

This elegant restaurant features floor-to-ceiling murals of cafe scenes and gilded mirrors. The owners redecorated the dining room in the mid-90s; only the cracked tile floor is original. To start, try a half-order of the gnocchi in red pepper sauce or sample from the tapas Bar. For a main course, the thin-crusted pizza is a nice choice. Made with homemade sauce and topped with mozzarella, it is a gourmet delight. For dessert, choose from truffles, fresh fruit served with ice cream and Profiteroles with chocolate sauce.

With its plush interiors, Topside is a rooftop restaurant that overlooks the Mount Vernon neighborhood. The eatery here consists of a bar right in the center which is surrounded by chairs facing the window. There is a specific section of this restaurant called The Garden Room, which is surrounded by lush green tropical plants, making it feel like a garden. The wooden decor and the seating arrangements give this place a modern upscale vibe. Topside is known for its finely curated list of craft beers that includes Thirstay (credited to Peabody Heights Brewery, one of Baltimore's earliest breweries). Other than that, the menu here is filled with recipes that use ingredients which are freshly sourced, which ensures quality. However, the best thing about Topside is its wide range of beer that can be found in thirteen taps and other containers including cans.

This small Afghani restaurant in the midtown Mount Vernon neighborhood features an intimate, candle-lit dining room decorated in shades of rose. Traditional Afghani robes adorn the bare brick walls. The food is equally lovely. A typical meal would include the pureed pumpkin appetizer, followed by grilled chicken with mushrooms in a yogurt and sour cream sauce, and ice cream with mango, figs and dates for dessert. The Helmand is four-star dining in a lovely setting, all at affordable prices.

Combining beautiful views of Inner Harbor with the best of contemporary American cuisine, Watertable is a fantastic restaurant pick for a special occasion. The cuisine is mostly seafood, including some of the best fish and chips you'll find in the city. The lemon ricotta gnocchi, served with fresh seasonal vegetables, is a luscious vegetarian option. There is an tasty selection of desserts and the cocktails are known for their inventiveness. Reservations are recommended.

This old Owl has been perched up in a quiet corner of Baltimore town since the year 1900! With luminaries and dignitaries having patronized this place for decades, you can rest assured that you will be treated to nothing but the best of everything! Impeccable service and excellent food are the main highlights of this place. The bar displays some of the finest wines and beer and you can even go in for the local brew, Delaware's Dogfish Head, for it goes well with the freshly baked pizzas.

For more than 30 years, this downtown restaurant has been Baltimore's benchmark for upscale steakhouses. The signature dish shows why. The Prime Rib Steak is a tender 24-ounce behemoth, a full three inches thick. The rest of the offerings, including several fine seafood dishes, are just as good, if not as weighty. It's hard to believe, but the decor - black walls, gold curtains and leopard-print carpet - is somehow just right. Side dishes are a la carte, and the wine list is great.