Restaurants in Phoenix

Lo-Lo’s is a fast food chain restaurant with a difference. If the only thing you feel like eating is chicken and waffles, then this is the restaurant for you. The atmosphere is loud, but strangely engaging, and you’ll be amazed at how delicious southern-style chicken is.

The New York Times and Oprah Winfrey have dubbed this pizza some of the best in the country. Mozzarella is fresh and the pizza is cooked in a wood-burning oven. But you need a little patience to get the Pizzeria Bianco experience. Huge lines form way before this small, unimpressive-looking little brick house opens. Waiting times can be as long as three hours, as bookings are not accepted except for groups of six or more (and even then, reservations must be made at least six weeks in advance). Bar Bianco, the watering hole next door, is the place to hang out until your name is called. We say: worth the wait.

Think turn-of-the-20th-century, free standing Spanish ranch house, for this restaurant at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. White tablecloths, warm woods, large plush Spanish-styled chairs complement the excellent service and signature margaritas, and the restaurant holds a happy hour every Tuesday to Friday. Gourmet Mexican food is fused with European cooking methods to produce specialities such as mahi mahi ceviche or slow roasted shoulder of pork. Save room for desserts like cinammon churros – warm doughnuts with a chilli chocolate dipping sauce.

Attentive service, an open kitchen, brick walls, white tablecloths and ceiling-to-floor windows add an extra element to the traditional American food and southwest favourites, including chilli-rubbed rib-eye steak or a bistro burger with blue cheese and bacon. There is a blazing open-pit fireplace on an outdoor patio in the evenings and Wright’s Bar is perfect for a pre- dinner aperitif or an after-dinner drink.