Four Valley Restaurants Make OpenTable's Top 100

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Four of the 100 best restaurants in the nation are in the Valley, according to OpenTable's Top 100 of 2021 list.

OpenTable, an online reservation app, put a pause on its Top 100 list in 2020 when fewer people ate meals outside their homes because of the pandemic. But it released its 2021 list on Monday, which featured three fine-dining restaurants in Scottsdale and one in Phoenix.

Restaurants across the country were highlighted, from the East Coast to the West Coast and plenty in between.

To create the list, OpenTable said it looked at more than 10.5 million reviews from OpenTable users for restaurants across the country.

Local restaurants on the list were:

Cafe Monarch, a contemporary American fine dining eatery in Old Town Scottsdale. OpenTable users noted its romantic setting and its excellent wine list in their positive reviews. The cafe has more than 5,400 reviews and almost five stars.

Cafe Monarch is no stranger to accolades, as Trip Advisor previously named it as one of the top three fine dining restaurants in the nation. Cafe Monarch is family owned and operated and touts a "reputation for first-rate service, elegant ambiance, and five-star cuisine."

It was also named in OpenTable's Top 100 restaurants in 2019 and to its 100 most romantic restaurants in 2018.

Also on the list was Dominick's Steakhouse at Scottsdale Quarter. Its reviewers noted its romantic setting and said it was a good place to celebrate anniversaries. The steakhouse has more than 4,700 reviews and almost five stars.

The steakhouse boasts, 10,500-square-foot dining space on two floors with "elegance from floor to ceiling." Adding to that elegance are leather embossed walls and hand-crafted chandeliers. On its website the steakhouse says it "offers guests one of the most luxurious restaurant settings in Scottsdale Quarter."

Dominick's Steakhouse is owned by brothers Jeffrey and Michael Mastro, their father Dennis, and their partner Scott Trolio, according to its website. The group also owns the remaining two other local restaurants on the 2021 Top 100 list.

Ocean 44, an upscale seafood restaurant in central Scottsdale also made the list. Reviewers noted that it was a good spot to celebrate special occasions. It has 3,452 reviews and nearly five stars as well.

Ocean 44 is described on its website as "seafood reinvented in a vibrant, upscale atmosphere specializing in world-class seafood and the great steaks we are known for at Steak 44."

The restaurant aims to provide a "vibrant and contemporary atmosphere" with a "seaside feel."

Steak 44, a fine dining steakhouse in central Phoenix rounded out the metro area's locations on the Top 100 list. It was also listed as an ideal spot to celebrate special occasions. It has more than 6,900 reviews and almost five stars.

Its menu features USDA prime grade beef, the highest grade domestic Wagyu and fresh seafood along with an award-winning wine list and cocktails. The restaurant features a glassed-in exhibition kitchen and a patio with a fireplace.