8 Best Restaurants in Homer, The Kenai Peninsula and Southcentral Alaska

There's often a line out the door of this artisan gelateria on Homer Spit that's operated by a passionate chef who studied the art of making this dense, richly flavored ice cream in Calabria, Italy, and has garnered numerous awards. You can choose from around 15 flavors, including some rotating seasonal options, such as wild Alaskan rose with local honey, and maple brown butter pecan with Alaskan sea salt. It's open till late on summer evenings.

Set amid a strip of colorful old wood-frame buildings on Homer Spit, this casually upscale seafood bistro with large windows overlooking the water turns out consistently fantastic, artfully presented contemporary seafood dishes, often with Asian or Mediterranean influences. Start with the Alaskan crab sushi bake or spot prawn toast on house-baked focaccia, before tucking into a plate of tempura-halibut bibimbap or Kodiak scallops in a sweet-corn soubise. Save room for the out-of-this-world carrot cake. Reservations are a good idea at this popular spot. 

Open at 7 am, this little café near the end of the Spit is a perfect stop before a day of fishing, but lunch is an equally fulfilling experience. Owner and renowned chef Kirsten Dixon and her daughter Mandy, both of them graduates of Le Cordon Bleu, the Paris cooking school, create simple, highly pleasing meals like fresh ramen with homemade broth, local vegetables, and seasonal fish. All the wild seafood dishes here are tremendously flavorful.

Pumpkin-color walls, light streaming through tall front windows, and a playful collection of Italian posters add to the appeal of this fine Tuscany-inspired bistro. The menu offers up appetizers, salads, sandwiches, calzones, and pizzas, and in the evening they have rotating specials that often include seafood. If you're in a hurry, just get a giant slice of the thin-crust cheese pizza to go. You can order meals at the bar, where you'll find a great wine selection, and there's always something decadent for dessert.

A simple but sublime option for lunch, Johnny's serves a short menu of around a half-dozen Asian-influenced bowls with sticky rice, sesame slaw, kimchi, marinated mushrooms, and an egg along with a variety of proteins (hazelnut-crusted halibut, seared sockeye salmon, crispy curried tofu) and sauces. Every bowl can be prepared vegan, and there's also a teriyaki chicken option. You order at the window, and seating on a patio overlooking the bay, at the end of Homer Spit. Johnny's sources from adjacent Salmon Sisters, one of the best fish markets in town, and there's also a neighboring coffeehouse, Mug Up.

Talented and friendly Chef Chad Miller, who regularly makes his way around the cheerful dining room, presents a dazzling menu of fusion cuisine that incorporates locally harvested produce and seafood. Start with an order of Alaskan shrimp dumplings or crispy mushroom bao, and then consider the complexly flavored smoked black cod risotto or tallow-infused local tenderloin with compound butters and caramelized-onion mashed potatoes. In addition to great food, The Kannery serves inventive and delightful cocktails and mocktails.

This long-running eatery is a short walk from Bishops Beach, Beluga Slough, and the Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center. In addition to fresh breads and pastries, Two Sisters specializes in deliciously healthy lunches, such as vegetarian focaccia sandwiches, homemade soups, quiche, and salads. There's no indoor dining, but there is a lovely wraparound porch and a garden sitting area that are perfect on a summer afternoon; you can even walk your espresso and scone down to the beach to watch the waves roll in.

Located in Old Town next to the Bunnell Street Arts Center, Wild Honey is a terrific place to grab a latte and a crepe. You can choose either sweet or savory crepes along with house-made soups and salads, most of which showcase ingredients the owners have harvested themselves. Everything else is bought from local farmers.