4 Best Restaurants in Downtown and Central City, Salt Lake City

In an ornate former bank lobby adjacent to swanky Hotel Monaco, the city's most esteemed hotel restaurant is as notable for its setting as for its exceptional food. The kitchen crafts big plates of seasonally sourced modern American fare, including seared elk loin with berry compote, sea scallops with corn and cannellini beans, and fillet of beef with duck-fat potatoes and truffle aioli. A marble-fronted exhibition kitchen, big windows framed in fanciful hammered metal swirls, and a definite "buzz" make Bambara a hot spot even after many years. You can also dine in the bar, or simply enjoy a cocktail while cozied up in a velvet-lined booth.

Skip the overpriced breakfast at your downtown hotel and make a beeline for this enchanting Parisian-inspired boulangerie with tiled walls, marble café tables, and sidewalk seating out front. Start the day with beet-avocado toast, stuffed French toast oozing with lemon cream cheese and blueberry compote, or a fruit tart or almond croissant. The espresso and cold brew are first-rate, too.

From early morning to well into the evening, a selection of fine teas and espresso drinks, big breakfasts, and healthful entrées draw regulars to this café and its serene patio courtyard, and also to adjacent New Age bookstore and gift shop, the Golden Braid. The menu leans toward vegetarian and seafood selections, such as multigrain waffles and eggs Benedict Florentine in the morning and sesame-blackened ahi with sticky rice and peanut stir-fry with udon noodles later in the day. There's a nice wine selection, too.

Drop by this long-running café with a wall of windows facing the leafy trees of Liberty Park for a leisurely breakfast or lunch before strolling amid the greenery or visiting Tracy Aviary & Botanical Garden. Specialties include vegan hash with grilled potatoes and avocado, the bacon-and-egg-filled pancake sandwich, and a variety of burgers. Portions are formidable, too.