6 Best Restaurants in St. George, Southwestern Utah

This hip sidewalk café and bakery on the ground floor of a downtown St. George apartment building is a pleasing option for both decadent sweets—think passionfruit-coconut–glazed doughnuts and blood-orange tarts—and filling sandwiches on crusty house-baked breads. Notable drink options include brown sugar–cinnamon lattes and high-octane cold brews.

A charming patio overlooking Ancestor Square with contemporary Southwestern art on the walls provides a romantic setting for enjoying contemporary American fare with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients, many from the owners' private organic garden. Consider chorizo-stuffed quail with a tamarind glaze, followed by a juniper-brined bone-in pork chop with stuffed pears and smoked-tomato relish, and don't pass up the standout sides that include chipotle bread pudding, zucchini fritters, and blue cheese–walnut–stuffed pears. The white chocolate cheesecake tower is a standout among several excellent desserts.

In a handsomely restored little house in the tree-lined, historic village of Santa Clara—about 15 minutes west of downtown St. George—this sweet, cozy neighborhood restaurant with seating in a colorful front garden serves extraordinarily tasty, locally sourced contemporary American–Mediterranean fare. It's worth the trip to this slightly off-the-beaten-path locale to savor coconut labneh with spicy harissa, charred heirloom tomatoes, and hazelnut dukkah and seared skirt steak with jalapeño-parsley chermoula. The desserts change nightly and are also tantalizing.

This beautifully designed adobe oasis in the Kayenta Art Village in Ivins, about 10 miles northwest of St. George, offers gracious indoor and outdoor seating, the latter overlooking fragrant high-desert gardens and the surrounding red rock ramparts. Pronounced zay-tah-vah, the space began as a coffee bar and is still a source of lattes and mochas, but you'll also find an eclectic selection of globally inspired all-day fare, including blue-corn waffles, ham ciabattas, peach-glazed organic chicken, and wild mushroom burgers. Weekend brunch is extremely popular.

With a palatial dining room with chandeliers and white napery, this elegant restaurant east of downtown (and formerly in Ivins) specializes in haute American and European fare and is a favorite destination for special occasions. Think rich, creamy lobster bisque with Spanish sherry, risotto with black truffles and grilled prawns, fall-off-the-bone lamb osso buco, and chateaubriand for two. Everything, including the sumptuous desserts, is artfully plated.

With a white-tile open kitchen, marble tables, and a wood-beam ceiling, this scene-y farm-to-table restaurant and bar in the swanky hotel The Advenire is St. George's destination for people-watching and deftly crafted seasonal cuisine. The sharing-friendly menu changes regularly but always features a selection of cheeses and charcuterie, and typical offerings include grilled octopus with preserved lemon and bone-in prime rib eye.