The Antler Room is the best meal you’ll have in Kansas City that’s not BBQ. Every time we eat here, we find ourselves going full Owen Wilson (“wow!”) while eating dishes like duck fat grilled carrots, smoked maitake focaccia, and potato gyoza with green yuzu kosho. Make a separate reservation for winter, spring, summer, and fall while you’re here—you’ll probably never eat the same dish twice.

Kata Nori is the sushi spot we aspire to be regulars at. They only have bar seating, so everyone gets a front-row experience watching chefs make handrolls out of the freshest fish in town. Order the yellowtail and kani rolls, but don’t miss the kinoko that’s made with sous vide king trumpet mushrooms, the wagyu rice, or any of the citrusy crudos. Their cocktail and drink menu has excellent sakes, Kyoto matcha beer, and a delicious lychee martini. Ask about the specials, too.

Located on the Kansas side of town, Joe’s is our top pick for local BBQ. We have a ritual of bringing out-of-towners to experience the Z-Man sandwich that’s loaded with brisket, provolone, onion rings, and BBQ sauce. Both Joe’s thick classic and spicy sauces pair perfectly with expertly seasoned ribs and smoky burnt ends, and their fries may also be the best in town. There’s always going to be a wait at this functioning gas station/restaurant.

Noka, a Japanese restaurant from the team behind beloved lunch spot The Russell, has really found its footing over the past few years. While the buzzy dining area might be tempting, the best seats are at the sushi bar or main bar to watch the chefs and bartenders do their magic. It’s always bumping here, whether it be for dinner, Happy Hour, or half-off sushi on Thursday. All of their fish is worth trying, but we especially love their sushi donut, sushi tacos, and inventive sashimi crudos.

Waldo Thai creates a whole new small plate menu every Wednesday. One visit isn’t enough to do this excellent Northern Thai spot justice. You’ll want to try as much as you can, so go for the Lanna Samplers, which allow you to create a combo of their chili dips and pork sausages with sticky rice. Always throw one of their excellent curries and noodle dishes in the mix too, especially the brisket kow soi.

Come for the best espresso martini in Kansas City, stay for the staff that knows your name and acts like they’ve been waiting for you to walk in the door. It’s not unusual to feel like everyone’s a regular here. Maximize your enjoyment by sitting at the bar and chatting with the staff about what restaurants they love or 1900’s collection of rare liqueurs. This is our go-to spot for going to town on cocktails and desserts.

Stock Hill looks and feels like a classic Midwestern steakhouse, but the menu sure says otherwise. The appetizers are the best things here and should make up most of your meal. Order the lobster bones starter (with a femur of bone marrow topped with lobster claws), wagyu meatballs, and beef tartare with oak cream and leek oil. If you must eat some steak, you'll never be disappointed by their wagyu or the eight-ounce filet with roasted garlic.

This restaurant at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art serves a satisfying brunch and a rotating prix-fixe dinner that’s the real standout. The menu has grasshoppers, crispy pineapple potatoes, and a chocolate cake with shiitake ice cream that we’re still thinking about. The dining area is sleek and modern, with skylights and windows allowing you to watch tourists taking in the lobby installations.

There are plenty of great Italian restaurants in Kansas City, like the original Garozzo’s in Columbus Park and Ragazza Food & Wine. Bacaro Primo, owned by the team behind Earl’s Premier, feels specifically made for special occasions, where you can impress a date without the whole night feeling stuffy. You can always rely on the fried olives and charcuterie, but the mains are where this place shines.

The Prairie Village neighborhood across the border in Kansas might not immediately conjure up images of bistros and baguettes, but Café Provence is one of the best French spots in America. Many French nationals make the trip just to enjoy the chicken with morel brandy cream sauce, escargot, or onion soup. The service is impeccable, meaning you’re in good hands no matter the occasion.

Extra Virgin is the king of casual outings with discounted drinks and food. It's a low-key place for daily half-priced mezze from 4–6pm on weekdays, and even better on Mondays when all bottles of wine are half off. The regular food menu is great for sharing, with chickpea fries with romesco, “fudgy” deviled eggs, or sautéed mushrooms with green tahini. Get some prime people-watching on the patio when they open the surrounding art galleries for First Fridays street parties.

The Hotel Kansas City was recently renovated, but it still feels like it’s frozen in the Prohibition era with a speakeasy in the basement. It’s also where you’ll find The Town Company, KC’s go-to place for schmoozing or splurging on anniversaries. The menu changes often, but you’ll always get great appetizers like hot buns with carrot olive oil dip and heartier dishes like a hunk of a pork chop that comes with cornbread. It's a lot of Midwestern stuff in a homey space.

This sit-down Taiwanese street food spot in Westport has an excellent selection of shareable plates, like bao buns, noodles, and dumplings. Start with the smacked cucumber salad and the dan dan noodles, plus one of their refreshing cocktails, like the Land Bridge with rye, Campari, and umami bitters. They started at the Lenexa Public Market, so the neon signs, geometric wallpaper, and metal chairs keep the space feeling similar.

Even though you’re one state over from Tornado Alley, this busy seafood bar will do its best to convince you that you’re on the shores of Martha’s Vineyard. Start with their rotating crudo and a frozen gin and tonic before digging into a shrimp cocktail and a dozen of the best oysters in town. The narrow restaurant has extremely nautical decor and a long bar where you can watch the staff shuck mollusks all night. Just know you’ll need to book Earl’s about a week in advance.

Stilwell is perfect to impress a business client staying at the Loews Hotel or a soul food-inclined date with huge portions of shrimp and grits or chicken fricassee. Stick around after dinner and explore the soaring lobby filled with modern art from all over the world. It does get busy with hotel functions, so if it’s nice out, head up to the Horsefeather rooftop bar for cocktails and a view of the Kauffman Center at sunset.

Westport Cafe has a terrific daily Happy Hour from 4–6pm where you can drink and snack on things like discounted lambrusco and pomme frites. They also bring those deals back from 10pm to close, so it’s a great place to start or end the night with profiteroles or steak frites. The interior feels like a cozy Parisian brasserie filled with café tables, subway tiles, and velvet curtains. They also do a phenomenal brunch on Sunday.

Don’t limit yourself to the gorgeous pastries or fancy sparkling waters at Billie’s—they’ve also got some really good and substantial breakfast and lunch options. Like their spicy tuna bowl and the beet burger that’s been described by our vegetarian friends as “the best in the freaking world.” While it closes at 6pm, it’s a perfect place to meet for a casual coffee and a gluten-free, dairy-free pastry. Try the Blue Majik bar with blue spirulina or one of the candy bar imitations.

Corvino is one of KC’s go-to fine dining restaurants, but they also have a supper club in a separate space that’s a better deal and more fun. It’s a la carte, most of the plates like seaweed donuts with trout roe cream are under $25, and there’s always live jazz playing. Just know that if you get a table too close to the stage, you’ll start to feel like part of the performance. (Former theater kids, please restrain yourself.)

Green Dirt Farm in Weston is famous for its sheep milk cheeses and lamb dishes, and they’ve brought the best of the farm downtown to the Crossroads. While the first floor is a typical coffee shop and daytime cafe, their upstairs restaurant is the main event. We especially love their milder charcoal-colored “Dirt Lover” cheese with a vegetable ash rind, their lamb burger with earthy “American” cheddar and charred onions, and the mac and cheese. Their cocktails alone are worth a visit.

We love hanging out in the historic industrial district, which gets especially spooky during Halloween, when world-class haunted houses pop up in the surrounding warehouses. There’s no better place to recover after getting scared. This European-style brasserie makes us feel right at home, lulling us into spilling secrets at Happy Hour over the best old fashioned in town. Their menu also has tons of delicious fusiony plates.

This Ethiopian/Caribbean restaurant is one of the best options for a really big group dinner. Their traditional Ethiopian communal dinner serves 10, costs around $100 per person, and makes it incredibly easy to split the check with friends who always Venmo way less than they owe. You’ll get things like conch in a sweet rum glaze, jerk chicken with pineapple salsa, and spicy doro or salmon tibs platters with injera. They’ve also got an extensive rum list.

Ride the Kansas City streetcar to the end of the line and you’ll find Union Station, one of the coolest train stations in America. After craning your neck to stare at the ceilings sit at the bar for Happy Hour, and proceed to take in the beautiful Art Deco dining room. Order the fritto misto, beef tartare, and their three-olive Jezebel martini.

Unforked is a local chain owned by the Sheridan Frozen Custard family, one of the many KC establishments that claim to do the dense dairy dessert best. Unforked is the only place to get a scoop and a $5 Happy Hour margarita, though. Their green apple slaw-topped KC Hot Birdie is a near-perfect sandwich and would give any Nashville hot chicken a run for its money. Order their Barking Pig, Tilapia Tango, and Citrus Crunch Chicken tacos and slather them in Horsetooth hot sauce.

If you’re looking for some filling comfort food on a chilly day, Fox And Pearl is the answer. The restaurant is in a converted drugstore, so while they’re not filling prescriptions anymore, they do make one of the best Negronis in town (gin was once considered medicine, right?). Order the grilled chicken wings to start, then the perfectly smoked pork loin for a main. They also have a weekly pop-up on Thursdays called Night Goat that serves a lottery of smoked meats, tacos, and sandwiches.

Everything in this cozy restaurant is wood-fired, like their grandma pizza and the trabzon pide with cured beef. This is a perfect spot for vegans and vegetarians, as they do great mezze like charred eggplant dip, roasted olives, and guajillo hummus. After dinner, take a stroll to look for your future dream house in the West Side neighborhood.

At Shagan’s in South KC, the decor is simple, the TVs are playing Indian trivia shows or Bollywood movies, and the affordable Northern Indian food is hard to beat. Come for a great casual lunch, where you’ll rub shoulders with office and construction workers making hard choices on their lunch break. For us, it’s all about the three curry thali with roti or naan that, at $17.99, is one of the most filling (and best-priced) lunches in KC.