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A white tablecloth covered in plates of French food.
Find a French menu at Coquette.
The Plaid Penguin

13 Hottest Restaurants in Charlotte, December 2023

Charlotte heats up with Uptown French fare, omakase in Elizabeth, and cool cocktails in Plaza Midwood

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Find a French menu at Coquette.
| The Plaid Penguin

More often than not, tipsters, readers, friends, and family of Eater have one question: Where should I eat right now? What are the new restaurants? What’s everyone talking about? While the Eater 18 is a crucial resource covering old standbys and neighborhood essentials across the city, it is not a chronicle of the “it” places of the moment. Enter the Eater Heatmap, which will change continually to highlight the spots crowds are flocking to at the moment or generating a big buzz. Folks are asking, “Have you been yet?” Try one of these newbies today.

New to the list:
December 2023: Lorem Ipsum, Kappo En
November 2023: L’Ostrica, Room Service
October 2023: Haunted by Black Lagoon Pop-Up, Supperclub
September 2023: Pizza Baby, Coquette
August 2023: Humbug, Puerta
July 2023: Rosemont Market and Wine Bar, Monday Night Brewing, Sycamore Brewing
June 2023: El Toro Bruto Food Truck, Amelie’s, Suffolk Punch SouthPark
May 2023: Hex Coffee, Kitchen & Natural Wines, Urban District Market
April 2023: Hestia
March 2023: Curry Gate 2
February 2023: Restaurant Constance, Menya Daruma
January 2023: Counter, Biblio

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Hex Coffee, Kitchen & Natural Wines

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Specialty roaster Hex Coffee moved into a 2,700-square-foot space at Camp North End and now offers plenty of cafe seating, coffee drinks, natural wines, mocktails, and Japanese-inspired fare like karaage with white miso waffles.

Room Service

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Room Service, an eye-catching cocktail and small plates destination from the same team behind mobile Black Moth Bars, is the newest addition to Camp North End’s offerings. It nails a minimal, non-cramped mid-century aesthetic with sit-down tables and a fun bar top, making it an appealing spot for a date night, a post-work happy hour, or a long lunch with a spritz. Visitors won’t stick to their typical cocktail order here; they’ll want to experiment with over a dozen inventive cocktail concoctions ranging around $14, from a blood orange agave drink to a bright gin and matcha creation. Room Service doesn’t limit itself to being exclusively a cocktail bar, as proven by the whipped feta with fennel jam and hot honey, smash burger sliders, and jalapeno salt and vinegar chips with sweet roasted corn and creamy cotija. The easygoing, accessible location, menu, and atmosphere hints at this spot being hot for a long time. 

Andrew Schools and Larry Suggs have infused their veteran bartending expertise into a new moody bar in Villa Heights. With a steady following born out of Humbug’s pop-up at the Refuge Hotel, the new brick and mortar Humbug is shaking, stirring, and serving an impressive range of $14 cocktails, from a fernet espresso martini with salted cold foam to a crisp fennel-infused Aviation. And somehow, the eight shooters on the menu transform shots into expertly crafted, socially acceptable, even classy drinks at this intimate bar. It’s a walk-in only spot with a limit of six people per party — a choice that reflects a dedication to focused table service and a come-as-you-are neighborhood feel. Enjoy the tucked-away pool table that lives in the back, maybe on Amaro Mondays.

Restaurant Constance

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Chef Sam Diminich, owner of meal delivery service Your Farms Your Table, opened his first sit-down establishment Restaurant Constance with the same dedication to local produce and seasonality of the food. Diminich who has spoken about his past struggles with addiction worked his way up through the culinary world from homelessness to arrive at his own restaurant named after his daughter.

Pizza Baby

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Located in the Wesley Heights neighborhood, Pizza Baby, like its name, is youthful and playful, with spritzy aperitivos and sprightly menu fonts and doodles. Order takeout, or dine in for an energetic, multisensory experience — scents of fermented sweet-salty-soft dough, sounds of staff serving, and sights of the cool, airy Los Angeles-meets-Rome aesthetic. Save room for chef Trey Wilson’s Brussels sprouts and sesame seed-crusted pizza, inspired by travels to New York, and the plentiful portion of soft serve (add amaro). Don’t be shy about blanketing everything — the remnants of crispy crust or the lush burrata — in that bonafide Sicilian olive oil or the dipping trio, featuring a crushable Calabrian chili red sauce. While Pizza Baby is in its infant stage, finding its footing with busy nights and new employees, it has promising potential as a fun adult pizza party.

Coquette

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Coquette, a French buvette by the team behind neighboring Mariposa, is a quiet patisserie by day and a buzzy dinner service/wine bar by night. It’s convenient (minus Uptown parking) in its walkability to popular uptown Charlotte event spaces and offices, and in its open-all-day hours, with caneles and tea at the ready. The white negroni with Lillet Blanc or a classic French 75 sips well with the minerally Prince Edward Island oysters, and balances the richness of the duck fat fried chicken and coq au vin. Inside, it feels dressed up in blue, gold, and pink, fairytale-esque, and ornamented with marble tabletops. And don’t worry, the employees do say “bonjour!” when you walk in.

Menya Daruma

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Menya Daruma seeks to master the art of broth and noodles. The menu is stacked with ramen choices, soba selections, and a few katsu sandwiches. Customers can also start their meal with bao buns or gyoza.

Although 1957 Hospitality Group is dominating the corner of 7th and Pecan with Rosemont and Crunkleton, Puerta fills a new niche as both an evening restaurant and nighttime lounge. A modern Central American influence is palpable not only through the menu, with lamb birria empanadas, lightly spiced mole negro chicken, and dippable churros, but through the geometric tiled arches, handwoven chairs, and whitewashed brick. The cocktails — some biting (a pineapple and chile liqueur mezcal drink) and some boozy (tequila old fashioned with mole bitters) — are all created with agave spirits and can be sipped during dinner or late night hours, DJ and lounge chairs included.

Monday Night Brewing Garden Co.

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Monday Night Brewing, a redesigned Southend warehouse with an unmissable mint green exterior, appeals to the varied tastes of Charlotte with a one(big)-size-fits-all aesthetic — a pool parlor, an expansive and firepit-friendly outdoor space, a moody lounge, and weeknight events galore. With chefs slinging Neapolitan-style pizza in the wood-burning ovens and cocktails by renowned Atlanta mixologist Tiffanie Barriere, Monday Night Brewing stays busy even, yes, on Mondays.

L'Ostrica

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L’Ostrica found an untapped market in Charlotte — fine dining — and filled it with a sophisticated, yet inviting, tasting menu restaurant in the Montford neighborhood. Wednesday through Saturday evenings, the menu consists of five to 10 courses — delicate offerings, like a brilliant crispy beet chicharon or a velvety mussel mushroom cappelletti. Also, the caviar service is a must-get when feeling this fancy. For the casual or curious, try the daily to-go offerings from the market (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) or pop in for the evening bar snacks menu and cocktails, like the decadent fall whiskey, amaro, and Carolina persimmon drink. On Sunday evenings, L’Ostrica shifts the dining format to a Sunday Supper theme with a rotating a la carte menu. Note: Reservations are required (except for the bar).

Curry Gate 2

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Popular Indian and Nepali restaurant Curry Gate recently expanded to South Boulevard with all the same menu favorites and more space for customers to dine in the restaurant. Expect chicken tikka masala, aloo gobi, saag paneer, samosas, and all the other classics that made the original location a hit since 2020.

Lorem Ipsum

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Lorem Ipsum is, in a way, a hotel bar, but it’s cooler with Justin Hazelton at the helm, cozier with moody candlelight, and with much, much better music. That’s the main part of this bar’s identity — listening to rotating music offerings over the specialized sound design system, with paired visuals projected onto the wall. Alongside a small, specialty wine and beer list for sipping, there’s a classy Earl Grey take on an Old Fashioned, a banana-infused rum cocktail, and a salted, citrusy tequila drink, just to name a few.

Kappo En

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The small team and secret tasting menu at Kappo En, in the back of Menya, respect the tradition and elegance of a guided omakase, prioritizing an intentional dining experience over a trendy and flashy night out. For a pre-paid $185 per person, diners will be presented 16-18 courses with ingredients straight from Japanese markets, and a catalog of sake and wine, with an option for beverage pairing. The experience is opened up with umami-dominant small appetizers, then a parade of prized Edomae-style nigiri, followed by a few standout cooked meats, from eel to wagyu, and concluded with an earthy dessert, like a matcha mochi. The counter-style dining area is so intimate that diners, witnessing the precise dance of an open kitchen, may feel like they’re in an artist’s private studio.

Hex Coffee, Kitchen & Natural Wines

Specialty roaster Hex Coffee moved into a 2,700-square-foot space at Camp North End and now offers plenty of cafe seating, coffee drinks, natural wines, mocktails, and Japanese-inspired fare like karaage with white miso waffles.

Room Service

Room Service, an eye-catching cocktail and small plates destination from the same team behind mobile Black Moth Bars, is the newest addition to Camp North End’s offerings. It nails a minimal, non-cramped mid-century aesthetic with sit-down tables and a fun bar top, making it an appealing spot for a date night, a post-work happy hour, or a long lunch with a spritz. Visitors won’t stick to their typical cocktail order here; they’ll want to experiment with over a dozen inventive cocktail concoctions ranging around $14, from a blood orange agave drink to a bright gin and matcha creation. Room Service doesn’t limit itself to being exclusively a cocktail bar, as proven by the whipped feta with fennel jam and hot honey, smash burger sliders, and jalapeno salt and vinegar chips with sweet roasted corn and creamy cotija. The easygoing, accessible location, menu, and atmosphere hints at this spot being hot for a long time. 

Humbug

Andrew Schools and Larry Suggs have infused their veteran bartending expertise into a new moody bar in Villa Heights. With a steady following born out of Humbug’s pop-up at the Refuge Hotel, the new brick and mortar Humbug is shaking, stirring, and serving an impressive range of $14 cocktails, from a fernet espresso martini with salted cold foam to a crisp fennel-infused Aviation. And somehow, the eight shooters on the menu transform shots into expertly crafted, socially acceptable, even classy drinks at this intimate bar. It’s a walk-in only spot with a limit of six people per party — a choice that reflects a dedication to focused table service and a come-as-you-are neighborhood feel. Enjoy the tucked-away pool table that lives in the back, maybe on Amaro Mondays.

Restaurant Constance

Chef Sam Diminich, owner of meal delivery service Your Farms Your Table, opened his first sit-down establishment Restaurant Constance with the same dedication to local produce and seasonality of the food. Diminich who has spoken about his past struggles with addiction worked his way up through the culinary world from homelessness to arrive at his own restaurant named after his daughter.

Pizza Baby

Located in the Wesley Heights neighborhood, Pizza Baby, like its name, is youthful and playful, with spritzy aperitivos and sprightly menu fonts and doodles. Order takeout, or dine in for an energetic, multisensory experience — scents of fermented sweet-salty-soft dough, sounds of staff serving, and sights of the cool, airy Los Angeles-meets-Rome aesthetic. Save room for chef Trey Wilson’s Brussels sprouts and sesame seed-crusted pizza, inspired by travels to New York, and the plentiful portion of soft serve (add amaro). Don’t be shy about blanketing everything — the remnants of crispy crust or the lush burrata — in that bonafide Sicilian olive oil or the dipping trio, featuring a crushable Calabrian chili red sauce. While Pizza Baby is in its infant stage, finding its footing with busy nights and new employees, it has promising potential as a fun adult pizza party.

Coquette

Coquette, a French buvette by the team behind neighboring Mariposa, is a quiet patisserie by day and a buzzy dinner service/wine bar by night. It’s convenient (minus Uptown parking) in its walkability to popular uptown Charlotte event spaces and offices, and in its open-all-day hours, with caneles and tea at the ready. The white negroni with Lillet Blanc or a classic French 75 sips well with the minerally Prince Edward Island oysters, and balances the richness of the duck fat fried chicken and coq au vin. Inside, it feels dressed up in blue, gold, and pink, fairytale-esque, and ornamented with marble tabletops. And don’t worry, the employees do say “bonjour!” when you walk in.

Menya Daruma

Menya Daruma seeks to master the art of broth and noodles. The menu is stacked with ramen choices, soba selections, and a few katsu sandwiches. Customers can also start their meal with bao buns or gyoza.

Puerta

Although 1957 Hospitality Group is dominating the corner of 7th and Pecan with Rosemont and Crunkleton, Puerta fills a new niche as both an evening restaurant and nighttime lounge. A modern Central American influence is palpable not only through the menu, with lamb birria empanadas, lightly spiced mole negro chicken, and dippable churros, but through the geometric tiled arches, handwoven chairs, and whitewashed brick. The cocktails — some biting (a pineapple and chile liqueur mezcal drink) and some boozy (tequila old fashioned with mole bitters) — are all created with agave spirits and can be sipped during dinner or late night hours, DJ and lounge chairs included.

Monday Night Brewing Garden Co.

Monday Night Brewing, a redesigned Southend warehouse with an unmissable mint green exterior, appeals to the varied tastes of Charlotte with a one(big)-size-fits-all aesthetic — a pool parlor, an expansive and firepit-friendly outdoor space, a moody lounge, and weeknight events galore. With chefs slinging Neapolitan-style pizza in the wood-burning ovens and cocktails by renowned Atlanta mixologist Tiffanie Barriere, Monday Night Brewing stays busy even, yes, on Mondays.

L'Ostrica

L’Ostrica found an untapped market in Charlotte — fine dining — and filled it with a sophisticated, yet inviting, tasting menu restaurant in the Montford neighborhood. Wednesday through Saturday evenings, the menu consists of five to 10 courses — delicate offerings, like a brilliant crispy beet chicharon or a velvety mussel mushroom cappelletti. Also, the caviar service is a must-get when feeling this fancy. For the casual or curious, try the daily to-go offerings from the market (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) or pop in for the evening bar snacks menu and cocktails, like the decadent fall whiskey, amaro, and Carolina persimmon drink. On Sunday evenings, L’Ostrica shifts the dining format to a Sunday Supper theme with a rotating a la carte menu. Note: Reservations are required (except for the bar).

Curry Gate 2

Popular Indian and Nepali restaurant Curry Gate recently expanded to South Boulevard with all the same menu favorites and more space for customers to dine in the restaurant. Expect chicken tikka masala, aloo gobi, saag paneer, samosas, and all the other classics that made the original location a hit since 2020.

Lorem Ipsum

Lorem Ipsum is, in a way, a hotel bar, but it’s cooler with Justin Hazelton at the helm, cozier with moody candlelight, and with much, much better music. That’s the main part of this bar’s identity — listening to rotating music offerings over the specialized sound design system, with paired visuals projected onto the wall. Alongside a small, specialty wine and beer list for sipping, there’s a classy Earl Grey take on an Old Fashioned, a banana-infused rum cocktail, and a salted, citrusy tequila drink, just to name a few.

Kappo En

The small team and secret tasting menu at Kappo En, in the back of Menya, respect the tradition and elegance of a guided omakase, prioritizing an intentional dining experience over a trendy and flashy night out. For a pre-paid $185 per person, diners will be presented 16-18 courses with ingredients straight from Japanese markets, and a catalog of sake and wine, with an option for beverage pairing. The experience is opened up with umami-dominant small appetizers, then a parade of prized Edomae-style nigiri, followed by a few standout cooked meats, from eel to wagyu, and concluded with an earthy dessert, like a matcha mochi. The counter-style dining area is so intimate that diners, witnessing the precise dance of an open kitchen, may feel like they’re in an artist’s private studio.

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