Old Town Scottsdale packs an enormous amount of dining into a walkable core, from tableside guacamole carts to a converted hotel dining room with live music most nights. The trick is knowing which restaurant matches which kind of night, since the neighborhood swings from casual patio bars to genuine special occasion dining within a few blocks. Here is how to sort through it.
The Mission, tucked just off Old Town's main drag, built its reputation on tableside guacamole prepared fresh at your table and a menu built around Latin inspired small plates like pork belly and steak tacos. It consistently draws a crowd for its energetic atmosphere and open kitchen, and the outdoor patio is worth requesting if the weather cooperates. Nearby, Bootleggers Modern American Smokehouse leans into a rowdier, more casual crowd with smoked meats, burgers, and a full bar, making it a solid choice for a group that wants beer and barbecue rather than a formal sit down meal. Kelly's at SouthBridge, right along the Arizona Canal, splits the difference with an upscale gastropub menu, a large central bar, and a patio that turns into a bit of a scene on weekend evenings, complete with dancing later in the night.
Cafe Monarch is the restaurant Old Town locals point to when someone asks where to go for an anniversary or a milestone birthday. The multi course tasting menu changes seasonally, the dining room leans into a dramatic, candlelit atmosphere with striking columns, and the restaurant will print a custom menu with a guest's name on it for celebrations, a small touch that shows up constantly in diner reviews. Ocean 44, a seafood and steak focused restaurant near Old Town's core, is the pick for a more classic upscale night out, known locally for its dry aged steaks, a genuinely serious wine list, and a design feature where curtains open partway through the evening to shift the entire mood of the dining room.
ZuZu, inside the retro styled Hotel Valley Ho on Main Street, is one of Old Town's most reliable brunch spots, especially known for its huevos rancheros and a patio that gets busy on weekend mornings. It is also dog friendly, a detail regulars appreciate given how walkable the surrounding Arts District is. For a livelier daytime scene built around sports and a casual menu, several spots along the Old Town core keep patios full of large screens running through the afternoon, useful if your day in Scottsdale includes catching a game.
| Restaurant | Vibe | Best For |
|---|
| The Mission | Energetic, Latin inspired small plates | Group dinners and date nights with a lively crowd |
| Cafe Monarch | Dramatic, candlelit fine dining | Anniversaries and milestone celebrations |
| Ocean 44 | Upscale steak and seafood | A classic, more formal night out |
| Kelly's at SouthBridge | Upscale gastropub on the canal | Happy hour into a late weekend night |
| ZuZu | Retro hotel restaurant, patio focused | Weekend brunch |
| Bootleggers Modern American Smokehouse | Casual smokehouse and bar | Barbecue, beer, and a relaxed group hangout |
Old Town Scottsdale is not a single street but a cluster of adjoining districts, each with a slightly different personality, and knowing the difference helps explain why two restaurants a few blocks apart can feel worlds apart in atmosphere. The historic Old Town core, centered on Main Street and Brown Avenue, holds onto some of the neighborhood's original Western themed storefronts alongside newer restaurants like The Mission. The Main Street Arts District, home to ZuZu and the Hotel Valley Ho, leans into a more retro, design forward identity tied to the hotel's mid century roots. SouthBridge, along the Arizona Canal, is the newest of the three, built around a walkable stretch of restaurants and bars including Kelly's, with canal side patios that fill up as the evening goes on. Fifth Avenue, running parallel to Main Street, mixes long running shops with a scattering of casual restaurants and is worth a walk even if you end up eating elsewhere.
Scottsdale's outdoor patios, which make up a huge part of Old Town's appeal, are genuinely one of the best reasons to eat here, but only for part of the year. From roughly November through April, patio dining across Old Town is comfortable at nearly any hour, which is part of why the neighborhood gets noticeably busier during that stretch. Through the peak of summer, many restaurants shift patio seating to evening hours only, or rely on misting systems and shade structures to keep outdoor tables usable, so a visit planned for a July afternoon may mean an indoor table is the more realistic option regardless of which restaurant you choose.
Old Town Scottsdale is genuinely walkable, and most of the restaurants above sit within a few blocks of each other around Main Street, First Avenue, and the Arizona Canal near SouthBridge, so it is entirely possible to have a drink at one spot and dinner at another without moving your car. Weekend evenings get busy across the entire district, and restaurants like The Mission and Cafe Monarch fill up well in advance, so a reservation is worth making rather than assuming a walk in table will be available, especially from Thursday through Saturday nights.
Old Town Scottsdale spans a genuinely wide price range within just a few blocks, and it helps to know where each restaurant falls before choosing a spot for the evening. Cafe Monarch and Ocean 44 both sit at the higher end, built around tasting menus and dry aged steaks respectively, and are best reserved for occasions where the price tag is part of the plan rather than an afterthought. The Mission, Kelly's at SouthBridge, and Bootleggers all land in a more moderate, mid range bracket that still delivers a genuinely upscale feeling patio and menu without requiring a special occasion to justify the bill. ZuZu's brunch menu is priced accessibly enough for a casual weekend morning, even though the hotel it sits inside leans upscale overall.
Old Town Scottsdale has a genuine nightlife scene layered on top of its restaurant district, and a handful of the spots above double as late night destinations once dinner service winds down. Kelly's at SouthBridge shifts from a dinner crowd into a livelier bar scene later in the evening, with dancing and a busier bar area as the night goes on, while Bootleggers keeps its bar and patio going well past a typical dinner hour for a crowd more interested in beer and casual food than a formal meal. ZuZu, despite its reputation as a brunch destination, has also built a following for evenings built around its Chef's Roulette tasting format, which pairs a multi course dinner with live music for a more immersive experience than its daytime brunch crowd might suggest.
Old Town Scottsdale offers a mix of metered street parking, several public parking garages, and valet service at some of the district's higher end restaurants, including Cafe Monarch and Ocean 44. Weekend evenings put real pressure on street parking in particular, so arriving with extra time to find a garage, or planning to use a rideshare instead, tends to make for a smoother start to the night than counting on an open spot right outside your restaurant of choice.
Old Town is Scottsdale's most concentrated dining district, but it is only one part of the city's much larger restaurant scene, which stretches north through Kierland, DC Ranch, and the Camelback corridor. For the full picture of what the city offers outside the Old Town core, see our complete guide to restaurants in Scottsdale.
Frequently asked questions
Cafe Monarch is the restaurant most often recommended for anniversaries and milestone celebrations, known for its seasonal tasting menu, dramatic candlelit dining room, and custom printed menus for guests celebrating an occasion.
ZuZu, located inside the Hotel Valley Ho on Main Street, is one of the most popular brunch spots in the area, particularly known for its huevos rancheros and lively weekend patio.
Yes. Most of the neighborhood's best known restaurants sit within a few blocks of each other around Main Street, First Avenue, and the Arizona Canal near SouthBridge, making it easy to visit multiple spots in one evening without driving.
For popular spots like The Mission and Cafe Monarch, yes, especially Thursday through Saturday evenings, when the district gets busy and walk in tables are not guaranteed.
Bootleggers Modern American Smokehouse and Kelly's at SouthBridge are both solid choices for a casual group outing, offering smoked meats, burgers, and full bars in a relaxed, higher energy setting.
No. Both are well regarded Scottsdale restaurants, but they sit outside the Old Town core, closer to the Camelback corridor and North Scottsdale respectively, so they are not included in this Old Town specific guide.
Reviewed and verified by the Restaurant Listings Editorial Team for accuracy and relevance. Our content is researched using official restaurant sources, public records, government agencies, and recognized food safety and hospitality industry resources.
Last reviewed: September 2026
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