Once a small Western frontier town before Scottsdale grew into the resort destination it is today, Old Town Scottsdale is compact enough to cover largely on foot, which makes it worth thinking about where to eat less by restaurant name alone and more by which stretch of the neighborhood you happen to be standing in at the time. Here is a walking guide organized by area and time of day.
Main Street anchors Old Town's more design forward side, home to the retro styled Hotel Valley Ho and its restaurant ZuZu, one of the neighborhood's most reliable brunch spots. Huevos rancheros and a dog friendly patio make it a strong late morning stop, and the same space shifts into a livelier dinner scene later in the week, when its Chef's Roulette tasting format pairs multiple courses with live music. Cafe Monarch, just off the main strip, is Old Town's go to choice for an evening built around a genuine occasion, with a seasonal tasting menu served in a dramatic, candlelit dining room that regulars specifically recommend for anniversaries and milestone birthdays.
Closer to the neighborhood's original Western themed storefronts, The Mission built its reputation on tableside guacamole and an energetic, open kitchen atmosphere built around Latin inspired small plates like pork belly and steak tacos, making it one of the better options for a lively group dinner rather than a quiet meal for two. Bootleggers Modern American Smokehouse, a short walk away, leans into a more casual, beer and barbecue crowd, a good pick for a relaxed lunch or an early dinner before heading out for the evening.
Along the Arizona Canal, Kelly's at SouthBridge splits the difference between a dinner restaurant and a bar, an upscale gastropub menu by day that shifts into a livelier scene with dancing later at night. It works well as a single stop that can carry a group from an early dinner into a longer evening without needing to change locations. Ocean 44, near Old Town's core, is the area's strongest pick for a more classic upscale dinner, known for dry aged steaks and a serious wine list, with a signature design touch where curtains open partway through the meal to shift the entire mood of the dining room.
| Time of Day | Where to Go | Why |
|---|
| Late morning brunch | ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho | Huevos rancheros and a lively, dog friendly patio |
| Casual lunch | Bootleggers Modern American Smokehouse | Relaxed, easygoing food and a full bar |
| Special occasion dinner | Cafe Monarch or Ocean 44 | Tasting menu or dry aged steaks in a dramatic setting |
| Lively group dinner | The Mission | Tableside guacamole and an energetic atmosphere |
| Dinner into late night | Kelly's at SouthBridge | Canal side patio that carries into the evening |
Old Town's outdoor patios, which are a big part of what makes eating here enjoyable, work best from roughly November through April, when nearly every restaurant on this list is comfortable outdoors at almost any hour. Through the height of summer, many of the same patios shift to evening only hours or rely on misting systems, so a visit planned for the middle of a July afternoon may mean settling for an indoor table regardless of which restaurant you choose.
Unlike much of the rest of the Phoenix metro area, which tends to be spread out and built around driving, Old Town Scottsdale was laid out at a genuinely walkable scale, with most of its restaurants, bars, and shops sitting within a fifteen minute walk of each other. That makes it realistic to plan an evening around movement rather than a single reservation, starting with a drink at one spot, moving to a different restaurant for dinner, and finishing somewhere else entirely for dessert or a nightcap, without ever needing to find parking more than once.
Old Town's compact layout is particularly useful for a group whose members do not all want the same kind of evening. It is entirely realistic for part of a group to grab a more relaxed dinner at Bootleggers while others opt for a reserved table at Ocean 44 nearby, with everyone regrouping afterward at a shared spot like Kelly's at SouthBridge for a drink. That kind of split evening is much harder to pull off in a more spread out part of the Phoenix metro area, where restaurants sit miles apart rather than a short walk from each other.
Old Town Scottsdale is as much a shopping and gallery destination as a dining one, and several restaurants sit close enough to those attractions to fold naturally into a longer day out. Fifth Avenue, running parallel to Main Street, mixes long running boutiques with scattered casual dining options and makes a good midday stop between a morning at ZuZu and an evening reservation elsewhere in the neighborhood. The Main Street Arts District, anchored by Cafe Monarch and the Hotel Valley Ho, is worth a slow walk before dinner given its concentration of galleries, many of which stay open into the early evening on weekends.
Not every restaurant in Old Town requires advance planning. Casual spots like Bootleggers tend to have more flexibility for walk in seating, particularly for lunch or an early dinner, while the more destination focused restaurants, especially Cafe Monarch and The Mission, are far less forgiving on a weekend evening without a reservation already in hand. Building a visit around one reserved dinner and leaving the rest of the day open for walk in stops tends to be the most realistic way to experience a real cross section of what Old Town has to offer in a single trip.
Everything covered here sits within a compact, walkable stretch of Old Town, roughly bounded by Main Street, the Arizona Canal, and Brown Avenue, so it is entirely realistic to walk between a brunch spot and a dinner reservation without needing to move a car in between. Weekend evenings bring real crowds across the whole district, so reservations are worth making in advance, particularly at The Mission and Cafe Monarch, rather than counting on a walk in table. For the rest of what Scottsdale has to offer beyond Old Town, see our full guide to restaurants in Scottsdale.
Frequently asked questions
ZuZu, inside the Hotel Valley Ho on Main Street, is one of the most reliable brunch spots in Old Town, known for its huevos rancheros and a lively, dog friendly patio.
Cafe Monarch is the top pick for anniversaries and milestone celebrations, with a seasonal tasting menu served in a dramatic, candlelit dining room, while Ocean 44 offers a more classic upscale option built around dry aged steaks.
Yes. Everything covered in this guide sits within a compact stretch of Old Town roughly bounded by Main Street, the Arizona Canal, and Brown Avenue, making it realistic to walk between a brunch stop and a dinner reservation.
Bootleggers Modern American Smokehouse and Kelly's at SouthBridge are both solid options for a relaxed group outing, offering smoked meats, burgers, and full bars in a laid back setting.
Roughly November through April is the best window for outdoor patio dining, since most restaurants are comfortable outside at nearly any hour during that stretch. Summer visits often mean patios shift to evening only hours.
Yes, particularly at popular spots like The Mission and Cafe Monarch, which get busy from Thursday through Saturday evenings and are not reliable for walk in seating during peak hours.
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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