Where to Eat & Drink in Sedona: Elote Cafe, Mariposa, Creekside Patios & the Page Springs Wine Trail

For a town of 10,000 residents, Sedona is one of the most sought-after dining destinations in the Southwest. Because visitors want an outdoor red-rock patio table around sunset, book Sedona's top four dinner tables 30 to 60 days in advance, or use the walk-in lunch and bar tips below.

1. The 'Big Five' Restaurants in Sedona

1. Elote Cafe (350 Jordan Rd, Uptown, Book 60 Days Ahead on Resy): Chef Jeff Smedstad's modern Mexican and Southwestern kitchen. Every table starts with the signature Elote starter (fire-roasted sweet corn with spicy mayo, lime and cotija cheese) followed by smoked pork cheeks, lamb adobo or duck carnitas. Without a reservation, arrive shortly before evening opening for a first-come bar seat, or order the Elote starter to take away.
2. Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill (700 W State Route 89A): Chef Lisa Dahl's cliff-top restaurant between Uptown and West Sedona with glass walls and fire-pit patios facing Snoopy Rock, serving wood-fired Argentine steaks and empanadas.
3. The Hudson (At Hillside Sedona) & Mole: elevated American comfort food on a sweeping view deck at The Hudson, where walking in for lunch is much easier than dinner.
4. Hideaway House (231 SR-179) & Cress on Oak Creek (At L'Auberge): casual Hideaway House serves roasted-peach-and-caramelised-bacon pizza on three view decks, while Cress on Oak Creek sets tables right beside rushing Oak Creek beneath giant sycamores.
5. Casual Tacos, Coffee & Breakfast: try handmade tacos at Tortas de Fuego, morning espresso and garden seating at Indian Gardens Cafe & Market four miles up Oak Creek Canyon, or croissants at Layla's Bakery-Cafe.

2. The Page Springs Wine Trail (15 Mins South, 4 Creekside Wineries)

Turn off Highway 89A onto Page Springs Road in Cornville to visit four side-by-side boutique wineries along lower Oak Creek: Page Springs Cellars (creekside deck with Rhone-style wine flights and flatbreads), DA Ranch Estate Vineyards (a historic log ranch house with tyre swings over a pond), Oak Creek Vineyards and Javelina Leap Vineyard.