Where to Eat & Drink Like a Local

Sometimes the best way to a city’s heart is through your stomach. Among our favorite things to do in a new destination, eating and drinking as the locals do rank at the top. It’s here — at mom-and-pop diners, funky bistros, glamorous restaurants, and suspicious holes-in-the-wall — where you truly get a sense for community and culture. Good food and great company, new experiences, and stepping out of your comfort zone to expand your palate and your mind — these are the pleasures we travel the world for. And, if you’re lucky, you may just find some of the best restaurants in town at your doorstep. 

Guests of Independent Collection Hotels & Resorts will find just that across our unique properties. Add these delicious restaurants to your list and join us on a culinary journey across America.

NORTHEAST

Boston

You know Boston for its freshly caught seafood, but this historic city has so much more to offer than clam chowder. Young, innovative chefs and a growing multicultural community have helped shape Boston’s food scene into an exciting fusion of international flavors. 

Take for example Para Maria, a new Latin-inspired restaurant at The Envoy Hotel in Boston’s Seaport District. Helmed by Chef Tatiana Rosana, a Cuban-American chef and two-time Chopped champion, Para Maria takes New England’s classic cuisine and shakes it up with a little sazón to create breakfast and dinner menus perfect for sharing. Go for the orzo paella de mariscos with shrimp, mussels, and calamari, or try something different, like Cuban-style braised cauliflower with mojo criollo and smashed black beans. Don’t forget a side of crunchy tostones, a special dish that — like the restaurant’s name — pays homage to Chef Tatiana’s grandmother, Maria.

Try a little of everything Para Maria has to offer with the Para Maria Experience, offering hotel guests a $30 per night food and beverage credit.

SOUTHWEST

El Paso

While it may not be known for its barbeque, El Paso delivers all of the heat and flavor you’d expect from Texas, with even more Mexican flair. See what the hype is about at Ámbar Restaurante, an unexpected gem of wood-fired Mexican cuisine located in The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park. Here, Michelin-starred chef Andres Padilla cooks up adventurous dishes like mezcal-cured foie gras, along with classics like mole poblano duck and tortilla soup. Meat lovers, don’t worry, there are plenty of cuts to satisfy your cravings: a 50 oz. tomahawk, half-pound prime beef burger, and an epic carnitas platter to share (or not), just to name a few. Wash it all down with your choice of tequila or agave from Ámbar’s massive 800-spirit collection, the biggest of its kind in all of North America! 

Get a taste of El Paso’s best with this exclusive dining offer by The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park. Receive a $30 dining credit for each night of your stay to use at Ámbar Restaurante and La Perla rooftop bar.

WEST COAST

Monterey Bay

Seafood lovers, this one’s for you. If briny oysters, garlicky clams, and hunks of ahi tuna sound like your idea of a good time, head west to Central California and settle into Salt Wood, a delightful, waterfront oyster bar and live-fire restaurant at The Sanctuary Beach Resort. 

King salmon, dungeness crab mac ‘n’ cheese, grilled octopus…Whatever freshly-caught fish you’re in the mood for, you’re likely to find it at Salt Wood. Best of all, this neighborhood spot is big on locally-sourced ingredients, meaning your exquisite meal directly supports the farms, fisheries, and purveyors of Monterey Bay and beyond. To complement its Cali-driven menu, Salt Wood also offers an extensive wine list and beer selection from the state’s best vineyards and craft breweries.

Indulge your palate in a unique blend of fresh local fare from Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette with the Stay & Savor special offer, including a $30 per day dining credit.

SOUTH

Miami

A true cultural melting pot, Miami is famous for its Latin American and Caribbean influence, fun-loving locals, and exotic natural landscapes. Perhaps the most perfect, and delicious, embodiment of Miami’s spirit is Mamey, a tropical-inspired eatery located at THesis Hotel. 

Mamey is helmed by Chef Niven Patel, an Indian-American chef, Florida native, and James Beard nominee recently named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs”. While the menu pulls inspiration from Chef Niven’s travels through Central America, the Caribbean, Asia and Polynesia, its ingredients are sourced much closer to home. In fact, Chef Patel supplies Mamey with fresh, seasonal produce directly from his local farm just 40 minutes away! Taste the farm-to-table difference in Bahamian conch fritters and Jamaican-inspired pork belly with crispy maduros, and save room for plates like lemongrass-glazed grouper with bamboo rice and Thai curry. 

Once you’ve experienced Chef Niven’s unique cuisine, you’ll definitely want seconds. Luckily you won’t have to travel far to get them. The award-winning chef’s latest restaurant, Orno, is just around the corner in THesis Hotel! At this New American restaurant, Orno harnesses the art of wood-fire cooking to transform simple ingredients into dynamic, flavorful dishes. Try the roasted baby artichokes with Florida grapefruit, cut into tender Wagyu bavette with a cilantro-pineapple salsa verde, or share the whole grilled branzino with fennel sofrito.

Enjoy a fresh wake-up each morning with daily breakfast from the island-minded Mamey at THesis Hotel Miami.

Miami Beach

In addition to Latin American influence, the city of Miami Beach has visible ties to European culture, like Art Deco architecture and taking pleasure in long, unhurried meals with loved ones. Get a taste of both at Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club, an oceanfront resort housed in a historic Art Deco building with coastal European charm. At the hotel’s Italian trattoria, Donna Mare, locals and travelers mingle over traditional Neapolitan pizza, handmade pasta, and many bottles of Italian wine, including 10 varieties of rosé, altogether transporting your palette to summer in the Riviera.

Receive a private poolside cabana stocked with your choice of sips and snacks with our Cabana & Cocktails offer. Snack on your choice of two tasty appetizers, fresh fruit, and a selection of beverages including a fridge stocked with soda, water, and beer plus your choice of mimosas, bellinis, or prosecco.

Hungry for more? Explore all of our one-of-a-kind hotels and resorts, and start planning your foodie vacation!