Reno, NV

Chef Mark Estee's downtown butcher-shop-and-wine-bar hybrid — meats broken down in-house, a wood-fired oven, a 200-bottle wine list, and a charcuterie program that put Reno on the cooking-magazine map. The dinner reservation that matters downtown.

Chef Bill Gilbert's intimate French bistro on the Truckee Riverwalk — coq au vin, truffle filet, a coffee crème brûlée, and the regional 'Best French' award for over a decade running. Twenty-seven seats, white tablecloths, a wine list that earns its menu.

A 1937 hole-in-the-wall Italian on East 4th Street between Reno and Sparks — handmade ravioli, hand-rolled meatballs, individually-baked pizzas, and a red-and-white checkered dining room that has not been updated since the Truman administration. The town's oldest restaurant.

A 1967 family-style Basque restaurant on East 4th — communal long tables, fixed-price multi-course dinners (soup, salad, beans, pasta, your pick of meat, dessert), and the Picon Punch cocktail that's a Reno-Basque artifact. Order the steak or the lamb or the oxtails; nothing is small.

A Korean-fusion room in Midtown that ranked in Yelp's national Top 100 — bulgogi, bibimbap, an excellent KFC (Korean fried chicken), and an unexpectedly serious craft-cocktail list. Bookings open thirty days out and the Saturday slots vanish in hours.

A Midtown brunch room consistently ranked Reno's top breakfast — creative pancakes (apple pie, churro, sweet potato), Benedicts, breakfast cocktails, and a back patio that books up the entire morning. The standing weekend breakfast.

The 1990 South Sierra breakfast diner that became a small Reno institution — Glorified breakfast plates (Peg's signature concept where eggs come with everything), homemade salsa, fresh-squeezed juice, and friendly counter service. The straightforward weekday breakfast.

A Midtown all-day cafe doing healthy-leaning breakfast, lunch, and dinner — vegan and gluten-free menus that are not afterthoughts, espresso pulled from a local roaster, beer and wine, and a sun-warmed patio. The standing daytime stop for everyone in Midtown.

A 1916 Craftsman house converted into a pub-and-grill-yard concept — bring your own meat to grill on the outdoor community grills, or order from a short menu, with 28 craft taps to wash it down. The most Reno experience in Reno: the BYOM patio.

A 1920s river-rock house converted into a daytime-and-dinner cafe on South Arlington — broad menu of breakfast plates, lunch sandwiches, small plates, and seasonal mains, with one of the most photogenic garden patios in town. Under new ownership since March 2026.

Reno's local roaster with three cafes — the Riverside Drive flagship on the Truckee Riverwalk is the one — pour-overs, espresso, a small pastry case, and a riverside patio that's the morning meeting place for everyone working downtown. The town's local coffee.

A 2007 contemporary American room on the south side of the Truckee Riverwalk — broad menu, expansive patio with live music in summer, a full bar program, and the most-reliable downtown dinner. Pet-friendly patio is one of the city's best.

A 1922 college-town bar near UNR — the Pack's standing tradition, an extensive beer list (30+ taps), pub grub, and a back patio that fills with students on football Saturdays. Not a destination dinner; the right way to see Reno's other side.

A Midtown soup-and-sandwich specialist since 2007 — six-to-eight house-made soups daily, scratch sandwiches, salads, and a daily-changing chalkboard menu that works for lunch or a casual dinner. Counter service, small dining room.

A local Reno coffee roaster with cafes on the UNR campus side and downtown — espresso pulled from house-roasted beans, a serious pour-over program, house-made gelato, breakfast sandwiches and pastries. The functional alternative when Hub is a long walk.

A 2010 New York-style pizzeria on South Center in Midtown — East Coast pies by the slice or whole, wood-fired oven, an award-winning Burg-style wing menu, and craft beer. The casual neighborhood pizza dinner.

A 1984 family-owned Mexican on Mill Street — Northern Mexican (Chihuahua region) recipes, fresh-made flour tortillas, carnitas, chile rellenos, and a breakfast service that pulls a separate locals crowd. Second-generation ownership, same recipes.

A handmade scoop shop with rotating original flavors — mint chip from fresh mint, salted butterscotch, maple-bacon — and a base recipe that uses local cream. Now in South Reno at Lakeside Drive; the original downtown location closed in early 2026.

A Midtown modern-Italian dinner spot with a Tuscan-leaning menu — house-made pastas, wood-fired pizzas, a tight wine list, and dinner-only service four nights a week. The smaller, more focused Italian dinner.

A 6-mile out-and-back hike west of Reno climbing a granite canyon to a 30-foot waterfall — the most popular waterfall hike in the city, with creek crossings, conifer shade, and a rocky payoff that earns the moderate climb. The standard Reno hike.

A 1,500-acre park where Mount Rose Highway begins to climb — a network of family-friendly trails (the Jones Creek Loop is the standard 3-mile route), high-elevation conifer forest, and a visitor center that runs free naturalist talks. The afternoon trail when Hunter Creek is too long.

A 56-acre historical ranch park south of Reno with a 1.5-mile ranch-loop trail, equestrian facilities, a covered bridge, and shade. The walk-the-dog trail when you want easy and short.

A 116-mile multi-use trail following the Truckee River from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake — sections through Reno are flat paved or hard-packed dirt, with the downtown stretch the most heavily used. Pick a section; the trail does not require commitment.

A 10.5-mile out-and-back from the Mount Rose Summit trailhead to the 10,776-foot peak — Reno's highest accessible summit, with 360-degree views of Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake, and the Carson Valley. A real hike with real altitude.

A 4-mile loop in the Mt Rose Wilderness foothills — pine forest, a small waterfall, manageable elevation, and almost no traffic compared to Hunter Creek. The locals' alternative.

A 7.4-mile out-and-back from the Thomas Creek trailhead in Galena Forest — climbs through aspen groves and conifer ridges, with the upper meadow at mile 3.7 a popular turnaround. The harder version of the south-Reno trail system.

A historic 1879 irrigation-ditch path that runs along the foothills above Reno — flat, dirt, with views over the city, the kind of trail you can pick up almost anywhere on the western edge of town and walk for as long as you want. The locals' running trail.

A 12-mile paved bike-and-pedestrian path running through downtown Reno from Mayberry Park to Sparks — flat, kid-friendly, and the easiest way to see the city from the river. Pick a section.

A 9-mile out-and-back climb up Peavine Mountain on Reno's north edge — gravel road for the first three miles, then a steeper ridge to the 8,266-foot summit. The view from Peavine is the only one that puts downtown, Sparks, and Mt. Rose all in one frame.

The 2003 Will Bruder-designed museum on West Liberty Street — California and Great Basin contemporary collection, rotating shows that pull from MoMA and SFMOMA on loan, and a rooftop sculpture deck with the best free view of downtown. The serious museum.

The collection of 200 cars from the William F. Harrah estate — original 1907 Thomas Flyer that won the New York-to-Paris race, hot rods, classic Cadillacs, and one of the largest collections of pre-1940 automobiles in the country. The two-hour stop that's actually engaging.

The world's only purpose-built tournament bowling venue — 78 lanes, an 80-foot bowling-ball dome facade, and tours that take you behind the scenes when major USBC tournaments aren't in session. The kitschy Reno landmark.

Reno Aces home park, Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks — 9,000-seat stadium on the south side of the Truckee River, with cheap tickets, ballpark food, fireworks Friday nights, and a craft-beer program that rivals most majors. The local sports outing.

A 67,000-square-foot interactive children's-and-family museum in downtown — earthquake-shake table, climbing wall, water-play studio, planetarium, and a rotating special exhibition. The rainy-day kid plan and the most-bang-for-the-buck downtown stop with children.

A small natural-history museum, arboretum, and historic ranch-house complex inside Rancho San Rafael Park — the late Wilbur May's collection of African and Asian travel acquisitions, a great-Reno-balloon-race exhibit, and an open-air playground for kids. Free with park admission.

A community-theater stage running plays year-round in a converted East Pueblo Street building — original works by Nevada playwrights, classic American plays, and a 200-seat black-box space that's intimate enough to feel like off-Broadway. Tickets are cheap, the productions are surprisingly polished.

The 1926 'Biggest Little City in the World' arch spanning Virginia Street in the heart of downtown — rebuilt in 1987 with the current LED-lit design, photographed by everyone who passes through, and the standing identifier of Reno. Walk under it once each visit.

A man-made whitewater course in Wingfield Park downtown where the Truckee River runs through a series of constructed drops and waves — used by kayakers, tubers, and dog-walkers, with grass parks on both sides for sitting and watching. The free downtown amphitheater of summer.

A small downtown river island with a band shell and grass amphitheater — free summer concerts and movies in the park, a footbridge to the West Street Market, and the river running on both sides. The downtown breathing-room space.

Reno's 50-acre Olmsted-designed riverside park on the west side of downtown — rose garden, duck pond, picnic groves, the kid-with-energy outlet that gets you out of the casino blocks. The locals' version of Reno's outdoor living room.

Reno's flagship university and the architectural counterpoint to the casino strip — Mackay Quadrangle anchored by the Mackay School of Mines building, original 1874 brickwork, and a campus you can walk in 45 minutes. The free quiet hour in town.

The 1500-seat 1967 geodesic-dome theater downtown — Broadway touring shows, the Reno Phil, ballet, and one of the strangest mid-century theater buildings in the West. The dome is half the experience.

The 595-acre regional park on the city's north edge — May Arboretum, the Wilbur D. May Museum, the Great Reno Balloon Race takeoff field, and twelve miles of trails through high-desert hillsides. The biggest urban park in Reno.

A 70,000-square-foot maker-space and art-build complex at the Oddie District in Sparks — Burning Man art-car projects, sculpture welding, weekly open-shop nights, and a constantly-rotating gallery that's the closest thing Reno has to a contemporary-art studio district. Public walk-through during open hours.