Sofra at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples was named one of the 10 best hotel restaurants by USA TODAY
Winners, winners, delicious dinners: USA TODAY has announced the 10 best hotel restaurants in the country and one in Naples took sixth place.
USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards have announced the winners of America’s best hotel amenities. Categories include spas, eco-friendliness, bars, swimming pools—and ta-da!—on-site restaurants.
While some renowned hotel restaurants (think Inn at Little Washington and Blackberry Farm) are The Both destinations have added adjoining rooms, but neither made USA Today’s 2024 list, released August 21.
And considering how many luxury hotels there are in our country, it is an understatement to call this category extremely competitive.
Consider this an opportunity to live like you’re on vacation, only without staying overnight, as you visit the only hotel restaurant to receive Florida’s Best Hotel Restaurant award.
Drum roll, please
On a scale of 1 to 10, Sofra of the Ritz-Carlton, Naples ranked sixth.
The Eastern Mediterranean, vegetable-focused cuisine offers shareable dishes with an emphasis on dishes from Greece, Turkey, Lebanon and Israel.
The official Top 10Best winners in order:
- Chez Philippe at The Peabody in Memphis, Tennessee
- Kuro at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey
- The Tree Room at Sundance Mountain Resort, Sundance, Utah
- The main dining room of the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York
- King Brasserie & Bar at the Kimpton Hotel Fontenot in New Orleans
- SOFRA Restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples
- La Mer at Halekulani in Honolulu
- Shanghai Terrace at The Peninsula in Chicago
- MDRD at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Frannie & The Fox at Emeline’s in Charleston, South Carolina
More: Find out what makes these hotel restaurants so great
An authentic experience
Sofra’s head chef Ertugrul “Ertu” Filiz grew up in Turkey, where he also attended culinary school. His CV is peppered with stints at the ultra-exclusive Mandarin Oriental hotel group, starting in his home country and followed by stints in Qatar, Hong Kong and Dubai.
Upon his return to Turkey, he joined Marriott Luxury Brands properties to work at Bodrum EDITION, whose Michelin-starred restaurant Kitchen Bodrum.
Filiz’s next stop: The Ritz-Carlton in Naples to design and launch Sofra in 2022.
Why the locals love it
The resort’s more popular restaurants, Grill Room, Dusk and Gumbo Limbo, are popular with locals year-round. Still, in July, when the Ritz-Carlton’s two Naples resorts introduced their “Dining Passport” dinner specials that included dinner at Sofra, this reporter heard from readers (many who live near the hotel) who were visiting the property for the first time.
Your feedback? More than just flattering.
One tip: Before you pick up the phone or make a reservation on OpenTable in the next few weeks—you’ll probably need one—note that Sofra is currently only offering its lunch menu, and dinner service won’t resume until October.
By category: USA TODAY’s Top 10 Hotel Amenities Winners
Sofra at the Ritz-Carlton: What you should know
address: 280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, North Naples
Call: 239-598-3300
website: sofranaples.com
Current opening hours: 11am to 6pm
