This time last year, I waxed poetic about Oklahoma City playing in the big leagues; about all the promising developments taking shape in our city, and all the cultural successes along the way. This year, those visions have never been more true. Fresh off an NBA Championship win for the OKC Thunder, catapulting our fair city into the international spotlight like never before, we sealed a deal with Los Angeles to host events during the 2028 Olympics. All the while, our restaurants, chefs and bars received more semifinalist nods from the James Beard Awards than ever before, and annual visitation reached a staggering 24.5 million, generating $2.8 billion in direct visitor spending. With the Route 66 Centennial next year, and all eyes on the Mother Road that passes through OKC, that momentum is only going to boom.
In the meantime, as we await exciting new openings from chef Kevin Lee and the folks at Nonesuch, and national publications continue to shower acclaim upon our dining scene, we’re looking back at the best new restaurants that played a role in OKC’s cultural growth over the past year. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, there truly has never been a better time to dine in OKC. It’s a sentiment I share every year, and on an evergreen basis nowadays, but it’s one I hear from locals and outsiders alike. Every time friends visit from other cities, or my Oklahoman sister-in-law comes back from New England, they’re awed by the growth and the change. Restaurants have always played major roles in a city’s evolution, and this year’s crop of newcomers continues the tradition. Here are the Best New Restaurants of 2025.
Elisabetta
7300 N. Western Ave.
Italian restaurants have not been in short supply around here, but 2025 was the year that one of OKC’s savviest restaurateurs found a way to make her mark. Courtesy of 84 Hospitality and CEO Rachel Cope, Elisabetta is a decidedly more glamorous chapter for a company known for pizza, burgers and ramen. Nestled in Nichols Hills, the restaurant has a natural swagger to it, from raw brass accents to polished walnut paneling, and a moody atmosphere that Cope aspired to. All the while, it’s undeniably comfy, convivial and scene-y, without being pretentious. The result is a space that feels wholly distinct, worthy of an anniversary dinner or a casual snack at the bar—both of which I’ve done. The wine list casts a global net, offering some pleasant surprises like Slovenian Chardonnay, while cocktails, like the Olive Oil Washed Martini, are out to glamorize the classics. Food-wise, you’ll find stunning starters, like citrusy yellowtail carpaccio and snow crab claws with drawn butter and fennel pollen, along with elegant pastas (e.g. lobster tortelloni with tarragon butter sauce) and show-stopping entrees (e.g. braised short rib with pistachio gremolata and broccolini).
Bar Sen
1630 N. Blackwelder Ave.
It seems that, each year, one or two new restaurants capture lightning in a bottle by dazzling local diners, out-of-towners and national critics alike. BAR SEN, a new Laotian noodle concept in the Plaza District from acclaimed chef Jeff Chanchaleune, was this year’s shining beacon. It’s a homespun, heartfelt restaurant—located right next door to Chanchaleune’s Ma Der Lao Kitchen—that’s focused on the humblest of dishes: chicken noodle soup. That soup, Laotian Khao Piek Sen, laid the foundation for a menu of housemade rice noodle soups unlike anything OKC has ever slurped. Inspired by the soup Chanchaleune grew up eating, the Khao Piek Sen boasts a rich, viscous broth, topped with poached chicken, fried shallots, garlic oil, Chinese celery and quail eggs. There are other soups on the menu, including a red curry vermicelli and spicy pork noodles, along with shareable bites like a spicy cucumber salad and scallop crudo, and cocktails like a Frozen Curry Coffee—all served up in a space so cozy and sincere that it’s decorated with baby pictures of family, friends and employees. In short, there’s a lot to love about BAR SEN.
AKAI
1801 Wheeler St.
OKC has experienced quite a surge in Japanese restaurants lately, and riding that wave is the most exciting sushi spot we’ve possibly ever seen. AKAI technically opened in the Wheeler District in late 2024—too late to make it on last year’s Best New Restaurants list, so it would be a real oversight not to sing its praises here. Because, unlike anything else in town, this is the kind of place that breaks down coveted bluefin tuna behind the sushi bar; it’s the kind of place with a hidden omakase room; and it’s the kind of place that sources the best fish and seafood for maki, nigiri and sashimi that can best be described as edible art. The menu boasts starters, entrees and a section dedicated to Wagyu beef, but the star of the show is the sushi. Something as simple as otoro nigiri, extra fatty bluefin belly draped over a mound of sticky rice, is euphoric. And something as complex as the Bayou’d Salmon roll—with blackened salmon and jumbo lump crab layered with asparagus, black tobiko, crispy onion and lemon slices—is just as revelatory. AKAI is also one of the few Japanese restaurants in OKC to offer omakases (chef’s choice tasting menus), with decor, including 500 sake cups displayed across a wall, that really sets the scene.
Lorena
1207 N. Walker Ave.
On a recent date night, my husband and I shared a meal at Lorena, the new Southern-inspired restaurant from Lori Burson, the owner of adjoining Stella Modern Italian. We’ve long been big fans of Stella, which has been a Midtown mainstay for a decade and a half, and where we spend most Sunday dinners, huddled over a shared flatbread by the wood-burning oven. So when Burson took over the 1492 New World Latin Cuisine space next door, we were excited, to put it mildly. And when we learned she was focusing on Southern flavors for her first new restaurant in 15 years, the anticipation only grew. The meal we shared at Lorena, from the golden-brown feast of fried chicken to the picnic-worthy sampler of fried green tomatoes, deviled eggs and pimento cheese, was among the best food I’ve had since moving to OKC, Southern or otherwise. It’s a testament to chef Cally Johnson and her diligent sourcing of the best Southern ingredients, as well as to Burson and to a team of professionals who understand the heart and soul of hospitality. The decor is just as sincere as the food—look for vintage cookbooks and hand-drawn recipes, which will make you feel right at home too.
Later Bye
301 NW 13th St.
Late last year, we said hello to Later Bye, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cocktail bar in Midtown. While nondescript from the outside, the bar—from the folks behind Palo Santo—instantly positioned itself as one of the best cocktail spots in OKC. When I first visited, I felt like I was back in Chicago, or in New York. While understated, there’s something effortlessly cool about the intimate nook of a space—a sentiment bolstered by the talented mixologists behind the bar, whipping up some of the most impressive drinks in town. The lengthy list of possibilities runs the gamut from vermouth-splashed Tomato Tonics and pandan-infused Daiquiris to a French 75 with green tea shochu and fermented honey, and in my opinion, the best martinis in the city. And in case you were wondering how a cocktail bar made its way to our Best New Restaurants list, there’s a full food menu, heavily influenced by Spain, that truly raises the bar on “bar food.”
KIRú
308 NW 10th St.
One of the most distinctive openings of 2025 emerged in a rather unexpected locale, within The Collective food hall in Midtown. Here, chef Gustavo Chang Risi, aka “the Sushi Goose,” set up shop with KIRú, a concept that blends Japanese and Peruvian flavors for what’s known as Nikkei-style cuisine. That blending yields fresh, vibrant dishes, such as colorful maki rolls, ceviches and tiraditos (a sashimi-like Peruvian presentation, made with thinly-sliced raw fish, often in citrusy sauces). It’s a natural evolution for a chef born to Chinese and Italian parents and raised in Peru, before getting into sushi in Miami, then moving to Oklahoma to become a private sushi chef. KIRú marks an exciting new chapter for one of the city’s most promising young talents, serving up high-end fare—like Ceviche Nikkei with tuna, ponzu, cucumber, avocado, shallots, nori and sesame—in an accessible setting.
Osteria Italian-American Diner
1704 NW 16th St.
2025 has been a big year for the Plaza District, including the rather unexpected arrival of one of OKC’s most esteemed chefs. After operating Osteria in Nichols Hills, chef/owner Jonathon Stranger pivoted by closing down, re-orienting his Italian menu to be more Italian-American and swapping neighborhoods. The result? A breath of fresh, basil-scented air in the former Aurora location, where Osteria Italian-American Diner began its new era. The menu is as fun as the brick-lined space, where red-and-white checkered tablecloths come heaped with fried mozzarella, sausage-stuffed mushrooms, linguini with clams, meatball subs and chicken parmesan. Accented with a lineup of specialty cocktails and Italian wines, it’s an Italian restaurant that hits all the classic high notes, but has fun while doing so.
The Crain Lounge & Kitchen
12220 N. MacArthur Blvd.
Sometimes, the biggest successes are those that seem the simplest. The Crain Lounge & Kitchen, which opened earlier this year in Oak Grove Plaza, didn’t set out for accolades or attention, but rather to fill a neighborhood niche, and cook good food for locals. It turns out, when you’re as earnest as The Crain, you can do both. Warm, inviting and relaxed, it’s the kind of neighborhood cornerstone that anyone would yearn for, regardless of your zip code—from the something-for-everyone menu to group-friendly booths and a date night-worthy lounge festooned with stylish cowboy hats. The restaurant hails from Ross Crain, whose decades of hospitality experience working at Hal Smith Restaurants is evident in every nook and cranny of the concept. The food menu clocks its share of pleasant surprises, like prime rib sliders with au jus, and hand-cut pork chops with jalapeño jam, while the drink list offers everything from Frozen Club Specials to a S’mores Old Fashioned.
Jack Rabbit Gastro Pub
639 First Americans Blvd.
Among the biggest news in dining this year has been the literal rise of OKANA along the Oklahoma River. And along with an 11-story, 404-room resort with a waterpark, the $400 million complex boasts a dizzying array of dining outlets. From barbecue to barbacoa, you can’t go wrong, but our favorite is Jack Rabbit Gastro Pub, an unassuming bar and restaurant with one of the best skyline views in town, and a menu to match. Elevated comfort food is the crowd-pleasing bill of fare, and the kitchen does a dexterous job with eclectic offerings, from French onion soup and buffalo chili to Reuben sandwiches, fish & chips and glistening rotisserie chicken basted in bourbon butter. The cocktails, like an Earl Grey Old Fashioned, pair perfectly with the spread—especially when synced with a sunset over the skyline.
Takaramono
1732 NW 16th St.
The trendy buzz in 2025 for both the Plaza District and Japanese cuisine converges at Takaramono. Located in the cavernous former Oak & Ore space, the restaurant is a dark, cozy and lively izakaya, a Japanese pub marked by shareable skewers, sushi, Japanese beer and sake. There’s a raw bar slinging sashimi and carpaccio, along with a full slate of sushi rolls, buttery Wagyu skewers, miso cod and “K.F.C.,” aka Korean fried cauliflower. Among other shareable dishes, and a full bar of sake-soaked cocktails and ice-cold beer, Takaramono is a real vibe—and the kind of place that speaks to this exciting moment in OKC dining.
