Martha Stewart’s name is often associated with excellent hosting. Yet when she’s not teaching the world the art of successfully entertaining guests, presiding over her own restaurants, or bantering with Snoop Dogg, she spends a fair amount of time exploring the world’s fine dining options.

Fortunately for anyone looking to follow in her footsteps, she’s expressed admiration for her favorite places to eat many times across many different interviews, often getting quite specific about what, exactly, she relishes at each one. Stewart lives in New York, so naturally many—but not all—of these places are located in the Big Apple. 

If you’ve been seeking a new place to eat or are curious about where the queen of hospitality herself likes to dine, here’s a list of some of Stewart’s favorite restaurants across the U.S.

1. The Inn at Little Washington – Washington, Virginia
2. Elio’s – New York, New York
3. La Mercerie – New York, New York
4. Perry Street – New York, New York
5. Sushi Yasuda – New York, New York
6.  abcV – New York, New York
7. Le Bilboquet – Palm Beach, Florida

The Inn at Little Washington – Washington, Virginia

Chef Patrick O’Connell opened the restaurant The Inn at Little Washington in a rented garage in Virginia in 1978. The eatery quickly garnered rave reviews and has received numerous accolades over the years. It even has the distinction of spending over three decades as a five-star restaurant in Forbes Travel Guide—making it the longest-running establishment to hold that honor. 

O’Connell uses locally sourced, seasonal foods and sustainable practices to craft a diverse array of dishes, from herb-crusted Elysian Fields baby lamb loin carpaccio to pan-seared diver scallops flavored with passionfruit and ginger. Clearly, his artistry has impressed Stewart over the years, so much so that she called the spot “my favorite, favorite place to dine” in a video tribute shared on O’Connell’s 80th birthday in 2025, per Forbes.

Elio’s – New York, New York

This New York City staple opened in 1981 and serves classic Italian fare, including soft shell crabs and lasagne bolognese, both of which Stewart mentioned in a 2024 blog post that paid tribute to this spot. “I’ve been dining at New York City’s Elio’s for 35-years,” Stewart wrote in response to a question asking if she had a favorite neighborhood haunt. “In fact, it was where I had my first date after my divorce in 1989,” she continued. She also extolled the establishment’s frozen martinis, friendly waiters, and old-school charm.

La Mercerie – New York, New York

French cuisine is widely renowned around the world for its specificity and artistry, so it’s no surprise that a restaurant specializing in this kind of culinary art appears on this list. Stewart is apparently a regular at La Mercerie, a French restaurant and bakery hidden in a furniture store in New York’s SoHo. The restaurant is helmed by executive chef Marie-Aude Rose, whose cooking blends classic French techniques with experimentation, and clearly, her work has won Stewart’s heart.

“We had the most delicious meal, which included phyllo-wrapped shrimp with seaweed and caviar, French onion soup, gratin dauphinois, sole meunière, filet of duck served in a cherry sauce, bœuf bourguignon, and a variety of the most delectable desserts,” Stewart wrote on her blog in 2025. “The next time you’re in New York City, please try La Mercerie—you’ll love every bite!” 

Perry Street – New York, New York

In a 2018 New York Post article about her perfect New York City day, Stewart listed the West Village fusion restaurant Perry Street as one of her favorite places to eat. Led by acclaimed restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten and his son Cedric Vongerichten, this restaurant blends skyscraper views of the Hudson River with a mix of French, Asian, and American flavors, per its website. 

Sushi Yasuda – New York, New York

Stewart has often spoken about her love for sushi, and in the same New York Post article, she cited the midtown hotspot Sushi Yasuda as her “go-to” spot for an evening roll or two. In a 2017 interview with The Cut, she revealed that when in New York City, she pays weekly visits to either Sushi Yasuda or Kurumazushi, another popular midtown sushi spot serving up fresh raw fish in an elegantly minimalist setting. She’s also extensively praised Masa, another high-end New York sushi restaurant.

 abcV – New York, New York

When she’s seeking out a meat-free meal in New York, Stewart often stops at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s abcV, a vegetarian restaurant near Union Square. “Oh, I love abcV, the new vegetarian restaurant by Jean-Georges,” she told The Cut in 2017. She also shared a photo of the spot’s vegetarian beet salad on her Instagram that year.

Le Bilboquet – Palm Beach, Florida

For a short time during the pandemic, Stewart was trapped in Palm Beach, Florida—so naturally, she sought out some high-quality outdoor dining. What she found was Le Bilboquet, an elegant French bistro with several locations across the United States. “One of nine restaurants worldwide, this excellent fancy bistro serves classic French cuisine of high quality…It was so nice to eat outside under the stars and palm trees,” Stewart wrote in a 2022 Instagram post extolling the location, adding that it served the “best sole meunière I have had in a long time!!!”

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