Sometimes it’s nice to ditch the jeans and T-shirt and head out to eat somewhere a little fancier. We round up the best places from around the US where it’s worth blowing the paycheck for a meal you won’t forget.

This long-standing Birmingham staple tops numerous best Alabama restaurant lists and scores a highly-coveted 5 bubbles on TripAdvisor. And for good reason too. The food is quintessentially French, but head chef Frank Stitt can’t help but let his Southern roots creep in. On the menu you’re just as likely to find poulet rouge as you are steak with rattlesnake beans and mac & cheese, and it will set you back around $170-$200 for two.

With such stunning surroundings it’s not surprising that Alaska’s best restaurant also has one of the best views. Located at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, the eatery offers jaw-dropping views of Denali and the Alaska Range while serving up mouth-watering seafood dishes. A meal for two will cost around $200 (depending on what you choose), but it was named as one of the best restaurants by Alaska.org and scores a well-earned 4 bubble rating on TripAdvisor.

“Kai”, which means ‘seed’ in the Pima language, is the only AAA Five Diamond restaurant in Arizona and has also been named one of OpenTable’s top 10 restaurants in America. Dining at this native American restaurant won’t be cheap, though. Even the handpicked lettuces are priced at 18 bucks. But it is certainly an experience to be had. If you choose to embark on the tasting menu journey, you’ll be able to feast on the likes of escargot, grilled tenderloin of tribal buffalo and dusted hebi for $22

You’ll find a similarly-priced menu at James Beard Award semi-finalist One Eleven at the Capital Hotel, which serves up sophisticated, French-inspired American plates, ranging between $30 and $50. Alternatively, you can opt for the chef’s daily degustation menu, which serves up five courses for $79 per person.

Saison, which is French for season, scored the top spot for the second year in a row in OpinionatedAboutDining.com’s list of top American restaurants and has three Michelin stars to its name. You never know what to expect at the San Francisco eatery as the menu changes depending on what ingredients are on offer that day. But you’ll need to have deep pockets as a 15-course tasting menu will set you back $398.

At number 63 on OpinionatedAboutDining.com’s top 100 list is this Boulder eatery. Here, head chef Lachlan Mackinnin-Patterson celebrates the cuisine of Italy’s Friuli region by serving up mouth-watering hand-cut pasta and fresh fish dishes in a white tablecloth setting. A tasting menu here will cost $105.

As well as being consistently rated as one of the best restaurants in Connecticut for its food and service, ON20 was also named one of the 100 best scenic-view restaurants in the US by the OpenTable Diner’s Choice Awards. For around $170 for two, you can indulge in anything from butter poached lobster to rabbit wrapped in bacon.

Located in Rehoboth Beach, this eatery has been racking up James Beard Awards – the Oscars of the American culinary world – thanks to its innovative head chef Hari Cameron. Go a la carte or try the tasting menu that celebrates modern mid-Atlantic dining (with a price tag of $89). While the menu is ever-changing you’ll find dishes like cucumber sorbet with tomato jam, smoked sweetbread with shishito pepper and foie gras mousse with heirloom melon.

This Miami hotspot might be young but it’s proving it’s got what it takes to hang with the big kids at the culinary table by landing spot 83 on the OpinionatedAboutDining.com best restaurants list. It serves up a range of fresh and exciting dishes like grouper cheeks with black rice, shoyu hollandaise and sea lettuces as part of a tasting menu that will set you back $89 for seven-courses.

Featured among the top 40 restaurants in the US, according to Gayot, this Georgia restaurant is the epitome of posh in a setting steeped in art and history. The restaurant, with prices as rich as its culture, serves up dishes such as red snapper, harissa-rubbed venison loin and New Zealand lamb for anywhere between $37 and $50 – expect to pay around $200 for a meal for two.

Also featured among Gayot’s top 40 list is Chef Mavro in Honolulu, which prides itself on the ‘finest’ ingredients Hawaii has to offer and luxurious imported items, such as truffles and Japanese wagyu medallion. A four-course tasting menu will cost you $105, or $154 with wine pairings, per person.

Named by Conde Nast Traveler as a must-do in Idaho is an eatery that wouldn’t be out of place in France. Located in Boise, State & Lemp offers a modern and simple five-course prix fixe (fixed price) menu for $75-$105. Expect local produce, lovingly crafted into a fine dining experience, with dishes like stuffed squash blossoms and razor clams with fresh wasabi and celery. It has a 4.5 rating on TripAdvisor.

At Chicago eatery Alinea, food is more than just a meal, it’s a work of art. Ranked fourth on the OpinionatedAboutDining best restaurants list, diners must purchase a ticket in advance to experience head chef Grant Achatz’s molecular gastronomy, which will set you back $285 to $345 per person. While the menu is ever evolving, expect magic. Think flavored helium balloons, truffle explosions, vaporized ingredients and foams.

Owner and chef Greg Hardesty transformed this eatery from a prix-fixe menu to a revolving selection of artistic cuisine, including roasted oysters, locally-farmed meats and a selection of food from the raw bar. The wine list is short, but certainly pretty impressive. A meal for two averages at around $150.

You might not need your shirt and tie for this one, but this steakhouse is among the most expensive restaurants in Iowa, specializing in quality steaks priced up to $69 a pop, and served in a fine-dining setting.

Since opening in 2011 this restaurant in the Prairie Village Shopping Center has racked up the awards, including James Beard semi-finalist for Best Chef in the Midwest and Food & Wine magazine’s best new chef for 2014. Dining here it’s not hard to see why it’s proved so popular with a menu full of beautifully-presented eclectic dishes with French and Italian influences. The average three-course meal for two will set you back around $150.

While bluegrass and fine dining are usually found at opposite ends of the spectrum, here they live in perfect harmony thanks to award-winning chef and owner Edward Lee. Tucked into a quiet corner in the Old Louisville neighborhood, the intimate eatery offers up a mouth-watering and ever-changing prix fixe-only menu. Think bison, tempura-battered okra and cornbread. It has a 4.5 TripAdvisor rating and was recently named in Wine Enthusiast’s 100 best wine restaurants in America for 2016.

Forget po’boys, beignets and gumbo, this New Orleans eatery is taking Louisiana dining to the next level and is at number 45 on OpinionatedAboutDining’s best restaurants list. While it might be small in stature – it only has 17 counter seats – it’s big on magic. For an undisclosed price, diners are given a front row seat to see the chefs bring local and seasonal ingredients alive. Expect smoke and out of the ordinary creations like fried chicken-flavored cotton candy and pig head with squid.

If you’re in Maine, make sure you head to Portland for a meal at Hugo’s, which takes 37th spot on OpinionatedAboutDining’s top 100. Now in its third generation of ownership it serves up simple, wholesome food with an innovative twist. Diners can choose between three tasting menus: Foraged & Farmed, From the Sea and Forest & Field, all of which are priced at $90 a menu, or $22 per dish.

Former Top Chef contestant Bryan Voltaggio has converted an old mansion into Maryland’s best dining venue. But it’s not just the gorgeous surroundings that make this place so special. While there is the traditional a la carte menu to choose from for a real blowout treat try Table 21. Here, just eight guests enjoy a 21-course feast where Voltaggio and his team can let their creativity soar. It does come with a hefty price tag though – expect to pay $150 per head just for the food, and over $200 p

Despite being relatively new to the culinary scene, Menton in Boston has already managed to achieve the title of one of the best restaurants in the US in several magazines. Located in Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood, this eatery offers a seven-course tasting menu for $155 a person, as well as a four-course meal for $95.

Located in Detroit’s most iconic mansion, The Whitney is world famous for upscale dining. This Michigan restaurant was voted as one of the romantic restaurants in the US by Gayot, and it’s easy to see why. Set among grand 1980s architecture, diners can indulge in dishes such as roasted swordfish, grilled baby lamb chops and filet mignon. Expect to pay a premium for it though: the average main dish will set you back around $40, with ‘on the bone’ dishes priced at up to $79 each.

Piccolo prides itself on putting seasonal and creative ahead of safe and familiar and that certainly rings true when looking at its latest menu. There’s scrambled brown eggs with pickled pig’s feet and truffle butter, and fava bean tart with fennel jam and shaved radish. And for dessert there’s foie gras mousse with maple ice cream and toasted brioche. The Minneapolis eatery, which has 4.5 bubbles on TripAdvisor, will set you back around $200 for two.

Calling all seafood lovers, this place is for you. The Chimneys brings fine dining to the Mississippi coast with a ton of delicious seafood creations like creole pasta, stuffed flounder, fried oysters and lobster tail. Still not convinced? The Culture Trip named it as one the best eateries in the state and it has a TripAdvisor rating of 4.5. A meal for two here will cost around $130.

A 2015 James Beard Outstanding Restaurant semi-finalist, Bluestem is renowned for both its delicious and innovative food. You can choose from a three-, five-, or ten-course tasting menu, which are priced between $110 and $200 with wine pairings and include delicacies such as aged Peking duck, ricotta pasta with braised rabbit and foie gras with pumpkin and espresso.

Located in Helena, this fine Italian restaurant isn’t your regular pizza and pasta haunt. On the menu you’ll find pasta dishes such as seared scallops and white shrimp risotto, as well as entrees such as Alaskan Coho salmon. The average main course costs around $30, so prepare for a check of over $100 for two.

This Omaha eatery is all about farm-to-table dining and as such became the first Green Restaurant Association four-star Stustainabuild restaurant in the US. The restaurant’s passion for the environment flows from kitchen to table, where mouth-watering dishes like mushroom ragout, oxtail croquettes and chicken ravioli are served. Main plates usually average at around $30, unless you want the Morgan Ranch Wagyu Beef, which will set you back up to $48.

How could the poshest eatery not be in Las Vegas? With a well-deserved three Michelin stars, Guy Savoy’s restaurant serves up a selection of classic French dishes with a twist. The food does, however, explain why the bill is so pricey. In addition to a $258 signature menu, Savoy also offers a $750 per person Krug menu and a $120 per person pre-theater menu.

With a 4.5 TripAdvisor rating, the AAA Four Diamond-rated Bedford Village Inn Restaurant is the place to go if you’re looking for a tasty meal in New Hampshire. The menu boasts plates such as black pepper pappardelle with braised Vermont rabbit and Atlantic halibut with roasted beetroot puree. A three course meal for two will cost around $200, including wine.

With a 4.7 star OpenTable rating, Princeton’s Elements has an almost flawless record for its local and fresh ingredients. Also named as one of the best restaurants in New Jersey by NJ Monthly, Elements’ four course tasting menu costs around $130 and includes dozens of ingredients directly from the Garden State and the Jersey Shore, such as diver scallops, ham, split peas and morels. It’s certainly worth opening your wallet for.

Winner of best overall restaurant in in New Mexico, as well as best ambiance and best food, from OpenTable, this menu boasts dishes such as Kurobota pork tenderloin, green miso seabass and mesquite grilled Maine lobster tails. Expect to pay about $40 for a main course, but its 4.5 Trip Advisor bubble rating suggests it’s well worth it.

It’s not easy to pick one restaurant in a city that’s jam-packed with classy, fine dining haunts that come with a hefty price tag. But Eleven Madison Park easily tops the list. With awards including three Michelin stars, four stars from the New York Times and a Five Diamond Award, expect to pay $295 per guest, but you’ll embark on an exciting culinary journey full of surprise tasting dishes.

Located in a restored Victorian house, McNinch isn’t your traditional fancy restaurant, but if you’re looking for something both refined and unique, this is your bet. The cozy and quaint house has all the ambience of a dinner party, but with the romance of small tables, candlelight and, of course, fantastic food. On the menu, you’ll find set meals and tasting menus, which range from $79 to $125 per person, and include dishes such as potato bisque and North Carolina red grouper.

While it may not be the most expensive restaurant in Fargo, it is certainly one of the most established, classy and upscale. Located in the historic downtown, the restaurant was voted the best in North Dakota by OpenTable and dresses up comfort food to provide a much more glamorous play on everybody’s homemade classics. Such menu items include anything from an upscale mac and cheese and pistachio-encrusted rack of lamb.

American Culinary Federation’s USA Chef of the Year’s menu is the epitome of fine dining, featuring a creative selection of appetizers and entrees, alongside an impressive wine list. The AAA Five-Diamond awarded restaurant will set you back $165 per person for the tasting menu with wine pairings, but with plates including veal sweetbreads, crispy skin loup de mer and Elysian Fields lamb loin, it’s well worth it.

A combination of an upscale restaurant and fish market, Bodean Seafood brands itself as serving only the freshest fish available. On the menu, you’ll find the likes of hazelnut-crusted halibut, chipotle-glazed Atlantic salmon and pan-seared jumbo sea scallops. For two, expect to pay around $150 with wine.

Taking out the 26th spot on OpinionatedAboutDining’s top 100 is Portland restaurant Castagna. The eatery blends modernist cooking with Pacific Northwest foraging and the result is a delight on a plate. The menus are filled with ingredients like Dungeness crab, antelope heart, geoduck and albacore. At $155, Castagna’s 13-course tasting menu is one of the most expensive in the state, but it’s also among the best restaurants in the country.

With a longstanding reputation as one of the best Italian restaurants in the state, chef Marc Vetri’s Italian eatery is now one of the finest places to dine. Offering a tasting menu-only format to showcase the constantly evolving world of food, for $155 per person you’ll receive a menu tailored to your individual needs, including dishes such as tempura-fried catfish, chestnut fettuccine with wild boar ragu and duck lasagnetta.

With a dress code requiring ‘proper attire, no sneakers, flip-flops, jeans or T-shirts’, Bouchard is certainly the place to go if you’re wanting an excuse to dress up. Winner of the OpenTable Diners’ Choice Award and with 4.5 TripAdvisor bubbles, Bouchard’s menu boasts decadent dishes such as re-stuffed roasted lobster and scallops and escargot with parsley and garlic. Just don’t forget your wallet for this date night as the average three-course meal will set you back around $100 per person.

Located in Wentworth Mansion, this romantic venue is the perfect venue for feasting on seasonal and local dishes paired with fantastic wine. Chef Marc Collins draws inspiration from cuisines around the world to create a menu boasting plates such as antelope, lamb “osso bucco” and parmesan & truffles. Alternatively, you can travel around the world through Collins’ five-course tasting menu, which changes almost daily and will set you back $110 per person with wine pairings.

Steakhouses are always on the pricier side, but finding a good steakhouse is well worth splashing the cash. Dakotah Steakhouse promotes itself as serving “the finest corn-fed Black Angus”, which is aged on the premises up to 35 days before cutting. The menu features everything from filet mignon, priced at $36 for a 10oz, to dry-aged prime rib-eye for $49.50 for a 12oz.

The Nashville eatery sits is 9th in OpinionatedAboutDining’s top 100. Set on a corner in Nashville’s Music Row, from the outside the restaurant doesn’t look like much, but inside the setting is as dramatic as the food. Sitting at the pass with 28 diners, you’ll get a front row seat to the food creation. Here, they do away with menus, instead creating exciting dishes like parmesan and porcini Oreos and local pigeon served with soy-infused, caramelized yogurt, all for $115 per head.

Chef Tyson Cole’s contemporary Japanese restaurant is one of the best in the state, and is surprisingly not a barbecue joint. Cole, who holds a 2011 James Beard Award for best chef in the Southwest, serves up a selection of fine tasting dishes, priced at around $20 each, as well as an abundance of fresh sushi, sashimi and makimono.

With 4.5 bubbles on TripAdvisor, Valter’s Osteria Italian restaurant is well loved among the local community for its fine, homemade Italian food. For around $60, you can sample a whole range of different pastas, such as white truffle gnocchi and limoncello capellini.

Set in an intimate venue in the heart of the woods beside the Green Mountains and Champlain valley, Hen of the Wood aims to serve as much produce from its local surroundings as possible. For around $150 for two, you can dine on anything from Hen of the Wood’s mushroom toast to coriander roasted cauliflower, hanger steak or cast-iron seared loin.

You’ll really be blowing the paycheck at this establishment, but it’s guaranteed to be well worth it. Self-taught chef Patrick O’Connell first opened the restaurant in 1978 in what was just a garage. Now it’s continually voted the best restaurant in Virginia by Washingtonian Magazine, and allows guests to take part in three different tasting menus, each priced at over $300 with wine pairings. But it’s well worth the big spend, as tasting dishes include specialties such as American ose

Not only does this family-run restaurant have a reputation for serving up beautiful and decadent dishes, but it has also been nominated for the James Beard Outstanding Service award four times, and is the winner of 14 consecutive Wine Spectator Grand Awards. Dining here will cost around $110 for four courses, or you can indulge in a tasting menu for $145, which will treat you to samples of foie gras, steak tartare and Dungeness crab.

With appetizers priced at $12-$15 and main courses above and beyond $38, this American/French restaurant is well worth the price. Recently re-opened after a year of renovations, Laury’s is looking swankier than ever, and has a menu to match. You can dine on the likes of roasted duck, shrimp and scallops, lobster tail and bone-in-ribeye, while making your way through its extensive (and expensive) wine list.

While it might look like any other American eatery, what earns Milwaukee restaurant Sanford its 42nd ranking in OpinionatedAboutDining’s top 100 is its delicious menu. Describing its food as modern ethnic, dishes here are influenced by chef and owner Justin Aprahamian’s Armenian heritage and family recipes. You’ll find dishes like cheese bourek with a pickled watermelon salad and duck breast glazed with prune butter and roasted apricots. Mains come in around the $35 mark.

There aren’t too many pricey restaurants in Wyoming but at Snake River Grill you can enjoy fresh, New American cuisine. The 4.5-bubble rated restaurant scores highly among TripAdvisor users for its “excellent dinner, service and ambience”. Expect to pay around $30 for a main course.