Best Restaurants, Must Try Places in Bel Air

"Located on W 36th Street in the heart of Hampden, The Food Market is a smartly designed industrial-modern space that focuses on simple, serious comfort food, providing an unparalleled dining experience. Headed up by award-winning Chef Chad Gauss, the restaurant presents value-driven menus for dinner during the week and for brunch over the weekends, focusing on serving sustainable cuisine produced from locally sourced and farm-fresh ingredients. Brunch menus feature delights such as Amish soft pretzels, French toast dippers, red quinoa oatmeal, fried oysters carbonara, avocado and smoked salmon toast, and blueberry pancakes."

"My routine during quarantine has been for every 2-3 dinners that I cook, I grab carryout from one of my favorite spots, and that includes, of course, The Food Market. Their menu has been changing almost daily, but I can always expect to see some of my favorite dishes including the Amish Soft Pretzels, Roasted Beef Short Ribs, and Buffalo Pickles. Chef Chad and the team have also been throwing in some surprises with the occasional dinner special (last week there was a $20 crab cake)."

"I was visiting from out of town recently, and found this fresh and delicious place!. A seafood restaurant with a southern twist!. I had the best whiskey drink..."

"If you’re an art fan, make sure to check out Gertrude’s, a classic little restaurant located inside the Baltimore Museum of Art. Enjoy house-made soda flavours, such as blood orange or ruby red grapefruit, while enjoying an internationally renowned collection of 19th century sculpture on a serenely elegant patio. Charming décor and a relaxing ambiance provides the perfect backdrop for upscale Chesapeake cuisine, such as oysters on a half-shell or their renowned cream of crab soup."

"The Eastern Shore inspired Gertrude’sis named after owner and “chief cook and bottle washer” John Shields’s granny (do we see a trend here?). The beautiful patio is on the edge of the BMA’s Wurtzburger Sculpture Garden. The outdoor patio at Gertrude’s sits on the edge of The Wurtzburger Sculpture Garden at the BMA, shown above."

"Gertrude’s, in the Baltimore Museum of Art, has served as a bastion of local, farm-fresh Chesapeake Bay cuisine for more than two decades. Diners here rave about consistently good ..."

"Whether for a boozy lunch or starting a night out, Clavel’s combination of tacos, ceviches, and agave-based cocktails provides the perfect backdrop to catching up with friends. Founded by the person behind treasured Baltimore speakeasy, W.C. Harlan, this family-owned taqueria and mezcaleria takes pride in its Sinaloan heritage, handmade tortillas, and bartenders trained in mezcal distilling."

"The Bygone is a bar and lounge located on the top floor of the Four Seasons Hotel in the Harbor East neighborhood. It’s Instagrammable not only for its 1920’s-style, glitzy decor, but for its beautiful view of the city from its patio and floor-to-ceiling windows. The Bygone also has some strong cocktails with nice presentation, made to be photographed before they’re enjoyed."

"Bygone, located on International Drive in the Harbor East neighborhood, offers an eclectic mix of old Baltimore with a modern edge. It is an American gastro bistro that blends hip,..."

"Although the city’s harbor location and access to the Chesapeake Bay make it a prime spot for fresh seafood, many of Baltimore’s restaurants are vegetarian-friendly. You wouldn’t necessarily expect an Afghan restaurant to be a top recommendation in that department, but Helmand’s menu is evenly balanced between roasted meats and vegetables, and the stand-out dishes are on the vegetarian side. Don’t miss the kaddo borwani (baked baby pumpkin with sugar and garlic sauce), the aushak (Afghan ravioli with leeks), and the fluffy naan."

"Baltimore is not one of your more cosmopolitan cities, so we like to point out that the Helmand is owned by the brother of the president of Afghanistan. Everyone comes to this Mount Vernon storefront restaurant for its sautéed baby pumpkin starter, kaddo borawni, that could get itself elected mayor, but there are any number of succulent lamb-based entrees. I took a look at the prices recently – they've barely budged in 25 years."

"What do you get when you combine a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master with a Michelin star chef?. You get the revival of one of the most famous jazz clubs in the country. The resurrected West Coast club opened in Baltimore in 2019 with the promise to deliver food just as inspiring as the music performed on its stage."

"San Pablo Street Tacos is a hip little taco spot serving Baltimore’s iconic Mount Vernon neighborhood. Serving delicious Mexican bites and drinks at an affordable price."

"Kooper’s Chowhound Burger Wagon is another top choice, with Yelpers giving it four stars out of 42 reviews. The signature burger features black Angus beef, but there are also options for wagyu beef, bison, lamb, turkey or even a veggie burger. Toppings go beyond onion, lettuce and tomato to include jalapeños, sautéed mushrooms and black olives."

"Although not an intimate dining experience, Bluestone more than makes up for its restaurant chain vibe with good service and good food. Neither the lunch nor dinner menus are large..."

"If you have the time, head over to Johns Hopkins University afterward and take a quiet nighttime stroll through one of Maryland’s most beautiful campuses as your last hoorah in Charm City! …And there you have it, folks – 48 hours in Baltimore!"

"Emerson Tower often referenced as Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower is a 15-story, 88 m (289 ft) skyscraper erected in 1911 at the corner of Eutaw and Lombard Streets in Baltimore, designed by Joseph Evans Sperry for Bromo-Seltzer inventor "Captain" Isaac E. Emerson. It was the tallest building in Baltimore from 1911 until 1923. The design of the tower along with the original factory building at its base was inspired by the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy, which was seen by Emerson during a tour of Europe in 1900."

"For a cool, industrial backdrop and great natural lighting inside the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower’s clock room, just pay $8 for a guided tour. Not only will you get some great shots, you’ll also learn a little Baltimore history and see some nice artwork since the tower serves as artist residences and studios.@bromotower"

"Pay homage to one of Baltimore's most celebrated residents, writer and editor Edgar Allan Poe, by visiting his historic gravesite and memorial inside Westminster Hall and Burying Ground. Poe was not only a poet; he also created the detective fiction genre and was one of the first in the country to write short stories. For a small fee, you can also seek out the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, a National Historic Landmark that is open to the public Thursday through Sunday."

"Edgar Allan Poe was buried in 1849 in an unmarked grave and in 1875, a monument was erected to mark the grave of Baltimore's most famous poet. From 1949, every year in the very early morning of Poe's birthday—January 19—a mysterious, black-clad figure known as the "Poe Toaster" leaves a partial bottle of cognac and three roses on the poet's grave. The identity of the Toaster and the significance of cognac are unknown, as Poe never wrote about the drink."

"Located in the heart of the Inner Harbor Baltimore on Pratt Street, Harborplace and The Gallery offer tons of shopping, dining and a variety of entertainment right on the picturesque waterfront. Elegant gourmet cuisine, delicious Italian restaurants in Baltimore’s Little Italy, ethnic cuisine, and plenty of fresh seafood from Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay can be found at the many Inner Harbor restaurants. Relax at The Wayside Inn"