Courtesy of OpenTable
Santina, in New York City's Meatpacking District, is known for a buzzy bar and top-notch cuisine.
To craft the list, OpenTable combed through more than 5 million restaurant reviews submitted by verified diners. Over 20,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia were considered.
To make the cut, restaurants needed to have both high overall ratings and a strong rating in the "hot spot" category.
Restaurants in 27 states are on the list, with 25 spots in California and 15 in New York. Cuisine ranges from traditional American to Japanese, Mexican, Italian, and more.
"From inventive fare with an international flair and enticing cocktail programs to energetic atmospheres and sexy surroundings, these restaurants have all the elements for a fresh, fun dining experience," Caroline Potter, OpenTable's chief dining officer, said in a press release announcing the list.
You'll find new rooftop bars, old-school steakhouses, and plenty of "clubstaurants" on the list. Nightlife brands Tao and STK make multiple appearances, while one-offs like Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in Manhattan and long-time celebrity favorites like The Ivy in West Hollywood also pop up.
Here's the full list in alphabetical order. Starred restaurants are establishments that opened in 2015.
40/40 Club - New York, New York
8 Up - Louisville, Kentucky
Acorn - Denver, Colorado
Alley Cat Oyster Bar - Cleveland, Ohio *
AsiaSF - San Francisco, California
B.B. King's Blues Club - Memphis, Tennessee
B.B. King's Blues Club - Orlando, Florida
Beauty and Essex - New York, New York
Bestia - Los Angeles, California
Courtesy of OpenTable Bestia is a hopping, casual restaurant and bar in Los Angeles.
Buccan - Palm Beach, Florida
Buddakan - New York, New York
Café Martorano - Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Cassia - Santa Monica, California *
Chino Latino - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Cork & Pig Tavern #2 - Odessa, Texas
Culinary Dropout - Tempe, Arizona
Current - Salt Lake City, Utah *
Departure Restaurant and Lounge - Portland, Oregon
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Rochester, New York
do Restaurant at the View - Atlanta, Georgia
E.P.+L.P. - West, Hollywood, California *
Eight4Nine - Palm Springs, California *
El Camino Mexican Soul Food & Tequila Bar - Delray Beach, Florida
Empire - Boston, Massachusetts
Forno Kitchen and Bar - Columbus, Ohio *
Gato - New York, New York
Girl & the Goat - Chicago, Illinois
Gjelina - Venice, California
The Grey - Savannah, Georgia
Gypsy Kitchen - Atlanta, Georgia
High Rooftop Lounge - Venice, California
The Hudson Room - Peekskill, New York
.ink - West Hollywood, California
The Ivy - West Hollywood, California
Izakaya Den - Denver, Colorado
Juniper & Ivy - San Diego, California
Courtesy of OpenTable San Diego's Juniper & Ivy is a spacious, contemporary spot.
Kettner Exchange - San Diego, California
La Esquina - New York, New York
The Lark - Santa Barbara, California
Linger - Denver, Colorado
Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar - Boston, Massachusetts
Manhattan Beach Post - Manhattan Beach, California
Marble + Rye - Buffalo, New York *
middle fork kitchen bar - Lexington, Kentucky *
Momotaro - Chicago, Illinois
MUA - Oakland, California
The Nest - Indian Wells, California
The Nice Guy - West Hollywood, California
O-Ku - Charleston, South Carolina
Ophelia's Electric Soapbox - Denver, Colorado *
Palace Bar - Miami Beach, Florida
Palmilla Cocina Y Tequila - Hermosa Beach, California
Peck's Arcade - Troy, New York *
Perch LA - Los Angeles, California
Courtesy of OpenTable Perch, in downtown LA, has a rooftop bar perfect for taking in a sunset cocktail.
Pitch Coal-Fire Pizzeria - Omaha, Nebraska
Pitch Pizzeria-West - Omaha, Nebraska *
Prato - Winter Park, Florida
Pump - West Hollywood, California
Red Ginger - Traverse City, Michigan
Red Rooster Harlem - New York, New York
Republic - Detroit, Michigan
Republique - Los Angeles, California
The Rest - Salt Lake City, Utah
Rizzuto's Oyster Bar and Restaurant - Westport, Connecticut
RoCA - Des Moines, Iowa
Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar - Orlando, Florida
Rose. Rabbit. Lie. at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada
RPM Italian - Chicago, Illinois
Santina - New York, New York *
Shakou Sushi - Libertyville, Illinois
Courtesy of OpenTable
Shakou Sushi in Libertyville, Illinois, has distinctive purple lighting and a very lounge-y vibe.
Shakou Sushi - St. Charles, Illinois
Shaya - New Orleans, Louisiana *
SoBe Restaurant & Lounge - Lanham, Maryland *
Spoon and Stable - Minneapolis, Minnesota
STK-NYC-Meatpacking - New York, New York
STK-The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada
Streets-BK - Brooklyn, New York *
Strip by Strega - Boston, Massachusetts *
SumoMaya Mexican-Asian Kitchen - Scottsdale, Arizona
Courtesy of OpenTable Arizona's SumoMaya brings the outdoors in with this large tree in the center of the dining area.
Sur Restaurant - West Hollywood, California
Talde - Jersey City, New Jersey *
Tao Downtown - New York, New York
Tao Restaurant and Nightclub - Las Vegas, Nevada
Tender Bar + Kitchen - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Three Dots and a Dash - Chicago, Illinois
Three Muses - New Orleans, Louisiana
Toca Madera - West Hollywood, California *
Toutant - Buffalo, New York *
The Tropicale - Palm Springs, California
Tsunami Shaw Center - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Uchi - Austin, Texas
Uchi - Dallas, Texas *
Uchi - Houston, Texas
Uchiko - Austin, Texas
UMI - Atlanta, Georgia
Union 50 - Indianapolis, Indiana
Untitled - Chicago, Illinois
Vitello's - Studio City, California
Yokozuna-Downtown - Tulsa, Oklahoma
Ysabel - West Hollywood, California *