Six Idaho restaurants earn Wine Spectator Awards — two in Boise, one in Eagle
If you appreciate a quality glass of wine, you’re probably familiar with the annual Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards.
Every year, the self-described “world’s leading authority on wine” highlights dining destinations with the best selections. When a restaurant receives a Wine Spectator seal of approval, it’s an indication that it devotes significant thought and attention to wine.
The 2026 awards were just released, and they include six Idaho winners: two in Boise, one in Eagle, one in McCall, one in Ketchum and one in Coeur d’Alene.
Wine Spectator Awards offer three levels of distinction: the Award of Excellence; the more prestigious Best of Award of Excellence; and the relatively rare grandaddy of them all, the Grand Award.
In Boise, always dependable Chandlers, 981 W. Grove St., received a Best of Award of Excellence. It’s the norm each year for this steak and seafood haven at Hotel 43.
Also receiving a Best of Award of Excellence? Coa Del Mar, which opened two years ago in Eagle at 2121 E. Riverside Drive. It won the same award in 2025. (Who doesn’t love dry riesling paired with the restaurant’s scrumptious tableside guacamole?)
If you’re visiting McCall for the Fourth of July, check out the wine selection at The Narrows Steakhouse at Shore Lodge, 501 W. Lake St. It, too, earned a Best of Award of Excellence — yet again.
One other Idaho restaurant received a Best of Award of Excellence. And it’s way up north: Beverly’s at Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second St.
Stepping down one level, two more Gem State restaurants were honored with an Award of Excellence.
Downtown Boise’s Fork, 199 N. 8th St., picked one up as usual. Fork is a consistent winner.
And bringing grape gravitas to Sun Valley, Fiamma, 211 N. Leadville Ave. in Ketchum, also won an Award of Excellence.
In total, Wine Spectator recognized more than 4,000 dining destinations from all 50 states and 87 countries and territories for this year’s awards, a press release says. The three levels of distinction broke down as follows: Award of Excellence (2,083 winners), Best of Award of Excellence (1,830 winners) and Grand Award (99 winners).
Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards are pay-to-play. Restaurants submit an entry fee to be considered, but not all that enter make the cut.
In Idaho, the number of Wine Spectator-approved restaurants has shrunk in recent years. As recently as 2020, 11 Gem State restaurants popped the cork in celebration. That number began to decline, however — down to three in 2023 — before trending upward to four in 2024 and 2025, and to six in 2026.