Skip to Main Content
Food, Restaurants & Dining • Travel, Shopping & Leisure

DTPHX Lightrail Series: Washington/Central Ave

Welcome to Downtown Phoenix Inc.’s light rail series. This is your handy guide of restaurants and retailers within walking distance of each Valley Metro light rail station Downtown.

Getting around Downtown is made easy by the Valley Metro light rail system.

Whether you’re Downtown for mega events, or you want to explore the walkable neighborhood, the light rail will get you there stress-free.

Hop off the Washington/Central Ave. station for nightlife, retail, a few speakeasies, a rooftop bar, and lots of food and drinks.

Valley Metro Light Rail and Bus traveling through Downtown. (Photo: Taylor Costello)

Food and Beverage 

Cornish Pasty Co.

There’s always a friendly atmosphere at Cornish Pasty Co. and a great beer at the bar. But the secret to success is sticking to the original Cornish ingredients for the famous “Oggie” pasty. This casual pub has become a favorite for locals and visitors looking for a unique dining experience combining traditional British fare with modern flavors.

Details: 7 W. Monroe St.

Valley Bar 

Underground live music venue featuring billiards, darts, and other games, craft beer, and handcrafted cocktails. Hidden in an alley basement, Valley Bar offers an eclectic atmosphere that feels like a hidden gem in the city. Count how many obscure Phoenix historical references you can find at the bar.

Details: 130 N. Central Ave.

Liar’s Club

Elevated cocktail menu, pizza, wings, burgers, and good times. The Liar’s Club is perfect for a chill night or a quick bite before or after your Downtown event or nightlife excursion.

Details: 130 N. Central Ave.

Zen Thai Cafe 

Zen Thai specializes in authentic Thai cuisine with fresh ingredients, herbs, and spices from Thailand. They are known for their fantastic curry, drunken noodles, and BBQ pork.

Details: 110 N. Central Ave.

Spread at Motomoto Sushi & Izakaya. (Photo: Elizabeth Montgomery)

Motomoto Sushi & Izakaya

Motomoto is rooted in tradition. Serving an assortment of great food, sake, and cocktails in a convivial atmosphere. Although they are primarily an izakaya, they offer more than tapas-style snacks; their menu ranges from sushi & house-made ramen to shareable plates and is perfect for sharing with friends and family. They are located on the ground floor of the Hilton Garden Inn Phoenix Downtown.

Details: 15 E. Monroe St.

Dust Cutter & Starbucks

Located at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel, Dust Cutter is a modern take on an Old West saloon, serving up fresh, locally sourced bar bites, delicious entrees, and intriguing cocktails.

Details: 50 E. Adams St.

Bosa Donuts

At the bottom of the 101 North building, Bosa Donuts has the apple fritter that will change your life. The classic glazed is as good as they come. This little donut shop has taken the Valley by storm and now operates over 20 locations and growing — with three locations in the Downtown core alone. Grab a sweet treat before starting your work day.

Details: 101 N. 1st Ave.

The Rose Garden

Experience the cocktail world of tomorrow at the enchanted Downtown Phoenix escape known as The Rose Garden. With one of the finest mixologist imaginations in the region, every drink is a feast for the eyes and a treat for the lips.

Details: 101 N. 1st Ave.

Harumi Sushi & Sake

Since 2013, Harumi has been serving sashimi, nigiri, izakaya-style fare, and sushi rolls, with an emphasis on fresh fish and their signature purple rice. In addition to a robust food menu, they also serve Japanese beer and sake to properly cleanse the palate. Harumi recently relocated to their current location, a larger space with a fresh, contemporary look.

Details: 101 N. 1st Ave.

Anhelo

Fine dining housed inside historic Orpheum Lofts, this sophisticated eatery offers contemporary American dinners and weekend brunches.

Details: 114 W. Adams St.

Ramen Kagawa

The restaurant features a concise menu of authentic Japanese curry, ramen, and bento, as well as unique Japanese craft brews and sake.

Details: 111 W. Monroe St.

Wren & Wolf from Pretty Decent Concepts. (Photo: Wren & Wolf)

Wren & Wolf and Trophy Room

These two concepts are from Downtown restauranteurs Teddy and Katie Myers, also known as Pretty Decent Concepts. Wren & Wolf is an inventive steakhouse with elevated comfort food and a craft cocktail bar. Leave your cell phone at the door once you enter the cocktail bar Trophy Room. Both are located at Renaissance Square.

Details: 2 N. Central Ave.

Arizona Deli Company

Grab and go for breakfast and lunch at the corner of Central Avenue and Washington Street. Arizona Deli Company is an excellent spot for a quick and tasty bagel sandwich, a cup of soup, or simply some chips and fruit.

Details: 1 N. Central Ave.

Paradise Hawaiian Barbeque

Family-owned and operated since 2008, Paradise Hawaiian BBQ offers Island staples like SPAM® musubi and loco moco.

Details: 18 W. Adams St.

El Zaguan Bistro 

This popular husband and wife-owned restaurant offers authentic Mexican cuisine, including quesadillas, burritos, tacos, and more.

Details: 16 W. Adams St.

Hidden Track Café & Unfiltered Wine

Hidden Track Café is an intimate local coffee shop offering espresso drinks, cold brew, tea, sandwiches, soups, and pastries. Located adjacent to Hidden Track Café is Unfiltered Wine, a woman-owned bottle shop known for carrying a thoughtfully curated selection of wine.

Details: 111 W. Monroe St.

CityScape 

Located at the nexus of Downtown at Central Avenue and Washington Street, CityScape is two super blocks loaded with restaurants, nightlife, entertainment, and shopping.

Eateries at CityScape include Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails, Breakfast Club, Chico Malo, Chipotle, Coabana, Copper Blues, Eden Rooftop Bar, Five Guys, Insomnia Cookies, Jimmy Johns, Nick the Greek, Phoenix Bourbon Room, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Rosso Italian, The Arrogant Butcher, The Yard Milkshake Bar, Yogis Grill, 810 Billiards & Bowling, EOS Fitness, One Stop Nutrition, Orange Theory, Hello Sugar, and Badass Coffee of Hawaii.

Details: 1 E. Washington St.

Hanny’s in Downtown Phoenix is located inside a historic building. (Photo: Canyon DiMare)

Hanny’s

Swanky restaurant and bar offering cocktails, upscale American cuisine, and desserts in a sophisticated, historic building that was once a bustling department store in the 50s.

Details: 40 N. 1st St.

Thai Basil Signature

Family-owned and operated, offering a dazzling array of curry, rice, sautéed noodles, salads, appetizers, soups and desserts.

Details: 114 W. Adams St.

Sweet Crimes Candy Vault

Sweet Crimes Candy Vault is a unique micro-ice cream shop and candy store. The local favorite offers ice cream sundaes, nostalgic and classic candy, and a variety of your favorite comfort desserts, such as warm chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookie ice cream sandwiches.

Details: 114 W. Adams St.

Services  

Mac Repair Phoenix 

Downtown Apple and Mac specialists located on the ground floor of Hotel San Carlos provide repairs, service, and accessories for iPhones, iPads, iPods, and more. They also sell refurbished Mac and Apple products and other smartphones and accessories.

Details: 112 N. Central Ave.

The Local Barber and Shop 

Traditional barber’s haircuts, shaves, and treatments, including cut, style, hot towel, hot lather, and straight razor around the ears and on the back of the neck.

Details: 130 N. Central Ave.

Andy Milsap and his wife Grace, owners of Andy’s Shoe Shine and Sweet Crimes Candy Vault. (Photo: Lauren Potter)

Andy’s Shoe Shine & Repair

Longtime Downtown Business owner Andy Milsap and his wife Grace offers excellent shoe care, shoe repair, handbag repair, and leather care.

Details: 114 W. Adams St.

Retail 

Cityscape 

In addition to a large selection of bars and restaurants, CityScape is a location of retailers and service providers, including Urban Outfitters, Hello Sugar, and CVS.

Details: 1 E. Washington St.

Urban Eyecare

This one-stop-shop provides comprehensive eyecare, from a full suite of contact lens services to annual exams, with an optical lab on-site. In addition to individualized eyecare, they provide an extensive collection of unique and independent eyewear brands.

Details: 1 N. Central Ave. #115

Just Sports 

This is an Arizona sports fans’ destination for sports team apparel. From NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL to NCAA, Just Sports has served Arizona since 1987.

Details: 1 N. Central Ave.

Drinks at Bitter & Twisted in Downtown Phoenix. (Photo: Elizabeth Montgomery)

Nightlife 

Melinda’s Alley 

This secret speakeasy can be found in the alley behind the Renaissance Downtown Hotel. Open Thursday through Saturday nights. Just look for the door below the red light.

Details: 50 E. Adams St.

Bitter & Twisted

Serving world-class cocktails with neighborhood bar sensibilities in the historic Luhrs Building. The bar was recently named one of North America’s 50 Best Bars in 2022 and named one of the World’s Best Cocktail Bars in 2023 by the Tales of the Cocktail.

Details: 1 W. Jefferson St.

Click here for the Roosevelt/Central Ave. Station guide

Click here for the Van Buren/Central Ave Station guide

Related Posts