America's Best Hotel Restaurant In 2026 Feels Like It Was Transported Straight From Japan To The Jersey Shore

Atlantic City's bright lights welcome visitors seeking a swanky and tasty Jersey Shore getaway. Yes, there's more to this destination than its old-school atmosphere; Atlantic City is also a culinary hotspot. Rising up next to the boardwalk's Steel Pier is the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. Aside from pop culture relics, it's here that you'll find Kuro, a Japanese establishment recently named America's Best Hotel Restaurant in 2026 by USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. Opened in 2018 along with the Hard Rock, the fine-dining restaurant ranked in the top three in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024, before hitting the No 1 spot in 2025 as well.

USA Today 10Best highlights dining venues chosen by an expert panel, which in this case included food and travel writers. However, reader's votes are what ultimately determine the ranking. Voted the best in the country twice running, Kuro offers a creative menu of authentic Japanese cuisine mixed with modern takes on traditional dishes, resulting in a dining experience that the restaurant itself describes as "New-style Japanese." The restaurant features a glamorous modern aesthetic, complete with dim lighting, elegant booth and chair seating, warm woods, custom carpets that mimic the sea, plus Japanese art and ceramics. Every aspect of the dining room makes you feels like you've been transported to Japan.

Kuro's Chef Leslie Daniel has designed a menu that ranges from traditional omakase and Robata charcoal grill selections like pork belly, to trendy Wagu tacos and tempting sharables. The chef sources fresh ingredients locally while also importing prized ingredients from Japan, including Hokkaido scallops, and A5 Japanese Wagu beef — which can be cooked table-top by guests on a sizzling hot stone. At the sleek sushi bar, diners enjoy a front row seat to the action unfolding in the open kitchen as skilled sushi chefs deftly slice fresh fish for sashimi and a selection of maki, making the experience seem straight out of Tokyo.

As suggested by USA Today 10Best, be sure to imbibe while you eat. Kuro's mixology program reflects the innovation and authenticity of the kitchen, with imported Japanese whiskeys, sakes, and beers served alongside craft cocktails. But, if you're a wine enthusiast, note that the restaurant received Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence in 2025. Walls of artfully-illuminated wine bottles dot the dining room, attesting to the emphasis Kuro places on its wine program.

While you're in town to check out Kuro, take advantage of what the area has to offer. Atlantic City is an iconic New Jersey beach that's home to the longest boardwalk in the world, and it's also one of the 10 best boardwalks on the Jersey Shore for ocean views and seaside fun. In fact, the Jersey Shore has 4 of USA Today's 10 best boardwalks in America for 2026. Can't make it to the Jersey Shore? The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, boasts its own Kuro, and like the one in Atlantic City, it features rave reviews and a standout wine menu.