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Kansas City's Best Small Plates Restaurants: Top Shareable Dining Spots

Chefs around the city have transformed the way Kansas Citians eat, opting for smaller, more shareable portions that allow diners to sample a wide range of flavors and cultural influences either with friends, family, significant others or all to themselves.

From hip whiskey joints to upscale date-night dining, discover some of the most popular small-plates spots in Kansas City.


Casual Bites

Kansas City s Best Small Plates Restaurants: Top Shareable Dining Spots

Not every dinner needs to be special to enjoy small plates fare.

  • BLVD Tavern: Embedded in the heart of the Crossroads Arts District, BLVD Tavern is a casual hang that offers unique takes on comfort food classics, such as crab cakes and cheese curds.
  • Julep: Westport’s resident whiskey bar touts a menu full of Southern-inspired small-plates, including shrimp & grits and deviled eggs.

International Fare

Kansas City s Best Small Plates Restaurants: Top Shareable Dining Spots

Expand your horizons beyond your comfort zone for delicious, globally inspired dishes.

  • La Bodega: This Leawood- and Southwest Boulevard-based Spanish restaurant features a menu full of hot and cold tapas—arguably the most extensive list of small-plates options in the city.
  • The Antler Room: Elegant dishes pair Mediterranean and East Asian delicacies with Midwestern roots with amazing results, all complemented by artful cocktails and a warm atmosphere.
  • Extra Virgin: Mediterranean offerings shine at Extra Virgin—helmed by James Beard-winning Chef Michael Smith—thanks to a diverse array of options, including cured meats, flavorful cheeses, fresh vegetables and oysters.
  • Tribe Street Kitchen: Head to Delaware Street in the River Market area for a wide variety of worldly flavors, including selections from India, Peru and the Philippines.

Date Night

Kansas City s Best Small Plates Restaurants: Top Shareable Dining Spots

Save these spots for romantic dinners out on the town.

  • Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room: A sleek setting and smooth live jazz meet wildly creative cuisine in this Crossroads hotspot.
  • Freshwater: Daily menu changes with highlights such as whitefish mousse and striped bass crudo emphasize just how fresh the offerings are at this Midtown restaurant.


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