First & Last Is a Very Nice Little Restaurant, Seemingly For Nice People
4.5 Yumpoints | Tied for #51 in Phoenix | #18 in Downtown
First & Last is billed as a nice restaurant for nice people. Or maybe it’s just nice food for nice people. Either way, it works. The food is broadly Italian—although the place doesn’t necessarily feel culturally Italian—and the vibe is very put together. It’s not “nice” per se, but nice enough to go for a business lunch or a casual date. I think “smart” is the word I’m going for. The place feels very smart. Unless the guy next to you is having a dumb conversation about how his real estate portfolio isn’t doing so well in 2024. We’re bored, John. Everyone’s bored. Please order a cocktail (they’re very good here!) and get over yourself.
Website: firstandlastphx.com
Reservations: SevenRooms
Tip: There’s a cocktail bar, Little Debbie’s, in the basement of First & Last, and it’d be a shame if you didn’t stop by for a drink.
Reviews, Articles, and Awards
+1 Yumpoint | APR 24, 2023
Emerging Restaurant Of The Year - Winner
+1 Yumpoint | MAR 4, 2024 / SHANE REISER
Tucson Foodie: 15+ of the Best Restaurants in Phoenix
Everyone says the Kale & Pistachio Pesto is the highlight. It is. Might I also recommend the Chanterelle Mushroom & Rigatoni. Fries are listed on the menu as part of the Copper State Prime NY Strip, but you can ask for an order of fries, which you should. Pop into the adorable underground cocktail bar called Little Debbie’s before or after your meal.
+1 Yumpoint | May 5, 2022 / NIKKI BUCHANAN
Phoenix Magazine: Review: First & Last
You never get a second chance to make a first impression – or so the saying goes. Strictly by that standard, the new Roosevelt Row restaurant First & Last is off to a brilliant start. Formerly home to Rott n’ Grapes wine bar, the vintage space has been transformed by owners Robb and Ashley Hammond (Maple & Ash) into a sexy, streamlined stunner, sporting a second-floor dining mezzanine situated above a turquoise center-stage bar that glows with light. My first impression: impressed.
+1 Yumpoint | May 2, 2022 / Allison Young
Phoenix New Times: First Taste: First & Last Is a Phoenix Restaurant With a Love Story
Step into the modern desert oasis — a welcoming space ripe with pastel hues, playful lighting, big potted plants, and soaring exposed ceilings that is simultaneously bright and airy and industrial-leaning — and you can feel the love that went into it. It's a multi-faceted feast for the eyes, whether at a table, the bar, the chef’s counter, the chic lounge, or on the patio (there’s also a mezzanine called “The Basket” that's perfect for private events and groups), and every seat brings a different perspective with a similar feel.
+.5 Yumpoints | MAR 12, 2024 / FELICIA CAMPBELL
AZ Central: Steakhouse to brunch: Here are the best restaurants in metro Phoenix, according to readers
Love this place! Food's great! Cocktails are top notch and you can’t beat the service and ambiance! — Brett C.
