How do we choose the best dining credit cards?

These card picks are based on numerous criteria: the points program value, welcome bonus, perks and more. Some of these dining credit cards’ popular features include monthly dining credits and exclusive access to reservations at certain restaurants. When choosing the right dining credit card, always consider the sign-up bonus’s spending requirements since you won’t want to miss out on that. You should only apply if you’re able to meet the required spending comfortably. Related: 10 best dining rewards programs

What counts as dining?

Every card issuer applies different criteria to charges that will qualify for these bonuses. For instance, Chase defines dining quite broadly, including everything from conventional restaurants to coffee shops and even some bars that don’t serve food. On the other hand, American Express typically only awards points for conventional restaurants and often not for independent coffee shops and bars. Some American Express cards also exclude foreign transactions from earning bonus points. Some issuers define dining more broadly than others. (Photo by Alexander Spatari/Getty Images) Several of the cards discussed offer dining bonuses that are supposed to exclude food delivery services. However, in practice, these services usually still code as dining or food merchants and do earn bonus points. Sometimes restaurants aren’t categorized correctly, so if you feel like an eligible dining purchase didn’t code correctly , you can always try contacting the card issuer and asking for an exception. Related: Food delivery promo codes to help you save money on your next meal

What is the best card for restaurants?

This depends on what your preferred reward is — points or cash back? If it’s points you’re after, then it’s hard to argue with the Amex Gold Card. With this, you’re looking at 4 points per dollar at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; then 1 point per dollar). The Capital One Savor card is likely the best option for cash back, with a healthy 4% cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services, 3% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases.

Do bars count as restaurants for credit cards?

This very much depends on the card issuer. But essentially, any establishment that serves (as opposed to sells) food or drinks counts. As long as a merchant classified itself in a restaurant category when applying to accept credit cards, the purchase will qualify . For example, bars (including ones that don’t serve food) and coffee shops such as Starbucks typically code as dining purchases. As a guide, the following count as qualifying “restaurants”: bars, cafes, breweries and juice shops. The following do not: catering services and inflight drinks.

Are dining credit cards worth it?

The American Express Gold Card takes the cake here with a return of 8% or more on dining purchases at restaurants according to the TPG valuation. The Chase Sapphire Reserve and American Express® Green Card tie for third place with a 6% return on dining at restaurants according to the TPG valuation. They all offer an unbeatable combination of a strong earning rate on dining purchases, a high point value and a reasonable net effective annual cost. But any of the cards on this list will get more value on dining purchases than a run-of-the-mill credit card, so make sure you pick the right card before you plan that night out — or a night in, since food delivery services count as dining with many cards. There are also worthwhile cash-back cards for those who don’t want to collect and redeem points.

The best credit cards for dining of June 2023

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Editor

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If you’re a foodie and spend a lot on dining, you should be using a credit card that maximizes your travel rewards and potentially even score special discounts. Here are the best dining credit cards from our partners.

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At The Points Guy, our goal is to help you maximize your travel experiences while minimizing spending. Our travel and credit cards experts share their own experiences and give honest analyses to help you make decisions that benefit you the most. While we do receive compensation through our credit card application links, ads, and clearly indicated sponsored content, our editorial content, points valuations and card analysis are entirely our own.

Best dining cards of June 2023

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Card	Best for	Welcome Offer/Sign Up Bonus	Earning Rate	Annual Fee
American Express® Gold Card	Best overall dining card	Earn 60,000 points	Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.	$250
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card	Best for no annual fee	$200	Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024 Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®). Earn 1% on all other purchases.	$0
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card	Best for Hilton loyalists	Earn 130,000 Points and a Free Night Reward	Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio. Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations. Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card	$95
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	Best for Chase Ultimate rewards	60,000 points	Earn 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Earn 5x total points on flights through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases	$550
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Best for dining and travel	60,000 bonus points	5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® 3x on dining. 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.	$95

Frequently asked questions

These card picks are based on numerous criteria: the points program value, welcome bonus, perks and more. Some of these dining credit cards’ popular features include monthly dining credits and exclusive access to reservations at certain restaurants.

When choosing the right dining credit card, always consider the sign-up bonus’s spending requirements since you won’t want to miss out on that. You should only apply if you’re able to meet the required spending comfortably.

Related: 10 best dining rewards programs
Every card issuer applies different criteria to charges that will qualify for these bonuses. For instance, Chase defines dining quite broadly, including everything from conventional restaurants to coffee shops and even some bars that don’t serve food. On the other hand, American Express typically only awards points for conventional restaurants and often not for independent coffee shops and bars. Some American Express cards also exclude foreign transactions from earning bonus points.

Some issuers define dining more broadly than others. (Photo by Alexander Spatari/Getty Images)

Several of the cards discussed offer dining bonuses that are supposed to exclude food delivery services. However, in practice, these services usually still code as dining or food merchants and do earn bonus points. Sometimes restaurants aren’t categorized correctly, so if you feel like an eligible dining purchase didn’t code correctly, you can always try contacting the card issuer and asking for an exception.

Related: Food delivery promo codes to help you save money on your next meal
This depends on what your preferred reward is — points or cash back? If it’s points you’re after, then it’s hard to argue with the Amex Gold Card. With this, you’re looking at 4 points per dollar at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; then 1 point per dollar). The Capital One Savor card is likely the best option for cash back, with a healthy 4% cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services, 3% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases.
This very much depends on the card issuer. But essentially, any establishment that serves (as opposed to sells) food or drinks counts. As long as a merchant classified itself in a restaurant category when applying to accept credit cards, the purchase will qualify. For example, bars (including ones that don’t serve food) and coffee shops such as Starbucks typically code as dining purchases. As a guide, the following count as qualifying “restaurants”: bars, cafes, breweries and juice shops. The following do not: catering services and inflight drinks.
The American Express Gold Card takes the cake here with a return of 8% or more on dining purchases at restaurants according to the TPG valuation. The Chase Sapphire Reserve and American Express® Green Card tie for third place with a 6% return on dining at restaurants according to the TPG valuation. They all offer an unbeatable combination of a strong earning rate on dining purchases, a high point value and a reasonable net effective annual cost. But any of the cards on this list will get more value on dining purchases than a run-of-the-mill credit card, so make sure you pick the right card before you plan that night out — or a night in, since food delivery services count as dining with many cards. There are also worthwhile cash-back cards for those who don’t want to collect and redeem points.

Best dining card details

American Express Gold Card

Annual fee: $250 (see rates and fees).

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first six months of card membership. Check the CardMatch tool to see if you’re targeted for a 75,000-point Gold Card offer (offers are subject to change at any time).

Earning rates: Earn 4 points per dollar at restaurants, 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 spent each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel and 1 point per dollar on everything else.

Analysis: The Amex Gold Card comes in a close second by earning 4 points per dollar at restaurants, an 8% return based on TPG’s valuation of Amex Membership Rewards points. In addition to this terrific return, the card offers up to $120 in annual dining statement credits that you can use at merchants such as Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required. Cardholders also receive up to $120 in annual Uber Cash ($10 credit per month), which can be applied toward Uber Eats orders or rides in the U.S.

American Express also acquired restaurant-booking service Resy, so cardmembers have more dining perks, including bonus points for bookings and preferred access to reservations. Enrollment is required for select benefits. Read more about the Amex Gold Card on our card hub. For more information, you can read the full review of the American Express Gold card here.

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Official application link: American Express Gold Card.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Annual fee: $95.

Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That’s $1,200 when redeemed for travel, according to TPG valuations.

Earning rates:

5 points per dollar on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
3 points per dollar on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out.
3 points per dollar on select streaming services.
3 points per dollar on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).
2 points per dollar on all other travel.
1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Analysis: If you’re looking for a cheaper option that earns flexible rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred might be your best choice. Cardholders get a complimentary membership for the DoorDash DashPass unlimited delivery program, normally $9.99 a month, through the end of 2024 — so long as you register by Dec. 31, 2024. For more information, you can read the full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card here.

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Official application link: Chase Sapphire Preferred.

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card

Annual fee: $95 annual fee (see rates & fees).

Welcome offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points and a Free Night Reward after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership.

Earning rates: Earn 12 points per dollar on eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio, 6 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations, and 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

Analysis: This card packs a punch for a relatively reasonable annual fee. It comes with automatic Hilton Honors Gold status, a free night reward after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year and 10 free Priority Pass lounge visits a year — all with no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees). Enrollment required for select benefits. For more information, you can read the full review of the Hilton Surpass Amex review here.

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Official application link: Hilton Surpass Amex.

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Chase Sapphire Reserve

Annual fee: $550.

Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That’s $1,200 in travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Earning rates:

10 points per dollar on Chase Dining purchases and flights and hotels booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
10 points per dollar on Lyft (until March 2025).
5 points per dollar on flights booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
3 points per dollar on all other travel and dining purchases.
1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

Analysis: The 3 points per dollar bonus on the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which ties for third with a 6% return, is valid for dining both in the U.S. and abroad. Dining is defined as “merchants in the restaurant category whose primary business is sit-down or eat-in dining, including fast food restaurants as well as fine dining establishments.” As a cardholder, you’ll also get DashPass through DoorDash if you register by Dec. 31, 2024.

But keep in mind the card’s $550 annual fee. You can offset a large portion of that fee with the card’s $300 annual travel credit, but you should still consider whether the points you earn on the card are worth the money you’re paying each year for it. For more information, you can read the full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve here.

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Official application link: Chase Sapphire Reserve.

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American Express Green Card

Annual fee: $150 (see rates and fees).

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership. Plus, 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases in the first six months, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit.

Earning rates: Earn 3 points per dollar on global restaurants and travel, including transit, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.

Analysis: The mid-tier American Express Green Card earns 3 points per dollar at restaurants, plus 3 points per dollar for travel, which is defined broadly to include airfare, hotel rooms, car rentals, tour operators, travel agencies, campsites and home shares, plus transit that includes ride-hailing, buses, taxis, metros, subways, tolls and more — and 1 point per dollar on everything else. It doesn’t have any dining-specific perks like the Amex Gold. Still, it offers up to $189 in annual credit for your Clear Plus membership and up to $100 in credits for lounge access purchased with LoungeBuddy, meaning that if you can utilize both those credits in full, you’ve more than covered the annual fee. Enrollment required for select benefits. For more information, you can read the full review of the Amex Green card here.

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Official application link: American Express Green Card.

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Hilton Honors Aspire Card

Annual fee: $450 (see rates and fees).

Welcome offer: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.

Earning rates: Earn 14 points per dollar on eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio; 7 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, on car rentals booked directly from select rental agencies, and at U.S. restaurants; and 3 points per dollar on other eligible purchases.

Analysis: This is an excellent card for Hilton loyalists, but it’s an expensive one if your hotel focus lies elsewhere. Its 7 points per dollar equates to a 4.2% return on dining, based on our valuations. This card also comes with access to Amex’s concierge service that may help you get a table at certain sought-after restaurants.

Other benefits include an up-to-$250 annual Hilton resort statement credit, up-to-$250 annual airline incidental fee credit, complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status, a free weekend night each year upon your account renewal and the ability to earn an additional free weekend night by spending $60,000 on the card in a calendar year. Enrollment required for select benefits. For more information, you can read the full review of the Hilton Honors Aspire review here.

The information for the Hilton Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Annual fee: $95.

Sign-up bonus: Earn a $300 cash bonus after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Earning rates: Earn 4% cash back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, 3% at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target) and 1% on everything else.

Analysis: The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a decent contender, with a $95 annual fee. The Savor Cash earns 4% on all purchases that involve eating establishments — from restaurants to Starbucks to food trucks — so it’s a rewards credit card to consider if you’d rather deal with cash back instead of travel rewards.

Aside from offering a solid return, Capital One has been investing in more unique dining-focused benefits. For instance, it provided access to exclusive dining experiences organized by the James Beard Foundation in the past. For more information, you can read the full Capital One Savor review here.

The information for the Capital One Savor has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.