18 | LUXlife Magazine Best Contemporary Restaurant & Cocktail Bar 2025 – Knoxville Knoxville, Tennessee is home to some spectacular dining options, including the upscale venue Fiori Bar & Lounge. Owned and operated by the duo of Jesse and Corey Vose, this spot embodies their culinary inspirations, with dishes blending local elements and those from locations further afield. Every delectable item on the restaurant’s rotating menu is crafted from scratch using only the finest ingredients, complemented by a stellar range of craft cocktails and an unforgettable ambiance. Stepping inside Fiori Bar & Lounge, a passion project more than two decades in the making, the first thing that strikes a patron is the décor and the distinctive atmosphere. Be it the cherry blossom centrepieces, the hints of gold across the establishment, or the pink LED sign bearing the location’s motto – “This must be the place!” – it is clear that every element of the restaurant has been afforded the same relentless attention to detail. The result is that Fiori has a big city feel, with all of the perks that come from being locally owned. For example, every guest who walks through the doors of Fiori is treated like family, with the reservation-based ethos of the restaurant contributing towards a dedicated service throughout a patron’s faultless dining experience. Beginning with drinks, the tastefilled adventure Jesse and Corey take their customers on is best started with one of Fiori’s signature cocktails, such as The Carousel II, Watermelon Sugar, or Cool for the Summer. Alongside these cocktails is a selection of mocktails, wines, beers, spirits, and nonalcoholic options. Just as impressive as this range of drinks is Fiori’s dinner menu, which acts as a seamless blend of local cuisine and international flavours, a combination stemming from the travels its owners have been on together over the years. From its choice selection of starters – which are skewed heavily towards seafood dishes – to mains spanning everything from meat and fish to pasta and salads, every dish is created with the utmost care by a team of professional chefs who are masters of their craft and passionate about ensuring a uniform quality. Once the plates have been cleared, Fiori has one more ace up its sleeve – a range of desserts fitting for rounding off a luxury dining experience. Whether the choice is a slice of seasonal cake or a bowl of its homemade crème brûlée, it is impossible to go wrong when choosing from this menu. Ending a patron’s visit on a high note, the memories of the evening are sure to live on long after a few more cocktails have been enjoyed and the bill has been settled, with guests beginning to mentally pencil-in their next visit immediately. Reflecting on what makes Fiori so unique, it is the little touches which add up to something truly special. The aforementioned cherry blossom trees, for example, were lovingly inspired by a similar feature seen by the pair on a visit to Europe. Moving a little closer to home, the Maine lobster meat and the 100% Maine Blueberry Juice is sourced from the coast of Maine, where Jesse grew up. This reinforces the heart and soul of the destination – a place where every detail has been painstakingly designed to contribute to something bigger. An establishment that is really just at the beginning of its journey, the future for Fiori is bright and set to be filled with constant minor tweaks as well as more ambitious expansion projects. Even if 2025 will not be a year of major change, the location is moving in the right direction, today welcoming in visitors from other states who have heard about it through the power of word of mouth or recommendations online. This is a testament to the work put in by Jesse and Corey to create a venue that is much more than just another restaurant. With family, fun, and professionalism guiding it every step of the way, Fiori is brought to life not just by the quality of its food and drink, but by the people on both sides of the transaction. All of the interactions staff have with customers are defined by a sense of passion for their work, contributing to a setting where all are welcome and valued. This, more than anything else, is what keeps people coming back time and again, and has led to Fiori Bar & Lounge being recognised for its outstanding nature in this programme. Company: Fiori Bar & Lounge Web Address: https://fioribar.com/
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