Best Restaurants in Florida

Best Restaurants in Florida 2026: 25 Must-Try Places to Eat

Florida’s dining scene is one of the most diverse and underestimated in the United States. A state that stretches 500 miles from the Georgia border to Key West, takes in Miami’s Latin American and Caribbean influences, Tampa’s century-old Cuban sandwich tradition, the Gulf Coast’s extraordinary seafood, and a farm-to-table movement rooted in year-round growing seasons, Florida rewards the serious food traveler at every latitude. The state has produced more James Beard Award nominees per decade than most people expect, and its culinary identity — once dismissed as a retirement community of chain restaurants and early-bird specials — has been transformed by a generation of ambitious chefs who chose Florida’s ingredients, climate, and cultural complexity as their canvas.

The restaurants on this list span the full length and breadth of the state: the legendary institutions (Joe’s Stone Crab, Columbia Restaurant), the James Beard-celebrated creative kitchens (Stubborn Seed, Bern’s Steak House, The Surf Club), waterfront seafood shacks that have served the same impeccable fish for decades, and the newer arrivals that have shifted national food conversation toward Florida. The unifying thread is quality — in ingredients, in execution, and in the sense of place that the best Florida restaurants deliver as surely as any dish on the menu.

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Quick Overview

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1. Joe’s Stone Crab — “The Florida Seafood Institution Since 1913”

Cuisine: Seafood | Price: $$$$ | Hours: Seasonal (Oct 15–Aug 1); Tue–Sat lunch & dinner, Sun dinner | Address: 11 Washington Ave, Miami Beach | Reservations: Walk-in only (no reservations)

Joe’s Stone Crab is not merely a restaurant — it is a Florida institution of the same civic weight as the Everglades or the Space Coast. Founded in 1913 by Joe Weiss, who essentially invented the Florida stone crab as a commercial food item, Joe’s has occupied the same South Beach location for over a century and still operates on walk-in only policy that produces lines beginning at 4pm on peak season evenings. The stone crabs (season October 15 through August 1) are served chilled, cracked tableside, with Joe’s mustard sauce — a combination so singular and so right that ordering anything else feels beside the point. The hash browns are world-famous. The Key lime pie is definitive. The service is brusque, efficient, and quintessentially Miami. Must Order: Stone crab claws (market price, typically $45–85 per order depending on size), hash browns, Key lime pie. Tip: Arrive at 11:30am for lunch (opens at noon) or 4:30pm for dinner to minimize wait; waits of 2–3 hours are common on Friday and Saturday evenings in peak season.

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2. Versailles Restaurant — “The Cuban Embassy of Miami”

Cuisine: Cuban | Price: $$ | Hours: Daily 8am–1am (Fri–Sat until 3am) | Address: 3555 SW 8th St, Little Havana, Miami

Versailles is the most politically, culturally, and gastronomically significant restaurant in Miami — and possibly in all of Florida. On Calle Ocho in the heart of Little Havana, this Cuban institution has been serving the Miami Cuban exile community since 1971 and has hosted every significant Cuban American political event of the past five decades. The dining room’s mirrored walls, chandeliers, and formica tables haven’t changed; neither has the food — ropa vieja, lechon asado, black beans and white rice, Cuban sandwiches, and cafe cubano of the highest order. The ventanita (walk-up window) on the side of the building sells cafe cubano and pastelitos to a perpetual queue of regulars at all hours. Must Order: Ropa vieja, lechon asado, black beans and rice, cafe cubano from the ventanita. Tip: The ventanita experience — a thimble of sweet Cuban espresso drunk standing on the sidewalk — is as essential as the sit-down meal.

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3. Columbia Restaurant — “Florida’s Oldest Restaurant, Since 1905”

Cuisine: Cuban/Spanish | Price: $$$ | Hours: Mon–Thu 11am–9pm, Fri–Sat 11am–10pm, Sun noon–9pm | Address: 2117 E 7th Ave, Ybor City, Tampa

The Columbia Restaurant in Tampa’s Ybor City opened in 1905, making it the oldest restaurant in Florida and one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in the United States. Founded by Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernandez Sr., it now spans an entire city block across 15 dining rooms and seats 1,700 people — yet somehow retains its soul. The food is Cuban-Spanish: the 1905 Salad prepared tableside (romaine, ham, olives, Swiss cheese, Worcestershire, lemon, garlic, olive oil) is a theatrical production worth watching; the Cuban sandwich is among the finest in Tampa; the Cuban black bean soup is a model of the form; the paella Valenciana feeds four and arrives in a pan the size of a satellite dish. Flamenco shows occur nightly in the main dining room. Must Order: 1905 Salad (tableside), Cuban sandwich, Cuban black bean soup, sangria. Tip: Reserve the main dining room for the flamenco show, which occurs at 7:30pm nightly; the atmosphere elevates an already excellent meal.

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4. Bern’s Steak House — “The World’s Greatest Wine List”

Cuisine: American Steakhouse | Price: $$$$ | Hours: Daily 5–11pm | Address: 1208 S Howard Ave, Tampa

Bern’s Steak House is one of the most singular restaurant experiences in the United States — a Tampa institution opened in 1956 by Bern Laxer that has evolved, without losing a single eccentric original detail, into a world-class dining destination. The wine cellar holds approximately 500,000 bottles across 6,500+ selections — certified as the largest restaurant wine collection in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. The beef is USDA prime, dry-aged in Bern’s own aging room, cut to order in the custom range of thicknesses the kitchen offers. The dining room’s red velvet, dark wood, and extraordinary wine list give the experience an atmosphere of glorious excess. After dinner, guests are escorted to the Harry Waugh Dessert Room upstairs — individual booths for two converted from wine casks — for desserts and after-dinner drinks. Must Order: Whatever cut the sommelier recommends aged to your preference; the onion soup; dessert in the Harry Waugh Room. Tip: Engage the sommelier — Bern’s has among the most knowledgeable wine service teams in the country, and a guided selection through the extraordinary list is the experience most guests remember longest.

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5. Stubborn Seed — “Jeremy Ford’s James Beard Award Kitchen”

Cuisine: Contemporary American | Price: $$$$ | Hours: Tue–Sat 6–11pm | Address: 150 Sunset Harbour Dr, Miami Beach

When Top Chef Season 13 winner Jeremy Ford opened Stubborn Seed in Miami Beach in 2017, it immediately became one of the most talked-about restaurants in Florida — and it has only grown in reputation since. Ford won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South in 2023, and his kitchen at Stubborn Seed is where that recognition is earned nightly. The tasting menu (the primary format, with à la carte available at the bar) showcases Ford’s combination of classical French technique, Southern American sensibility, and Florida’s extraordinary seasonal ingredients in dishes of real ambition and consistent execution. The Japanese A5 wagyu preparations and the seafood courses built around Florida Gulf Coast and Keys species are particular highlights. Must Order: The tasting menu; ask about the supplement options (wagyu, caviar, truffles depending on season). Tip: Reserve 4–6 weeks in advance for weekend tasting menu seats; the bar offers a more spontaneous experience with à la carte access to much of the same kitchen.

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6. The Surf Club Restaurant — “Thomas Keller Comes to Florida”

Cuisine: Contemporary American | Price: $$$$ | Hours: Daily lunch and dinner | Address: 9011 Collins Ave, Surfside (Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club)

Thomas Keller — the chef behind The French Laundry and Per Se — opened his Florida outpost inside the restored 1930s Surf Club in Surfside, just north of Miami Beach, and the result is exactly what you’d expect from one of the world’s most celebrated restaurateurs: impeccable technique, exceptional ingredients, and a dining room of such relaxed, assured elegance that it makes luxury feel effortless. The menu is American with French influence — whole roasted chicken, Dover sole meunière, steak tartare, lobster preparations — all executed at the Keller standard. The dining room itself, with its vaulted ceilings, murals, and terrace overlooking the pool and ocean, is one of the most beautiful restaurant spaces in Florida. Must Order: The roasted chicken for two, the Dover sole, the steak tartare, whatever the kitchen’s seasonal tasting offers. Tip: Lunch is considerably less expensive than dinner and allows access to the same kitchen and room; the terrace lunch is one of the finest midday dining experiences in South Florida.

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7. Yardbird Southern Table & Bar — “The South’s Best Fried Chicken in Miami Beach”

Cuisine: Southern American | Price: $$$ | Hours: Daily 11am–11pm (Fri–Sat until midnight) | Address: 1600 Lenox Ave, Miami Beach

Yardbird makes a credible claim to serving the finest fried chicken in Florida — and the competition, in a state with deep Southern food traditions, is substantial. The chicken is brined in sweet tea for 27 hours, coated in seasoned flour, and fried to an extraordinary combination of shattering crust and impossibly moist interior. The Southern sides that surround it — Grandma Daisy’s biscuits with honey butter, mac and cheese of genuine quality, watermelon and feta salad, collard greens slow-cooked with smoked turkey — are as good as the centerpiece. The cocktail program is excellent; the space is loud, warm, and energetic. It’s the rare restaurant that is simultaneously a serious food destination and a genuinely fun evening. Must Order: The fried chicken (order it — do not experiment with the rest of the menu before you’ve had the chicken), Grandma Daisy’s biscuits, mac and cheese. Tip: Weekend brunch (Sat–Sun 11am–3pm) adds spectacular egg dishes and chicken and waffles to the fried chicken lineup; lines form on weekends — book in advance.

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8. Norman’s Orlando — “The Godfather of Florida Cuisine”

Cuisine: New World Cuisine | Price: $$$$ | Hours: Tue–Sat 6–10pm | Address: 6800 Vineland Rd, Orlando (at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes)

Norman Van Aken literally invented the term “New World Cuisine” — a philosophy of cooking that celebrates the layered cultural influences of the Caribbean, Latin America, and the American South that converge in Florida. His flagship Norman’s at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando is the fullest expression of that philosophy: dishes that move fluidly between Latin, Caribbean, and Southern American traditions, built on Florida’s extraordinary seasonal ingredients, executed with classical precision. Van Aken is a James Beard Award winner and one of the most important figures in American regional cooking of the past four decades; Norman’s is where his vision is most completely realized. Must Order: Whatever the kitchen’s tasting menu offers in the current season; the Mojo-marinated pork preparations, the Florida seafood courses. Tip: Orlando’s tourist-destination hotel dining is too often dismissed; Norman’s is an authentic destination restaurant that happens to be inside a hotel, and it deserves a serious food traveler’s attention.

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9. Mandolin Aegean Bistro — “The Mediterranean Garden of Miami”

Cuisine: Greek/Turkish | Price: $$$ | Hours: Mon–Sat noon–10pm, Sun noon–9pm | Address: 4312 NE 2nd Ave, Design District, Miami

Mandolin occupies a 1940s cottage in Miami’s Design District with a sprawling outdoor garden that is, on a warm Miami evening, as close to a Greek island taverna experience as you’ll find in the continental United States. The menu draws from the Aegean tradition: meze spreads of spreads, dips, and small plates (the spanakopita, the taramasalata, the octopus grilled over charcoal); whole fish preparations; slow-roasted lamb; and a wine list focused on Greek and Turkish producers that most Miami wine lists don’t bother with. The garden setting — string lights, fig trees, old bougainvillea — is the most romantic outdoor dining experience in Miami. Must Order: Whole grilled fish (ask what’s freshest), spanakopita, taramasalata, the grilled octopus, Greek wines. Tip: Request the garden, not the indoor dining room; the outdoor space is the reason to come.

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10. The Ravenous Pig — “Orlando’s Great American Gastropub”

Cuisine: American Craft | Price: $$$ | Hours: Tue–Sat 11:30am–10pm, Sun 10:30am–9pm | Address: 565 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, Orlando

James and Julie Petrakis opened The Ravenous Pig in Winter Park in 2007 and proceeded to win every significant local and regional dining award while being nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South multiple times. The concept is an American gastropub taken seriously: house-cured charcuterie, housemade pastas, whole-animal butchery, local farm sourcing, and a craft beer and cocktail program of genuine distinction. The dining room is warm and unpretentious; the food is ambitious and consistently excellent. It remains, 19 years after opening, the most reliable serious restaurant in the Orlando metro for visitors who want to eat well outside a theme park. Must Order: Whatever charcuterie the kitchen is running, the seasonal pasta, the house burger at lunch. Tip: The adjacent Ravenous Pig Brewing (same building) offers excellent craft beers that pair beautifully with the kitchen’s food.

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11. Ulele — “Florida’s Most Distinctive Native-Inspired Cuisine”

Cuisine: Native Floridian/American | Price: $$$ | Hours: Daily 11am–10pm (Fri–Sat until 11pm) | Address: 1810 N Highland Ave, Tampa (Water Works Park)

Ulele occupies a restored 1903 water works pump house in Tampa’s Water Works Park and serves food that is genuinely unlike any other restaurant in Florida. Named for a legendary Himobi princess, Ulele draws on Florida’s Native American, Spanish colonial, and natural heritage to create a menu that features ingredients most Florida restaurants overlook: Florida alligator, wild boar, bison, datil peppers from St. Augustine, hearts of palm, cattail pollen, and local craft spirits distilled on the premises. The space — industrial brick, copper fermentation tanks, waterfront patio on the Hillsborough River — is spectacular. The food is creative and distinctly, defiantly Floridian. Must Order: Alligator hush puppies, the Native American flatbread, whatever fresh Gulf seafood the kitchen is featuring, anything with datil peppers. Tip: The outdoor patio on the Hillsborough River is one of the finest waterfront dining settings in Tampa; reserve it specifically for warm evenings.

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12. Cask & Larder — “Orlando’s Farm-to-Table Standout”

Cuisine: Southern Craft/American | Price: $$$ | Hours: Tue–Sun 11:30am–10pm | Address: 565 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, Orlando (same building as Ravenous Pig)

The Petrakis family’s Cask & Larder (in the same Winter Park complex as The Ravenous Pig) focuses specifically on Southern American craft cooking — smoked meats, whole-hog preparations, Southern vegetables cooked with seriousness, and a house brewing program that produces some of Orlando’s best craft beer. The charcuterie program is extraordinary: house-cured hams, country pâtés, smoked sausages. The wood-fired rotisserie produces whole birds and cuts of exceptional quality. The beer list, sourced from both the house brewery and regional craft producers, is among the finest in Orlando. Must Order: Whatever is coming off the rotisserie, the house charcuterie board, a flight of house beers. Tip: The combination lunch — Ravenous Pig for elevated gastropub, Cask & Larder for craft beer and smoked meats — makes Winter Park a full afternoon food destination.

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13. Blue Heaven — “Key West’s Most Beloved Outdoor Restaurant”

Cuisine: Caribbean/American | Price: $$ | Hours: Daily 8am–4pm (breakfast/lunch), dinner varies | Address: 729 Thomas St, Bahama Village, Key West

Blue Heaven is Key West’s most famous restaurant for reasons that have as much to do with atmosphere as food — though the food is genuinely good. Set in a sprawling outdoor yard in the Bahama Village neighborhood, with roosters wandering between tables, cats asleep in the trees, a bocce court in the corner, and the ghost of Ernest Hemingway (who refereed boxing matches here in the 1930s) hovering over everything, Blue Heaven is a place that captures something essential about Key West: it is unhurried, eccentric, beautiful, and entirely itself. The Caribbean-influenced menu (jerk chicken, fresh fish, lobster Benedict at brunch) is honest and well-executed. The banana foster pancakes at breakfast are exceptional. Waits of 45–60 minutes on weekend mornings are the rule; they are worth it. Must Order: Banana foster pancakes (breakfast), lobster Benedict (brunch), jerk chicken (lunch), the fresh fish of the day. Tip: Arrive at 8am on weekdays to avoid the worst waits; the rooster company during your meal is included at no extra charge.

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14. Louie’s Backyard — “Dining on the Atlantic in Key West”

Cuisine: Contemporary American | Price: $$$$ | Hours: Daily lunch and dinner | Address: 700 Waddell Ave, Key West

Louie’s Backyard is Key West’s landmark fine dining destination — a 1909 conch house at the Atlantic Ocean’s edge whose terrace dining is among the most romantic in Florida. The kitchen produces contemporary American food with Caribbean influences and an emphasis on Florida seafood; the presentation is polished; the wine list is serious; and the ocean view from the lower terrace — the Atlantic breaking on the rocks 20 feet below — elevates every meal with the particular beauty of the Florida Keys at their finest. The Afterdeck Bar (adjacent, more casual) is the best place for a sunset cocktail in Key West. Must Order: Whatever Florida seafood the kitchen is featuring; the yellowfin tuna preparations are consistently cited; Key lime pie with an ocean view is obligatory. Tip: Reserve the lower terrace specifically; the upper dining room, while attractive, doesn’t deliver the same experience as eating with the Atlantic visible and audible below.

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15. Sea Salt — “Naples’ Premier Seafood Restaurant”

Cuisine: Seafood/Contemporary | Price: $$$$ | Hours: Daily 5–10pm (lunch Fri–Sun) | Address: 1186 3rd St S, Naples

In the affluent coastal city of Naples on the Gulf of Mexico, Sea Salt has established itself as the premier fine dining destination through an unwavering commitment to exceptional seafood. The concept is simple and executed brilliantly: the finest sustainable seafood available, prepared with classical technique and minimal interference. The raw bar is extraordinary — oysters from around the world, Florida stone crab in season, ceviche preparations of genuine quality. The wine list is 1,000+ bottles with particular depth in white Burgundies and crisp whites that complement the seafood program. The Naples clientele demands excellence, and Sea Salt delivers it consistently. Must Order: The oyster selection from the raw bar, whatever whole fish the kitchen is featuring, stone crab in season (October–August), the wine pairing. Tip: The raw bar seats offer the most intimate experience with the kitchen’s seafood program; request raw bar seating when reserving.

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16. Cafe Boulud Palm Beach — “Daniel Boulud’s Finest Florida Table”

Cuisine: French Contemporary | Price: $$$$ | Hours: Daily breakfast, lunch & dinner | Address: 301 Australian Ave, Palm Beach (Brazilian Court Hotel)

Inside the historic Brazilian Court Hotel in Palm Beach, Daniel Boulud’s Cafe Boulud delivers French-influenced contemporary cuisine at the level of quality Palm Beach’s demanding clientele expects and the Boulud name requires. The four-part menu format (La Tradition — classical French, La Saison — seasonal, Le Potager — vegetable-focused, Le Voyage — world cuisines) allows the kitchen to move broadly while maintaining the classical technique that anchors everything. The Palm Beach location draws its own character from Florida’s seasonal ingredients and the property’s graceful tropical setting. The Sunday brunch is one of the finest in South Florida. Must Order: Whatever La Saison is offering in the current season; the classic French preparations from La Tradition; the Sunday brunch. Tip: The courtyard terrace is one of Palm Beach’s most beautiful outdoor dining settings; request it for dinner in the winter season.

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17. The Bubble Room — “Florida’s Most Gloriously Eccentric Restaurant”

Cuisine: American | Price: $$ | Hours: Daily noon–10pm | Address: 15001 Captiva Dr, Captiva Island

There is no restaurant in Florida — perhaps no restaurant in America — quite like The Bubble Room on Captiva Island. Opened in 1979, it occupies a rambling collection of rooms filled floor-to-ceiling with 1930s and 1940s movie memorabilia, vintage Christmas decorations (year-round), antique toys, model trains running overhead, and a decade of accumulated nostalgic kitsch that somehow coheres into a genuinely joyful environment. The food — prime rib, seafood, giant layer cakes (the orange crunch cake and red velvet cake are legendary) — is hearty American and genuinely good. The portions are enormous. The experience is irreplaceable. Must Order: Prime rib, whatever fresh Gulf seafood the kitchen is running, the orange crunch cake (order it at the beginning of the meal; it takes time to slice). Tip: Captiva Island is only accessible by a single bridge road; build the Bubble Room into a Sanibel/Captiva Island day trip.

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18. Fish House — “Gulf Coast Seafood at Its Most Honest”

Cuisine: Gulf Coast Seafood | Price: $$ | Hours: Mon–Sat 11am–10pm | Address: 600 S Barracks St, Pensacola

In Pensacola, where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Florida Panhandle, the Fish House has been serving the freshest possible Gulf Coast seafood since 1998 in a no-pretense waterfront setting that lets the ingredients do the work. Pensacola Bay shrimp, Gulf grouper, local oysters, crab claws, and whatever came off the boats that morning appear on a menu that changes daily based on what the docks produce. The grits, deviled crab claws, and the amberjack preparation are consistently excellent. The waterfront deck is one of the finest casual dining settings on the Florida Panhandle. Must Order: Whatever the kitchen is featuring from the day’s catch — ask the server; the Gulf grouper in any preparation, the Pensacola Bay shrimp, the deviled crab claws. Tip: The Pensacola waterfront at sunset from the Fish House deck is worth the trip even before the food.

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19. Mise en Place — “Tampa’s Most Enduring Fine Dining”

Cuisine: Contemporary American | Price: $$$$ | Hours: Tue–Sat 5:30–10pm | Address: 442 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa

Marty and Maryann Blitz opened Mise en Place in Tampa in 1986 and have maintained it as the city’s most consistent fine dining destination through four decades of changing culinary fashions — an achievement that speaks to genuine commitment to craft over trend. The contemporary American menu changes seasonally; the execution is precise; the ingredients are sourced with care from Florida and regional producers; and the dining room’s warm, professional atmosphere makes every meal feel like a special occasion without the stiffness that sometimes accompanies fine dining ambitions. The wine program is among the most thoughtfully assembled in Tampa. Must Order: Whatever the seasonal tasting menu is currently offering; the kitchen’s fish preparations are consistently cited as the menu highlight. Tip: The prix fixe menu on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings offers the full quality of the kitchen at meaningfully lower prices — one of Tampa’s best dining values.

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20. Datz — “Tampa’s Best Comfort Food”

Cuisine: American Comfort | Price: $$ | Hours: Daily 11am–10pm (Fri–Sat until 11pm) | Address: 2616 S MacDill Ave, South Tampa

Datz has built a devoted Tampa following by taking comfort food with total seriousness — the mac and cheese is extraordinary, the burgers are among Tampa’s finest, the grilled cheese menu runs to 15+ variations, and the craft beer and cocktail program is extensive and well-curated. The adjacent Datz Deli and Datz Wine Loft extend the family into charcuterie, artisan cheese, and wine retail. The restaurant itself is loud, casual, and warm — exactly the kind of neighborhood institution that every city needs more of. Must Order: The mac and cheese, the Datz burger, whatever grilled cheese combination appeals, the local craft beer selection. Tip: Brunch (Sat–Sun) adds spectacular egg and waffle preparations to the comfort food lineup; the weekend brunch wait can be substantial — arrive at 11am to beat it.

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21. Nobu Miami — “World-Class Japanese Omakase on South Beach”

Cuisine: Japanese Fusion | Price: $$$$ | Hours: Daily 6–11pm (Fri–Sat until midnight) | Address: 1901 Collins Ave, Miami Beach (Nobu Hotel)

Nobu Matsuhisa’s Miami Beach outpost delivers the same extraordinary Japanese-Peruvian fusion that made the Nobu brand one of the most celebrated in global dining, executed at the level the South Beach location’s affluent clientele demands. The black cod with miso is as good here as at any Nobu globally. The omakase experience — chef’s selection of the evening’s finest preparations — is the definitive way to experience the kitchen. The yellowtail jalapeño and the rock shrimp tempura are obligatory. The sushi program is executed to a standard that places it among Miami’s finest. Must Order: Omakase (call ahead to arrange), black cod with miso, yellowtail jalapeño, rock shrimp tempura. Tip: The omakase requires advance arrangement by phone; the standard menu à la carte is excellent but the omakase is the full expression of the kitchen’s capabilities.

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22. Imoto — “Best Sushi in Palm Beach”

Cuisine: Japanese | Price: $$$$ | Hours: Tue–Sat 5:30–10pm | Address: 350 S Ocean Blvd, Palm Beach

Inside The Breakers resort in Palm Beach, Imoto delivers Japanese cuisine — and specifically sushi — at a level that matches the resort’s century-old reputation for excellence. Executive Sushi Chef Masa Aoyama sources fish globally and from South Florida’s own waters to create omakase and à la carte sushi of exceptional quality. The wagyu beef preparations and the Japanese whisky program are secondary highlights. The intimate room (seats approximately 40) and the Breakers’ impeccable service make this one of the most polished small-restaurant experiences in Florida. Must Order: The omakase, A5 wagyu preparations, the Japanese whisky selection. Tip: Imoto serves The Breakers guests and outside diners equally; reservations are essential and should be made weeks in advance on winter season weekends.

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23. Conch Republic Seafood — “Fresh Conch in Key West”

Cuisine: Keys Seafood | Price: $$ | Hours: Daily 11am–11pm | Address: 631 Greene St, Key West Historic Seaport

In the Key West Historic Seaport, Conch Republic Seafood occupies a working waterfront building with outdoor deck seating directly over the water — fishing boats coming and going in the harbor as you eat. The focus is Florida Keys seafood done simply and well: fresh conch (in fritters, chowder, salad, and ceviche), local yellowtail snapper, grouper, shrimp, and lobster from the waters immediately surrounding Key West. The conch fritters are among the finest in the Keys. The outdoor deck is one of the best casual waterfront dining settings in Key West. Must Order: Conch fritters, conch chowder, yellowtail snapper, whatever local lobster the kitchen is featuring. Tip: The seaport deck at sunset, with a local beer and a plate of conch fritters, is one of the quintessential Key West experiences; arrive by 5pm to claim a rail seat before sunset.

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24. The Brown Derby — “Hollywood Golden Age on Walt Disney World”

Cuisine: American | Price: $$$ | Hours: Daily lunch and dinner (Hollywood Studios park admission required) | Address: Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World

The Brown Derby at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the most food-serious table-service restaurant in a Disney theme park and one of Florida’s genuinely interesting dining experiences — both for the food and for the extraordinary accuracy of its reproduction of the 1920s Hollywood original. The Cobb salad (invented at the original Brown Derby in 1937) is prepared tableside and is authentically excellent. The Hollywood Studio atmosphere — curved booths, caricatures of classic stars, Art Deco details — is meticulously realized. For theme park dining, the kitchen’s ambitions and execution are remarkable. Must Order: The original Cobb salad (tableside), the grapefruit cake (the Brown Derby signature), the Specialty cocktails. Tip: Advance dining reservations through the Disney app open 60 days in advance and fill immediately for popular times; book as early as possible.

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25. Bern’s Steak House (Harry Waugh Dessert Room) — “The World’s Greatest Dessert Experience”

See Bern’s entry above (#4) — the Harry Waugh Dessert Room deserves its own mention.

After dinner at Bern’s, guests are escorted upstairs to the Harry Waugh Dessert Room — individual booths constructed from repurposed wine casks, each seating two people in an intimate cave of polished wood. The dessert menu runs to dozens of options; the dessert wine and after-dinner spirits list is extraordinary; and the experience of ending a meal in what amounts to a private wine barrel booth is unlike anything else in Florida dining. Many guests book Bern’s for dinner purely to access the Waugh Room for dessert and after-dinner drinks. Must Order: The soufflé (order at the beginning of your main course dinner so it’s ready when you arrive upstairs), whatever dessert wine the sommelier recommends from the extraordinary selection.

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Official Resources

1. Visit Florida — Dining — Official Florida tourism dining guide and restaurant recommendations
2. Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association — Florida’s official restaurant industry organization
3. James Beard Foundation — Florida — James Beard Award nominees and winners from Florida