The Wharf

The Wharf Review

The popularity of this large restaurant often leads to impersonal service and mediocre food. But the location, a series of elevated decks and Victorian-style gazebos in blue and white hugging the sea, is enviable and helps to explain its enduring appeal (wedding parties have their own pavilion, but celebrations of all sorts can overrun the place, including Boogie Nights Fridays). The Ports of Call bar is a splendid place for sunset fanciers, and tarpon feeding off the deck is a nightly (9 pm) spectacle. Stick to simpler fare (creole-style marinated conch fritters, the signature basil-and-pistachio-crusted sea bass in champagne cream) and avoid anything sounding too pretentious. Chef Christian Reiter is Austrian and patriotic, so save room for dessert: warm toffee banana pudding or chocolate-hazelnut tart baked with caramel and topped with orange jelly and bittersweet chocolate mousse don't disappoint.