The Lower Gulf Coast Restaurants

In this part of Florida, fresh seafood reigns supreme. Succulent native stone-crab claws, a particularly tasty treat, in season from mid-October through mid-May, are usually served hot with drawn butter or chilled with tangy mustard sauce. Supplies are typically steady, since claws regenerate in time for the next season. Other seafood specialties include fried grouper sandwiches and Sanibel pink shrimp. In Naples's highly hailed restaurants and sidewalk cafés, mingle with locals, winter visitors, and other travelers, and catch up on the latest culinary trends.

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  • 1. Osteria Tulia

    $$$$

    The setting at this intimate but lively restaurant is refined but rustic, with wood repurposed from a dilapidated Florida barn and 1940s-era bricks reclaimed from a Chicago firehouse. The Sicilian-born chef (and part-owner) eschews an ornate menu and instead offers simple, finely produced Italian dishes. The signature fennel sausage is made using a family recipe, and the kitchen cures its own pancetta, makes its own mozzarella and ricotta cheeses, and extrudes its own pasta. Seasonal dishes like rabbit and wild boar shine; the tortelloni with braised short ribs pleases nightly.

    466 5th Ave. S, Naples, Florida, 34102, USA
    239-213–2073

    Known For

    • Homemade sausage and cheeses
    • Freshly made pastas
    • Rustic, family setting
  • 2. Sea Salt

    $$$$

    The city's hottest upscale restaurant draws a crowd of connoisseurs to a modern, coral-stone dining room that spills out onto the sidewalk. The menu changes nightly, and the Venetian-born chef puts a New World spin on traditional Italian favorites, which are seasoned with different types of sea salt from around the globe. The finest quality meats and seafood, much of it sourced from local farmers and fisherman, are used in all the dishes.

    1186 3rd St. S, Naples, Florida, 34102, USA
    239-434–7258

    Known For

    • Charred octopus appetizer
    • Daily prix-fixe sunset menu from 5 to 6
    • Homemade pappardelle with Wagyu beef

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 3. The Local

    $$

    Health-conscious foodies, hipsters, and retirees mix equally at this farm-and-sea-to-table bistro, which, as the name suggests, stocks its kitchen almost exclusively with items from local suppliers. Though it's in a strip mall a few blocks inland, it has a polished interior that manages to evoke both the beach and the farm. Choose from healthful options like a super-food salad or more indulgent dishes such as pork shoulder au jus with mango mustard.

    5323 Airport Pulling Rd. N, Naples, Florida, USA
    239-596–3276

    Known For

    • Pot roast with grandma's veggies
    • Flatbreads and pizzas
    • Fresh ingredients
  • 4. USS Nemo

    $$$$

    Don't be fooled by the cheesy glowing sign visible from the highway—most locals swear this is the place for fresh seafood, which is why you need a reservation even in the heat of summer. The setting is whimsical (portholes, antique bronze diving gear, colorful fish sculptures), and the dishes are eclectic, often featuring Asian-inspired preparations. The signature miso-broiled sea bass with citrus-ginger butter strikes the right balance between sweet and savory; the ginger-steamed halibut with soy-lime dressing and the herb-grilled tuna with warm goat cheese and seared diver scallops are also winners.

    3745 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, Florida, 34103, USA
    239-261–6366

    Known For

    • Miso-broiled sea bass
    • Swordfish cioppino
    • Fresh tuna with your choice of savory sauce

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch weekends, Reservations essential
  • 5. Baleen

    $$$$

    The mood cast in the well-appointed dining room and the romantic Gulf-view patio that spills onto the sand makes a meal here the perfect Florida dining experience. There's only one small problem—lighting is so low at dinner that you can't read the menu, even with its built-in flashlight, which is too bad, because it means you also miss the effect of the beautifully presented dishes. An impressive prix-fixe option includes a starter, entrée, and dessert.  Schedule your dinner outdoors to catch gorgeous views of the sunset.

    9891 Gulf Shore Dr., Naples, Florida, 34108, USA
    239-598–5707

    Known For

    • Lobster frittata breakfast
    • Signature blackened grouper
    • Water views

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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  • 6. Barbatella

    $$$

    The wine bar at this popular trattoria has a communal table, crystal chandeliers hung inside birdcages, and a wine dispenser that lets you sample 30 of its more than 100 Italian (of course) wines by the 1-, 3-, or 6-ounce glass. The brick dining room, with 150-year-old recycled flooring, is more casual and open to the kitchen; the central patio is shaded and relaxed. Straight-up and expertly done classic Italian dishes include bruschetta, fried calamari, lasagna, and wood-fired pizza. Save room for the gelato, though.

    1290 3rd St. S, Naples, Florida, 34102, USA
    239-263–1955

    Known For

    • Pizzettes (small pizzas)
    • Venetian-style meatballs
    • Amazing gelato
  • 7. Bha! Bha! Persian Bistro

    $$$

    Loyal fans flock to bustling 5th Avenue South year in and year out to indulge in this restaurant's chic Persian atmosphere and cuisine. Favorite dishes include plum lamb with tomato-pomegranate sauce, ginger apricot shrimp (which was featured in Bon Appétit), and spicy beef in saffron sauce—all made on-site and completely from scratch.

    865 5th Ave. S, Naples, Florida, 34102, USA
    239-594–5557

    Known For

    • Authentic Persian cuisine
    • Signature plum lamb
    • Slow-braised duck

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 8. Chops City Grill

    $$$$

    Luxurious yet simultaneously resort-wear casual, this restaurant draws everyone from young businesspeople to local retirees. Sushi and such Pacific Rim inspirations as shrimp spring rolls rub elbows with beef carpaccio and watermelon salad with goat cheese and pecans; grilled seafood and fine cuts of meat like dry-aged rib-eyes or strip steaks come with your choice of nine sides that include "wild" sherry-laced mushrooms for four-cheese mac. For dessert, sip a Special K Express martini, made with a full shot of espresso. Dine alfresco or inside with a view of the kitchen. There's a second location in Bonita Springs.

    837 5th Ave. S, Naples, Florida, 34102, USA
    239-262–4677

    Known For

    • Succulent dry-aged steaks
    • Region's best clam chowder
    • Delicious side dishes

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch, Reservations essential
  • 9. Côte d'Azur

    $$$$

    This restaurant brings Provençal joie de vivre and flavor to Naples with dishes that are sometimes made using exotic ingredients but are always prepared to perfection. The narrow dining room, with yellow-striped awnings and windows inset with mirrors and flower boxes, suggests a French sidewalk café.

    11224 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, Florida, 34110, USA
    239-597–8867

    Known For

    • Good selection of wine by the glass
    • Crispy duck
    • Authentic French experience

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
  • 10. Fernández The Bull

    $$

    You'll get authentic, critically acclaimed, unpretentious Cuban specialties at this simple storefront café a few miles inland. Stick to the basics, like the lemony lechon asado (slow-roasted pork basted with garlic) or ropa vieja (shreds of flank steak simmered in tomato sauce with heaps of peppers and onions). Prices are good, considering that one entrée is enough for dinner and lunch the next day and that it comes with salads, big slabs of toasted garlic bread, and two sides. The bar is wine-and-beer only; the mojitos are faux-jitos but still pretty tasty.

    1201 Piper Blvd., Naples, Florida, 34110, USA
    239-254–9855

    Known For

    • Generous portions
    • Old-school black beans and rice
    • Palomilla steak with onions
  • 11. Old Naples Pub

    $$

    Locals come for affordable sandwiches and seafood in the vaulted, vine-twisted courtyard of this traditional pub, which has been tucked away from the shopping traffic of upscale Third Street since 1990. It's an everybody-knows-your-name kind of place, with jars of pickles on the tables; friendly bartenders; and a menu of fried "ungrouper" sandwiches (made with "mild flaky white fillet" as grouper numbers wait to make a comeback), burgers, chicken salad, nachos, and fried gator tail. There's musical entertainment Wednesday through Sunday year round.

    255 13th Ave. S, Naples, Florida, 34102, USA
    239-649–8200

    Known For

    • Casual, fun vibe
    • Wide selection of beers
    • Live music

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
  • 12. The Bay House

    $$$$

    Nestled in a hidden expanse of twisted mangrove trees and flowing canals is one of the area's best restaurants for casual fine dining. Restored wooden rowboats and modern chandeliers hang from the ceiling of the main dining room, which is packed almost every night in season. The food is a serious celebration of the sea with Southern accents, like their signature coastal pan roast with fresh Gulf fish. The adjacent Claw Bar at Tierney's Tavern shares the same kitchen but focuses on chilled shellfish and other Southern delights with nightly live music and a more casual vibe.  Saturday lunches are surprisingly quiet and a perfect time to snag one of the coveted tables closest to the windows.

    799 Walkerbilt Rd., Naples, Florida, 34110, USA
    239-591–3837

    Known For

    • Crab bisque
    • Coastal pan roast with fresh Gulf fish
    • Live music

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch May–Nov., Reservations essential
  • 13. Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar

    $$$$

    Here Naples takes a youthful curve—island music sounds on the umbrella-shaded courtyard at this, the prototype for the national chain inspired by the Tommy Bahama clothing label and furniture line. Indoors and out, everybody's munching sandwiches, salads, and grilled seafood and meat dishes made with a tropical flair.

    1220 3rd St. S, Naples, Florida, 34102, USA
    239-643–6889

    Known For

    • Coconut fried shrimp
    • Fantastic crab bisque
    • Island-style setting

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