643 Best Restaurants in Florida, USA

A 25-foot tree is draped with twinkling lights at this breakfast-only restaurant that's open Thursday through Monday. It's a great place for families to fuel up on everything from French toast to a pork roll on everything bagel.

If you're looking for a snack to satisfy even the most villainous of appetites, come to Gaston's Tavern. While you won't find his four dozen eggs on the menu, the warm cinnamon roll is big enough for an entire family to split, and you'll have chance to "try the grey stuff" in cupcake form. But the real star of the show—and the song—is, of course, LeFou, whose brew will have you raising a glass.

Chef George and wife Luba want you to feel like family at their chic bistro, where they say “South of France meets The South.” The menu features recipes from their travels, including super coffees and cocktails, as well as standout salads and sandwiches.

George's has a well-deserved reputation for serving elegantly plated food in a casual setting. There's plenty of patio space for outdoor dining as well as an upstairs deck where you can enjoy a beer or wine while waiting to be seated. For ease in ordering, the menus have both lighter "behave" and more indulgent "misbehave" sections. Takes on fresh seafood are the stars, although steak and burgers are on the menu, too.

When heading out to the area's western reaches, this postage-stamp–size outpost can add down-home zing to your day—if you can find it, that is. Breakfast, which includes sausage gravy and biscuits, is served 7–11 am, but the big attraction is barbecue beef, pork, or chicken, on platters or in sandwiches for lunch and dinner. Other solid options include a spicy Brunswick stew and fried jumbo shrimp. There's apple, peach, cherry, and pecan pie, and a small-fry menu. Order takeout or eat at the counter, at wooden tables, or at a half dozen or so booths.

Set within the glitz and ostentation of Gianni Versace’s former mansion, The Villa Casa Casuarina, this restaurant doles out pricey Italian-Mediterranean eats across the mansion's most prized nooks. It's more about the romantic atmosphere and eating next to Versace's storied mosaic pool than the food, which includes caviar selections, filet mignon, and black-truffle risotto.

You’ve never experienced dinner and a movie quite like this. At Gigglewaters' intimate, speakeasy-like restaurant, you can enjoy gourmet burgers, hot dogs, and craft cocktails while catching a classic flick in the one-screen, back-room movie theater. And don’t forget the popcorn! There are three flavors: classic butter, white truffle (with a hint of citrus), and garlic bread.

With a design that fuses the indoors and outdoors in the middle of Coconut Grove’s residential Peacock Park, this charming, family-friendly restaurant is as picturesque as it is unexpected. Parents can sit back and enjoy some incredible gourmet-style sharing plates (featuring local catch and produce) and the sensational wine selection while the little ones are thoroughly entertained outside (there's even a playground).

Like a fine wine, this small natural-foods eatery and market surrenders its pleasures a little at a time. Step inside to the aroma of brewing coffee, and then pick up the scent of fresh strawberries or carrots being blended into a smoothie and the green aroma of wheatgrass juice, followed by the earthy odor of hummus. Order raw or cooked vegetarian and vegan dishes, organic soups and salads, and organic coffees and teas. Bountiful sandwiches include the popular tuna melt or hummus and avocado. Sit at the counter or in the back garden, and mingle with the locals as folks have been doing since the early 1980s. Then stock up on healthful snacks like dried fruits, raw nuts, and carob-covered almonds. There are gluten-free items, too.

This unique pizza joint offers authentic handcrafted pies for all diets—veggie lovers and carnivores alike—without sacrificing taste. Choose from a bevy of inventive specialty pies (the Grape N’ Gorg, the Gambini, the Shrimp Scampi) or build your own. There are dozens of toppings and sauces to choose from, including some unusual options: vegan cheeses, meatless chorizo, homemade peanut butter sauce, guava sauce, crawfish tails. This is pizza as you’ve never had it before.

Grampa's Bakery and Restaurant provides a cheery, homey fix of comfort foods from the charbroiler, fryer, and grill. You won't go hungry ordering Grampa's chili with cheese, lox, eggs, or biscuits and gravy. Check out the sweets at the bakery counter up front or head next door to Jaxson's for some ice cream.

Come for the breakfast food, and skip the dinner menu.

Most days, the Italian sandwiches, specialty breads, and pastries sell out before noon at this aptly named bakery ("large oven" in Italian). Customers line up in the morning to get Gran Forno's hot artisanal breads like ciabatta (800 loaves are made a day), returning later for the decadent desserts. The eatery's second outpost (called Gran Forno Pronto) is five blocks east on Las Olas and offers a full-service menu.

This restaurant offers unforgettable views of Santa Rosa Sound and Pensacola Bay along with mouthwatering fresh local cuisine. Top-notch seafood shares the menu—printed daily—with specials.

Jim Shirley, founder of Pensacola's very popular Fish House, has brought his Grits a Ya-Ya to this restaurant on Seaside's town square. The menu emphasizes regional fare, including Gulf seafood and fresh sides such as collards, okra, black-eyed peas, fried green tomatoes, and sweet potatoes. Oysters and po'boys stuffed with shrimp bring a little N'awlins to the beach. Beer and wine and a full liquor bar are here to boot. It can get very busy, so reservations are recommended.

This circa-1947 landmark—with its vintage neon sign, wood-paneled walls, and period photos—is a slice of Florida Keys history. Breakfast options include French toast made with challah bread and Captain Morgan batter or Keys Benedict with a blue crab cake; at lunch, opt for lobster mac and cheese. Turtle chowder (don't gasp; it's made from farm-raised, freshwater turtles) is a staple. For dessert, the seventh-generation pound cake gets a standing ovation.

A tried-and-true locals' hangout since it was founded in the early 1990s—with regulars including athletes, politicians, entrepreneurs, artists, and other prominent area names—this cozy café serves simple French-Mediterranean delights. Despite the restaurant's see-and-be-seen reputation, diners are encouraged to sit back and simply enjoy the experience with relaxed decor, good food, and friendly service.

Expect a wait for dinner, which is not necessarily a bad thing at this island paradise of a waterfront restaurant and bar. Take the wait time to explore the bridges and trails of the open-air tropical oasis, or grab a chair by the river to watch the sunset, listen to the live band, or nibble on some conch fritters at the large tiki bar until your table is ready. Try the lemon-butter hogfish for dinner, and stick around for the live music (a full concert calendar is on the website). Breakfast, offered only on weekends, is good, too. That said, it's more about the view and vibe than the food here.  There's only valet parking on site; a free lot is about a block away but fills up fast in season.

Constructed of stacked shipping containers that have been painted bright azure, this is a great kid- and dog-friendly place to enjoy mojitos and seasonal seafood. Much of the restaurant is outdoors—the better to soak in the Choctawhatchee Bay views—with lounging couches and a patch of sand; simply order at the counter, and your meal is brought to you. There's another location just over the Alabama border in Orange Beach.

Especially popular for breakfast (served all day), this unassuming landmark squats on the beach and serves cheap sit-down eats—mostly sandwiches, but also (after 4 pm) a wide array of seafood entrées ranging from lobster mac-and-cheese to grilled or blackened mahimahi. Many items have a Greek tinge to them.

Smack-dab on the docks, this legendary place gets its name from the oysters, clams, and peel-and-eat shrimp that are the stars of its seafood-based menu. It's not clever recipes or fine dining (or even air-conditioning) that packs 'em in; it's fried fish, po'boy sandwiches, and seafood combos. For a break from the deep fryer, try the fresh and light conch ceviche.

Hampton Social covers many bases with its menu of "coastal-inspired food." With options ranging from California-style pizzas and lobster rolls to steak or seafood tacos and crispy calamari, there's likely to be something for everyone in your party. Weekend brunch adds boozy and nonalcoholic bevs, as well as live music.

Carved into the walkway leading to the Wildlife Express train, this four-station food mart offers a selection of shrimp or chicken bowls and salads. Everyone will want their own watermelon lemonade.

Harbor Docks is a casual place with picnic tables, hibachi grills, and a beautiful view of Destin Harbor. The seafood served here is the best of what's available each day at the neighboring market (the rest gets shipped up north). Peek over the patio railing, and you might see fishermen unloading a catch that could be on someone's plate that very night.

Although this restaurant is built to resemble Rome's Colosseum and contains 1,000 seats, there's often a wait at lunch or dinner. The music is always loud, the walls are covered with rock memorabilia, and the menu still features the burger that started it all—the steakburger with applewood bacon, cheddar cheese, a crispy onion ring, leaf lettuce, and vine-ripened tomato. Barbecued meats, from baby-back ribs to hand-pulled pork, are smoked on-site. Other entrées include New York strip steak, grilled Norwegian salmon, and Tupelo chicken tenders.

If you're looking for comfort food—like melt-in-your-mouth key lime biscuits the size of a salad plate or old-fashioned hot cakes with sausage or bacon—try this refreshing throwback for a hearty breakfast. At lunch, Harriette's shines in the burger department, and all the soups—from garlic tomato to chili—are homemade.

Decorated with vintage travel posters of its namesake city, this two-level restaurant serves authentic Cuban specialties on the cheap, including great Cubanos (pressed roast pork sandwiches), arroz con pollo, and ropa vieja. The friendly place attracts a late-night crowd at its popular walk-up window. Get strong Cuban coffee (often awarded the best in Palm Beach County), sugary fried churros, and fruit juices in exotic flavors like mamey, mango, papaya, guava, and guanabana.

When Cuban families want an affordable home-cooked meal with a twist but don't want to cook it themselves, they come to this big, unassuming restaurant. The fare is traditional Cuban: long, thin, panfried steaks known as bistec palomilla, roast chicken with citrus marinade, and fried pork chunks. Most dishes come with white rice, black beans, and a choice of ripe or green plantains.

Cuban and Caribbean specialties are a welcome alternative to the typical seafood houses in the Everglades City area. This cheery eatery—3 miles south of Everglades City on Chokoloskee Island—has a dozen or so tables inside and more seating on the porch amid plenty of greenery. Jump-start your day with café con leche and a pressed-egg sandwich, or try a Havana omelet. For lunch, you'll find Cuban sandwiches, burgers, shrimp, grouper, and steak and pork plates. Take some Carlos's HavAnnA Cafe Hot Sauce home with you.

A local date-night destination for decades, this restaurant has a menu featuring German favorites—from sauerbraten served with potato dumplings and red cabbage to beef Stroganoff and spaetzle. All the soups and desserts are homemade. Be sure to try the Viennese-style apple strudel and the rum-zapped almond-cream tortes. A pianist serenades patrons at dinner, and the adjacent jazz club features live music Wednesday through Sunday.

This shack-like spot has been the go-to for quick, affordable comfort food since the 1940s. You'll find all the Old Keys staples—conch, lobster tail, fried oysters, and fresh fish—as well as cheeseburgers and filet mignon. Sit at picnic tables on the screened-in porch or inside, where it's air-conditioned. More than 20 craft beers are offered daily, and the entire wine selection is available by the glass or bottle.