643 Best Restaurants in Florida, USA

Set at a Mexican market in perpetual twilight, this restaurant gets high marks from guests for its food and atmosphere. Everyone enjoys sharing the guacamole or queso fundido, and the camarones a la diabla (pepper and garlic-sautéed shrimp over poblano rice and crispy Brussels sprouts) are especially good. Although kids will enjoy tacos or quesadillas, their highlight might well be when the boats from the Gran Fiesta Tour attraction next door float by your table.

Most of the flavors are from India, yet Sanaa is really a celebration of the Spice Islands—locales off the coast of Africa that, for centuries, enticed traders from the world's far corners. Exotic yet approachable lunches and dinners make it a true find on the outer edges of the Disney empire; views of zebras and giraffes on the savanna right out the picture windows are another draw. Potato-pea samosas are good starters. For the main course, try the tandoori chicken or the potjie-inspired meal, a bowl with a mix of a protein and unique base. This is the only sit-down restaurant open for lunch at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. 

Though the ever-evolving menu features cutting-edge fare for the most sophisticated of palates, the margarita-and-coconut-shrimp crowd will thoroughly enjoy a meal at this beachfront spot as well. Many of the dishes feature ingredients harvested nearby, whether it's herbs and vegetables from one of the gardens along Pine Avenue or fish from nearby Cortez. If the grouper is not fresh, it is not on the menu. You can find grouper stuffed or in a salad, or you can venture from the norm and order crab bellies and caviar. The vision here is quintessentially local and sustainable. If you opt for wine, the restaurant's private-label bottles, produced in California, are a good option.

In a city hailed the Athens of Florida, it's no surprise that the most popular restaurant serves Greek cuisine so good that Orlando area foodies have been known to trek here and wait patiently for a table. The menu includes the traditional Greek staples such as pastichio (Greek lasagna), spanakopita (spinach pita triangles), and a melt-in-your mouth lamb shank. All meals start with an olive oil and Greek herb dipping sauce and some of the best pita you've ever had, served warm; the fork-tender charbroiled octopus starter is a must, perhaps followed by the very popular Athenian chicken—a perfectly cooked chicken breast stuffed with spinach and feta cheese and baked in a garlic wine sauce.  Wash it down with a Greek Mythos beer.

Named for the award-winning jam-maker and pastry chef Sarabeth Levine, this locally owned restaurant serves all-day breakfast, best enjoyed in the picket-fenced front yard of a circa-1870 synagogue. Lemon ricotta pancakes, pumpkin waffles, and homemade jams make the meal. Lunch offerings range from a griddled smoked mozzarella sandwich to a poached salmon Cobb salad. Start dinner with the signature velvety cream of tomato soup or the roasted red beets and Gorgonzola salad.

Savour embraces elegance and comfort, providing the perfect backdrop for its short menu of seasonal dishes that are creatively prepared and beautifully presented. The Cast Iron BBQ Shrimp appetizer and New York strip Steak Frites are favorites. Finish off your meal with a homemade dessert (an Adult Key Lime Pie, with Grand Marnier and Patron custard, perhaps?) and a tableside pour-over coffee.

The food at this beachfront spot is far from fancy, but it’s good and fresh, the beer is cold, and sunsets are celebrated with a cannon blast. It's a good family place for lunch or an early dinner; kids can have burgers and play on the beach while Mom and Dad enjoy grown-up drinks and gumbo, steak, burgers, crab-stuffed shrimp, or fresh grouper.

If you don't mind zombies leering at you while you eat, then head to this enclosed faux drive-in, where you can sit in a booth that looks like a candy-color, 1950s convertible while watching clips from classics like Attack of the Fifty-Foot Woman and Teenagers from Outer Space. The menu includes a variety of burgers, from barbecue to classic, as well as pan-seared chicken pasta and chicken-salad sandwiches. End with a hot-fudge sundae or plant-based cookie shake.

You have to take the road less traveled to find Sea Level, a haven for fresh seafood. The indoor-outdoor restaurant overlooks the ocean from sea level at Marriott's Harbor Beach Resort & Spa, and its seasonal menu wows with daily specials and cocktails featuring ingredients from the chef's organic garden.

Locals think of this casual waterfront seafood market–eatery as a well-kept secret, but more patrons are making their way here for a pre- or postcruise treat. The market is connected to the restaurant, guaranteeing not only freshness but an array of choices. You don't just order a fish sandwich or plate of steamed shrimp; you choose from at least four varieties of fish (try the Golden Tile in season) and several varieties of shrimp (the Royal Reds may be the best you've ever tasted). Seating is alfresco, with views of the Port Canaveral waterway and passing cruise ships. Best for lunch or an early dinner; the restaurant closes at 7.

It's hard to believe that a chain restaurant can offer healthful yet hearty and very flavorful food, but the innovative Seasons 52 does just that, with some of its menu changing weekly as well as seasonally. Nearly everyone orders the flatbread starters, and entrées might include wood-roasted, dry-rubbed pork chop with braised cabbage or caramelized grilled sea scallops with butternut squash and leek risotto, broccolini, and lemon butter. An impressive wine list with dozens of selections by the glass complements the menu. For dessert, indulgent classics like pecan or Key lime pie and carrot cake are served in petite portions. Although the cuisine is haute, the prices are modest—not bad for a snazzy, urbane bistro and wine bar. It has live music nightly to boot.

Half the fun of dining at this sophisticated brasserie on the Miami River is watching stylish patrons arrive by yacht. Reserve a table outdoors on the patio for the best views of Downtown, and rest assured that a knowledgeable server will guide you through an eclectic menu highlighting fresh seafood, wood-fired casseroles, and refreshing cocktails.

This local hot spot has a casual Key West vibe and an eclectic menu. The specialty is the local fish of the day (like snapper with creamy Thai curry), but you might also try the tropical shrimp salsa, wild-mushroom quesadilla, or old-fashioned meat loaf with real mashed potatoes. For dessert, the strawberry pie provides an added measure of down-home comfort.

Piggin' out since the 1950s, Shiver's BBQ is celebrated near and far for its slowly smoked pork, beef, and chicken. Be forewarned as you settle in at the communal tables; this spot is no place to cut calories. Barbecued cheese fries, potato skins, fried mac and cheese, fried mushrooms, and fried okra are staples for sharing. People rave about the cornbread soufflé. For feasting in the Everglades, you also can order takeout by the pound.

If you're a sucker for midcentury modern flair, the aesthetic alone at this partially open-air St. Armand's Circle spot is a draw. But the food, whether you're in the mood for the St. Louis "Jenga" ribs or roasted cauliflower and quinoa, is the true enticement, especially when paired with the right local brew served on tap. This place is upstairs from a trendy (and surprisingly pricey) clothing boutique of the same name and owners, so keep that in mind while you navigate the busy surroundings in search of a meal. Bonus: this place gets extra points for the retractable roof in its back dining area.

Families, retired snowbirds, and other seafood lovers flock to this bustling restaurant, where the staff is vivacious and the colorful wall murals are cartoonish. Southern-style deep frying prevails—whole-belly clams, grouper, shrimp, onion rings, hush puppies, and fried pork loins—though you can get certain selections broiled or blackened, and there's some New England flavor with seafood rolls at lunch. Create your own combo by selecting two or three fried, broiled, or blackened choices. Kids love this place for the buzzing atmosphere, and parents love the inexpensive kids meals. For more savings, the restaurant offers a "Kids Eat Free" promotion on Monday and Wednesday.

Lunch and dinner menus at this Cape Coral fixture let you design your own stir-fry, noodle, or fried-rice dish. Dinner specialties include fried crispy frogs' legs with garlic and black pepper, a sizzling shrimp platter, fried whole tilapia with curry sauce, salads, and pad Thai (rice noodles, egg, ground peanuts, vegetables, and choice of protein). Get your food fiery hot or extra mild. Two traditional Thai tables allow you to sit on floor pillows (conveniently with backs), or you can opt for a more conventional table or booth.

Best bets at this family-friendly restaurant on Highway 192 are the signature, ½-pound, Wagyu-beef burgers, or you can go wild and order the jalapeño peanut butter burger with pepper jack cheese. Lunch specials include salads, wing baskets, and mashed-potato bowls.

This upscale restaurant at the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa has a slick, contemporary look and is a favorite of locals in the know. The menu has a daily selection of fresh fish, such as Atlantic black grouper over lemon crab salad, sesame-seared tuna, and mahimahi with fruit salsa. There are also thick, juicy cuts of meat, including New York strip steak and beef tenderloin, as well as mouthwatering chicken and lamb dishes. The new Sinclair's Lounge is idyllic for a predinner aperitif. For something more casual, dine outside on the terrace to hear the waves lapping and take in the beachscape.

This elegant, fine-dining restaurant in Hawks Cay Resort serves steaks and seafood. Chefs work with local farmers and fishermen to find what’s fresh and in season, then create a menu that will wow your palate (and your wallet). Don’t miss the short-rib onion soup with smoked provolone and Gruyère.

What food does the Headless Horseman like the most? It must be waffles, because Sleepy Hollow Refreshments has waffles aplenty. Stop by first thing in the morning for waffles covered in strawberries, bananas, and blueberries. In the afternoon, the chicken-and-waffle option has a bit of a kick and is served with house-made chips.

There aren't many oceanfront restaurants left, let alone moderately priced places with views like this one—an offshore break makes it a good place to watch surfers do their thing. Dishes like shrimp and grits and oysters in season have also made it a local favorite. In addition, Sliders has a lively tiki bar, where bands like the region's reggae favorite, Pili Pili, often play.

Look for the colorful, smiling (of course!) crocodiles on the side of this little hut offering delicious street tacos. Choose from pulled pork, chicken, or corn, and combine it with an Island Sunrise for a quick snack.

In a lively waterfront setting, Snappers has live music, Sunday brunch (including a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar), killer rum drinks, and seating alongside the fishing dock. The crab cakes are famous, as is the Bahamian cocktail sauce that accompanies them. Catch of the day might include yellowtail snapper or seared yellowfin tuna steak with mojo aioli; the options change every day. Don't miss the raw bar or wahoo ceviche.

If you're just looking for a bratwurst and a cold beer, pop by the Sommerfest counter at the entrance of the Biergarten restaurant. There's not much seating, so you might have to eat on the run.

Early birds flock to this diner starting at 6:30 am for Southern comfort food at great prices and, true to its name, charming, above-and-beyond hospitality. Country-style eggs Benedict features two poached eggs with sausage over a fresh-made biscuit with sausage gravy. Lunch and "supper" menus feature burgers and sandwiches, as well as Southern delicacies such as fried pork chops, fried chicken and waffle, and a better-than-grandma's homemade meat loaf. Unlike many diners, this one serves beer and wine.

You can't go wrong at this unpretentious dive, where seafood reigns. Feast on raw or steamed clams, raw oysters, and peel-and-eat shrimp. Sides include Bimini bread, conch fritters, beer-battered onion rings, and corn on the cob. Follow the motto here, and you'll fit right in: "Eat fish, live longer, eat oysters, love longer, eat clams, last longer."

At what is, literally, an out-of-this-world restaurant, you board a special elevator to travel 220 miles above the planet to a dining room with panoramas of Earth through viewports that use real-time, above-the-clouds imagery. The prix-fixe menu ($55 at lunch and $79 for dinner, $29 for kids under 9) includes a liftoff (read: appetizer) and a star (main) course. Liftoff selections include starry calamari, blue moon cauliflower, and space greens; the star course menu features dishes like galactic miso salmon with glazed rainbow carrots and slow-rotation short rib with cheddar grits. 

To accommodate the clamor for more fireworks dining, this restaurant was built along World Showcase Lagoon, and it's a great place to catch a meal and watch the 9 pm display. Here you'll find the cuisine to be more Moroccan-American, so amid the rice-stuffed grape leaves and the tiropitakia, you'll find house-made hummus fries and spicy fried calamari. Book the Fireworks Dining Package for the best views.