643 Best Restaurants in Florida, USA

If you love oysters and other raw bar nibbles, head here, where black-and-white photographs of oyster fisherman adorn the walls. The polished tables give the eatery a clubby look. Spoto's serves up a delightful bowl of New England clam chowder and a truly impressive variety of oysters and clams. The Caesar salad with crispy croutons and anchovies never disappoints. Sit outside on the patio to take advantage of the area's perfect weather or in the Blue Point Lounge off the main room, where live music is often booked.

Some tasty Maine lobster awaits at this delicious dive inside the former train depot of Lantana. It's no-frills for sure, but all the seafood is cooked to perfection. Sticky seats and tablecloths are an accepted part of the scene, so don't wear your best duds. Although it's casual and family-friendly, reservations are recommended since it's a local favorite.

It's not just the steaks that impress at Stephen Starr's superstar spot inside the W Fort Lauderdale, the seafood selections shine, too. Order as many dishes as possible, like the lobster and crab-coconut ceviche, the red snapper tiradito, and the Colorado lamb chops. Fancy a side of tater tots? The hyperbolic tater comes in pancake form, stuffed with sour cream. There are sweeping views of the ocean and an intimate atmosphere in the dining room. Sunday brunch is busy, so arrive early for the best views. If you have to wait for a table, at least there's a giant aquarium with a smack of bioluminescent jellyfish.

Equal parts happy-hour spot and go-to dinner locale, this trendy Beach Drive restaurant—from the folks behind Bella Brava—has something for everyone. Its take on fish-and-chips gets cheers, as do the falafel (served on a bed of hummus) and most of the menu's other diverse, often locally sourced options. Tile floors and dark-wood furnishings give this place a smart, vintage feel, and you can sit at a table (recommended if it's evening, and there are more than two of you) or belly up to the bar for a quick bite and a drink selected from the imaginative cocktail list, the craft beers on tap, or the lengthy wine menu. Outdoor seating puts you amid all the sights and sounds of the strip.

Stork's Café stands out as a friendly coffeehouse and café for gourmet sandwiches and salads. In addition to brewing eight types of coffee, Stork's has excellent baked goods that range from croissants, tortes, cakes, and pies to "monster cookies," including gingersnaps and snickerdoodles. It's open until midnight every night of the week.

This family-style restaurant deep inside the Wilderness Lodge offers character dining with Snow White, Grumpy, Dopey, and even the Evil Queen. The prix-fixe menu includes a shared appetizer, a single entrée per person, and then a shared dessert. There's a good northwestern U.S. wine list to choose from as well. The lobby of the hotel is its own entertainment, with giant totem poles and a huge stone fireplace that features rocks from every strata of the Grand Canyon.

Both upscale and unpretentious, this Michelin-starred contemporary American restaurant is helmed by Top Chef winner Jeremy Ford, who has created a small menu of exquisitely executed fresh dishes that change often. The popular prix-fixe tasting menu is known for its pâté and foie gras, as well as fresh seafood and short ribs. The intimate restaurant boasts an open design where diners can see the action-packed kitchen as they meticulously plate each bite. Reservations are recommended.

With only nine tables and a counter inside, this place is always full. The kitchen whips up daily lunch specials like seafood platters or pulled pork with hand-cut fries, but the all-day breakfast is the main draw. You can get the usual breakfast plates, but most newcomers opt for oddities like the lobster omelet, alligator tail and eggs, or grits and "grunts" (that's fish, to the rest of us).

The vibrant, supersexy, high-design restaurant perfectly captures Miami's Latin vibe while serving eclectic Latin American tapas and modern Japanese delights from three separate kitchens (robata grill, raw bar, and hot kitchen). Begin the Sugarcane experience in the alfresco lounge, engaging in a fabulous mix of standing, posing, flirting, and delicious-cocktail sipping, and then move on to a few of the some 60 small bites in the equally chic dining room.

If it's a clear night and you can snag a reservation, this restaurant will treat you to a sherbet-hued sunset over Florida Bay. Try the key lime seafood, a happy combo of sautéed shrimp, lobster, and crabmeat swimming in a tangy sauce spiked with Tabasco served over penne or rice. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available. To beat the crowds, stop in for lunch, which offers the same great food, minus the hassle.

They take their chowders seriously in St. Augustine, and many will tell you Sunset Grille's is the best—so good that it's poured over French fries as an appetizer. If you prefer a lighter version, a cup of the award-winning chowder is the perfect prelude to fresh fish dinners featuring Caribbean snapper and macadamia-crusted grouper. The popular restaurant, framed by a white picket fence, has a Key West vibe and two dining areas: a lively interior and an open-air second-story deck with distant ocean views. Reservations are not accepted, but the frequent crowds gathered in the pleasant waiting area indicate that most consider the dining experience well worth the wait.

Head to this popular spot for casual dining with a view of the beach and a menu of munchies, sandwiches, burgers, seafood, and steak. The lively sports-bar scene adds to the fun indoors; a porch accommodates alfresco diners—just beware if you leave your table that the porch has no screens, and the local gulls are thieves.

Treat yourself to a seafood lunch or dinner at this vaulted tiki hut at the foot of the Seven Mile Bridge. For lunch, try the Voodoo grouper sandwich topped with mango-guava mayo (and wear your swimsuit if you want to take a dip in the pool afterward); dinner specialties include a Brie-stuffed filet mignon and coconut curry lobster. This is a popular place to catch the sunset, hence the name.

This market-style restaurant is great for a substantial meal or just a quick, healthy bite. Made using food sourced primarily on-site, dishes might include stir-fried chicken or shrimp, vegetable korma, or oak-grilled salmon. Fruit and cheese plates plus assorted fruits and vegetables grown in the Living with the Land attraction are also available. 

If you're looking for a pick-me-up after climbing the entire Swiss Family Treehouse, stop by the Sunshine Tree Terrace for a root beer float. Kids will enjoy fresh orange or strawberry ice cream just as much as vanilla or chocolate. If you're heading to the parade next, grab an order of pot stickers to split as an unusual afternoon treat.

For fresh and light Asian fare near the Everglades, you can find Thai and Japanese favorites—from pad Thai and curries to traditional raw and cooked sushi rolls—at Suvi Thai & Sushi. If you want to go big here, try the sautéed Royal Thai Lobster or keep it simple with the Homestead Spicy Roll. The decor is calming, and there's a section where you can sit on cushions if you wish, as well as a separate hibachi room.

A modern and healthy take on Peruvian cuisine that doesn't disappoint on flavor, Suviche is the perfect place to pop by for a great and affordable meal. You can't miss with anything you get on the menu, and the staff always has creative suggestions. Start with a fresh ceviche for the table, and don't limit yourself, make sure to get the full seafood version with shrimp, calamari, and mahi-mahi. If something warmer is needed to start, the lomo saltado spring rolls are definitely the best bet. The arroz humedo as a main is reminiscent of a risotto, with smokier flavors and is decadent when tenderloin is added on top. The smoothest caramel flan served with a fresh key-lime whipped cream cannot be missed, even if it has to be taken home.

The tropical incarnation of the fabled Upper East Side boîte frequented by New York’s chicest set, this pop-up takes residency at The Colony hotel during the fall and winter season. Known as “a club without dues,” the restaurant attracts a devoted clientele of socialites and aristocratic types (names like Lauder and Kennedy are on the guest list), who come for straightforward American and European cuisine ("designer" meat loaf, crab cakes, curried chicken salad) with friendly and impeccable service in a sophisticated yet relaxed environment. Al fresco dining is available at Swifty’s POOL, bringing the classic spirit of Swifty’s outdoors, serving lunch and dinner daily.

Traveling back 65 million years requires just a short walk through the Marketplace and into this large restaurant, which is set beneath a towering brachiosaurus skeleton and is filled with primordial special effects and animated prehistoric creatures such as the restaurant's menacing namesake—a 15-foot T-rex. The dinosaur theme continues on the menu where the rib, chicken, pasta, and seafood dishes have names like Mes-O-Bones, Megasaurus, and Supersaurus Sampler. In the Paleo Zone area, kids can focus less on food and more on fossils as they dig for hidden bones and gems.

This Old Florida landmark, which has been in business since 1941, attracts Worth Avenue shoppers looking for a two-hour lunch or weekend brunch and a dinner crowd ranging from tuxed and sequined theatergoers to polo-shirted trust funders on school break. Fillet of sea bass with ginger-soy glaze, snow peas, and jasmine rice and a char-broiled pork chop with crispy artichoke hearts are popular entrées from a changing menu. Don't miss the signature Ta-boo Lust, a coconut-cream pie with a walnut-cookie crust. The Palm Beach martini is the drink to order—with passion fruit and peach nectar and, of course, champagne. Drop in late at night in season when the music is playing, and you'll probably spot a celebrity or two.

If you liked the Dole Whip pineapple float in the Magic Kingdom, stop here for another, or upgrade to the Pineapple Crisp Sundae. 

Who doesn't love beachside tacos? These street-style ones are especially adored thanks to fresh, hand-ground blue masa tortillas and fillings, from the classic al pastor (grilled pork topped with pineapple) to chapulines (grasshopper). The latter was Guy Fieri's favorite on his Diners, Drive-ins and Dives visit. Lightly fried, puffed tortillas, called totopos (a Mexican version of chips) are the stars here, served with choice of salsa, guac, or queso. There's also a full liquor bar with specialty drinks and frozen cocktails.

Located in the center of historic Hobe Sound, this cozy dining spot with a pleasant, screened-in patio offers piano dinner music on Friday. Locals like to hang out at the old, English-style wine bar; however, the food itself is the biggest draw here. Try a lobster roll and the signature Gorgonzola salad for lunch, and any fish dish for dinner. On weekend nights, order the excellent, slow-cooked prime rib, another specialty.

Ravenous regulars dominate the tightly packed tables at this warm, family-owned restaurant in a nondescript strip mall. Since 1997, chef–owner Aurathai Sellas, who might just be the most cheerful person in the restaurant business, has prepared the exotic dishes of her homeland, including pla lad prig (whole hot and spicy fish), goog thod (crispy shrimp), chicken in peanut sauce, and pad Thai.

At this handsome restaurant, lovely aromas waft from the wood-fired oven in the open kitchen. Among the popular choices on the dinner menu, which has both small plates and full entrées, are lemon-crusted sea scallops, rack of Colorado lamb, and small pizzas (including a white seafood version). Bragging rights continue as it has won the Master Chef's Classic at the Key West Food and Wine Festival for three years running.

It's a Greek throwdown every night at this Hollywood institution. Expect a lively night of great eats (including authentic hot and cold mezes and wood-fire-grilled meats and seafood), tabletop dancing, and lots of wine. If you don't have a car, the restaurant is on the Intracoastal and accessible by Water Taxi.

In addition to excellent Greek staples and a nice selection of meze (small plates), this restaurant has a fun, high-energy ambience. The ouzo flows like a mountain stream, the Greek (and global) music almost reaches the volume level of a rock concert, and the roaming belly dancers actively encourage diners to join in. The only thing missing is the tradition of throwing dinner plates, made up in part by the throwing of small paper napkins, which sometimes reaches near-blizzard level. Menu standouts include traditional staples like spanakopita, saganaki (the traditional flaming cheese appetizer), avgolemono (lemony chicken-rice soup), and perhaps the most famous Greek entrée, moussaka. Family-style meals for groups of four or more are available at $48 and $58 per person. The best dessert is the baklava.

Using locally sourced ingredients, the chef at this small, independent redbrick eatery on Sanford's main drag creates Southern-fusion dishes. His house-made biscuits and gravy are renowned, the Saturday brunch menu features a Southern-style croque monsieur with candied collard greens, and dinner choices include pan-seared Florida catfish with bacon from Tennessee and the ever-popular shrimp and grits with corn from Zellwood, Florida.

Above the Mitsukoshi department store is this teppanyaki steak house, where chefs do performance cooking at 20 grills. Standouts include filet mignon and Tori chicken breast, but the restaurant also has a small sushi selection, as well as a kids' menu with Teppan-style chicken or shrimp with rice and veggies. Be sure to save room for green tea ice cream, though! Kids will enjoy watching the talented chefs while parents relax with some sake.

Homemade pasta, fresh seafood, and brick-oven pizzas are just some of the delights attracting locals and tourists alike to this casual Italian gem a few blocks from the beach. Giant chalkboards detail the fresh fish creations of the day, but it's tough to resist the pasta dishes such as papardelle cinghiale (handmade papardelle with wild boar, plum tomatoes, and fresh herbs). Italian-born owner–chef Simone Parisi uses locally sourced ingredients, with emphasis on the abundant seafood harvested by area fishermen. Meat lovers will be happy here, too, with items such as Tuscan ribs and a double pork chop stuffed with fontina and prosciutto. The airy dining room is anchored by the brick oven and open kitchen; the restaurant also has a small courtyard for outdoor dining.