Restaurants in West Palm Beach
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Serenity Garden Tea House
Are we in London or what? Definitely not, but we are in the South, as easy as it is to forget, and tea-house charms go a long way in these parts. This spot, a more old-school, frilly option than the Little Tea House, is also way more concerned with your sweet tooth.
Its glass case of 'fancies' is a beauty to behold - white chocolate key-lime cheesecake, chocolate-macadamia nut mousse pie, lemon cakes - and its pear-and-gorgonzola salad, curried chicken salad and scone-filled 'low teas' aren't bad, either.
reviewed
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Wine Living
This new addition to the strip is a welcome haven. Sitting in the cozy space, with a tumble of small tables and couches, feels like you're visiting a friend's house, and the huge selection of wines and beers from around the world is heaven for any oenophile. Pairing a glass or a bottle with a pick from the tempting snacking menu - shrimp salad on a bed of greens, Italian or French cheese plates, caviar pizza or a three-chocolate cheesecake - makes for one lovely afternoon or evening.
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Forté de Asprinio
Launched by wunderkind Stephen Asprinio, a contender on the first season of Top Chef, Forté is a sleek, Jetsons-esque palette of whites and pinks and lavenders featuring a carnival of rotating Italian-ish menu items, ranging from the mostly traditional (butternut squash mezzaluna) to the curiously exotic (pasta with braised rabbit). With its emphatically South Beach vibe – nearly more nightclub than restaurant – it’s almost too cool for Clematis.
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Leila
Translating as 'exotic night,' cosmopolitan Leila offers mouthwatering starters like grilled Syrian cheeses; main dishes include zesty plates of lamb, beef or veggies. Cap dinner with a muscular Turkish coffee or a post-meal puff from a hookah.
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Rhythm Cafe
There's no lack of flair at this colorful, upbeat bistro, in a converted drugstore in West Palm's antiques district, strung with Christmas lights and hung with bright, bobbing paper lanterns. The menu is equally vibrant, bopping happily from goat-cheese pie to 'the best tuna tartar ever' to pomegranate-infused catch of the day. Dessert's a star – the chocolate butter-cream cake is advertized as 'so good you'll slap your momma!' We don't advise that, but do taste the cake.
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Palm Beach Fish Market & Bistro
Nestled in West Palm's antiques row, this new seafood house has quickly become a beloved spot. While its market half has a great selection of fresh catches, fine wine and gift baskets, its classic dining room turns out expertly prepared dishes including baked Chilean sea bass with tomatoes and shallots, seafood pesto pasta and pecan crusted swordfish. But is fish not your wish? Other options range from steaks to chicken dishes.
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Howley's Restaurant
Stick around for more than a couple of days and you'll eventually find yourself in this retro-diner institution, reopened recently after a extensive renovation that's made it look like a mint-condition relic. You can get breakfast all day long, comfort foods from Reubens to burgers, and either a thick old-fashioned milkshake or a strong Old Fashioned, thanks to its full-liquor bar.
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Tiki Waterfront Sea Grill
Nestled inside the Riviera Beach Marina, this hidden gem is pure Florida. Open-aired, thatch-roofed and right on the water, it has a rowdy but friendly feel and live music Thursday through Sunday. In addition to hearty pre-boat-ride breakfasts on weekends, this divine dive dishes up the best Buffalo shrimp and Baja-styled fish tacos on the east coast.
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Pizza Luna
A popular spot both for folks grabbing a slice on the go or for savvy locals picking up whole pies, this is where you'll find 'New York-style' slices, cheese-stuffed calzones and pizza toppings from the standard (pepperoni, onion, meatballs) to the strange (avocado, feta cheese, bay leaves). There's also a large array of budget-wise salads.
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Pizza Girls
Pizza Girls’ huge, innovative pizzas named mostly after the Big Apple (the New Yorker sports portobellos, roasted peppers, spinach, onion and toasted goat cheese) are slices of heaven in earthly downtown West Palm. There are only five tables inside, so order a slice, trot to the Intracoastal and watch the water lap at your feet.
reviewed
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Havana
Biting into this Cuban restaurant's tender ropa vieja (shredded beef in a spicy sauce) is like stepping into Cuba, c 1955. Added bonus: the walk-up window, serving the full menu, is open round the clock. When you need a pick-me-up, nothing works faster or tastes better than the steaming café con leche here.
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Middle East Bakery
In an unassuming little building, Adib Salloum and his gang prepare fresh Moroccan, Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine. Even if you just come to browse their olive barrels and hummus selection, this place’s warm, spicy aroma will compel you to grab one of their takeout options, like falafel sandwiches or shistawooks.
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Spoto’s Oyster Bar
Featuring freshly shucked, cold-water Blue Point oysters, steamed littleneck clams from Cape Cod and a rotating oyster special, this stalwart has been a fixture in downtown West Palm forever, it seems. Jammed with a chatty lunch crew and filled with a romantic evening crowd, Spoto’s is the snazziest raw bar in town.
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Painted Horse Café
An unassuming little gem right on the highway, the Painted Horse is elegant and earthy all at once. You’ll find a well-mixed crowd of older Palm Beach types and well-coiffed young folks; a classy menu featuring grilled salmon, seared tuna and New York strip steak, and an extensive wine list.
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Brewzzi
Three things: first, the award-winning on-site brewery crafts half a dozen fine brews. Second, the outside bar overlooks CityPlace’s promenade, providing one of the finest people-watching spots in town, especially after dark, when CityPlace is all a-twinkle. Third, the pizza? Heavenly.
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Little Tea House
Tucked down a tiny alley, this pocket of calm consists of several small seating areas, outdoor dining deck and teashop. Choose from big fresh salads, quiche, sandwiches and, of course, tea service, complete with fresh scones, clotted cream and finger sandwiches.
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Oriental Food Market & Takeout
It's a strange little 'market,' with grocery items in kind of short supply, and the take-out service is brusque. But the food - heaped servings of pad Thai, Masaman curries and ginger-beef stir fry - is excellent, not to mention a serious bang for your buck.
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Tulipan Bakery
A longtime Belvedere Rd favorite, this excellent Cuban café just moved into bigger digs across town. It still offers its rich coffees, fresh sugar-cane juice and guava-filled pastries, but now you can get good salads and sandwiches, too.
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Field of Greens
The line flows out the door at lunchtime at this quick and casual CityPlace favorite. Create your own salad with dozens of toppings from black beans and orange segments to walnuts and beets, or choose from several wraps and sandwiches.
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Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar
This saucy Nuevo Mexican restaurant, in the heart of West Palm's Clematis St, is not your typical taqueria. Under the warm twinkle of funky chandeliers enjoy guacamole prepared tableside, fresh-made ceviche, or a range of tacos from pork to mushroom to cactus paddle. And, oh yeah, there are 175 different kinds of tequila to choose from. Just remember the immortal words of George Carlin: one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor!
reviewed
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La Salsa
This outpost of a delicious South Florida chain, located in CityPlace, has fresh and cheap burritos, quesadillas and salads.
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Blowfish
Sample creatively prepared sushi and seafood in slick surroundings, right on the main strip downtown.
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Sunset Bar & Grill
Arty and out-of-the-way, this is the kind of neighborhood cafe we all wish we had on our block. Go for bistro classics like strip steak or crab cakes, or choose from a menu of lighter fare like burgers, gazpacho and Key lime chicken salad. The early-bird special – $15 for three courses, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before 6:30pm – alone is worth the trip. The restaurant is a five-minute drive north of downtown.
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Grease Burger Bar
This buzz-worthy new Clematis St spot is easy to find – just look for the life-sized cow statue on the roof. These are 21st-century burgers – massive, sloppy monsters topped with 'burger bling' like truffled ketchup or 'nuclear relish.' Fancy salads, bratwursts, sweet-potato fries and a full complement of microbrews round out the menu. The dining room, all warm wood and twinkly pub lights, is more neighborhood bistro than fast-food joint.
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Sailfish Marina
Sailfish Marina serves brunch on weekends between 8am and 1pm ($17 for adults, $12 for kids). Grab a seat close to the water, slowly chew your smoked salmon, tropical fruit or fresh Belgian waffles and watch the resident pelicans paddle around the yachts, searching for their own breakfast.
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