Must-see restaurants in Northeast Florida

  • Cress

    Northeast Florida

    Citified foodies have been known to trek to sleepy DeLand just to eat at this cutting-edge bistro, whose menu might offer such delights as local seafood…

  • Black Sheep Restaurant

    Northeast Florida

    A commitment to good, local ingredients, delicious food, plus a bar with a retractable rooftop and a craft cocktail menu? Sign us up! Try miso-glazed duck…

  • Big Lee's

    Northeast Florida

    It's only open Friday and Saturdays, the hours are fungible – if they run out of food, they'll close, so arrive early – it's a little ways out of town,…

  • Collage

    St Augustine

    This upscale restaurant is renowned for its impeccable service, intimate atmosphere and the consistency of its cuisine: the menu makes the most of St…

  • The Top

    Northeast Florida

    Combining 1950s kitsch, hunter-lodge decor and giant owl art, this place is both hip and comfortable. Vegetarians will thrill at the options, including a…

  • House of Donuts

    Daytona Beach

    Just north of Daytona in Ormond Beach is this great little donut stop, with all the flavors you'd expect plus some totally over-the-top creations, like…

  • Present Moment Cafe

    St Augustine

    Dishing up 'Kind Cuisine,' this folksy restaurant serves only vegan cooked, dehydrated, or raw food. To the delight (and surprise) of many patrons, the…

  • Flying Biscuit Cafe

    Northeast Florida

    Great all-around breakfast spot done in tropical colors, with counters and floors clean enough to eat from. Though it's a franchise, you'd never know…

  • Patio Place

    Northeast Florida

    Tables named by country not numbers, international music, distressed wood, lots of outdoor seating, and pleasant service make this a joy to dine at. Known…

  • Orsay

    Northeast Florida

    This minimalist bistro in Riverside merges traditional French fare with Southern intuition, leading to a menu chock-full of rich and vibrant dishes, most…

  • Southern Charm

    Northeast Florida

    Yes, this is Southern Charm: the place that looks like an automotive garage on a torn-up stretch of sidewalk. The restaurant, run by beloved Jacksonville…

  • Cracked Egg Diner

    Daytona Beach

    Best for breakfast, this cheery joint in Daytona Beach Shores became so popular they annexed the building next door. Brainchild of brothers Chris and…

  • Satchel's Pizza

    Northeast Florida

    Satchel's makes a strong claim to the best pizza on Florida's east coast, a reputation buttressed by enormous crowds of happy patrons. Grab a seat at a…

  • Burlingame Restaurant

    Northeast Florida

    Amelia – a marsh and forest island in a brackish estuary that feeds into the Atlantic – has an incredible wealth of fish, game and produce, and this…

  • bb's

    Northeast Florida

    This groovy establishment, with its molded-concrete bar, clean, modern lines and daily cheese selection champions fresh local produce that is crafted into…

  • The Cellar

    Daytona Beach

    Now you can tell your friends that you've dined in the summer mansion of 29th US President Warren G Harding. While Harding is consistently ranked as one…

  • Nalu's Tropical Take Out

    St Augustine

    St Augustine may not be Hawaii, but the weather sometimes does a fair approximation, and that's when we like to hit up this takeout stand (which, to be…

  • Le Clos

    Northeast Florida

    Dine on classic French dishes with a light Florida twist – fish with citrus glazes, tender steak frites, shatteringly crisp crème brûlée – at this almost…

  • Gas Full Service

    St Augustine

    You'll likely be vying for a table at this fantastic retro gas-station-esque cafe. The buzz is about the burgers: freshly baked buns, local beef, fried…

  • Rose Villa Southern Table and Bar

    Daytona Beach

    Intimate and delightful, this under-the-radar fine-dining bistro occupies a charming historic Victorian house and garden a few miles north of Daytona. The…

  • Bearded Pig BBQ

    Northeast Florida

    At this San Marco spot, barbecue and a beer garden meet in perfect marriage and have delicious pork rib and craft beer babies, all of which we devour,…

  • Dragonfly

    Northeast Florida

    Head to Dragonfly for excellent sushi, sake and small plates done Japanese style. Grilled tiger shrimp is fire-kissed and savory, miso black cod is a…

  • 29 South

    Northeast Florida

    Lobster corn dogs, sweet-tea-brined pork chops, homemade doughnut-bread pudding and mocha ice cream – we're in business. Tucked into a pale-purple cottage…

  • Bistro Aix

    Northeast Florida

    Dine with the fashionable food mavens on fusion-y Mediterranean dishes at Aix, whose menu bursts with global flavors, from wine-braised chicken to duck…

  • High Tides at Snack Jack

    Northeast Florida

    The valet parking adds to the fun of this wonderfully laid-back, open-to-the-elements beachfront bar and diner, loved by locals and visitors alike for its…

  • Hawkers Asian Street Fare

    Northeast Florida

    This small local chain tries to re-create an Asian food hawker court à la Singapore. There are no plastic stools to squat on, but the food is varied and…

  • Hyppo

    St Augustine

    On steamy St Augustine afternoons, seek out the Hyppo, a slip of a popsicle shop with an ever-changing whiteboard menu of outrageous flavors – pineapple…

  • Angel's Dining Car

    Northeast Florida

    Looking like the spawn of a soda can and a subway car, Angel's offers curbside service and sit-in dining. Honk your horn or slide into a vinyl booth for…

  • Chucherias Hondureñas

    Daytona Beach

    One of the brightest stars in the local culinary firmament, Chucherias' cuisine is a blend of bold, rich Latin American and Caribbean flavors – shellfish…

  • Civilization

    Northeast Florida

    Restaurants with extensive vegan offerings are a relative rarity in north central Florida, which makes this spot a veritable outpost of civilization for…

  • Flaco's Cuban Bakery

    Northeast Florida

    It's funny, because 'Flaco' is Spanish for 'skinny,' and if you eat at Flaco's, you will be anything but. That's OK – we still love coming here,…

  • Mark's Prime

    Northeast Florida

    Mark's Prime is a dark varnished wood and white linen kind of place, dimly lit and fancy, where you'll sit among the Gainesville well-to-dos. Perfect for…

  • Aunt Catfish's on the River

    Daytona Beach

    Fresh-from-the-boat grouper and mahi-mahi lolling in butter or deeply and deliciously fried, as well as Southern-style Cajun-spiced catfish, make this…

  • French Pantry

    Northeast Florida

    The secret is well and truly out about this inconveniently located but thoroughly hopping weekday lunch-only joint, serving fresh-filled French rolls and…

  • Casbah

    Northeast Florida

    All the swords, camels and Moorish lanterns lining the walls could be a little much, but they ultimately add to the lively atmosphere at this divey local…

  • Floridian

    St Augustine

    Oozing hipster-locavore earnestness, this farm-to-table restaurant serves whimsical neo-Southern creations in an oh-so-cool dining room. Although the…

  • O'Steen's

    St Augustine

    Locals claim this seafood shack has the best shrimp on the East Coast, and having eaten our weight in shrimp, we think they're close to the mark. If you…

  • Beach Road Chicken Dinners

    Northeast Florida

    You know a place does it right if its signature meal pre-dates the Cold War, and this deliciously retro joint has been frying chicken since 1939. Tear off…

  • Crane Ramen

    Northeast Florida

    College students are famous for living on ramen, but those packaged noodles are roughly a thousand steps below the quality of the soup served at this…

  • Yearling Restaurant

    Northeast Florida

    Cross Creek's cedar-shingled Yearling Restaurant serves 'Cracker cuisine' like gator tail, frog legs hush puppies and catfish in an atmospheric wood…