Tampa
In a pleasant Riverwalk setting, this former water-pumping station has been transformed into an enchanting restaurant and brewery whose menu harkens back…
Must-see restaurants in Southwest Florida
Tampa
Celebrating its centennial in 2015, this Spanish Cuban restaurant is the oldest in Florida. Occupying an entire block, it consists of 15 elegant dining…
Naples
This experimental, high-end establishment takes its name from the Farsi phrase for 'yum, yum,' and that turns out to be a serious understatement. Wash…
Southwest Gulf Coast
With Venice Inlet and marina views from an elegant 2nd-floor dining room within a restored Victorian, this is a longtime surf ‘n’ turf favorite. Popular…
Southwest Gulf Coast
Sean Murphy's Beach Bistro is Anna Maria's best date night. Perfectly executed Floridian dishes showcase the best locally and nationally sourced farm…
Sarasota
The wait rarely dips below an hour at this hip, Old Florida swamp shack downtown. The menu consists of upscale Southern cuisine with an emphasis on…
Fort Myers
Two words: truffle fries. OK, a few more words. This cozy American restaurant and boutique wine bar specializes in surf ‘n’ turf, offering certified Angus…
St Petersburg
A husband-and-wife catering team launched this, well, brick-and-mortar establishment in 2015, and despite the fact that St Pete has been overrun with…
Southwest Gulf Coast
Vacationing Manhattan urbanites flock to what is widely regarded as Sanibel's best locavore restaurant. Contemporary seafood is the focus, with tempting…
Sarasota
Focusing on the popular farm-to-table and hook-to-fork movements, chef Steve Phelps whips up innovative American creations such as Parmesan beignets with…
St Petersburg
This swanky wine bar is an anchor of the Beach Dr restaurant scene and also of St Pete's charcuterie obsession, with a range of meats and cheeses and fine…
Naples
In a nondescript strip mall in north Naples, this popular seafood establishment is festooned in porthole art and known for insanely delicious miso-glazed…
Tampa Bay
The MO at Walter Gerbase's fish shack is simple: the day's domestic-only catch (often featuring grouper, cobia and amberjack) is chalked on the board; you…
Southwest Gulf Coast
Next to Doc Ford's and under the same ownership, this fish house recently opened in a 1937 wooden structure that originally contained a fish market. The…
Nature Coast
Tarpon Springs' most ambitious Greek restaurant is set on the Anclote River, with a pleasant outdoor deck and idyllic sunset views. The food is the real…
Tampa
Chef Trina Nguyan-Batley has combined her high-fashion background and Vietnamese upbringing to create this ultra-chic temple to sustainable, locavore…
Southwest Gulf Coast
A genuine local gathering place, Perfect Cup offers just that: a bottomless mug of flavorful house-roasted coffee ($2) to go with its top-quality diner…
Southwest Gulf Coast
This charming, recently revamped breakfast-all-day spot is the perfect place to grab coffee, some freshly squeezed orange juice and a stack of famous key…
Southwest Gulf Coast
From menu to mood, Sweet Melissa's offers well-balanced, relaxed refinement. Dishes are ever-changing, but may include things like farro fettuccine,…
St Petersburg
After opening in 2015, the Mill and its barnyard-chic interior design quickly became St Pete's it restaurant, particularly at brunch. The walls are…
Tampa
With an impressive culinary pedigree – and a recent Best Chef South nomination from the James Beard Foundation – Ferrell Alvarez and Ty Rodriguez are…
Tampa
Built in 1891 as a stable for the Plant hotel, the reimagined Oxford Exchange takes its inspiration from the venerable Wolseley in London. The American…
St Petersburg
Owned by a Thai-Mexican couple, this delicious fusion concept worked its way up from a food truck to a brick-and-mortar establishment. Items like Thai…
Tampa
In 2015 this ambitious Mediterranean venture opened under the same ownership as its famous neighbor, Bern's Steak House, with a new small-plates and…
Tampa Bay
For variety, quality and price, it's hard to beat Guppy's, which packs diners in nightly. Preparations are diverse, skillfully spanning styles (and…
Tampa
This landmark Tampa restaurant has been a destination for romantic, sophisticated dining for more than 30 years. The menu emphasizes contemporary American…
Sarasota
Dinners won't wow you, but healthy salads and hearty sandwiches are fine at Sarasota's central Mattison's. The outdoor dining area doubles as a bar that…
Naples
How do you compete with the showstopping sunsets on the Gulf of Mexico? The Turtle Club at the Vanderbilt Resort tries hard with kick-ass cocktails and a…
Sarasota
Newly relocated to an otherwise unexciting strip mall, Antoine's is a French bistro serving elegant dishes such as scallop risotto with a candied,…
Ella's Americana Folk Art Cafe
Tampa
After one too many Boozy Suzys the visionary outsider art on Ella's walls starts to make a lot of sense. But it's not just the eccentric art and cocktails…
Ted Peter's Famous Smoked Fish
Tampa Bay
Since the 1950s, Ted Peter's has been smoking fresh salmon, mackerel, mahimahi and mullet in the little smokehouse here, then dishing it up whole or in…
Southwest Gulf Coast
Siesta Key's hottest restaurant has a recently revamped menu with innovative items like guava slaw, slow-braised Korean short ribs and Hawaiian escolar,…
Nature Coast
This cute, shamrock-green bistro, with it's gluten-free attitude and from-scratch ethos, is a welcome addition to the otherwise unsophisticated dining…
Southwest Gulf Coast
A long-standing favorite haunt, the Sandbar offers casual dining with toes in the sand, local food on the plate, and a heaping side of innovation. For…
Naples
You could easily walk past this unassuming cafe, but then you'd be missing out on a superlative breakfast of fluffy, organic eggs, grilled Canadian bacon…
St Petersburg
Rounding out St Pete's plethora of contemporary ethnic cuisine, Red Mesa dishes up tasty, updated Mexican mains, plus a range of interesting ceviches and…
St Petersburg
Billing itself as 'colonial Portuguese fusion,' this newer place on Central Ave blends complex flavors from the streets of Mozambique, Macau, Brazil and…
Southwest Gulf Coast
With a deck overhanging the water and panoramic views from its upstairs dining room impeded only by shady palm fronds, it's hard to beat Dry Dock for…
Sarasota
Anchoring the marina is this well-loved multilevel, multivenue eatery that offers something for everyone, but most especially that quintessential harbor…
