6 Best Restaurants in Delray Beach, Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast

Sustainable seafood is the focus at this airy "sea-to-table" spot that dabbles in sushi rolls, grilled fish, and creative American cuisine. The namesake lionfish (an invasive species that wreaks havoc on the local marine ecosystem) shows up in a ceviche bathed in avocado, key lime, and coconut or can be ordered whole and grilled with lemons, capers, and charred greens. A full sushi menu along with larger mains of lamb chops, roasted chicken, and a grass-fed beef burger round out the eclectic menu. The craft cocktails are best enjoyed at the daily weekday happy hour from 4 to 6 pm and from 5 to 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The historic Sundy House, a 1902-built Victorian home with meandering gardens, ponds, and charming gazebo seating, is home to chef James Strine's “New Florida cuisine,” which essentially comprises Caribbean-, Cuban-, and Latin-inspired dishes. The cocktails are refreshing, the lush outdoor setting is downright magical, and the gourmet comfort food has a creative streak. Dishes include fish tacos, poutine, popcorn shrimp, and baked cannelloni stuffed with spinach and Brie. The legendary Sunday brunch, served from 10 am to 5 pm, is a seated buffet of brunch classics that pair with bottomless mimosas or sangria.

Upstairs from the legendary Boston's on the Beach, you'll find its fancier annex, 50 Ocean. In contrast to the no-frills sports bar on the ground floor, 50 Ocean is a more refined restaurant featuring dishes with a large percentage of locally sourced ingredients. The views from above are spectacular, and the setting is casually elegant, with an outdoor veranda and notable quartz bar. If it feels too fancy upstairs, just head back downstairs for some decent bar fare that includes New England clam chowder, several lobster dishes, and fresh fish.

Yes, this pub was actually shipped from England, where it had stood for 150 years in London's historic Chancery Lane. There it was a watering hole for famed English residents, including Winston Churchill; here you may hear stories of lingering ghosts told over some suds. Chow down on a ploughman's lunch (a chunk of Stilton cheese, a piece of bread, a slice of English pork pie, and pickled onions), fish-and-chips, and bangers and mash (sausages with mashed potatoes). This is a pub's pub—nothing fancy, very hearty. English beers and ales are on tap and by the bottle. It's also a late-night place and has live music on weekends.

This trendy restaurant mingles the personalities and flavors of a New England oyster bar, a modern sushi eatery, an eclectic seafood grill, and an award-winning dessert bakery to create a can't-miss foodie haven in the heart of Delray's bustling Atlantic Avenue. Dishes like the oyster bisque, New Orleans–style shrimp and crab gumbo, tuna crudo, and lobster fried rice are simply sublime. The restaurant's colossal bakery adds an unexpected element of carb bliss with a full roster of homemade breads and desserts, including seasonal pies and an insanely divine pecan pie in a glass. Pastas, too, are made in house. On the downside, the place can be so busy and noisy that you can't hear your dining companions, especially in high season.

Scenesters line the massive indoor-outdoor bar from noon until the wee hours at this cooler-than-thou retro library restaurant, but it's worth your time to stop here for the best burger in town. There's a whole selection, but the Prime CEO steals the show: Maytag blue cheese and Gruyère with tomato-onion confit, arugula, and bacon. Other upscale renditions of comforting classics like nachos (a delicate puff of whipped crab per chip served with jicama slaw), fried green tomatoes (panko-and-cornmeal–crusted with crisped bits of Serrano ham), and "naughty" alcoholic shakes are worth every indulgent calorie.