58 Best Restaurants in Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast, Florida

With a contemporary farm-to-table menu and spacious dining rooms and bars, this spot in PGA Commons has plenty of local fans. Happy-hour crowds fill the patio bar–lounge area to sip the craft cocktails and nibble from a cheese or salumi board. The fare includes such contemporary farm-fresh dishes as a double-cut Duroc pork chop and chophouse steaks, including a daily butcher's cut. Comfort dishes like Jerry's bacon-wrapped meat loaf satisfy those missing their mom's cooking. A separate children's menu is available.

Farm-fresh foods with a Southern accent are served at this chef-owned restaurant with a theater kitchen, where comfort foods are taken to new levels. (Slow Food, a group that celebrates local foods and artisans, has given the restaurant a "Snail of Approval.") The vibe is both hipster and rustic melded into an open (and often noisy) space; the chefs provide entertainment, and the bar is lively. On an ever-changing menu (check the website for the current list), find homemade condiments and jams served with crab hush puppies, sweet-tea fried chicken, or blackened Gulf shrimp. Look for unusual meat dishes as well: a U.S. Prime teres major is a seldom-seen shoulder cut served here with asparagus, warm potato salad, and garlic butter—creative fare in a convivial setting. If listed, don't miss the Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert.

Palm Beach's window on Asia has a sleek sushi bar and floor-to-ceiling glass doors separating the interior from the popular terrace dining area. Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese selections are neatly categorized: Wind (small plates starting your journey), Water (seafood mains), Fire (open-flame wok creations), Earth (meat dishes), and Flavor (desserts, sweets). Pick from dim sum to sashimi, pad Thai to Szechuan beef, steamed sea bass to shrimp lo mein. On weekdays, come for the early shift (5–6 pm) for half-price sushi and cocktails in the restaurant's Dragonfly Lounge.

Taking up the local-food mantle, the menu here includes inventive dishes following the seasons using locally sourced meats, seafood, and vegetables. Whenever possible, the foods are organic or sustainable. Bison meat loaf, a Buddha bowl, and "spasta" (pasta made from squash) with chicken meatballs are some of the popular entrées. Dishes such as the chicken chop tagine or za'atar-spiced salmon are preparations that let foods work with flavors rather than be disguised by them. Vegan and vegetarian dishes, including juices, "mocktails," and desserts, are on the menu, and dietary requests are accommodated with the same creativity. The wine list includes many organic and sustainable varietals. Mixologists apply the same philosophy of fresh, local foods to their craft cocktails.

Expect a wait for dinner, which is not necessarily a bad thing at this island paradise of a waterfront restaurant and bar. Take the wait time to explore the bridges and trails of the open-air tropical oasis, or grab a chair by the river to watch the sunset, listen to the live band, or nibble on some conch fritters at the large tiki bar until your table is ready. Try the lemon-butter hogfish for dinner, and stick around for the live music (a full concert calendar is on the website). Breakfast, offered only on weekends, is good, too. That said, it's more about the view and vibe than the food here.  There's only valet parking on site; a free lot is about a block away but fills up fast in season.

Decorated with vintage travel posters of its namesake city, this two-level restaurant serves authentic Cuban specialties on the cheap, including great Cubanos (pressed roast pork sandwiches), arroz con pollo, and ropa vieja. The friendly place attracts a late-night crowd at its popular walk-up window. Get strong Cuban coffee (often awarded the best in Palm Beach County), sugary fried churros, and fruit juices in exotic flavors like mamey, mango, papaya, guava, and guanabana.

Since 1950, this diner's eat-in counter and "cooked in sight, it must be right" motto have made it a congenial setting for meeting old friends and making new ones. Nowadays, Howley's prides itself on its kitsch factor and old-school eats like turkey pot pie and a traditional Thanksgiving feast, as well as its retro-redux dishes like a potato-and-brisket burrito. Forgo the counter for the retro tables or sit out on the covered patio. The café attracts a loyal clientele into the wee hours (it's open weekdays until midnight and weekends until 2 am and has a full bar).

In the heart of The Square, this European-style eatery offers Italian specialties and a wide variety of fine wines. The menu includes classics like chicken parmigiana, risotto, and fettuccine alfredo. Pizzas from the wood-burning oven are especially good. Service is friendly and efficient, but the overall noise level tends to be high. Sit at the outdoor tables next to the main plaza's dancing fountains if you can.

If Italy had old-school luncheonettes, this is what they'd look like: a storefront of yellow walls, dark-green booths, white linoleum tables, and cascading sconces of faux ivy leaves and hand-painted Tuscan serving pieces for artwork. It's self-described by the husband-and-wife owners (who are always at the front) as an "upscale diner," and locals swear by it for breakfast (served all day) and lunch. Expect a short wait any day in season at peak hours. There's always a treat on the house, like a glass of sorbet to finish lunch; and don't miss the shrimp scampi—the sauce is so good, you'll want to dip every bit of the fresh focaccia in it.

The pick of the lake, this lodge-style restaurant started at the Okee-Tantie campground as a fish place with four tables in a corner. Now the taxidermy-filled joint beckons bikers and tourists for fresh catfish (the signature dish) as well as frogs' legs, alligator tenderloin, and oysters on the half shell. You can also order a selection of ocean fish like mahimahi and snapper. Not feeling like fruits of the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee? There's steak and other land-spun delights. They'll cook your catch, too.

This local favorite is not much to look at and a bit tricky to find, but well worth the search. The fried-food standards you might expect at such a casual, small place that uses plastic utensils are not found on the menu; instead there are fried tuna rolls with basil and panko-crusted fried oysters with spicy fruit salad. A variety of beers are fun to pair with the creatively prepared seafood dishes that include wahoo, mahimahi, and snapper, all of which are locally sourced. Wait for your table next door at Maxi's Lineup—also under Moir's ownership—during the busy winter season when lines are long.

A longtime favorite of locals, this sophisticated Italian restaurant is in an unexpected, nondescript location on Dixie Highway away from downtown and central hubs. But warm hospitality from a husband-and-wife team, along with smart service and delectable traditional dishes, awaits. A much-awarded wine list, including a popular "50 under $50" draws from international vineyards and complements dishes such as pepperoni e acciughe (oven-roasted peppers with white anchovies and extra-virgin olive oil), rigatoni ala vodka (said to have been invented by the chef's father), veal chops, and scaloppine prepared several ways. Desserts alone are worth an after-dinner stop.

Opened in 1941, this family-owned Old Florida–style restaurant combines its ocean view with Tiffany-style lamps, wrought-iron chandeliers, and paintings of pirates. Count on at least three kinds of seafood any day on the menu, along with steaks, pork chops, soups, and salads. The house drink is "Pusser's Painkiller"—a curious blend first mixed by British sailors in the Virgin Islands and rationed in a tin cup. It commemorates the 1894 wreck of the Breconshire, which occurred offshore and from which 34 British sailors escaped.

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.

An informal seafood spot—serving crab cakes, fish sandwiches, and fillets—and a favorite of locals and tourists, is perched on the Intracoastal Waterway with spectacular views. Observation decks with separate bars wrap around the back where boats can dock; indoors is more family-oriented. Of course, order the namesake Key lime pie—the house specialty has been featured in Bon Appétit.

Arguably downtown Lake Worth's fanciest restaurant, with sophisticated modern Northern Italian cuisine, this is a go-to place for a romantic evening. Waiters are on point and anticipate needs. Whole branzino baked in a salt crust, grilled octopus, tuna carpaccio, and smoked mozzarella ravioli are all excellent choices. A separate lounge menu features lighter bites such as stuffed squash blossoms; pair these with one of the wines off an extensive list put together by the chef. Don't miss the chocolate Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert. As the name implies, the food is heavenly.

Ask for the wine room table, which seats eight, for a more private experience.

As the name implies, it's all about fins and shells here, including the live ones that entertain diners in their tanks in the modern dining room. The menu includes a raw bar with a good selection of raw (or grilled) oysters and clams and the chef's "seacuterie" platter, a build-your-own sampler of such choices as salmon pastrami, citrus-cured fluke, cured sea bass, or octopus torchon. Local fish—grouper, snapper, and yellowfin tuna—are best bets as entrées. Hipsters talk up the craft cocktails, and the happy-hour discounts include certain foods. That's a good thing, since Palm Beach prices apply.

Although "the island" is no doubt a bastion of French cuisine, this cozy bistro across the bridge on the Clematis Street waterfront entices a lively crowd looking for an unpretentious good meal. The outdoor terrace can't be beat, and the fabulous modern French menu with twists such as roasted sliced duck with truffled polenta is a delight. Save room for dessert: the homemade pudding Breton, a fluffy, raisin-accented brioche bread pudding paired with crème Anglaise, could be straight out of a Parisian café.

The hidden-garden setting is the secret to the success of this European-style pizzeria, where you can dine under a canopy of century-old banyans in an intimate courtyard. Specialties are 12-inch hand-tossed brick-oven pizzas with toppings such as prosciutto, arugula, and caviar. There's even a carbonara breakfast pizza (part of a small morning menu) and a Nutella dessert pizza. Piping-hot calzones, salads, and baked pastas round out the choices. Next to the patio, look for the grave markers of Addison Mizner's beloved pet monkey, Johnnie Brown, and Rose Sachs's dog, Laddie (she and husband Morton bought Mizner's villa and lived there for 47 years). Delivery is available at night.

Here, at one of the most romantic restaurants in Palm Beach, guests can dine Italiano. Sit in the beautiful courtyard, with stars above and twinkling lights on the bougainvillea, or in the intimate, low-lighted dining room flickering with candles and enhanced with fresh flowers and quiet classical music. Be sure to try the split-pea soup with small cubes of ham (a meal in itself) and the dreamy tagliatelle with white truffles in season. All are served on pretty, flowered porcelain plates atop crisp white-linen tablecloths. Although pricey, dinner here is worth every penny. Jackets are encouraged.

West Palm Beach's Rhythm Cafe is anything but Palm Beach formal (the decor includes a feathered pink flamingo perched on the terrazzo floor). Fun, funky, cheesy, campy, and cool all at once, the former 1950s-era drugstore-cum-restaurant on West Palm Beach's Antique Row features an ever-changing creative menu of homemade items with Italian, Greek, American, and Creole influences. Favorites include "tapas-tizers" like the lemon-doused saganaki (flaming cheese) and the goat-cheese-onion pie and main courses like the graham-cracker-crusted chicken in key lime sauce and fish of the day.

This lively waterfront restaurant overlooking Peanut Island is a great place to chill out after a long day of mansion gawking, boating, or beach lounging. Choose a table in the dining room or under an umbrella on the terrace and enjoy mainstays like conch chowder and coconut shrimp. More upscale entrées—this, after all, is still Palm Beach County—include Florida lobster tail and sautéed yellowtail snapper. Breakfast is a winner here, too. Kids like to spot the lobsters and starfish that hang out around the docks, and it's a local favorite for happy-hour drinks. A weekly art-and-crafts show sets up on the dock Thursday night. Sportfishing charters are available at the Sailfish store, and the Water Taxi stops here. There are also motel rooms for rent.

This upscale restaurant at the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa has a slick, contemporary look and is a favorite of locals in the know. The menu has a daily selection of fresh fish, such as Atlantic black grouper over lemon crab salad, sesame-seared tuna, and mahimahi with fruit salsa. There are also thick, juicy cuts of meat, including New York strip steak and beef tenderloin, as well as mouthwatering chicken and lamb dishes. The new Sinclair's Lounge is idyllic for a predinner aperitif. For something more casual, dine outside on the terrace to hear the waves lapping and take in the beachscape.

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.

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.

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.

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.