{"id":19368,"date":"2025-10-24T19:21:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T19:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/19368\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T19:21:16","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T19:21:16","slug":"the-12-best-restaurants-in-fort-lauderdale-florida-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/19368\/","title":{"rendered":"The 12 Best Restaurants In Fort Lauderdale, Florida"},"content":{"rendered":"

Long overshadowed by Miami<\/a>, Fort Lauderdale has quietly transformed into one of Florida\u2019s most dynamic food cities. In the past year alone, the city on Florida\u2019s southeast coast earned its first Michelin stars and seen many other spots lure eager diners to the table.<\/p>\n

Fort Lauderdale is much more than a beach town<\/a> too, and visitors staying on the water would do well to venture further afield. That\u2019s not to say you can\u2019t find great food with an excellent view! Fort Lauderdale has many oceanfront establishments that aren\u2019t simply mailing it in with the food and banking on the gorgeous sunset to keep guests happy.<\/p>\n

Here is our list of the best places to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in one of the Sunshine State\u2019s most popular places to visit. Oh, and be sure to save room for dessert!<\/p>\n

Best Breakfast Spots in Fort LauderdaleJava and Jam\"Courtesy<\/p>\n

Start the day on Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale\u2019s main drag. It\u2019s an easy drive\u2014or bike ride\u2014for visitors staying along A1A <\/a>at one of the many hotels overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. There\u2019s a grab-and-go option including all manner of pastries, coffee drinks, and granola for those in a hurry, but there\u2019s plenty more to satisfy heartier appetites if you have time to sit and stay awhile. Try the cheddar herb biscuit, an eggs Benedict dish made with wilted spinach, tomato, bacon, and hollandaise.<\/p>\n

java-jam.com<\/a>, 301 East Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301; 954-353-3250<\/p>\n

Colada Cuban Cafe<\/p>\n

The order? Havana Hangover: scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, Swiss cheese, marinated onions and fried potato sticks on a Cuban roll. Paired with a caf\u00e9 con leche\u2014iced or hot\u2014and you\u2019ve got yourself a mighty fine breakfast from this modern Cuban spot tucked into a stretch of new(ish) buildings on North Federal Highway. While you\u2019re here, you might as well get a few pastries for the road. Our favorites are the beef and the guava and cheese.<\/p>\n

coladacubancafe.com<\/a>, 525 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301; 954-368-4705<\/p>\n

Lona Cocina & Tequileria<\/a><\/p>\n

If you just can\u2019t tear yourself away from the beach<\/a>, rest assured you can enjoy a fantastic breakfast with those waterfront views at The Westin\u2019s all-day restaurant, Lona. This casual spot does brunch on the weekend and daily lunch and dinner, but the Tinta breakfast is delicious in its own right. Here, it\u2019s not your run-of-the-mill avocado toast. It\u2019s tequila-cured smoked salmon avocado toast with all the fixings: telera, greens, tomato, pickled onion, toasted chile morita, and cilantro. Those more interested in a sweet start to the day have lots of options, but a standout is the cinnamon swirl cream cheese glaze pancakes.<\/p>\n

lonarestaurant.com<\/a>, 321 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304; 954-245-3069<\/p>\n

Related: 14 Best Things To Do In Fort Lauderdale<\/a><\/p>\n

Best Lunch Spots In Fort LauderdaleEvelyn\u2019s\"Courtesy<\/p>\n

As the main restaurant at The Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale, Evelyn\u2019s offers three meals a day plus brunch on Saturday and Sunday, and while all food is of high quality, the spot really shines during the midday meal. Mediterranean dishes like Evelyn\u2019s chicken shawarma wrap with tahini, pickled sumac, onion garlic toum, cilantro, harissa and the grand mezze plate composed of smoked eggplant, charred red pepper, classic hummus, house-pickled vegetable, petite vegetable crudit\u00e9, house fermented hot sauce should follow a dozen oysters and perhaps a Bloody Mary. Ideally, you\u2019ll save room for dessert because the pistachio mille-feuille topped with cardamom ice cream is the stuff of your sweetest dreams.\u00a0<\/p>\n

evelynsfortlauderdale.com<\/a>, 525 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304; 754-336-3100<\/p>\n

Coconuts\"Courtesy<\/p>\n

This waterfront dining destination gets points for its expansive, uninterrupted views of Fort Lauderdale\u2019s intracoastal waterways, but that\u2019s not where it stops earning wins. Start out with crispy, lightly sweetened coconut shrimp and the smoked fish dip<\/a> before moving on to one of the handhelds. Fish tacos<\/a> are a local favorite and for good reason, but if you\u2019re craving a burger, Tim\u2019s Backyard Burger will do more than suffice. Both coconut cake and key lime pie make for fine finales.<\/p>\n

coconutsfortlauderdale.com<\/a>, 429 Seabreeze Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301; 954-525-2421<\/p>\n

El Vez\"Courtesy<\/p>\n

Technically, this modern Mexican restaurant inside the W Hotel, offers brunch (not lunch) daily, but we see nothing wrong with this. Not when choices include huevos con carne frita made with crispy brisket, scrambled eggs, flour tortilla and queso mixto; chilaquiles featuring salsa verde, tortilla chips, queso fresco, crema, avocado, and sunny side eggs; and huevos rancheros with salsa ranchera, black beans, sunny side eggs, guacamole, crema, and queso fresco. Sip a cold Jarritos, Mexican soft drink that El Vez carries in multiple enticing flavors, or go for something stronger like a mezcal and beer pairing and see why see why restaurateur Stephen Starr was one of the first to put Fort Lauderdale on the food lovers’ map.<\/p>\n

elvezftlauderdale.com<\/a>, 401 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304; 954-414-8336<\/p>\n

Larb Thai-Isan<\/p>\n

Although we know for many of you, there\u2019s no such thing as too much delicious fresh seafood, in the event that you\u2019re looking for some more international flavors in your Fort Lauderdale vacation, let us suggest detouring to this no-frills Thai restaurant. It\u2019s a good spot for sharing a bunch of menu items like the classic northeastern Thai dish Isan sausage, Larb (spicy minced chicken or pork salad with fresh Thai herb and roasted rice powder), and papaya salad (shredded green papaya with dried shrimp and peanut topped with a spicy garlic and lime dressing).<\/p>\n

larbthaiisan.com<\/a>, 6234 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308; 954-368-8863<\/p>\n

Best Dinner Spots In Fort LauderdaleMAAS\"Courtesy<\/p>\n

If we had to choose the one restaurant that\u2019s truly catapulted Fort Lauderdale to a foodie destination, it would have to be this stunning Michelin-starred dining room at The Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Fort Lauderdale. For the ultimate dinner experience, book a spot at the chef\u2019s counter, where you can take in the open kitchen and have a front row seat to the culinary genius behind Chef Ryan Ratino, who\u2019s also the restaurant\u2019s owner. In addition to delightful dish after delightful dish, tasting menu participants have the joyful experience of choosing their own chopstick holder and steak knife. Pacing is perfect and service is polished and warm, with an air of \u201clet\u2019s celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n

maassftl.com<\/a>, 525 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304; 954-256-0000<\/p>\n

Heritage<\/p>\n

A pizza and pasta gem in the Fort Lauderdale arts district has been known to impress even the harshest New York pizza critics (hi, it\u2019s me!), Heritage tests even the most decisive diners with its tempting array of appetizers\u2014meatballs made with wagyu, stuffed sweet long pepper, and Italian chopped salad\u2014and the aforementioned pizzas and pastas. They\u2019re all good but we tend towards the more creative offerings, such as the pizza featuring sherry marinara, squash blossoms, cold pulled burrata, olive oil and basil or the house-made paccheri pasta with sausage, kale, radicchio, tomatoes, pancetta, cannellini beans, in a mascarpone garlic and rosemary sauce. Saving room for the olive oil cake is mandatory.<\/p>\n

heritageftl.com<\/a>, 903 NE 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304; 954-635-2335<\/p>\n

The Katherine\"Courtesy<\/p>\n

Courtesy of The Katherine<\/p>\n

This globally inspired neighborhood bistro from James Beard-nominated chef Timon Balloo and his wife, Marissa Katherine (yes, the restaurant with its subtitle, \u2018A love story\u2019 is named after Marissa), The Katherine is at once intimate and sophisticated. Dishes like Hokkaido scallop crudo and zatar and yogurt rubbed swordfish kabob with eggplant, roasted tomato, and tahini are transporting and the unctuous roasted bone marrow is simply a must-have dish. It\u2019s a good idea to save a little space to see what the daily whipped sweet special is, that is, if the vanilla bean \u201cTorrejas\u201d French Toast doesn\u2019t call out to you.<\/p>\n

katherinerestaurant.com<\/a>, 723 E Broward Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301; 954-807-8022<\/p>\n

Daniel\u2019s\"Courtesy<\/p>\n

The Michelin-recommended steakhouse<\/a> does what it sets out to with excellence. If you\u2019re in the mood for a steak, you\u2019ve come to the right place, but Daniel\u2019s also excels in the accoutrements and side department\u2014something all steakhouse lovers know is key to this brand of fine dining experience. You can and should enhance your steak, whether it\u2019s the Creekstone 35-day dry aged prime cowboy ribeye or the Demkota Heritage Elite prime filet mignon with truffle butter or perhaps seared foie gras. Add a side of creamed spinach, corn pudding, and truffled potato fonduta and wash it all down with a bottle of Cabernet off of the impressive wine list.<\/p>\n

danielssteak.com<\/a>, 620 S Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301; 954-451-1200<\/p>\n

Eatapas<\/p>\n

Eatapas is the place to go for, you guessed it: tapas! The only real problem with dining at this charming Spanish restaurant is figuring out what dishes to order off of the extensive menu. A good rule of thumb is to choose a couple of cold dishes like jam\u00f3n iberico (Spain\u2019s most prized ham) and the boquerones en vinagre (really good anchovies) and then load up on the calientes (hot dishes). Chorizo is always a good idea but it\u2019s an especially wise choice here, and we are also big fans of the ham croquettes and the fried eggplant.<\/p>\n

eatapasfl.com<\/a>, 4140 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308; 754-779-7554<\/p>\n

Read the original article on Southern Living<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Long overshadowed by Miami, Fort Lauderdale has quietly transformed into one of Florida\u2019s most dynamic food cities. In…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19369,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[15773,249,251,250,6183,15772],"class_list":{"0":"post-19368","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fort-lauderdale","8":"tag-eggs-benedict","9":"tag-fort-lauderdale","10":"tag-fort-lauderdale-headlines","11":"tag-fort-lauderdale-news","12":"tag-mexican-restaurant","13":"tag-michelin-stars"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}