Five Best New Restaurants in Fort Lauderdale

A lot can change over the course of a summer in South Florida: Hurricanes may come (none recently, thankfully), floods may wash things out, chefs can change kitchens, restaurants come and go.

With a large portion of residents packed up and gone to cooler climes, local restaurants tend to get hit hard by loss of revenue during the offseason -- unfortunately, many of them close.

That being said, summer is also the ideal time to work out the kinks of a new spot before the crazy crowds of season descend upon our shores.

See also: The Ten Best Restaurants in Fort Lauderdale

Whether you live here and just don't pay proper attention or you're a snowbird coming back down for the winter, a plethora of places have sprouted up since the end of tourist season. It's time to get it together and check it out.

From beach views to Las Olas hot spots to Fort Lauderdale's historic downtown, check out the five best new restaurants in Fort Lauderdale worth visiting while you're down -- or just period.

5. Wild Sea Oyster Bar & Grille

Set inside the Riverside Hotel, one of the oldest buildings in Fort Lauderdale, Wild Sea has brought freshly prepared seafood with creative preparations as an alternative to the tourist traps that line Las Olas Boulevard. Whole fish are brought in and filleted daily to ensure the original product is as fresh as can be -- the remnants are later turned into soups and stocks. These house-prepared ingredients are part of a menu that is constantly evolving, with such offerings as golden tilefish with poached clams, mushrooms, and julienned kohlrabi over a cream sauce made from the tilefish itself. Many complain that Americans waste too much; this place does the opposite, and we're all the better for it.

4. Himmarshee Public House

For quite some time now, downtown Fort Lauderdale has been known more as a place to drink than as an area to find a good meal. The newly opened Himmarshee Public House is attempting to turn that image around. With innovative cocktails and global comfort food ranging from Mexican tacos to root-beer-glazed spicy lamb ribs to bacon and corn fritters, the spot is bringing a new breed of creative cuisine to "the block." Since the place opened a few weeks back, we're seeing the locals return to the neighborhood -- and we're looking forward to more and more of that.

3. Lobster Bar Sea Grille

Occupying the space that housed Jackson's Steakhouse for years, this place is filling the void for high-end cuisine that was left in its wake when it closed years ago. With shiny white subway tiles, warm woods, and vintage-inspired light fixtures, the space looks much like the old-school oyster bars from back in the day. The menu, however, is anything but antiquated: The food has been hailed as some of the best on the block in dishes like razor clam and scallop ceviche, flash fried lobster tails, and Mediterranean octopus. Here you'll find style and substance.

2. Hot and Soul

This is South Florida: Most of us don't feel the need to don more than shorts, a T-shirt, and a pair of flip-flops. Here you can come as you like and eat some damned good food. Husband-and-wife team Mike Hampton and Christy Samoy, both of whom attended culinary school in New Orleans, churn out a wide array of global soul food in dishes like chicken adobo, a classic Filipino dish from Samoy's family background; Aunt Dewey's Gumbo Yumbo, with duck and andouille sausage; and Gnaughty Gnocchi, with oxtail, San Marzano tomatoes, basil, and pecorino cheese. A constantly rotating selection of craft beers and boutique wines ensures you'll have a perfect pairing for every meal.

1. S3

Owned by the Restaurant People, the group that owns YOLO, Vibe and Tarpon Bend, this is one of the busiest new spots to hit the area. Located at the base of the Hilton Beach Resort, appropriately named for its close proximity to the shore, the S3 offers views of the water from almost every seat. The food is just as good as the ambience. Local favorite executive chef Chris Miracolo has created a menu of global eclectic fare ranging from European-inspired Ricotta Gnocchi with fennel leek fondue, peas, baby shiitake, and truffle to Southern heritage pork loin accompanied by sausage bread pudding, heirloom carrots, and pole beans to sushi and everything in between. Between the food, the view, and the people-watching, it's kind of hard to beat.

Follow Sara Ventiera on Twitter, @saraventiera.