La Brochette Bistro

La Brochette, opened in March ’93, may be located out in East Jabip (read: Cooper City), but regulars happily trek there for chef/owner Aboud Kobaitri’s European-by-way-of-Lebanon style, as evidenced by the preparations of fresh fish flown in daily, dainty lamb chops, skewered shrimp, escargots, and wild game, all presented beautifully with flourishes of fresh herbs […]

Lobster Bar Sea Grille

Occupying the space that housed Jackson’s Steakhouse on Las Olas 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 […]

Market 17

When Market 17 opened in 2010, the goal was to enter the burgeoning farm-to-table, organic, sustainable movement. Using day-boat fish, free-range chicken, grass- and corn-fed (and hormone-free) beef, and organic veggies, it was one of the first restaurants in the area to tout such sourcing. If you’re not dining in the dark (that’s a thing […]

Oceans 234 Beach, Bar, and Bistro

With a view like this, it’s no wonder this oceanfront bistro is packed during season with snowbirds snapping phone photos of the pier to taunt snow-shoveling friends back home. A wide selection of seafood anchors the menu at this casual-chic spot, but it’s the creative extras like seafood hummus or beef picadillo empanada that shake […]

Off the Hookah

Off the Hookah is downtown Fort Lauderdale’s dance club, hookah lounge, and waterfront dining wrapped up in one sexy, Mediterranean-themed venue. Vegas-style flair bartenders serve the drinks, belly dancers arouse the onlookers, and the Mediterranean and sushi menu tantalizes the taste buds. There are cabana beds throughout the venue; thus, you can ask someone to […]

Old Florida Seafood House

You have to see OFSH at least once for the kitschy stuffed sharks in the bar, the downright ugly black ceiling tiles, the terrible ’60s-rental-unit carpeting worn through by walkers and wheelchairs, the middle-aged, sharp-tongued waitresses — and if this sounds ghastly, it isn’t. Somehow it all comes together, like the extended families bickering over […]

Papa’s Fresh Market

This restaurant and fish market looks every bit of its 1976 vintage, though that’s not a bad thing. Being inside the winding corridors decked floor to ceiling in dark wood feels like dining in the galley of an old fishing boat. A display case by the front door highlights the day’s catch: To the right, […]

Papa’s Raw Bar

Floribbean, best described as a fusion of island-inspired fare mixed with locally grown tropical fruits and fresh-caught fish. And at Papa’s Raw Bar in Lighthouse Point, it’s what’s on the clipboard menu. Owners Joy and Hugh Ganter, and their son Troy, built the neighborhood eatery in a newly vacated space next door to Seafood World, […]

Pelican Landing

Pelican Landing is the more casual watering hole adjoining the Hyatt’s Pier 66 (Grille 66 is the upscale neighbor). But you wouldn’t know it by the docks of million-dollar yachts you have to walk past to get there. Look east and the marina, peppered with sailboats and sports fishermen, seems to go on forever; look […]

The Pirate Republic Seafood

The old Shirttail Charlie’s location is tricky to access by car (tucked in a maze of streets behind Andrews Avenue) but is one of Fort Lauderdale’s best. How many downtown restaurants boast 150 feet of waterfront on the New River? The biker/pirate motif is contrived but fun, and Pirate Republic is actually a step up […]

PL8

Formerly known as Himmarshee Bar & Grille, PL8 specializes in small plates, which include seafood, sliders, skewers, pizzas, salads, and greens. A stylish dining room is anchored by bar tables of reclaimed wood and sleek steel. Abstract silk-screens and varied textures nod to nature. Accent lighting is easy on the eyes too, especially in the […]

Point Royal

Point Royal, which opened in February 2017, sits on the ground floor of the newly renovated Diplomat Beach Resort. The restaurant is billed as coastal American, the type of place you can stop by for a burger and beer or for some oysters and a glass of wine. Once the site of the hotel’s breakfast […]

Pop’s Fish Market

South Florida’s fish markets can’t compete with Seattle’s Pike Place or San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, but they can be just as inviting. Inside the Cape Cod-style building known as Pop’s, the friendly folks behind the counter aren’t showmen, but they are more than willing to help you find the exact type of sea-dweller you need. […]

Quarterdeck Dania Beach

Quarterdeck expands its lineup with a sixth South Florida location situated on top of the pier in Dania Beach. Taking up a sizable portion of the wood-planked pier, this neighborhood restaurant and bar is undoubtedly the most glamorous of the six locations, featuring panoramic views of the ocean, walls lined with large LED screens playing […]

Rosey Baby Crawfish & Cajun House

By day, students and suits crowd Rosey Baby for crawfish pasta and other Louisiana favorites, but by night, the tiny club pushes tables and chairs aside. Patrons literally bump elbows with the regional crop of traditional blues purveyors regularly holding court. This spicy little number feels like a New Orleans bar mysteriously picked up and […]

Rustic Inn Crabhouse

The Rustic Inn is a Fort Lauderdale landmark: After 55 years in business, the cavernous restaurant is still packed daily with folks looking to release their aggression on the backs of blue crabs. The restaurant sits on a canal overlooking a busy boatyard. It’s draped in thick, seafaring rope and signs reminiscent of Old Florida […]

S3

S3, short for Sun, Surf and Sand, is the latest project by the Restaurant People, owners of YOLO, Vibe, and Tarpon Bend. It’s the team’s first foray onto Fort Lauderdale’s beachfront, and it’s doing it in high style — with an even higher budget. Nearly $4 million was spent transforming the first floor of the […]

Sage Bistro and Oyster Bar

You really have to hand it to chef Laurent Tasic. His Sage Bistro and Oyster bar juggles two completely different concepts and nails them both: a high-end raw bar, with its $52 shellfish tower and a $28 “trio” of jumbo pink Gulf shrimp, oysters, and crab meat on the one hand; and on the other, […]