Banish visions of bikini and beer-boosted bacchanals. The rowdy crowds have moved on and today Fort Lauderdale is a fun, foodie town. I discovered this over three, brief days while being led to a whiskey den, a hidden craft coffee spot, and dining at chic waterfront tables. Meeting a charming sommelier, passionate chocolate vendor, cheese connoisseur and a mom who founded a craft brew cartel were some of the highlights along with bonding with fellow foodies. It was one discovery after another.
Here’s some of the highlights among the Fort Lauderdale restaurant and drink purveyors:
Beauty and the Feast Bar and Kitchen is tucked inside the Atlantic Hotel with sweeping views of the ocean. The menu is full of innovation, fresh ingredients and local flare. It’s a comfy spot to share small plates or a big one (our full fish platter filled us up.)
O-B House sits on a corner in the historic Fort Lauderdale district. Our breakfast overflowed with options – mango mimosas, platters of moist, tasty muffins and even a plate-size, baked pancake.
Marando Farms is an urban farmers market and an educational center for hundreds of visiting students each year. The small urban farm on a small plot has grown into overflowing acres. A snack bar serves energizing smoothies and the wine shop is well stocked with curated choices.
Brew Urban Cafe hides within the offices of C & I Studios and Lounge. Down the hall and to the left of the office entrance there’s an alternative universe where cold brew and about any other coffee or tea is available. It’s well worth hunting out and testing the overstuffed upholstery.
Blue Moon Fish Company offers award-winning waterfront dining. We enjoyed refreshing breezes from a table just across from the drawbridge entrance to Fort Lauderdale. Arriving by foot and an impressive display of fresh seafood greeted us inside the front door.
Whiskey Den is upstairs at Stache, Fort Lauderdale’s premiere cocktail lounge, coffee bar, nightclub and concert hall. We had a blast tasting Rye, Whiskey, Rum and Gin, then creating our own cocktails.
Louie Bossi is a recent addition to the Las Olas Street shopping and dining experience. Chef Bossi may have grown up cooking in NYC but he’s also a Master Pizza maker. The flat breads were inspired, our sommelier very attentive and the courtyard Bocce ball course was tempting.
Luxury, ocean front steak house, Steak 954, is open morning to late night inside the W Hotel. Inside a giant, mesmerizing aquarium shelters over 200 Moon Jelly fish!
After breakfast we headed over to Las Olas Street for a packed historical and culinary advenure with Las Olas Food Tours. Walking and talking our way along the street, in and out of hotels, and along the canal was the perfect way to burn calories (OK, a few.)
Set on a suburban neighborhood corner is the surprising mecca of Floridian brews. The Craft Beer Cartel shared how beer is made and we sipped several of the Native Beer labels best brews. When you visit don’t miss checking out the floor. It’s ’tiled’ with bottle caps in elaborate patterns.
If you’re lucky enough to visit Fort Lauderdale on a full moon night, find out if the Pelican Grand is hosting one of their veranda dinners. At Ocean 2000 you’ll dine on local seafood specialties while listening to the waves and watching the moon rise over the sea. The plantation style hotel is set as close to the water as possible. The upstairs rooms, spa and wedding/event space feel like they’re floating with views to the horizon.
I only wish that these delights were spread out over a week or two! The Fort Lauderdale restaurant and bar scenes deserve to be savored.
If you go:
- Beauty and the Feast Bar and Kitchen inside the Atlantic Hotel
- O-B Breakfast House in the Fort Lauderdale historic district
- Maranado Farms features organic and sustainable produce and local artist’s crafts
- Brew Urban Cafe hides in the FAT Arts District and within the C&I Studio offices.
- Blue Moon Fish Company is nothing like a processor’s plant. Enjoy white table cloth dining and impressive presentations.
- Whiskey Den at Stache, lounge and concert hall.
- Louie Bossi, an Italian eatery with distinctive traditional and newly crafted delicacies.
- Steak 954, a boutique steakhouse, inside the W Hotel on Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd.
- Las Olas Food Tours introduces visitors (and locals) to the people and places that make the area so delicious.
- Craft Beer Cartel is packed with Floridian brews and is the home to the Native Beer label.
- Pelican Grand Hotel, is a luxury, plantation-style oasis on the water with gracious dining options and rocking chairs on the long deck, the better to let the wave song hypnotize you.
The Fort Lauderdale restaurant tour was part of the TBEX FAM trips and arranged by the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB. Thanks for including me! #HelloSunny
The Pelican Grand Hotel is one of my favorite places to go for lunch or dinner. You can’t beat the ocean front view from Ocean2000 Restaurant. My other favorite is the Blue Moon Fish Company. It’s right down the street from me, and also a fun place to watch the mega yachts go by while dining.
Wonderful that you live in the neighborhood. I was waiting for a yacht to go through the draw bridge at Blue Moon. We just missed it. Will have to return.
Some funky cool places to eat, Florida is on my “Must Travel” list so hopefully one day I will get to some some of these great places.
Definitely lots to explore in Florida, north and south, east and west. I hope to go back!
That coffee shop looks amazing! I love unique cafes 🙂
It was such a surprise! Great hearing from you, Lauren.
That crab benedict looked asolutely amazing! Thanks for the info!
Thanks, Tami, we’re so lucky to have these experiences.
That’s mouthwatering! And you just made me hungry!! Will check this place when I visit 😉
Thanks, Mary. I hope you can visit sooner than later.
Thank you for visiting and the kind words! This is why Fort Lauderdale is home!! Love your blog!!
Dear Chelsea, I so enjoyed meeting you and my cousin loved the bottle of wine you recommended. Wishing you continued success and happiness.
OMG, that food looks AWESOME! thank God it’s dinner time in India.
Now you’ve made me hunger for a rich curry!
That lump crab Benedict looks amazing! I’m definitely going to have to try that!
Thanks Joe. It was delicious.
Would you believe, I was based in Florida for a little over a year though never managed to make it to Ft Lauderdale. We were over in Fort myers so on the other side of the State – I’ll have to get back to sample it’s restaurant scene!
I can understand not making it over to Fort Lauderdale. It’s a big state but I hope you get a chance to eat your way through Fort Lauderdale one day.
These restaurants look great! I’m getting hungry just by reading! 🙂
Ha Ha, Lisbeth – I did too!
oh my gosh what an amazing place for food choices, tours and mixing your own drinks….yep I would love it 🙂
Fort Lauderdale restaurant scene sure is the best kept secret that is now out!
Thanks Lisa, I hope you can visit one day.
Awesome! The food photos made me super hungry. The place in general looks pretty amazing, thank you for bringing me there through your blog!
Thanks for stopping by, Ynah. Lovely seeing you here.
Oh dang it! I passed on going to the Fort Lauderdale TBEX. Looks like I made a huge mistake. What fun!
Sorry you weren’t with us Arnie. I’m sure there’ll be some great pre-bex tours in Minneapolis this spring.
Awesome, awesome, awesome! This place looks to paradise to me. The food looks absolutely delicious. Would love to visit the Brew Urban Cafe and the Blue Moon Fish Company.
Thank you, Ruth. I hope you can visit Fort Lauderdale one day (those were two of my favorite places too.)
How AWESOME is the name Beauty and the Feast for a restaurant?! I love it!
I agree whole-heartedly, great name – service, chef and dishes too.
Looks like a great restaurant. I love sea food, but when I was in Fort Lauderdale I didn’t know about this place.
I hope you get a chance to visit again, Anda.
I love the look of Fort Lauderdale, especially the Pelican Grand – gorgeous. Your food shots have definitely made me hungry, and there’s definitely always room for chocolate and/or ice cream! 🙂
Thanks, Lyndall. It was hard for me to not get too hungry just working on the post! Yes, the Pelican Grand was very special.
Wow, the Fort Lauderdale food and beverages look fabulous and so does the scenery.
My first time exploring South Florida and I was so delighted with the area, the food and sweet people. I hope you can visit one day.
My family vacationed in Florida every summer from the time I was born. I haven’t been there in years…I think I need to travel back!
Cities keep re-inventing themselves and Fort Lauderdale has so much going on. I hope you visit again soon.
Looks like some really cool places. I would love to check out that bookstore cafe and the mixology class! It seems more and more, North America is stepping up their foodie game. Every time I’m back in Canada, I notice it as well, there are so many more cool, foodie, hipster places to eat than the previous visit.
I think that North America needed to develop a foodie scene for a long while. We’re slowly catching up with what the rest of the world has been doing and of course, setting our own mixed cultural spin on things.
Um.. that trip may be worth it for that crab benedict and whiskey alone! Yum! Great tips! I haven’t been to Fort Lauderdale since I was 19, I think it may be time for a revisit 😉
I hope you visit again and cheers!
The veranda at the Pelican Grand looks amazing. Fort Lauderdale looks like a town that any foodie would enjoy. Agree, there is always room for ice cream!
Thanks, Nancie, It was one surprise after another. I didn’t really have expectations, having never been in Florida before, but I’m so glad to have seen some of the area.
You take the most amazing food photos which have had what I suppose is the intended result—I’m starving. Of course, I’ll have to settle for some Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia FroYo if Mr. Excitement didn’t finish all of it. With the help of your tour, you were certainly able to ferret out some cool Fort Lauderdale food and drink emporia. I was there in February before a cruise and unfortunately, did not have this post to guide our restaurant selections.
Thanks, Suzanne, I love taking pictures and appreciated the feedback but sorry about making you hungry. Works on me too! I hope more people consider spending a few days exploring Ft. Lauderdale before or after their cruise, getting land legs back, etc.
Loved your Post and loved sharing this FAM Trip with you! It was a great Food experience in Fort Lauderdale!
Greetings from Mexico
Sweet Karla, love your toes! Thanks for the kind words. It was a pleasure meeting you as well. Still working on catching up with everyone from TBEX. Hope our paths cross soon and often.