Perhaps it's the physical activities under the sun, or a combination of the sun in one's skin and the salty breeze of the Atlantic, but the fact is that going to the beach will always leave you hungry and so, in this post we´ll explore some of the best restaurants in Fort Lauderdale to go after a blissful day at the beach.
Now before we start, I would like to give you a little advice concerning transportation, moving in cities in South Florida such as Fort Lauderdale. It's tricky at times, as most of the city's transportation infrastructure is based on having access to a car.
Public transport options tend to be rather limited; and while taxi-like options such as Uber exist, they can truly make a number on your wallet due to the number of travels you would need to do. In the end the most preferable option for transportation in South Florida is renting a car, as it gives you a comfortable way to move around the city at your own pace.
After all, if the transport infrastructure is made with car ownership in mind what better way to sort thought it that having a car during your stay. Now renting a car can sometimes be complicated but sites such as Miles Car Rental can make it easy by providing an easy way to find the most rental options at the best prices.
Now, without further ado, let's begin our gastronomical trip through Fort Lauderdale!
1. Pelican Landing
There are few things as relaxing as having a nice sea view as you dine, and that's what Pelican Landing aims to achieve. Here you can find perhaps the best spot in all Fort Lauderdale to have a couple of beers and a casual bite while relaxing with your friends during the sunset.
The menu here focuses on a rather casual type of food such as burgers, and catch-of-the-day fish prepared on different styles. In addition to that, there is an ample variety of drinks and specialty cocktails, making it the perfect place to have good times with friends. And the ambiance is one of the most amazing in the whole city, as the restaurant is right in the middle of a marina so you'll have nothing but a sea view!
You can see million-dollar yachts moving around on the serene blue waters as you dine!
Now the restaurant is reportedly a little hard to find, but there are plenty of parking options nearby, mainly at 1881 SE 17th next to the Hilton Fort Lauderdale, from there it should take you just a little bit of exploring to find this delicious hidden gem.
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2. Coconuts
If you come to South Florida then you should enjoy some of the local seafood, after all, there is nothing better than eating seafood on a coastal region, as you know that anything you eat will be way fresher than anything you could find inland as chances are high that your meal was caught not long ago on a nearby places.
So, to enjoy some of Fort Lauderdale's finest crustaceans and other tasty sea critters we'll go to Coconuts, a local favorite seafood restaurant.
Coconuts offer a wonderful view of Fort Lauderdale's waterways, so once more you'll be able to eat alongside the million-dollar yachts that peacefully float on the blue waters (it seems that that's a pretty common vista in Fort Lauderdale restaurants). However, here you'll find a much more extensive menu with many tasty alternatives for both seafood and non-seafood dishes.
Along with the common items of on menus such as coconut shrimp and lobster roll you´ll also find plenty of seasonal dishes and even an option to let the chef surprise you!
You'll find the restaurant at 429 Seabreeze Blvd, there is a complimentary valet parking option, and the restaurant is open seven days a week featuring brunch on Sundays.
3. Mai-Kai restaurant and Polynesian show
Fort Lauderdale is a tropical paradise in the Atlantic, but curiously enough one of their most renowned restaurants is themed on a tropical paradise on the Pacific. So, I guess this makes this restaurant as tropical as it can be.
May-Kai is a restaurant themed on Polynesian culture where you can enjoy both a delicious meal and an authentic Polynesian dance show that features exotic rhythms and fire juggling! Now this restaurant is a little bit away from most beaches. My recommendation if you want it to make part of your gastronomical run through Fort Lauderdale is that you make sure to have a reliable transport options by booking a rental car.
This way you'll be able to reach any restaurant, no matter how far they are, and you'll be able to do it with much more comfort!
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4. Frostbite Nitrogen Ice Cream
Now let's finish our gastronomical tour of Fort Lauderdale with the only possible way in which a gastronomical tour can end: with dessert! Now it's a well-known fact that nothing is better after a hot day at the beach than going for a sweet, sweet cone of ice-cream and that's precisely what you'll find here, but you won't find any regular ice cream parlor in here.
This is a steampunk-themed liquid nitrogen Ice cream parlor where you can find the most strange and marvelous ice cream fusions that you can imagine. Here your ice cream is made right in front of you using liquid nitrogen in a process that ensures that you get the creamiest and smoothest ice cream ever.
The place is great for kids, but don't worry, there is also something for the adventurous grownups as there are even some alcohol-infused ice cream!
And with that concludes our little gastronomic trip through Fort Lauderdale, but believe me, this is only an appetizer of the many delicious things you can find this wonderful city so work out a big appetite and set out to explore!
