Discover Florida’s diverse and delicious cuisine

Adventure awaits

Field-to-fork dining

Florida's year-round sunshine and subtropical climate create prime growing conditions for fresh produce, which innovative chefs, both homegrown and new to the state, use in fresh seasonal dishes. Watch the sun set over the river at Black Sheep Restaurant in Jacksonville while enjoying shrimps and grits, or tuck into guinea hog and Black Hog Farm chicken along the St Johns River in Palatka. On the Atlantic coast in St Augustine, chefs use the super-spicy datil pepper to make BBQ tacos, and shrimp and sausage in datil-tomato broth.

Foodie road trips

Fuel a rural road trip with freshly squeezed orange juice, sweet winter strawberries and Cajun-style peanuts, the latter of which you'll find served out of roadside trucks in Jackson County on the Alabama border, where you can also discover Florida Caverns State Park. In Central Florida, drive around the network of lakes and natural springs (where you can stop and take a dip and even spot manatees during the winter months), stopping at some of the state’s sublime vineyards, including Ridgeview Wine Estate, and farm gate shops, such as Showcase of Citrus in Clermont or the open-air fruit market Ridge Island Groves.

Trendy neighbourhoods

Hang out with fashionable locals in some of Florida’s coolest cities. Embark on a mini brewery tour in St. Pete, which claims 35 breweries – seven of which lie within a one-mile radius – while also taking in the vibrant murals. Join up two of the state’s most iconic food halls on a mooch along Tampa’s 2.6-mile pedestrianised Riverwalk, fuelled by street food treats such as sushi burritos, NYC-style pizza and Cuban sandwiches.

Or, wander through converted warehouses in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District, where you can find secret cocktail bars at the back of taco joints (Coyo Tacos), indulgent Floridian burger joints (Kush) and fresh-from-the-oven babka at the most colourful bakery in town (Zak The Baker).

Diverse cuisines

A variety of cultures have influenced Florida’s food scene – the perfect recipe for an eclectic culinary melting pot. Try Greek food along the Anclote River in Tarpon Springs, where Greek sponge divers settled and second-generation Greeks now serve Mediterranean food in lively taverns on the Gulf Coast. Delight in Southern food in northern cities such as Pensacola, an established part of the old jazz and blues circuit, where you can taste Aunt Sarah’s fried chicken at Five Sisters Blues Café.

Cuban sandwiches are legendary in Florida, and you can try the best of them in Tampa’s La Segunda Bakery (which also bakes loaves for Tampa’s Columbia Restaurant, a Cuban institution in Ybor City and the oldest restaurant in Florida), St. Pete’s popular walk-up shack, Bodega, and with a contemporary spin at El Sanguicherie in Little Havana, Miami’s lively Latin district.

Unique seafood experiences

Florida’s vast coastline spans the wild Atlantic and the serene Gulf of Mexico, and unsurprisingly, these waters provide an abundance of seafood. Charter a boat off the sandy shores of Destin, on the Gulf of Mexico, to catch grouper, then get it grilled to order at one of the many relaxed seafront restaurants. Set in a rustic building on the coast, Gulf-to-table dining spot Harbor Docks is owned by a fishing family who turn fresh catch of the day into sushi, poké bowls and spicy seafood salads.

A stroll along the Destin Harbor Boardwalk, meanwhile, leads you to Dewey Destin’s beach shack, the go-to spot for a grouper sandwich and huge, lobster-like rail red shrimp. Further west in Pensacola, you can take part in the annual mullet toss, when hundreds gather to throw fish across the state line to Alabama, and the finest are cooked fresh and enjoyed with cocktails and live music.

Award-winning dining

In June 2022, restaurants in three of Florida's most thriving cities received sought after Michelin Bib Gourmand and Star awards. Take a tour of the diverse cuisines that Miami’s winners offer, from Korean (Cote Miami) and Colombian (Elcielo), to Mexican (Los Félix) and French (two-starred L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon) and beyond. In Orlando, you can sample sushi at Michelin-starred omakase spots Soseki and Kadence, or try the impeccable steak at Ritz-Carlton’s lakeside Knife & Spoon. In Tampa, you'll discover an eclectic selection of restaurants with Bib Gourmand awards, including ramen at Ichicoro Ramen, elevated pasta dishes at Rocca and Rooster and the Till’s contemporary American small plates.

Signature dishes

Select a location to discover its signature dish