It's our time to shine Florida!
64 SWFL restaurants where you can eat in the great outdoors
Annabelle Tometich
Fort Myers News-Press USA TODAY NETWORK – FLORIDA
Fort Myers outdoor restaurants
Beacon Social Drinkery : Perched high atop the Luminary Hotel in downtown Fort Myers, Beacon crafts some delicious cocktails and snacks. And its sweeping sunset views of the Caloosahatchee are unmatched. (luminaryhotel.com)
The Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill: Sprawled along the banks of the Caloosahatchee in Fort Myers Shores, this restaurant/tiki bar/marina/pool club seems to go on and on. Play corn hole, have a burger, lounge by a fire pit, drink a beer, listen to music, eat some tacos — The Boathouse is an outdoor playground where the options never end. (theboathouseusa.com)
Buckingham Farms: Open for breakfast, lunch and early dinner, Fridays only, this farm-based restaurant grows some of its Southern-inspired menu onsite. (buckinghamfarmsonline.com)
Bullig Coffee & Bites: The waffles. The coffee. The outdoor seating adjacent to the Butterfly Estates. Bullig has it all. (facebook.com/bulligofficial)
Cristof’s on McGregor: While this shady courtyard is lovely, Cristof’s wrap-around porch offers a Cajun-Mediterranean taste of old Florida at its most charming. (cristofsonmcgregor.com)
Downtown Social House: Perhaps the best piece of outdoor real estate in all of downtown Fort Myers, this chic courtyard is a great place for a
pre- or post-dinner cocktail. (downtownsoho.com)
King’s Kitchen: This beefy, Latin-infused menu is as vibrant as King’s twinkle-light-speckled courtyard. (kingskitchenandbar.com)
Lynq : Leafy and hidden, Lynq’s patio offers bar seating and access to the restaurant’s full Asian-infused menu. (lynq.life)
McGregor Cafe: Research* shows eating breakfast or lunch under the knotted limbs of a 100-year-old oak tree wrapped in lights makes everything taste better. (*personal and very unscientific research; mcgregorcafe.com)
Redbone’s Bar & Grill: The allure of Redbone’s is distinctly Fort Myers. There’s a pig in a top hat, an everchanging gorilla, and glowing signs from places long gone (RIP Ricochet, Zoomerz). Tack on some serious ribs and arguably the best onion rings in town, and you have a place that locals just can’t quit. (redbonesfl.com)
Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm: A Florida pioneer in heritage-breed husbandry, this is one of the only restaurants in the world where the meat on the menu is organically and ethically raised onsite. And then there’s the team of chefs in the kitchen, the owner who is a certified sommelier, the stunning setting — farm but make it four-star perfection.
Stillwater Grill: Known for its walleye and the dozens of craft beers on tap, Stillwater’s biggest attraction might be its beautiful courtyard shaded by tree limbs and glowing with twinkle lights. (stillwatergrille.com)
The Veranda: For 43 years, this charming space and its lush gardens have been inspiring romance — and keeping table-side Ceasar salads and classic chateaubriand alive and well. (verandarestaurant.com)
Cape Coral outdoor restaurants
Cape Harbour Oyster Bar: This cozy seafood joint takes its oysters (Pacific, North Atlantic, East Coast, West Coast, Canadian, Gulf of Mexico) seriously.Deliciously so. (capeharbouroysterbar.com)
Cork Soakers Deck & Wine Bar: Deviled eggs, risotto, lobster grilled cheese, thick burgers — this might be the most fun menu in the Cape. And it’s available al fresco. (corksoakers.net)
Fishtale Grill: This umbrella-shaded deck offers some good people watching and some great seafood from local and international waters.
(facebook.com/fishtalegrillbymerrickseafood)
Gather: One of Cape Coral’s best restaurants is also one of its most beautiful outdoor locales. Situated on Tarpon Point Marina, Gather’s stunning views are matched only by its food. (gathercape.com)
Jungle Bird: This tiki-themed cocktail bar and Polynesian- fusion restaurant might be the best thing to happen to this splendidly leafy courtyard since its original Brew Babies days. (junglebirdtiki.com)
Nice Guys: Maybe it’s the endless array of thoroughly interesting cocktails or the disarmingly nice staff or the outstanding pizzas and incredible vegan menu, but this patio feels a world away, despite being right off Cape Coral Parkway. (niceguyspizza.com) Bonita Springs and Estero outdoor restaurants
Amfora : The gentle crackle of the fireplace, the string lights overhead, the haloumi and baba ghanoush, the snapper de-boned table side — at Amfora, it all adds up to an incredible evening outside at Coconut Point. (amforarestaurant.com) Coconut Jack’s Waterfront Grille: The mangrovetrimmed waters behind this tropical Bonita Beach Road restaurant make for one of the most serene views in the area. (coconutjacks.com)
Doc’s Beach House: This cash-only beach bar takes its sweet time with its Chicago-style pizzas. But with the white sand
of Bonita Beach between your toes and a cold beer in hand, time is relative.(docsbeachhouse.com)
Downtown Coffee & Wine Co.: A steamy latte on this breezy Bonita Springs patio during a cold (re: 60s) November morning is what life in Southwest Florida is about. On the flip side of this coin: A leggy pinot on a cool evening in your most festive scarf can feel just as inspiring. (downtowncoffeeandwinecompany.com)
Survey Cafe: This beautiful downtown Bonita brunch spot, with its quiches and crepes, its biscuits and grits, feels like bits of France and the Deep South took root in old Florida. (surveycafedowntown.com)
Fort Myers Beach outdoor restaurants
Dixie Fish Co.: Situated on the water of Matanzas Pass, this open-air former fish market offers rippling views and wonderfully fresh local seafood.
(dixiefishfmb.com)
Doc Ford’s: Of all the Doc Ford’s on all the islands, this one offers an abundance of outdoor seating where diners can take advantage of the bay breezes while shucking away at their Yucatan shrimp.
(docfords.com)
Flippers on the Bay: This al fresco dining room is located on the north end of Lovers Key inside the Lovers Key Resort, and its views of Estero Bay are breathtaking. (flippersotb.com)
Heavenly Biscuit: The outside tables at this colorful cottage don’t have the most stunning scenery, but the aptly named biscuits at this beach gem are another story. (find it on Facebook)
Smokin’ Oyster Brewery: At this Old San Carlos Boulevard favorite, the people watching pairs nicely with po’ boys and grilled oysters. (sob4fun.com)
Tuckaway Cafe: With a bucket of bubbly, a crisply chewy Liege-style Belgian waffle, and this umbrellashaded patio — life is good. (tuckaway.cafe)
Sanibel & Captiva outdoor restaurants
400 Rabbits: Home to the best margaritas on the island, this sprawling restaurant has a lovely and lively patio.
(400rabbitssanibel.com)
Gramma Dot’s: Part of Sanibel Marina, Gramma Dot’s looks like it could be in Nantucket, but the grouper and Key lime pie on the menu tell you it’s all Florida. (sanibelmarina.com)
Keylime Bistro: Home to some of the most casual yet delicious dining on Captiva, don’t skip the namesake Key lime pie. It’s worth it.
(captivaislandinn.com)
Sunshine Seafood Cafe: Whether dining on the wrap-around porch or in of the chandelier-trimmed cabanas, this restaurant is serious about its seafood.
(captivaislandinn.com)
Matlacha & Pine Island outdoor restaurants
Bert’s Bar & Grill: The legendary Bert’s boasts cold beers and million dollar views, though the grouper tacos and burgers aren’t bad either.
(bertsbar.com)
Blue Dog Bar & Grill: This is where the locals eat. Blue Dog makes mullet every which way — and hogfish, snapper, grouper, too. It just depends on what local anglers are catching that day. Tack on a local craft beer, a salad with local greens and a cozy back porch, and you’ll quickly understand the appeal.
(bluedogmatlacha.com)
Olde Fish House Marina: While a recent fire sidelined this waterfront favorite for a bit, Olde Fish House is very much back. And if a recent visit is any indication, its hush puppies and mullet tacos are as tasty as ever.
(facebook.com/oldefish.house)
Tarpon Lodge: This century-old inn and restaurant offers a delectable taste of old Florida romance. (tarponlodge.com)
Naples outdoor restaurants
Barbatella : While Barbatella’s inside dining areas are eye popping, the people watching on this Italian-inspired restaurant’s Third Street South patio is hard to top. (barbatellanaples.com)
Bar Tulia Mercato : Of all the restaurants in all of Mercato, there’s something especially enchanting about the patio at Bar Tulia. It is, perhaps, the stunning menu crafted by Chef Kayla Pfeiffer, or the thoughtful service, or the comfortable and shaded seats that make this outside area feel like anything but an afterthought.
(bartulia.com/mercato-naples)
The Bay House: Situated on the mangrove- trimmed banks of the Cocohatchee in North Naples, The Bay House’s open-air patio offers outstanding views and a Southern-Floridian menu to match. (bayhousenaples.com)
Bistro La Baguette: This gem feels like an awning-shaded bite of France in East Naples. (bistrolabaguette.com)
Cracklin’ Jack’s: Okra, gumbo, fried green tomatoes, frog’s legs, gator tail, a massive tiki bar — this Golden Gate classic lives up to its slogan “a taste of the Everglades,” and it does do deliciously.
The French Brasserie Rustique : The marble-topped tables in this cafe-lightlined Fifth Avenue South courtyard feel tres chic and tres Parisien, as do the steak frites, the Vichyssoise, the tartare — oh la la. (thefrenchnaples.com) Hogfish Harry’s: Breezes sweep through the patios of this open-air restaurant in Naples’ Park Shore Resort, greeting you like a hug from an old pal.
The food (hogfish, of course, but also burgers, lobster, shrimp and more) is just as friendly. (hogfishharrys.com)
Jane’s Cafe on 3rd : From the cobblestones underfoot to the red umbrellas and swaying branches overhead, Jane’s feels like an escape. A delectable one.
(janesgardencafe.com)
Lake Park Diner: Cocktails, shakes, buttermilk fried chicken, salads filled with shaved Brussels sprouts, kale and pomegranate seeds — there’s so much to love about this so-called diner on Seventh Avenue North. Its expansive outdoor dining areas are just a part of it. (thelakeparkdiner.com) Mediterrano : Leafy plants dangle from the ceiling of this Third Street South patio, giving this splendidly Mediterranean restaurant a magical vibe that gets better and better with each bite.
(mediterrano-naples.com)
Narrative Coffee Roasters: Another Mercato gem, this local coffee company attracts a hip clientele who peck away at their laptops while sipping their iced lattes under umbrellas and string lights. (narrativecoffeeroasters.com)
Ridgway Bar & Grill: With multiple terraces and a beautiful garden space, this longtime Third Street South favorite is a beauty that keeps going and going.
(ridgwaybarandgrill.com)
Sails: This opulent Fifth Avenue South restaurant is home to an equally opulent patio area where these exquisite dishes can shine al fresco.
(sailsrestaurants.com)
Seventh South Craft Food + Drink:
Leafy and umbrella-shaded, the Seventh South patio is the perfect place for enjoying this endlessly creative menu.
(seventhsouth.com)
The Turtle Club: Of all the beachfront restaurants in this fancy beach town, there’s something genuinely charming about The Turtle Club. Supping on low country-style Gulf shrimp and pimentocheese grits while sinking your toes into the white sand of Naples Beach is a pleasure unique to Turtle Club.
(turtleclubnaples.com)
Marco Island, Isles of Capri, Goodland and Everglades City outdoor restaurants
Camellia Street Grill: This dockside Everglades City gem is the rare place where you can nosh on fry bread, stone crabs, gator and grouper while overlooking the Barron River.
(camelliastreetgrill.com)
Crabby Lady: A quaint cottage with a series of decks, Crabby Lady looks onto the vast expanse of Goodland Bay.
Specializing in fresh-from-the-boat blue crabs, the restaurant also offers shrimp, chicken, shrimp and pasta.
(crabbylady.com)
Osteria Capri: At this waterfont osteria, Chef AJ Black offers his Italian-infused menu with breezy views of Johnson Bay. (osteriacapri.com)
Island Gypsy Cafe: With tables tucked beneath waves of colorful umbrellas, Island Gypsy’s casual menu — onion rings, beer-boiled shrimp, jumbo lump crab cakes — gets a serious boost from its stunning Tarpon Bay locale.
(theislandgypsy.com)
Little Bar: Cozied away on an inlet of Goodland Bay, the beautiful views from this waterfront patio are much bigger than the name implies.
(littlebarrestaurant.com)
Mango’s Dockside Bistro: On Marco Island’s Smokehouse Bay, this lovely patio is home to breathtaking scenery and a menu that ranges from ribs to chowder, burgers to sushi.
(mangosdocksidebistro.com)
Punta Gorda outdoor restaurants
Blue Turtle Tavern: This brick-lined courtyard feels like an escape, as does Blue Turtle’s Southern-infused menu of oysters, braised short ribs and seafood.
(blueturtlepg.com)
Carmelo’s Italian Ristorante : An Italian piazza in the heart of Punta Gorda?
Welcome to Carmelo’s. The restaurant’s garden feels a world away. Its menu — pastas, osso bucco, crostini layered with prosciutto, burrata and fig jam — does, too. (carmelosristorante.com)
Celtic Ray Public House: This Irish bar makes a surprisingly good fit for sunny Southwest Florida, and with tiered levels of outdoor seating the pints never seem to end. Guinness and sunshine?
Slainte!
The Lakehouse Kitchen & Bar: Lined in fire pits, palm trees and sweeping views of Lake Babcock, this Babcock Ranch restaurant beckons you outside with open arms. (facebook.com/lakehouse babcockranch)
Peace River Seafood: With open-air decks along the front and back, there’s no bad seat at this local seafood shack — and no bad seafood, either.
(peaceriverseafood.com) Annabelle Tometich is a staff writer and food editor for The News-Press and Naples Daily News. Email atometich@news-press.com; connect on Instagram (@abellewrites) and Twitter (@atometich).