Since my husband and i moved to Palm Beach, eight years ago, we've watched a seasonal and reserved town evolve into a year-round destination that is younger and busier than ever (a phenomenon that has also been powered by the thriving mini metropolis of West Palm Beach, just across the Intracoastal Waterway). As the writer of a food and entertainment column for the Palm Beach Daily News, I've observed the bustling and ever-expanding dining scene with particular interest. The following are my favorite restaurants, both old and new: they serve up fabulous cuisine in settings that are unmistakably, unapologetically Palm Beach. Lunch is a casual affair, while dinner calls for more stylish attire. Reservations are recommended at most.
For Lunch
When it comes to celebrating a special occasion over lunch, the spacious formal dining room of the landmark Café L'Europe (331 S. County Rd.; 561-655-4020) provides a grand setting. Opulent flower arrangements, heavy linen tablecloths and oversized mirrors create a backdrop for such flavorful fare as Wiener schnitzel with cucumber salad, a signature dish, and Maryland crab cakes with a citrus aioli.
More understated but also elegant is the Breakers' Flagler Steakhouse (2 S. County Rd.; 561-659-8471), with a dark-wood-paneled bar, a muted color scheme and views of the hotel's eighteen-hole Ocean Course. The menu is a carnivore's delight, offering manly portions of aged prime steak, as well as Shiraz-braised short ribs and veal chops. It also has one of the best wine lists on the island.
For a nice casual meal, head to Island Palm (350 S. County Rd.; 561-653-9115), just north of Worth Avenue. Reasonably priced staples, like quiche Lorraine and chicken paysanne, are served in a bright dining room with large windows that overlook a pretty stretch of South County Road.
For Outdoor Dining
After your Worth Avenue shopping spree, stop by Pizza al Fresco (14 Via Mizner; 561-832-0032), hidden away in the Piazza Torlonia, where thin-crust pizzas are baked in a wood-burning oven. It's a good place to bring the children, since they can play in the piazza while you sit at a table under a canvas umbrella.
For a more grown-up scene, the lively terrace at Bice Ristorante (313 1/2 Worth Ave.; 561-835-1600) is a perennial favorite. Among the trademark northern Italian dishes are a delicious fettuccine con porcini (the pasta is homemade) and the thinnest veal paillard.
If French food is more to your taste, try L'Opera Brasserie (224 Clematis St.; 561-659-1853), a great new addition to West Palm Beach. The restaurant has sidewalk tables and a dining room with exposed brick walls. There's salmon, beef and tuna tartare. I also adore the steamed moules marinière, the escargots with garlic-herb butter and the croque monsieur. (The brasserie is convenient if you plan on visiting West Palm Beach's excellent farmers' market on Saturday morning.)
For lunch with a view, it's worth making the fifteen-minute drive from midtown to the Four Seasons. The resort's Atlantic Bar & Grill (2800 S. Ocean Blvd.; 561-582-2800) has tables set up by the pool, under a canopy of sea grapes, and enjoys marvelous panoramas of the ocean. The focus is, of course, on fresh seafood, and the menu includes stone-crab claws, rock lobster BLT and mahimahi encrusted with cashews and coconut.
Those hunting for unique finds along South Dixie Highway's so-called antiques row should take a break at Belle & Maxwell's (3700 S. Dixie Hwy.; 561-832-4449), a fun, trendy café that is always packed with locals, who vie for tables in the airy garden and snack on curried chicken salad with almonds and raisins, among other treat s.
