Florida's Favorite Restaurants In 2025 Offer Diverse, Award-Winning Bites

Florida's gastronomy scene has only thrived in 2025. From the southern cities to the panhandle, the Sunshine State is serving up a melting pot of cuisines due to its international population and tourist-friendly destinations. Five restaurants across the state have been recognized on the Michelin star list, and three more are being noticed by popular food websites, like OpenTable. The site created a "2025 Top 100 Restaurants" list and looked at over 10 million reviews across its platform. OpenTable also took count of the number of people who reserved tables at these places between September 2024 to August 2025. In its nationwide analysis of eateries, OpenTable zeroed in on three Florida restaurants: Bern's Steak House in Tampa, Buccan in West Palm Beach, and Norigami near Orlando.

When you think of Florida eateries, you're probably picturing a tiki hut on the beach or an oceanfront, nautical-themed fine dining spot. With juicy meats, various pasta dishes, seafood options, and James Beard and Michelin recognition, these three restaurants prove that Florida has more edge and globally-inspired options for an evolving culinary scene. Not only taking a look at OpenTable's findings, but also Google and Yelp reviews, we found what customers are loving and why they keep coming back for more.

Stepping into Bern's Steak House feels as though you walked into a royal European castle, except it's in Tampa's South Howard neighborhood. The timeless portraits, the plush, red velvet throne pieces, and the intricately designed light fixtures elevate the interior, along with brick and red-painted walls. Customers especially love snapping a photo in front of the expansive, award-winning wine cellar. It's stocked with approximately half a million bottles from floor-to-ceiling and received a 2016 James Beard Award in the Outstanding Wine Program category, as well as a 2025 Wine Spectator Grand Award.

Aside from the restaurant's ambiance, it's racked up incredible ratings online. With more than 14,800 reviews on OpenTable, it's landed a 4.9-star rating. Customers say, from the minute they give their keys to the valet to their last bites at dessert, their experience was impeccable. According to Google reviews, popular dishes include the coal-grilled octopus, 21-ounce dry-aged porterhouse, and, for dessert, the chocolate chip cookie old fashioned, which comes with a chocolate chip cookie garnish. Want to learn about more Florida steakhouses? See our feature on what Miami residents say is the best South Florida steakhouse in the Magic City.

Buccan in West Palm Beach encompasses the epitome of South Florida dining. With its contemporary and bright atmosphere, customers sit under decorative hanging plants, with floor-to-ceiling arched windows, giving the space a more open feel. The lined awnings outside offer an old-school Floridian twist that complements the restaurant's modern interior. 

With over 830 reviews on Yelp, it received 4.5 stars and even higher on OpenTable with nearly 5 stars. The cuisine was curated by Chef Clay Conley, a James Beard Award nominee and masterful culinarian. He has curated a menu with dishes like squid ink orecchiette, grilled carrot salad, along with well-regarded lunch specials, which include thickly packed sandwiches – a delicacy customers love taking on the go.

The restaurant's dynamic menu is what sets it apart from others in town, striking a balance between a sophisticated sit-down eatery and a convenient take-away destination. The evolved menu is a prime example of why there's often a waiting list to book a reservation on OpenTable. Buccan's cuisine even has Redditors calling it one of the best restaurants in Palm Beach, backing up its awarded spot on OpenTable's list.

Tucked away in Plant Street Market in Winter Garden near Orlando, you'll find a focused seafood and omakase experience. With only eight barstools, Norigami has managed to achieve a Michelin Bib Gourmand between 2023 and 2025. Even with limited seats, the spot consistently receives praise from diners — it's been rated 4.7 stars on Yelp, 4.8 on Google, and 5 stars on OpenTable. People claim the fish fresh, the sushi excellent, and the omakase chefs skilled.

From omakase courses to à la carte rolls, the chefs hand-roll and slice each piece of fish with skill. Their online menu also has photos of each item to help you order without receiving a surprise you may not enjoy, though its strong customer reviews suggest diners are generally pleased with their choices. Though an intimate, cozy space in a rather large market, Norigami remains a popular choice among nearby seafood options. Curious about more seafood spots near Orlando? Check out the five best seafood restaurants in Cocoa Beach, according to reviews.

In order to find Florida's favorite restaurants of 2025, we turned to OpenTable's list of the top 100 restaurants around the U.S. from the last year. OpenTable, a reservation and public review forum, took data from its own website to see where people were booking tables and what they were rating each place. Between the demand and popularity, they created their list. However, that was just our jumping-off point. Did other people really love the spots listed? In order to be sure, we compared OpenTable's ratings with Google and Yelp reviews. When we saw similar data collected, we grabbed commentary from each, along with Reddit threads discussing popular restaurants, and crafted our findings and meal recommendations accordingly.

Furthermore, we noticed that all three Florida favorites not only won the public's hearts, but they also were recognized on a national level. Each spot earned or was nominated for prestigious food-and-beverage-related rewards. With these titles, we knew that even the professional industry admired these places as trailblazers in their field. Lastly, we used social media and customer photos to craft our most descriptive expressions for what it might feel like to step inside each restaurant. With all of these factors pulled together, we identified a thorough and credible review of places that have defined Florida's dining landscape in 2025.