Restaurants1 helps you find a place to eat when you already have something specific in mind. Most search tools handle “Italian food near me” just fine, but they fall short the moment you want something more particular, like a rooftop table for an anniversary or a patio where the dog is welcome.
Each guide here pairs a setting and a cuisine in one city. Instead of scrolling through a hundred generic listings, you get a short list of places that match what you had in mind.
Every guide here is researched and written by Ben Gutenberg.
Start here
- Waterfront seafood restaurants in Tampa: eight places right on the water, from Oystercatchers on Old Tampa Bay to barefoot shrimp shacks.
- Rooftop restaurants in Tampa: seven roofs, from serious dinner kitchens to tapas-and-a-sunset bars.
- Rooftop restaurants in St. Petersburg: four real rooftops, including tiki drinks over the St. Pete Pier at Pier Teaki.
- Private dining restaurants in Sarasota: bookable rooms and set-aside spaces, walkable downtown or out on the water.
- Dog-friendly restaurants in Naples: patios with water bowls, a food-truck park, and a steakhouse that hosts a dog brunch for the local shelter.
- Waterfront seafood restaurants in Naples: seven spots on the bay, led by The Dock at Crayton Cove, serving since 1976.
What you will find here
- Restaurants grouped by feature, such as rooftop, waterfront, outdoor seating, private dining rooms, and dog-friendly patios.
- Picks organized by cuisine, from steakhouses and seafood to Italian, Mexican, and plenty in between.
- Quick-picks tables and FAQs in every guide, so you can compare places at a glance.
Every guide names real restaurants and explains why each one fits, with notes on the neighborhood, the general price range, and what to expect once you are there. We pay the most attention to mid-sized cities, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, and Naples so far, where this information is hard to find in one place.
Use the menu to pick a feature or a city, or jump straight to one of our guides below.
Choose your city
We build deep, local guides one city at a time. Pick yours for our favorite restaurants right now, plus the full set of guides by setting and cuisine.
- Best Restaurants in Tampa: steakhouses, Cuban classics, Michelin tables, and Gulf seafood across the city.
- Best Restaurants in St. Petersburg: Beach Drive waterfront, the Grand Central scene, and grouper by the Gulf.
- Best Restaurants in Sarasota: St. Armands Circle, downtown chef-owned gems, and bayfront seafood.
- Best Restaurants in Naples: Fifth Avenue South, Third Street South, and waterfront stone crab.
Our restaurant guides
- Waterfront
- Dog-friendly
- Outdoor
- Private dining
- Rooftop
If you run a restaurant, or you spot something that has changed or closed, the contact page is the quickest way to reach us.