Waterfront Restaurants On Florida’s Paradise Coast

Florida’s Paradise Coast is not just known for its beaches and attractions, but also its world-class dining culture – which happens to include a variety of waterfront restaurants. Most of them specialize in fresh fish pulled from the Gulf of Mexico, but you’ll also find a wide array of other cuisines.

In particular, many of these restaurants focus on stone crab, a regional delicacy with a season that runs from October 15 to May 1.

Adding to the charm, several of the establishments have docks on site or nearby, so you can arrive by boat.

Here’s a primer on waterfront dining in Florida’s Paradise Coast.
 

Waterfront Dining in the City of Naples

Baleen, located in La Playa Beach & Golf Resort, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner (plus Sunday brunch) in a luxurious setting with a tiered terrace. Reservations are required, and if you desire an ultra-luxe experience, the restaurant also offers private beach dining. Baleen is one of the gems amid the vibrant fine-dining scene in Naples and Marco Island.

At historic Tin City, visitors love to browse the unique boutiques and souvenir shops, but locals go for the two restaurants with waterfront views of the Gordon River/Naples Bay. Not surprisingly, the visitors are catching on. Pinchers and Riverwalk at Tin City both have laid-back atmospheres and serve fresh, locally caught fish. Whether it’s grilled, seared, roasted, fried, or raw, you’re sure to find your favorites.

The Dock at Crayton Cove has been a Naples staple since 1976. The casual, open-air restaurant, accessible by boat, offers views of Naples Bay and the boats in Naples City Dock. The eatery specializes in seafood prepared with Caribbean and Latin influences, and the raw bar is top-notch.

The Boathouse on Naples Bay, next to the Cove Inn, features panoramic views of the Bay. Dine on the breezy, open-air deck or inside the air-conditioned, split-level dining room.

Kelly's Fish House Dining Room has been open since 1953, making it the oldest seafood restaurant in Naples. Located right on the Gordon River, it has a long, open-air dining and cocktail area.

Tavern on the Bay in the Bayfront neighborhood is a sports bar and grill with live entertainment. Several boat slips are located just south, so feel free to arrive via water.

The Village Shops on Venetian Bay is a favorite waterfront dining and shopping destination for locals and visitors. Bayside Seafood Grill & Bar has two full bars, casual dining in the first-floor Café, sophisticated dining in the second-floor Grill, as well as casual dining and live music on the patio at Sukie’s.

Other Venetian Bay restaurants include T-Michael’s Steak and Lobster House and a place simply called Fish Restaurant.

WATERFRONT DINING ON MARCO ISLAND

Marco Island boasts a vast array of restaurants that look onto the Gulf of Mexico. And that means sunsets – beautiful, resplendent, unforgettable sunsets. But it also means terrific food. Here’s an eclectic sampler of the waterfront restaurants on “the Island.”

Look over lush green mangroves and out onto the Gulf from the open-air Deck at 560, part of the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa. The restaurant focuses on locally sourced seafood and features herbs and produce from a chef’s garden. Many Paradise Coast restaurants emphasize using locally grown greens and other locally sourced ingredients.

Overlooking Smokehouse Bay, CJ’s on the Bay is prized for its festive gazebo bar, and has indoor seating as well. The menu covers the gamut: seafood (a priority), steaks, sandwiches, salads and more. The daily happy hour, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., gets nice and lively.

The elegant Sale e Pepe, which sits right in the heart of Marco Island’s resort row, specializes in elevated Southern Italian cuisine made from scratch daily.

The JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort has several restaurants on-site, but a few stand out for their Gulf vistas. The adult-exclusive Tesoro offers a terrace view and upscale Mediterranean cuisine. Quinn’s has a relaxed beach ambiance and dishes up tasty New American cuisine. Be sure to catch its nightly Sunset Celebration featuring fire dancers. Put your toes in the sand at Kane Tiki Bar & Grill and enjoy creative Polynesian food.

Sunset Grill sits on a vast expanse of sand on the southern end of Marco Island. The combination sports bar and Caribbean beach bar serves seafood baskets, burgers, salads, sandwiches, and other goodies. It’s a prime example of the myriad beach bars in Naples and Marco Island.
 

A DIFFERENT SORT OF WATERFRONT DINING — IN EVERGLADES CITY

While the water views won’t be of the Gulf, a few restaurants in quaint Everglades City (pop. 378) allow you to relax and eat fresh seafood next to the rivers that wind through town and out into Chokoloskee Bay. Menus include locally sourced frog legs and gator, not to mention the freshest stone crab possible when in season.

Stop in for some authentic ‘glades fare at the open-air Triad Seafood & Market, rustic Camellia Street Grill and the Everglades Rod & Gun Club, a historic hotel, restaurant, resort and marina.
 

A MOVEABLE FEAST — BY BOAT

Dip your toe in the Naples waterfront restaurant scene with a progressive dining experience via the Naples Bay Water Shuttle. The boat circulates on a fixed route, with seven stops that enable you to cover the waterfront and beyond. Hop on and off as many times as you like for $10 a day.

In all, dining on the water in Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades is more than exemplary cuisine. With breathtaking views of sand and serene waters, balmy breezes, and a tantalizing array of coastal flavors, it’s an experience that delights all the senses.