Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Northwest Florida

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Northwest Florida? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Savour

5.0

5 (1772)

$31 to $50

American

Tallahassee

About the restaurant

Drew McLeod's restaurant, Savour, is a hub of hospitality; a chic and eclectic dining experience in downtown Tallahassee, where we invite you to pull up a chair and linger over great conversation. With a vision for seasonally inspired, regionally sourced and creatively prepared cuisine, Chef Brian Knepper brings more to the table... even for the most discriminating gastronomes. Our elegant bar area is a must-stop for movers, shakers and cocktail connoisseurs. Our "bartenders" are always in high spirits and proudly offer a thoroughly curated wine list. Life is short: Savour it!

Top review

Michael

Dined 3 days ago

My Wife and I went to Savour for our Anniversary dinner. The entire experience was exceptional! We were greeted politely and were graciously given a choice between a complimentary glass of champagne or wine for our special night (we chose champagne to celebrate). We were seated and we both noted that the lighting was perfect, not too bright or dark and the ambience in the restaurant was very enjoyable. We ordered an appetizer (Cast-Iron BBQ Gulf Shrimp) which was delightful. The cocktails we got were also amazing. Full of flavor, but still nice and strong (lol)! I ordered the Chargrilled Filet Mignon and she got the Bone-in Veal Chop for our entrées. Both were beyond delicious and cookes to perfection! We would 100% recommendend Savour for any special occasion, or if you just want a delightfully delicious and enjoyable experience!! Two thumbs up, 10 out of 10!! Loved it! 💯👍👍

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Popular dish

Shrimp & Grits

Popular dish

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Ganache Pie

Popular dish

Gulf Coast Bouillabaisse

Pazzo Italiano Destin

4.8

4.8 (1999)

$30 and under

Italian

Destin

About the restaurant

Two friends, two devoted family men, two restaurant lovers and now businessmen, that have been serving and delighting others for over 20+ years. We are excited to share with you our passion, our heart’s work: Pazzo Italiano.

Our menu has been carefully pieced together to bring you a combination of your favorite Italian staples, some more sophisticated flavors with a touch of fun and some new crazy combinations. We look forward to sharing our passion for taste and our love for service with you…

Top review

christina

Dined 1 day ago

The place was amazing! We had a huge party but our waitress made us feel like it was just a party of two people! She did not lack once in her service and was amazing!! The food was phenomenal as well!!!!

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Pazzo Italiano Santa Rosa Beach

4.8

4.8 (948)

$30 and under

Italian

Santa Rosa Beach

About the restaurant

Pazzo Italiano SRB is the 2nd location of the highly rated and locals favorite Destin location, featuring award winning Italian dishes and wood fired Neapolitan pizza, full bar and two private rooms in a cosmopolitan Family friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

Top review

Darcy

Dined on Nov 27, 2024

Great food, wonderful service! We would go again.

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4.8

4.8 (118)

$31 to $50

Traditional French

Santa Rosa Beach

About the restaurant

Pure white Haussmannian wall panel moldings, gold mirrors, marble bistro tables, herringbone floors, green velvet booths…

…The sweet perfume of Rosemary, Thyme, Toasted Baguette, Truffles, Boeuf Bourguignon served by an elegant waiter…

…Melodies from Serge Gainsbourg and Edith Piaf are playing in the back, you love these songs, you try to guess the words…

…A Champagne bottle suddenly pops. You hear that very typical sound of 1500 years of French history in a bottle.

You have landed in Paris.

But are there palm trees in Paris?

Is it the Seine River? Why do you see a white sandy beach on the horizon? Are we in Paris? Or are we in “Floride”?

Come and see for yourself.

You are eating at Renaissance tonight!

Miam! Bon Appétit.

Top review

FernandoVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Outstanding cuisine and service. Natasha and Valerie are always extremely attentive. Thank you Reinassance team. Merry Christmas!

Ruth's Chris Steak House - Destin

4.7

4.7 (1715)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Destin

About the restaurant

Ruth's Chris Steak House specializes in serving USDA Prime steaks, each seared to perfection, finished with butter and freshly chopped parsley, and served sizzling on a 500-degree plate. We invite you to join us in Destin, FL!

Top review

DerekVIP

Dined 7 days ago

Service and steaks were great. Been here several times and it is my favorite.

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Wild Olives Market & Cafe

4.7

4.7 (113)

$50 and over

Mediterranean

Seagrove Beach

About the restaurant

WILD OLIVES

Wild Olives in SeaGrove, Florida features gourmet cheeses and fine wines along with a bistro menu. The menu is well thought out, with salads, platters, small plate offerings and entrées. Chris' burger is the burger you won't forget. Small plates at Wild Olives are made for sharing, and, if you choose several, you can create a meal for your entire party. Salads are served with bread, so they can be almost a meal in and of themselves. You have to try the Crispy Tuna Poke, Fried Goat Cheese and Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Aioli. Popular main entrees include the Chef's Cut, Greek Catch and Paprika Chicken with Pancetta, don't forget about Chris' Famous Reuben "Dagwood".

Chef Chris Trovas prepares Chef's Specials weekly with fresh local seafood.

Wild Olives is known for Friday Night Wine Tastings, they take place every Friday from 4pm-7pm.

Wild Olives is a Family-Friendly Restaurant!

Join our VIP Email List by visiting www.wildolives30a.com

STAY WILD

Top review

Cindy

Dined 4 days ago

Excellent place to eat! Food, server and owner are all delightful!

Basil and Baxter's Kitchen & Cocktails

4.7

4.7 (276)

$30 and under

American

Destin

About the restaurant

Locally owned and operated.. We have a unique menu blending American cuisine with a touch of creole. Lunch varies from our popular shrimp & grits, to our delicious and filling $9.99 specials like bourbon chicken or sweet n sour chicken, to a fresh beef burger. Dinner provides a daily special on our blackboard often offering local grouper or steak, or consider our dinner menu with salads, pastas, steaks and unique entrees. Brunch on Sunday offers a la carte menu, buffet from 9am till 130pm, along with $10 bottomless mimosas. We also have a full bar with a great wine list.

Top review

Deb

Dined on Oct 26, 2024

Shrimp & Grits were delicious & full of shrimp. My husband's filet was cooked perfectly. Noise level was high due to a large group, but we will definitely return & recommend.

Brother Fox

4.6

4.6 (156)

$31 to $50

Spanish

Pensacola

About the restaurant

We pay tribute to the rugged individualism of Pensacola’s unique historic cultural significance, specifically its Spanish influence. Real and super-rustic, the kitchen presents Old World cookery at its roots, with all the layers peeled back. Brother Fox utilizes a live-fire approach to cooking almost everything that we serve, from coal-roasted oysters to Carne Asada for two, served with hot tortillas. Our beautiful outdoor seating sets the stage for a casual meet up with friends for a glass of wine from regions near and far, carafes of Bathtub Gin or Sangrias from the bar. Inside, the cuisine and casually elegant design are the embodiment of a “neighborhood” spot that caters to visitors and residents alike, for special occasions, celebrations, and some of the finest wood-fired cuisine in Pensacola. Imagine food with soul, both exciting and traditional, in a breezy setting, right in the heart of Old East Hill.

We are open daily for Dinner at 5pm

Top review

Gregg

Dined 2 days ago

Great Chef, the food was wonderful, great flavors and presentations, terrific server.

O'Brien's Bistro

4.5

4.5 (449)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Pensacola

About the restaurant

Voted -Best Locally Owned & Best Casual Dining Restaurant in Pensacola by VIP Pensacola Magazine readers poll.

A small locally owned restaurant where great food is paired with great wine.
O’Brien's Bistro is one of the few restaurants in Pensacola truly owned and operated by the chef!

Our menu items are just some of the flavor combinations we have created. Our kitchen staff will try to accommodate menu changes or requests you may have. Our goal is if the ingredients are on the pages of our menu, we can cook it your way, well, of course, within reason!

Top review

Steve

Dined 4 days ago

I’ve eaten here 3 times. Everything results in making this my favorite restaurant in the Pensacola, Perdido Key, and eastern Alabama. Had grouper Lyonnaise, amberjack and last night an 8oz filet, shrimp bisque and oysters rockefeller. Couldn’t ask for better. My wife had New Orleans Shrimp & Andouille.

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Popular dish

Filet Mignon

The Crazy Lobster Destin

4.2

4.2 (639)

$30 and under

Seafood

Destin

About the restaurant

Looking for a place to fuel up with drinks and fresh or fried seafood, find your feast today overlooking the beautiful Choctawhatchee Bay at Poppy’s Crazy Lobster. Share a Steamed Seafood Bucket with your pals, or satisfy your own appetite by keeping it all to yourself—a 2-lb. lobster, snow crab, shrimp, clams, mussels, corn on the cob, potatoes, and sausage all seasoned to pure perfection. Taste some of our New Orleans’ favorites like Crawfish étouffée, jambalaya, gumbo, and red beans, or our local specialties such as blackened Redfish, pan seared Amberjack or lobster fettuccine. The signature drinks and full service bar will keep the good times Rollin; Poppy’s Voodoo Juice, an all-time favorite and refreshing tropical cocktail. Live music keeps the restaurant hopping nightly with a variety of musicians and local talents

Reservations made through Open Table will only be held for up to 15 minutes

Top review

Jeffery

Dined on Oct 11, 2024

The service was just st awesome and accommodating. We had a large party and the service was spot on. The cocktails and food were reasonably priced and portions were large. We will be going back.

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