10 best Palm Beach County spots we wish made USA TODAY's 2025 Restaurants of the Year
USA TODAY's Restaurants of the Year 2025 list, published today, features 44 hot spots spanning America.
Locally, the best we scored this year was Bicyclette Cookshop.
Where the heck is that? you might be asking.
It's in Naples. BUT its executive chef-owner Kayla Pfeiffer is a Jupiter High grad.
Okay, okay, it's a stretch to call hers a win for Palm Beach County, but our top restaurants have bigger fish to fry right now than the folks on that other coast, namely those secret Michelin Award inspectors.
Like me as an area newbie, I suspect Michelin's team might rely on my brilliant predecessor Liz Balmaseda's comprehensive list of restaurants from 2024 (in addition to the winning Stage that she believed deserved a slot on last year's national Restaurants of the Year (ROTY) as a guide on where to eat.
What's the best restaurant near you? Check out USA TODAY's 2025 Restaurants of the Year.
Alphabetically, Liz's list included:
: When so many chefs refer to their time working for Clay Conley as a top moment in their careers, you know it's special. I LOVE the sandwich shop in West Palm Beach, particularly the beef carpaccio. My cousin Eric believes his group's best restaurant is Imoto, so I want to go there too. (350 S. County Road, Palm Beach, 561-833-3450, buccanpalmbeach.com)
Café Boulud: Where I recently caught up with my longtime pal Georgette who helped launch the haute spot way back when. An otherwise fantastic turkey club's contents spilled all over my cream-color pleated Vince skirt. You can't take me anywhere. (301 Australian Ave. at the Brazilian Court Hotel, Palm Beach, 561-655-6060, cafeboulud.com)
Coolinary: Between this gem from Tim and Jenny Lipman and Stage's sister restaurant Ela Curry & Cocktails, it's been impossible to find parking. I've tried three times and will give it another go when season ends. (4580 Donald Ross Road at The Shops of Donald Ross Village, Palm Beach Gardens, 561-249-6760, thecoolpig.com)
Driftwood: On my list. (2005 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, 561-733-4782, driftwoodboynton.com)
Food Shack: Bread by Johnny's Johnny VanCora also recommended it. My GPS failed to get me there when I tried in January. (103 S. U.S. Highway 1, Jupiter, 561-741-3626, littlemoirsjupiter.com)
: From chef Lindsay Autry, another topping my list that was jam packed when aspiring to dine solo on a Friday night. (400 Avenue of the Champions at the PGA National Resort, Palm Beach Gardens, 561-627-7015, honeybellepbg.com)
La Sirena: When transferring my driver's license and registration, the gals working at DMV said it's their absolute favorite. (6316 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, 561-585-3128, lasirenaonline.com)
That's not to be confused with Café Sapori, not on La Liz's list but recommended by the terrific gents at New Age Auto who know food. (205 Southern Blvd, West Palm Beach, 561-805-7313, cafesaporicorp.com)
Nicholson Muir Distinguished Meats: I need the right plus one for this and that might take some time to find. (480 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach, 561-336-3977, nicholsonmuir.com)
Oceano: Recently reopened after a six-month refurb, it's fantastic. Go. (512 Lucerne Ave., Lake Worth Beach, 561-400-7418, oceanolwb.com)
Okeechobee Steakhouse: Visited the space and met the owners for our legendary restaurants list. Have yet to eat there. A burger and martini at the bar are on my to-do list. (2854 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, 561-683-5151, okeesteakhouse.com)
Pescatore: Topping the to-try list. 1600 N. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, 561-557-9560, pescatorewpb.com
Queen of Sheeba: Another that friends love. (716 N. Sapodilla Ave., West Palm Beach, 561-514-0615, queenofsheebawpb.com)
Rose's Daughter: Can't wait. If you're among the lucky attending Delray Beach Open, give it a go and let me know. (169 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach, 561-271-9423, rosesdaughterdelray.com)
Tropical Smokehouse: It only feels like we write about them every week. (3815 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, 561-323-2573, eattropical.com)
I've sampled Tequesta's terrific and ; both are on my list for full meals once they hit the three-month mark. Same with The Singer's oceanfront .
In Palm Beach Gardens, Kitchen's terrific chicken schnitzel could warrant a solo story.
In Boca Raton, I adored the elegant Red Pine's dumplings and milk tea sponge cake and can't wait to try more of its menu.
Boca's Meat Market location is the sexiest restaurant anywhere. As someone easily bored by hunky beef slabs, the idea of a 6-ounce petit filet (which the restaurant claims credit for) makes me happy.
Speaking of happy, how can you not have fun and a delicious meal at the new CVI.CHE 105 at Town Center?
Others currently piquing my interest combine fine food with fun include:
While I didn't see any of the celebrity biz partners at the restaurant, I was a tad blown away spotting my cousin's daughter and her high school besties decked out in LoveShackFancy's pretty party looks while disembarking from yacht to dock for a birthday party.
She thought her parents sent me to spy on her but really (pinky promise), I was there for a story. More fun small world stuff: The gent sitting next to me at the bar turned out to be the uncle of a gal I profiled for Fort Myers News-Press in 2022.
What I love: The food punches above its weight class and there's really nowhere else I'd rather be on a gorgeous weekend afternoon. Sure, there's a private club component, but it doesn't feel snobby for those of us without a membership.
The downside: I queried my busy server why I wasn't offered a garnish on my cocktail or bread service when other patrons were. #middleagegripes
1000 N. U.S. Highway 1, Jupiter; 561-570-1000, 1000north.com
It's a sky-high rooftop pizza party where cocktails and caviar are mere introductions to a bar menu featuring a choice of 14 artisanal pies made downstairs at the renowned Elisabetta's, then delivered to your table via elevator in a pizza box.
185 Banyan Blvd., West Palm Beach, 561-342-6699, BarCapriWPB.com
Here's your perfect night: Head to the Norton Museum which stays open until 10 p.m. on Fridays. Become a member and score free parking on each visit. Another bonus? A 10% discount at the museum's shop and more importantly, restaurant where a dedicated section of the menu reveals gorgeous dishes that take their cues from the collections. Pretty and pretty delicious. Other days, go for lunch.
1450 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, 561-268-0500, norton.org
A chain, you scream? Yes, but it epitomizes hospitality with personality and then some at this super fun interactive omakase experience that doesn't take all night and each location has its own vibrant look. PGA's locale feels like a party. A pretty new outpost at Benny on the Beach opened last week.
The spaces are tiny, so make that reservation at one of three Palm Beach County locations from north to south:
400 Avenue of the Champions at PGA National Resort, Palm Beach Gardens
10 S. Ocean Blvd., Lake Worth Beach
409 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton
Call: 888-670-5996
Website: sushibybou.com
Diana Biederman is the Palm Beach Post's new food & restaurant writer, fresh from two years at the Naples Daily News. If you have any news tips about the local dining scene, please send them to dbiederman@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: West Palm area spots we wish on USA TODAY 2025 Restaurants of the Year
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