Best Restaurants in Palm Beach / West Palm Beach

Meat Market is a steakhouse and seafood joint, self-described as "more glamorous and sexier" than the traditional restaurant in this space. Meat Market originally started as a Miami restaurant, but have since opened locations in San Juan and Palm Beach. The menu is deep. Starting with beef, there are options ranging from Australian kobe beef tomahawk rib-eye to aged porterhouse of the 32 ounce variety. Seafood is another specialty of the Meat Market, with seabass, salmon and lobster being some of the specialties. There are four different steak butters and 10 sauce toppings to try on whatever meat you end up selection. Meat Market's bar has also drawn rave reviews, with martinis and manhattans being some of the favorite orders.

Gleaming stone, soft light and muted colors make for an eminently soothing evening at this elegant establishment. Flawless service adds a pampering touch, and the cuisine is anything but ordinary. In fact, it meshes Florida's freshest ingredients with culinary ideas from Latin America and the southern US. Fire-roasted beef tenderloin, molasses-glazed duck breast, guava-braised beef short ribs, buffalo tenderloin, and rice-noodle crusted sea scallops provide hints of the succulent entrees you'll find. Fresh fish is also a delicious option, and the tasting menu is an incredible bargain, especially when accompanied by appropriate wines. Exotic desserts include cactus pear sorbet, airy fruit souffles, homemade ice cream and a luscious tiramisu.

Tuxedo-clad waiters set the tone for a Midwest classic that's staked a claim on the Atlantic coast. Known for tableside presentations (yes, that's a live lobster on the cart), this steakhouse is famous for its 24-ounce porterhouse and its hearty portions. Sides must be ordered separately at additional cost, and the menu offers seafood, chicken, and veal for those who don't relish red meat. The menu provides wine recommendations to complement entrees. As expected, the atmosphere is plush, and Sinatra croons in the background to add to the whole experience. Reservations are recommended. Call early to assure your party a table.

Its doors thrown open to the breezes, Spoto's enjoys the scent of the ocean, both from the water and the fresh seafood it serves. Brick floors, mirrored walls, and a ceiling adorned with copper squiggles on a teal background give the place immediate character. The cuisine makes it eminently worthy of notice. The raw bar features several varieties of oysters and clams, and the rest of the menu follows their inarguable excellence. Pan-seared sea scallops, bahamian conch chowder, Thai shrimp, trout pecan meuniere, and dolphin with a macadamia nut crust illustrate the range of dishes, and all fish can be poached, sauteed, broiled, blackened, or grilled to your specification. A long bar on the right makes libations convenient, and the outdoor tables are popular. Great any time of day!

Avocado Grill is one of the newest restaurants in all of West Palm Beach. This self proclaimed "foodie paradise" offers up a unique blend of small plates, seasonal fare, a raw bar, great wines and specialty cocktails. Avocado Grill truly operates in a farm-to-table sense, locally sourcing the majority of all ingredients. Everything is supremely, noticeably fresh; this isn't your Chili's or Duffy's. Located on Datura Street in the heart of the downtown district, the eatery is steps away from the Intracoastal Waterway. Grab a few intimate friends, and be some of the first to check out this hip new joint.

Lauded for its incredible cuisine, terrific service and outstanding wine list, Chardonnay proffers great food in a contemporary space. Amid vibrant artwork and floral compositions, guests take in the kitchen's latest successes. Innovative entrees skillfully mix spices and seasonings to create such fantastic fare as pan-seared duck breast with hoisin glaze, macadamia-crusted yellowtail snapper, and roasted Australian lamb with zinfandel-pepper sauce. The seafood martini, a signature dish, flavors shrimp, scallops, and lobster in herbs, vermouth, and vodka for a taste unlike anything you've sampled before. Delicious! For a special treat, plan on one of the three-course wine dinners. An appropriate vintage joins each dish, allowing patrons insight into the sympathetic workings of wine and cuisine that Chardonnay so beautifully cultivates.

A constant outpouring of accolades renders this spectacular restaurant one of Palm Beach's best known establishments. A romantic ambience is set with arched windows, mirrors and candlelight, and glorious flower arrangements. Patrons are graced by impeccable service and cuisine, not to mention live music. Each evening, a talented pianist plays classics, much to the delight of guests. On Fridays and Saturdays, a jazz combo picks up the rhythms, adding a livelier note to the weekend. A celebrated wine list promises a wealth of possibilities, as does the full and extensive bar. You'll also find a caviar and champagne bar, along with a late-night menu. Whether you want to honor a special occasion or simply indulge for a moment, Cafe l'Europe guarantees excellence.

Subtlety and grace characterize this established restaurant, well known in the area for its attentive, unobtrusive service and impeccable cuisine. The Northern Italian menu focuses on al dente-perfect pastas, light as air and accompanied by sauces crafted of pungent cheeses, fresh herbs, tomatoes, cream and mushrooms. Just-caught seafood, especially salmon and snapper, benefit from the kitchen's skill, and veal in its variety of incarnations is impossibly tender and satisfying. Salads, crisp and refreshing, are just as you'd hope, and the French onion soup is a house classic. Luckily, desserts follow suit: Everything from zabaglione to tiramisu and fresh fruit is luscious, and there's a great selection of Italian wines and dessert wines as well.

Although it entertains Palm Beach's elite, this fashionable eatery is refreshingly without pretense. Its cozy rooms and imaginative artwork grant patrons license to relax and enjoy the ambiance and the food rather than the social scene. Under the chef's capable hand, authentic French cuisine takes on a Provençale accent, redolent with fresh herbs and seasonings. Poultry in particular is well prepared, crisp-skinned and juicy, and seafood benefits from unfailing attention as well. Desserts beg sampling too, whether you opt for a frosty sorbet or perhaps the delicious excesses of homemade profiteroles.

Housed in the Brazilian Court Hotel, Cafe Boulud is exquisite, contemporary-designed French-American restaurant with an irresistible dining terrace. Before dinner, enjoy a cocktail in the comfortably revamped bar overlooking the patio. An interesting variety of starters includes smoked salmon with herbed salad and Scandinavian brown bread, a Spanish tapas platter, and veal ravioli. Diners feast on artfully prepared mains such as the squab tartine with mushroom duxelle. Exquisite desserts draw the meal to a close; try the pear struesel with cinnamon ice cream.